Case Study Tod and Reggie Essay

After speaking with Mr. Todd and Mr. Reggie I have concluded that they would be great candidates for couples counseling. Taking away the fact that they are the same sex, I do not feel that it should affect the outcome of the services that will be provided for the couple listed above. I am very proud of Mr. Todd and Mr. Reggie for coming in to seek counseling as a couple. That within its self speaks volumes to the commitment of their relationship and love for one another. I advised both parties involved about the necessity for counseling. Letting them know that most couples come in to seek help when they feel that this is the last result before breaking up. It’s difficult to move forward in a relationship when anger and resentment have built up to such a degree that there are few conflict-free areas of discussion. Seeing a professional to help you talk to each other so you are not disagreeing on the smallest of things and arguing over the same situations with no resolutions, ca n be a very good idea. I assured them that we would do all in our power to make sure that we set some realistic goals at the ending of each session. We went on to talk and I gathered some information that I felt was interesting and important. I feel that I would like at some point to speak with each Mr. Todd and Mr. Reggie on an individual session. I will determine that as we move further into the sessions and gather if they would like to have a session where they are able to speak with me one on one. I have devised a plan that would help them with the extended family issues that they both are undergoing, also some information on anger and domestic violence, as well as some communication skill building exercises that they a can work on with each other as well as for their personal gain. Going over their family issues I felt held a lot more value in their lives and if could be addresses would help remove some of the stress and anxiety they both undergo on a day to day basis. We talked about the effect that they felt the roles of the absent extended families where causing in their relationship. I did ask questions such as â€Å"Are you families aware that you are an interracial couple?†, â€Å"Is that a reason that you have limited or no contact?†, â€Å"What was the reaction of your family when you told them that you were gay?†, â€Å"Where your families there for you while incarcerated?†, â€Å"How was your relationship with your family before telling you were gay?† , â€Å"Was you and your family closer before you went to prison?† They each answered honestly about the feelings they had incurred during the past few years of their lives. We talked about a support system outside of each other and their families. They both agre ed the lack of family support had a negative impact on their relationship, and have not been able to fully accept it. I informed that their families’ acceptance of their relation would take time, and should be viewed as a process. They would have to make some tough choices to whether or not to continue to try and have their family in their lives are work solely on their relationship. They will have to some type of understanding on their extended family situations. Not dealing with it can be unhealthy and they will need to ask which relationship is most important to them at this time. I did advise until their families where ready to come to terms with their relationship, they should look into starting a family of friends and others who understand their relationship. This could consist of friends who are straight and homosexual. I handed them some fliers to some local coming out groups that meet in there are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I felt it would be a great way to give them another outlet to network amongst individuals who have been through are going through what they are currently going through. I handed out pamphlets on domestic violence to each Mr. Todd and Mr. Reggie. I felt we needed to address the issues of anger and physical threats or actions toward one another. I did also advise them that they I would have to report any physical violence that I am made aware of. To help alive them of the stress they both made out contracts of good faith agreements that they would walk away and respect the others space if a conversation was turning violent and they felt it may result in a physical altercation. We all shook on it and dug deeper into why they felt they needed to result to physical or verbal violence. They were informed of the domestic violence statics in relationships that end in death. Both men agreed that that is not what they wanted for one another. They were encouraged to do some research on domestic violence which they both where highly surprised by what they had found. We also started anger management skills for the both of them. I had them make a rule poster to place in their homes to remind them of the session. We went over 10 steps that would help them both with managing their anger. I did inform them that it would not come over night and they would have to make conscious decisions to apply these skills once they leave the session. Taking time to cool off before addressing why you are angry would be the first stop. Then calmly once you have gathered all your thoughts letting the person or your partner know why you were angry. I noticed how in shape Reggie was and advised maybe exercising or doing something that brings joy and peace to them. Think before you speak was a very good one. That way they did not say things they truly did not mean. Once you say something you cannot take it back so you must watch what you say. Next try and come up with a solution to help you not from becoming so angered by an action or comment. That could be just walking away or making a joke to ease the tension. Use the â€Å"I† statement and not the â€Å"You† statements. Once you have talked about it, let it go. Do not keep it bottled up inside you and have resentment for the person. Again make a joke or say something off the wall when you feel that it may be heading towards you becoming angered. That could be let’s just get some ice cream and talk about this later, to you see that squirrel fly by on the balloon? Just something that will lighten the mood and redirect you both to important situation at hand. Maybe making a relaxation area or technique that you can do, that helps calm you down. That could be reading a book, going to see a movie, shopping, cleaning, or writing. Lastly when all else fails and you don’t know what to do. Seek help before something bad happens. After a few sessions I was to hear that they had implemented these practices and things had started looking better for them. Those anger management exercises lead into working on their communication with each other. Reggie may have been more physically dominating, but Todd was more verbally dominating. I noticed that Todd would over talk Reggie in sessions, and I didn’t think he meant to do it on purpose. Todd was unaware of it and did not fully understand that it would cause Reggie to feel in adequate therefore Reggie would lash out with violence because he felt his voice and opinions where not heard or valued. Todd was amazed that something so small could be so powerful. We began working on listening to each other. Really hearing what the other was saying and validating each other’s opinions and values. The way that had been raised played a large part in the way they communicated with each other. Being open and honest with each other would help them go along way as well with communicating. It would bring them closer with each other. Also paying attention to the nonverbal cues that they give off when feeling frustrated. Staying focused on what they are talking about at the time. Not talking about something that happened in the past or what could happen. Just stay focused on the subject at hand and make sure to settle that issue. Try to not get so emotional when talking about subjects that are important. Look at the whole picture and not just how you feel about the subject. Know when to just throw your hands up and walk away from the discussion if you feel that it is not going the way you want it to go. You do not always have to be right, and it gives your partner the comfort that you are willing to compromise in tough situations. Again make jokes or just go in for a big kiss. That always helps and lets your partner know they are more important to you. Again that brings down the tension in the conversation and gives you both a chance to rethink things over. Never know that kiss may just make them forget what was being said and you can go for some ice cream. Lastly remember communicating is more than talking, it is also actions. Maybe leaving notes or gifts, or just signs that you are thinking of each other always helps. It could be as small as taking out the trash with our being asked to as large as a vacation to a beach resort. No matter how big or small the gesture your partner will appreciate it. After these sessions with Mr. Todd and Mr. Reggie I have seen growth. I am happy to report that Reggie’s back home with Todd. They both have found jobs and are currently making their apartment cozier and entertainment friendly. They continue to go out and meet people in there are who accept them for them. They have a network of support and are also helping out with recently released inmates who are also gay and going through some of the same obstacles that faced. Todd’s mother has actually came and visited him and Reggie. Todd stated that it will take her some time to get used to but she is giving some more support. Unfortunately Reggie’s sisters had not come around but we were able to help Reggie get some closure of his mom’s death. He continues to seek therapy for the loss and he is doing a wonderful progress. He did admit dealing with his family issue and the death of his mom have helped his anger issues and he is able to calm himself down very easily now. Todd and Reggie are listening to each other and communicating with each other very well. They still have a ways to go, but in the short time they have started practicing the techniques they have made excellent strides towards approving. Todd listens more to Reggie rather than over talking him. It doesn’t matter who you are the same fundamentals of love are all the same. We start from our personal backgrounds and to the way we communicate with each other. Todd and Reggie are all of us in some sort of way. Being gay or straight we all have the same problems. With the correct education and help and support we can all over come any obstacle that is placed before us. References Grohol, J. (2009). 9 Steps to Better Communication Today. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/04/14/9-steps-to-better-communication-today/ Mayo Clinic.com (1998-2013). Anger Management: 10 tips to tame your Temper Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anger-management/MH00102

