Best Practices in Human Capital Development Essay

Human capital refers to the stock of productive skills and technical knowledge embodied in labor. Many early economic theories refer to it simply as labor, one of three factors of production, and consider it to be a fungible resource – homogeneous and easily interchangeable. Other conceptions of labor dispense with these assumptions. Today’s Globalization and competition among companies made companies to select the best practices for Human Capital Development. This Research contributes to the Best Human Capital Development Practices that are implemented by the companies and continues with in-depth study of its Weakness and Strengths and calculate the production metrics of each practice. Accenture Human Capital Development Framework (HCDF) Research from HCI (Human Capital Institute) shows that Human Capital Development Framework is one of the best Human Capital Development practice in the corporate world. The Accenture HCDF uses four distinct measurement tiers in arriving at an assessment of an organization’s human capital practices. These tiers reflect the key variables that influence the relationship between a company’s human capital assets and its financial performance: Tier 1, Business results, consists of measures of organizational performance (e. g. , traditional financial analyses featuring EVA TM, revenue growth, market share and stock performance). Tier 2, Key performance drivers, consists of measures of intermediate organizational outcomes (e. g. , productivity, quality, innovation and customer satisfaction) often captured on a balanced scorecard. Tier 3, Human Capital Capabilities, consists of the most immediate and visible people-related qualities (including employee attitudes and abilities) that are necessary for achieving critical business outcomes. Their influence is felt through key performance drivers. Page 2 Tier 4, Human Capital Processes, consists of practices that lead to robust and effective human capital capabilities. Included in this tier are core HR processes (e. g. , competency management and performance appraisal) and broader human capital processes such as learning and knowledge management. Strengths: Individual Development is focused, Growth Oriented, Human Resource Identification and Performance Appraisal. Weakness: Team Management is Absent, Production rates and costly. 360-Degree Performance Management Feedback System As per Research with HR Capital Management and Development, Report, 2007: This system, which solicits feedback from seniors (including the boss), peers and subordinates, has been increasingly embraced as the best of all available methods for collecting performance feedback. Gone are the days of working hard to impress only one person, now the opinions of all matter, especially if you are in a leadership role (at any level). Every person in the team is responsible for giving relevant, positive and constructive feedback. Such systems also help in identifying leaders for higher level positions in the organization. Senior managers could use this feed back for self development. Sony and Acer are implementing this HR tool for development of Human Capital. (The Best HR Capital Development Practice, Geetha Sharma 2007) Strengths: Motivational, Higher Retention of Employees, Leadership and Higher Production rates. Weakness: Misunderstanding and Disputes between executives and Managers. Page 3 Knowledge Sharing Adopt a systematic approach to ensure that knowledge management supports strategy. Store knowledge in databases to provide greater access to information posted either by the company or the employees on the knowledge portals of the company. When an employee returns after Attending any competencies or skills development program, sharing essential knowledge with others could be made mandatory. Innovative ideas (implemented at the work place) are good to be posted on these knowledge sharing platforms. However, what to store & how to maintain a Knowledge base requires deep thinking to avoid clutter. This HR Practice is performed at Google, Inc. and other large companies. Strengths: Responsibility of employees, Development in Teams. Weakness: Only Innovative Groups are encouraged leading to inequality. Fair Evaluation System for Employees Develop an evaluation system that clearly links individual performance to corporate business goals and priorities. Each employee should have well defined reporting relationships. Self rating as a part of evaluation process empowers employees. Evaluation becomes fairer if it is based on the records of periodic counseling & achievements of the employee, tracked over the year. For higher objectivity, besides the immediate boss, each employee should be screened by the next higher level (often called a Reviewer). Cross – functional feedback, if obtained by the immediate boss from another manager (for whom this employee’s work is also important), will add to the fairness of the system. A relative rating of all subordinates reporting to the same manager is another tool for fairness of evaluation. Normalization of evaluation is yet another dimension Page 4 Of improving