Compare and contrast two views of how social order Essay

â€Å"Whoever controls the media controls the mind† (Jim Morrison 1943-1971).excellent quote i had forgotten that one To establish a view on how social order is produced, in this essay the main focus will be on two researcher’s arguments both on social disorder specifically in regard to the influence of the mass media. Sociologist Stanley Cohen (1973) suggests that the media depiction of antisocial behaviour helps to construct what he labels ‘folk devils’. Whilst social scientists Stuart Hall et al (1978) argued that the mediation of disorderly behaviour led to the belief that society was in a ‘crisis’. By using my own examples and illustrations I will compare and contrast these two theories and furthermore for differentiation include a more present-day theory on social disorder through Huesmann et al 2003. Thereby through an examination of mediation (media spin) on disorderly behaviour attempt to define how one part of social order is produced in public spaces. Good clear introduction Sociologist Stanley Cohen’s theory on ‘folk devils’ which he first observed during the 1960’s media portrayal of Mods and Rockers (Making Social lives ,p378) gives an interesting oblique view on how social order is maintained, as according to is theory certain members of the public are classified as outsiders and treat like scapegoats. describe the theory a little bit here The evidence for this can be found as far back as ancient Greece Aristotle’s ‘unruly youths’ (Brake, 1980, p.1) Along with â€Å"fears of skilled pickpockets progressing to become burglars in the sixteenth century† (Shore, 2000, p. 21) and as near to our times is the example of Gypsy travellers who are and have been given the dubious pleasure of being one of the â€Å"carriers† of social evil and disorder of our days. Good use of examples This Sun headline (March 2005) on the right is just one of the many stereotypical images of gy psies, blown out of all proportion by mass media mediation and an example of that which is coined by Cohen as generating moral panic that is irrational and creates a situation â€Å"where people are both terrified and outraged† (Cohen, Making Social lives,p378). This use of inflammatory rhetoric with regards to gypsies is still being currently employed today as a Sun reporter reports he â€Å"found a community  brimming with fear and anger – and villagers hell-bent on getting rid of them (Sun May 2011). These headlines from the mass media (public space) with regard to gypsies whom historically have many times been the focal point of European society’s ills and represented as’ folk devils’ very good The media campaigns of hostility against these ‘folk devils’ have not only produced moral panic â€Å"a pattern of behaviour, group of people or a condition becomes defined as a threat to society, its values and its interests† (Making Social lives, p371). This on-going mass media campaign against gypsies resulted in change the nation’s politics and laws to re-address social order. Such, as under sections 77-80 of the 1994 Act, [local authorities may direct persons who are unlawfully residin g in vehicles on land in their own area to leave.] This an attempt to renew social order with regards to gypsies and thus allaying public fear.very good The media also played a significant role in sociologists Stuart Hall’s and co-authors (Policing the Crisis (1978) theory. Hall believed that the issue of crime was instrumental in controlling society and that the media constructions â€Å"contributed to a widespread belief that there was a crisis in society† (Making (Social lives, p378). As an illustration of some of the biased press coverage of street crime is a picture portrayed by this Sun image (Dec 2010) Hall surmises that this is how the media wishes to portray these issues to the public, as a rise in crime and disorder which can and should be treat by the government with greater policing measures and laws, which Hall terms the beginning of a â€Å"Law and Order Society† (Social lives, p378). He goes on to infer that media spin is used to distort and divert public attention from the clear problems of social injustice and inequality and that this aids government on social order policies. Evidence for this Law and Order society can be found with the introduction of the SUS (Stop and Search) powers that were used at their height when 1000 youths were stopped and searched in 5 days in what the police called â€Å"Operation Swamp†(bbc. Home, 25th Nov. 1981).well researched This resulted in the escalation of confrontation between the community and the police due to the locals perceiving an inequality and persecution of young blacks and this sparked off the Brixton race riots (1981). The outcome culminated in the renewal of social order with the abolition of the SUS law (1981). However they returned in another form due to 9/11 and 7/7 attacks to combat terrorism in 2007. To  compare and contrast Cohen and Halls views on mass media mediation and how the social order is m aintained through public spaces it will be shown by examining that they have differences and similarities. Where both Cohen and Hall agree with regard to their theories on the issue of mediation (public spaces) is that they both believe that the focus of the mass media places spin on how social and criminal deviants (muggers) are portrayed. Also they both rely on labels to support their social disorder theories i.e. folk devil and muggers and furthermore characterising them as stereotypes. Moreover they continue to agree that the media exaggerates and amplifies and create’ scapegoats’ whose behaviours good example of compare and contrast are demonised with resulting effect on social order of creating ‘moral panic’ on the one hand and a sense of ‘crisis in society’ on the other. Where they greatly disagree is on the root causes of moral panics and social crisis in that Cohen with very little supporting evidence, believed cultural anxiety was to blame (Making Social Lives, Table 1, p383,). Whilst Hall thought that the blame led elsewhere with his inference to social inequality and racism and that the media served the state in diverting attention away from these genuine social problems (ibid).good In contrast to both Cohen and Hall’s views on the mediation of ‘social disorder’ and the foundation of their theories on moral panic and society in crisis there is a view that has an alternative reason as to why and how the media can play a significant role in shaping social order in public spaces. This alternative view comes from the analysis of a longitudinal study (Making Social Lives, p381) by Huesmann et al on media effects, and in particularly how Huesmann and his team found a correlation between 557 children and the watching of violence on TV and a subsequent increase in propensity for aggressive behaviour in 398 of these same studied people. Therefore Huesmann et al. (2003) reached the conclusion on disorderly behaviour that there is a direct effect of media portrayal of violence. From this you can argue that in Huesmann’s view, media and mediation through public space in this case TV. can have a major negative role in the shaping of social order in society, by desensitising and normalising disorderly behaviour. Although there is no real causation evidence for these claims in Huesmann’s study and that the conclusion drawn on the media impact of television violence a chimera of other social factors very good expand on this a little. Thereby through  the examination of Cohen/Halls theories on mediation (media spin) on disorderly behaviour the following can be gleaned with regard to how one part of social order is produced in public spaces. Established norms of behaviour are created and exist in society supported by mass media and this sometimes leads to an increase in social pressure which is built up with a resulting increase in policing and law legislation (SUS laws). These societal norms are reinforced by media scapegoating of social and criminal deviants, Cohen’s ‘folk devils’ and Halls ‘muggers’. Although there are others (Huesmann et al) who believe that the shaping of social order in society is more directly influenced by TV violence alone. The methodology utilised in this essay was to shed light on the making of social order in public spaces through looking at two main theories on disorderly behaviour. And it has highlighted in my view that quite possibly genuine social problems and solutions are obscured by mediation resulting in legislation that deals with only the symptoms not the causes â€Å"The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power, because they control the minds of the masses† (Malcolm X (1925-1965). Bibliography Cohen, S. (1973) Folk Devils and Moral Panics, London, Paladin. Hall, S., Critcher, C., Jefferson, T., Clarke, J. and Roberts, B. (1978) Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State, and Law and Order, London and Basingstoke, Macmillan. Huesmann, R., Moise-Titus, J., Pdolski, C-L. And Eron, L. (2003) ‘Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behaviour in young adulthood: 1977–1992’, Developmental Psychology, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 201–23. Google Image, News.bbc.co.uk, accessed 24th /26th May 2011 Google Image, Enemiesofreason.co.uk accessed 25th May 2011 Jim Morrison (1943 – July 3, 1971) brainyquote.com accessed 20th may 2011 Malcolm X (1925-1965) thinkexist.com accessed 20th may 2011 Shore, H. (2000) ‘The idea of juvenile crime in 19th-century England’, History Today, vol. 50, no.6,pp. 21–7;

Ethnic Images in American Film and Television Essay

This literature review seeks to examine ways in which gender ethnic stereotypes in the media have been reviewed and the conclusions that have been observed regarding the negative continuance of gender ethnic stereotypes in the media. In addition, this paper includes research on the influence the media has to shape women’s attitudes through numerous resources of gender stereotyped images and language use. The term media in this research paper will be used very loosely, allowing me to cover areas in which gender ethnic stereotypes occur. The most common stereotypes are from film, television, internet and print media’s. With all the media outlets, viewers are noticeable to portrayal of what and how people of certain ethnicities act. The cultures I decided to focus on are African- Americans, European Americans and Hispanics. These ethnic groups tend to be in the lime-light for numerous accounts whether it’s positive recognition or backlash. Most often in film African- Americans characters are stereotyped as being the slaves â€Å"Djanjo and 12 Years a slave†, or being a Brash woman. European Americans on television tend to be inferior, and have leading roles, money, guns and the hot men. Lastly, Hispanics are stereotyped as Spanish speakers, and are typically the ones cleaning houses in the movies. Stereotyping occurs any time there is a need to generalize a particular group of people order to make an otherwise complex environment easy to understand (Lester, P., M., and Susan D. R., p12). A particular trait is used as the basis for stereotyping. In essence, society stereotypes humanity by race or gender. Some groups are associated with some unique traits that the society uses to generally define it. It does not matter that individuals in that group are unique and do not subscribe to the label given to them. When it comes to stereotyping, every individual in that particular group is made equal. From the ethnicity point of view, some ethnic groups are given so much value whereas others are devalued (Lester, P., M., and Susan D. R., p22). This is because of the hierarchy that the society creates to define races and ethnic groups. Stereotyping can be positive or negative. When it is positive, the stereotyped group feels good. When it is negative, the stereotyped group feels offended and may even go to an extent of retaliating. It is also important to note that repetition in the stereotyping leads to normalization of the same, because when stereotypes are repeated, they become perpetuated and ultimately validated. Stereotypes are taken to be truths because they have a connotation of some truth about the members of that particular group in general. The most dangerous form of stereotyping is negative racial stereotyping. It leads to strife and war. Gender stereotyping is also very explicit. Media has not been left behind in propagating stereotype. The media use stereotypes to define people from different backgrounds. It generalizes the complex nature of people to a one general bracket so that it is easy to understand that particular group of people. It also has helped propagate gender stereotyping. Given the cove rage of the media in the society, it can be said that stereotyping has taken another level where every person is aware of it unlike in the past. Various illustrations of how the media influences gender and ethnic stereotyping                      Television has become the key propagator of ethnic stereotyping. According to Srividya R. and Saunders, M. S., (p1), African-Americans and Latino-Americans are always undermined; underrepresented, demeaned and marginalized when it comes to the mainstream media. All this happens in the lines of stereotyping. For instance, African-Americans are portrayed in such a manner that demeans them completely. They are represented as big, mean and big-mouthed. In addition, they are portrayed as lazy and unreliable. They assume the roles that demonstrate ruthlessness to stereotype them as so. Moreover, they are represented as unintelligent and loyal slaves who submit stupidly. With regard to the Latino-Americans, the media as portrayed them with derision. They are portrayed as lazy people who are unintelligent. In addition, they are taken to be oversexed and extremely promiscuous. They are stereotyped to be very violent and always being associated with criminal activities. They assume the roles that pertain to breaking laws. The media portrays these minor groups in America so negatively. The audience is left with the impression that that is how every African-American or Latino-American. Furthermore, Srividya, R., and Saunders, M. S., (p1) explain how the news stories are covered in the America. They cut out groups ethnically against the backdrop of ethnic stereotyping. When watching news over the television, it is easy to observe how stories relating to social class are framed. The minority groups take blames for their assumed laziness and criminal activities. The Blacks and the Latinos are viewed as non-contributors in the nation economy. Television enter taining programs are also based on the stereotyping. The minority groups are used to represent the unwise characters in the name of entertaining the audience. Crime dramas also represent the Blacks and Latinos as law-breakers. The media has been so keen on recording and televising issues that pertain to the aspects of stereotyping when dealing with the African-Americans and Latino-Americans. According to Lee, M.J et al., (p4), journalists pay little attention on the problems that affect these people. They do not highlight their plight. Instead they run after them whenever issues that concern such things as drug abuse and criminal activities have been mentioned. They put keen interest to the conflicts that touch on the racial aspects as well as the surrounding controversies. They make these the breaking news and literally ignore the true nature of the lives of these people. The audience is left wondering who the Blacks and Latinos are. For the majority, the impression that they make about these minority group of people in America is that they are drug barons and criminals. The riots that happened in Los Angeles in 1992 give a vivid illustration of how the media tends to portray the Blacks and the Latinos (Lee, M.J., et al., p 5). While covering the story, the Black community was made to appear as the people responsible for the riots and the subsequent disturbances. Hispanics were also implicated at a greater degree. Most of those arrested came from the minority groups. This is a clear indication that due to failure of the media to give the true background of the conflicts, and hence generalizing the event, led to many Blacks and Hispanic arrests. The negative image painted about these people following that incident was demeaning. In addition, it is important to state here that whenever cases of riots erupt, the culprits are the Blacks, the Latinos and the Hispanics, thanks to the extensive level of media role in stereotyping. Another illustration is the films such as the â€Å"Boys in the Hood† and â€Å"Menace II Society†. These films have portrayed young blacks as criminals. As such, they have attracted a lot of audience and consequently, they have sold a lot in America (Saunders, M. S., and Sirvidya, R., p3). The audience has been tuned by the media to believe and like stories that demean the minority groups around America. Whenever a black-American is seen, he is seen as a threat to the security of the society. Considering the case of beating of Rodney King in 1991 (Miller, R.M., p32) the effects of this stereotyping is observed. During the trial, the defense team composed of four police officers said that they decided to beat Rodney because they feared that he could have been harmed. The fear in this sense signifies what every white person feels whenever they encounter a Black in America. The excuse given is the order of the day whenever the whites are defending themselves against the B lacks. In most movies, male characters have always dominated the female characters (Saunders, M. S. and Srividya, R., p35). This is an extension of gender stereotyping. The society already has a notion that a woman is subject to the man. When the media in the form of movies portray women as inferior to men, then they serve to reinforce that already existing belief. In addition, in most of the American movies where Black females appear as characters, most of the cases the women are made to use vulgar language (Jefferson, S. T., p 3). They are also portrayed as violent. Are the Black women always violent? Is it true that they use vulgar language most of the time? The clear answer is no. the reason they are portrayed as such is to serve the interests of the white audience. The society has been shaped to like stories that negatively impact the Black community at the advantage of their white counterparts. The white audience is happy when they learn that their women, for instance, are more intell igent and better than the Blacks, at least according to the movies and media in general. Moreover, the Blacks have been used in the movies and film industry to take the roles that pertain to servitude and slavery. For instance, in the movie â€Å"12 Years of Slavery† it is a Black young lady who takes the role of the slave (Jefferson, S. T., p6). She serves a white family that often mistreats her. This is not an isolated case. In most other movies, the roles that require a slave character, the directors of the movie will more often than not choose to use a black character than a white character. They back their reasoning by saying that a black person portrays the role well. Why? It is because the audience feels more satisfied by a black slave than a white slave. Even crime scenes in the movies are taken up by the black characters most of the times. The print media has also been implicated in the propagation of the stereotyping. According to Lester P.M and Susan D. R., (p65), in the advertising segment, the Blacks are portrayed as unintelligent as compared to the white counterparts. The Hispanics are used to represent comic characters in their role. The Latinos are used mostly in cases of promiscuity. The White Americans are used when referring to the wise community, and often associated with status of affluence. The minority groups are portrayed as people who are poor and uneducated. The newspapers also portray the Blacks, Hispanics and Latinos as criminals when covering acts of crime. The bias created goes a long way to victimizing innocent people on the grounds of false beliefs created by the stereotypes. The media has portrayed African-Americans, Latino-Americans and Hispanics very negatively. It is not that all African-Americans are criminals. In fact, most of them are law-abiding citizens in America. It is not true that all Blacks in America are uneducated. As a matter of fact, there are blacks in America who are highly educated compared to the white Americans. Also, contrary to the way media depicts Blacks as poor people, there are Blacks that live affluent lives with every luxury that a White person can wish for. The same truth applies to the Latinos and Hispanics as well. Therefore, the media does not give the true picture of the minority communities. In essence, the media highlights the aspects that they think will raise the eyebrows of the audience who are the whites. Since the media in America seeks to serve the white audience at the expense of other communities living in America, stereotyping forms a part in racism. The overall result is racial discrimination that has penetr ated even in the job markets so that members of the minority group are not getting employments. For the audience, it is important to realize that not all that is portrayed by the media about others is truth. References Jefferson, Shani  T. â€Å"Occupational role portrayals of African-American women on prime-time television.† Ethnicity in America 2.1  (2005): 1-7. Print. Lee, Moon  J., Shannon  L. Bichard, Meagan  S. Irey, Heather  M. Walt, and Alana  J. Carlson. â€Å"Television Viewing and Ethnic Stereotypes: Do College Students Form Stereotypical Perceptions of Ethnic Groups as a Result of Heavy Television Consumption?† Howard Journal of Communications 4.3  (2009): 3-6. Print. Lester, Paul M, and Susan D. Ross. Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media. Westport, Conn: Praeger,  2003. Print. Miller, Randall M. Ethnic Images in American Film and Television. Philadelphia, U.S.A: Balch Institute,  1978. Print. Sanders, Meghan  S., and Srividya Ramasubramanian. â€Å"An Examination of African Americans’ Stereotyped Perceptions of Fictional Media Characters.† Howard Journal of Communications 6.3  (2012): 4-8. Print. Source document

Law Enforcement Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law Enforcement Technology - Essay Example The information technology and electronic gadgets have significantly impacted the performance of policing in states and helped enforce law and order. Chan (2001) asserts that information is stock-in-trade of policing which considerably influences enforcement of law. The ready access to information, especially criminal records becomes vital ingredient in investigating and preventing crimes. The various agencies, including police use sophisticated gadgets to coordinate and track crimes and criminals. Computer based crime mapping has revolutionized policing. GIS or geographical information system facilitates and help create pattern of crime within the defined geographical location so that spatial trend in crime is easily identified. It helps to manipulate and display geographical knowledge in new and exciting ways (Cowen 2001, p. 3). GPS or global positioning system is another important technology that is used for direction and identifying route maps to locate crime or track criminals or suspects. Chicago police was the first to use technology to collaborate with community and enhance mechanisms of controlling crimes. It introduced CAPS or Chicago Alternative police Strategy to solve neighborhood problems. ICAM or Information Collecting for Automated Mapping is its key tool that has 90 days relevant data related to crime hot spots including maps, graphs and details of reported crimes (Skogan & Hartnett, 1996). It is updated and accessible to community for transparent community policing. This has been adopted by other states to improve policing and reducing crime. Real time Computer Aided Detection System is another important tool that helps monitor illegal entry of cross border immigration, drug trafficking etc. Indeed, the geo-mapping helps to analyze and create linkages and patterns of crime for determining the potential risk factors and identification of

Interpersonal Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example Efforts should be taken by a person to resist the habit of making his/her own interpretations, which may be excessively wild or painful at times, about any ordinary message, compliment, or note conveyed. Our fake interpretations lead to disastrous misconceptions and chaotic mayhem, to avoid which literal listening is a very reliable tool for making interpersonal communication smooth. In the video â€Å"Acceptable Forms of Shit†, Ms. Choksondik explains to the children how saying the word â€Å"shit† is quite acceptable under some conditions and how it should not be considered a taboo word in the educational systems if used in a non-literal sense while respecting some conditions. The teacher in the video lays stress that the word â€Å"shit† should be used in a non-literal sense, while taking care to avoid using it in a literal sense like â€Å"this is a picture of shit†, which is not acceptable. In an order to avoid any offense that may force some to belie ve that literal listening is not effective, such words as â€Å"shit† must be used non-literally like â€Å"this is a shitty picture of mine.† Ego boundaries are actually formed by a person’s own perceptions regarding where his/her existence ends and the rest of the world begins.