fairness. This is practiced at many companies around the globe with Equal Opportunity Provider Including HSBC and American Embassy. Performance linked Bonuses Research with SBA, USA on Human Resources Practice: Paying out bonuses or having any kind of variable compensation plan can be both an incentive and disillusionment, based on how it is administered and communicated. Bonus must be designed in such a way that people understand that there is no payout unless the company hits a certain level of profitability. Additional criteria could be the team’s success and the individual’s performance. Never pay out bonus without measuring performance, unless it is a statutory obligation. Companies like Nokia and GM are implementing this practice. Strengths: High Productivity and Determination among Human Resources. Weakness: Cost Effective to the Company. Metrics to evaluate Organization Human Capital Development Processes: Research with Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA), Companies should evaluate the Human Capital Development by Estimating the ROI (Return on Investment) with the staff and other functionalities like revenue growth, market share and stock performance. Employee Retention and High Productive nature helps the companies to evaluate the Organizations Human Capital Development. Page 5 Companies should take Staffing as a Profit Center. Companies are spending more than ever on training programs to drive specific strategic initiatives and improve performance, yet they often fail to demonstrate the business value of their investments. Research with HR Metrics and Development Seminar, 2005: Each metric contains 2 to 5 performance indicators. For instance, â€Å"employee attitudes† metric includes the following indicators: Job Contentment (the percentage of employees satisfied with their job), and Manager Contentment (the percentage of employees satisfied with their manager). References †¢ Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, First Break All the Rules (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999). †¢ Accenture High Performance Workforce Study, 2002-2003. †¢ HR Capital Management and Development, Report, 2007. †¢ HR Metrics and Development Seminar, 2005. †¢ Human Resource Capital Institute, New York †¢ The Best HR Capital Development Practice, Geetha Sharma 2007. †¢ Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA), Website for HR Managers.

Mcdonalds Anaylesing According to Porter’s Five Market Forces

McDonalds’s Introduction McDonald’s is the runway market leader in quick service restaurants. McDonald’s is operating in the UK since 1974, and now it has 1,200 restaurants nationwide in the UK, including 700 drive-thru outlets. Around 60% of these restaurants are running by franchises. Restaurants are located where they are most convenient to its customers including on the high street, drive-thrus and a range of sites at shopping centres, airports and leisure parks. McDonald’s UK employ over 75,000 staff, the majority them paid hourly or work part-time. They serve more than two million customers each day. The UK Company owned subsidiary of the McDonald’s corporation, with 3100 restaurants worldwide. Based on independent research CRF instate, McDonald’s has been certified as one of the Britain’s Top Employer 2010. The research shows that they offer you excellent working condition. McDonald’s has a perfect vision and working accordingly. On 14 October, McDonald’s UK held its 2009 Annual General Meeting, where the Executive Team presented the strategy for the year ahead to department heads, franchisees and suppliers. Many of you will have already heard the highlights of this event from your franchisees, operations hierarchy or at your regional cascade meetings. I thought it would be helpful to summarise these highlights in one place and recap on what the drivers of success will be, for our business and brand, in 2010. I hope you find it easy and useful read and that you share it with your management teams. According to him they are in the final stages of completing an outstanding year for McDonald’s in 2009. Their operations improvements marketing plan and plan enablers are delivering record sales, changing perceptions and meeting the increasing demands of customers. If he could sum up how he feels about their business in one word, it would be confidence-in their brand, in their momentum, in our people and in our future. And their Business Managers have never been better placed to take advantage of what their investor has in their restaurants. So what are their plans for 2009? They are currently operating in an economic downturn-a time when people become more discerning, not less. Their customers look more carefully at value and quality and are less willing to overpay. This is when they can at their best, offering a great value, quality service in a simple and engaging way. To support this, we will continue to focus on QAC, invest in re-imaging our restaurants, in developing leadership marketing campaigns, in food innovation and in creating opportunities for our people. They have proven themselves to be one of the best businesses on