Human Resources Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resources Issues - Essay Example In fact, it is imperative that they will do so. From time to time, employees need to undertake corrective actions. These actions help them to take stock of their duties. It also helps their employers to understand that they can work under minimal conditions as well. In the contemporary world, most of the office work can be coordinated from home. Employees need time to be with their families and friends. What employers need to emphasize on is the quality of work and the delivery of services by employees. If all these factors are looked into, the employer-employee relationship will be greatly enhanced. Telecommuting is the next big thing in terms of the convenience it offers working from home.The kind of leadership shown in the case study is that of understanding. Here a leader does not stick to the status quo. He does not necessarily believe that he has supreme powers over employees. On the contrary, he understands them, knowing that they have to work together as an entity. This is th e kind of leadership that should exist in most offices all over the world. Employees must be given the space and chance to work at their own convenience. If all these factors are adhered to, obviously employees will provide their best services while employers will reap a lot from the fact that they can work from home and practice minimal supervision over them.Employers need to be patient and allow employees to take their own course of action. It helps them to feel less restricted and constantly looked upon.

Genetics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Genetics - Assignment Example The two groups as mentioned afore were male and female. Since the heights were measured without selecting a particular group of student the sample can be considered as convenient sample. The population from which the sample was drawn consisted of college students. Moreover, the data recorded the heights for year 2013-2014 class. The number of male students was 175 while that of female was 244. The data gathered in the initial stage was in the raw form then it was copied to excel in two columns, one for male heights while the other was for female heights. The in order to summarize the data using Data Analysis ribbon of the MS Excel 2007, the Descriptive Statistics was calculated. The output is mentioned below. Descriptive Statistics    MALE FEMALE          Mean 179.4685714 165.2828 Standard Error 0.538915079 0.432823 Median 180 165 Standard Deviation 7.12917639 6.760904 Sample Variance 50.82515599 45.70983 Range 39 40 Minimum 162 148 Maximum 201 188 Sum 31407 40329 Count 175 2 44 Among the given values, the most important are the mean values and the measures of dispersion. From the table it is evident that the average male height is 179.5 cm while that of female is 165.3 cm which shows that on average the male height is greater than female. The data range is found to be almost similar as it is 39 for male while 40 for female. The standard deviation for male height is 7.13 while that for female is 6.76 which show the extent to which an individual data point in the provided sample lies distant from the mean value. Overall the height does not vary to a great extent in both cases as the standard deviation obtained is similar in both cases. But the observable differences in the mean values of male and female height may be due to the difference in the sizes of each sample. The size of male height sample is 175 while that of female height sample is 244 thus both groups differ in their sizes by 69 units which is quite significant difference. So in order to elimin ate the impact of this difference on the overall mean values of each sample, the means of each group is required to be tested using statistical procedures. Testing the difference between means Using the Graphpad software, the data was analysed using unpaired t test. In the given case, the test is employed to test the significance of difference between the mean values of male and female heights. In order to perform the statistical test, we need to employ some test statistic that will help in the prediction of population parameter. Therefore, the test statistics to test the significance of difference of mean value used is t statistics. The unpaired t test has been conducted on the given data assuming that both groups have equal variances. Employing statistical test requires ascertaining some decision rule which in the given case utilizes the P value obtained, and is needed to be less than 0.0001. Since the analysis was done using online software, the important values included the P-va lue, the t value, the confidence interval, degree of freedom and standard error of mean (Graphpad Software, Inc.). The output is summarized in the following table. P-value < 0.0001 T value 20.7036 The confidence interval at 95%   12.84 to 15.53 Degree of freedom 417 Standard error of difference 0.685   The confidence interval is drawn at 95% level, which shows that the mean differences between male and female height varied from 12.84 to 15.53. As the obtained difference between mean heights score between the male and female students is 14.12. The test provided the t value of 20.7036 with degree of freedom 417 and standard error of difference was 0.685. Since, the P-value obtained is found to be less than 0.0001 which makes it certain that the differences obtained between

Irish Educational System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Irish Educational System - Essay Example This is a situation that could escalate unless dealt with. They also say though that the situation is so variable from place to place that it is difficult to generalize either as to the current situation or ways to deal with any problems. The Irish educational system is many ways very similar to that found in other western European countries. It provides primary, secondary, further and higher or tertiary education with children spending 6 hours a day or more in school 5 days a week, a high proportion of a child's waking hours, though they spend even more time out of school than in it. Nevertheless it has a massive influence upon the way children think and behave, especially if the values a child finds at school are reflected in their family and in the wider society. Education is compulsory for those between the ages of 6 and 15, though many 5 year olds attend school and further and higher education is on the increase, with some 50 per cent of students going on from school to further studies varying from adult literacy courses and those for the unemployed to formal university courses. Education in primary schools follows the 1999 Primary School Curriculum as described on the Irish Education web site. This curriculum document is unusual in educational circles in that it does not provide a religious curriculum, but leaves this to the churches that control the various schools. Its aim is to make the most of each individual's character:- as it is expressed in each child's personality, intelligence and potential for development. It is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life -- spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical... This idea of making the best of each child is contained within the Constitution of Ireland as laid down in 1937. In article 41 section 1 it states clearly that the people of Ireland feel that the family is 'the primary and natural educator of the child' and that it is both the right and the duty of parents to see that their child recieves an education religious, moral, intellectual, physical and social. There is provision for education at home, but rather oddly no minimum standards for this are laid down, though there is provision for the state to see that a child recieves education when , for whatever reason, the parents are unable to do this. If one looks at the curriculum in an Irish Primary School it is clear that social education is given its place alongside such traditional subjects as mathematics, languages and science. In fact it appears twice in the list provided on the Education Ireland web site. There are a number of different types of primary school - state-funded primary schools, special schools and private primary schools. State funded schools include religious schools, non-denominational schools, multi-denominational schools and Gaelscoileanna i.e schools which operate in the Irish language, but which are outside the usual Gaeltacht, i.e. the area where Gaelic is the first language. Social education is linked to environmental studies and science as well as to personal and health education. It is of course in the earliest years of a child's school life that correct behavior and values must be reinforced if a positive school career is

Ethical Dilemmas in Organizational Communication Essay

Ethical Dilemmas in Organizational Communication - Essay Example However, the ethical dilemmas profoundly and dramatically affect the brand image of the enterprises and corporations due to increased awareness concerning these social issues amongst the general population of the world (Garber, 2008). An individual may encounter the ethical dilemmas in personal lives as well as in the professional or the business world. As an example about the ethical dilemma, I am a newly appointed personal director in a large beverage distributor and screening of all the applications for promotions to management positions come under my job responsibilities and tasks. According to the standard process and policies of the organization, top three contenders, or the applicants comes under the selection for additional interviews with the management after completing the screening process (Zastrow &Â  Kirst-Ashman, 2009). ... The finest option that I would go for is accosting the president about the discriminatory stance. As being a firm believer and supporter of the concept of EEO that is Equal Employee Opportunity, I would make my best effort to convince and persuade the president for the selected female candidates that they are the best matches with the skills and capabilities in accordance to the provided job specifications. Moreover, the president should not have the bias and prejudice feature while considering the applicants and their proficiency and talent should be the emphasis and the highlighting point while interviewing or selecting. While looking at the other side of the continuum, to resolve this ethical dilemma, I should reopen the position with an anticipation to catch the attention of further qualified candidates as an alternative preference that would come under implementation. Since I am an employee whose principal duty and responsibility is to screen, shortlist and recruit the applicant s according to the exact and accurate specifications provided by either the departments or the top executives, which is the foremost and key cause to go for this option. Therefore, by reopening the position, I would look for the best candidates according to the precise requirements as provided. In another example situation of ethical dilemma, I have overheard a dialogue exchange that was under discussion between my manager and the manager of another department in which my best friend came under hiring and worked. The matter of subject was my friend in the conversation that they were having. The conversation made it noticeably obvious that manager of the other department was not satisfied and happy with the work of my friend. In addition, the manager did

Educational Coaches Essay Example for Free

Educational Coaches Essay Educational or instructional coaches – also called â€Å"master teachers† – in elementary and secondary education are facilitators who train other teachers to improve instructional practices and generate higher levels of student achievement (Buly et al, 2004). Specifically, they are trained to serve as support for schools and districts experiencing â€Å"market failure;† i. e. , that have large numbers of students unable to meet state and federal achievement standards (Buly et al, 2004). This document is written as an outline to provide qualitative and quantitative evidence (in economic and real terms) that justifies educational managers (elementary, middle and high school principals, superintendents and school board members) utilizing educational/instructional coaches to achieve the following goals: (1) improving aggregate output through schools’ and districts’ overall level of student achievement on state- and/or federally-mandated testing, and (2) improving micro-level behavior through resource allocation, individual classroom management, implementation of learning strategies and instruction of subject matter. The following is a summary of the main points of this document: †¢ Discussion of what educational/instructional coaches are and their estimated microeconomic impact on students’ and teachers’ performances †¢ Discussion of district and schools’ economic costs and factors including fiscal policy, funding sources, overall output and the impact of budgetary decisions such as hiring educational/instructional coaches †¢ An econometric case study: regression analysis of schools in Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida that utilize educational/instructional coaches Definition The field of education, unlike some markets, is not perfectly competitive. Individual buyers (students) and sellers (teachers) do have the ability to significantly influence the cost and quality of education. Consequently, educators continuously strive to make the educational marketplace more efficient and productive; i. e. , they search for methods and tools that improve the process of and environment for learning and address the diverse and changing needs of teachers and students. Unfortunately, the field of education is constrained by limits, and the equitable and efficient distribution of income (state and federal funding) and other resources (teachers) remains an issue that managers (educational administrators such as superintendents, school board members and principals) must address annually. In 1989, an educational organization called the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) developed America’s Choice, a school design model based on high quality instructional materials, technical support and professional development for teachers (NCEE, 2009). Educational/instructional coaches are a central component of America’s Choice (NCEE, 2009). The goal of this paper is to determine whether or not educational managers are making the most fiscally responsible decision when hiring educational/instructional coaches to meet district- and school-based needs. While educational/instructional coaches are an often-used solution in some school districts, managers have other alternatives available to provide support to teachers and students in the classroom. These options utilize different methods of resource allocation. One alternative to â€Å"classroom coaching† is making capital improvements. An example of a capital improvement is upgrading a district’s and/or school’s technological infrastructure. This would involve purchasing computers and/or networks with more memory and larger capacities for data storage and manipulation, increasing the value and useful life of a district’s or school’s technological infrastructure. This could also involve purchasing software such as web-based educational tools for both students and teachers to use. Another option is additional training for teachers through in-service workshops (training provided during the school day) or additional education courses (college and/or university level). A third alternative is realignment of the student-teacher ratio based on aggregate demand; i. e. , the total demand (number of students) for goods (teachers/classes) and services (instruction) in the educational market (classroom). A fourth alternative is awarding financial bonuses to teachers with high or greatly improved student achievement rates. Educational/Instructional Coaches: Their Economic Costs and Factors When evaluating the benefits of using educational/instructional coaches, educational managers must ask themselves, â€Å"What are the accounting and opportunity costs of this decision? † In other words, managers need to determine expenses like salary, benefits, health insurance for the educational/instructional coaches; they also must construct the benefits of other educational options. According to payscale. com, a global, online compensation database, the average salary for K-12 public school teachers in the United States is $42,000 annually for a nine-month school year (Payscale, Inc. , 2009). Educational coaches are often at the top tier for teachers’ salaries and make on average $52,000 each year (Payscale, Inc. , 2009). Thus, the opportunity cost of hiring an educational coach at a school is, on average, $52,000 annually. An educational manager have an additional $52,000 (plus the cost of insurance and benefits) within his/her budget to invest in computer hardware, software, training for existing teachers, or actually hiring a new teacher (thereby reducing the teacher/student ratio). If a school principal hired more than one educational coach – many schools have one for every major academic discipline – the costs would be even greater. Across a school district, the aggregate costs would be much larger. For example, Duval County Public Schools is a school district in Jacksonville, Florida, has 160 schools, and uses America’s Choice, employing educational coaches at all 160 schools (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). At the very least, Duval County Public Schools’ accounting cost for hiring 160 educational coaches would be (on average) approximately 8. 32 million dollars annually, not including benefits and insurance. While educational managers must consider costs, they must also contend with economic factors. There are a wide range of economic factors that affect educational managers’ ability to hire educational coaches. Some of the most important are federal and state government policies, school district management, taxation, and student achievement levels. Before educational managers can make hiring decisions, school districts must meet state and federal approval through accreditation (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). Accreditation is the process by which â€Å"an official body gives authority to something when recognized standards are met† (Lindberg, Ed. , 2004, p. 8). The governing body for public schools in the southern part of the United States is the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS). In October 2008, SACS awarded Duval County Public Schools full accreditation, which indicates the district complied with meeting state and federal standards for student achievement (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). Schools must be accredited to hire new staff. Thus, the accreditation process was necessary before educational managers could hire educational coaches. Another factor affecting the hiring process is district management. Before principals can finalize hiring any new educators, including educational coaches, the new hires must be approved by the school board (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). The school board is â€Å"a local authority responsible for the provision and maintenance of schools† (Lindberg, Ed. , 2004, p. 1220). In Duval County Public Schools, for example, the school board must vote on whether or not they approve principals hiring educational coaches. Another factor affecting the hiring of educational coaches is funding. Funding for school districts is a fiscal policy issue and comes from a combination of local, state and federal sources (Howell Miller, 1997). Local funding is generally financed by property taxes (Howell Miller, 1997). State financing is generally through sales taxation (Howell Miller, 1997). Both local and state taxation are affected by state policy decisions and voting decisions of the population (Howell Miller, 1997). For example, a governor may issue a proposition to reduce property taxes across a state. If the population votes to accept the tax reduction, the funds available to make hiring decisions are reduced. While federal monies are financed through national income tax, these come to schools and schools districts via an assortment of federally mandated programs, often for at-risk student populations (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). For example, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is the most recent federal education legislation. Enacted in 2001, NCLB is an initiative of former U. S. President George W. Bush and it authorizes the distribution of educational grants for low-income students, textbooks, professional development for educators and more (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). Often a school’s student population determines how much and if that school can receive federal funding (U. S. Department of Education, 2007) Thus, government policy decisions at the local, state and federal levels affect educational managers’ decisions to hire educational coaches. A final factor that determines whether or not educational managers hire educational coaches is actual student achievement. If a school has a significant number of students not meeting state and federal achievement standards, educational managers seek solutions through options like educational coaches. For example, in Duval County Public Schools, William M. Raines High School has a student population characterized by low-incomes and low test scores (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). The school district also contains Stanton High School, rated

Chronic Expanding Hematoma in the Chest

Chronic Expanding Hematoma in the Chest A case of chronic expanding hematoma presenting as a huge mass in the chest Abstract: A 42-year-old man presented with a huge mass in the chest. The disease was recognized as a complain of chest pain and was successfully resected by surgery. He had a history of blunt chest injury 25 years ago. Magnetic resonance T2-weighted imaging demonstrated a mosaic pattern of various signal intensities. In cases of an intrathoracic mass with this imaging feature, with combined a past history of blunt chest injury, we should consider the existence of a chronic expanding hematoma. Keywords:Hematoma; thoracic tumor; chest injury; diagnosis Introduction Chronic expanding hematoma in the chest is a rare condition that often develops after thoracic surgery, thoracic injury or tuberculous pleuritis (1-4). In general, hematomas are naturally reabsorbed and rarely cause serious problems. Thoracic hematomas that develop slowly without symptoms until the mass compresses other organs are often difficult to early detection. Surgical removal is the first treatment for thoracic hematomas, but it is not easy to achieve a complete resection because of the presence of a dense fibrous adhesion to adjacent tissues (3-5). Herein, we describe a patient, with a history of blunt chest injury 25 years ago, who exhibited a huge chronic expanding hematoma in the chest treated by surgical resection successfully. Case report A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of chest dull pain. He did not have any other symptoms and had no history of thoracic operation or pulmonary disorders including tuberculosis. Twenty-five years earlier, at the age of 17, the patient had a blunt chest injury after a fight for which he did not seek medical help. He was a heavy smoker for 26 years. Physical and lab examination revealed no positive findings. Chest X-ray revealed a huge mass shadow in the anterior mediastinum, with few pleural effusion in the left pleural cavity. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a huge intrathoracic mass (10.2cmÃâ€"13.3cmÃâ€"17.9cm) with a tissue density adhered to the left pericardium (Figure 1). Calcification was not detected in the mass. Left pleural cavity had a moderate pleural effusion. The tissue content in the mass was not obvious enhanced following contrast administration. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the mass containing various signal intensi ties, just like a mosaic pattern (Figure 2). Diagnostic thoracocentesis of the left pleural effusion was performed, but cytological examination showed only erythrocytes with a few inflammatory cells. Although we could not reach a conclusive diagnosis, our preoperative diagnoses were benign or low malignant tumors including teratoma, chronic empyema and aneurysmal bone cyst. In addition, the probability of complete resection of the lesion is higher than incomplete resection based on the preoperative imaging evaluation. So a surgical resection of the lesion was decided. A left posterolateral thoracotomy along the 5th intercostal space with combined a cut off of the 5th and 6th posterior rib was performed for the purpose of obtaining a wide operative field. The mass which located in the left anterior mediastinu had a thickened and hard capsule, and was completely adhered to thymus, pericardium and part of upper lobe of left lung. Diaphragm just had a mild adhesion to the mass. Completely resection of the huge mass was achieved, including most thymus, most left parietal pericardium and partial upper lobe of left lung. The total operation time was 140 minutes and the total blood loss was 250 ml. Macroscopic observations showed that the resected mass contained a dense fibrous capsule with hemorrhagic materials and necrotic tissues (Figure 3). Pathological examination showed that the mass was an old hematoma surrounded by dense fibrous tissues and the center was consisted of fresh and old hemorrhages (Figure 4). There was no evidence of malignancy or infection in the mass, thymus, pericardium and lung. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient's chest dull pain disappeared. The patient was discharged without complications. There was no sign of recurrence for two months after the operation. Discussion Chronic expanding hematoma first advocated by Reid et al (6). is a rare clinicopathologic entity that can occur in various locations, such as scrotum, kidney, thigh, retroperitoneum, cerebrum and chest (6-9). The most frequently reports of chronic expanding hematoma was occured in the cerebrum, followed by occurred in the chest. The majority of reports of chronic expanding hematoma in the chest were come from Japan (1,3,5,10). To the best of our knowledge, this present case was the first case reported in China. Chronic expanding hematoma in the chest often develops after thoracic surgery, thoracic injury or tuberculous pleuritis (1-4). It can also develop in the absence of thoracic surgical treatment, injury or inflammatory disorders (5,10). A hematoma persists and increases in size more than one month after the initial hemorrhage is a chronic expanding hematoma. It is still unclear why hematomas grow continuously. Labadie and Glover (11) proposed a theory that microscopic hematomas forming after theinitial hemorrhage do not resolve naturally, and slowly grow due to repeated organization and hemorrhage from new fragile microvessels beneath the fibrous capsule. Various blood factors and its breakdown products that have inflammatory properties, are possibly associated with repeated exudation or hemorrhage from fragile microvessels resulting in inflammation. As was seen in our case, we presumed that the initial hemorrhage was caused by the blunt chest injury 25 years ago, and then the hematoma grow slowly due to repeated organization and hemorrhage from the fragile microvessels in the granulation tissue. Respiratory movements, heart beating or constant coughing under a negative pleural pressure favor the growth of thoracic hematomas to become a larger one than other locations (5). The diagnosis of chronic expanding hematoma in the chest is difficult due to its rarity, especially for those that develop slowly in patients with no history of surgery, trauma or tuberculosis. Chronic expanding hematoma in the chest should be differentiate from teratoma, chronic empyema or aneurysmal bone cyst (5). MRI has an important significance in diagnosis of chronic expanding hematoma. The mosaic pattern of various signal intensities on T2-weighted MRI was reported as specific feature of chronic expanding hematoma (10,12). These various signal intensities indicated fresh and old blood caused by repeated hemorrhage over time. MRI results showed a good correlation with pathology of the disease. Conclusions We conclude that the following characteristics may be helpful in diagnosing chronic expanding hematoma in the chest: (1) have a long course of disease with few symptoms; (2) once received chest surgery, had a history of chest injury or tuberculous pleuritis occurred; (3) T2-weighted MRI presents a mosaic pattern of various signal intensities; (4) preoperative biopsy of the lesion without positive found. Chronic expanding hematoma in the chest remains a very rare disease. However, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis when a patient has a mass in the chest with the above characteristics. Figure 1 Chest CT scan revealed a huge intrathoracic mass with a tissue density adhered to the left pericardium and a moderate pleural effusion in the left pleural cavity. Figure 2 T2-weighted MRI demonstrated a large well-defined mass in the chest, with a mosaic pattern of various signal intensities. Figure 3 Macroscopic observations showed that the resected mass contained a dense fibrous capsule with hemorrhagic materials and necrotic tissues. Figure 4 Pathological examination showed an old hematoma surrounded by fibrous tissues and revealed some dilated microvessels and blood stasis.