the high street. But they are also operating in a time of uncertainty, so they need to act nimbly if they are to continue to press home our advantage. I am looking for you and your teams to address 2009 with the flexibility, enthusiasm and resolve that has transformed their performance over the last three years. McDonald’s Strategy for 2010 Lauran Cody (Vice president for BS&I) â€Å"The McDonald’s experience has got even better, through improved restaurants operations, a great marketing plan and strong food stories, focused Plan Enablers and continued investment in our people† The key messages for 2010 were communicated under three main strategies- Upgrading the Employee, Brand Transparency and Local Relevance, Customer Experience. The economic slowdown has seen a ‘flight to value’ across the UK, explained Chief Financial Officer Brian Mullens, and although general retail footfall has gone down, the number of people going to McDonalds has gone up. This is because the whole McDonald’s experience has got even better, through improved restaurants operations, a great marketing plan, strong food stories, new premium food, focused plan enablers and continued investment in their people. Lauren Cody, Vice President for Business strategy and insights, said there is a ‘silver lining of opportunity’ for them to gain market share during economic uncertainty. Customers want the same experience for less, so if they are fast on their feet, offer great value and play to their strengths and their value heritage-without comparing their brand-they can emerge from the downturn stronger than ever before. Nevertheless, they are currently experiencing high cost inflation too, so there is a further need to protect their margins without devaluing their brands. This will achieve by: __Driving more customers into restaurants through Plan Enable like extended __Capitalising on brand equity by continue to tell our story to customers _a marketing calendar focused on providing simple, easy enjoyment __menu pricing __reducing energy usage and cost through smarter use of technology. Objectives of McDonald’s Upgrading the Employee Experience How an organisation treats its staff can make a real difference to the business, the brand and its people. In 2009 they developed new and exciting people initiatives to help attract great quality people to deliver for their customer, which contributes to changing perceptions and drives sales. They and their teams have played a key part in this success. Chief People Officer David Fairhurst explained how 2010 is about keeping up the momentum they have all worked so hard to achieve – and continuing to surprise and impress their critics by building on our reputation as a progressive employer. Their biggest people strategy for 2010 is the city and guilds backed McDonald’s Apprenticeship programme. It will include learning Maths and English online, completing the crew development programme and demonstrating key skills in the work place, such as numeracy and communication. By the end of their training, an apprentice will achieve a qualification equivalent to five GCSEs grade A* to C. Elsewhere, their new nationwide work experience programme will help restaurants deliver high quality placements, while minimising disruption to day- to-day operations. At the same time, McDonald’s will enter a Local Employment Partnership with jobcentre plus, which matches long term jobseekers to a vacancy in one of our restaurants. They will also be training a new McDonald’s retail degree for business managers in conjunction with Manchester Metropolitan University. Furthermore, the shift into Service programme will provide a new restaurants-based workshop that will set out to create service improvements through the actions of shift managers. Upgrading the Customer Experience They are breaking sales and guest count records, explained Chief Operations Officer Richard Forte, but CSO results tell them that while their customer’s satisfaction is improving, a third of visits are still not satisfactory. They need to impress their record number of customers with outstanding QSC, so they will repay them with loyalty and increase their visits. Supported by ROIP and NABIT, the Plan Enablers have been a major breakthrough for us† In reviewing the top 50 sales performing restaurants during 2008, one in three can attribute over 50% of their growth to one or more of the Plan Enablers. In the year head, they will draw on these and their operations heritage to deliver operations excellence to every customer, on every shift, on every day. Three enab les in particular will help them achieve this: __Re-imaging by the end of 2008 we will have re-imaged 300 restaurants over a two-year period. Research undertaken in areas where a large number of restaurants have been re-imaged shows customers are feeling more valued and have more affection for and trust in the brand. To capitalise on this, re-imaging will continue during 2010 and by 2011 they will have re-imaged the entire estate. __Extended Hours in 2009 they doubled the sales generated through extended hours compared to2007, and opened their restaurants to three million more