Strategic Positioning of Hilton Hotel Groups in the UK

Strategic Positioning of Hilton Hotel Groups in the UK Strategic Positioning of Hilton Hotel groups in the hospitality industry in UK? Back Ground Study: Hotels and their branding strategies are famous all over the world. If we look around us we can see that the success of a hotel is in its brand emphasis. To stay in business and to beat the competition around them, all hotel groups engage in brand implementation. The logo itself would stand out on its own, from the minute a customer enters a hotel, they will be centred on the brand image starting from napkins, towels, spoons, etc. A trend in todays hospitality industry is the interest to cater to different market segments under one brand name. To achieve this many big reputed hotels, acquire or enter into some alliance with smaller hotels and provide them with the main hotel logo, brand name and similar facilities/services. Thus making it a part of the main hotel brand. Since more and more hotels are moving ahead with this same kind of strategy there is an enormous competition in this sector at present. To focus in depth on this matter I have decided in taking Hilton Hotels Corporation as a case study. This hotel group is one of the leading names in the global hospitality sector, with more than 2,800 hotels and 490,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection. There are may other international hotel chains like, Marriot, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Radisson which are as competitive as Hilton and are following the path of global branding, but they are only very new entrants in this field. To portray a global image and enhance a world over brand large investments are required. Government policies, economical changes, political issues like September 11th have affected the Hotel industry world wide during recent times. Making this kind of a huge investment is very risking for hotels until their long term objectives show profits. During the years Hilton Hotel as a corporate has been able to create a brand for itself in this competitive lodging industry, proving their capabilities by continuously portraying increase in its revenue every year, by diversifying its products and acquiring other valuable hotels to add to it corporate chain. Hilton as a corporate has been able to cater to the needs of different types of guests. Based on needs of the customers they are able to providing the required facilities and services. Thus being able to keep up its own brand movement and also create publicity in all segments of the market needs. Acquiring hotels which are based overseas has also enabled the company to expand its operations and serve its clientele. To validate my assumptions and to clear my doubts, I have tried engaging in a journal article Brand Equity, Brand Preference and Purchase Intent (Cathy J. Cobb- Walgren, 1995). Here I intend to demonstrate how branding can help a hotel be well renowned and at the same time be able to cater to all segments. Research Question: How does a traditional luxury hotel group react strategically to the incoming global pressure from niche brands? (Case Study Hilton International) Research Objective: Main objective of this research will be to identify the current market positioning of the hotel groups, taking Hilton as a case study, to find out how the each hotel chains competes each other in a global market. I will compare brand segmentation and competitive advantage and brand value different hotel chains. Research Methodology I will compare the performance of Hilton Hotel in each of the areas of its operations (Customer satisfaction, Competitiveness, Productivity, Profitability) against other major players in the market .To find out the core competencies of the company it is also required to do a SWOT analysis. This analysis would help in focusing on the companys strength, weakness, opportunities and threat, which would help in achieving an internal picture of Hilton as a whole. It would be beneficial using Porters five competitive forces (Micheal Porter 1980) to find out Hiltons external opportunities and threats. I will be interviewing General Managers to understand the current market trends and companys main objectives and plans for the future. It is essential to use Hilton as a case study to evaluate how hotels interested in the branding concept operate world over. Due to the above mentioned (Background) specialities in Hilton Hotels Corporation it will be much helpful to take it as a case study to understand; what are the integrities in undergoing brand diversification with in the industry. Time Scale: June 5 to June 20 : Review books and any literature related to the matter June 9th : 1st Meeting with the supervisor June 22nd to June 29th : Prepare a research strategy and review main literature June 30th to July 3rd: Meeting with Hotel Managers to conduct interviews July 4th to July 10th : Putting the data together and analysising it. July 11th to July 23rd : Reviewing Hilton data as a case study and linking it with the theoretical literature July 24th to August 2nd : Preparing the SWOT analysis to find out the core capabilities of Hilton August 3rd to August 15th: Preparing for Potters five forces to get a track of Hiltons external opportunities and threats August 16th to August 24th: Formulating the first draft together August 25th to September 1st: Completing the Project Resources: The expenses occurred while travelling to take interviews will be bared by myself. I do have access on the intranet of Hilton since I have been previously for this company. I have also access to the Leeds University library and Hotel and catering international Management Association (HCIMA) to help me in the review of literature. References http://hiltonworldwide1.hilton.com/en_US/ww/business.do http://hiltonworldwide1.hilton.com Cathy J. Cobb-Walgren, Cynthia A. Ruble, Naveen Donthu; 1995. Brand Equity, Brand Preference and Purchase Intent. Journal of Advertising [online], 24(3), [Accessed 19th April 2008], p.25-44. Available from World Wide Web : Potters Five Forces (Micheal Porter 1980).

How does Dickens Present the Criminals in Oliver Twist Essay -- GCSE En

â€Å"Oliver Twist† was written in 1838 by Charles Dickens and was originally published as a monthly magazine before being published as a novel that was subsequently read by many Victorians. It was written not only to entertain, but to raise awareness for the many issues in the society of the day related mainly to criminal activity. One of the main problems was based around the differentiation in the class of people in the Victorian era. People from the middle classes were widely known think very little of the lower classes and often considered them the evil of society. He also uses the novel to raise the issues related to the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 and the way that it involved sending poor or orphaned people like Oliver to ghastly overpopulated workhouses where they were poorly looked after. Dickens also fights against the negative stereotypes of criminals and prostitutes such as Nancy who eventually shows the good in herself to protect Oliver from the hands of the d eadly wrath of Bill Sikes. Although most would say Dickens is presenting the criminals as purely evil throughout the novel, characters such as Fagin and Sikes who are presented as dark creates of the criminal underworld, they do however on the very odd occasion redeem themselves with an act of good will, usually towards the boys. Fagin and Sikes, but more so Sikes are very dangerous and violent men, however Fagin is shown, along with Nancy, to have a good side within him and are given good images at parts of the novel, however Nancy’s good will proves to be her last move as her good will causes her to be brutally murdered by Sikes. This novel was written in the Victorian Era, a time when society faces many social difficulties such as industrialization, prostitu... ...edibly realistic and are well shown by the criminal’s actions and personalities in this novel. It makes me feel sympathetic for Nancy and feel strong hatred towards people like Bill and Fagin. Nancy gave up her life to protect and save the life of another human being. I find just doing that for somebody is a fantastic gesture and also takes a lot of courage. It definitely shows that individualism is bad for Britain, if Nancy followed individualism then it may have been the completely innocent Oliver that was killed or abused. He also shows that the people of Britain who are born into lower class families are not pure evil and that they definitely have much good within them. BIBLIOGRAPHY (1) http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/050929-NL-twist.html Accessed 24/2/09 (2) https://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=37427 Accessed 5/3/09

Zero Emissions Technology :: essays papers

Zero Emissions Technology Zero Emissions Technology: Current Technologies and Future Developments in Electrostatic Precipitators  Abstract Zero Emissions Technology is a company located in New Durham, NH. They develop new technologies targeted at coal fired power plants. They have recently developed a new air emissions technology that will meet current and pending air pollution regulations. Their product, Electro-Catalytic Oxidation Technology, allow the combined removal of particulates in the air waste stream. The new technology can be retrofitted onto existing electrostatic precipitators (ESP), according to the industry, is not as expensive as other air pollution control technologies. The Electro-Catalytic Oxidation Technology also has many technological advantages to more conventional ESPs.  Zero Emissions Technology (ZET) is a company who develops new technologies in air pollution control technologies to meet the demands of new regulations on air emissions. In the past, their focus has been on air pollution control technology for large stationary sources, such as coal fired power plants. In the future, their research will be to discover new technologies not only for air pollution, but also in water and solid waste. (ZET, 1999). Zero Emissions Technology has developed a new technology that focuses on the combined removal of particulates for coal fired power plants. Electro-Catalytic Oxidation Technology is a product by Zero Emissions Technology (ZET). This new technology that ZET is has developed will enable the combined removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), mercury (Hg), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from the flue gas of coal fired power plants. This new technology will collect at least 70% of NOx, 50% of SO2, 70% of mercury (Hg), and 90% of PM2.5 in a single unit that can be retrofitted into the last fields of existing electrostatic precipitators (ESP) (ZET, 1999). This will allow coal fired plants to meet new air emission requirements with minimal impact on their generating costs. It can be retrofitted into the last fields of existing ESP. Electo-Catalytic Oxidatin Technology uses a proprietary gas discharge technology to convert NOx and SO2 to acid mists, and to oxidize elemental mercury. It also uses advances in wet ESP technology to remove acid mists and other fine particles without saturating flue gas. The Electr o-Catalytic Oxidation system consists of three sections: gas converter, condensing wet ESP, and acid recovery (ZET, 1999). The Gas Converter is used for the electrical oxidation of NOx, SO2 and Hg. As the flue gas enters the Gas Converter, it is exposed to a high voltage discharge which creates ionized species to oxidize pollutants.

Business Ethics in Brazil Essay

In this comparative survey of 126 Brazilian and U.S. business professionals, we explore the effect of national culture on ethical decisionmaking within the context of business. Using Reidenbach and Robin’s (1988) multi-criteria ethics instrument, we examined how these two countries’ differences on Hofstede’s individualism/collectivism Rafik I. Beekun (Ph.D., The University of Texas, Austin) is Professor of Management and Strategy in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. His current research interests are in the area of strategic adaptation, the link between national cultures and ethics, and the relationship between management and spirituality. He has published in such journals as Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Journal of Management and Decision Sciences. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to him at: Managerial Sciences Department, Mail Stop 28, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0206. Yvonne Ste dham (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is an Associate Professor of Management in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has published in such journals as the Journal of Management and Journal of Management Studies. Dr. Stedham’s research focuses on the following areas: CEO performance evaluation, gender discrimination in employment, ethics in business, decision making across cultures, and managing knowledge workers. Jeanne H. Yamamura (CPA, Ph.D., Washington State University) is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the College of Business at the University of Nevada Reno. Her teaching responsibilities include auditing and accounting information systems courses. Dr. Yamamura’s research focuses on the management of accounting professionals with a particular interest in cross-cultural differences and her work has been published in accounting and business journals. She has extensive practical experience in the field of accounting through her previous employment in public and private accounting. Rafik I. Beekun Yvonne Stedham Jeanne H. Yamamura dimension are related to the manner in which business practitioners make ethical decisions. Our results indicate that Brazilians and Americans evaluate the ethical content of actions or decisions differently when applying utilitarian criteria. By contrast, business people from both countries do not differ significantly when they use egoistic criteria in evaluating the ethical nature of business decisions. KEY WORDS: Brazil, egoism, ethics, national culture, U.S., utilitarianism As business organizations move from domestic to global and transnational competition, they are finding that cultural values vary significantly across national boundaries, and are likely to affect business practices (Husted, 2000). During the past decade, several researchers (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985; Hunt et al., 1989; Abratt et al., 1992; Hunt and Vitell, 1992; Tsalikis and Nwachukwu, 1991; Vitell et al., 1993) have noted the potential influence of national c ulture on ethics within a business context. What obscures the impact of national culture on ethics is that business practices may conflict with ethical values in a manner that medicine, law and government do not (DeGeorge, 1993). Not surprisingly, empirical research investigating the relationship between national culture and ethical decision-making is relatively sparse (Vitell et al., 1993). A primary reason for exploring the effects of culture on ethics is the increased globalization of business. This trend, in turn, is characterized by a diverse array of interorganizational arrangements that require cross-cultural interaction. As a result, cultural misunderstandings are likely to occur. One of the key areas where such mis- Journal of Business Ethics 42: 267–279, 2003.  © 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 268 Rafik I. Beekun et al. understandings take place is in the area of ethics, partly because of the influence that national cultures may have upon business ethics (Husted, 2000). Accordingly, in our study, we explore the relationship between national culture and business ethics. We will seek to investigate what process underlies ethical behavior across national boundaries. Understanding this process may help global managers develop tools to promote ethical behavior in their international workforce. In this research, we compare two culturally diverse countries, the United States (U.S.) and Brazil, in order to identify similarities and differences with regard to approaches toward ethical decision-making in a business context. Since culture is a broad concept, it is necessary to specify the values that could be related to behaviors or practices (Husted, 2000). For the purposes of this study, we used a well-established framework of national culture (Hofstede, 1980). Hofstede conducted one of the most important studies that ascertained the relationship between national culture and management. From this study, he identified several â€Å"value† dimensions along which countries differ. Using Hofstede’s (1980) framework, we carried out a crosscultural, comparative survey to assess the relationship between his individualism/collectivism dimension of national culture and ethical criteria. With respect to ethical decision-making, we adopted the instrument proposed and validated by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990). They have generated a set of scales that measure the core dimensions characterizing different perspectives of ethical philosophy. Defining national culture: Hofstede’s dimensions of culture Multiple definitions and conceptualizations of national culture exist (Hofstede, 1980, 1988, 2001; Kluckhohn, 1951, 1962; Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961; Ronen and Shenkar, 1985; Trompenaars, 1993). Although these frameworks and conceptualizations typically center on values, they differ with respect to the specific values that are included in their respective frameworks. For instance, Trompenaars (1993) focuses on values related to relationships such as obligation, emotional orientation in relationships, and involvement in relationships. By contrast, Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) emphasize more global values such as people’s relationship to nature and time-orientation. With respect to our study, Hofstede’s framework of national cultures is the most appropriate since he ident ified values related to economic activity (Husted, 2000). Therefore, his framework is germane for the study of business decisions. Focusing on national cultures, Hofstede (1997, p. 260) defines culture as the â€Å"collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another†. Thus, although the problems faced by groups (whether organizational or national) are universal, the solutions devised by each group may be relatively unique to that group. These solutions then become taken for granted over time, and may suggest why people hold certain beliefs and behave the way they do (Schneider and Barsoux, 1997). Hofstede (1980, 1988) has suggested that five dimensions of national culture underlie differences in the behavior of individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Since these dimensions describe how individuals view and interpret situations and behavior, they are likely to be related to how individuals engage in decision-making in general (Weick, 1979; Adler, 2002). Ethical decisionmaking, too, is likely to be affected by these dimensions of national culture. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions (1980, 1988) are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, individualism/collectivism, and long-term/short-term orientation. Power distance refers to the degree to which less powerful members in a country accept an unequal distribution of power. Uncertainty avoidance depicts a people’s ability to cope with ambiguous situations as well as the mechanisms they have created to avoid such situations. Masculinity exemplifies a focus on material things, such as money, success, etc., whereas femininity refers to a focus on quality of life, caring, etc. Individualism, which will be discussed in more detail later, refers to the tendency of people to consider their interests and those of A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics their immediate family only. By contrast, collectivism refers to the inclination of people to view themselves as part of a larger group, and to protect the interests of group members. Longterm/short-term orientation describes the time perspective people take when dealing with a situation. Table I represents the scores for Hofstede’s cultural dimensions for Brazil and the U.S. While the scores indicate dissimilarities between the U.S. and Brazil on all five cultural dimensions, by far the largest difference appears in the individualism/collectivism dimension. Brazil scored low on individualism, and hence is considered a collectivistic country; by contrast, the U.S. scored high on individualism and is considered an individualistic country. The individualism/collectivism dimension describes how individuals relate to others and to society, and represents the extent to which they are emotionally and cognitively attached to a particular network of individuals. Individualism describes the inclination of individuals to be primarily concerned with their personal interests and their immediate family’s welfare (Hofstede, 1980). Members of a highly individualistic country view themselves as independent of organizations or institutions, and place a higher value on self-reliance and individual action. Collectivism, in comparison, describes a culture where individuals are viewed as part of a larger group, and look after each other. Collectivistic cultures protect the interests of their members in return for their loyalty. In collectivist cultures, morality is defined in terms of the benefits for the in-group (family, friends, work companies, 269 etc.), implying the maintenance of solidarity (Triandis and Bhawuk, 1997). Hofst ede (1980) noted that the individualism/collectivism dimension carried â€Å"strong moral overtones† because this dimension was reflected in value systems shared by the majority. For example, in a highly individualistic country, individualism is viewed as a strength and the major reason for the country’s accomplishments. By comparison, inhabitants of a highly collectivistic country view an emphasis on self as a negative attribute to be eliminated for the good of society. Competing ethical frameworks for business decisions Ethics are the principles of human conduct regarding either an individual or a group (Shaw, 1999), and represent the moral standards not governed by law, that focus on the human consequences of actions (Francesco and Gold, 1998). Ethics often require behavior that meets higher standards than those established by law, including selfless behavior rather than calculated action intended to produce a tangible benefit. With respect to this study, business ethics describe the ultimate rules governing the assessment of â€Å"what constitutes right or wrong, or good or bad human conduct in a business context† (Shaw, 1999). In the assessment of ethical behavior, perception is critical (Hartmann, 2000). Indeed, ethical decisions may be influenced by our own perception, by others’ perceptions of our actions, and by our perception of â€Å"universal laws†. As a TABLE I Cultural dimensions (Hofstede 1980, 1988, 2001) Dimensions of culture U.S. Brazil Difference Power distance Uncertainty avoidance 40 46 69 76 (29) (30) Individualism/Collectivism 91 38 53 Masculine/Feminine Confucian Dynamism 62 29 49 65 13 (36) 270 Rafik I. Beekun et al. result, our final choices may be determined by the perception tha t is the most salient at the time. Further, Hartmann suggests that cultures may differ not only with respect to the ethical principles underlying decisions but also with respect to which of the three stakeholders – self, society, and universal laws – is emphasized in any given situation. Depending on which stakeholder is emphasized, people from different cultures may vary in their assessment of the ethical nature of a decision. Across most situations, ethical principles that distinguish right from wrong actions are encompassed by several normative theories, e.g., justice, relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and deontology. These theories can generate potentially conflicting interpretations of what is ethical or unethical, originating from the very nature of the theories themselves. Moreover, prior research (Cohen et al., 1996; Hansen, 1992; Reidenbach and Robin, 1988, 1990) indicates that individuals making ethical decisions do not select a single theory or philosophy by which to make their decisions. In fact, Reidenbach and Robin (1988) found that a varying combination of ethical philosophies or theories is employed when ethical decisions are made. Shaw (1999) draws a distinction between two types of ethical theories, consequentialist and nonconsequentialist. Consequentialist theories suggest that the moral rightness of an action depends on the actual or intended results of the action. What is right is determined by â€Å"weighing the ratio of good to bad that an action is likely to produce† (Shaw, 1999, p. 45). A key issue underlying consequentialist theories is the nature of the beneficiaries of the action under consideration. Should one consider the consequences for oneself or for all involved? The most important consequentialist theories are egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism promotes individual self-interest as the guiding principle whereas utilitarianism advocates that everyone affected by the action or decision must be taken into account (Shaw, 1999). By contrast, nonconsequentialist theories suggest that it is not simply the consequence of an act that matters, but also its inherent character. Although these theories do not deny that con- sequences are morally relevant, they assert that other factors are also important in assessing the moral significance of an action. For example, â€Å"breaking a promise† is wrong not simply because of the consequences that result from breaking it, but also because of the nature of the act itself. In this study, we focus on consequentialist theories for several reasons. First, Hofstede’s individualism/collectivism dimension can be clearly and easily related to the two consequentialist theories. Second, the two theories represent the perceptions of two of the three possible sta keholders identified by Hartmann (2000), namely own perceptions and others’ perceptions. Third, staying within one theoretical category allows for a much more parsimonious, yet thorough, analysis. Ethical perspectives and national culture: hypotheses Whether egoistic or utilitarian principles are employed, ethics are a product of a society’s culture, which includes its traditions, values, and norms. Within a society, ethical behavior is generally agreed upon. Francesco and Gold (1998, p. 40) explain that â€Å"members implicitly understand how relationships, duties and obligations among people and groups ought to be conducted, and distinguish between their selfinterests and the interests of others.† However, when two or more countries interact, they often find that their ethics differ. According to Hendry (1999), these differences may lead to three types of culturally based ethical conflicts. First, there are those conflicts where the ethical values typifying the two national cultures lead to differing conclusions; what is deemed unethical from one perspect ive is considered to be ethical from the other. Second, conflict may arise when businesspersons from one culture consider something morally significant whereas their counterparts from another culture are ethically neutral. Third, business people from two cultures may interpret a common situation differently even when there is some commonality among their national values. A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics To investigate the relationship between national culture and ethics, we chose two culturally diverse countries, Brazil and the U.S. Given the differences in their respective national cultures, we expect Brazilians and Americans to differ in their assessment of the ethical content of business decisions. Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis: H1: The assessment of the ethical content of business decisions is a function of national culture. Egoism and individualism/collectivism According to egoism, the only valid standard of one’s behavior is one’s obligation to advance one’s well-being above everyone else’s (Beauchamp and Bowie, 1997). Promotion of one’s own longterm interest is viewed as the only worthwhile objective and the only determinant of whether an act is morally right or not. Nothing is owed to others or to the organization that one works in. Those who abide by this approach to ethics intensely believe that all altruistic efforts by others are really acts of self-promotion since an individual may have to help others in order to advance his/her own interests. Brazil is collectivistic whereas the U.S. is individualistic. As discussed earlier, persons from an individualistic culture emphasize their families’ and their own int erests. H1.a: When applying egoistic criteria to judge the ethical content of an action or a decision, respondents from the U.S. will be less likely than respondents from Brazil to see a decision or action as unethical. Utilitarianism and individualism/collectivism Utilitarianism, in direct contrast to egoism, â€Å"is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our action† (Shaw, 1999, p. 49). Although utilitarians also 271 evaluate an action in terms of its consequences, an action is ethical if it results in the greatest benefit or â€Å"good† for the largest number of people. Issues of self-interest are not germane since actions are assessed in accordance with one primary standard: the general good. Utilitarianism has long been associated with social improvement and the promotion of actions that are in the best interest of â€Å"the community.† Actions are right if they promote the greatest human welfare. Brazil is collectivistic. Persons from a collectivistic culture focus on actions that lead to the greatest benefit for most members of a group. H1.b: When applying utilitarian criteria to judge the ethical content of an action or a decision, respondents from Brazil will be less likely than respondents from the U.S. to see an action or decision as unethical. To be consistent with prior ethics research (Reidenbach and Robin, 1988), the above hypotheses (H1.a and H1.b) together suggest that Americans and Brazilians rely on more than one ethical criterion when assessing the ethical content of an action or decision. However, we are also suggesting that when each specific ethical criterion they refer to is considered separately, people from different national cultures will vary in their assessment of the ethical content of a course of action or a decision. Methodology Sample Data were collected from 126 respondents – 92 from the U.S. and 34 from Brazil. U.S. participants included MBA students at a regional university as well as business professionals. Brazilian participants were all students enrolled in an Executive MBA program. We used MBA students in our study for two reasons. First, MBA students are a commonly used proxy for business people (Dubinsky and Rudelius, 1980). Dubinsky and Rudelius’ (1980) comparison of 272 Rafik I. Beekun et al. student versus professional evaluations found a high degree of congruence between the two groups. Second, since all students (both U.S. and Brazilian) were currently employed by companies or had recent professional work experience, the sample can be used as a proxy for business professionals in both countries. Data collection The instrument we used was Reidenbach and Robin’s (1988) pre-validated, multi-criteria instrument incorporating the core dimensions that underlie several ethical perspectives. We selected this survey instrument because it is a multi-philosophy and multi-item questionnaire. As a result, it will enable us to assess both ethical dimensions of interest, i.e., egoism and utilitarianism, simultaneously. This instrument incorporates multiple items for each ethical philosophy and, therefore, is relatively more reliable than single item instruments (Kerlinger, 1986). Reidenbach and Robin’s instrument includes an initial set of scales that has shown evidence of high reliability and modest convergent validity with respect to U.S. respondents. The scales correlate highly with a univariate measure of the ethical content of situations. Hence, the instrument can be said to have high construct validity in the U.S. Additional reliability and validation efforts for the wh ole sample and for Brazil specifically are reported below. Using a seven-point Likert scale (1 = ethical, 7 = unethical), respondents were asked to rate the action in three scenarios using the criteria (items) described in Table II. The perception of and the criteria emphasized in evaluating the ethical content of a decision or situation depend on the nature of the decision or the situation. In accordance with previous research, scenarios will be used in this study to provide the contextual stimulus and to motivate the evaluation process (Alexander and Becker, 1978). We adopted the three scenarios developed and validated by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990). Table III presents the three scenarios used in this study. Data were collected by means of the abovementioned instrument administered to Brazilian participants (in Portuguese) and provided via written instrument and website access to U.S. participants (in English). The Brazilian instrument was back translated to ensure equivalence. Efforts were made to establish the reliability and validity of the instrument in this comparative context and are reported as follows. We examined the reliability of the instrument by assessing its internal consistency through the use of Cronbach’s alpha. Since we used three different measures (one for each of the scenarios), we calculated three inter-item coefficient alphas. The Cronbach alpha was 0.81 for the first scenario, 0.75 for the second scenario and 0.86 for the third scenario. All three coefficients indicate that the scale items are internally con- TABLE II Ethics instrument scales Ethical perspective Items (Seven-point Likert scale †“ 1 to 7)* Egoism Self promoting/not self promoting Self sacrificing/not self sacrificing Personally satisfying/not personally satisfying Utilitarianism Produces greatest utility/produces the least utility Maximizes benefits while minimizes harm/minimizes benefits while maximizes harm Leads to the greatest good for the greatest number/leads to the least good for the greatest number * Generally speaking, in the above bipolar scales, 1 = fair or just or efficient (ethical) whereas 7 = unfair, unjust or inefficient (unethical). A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics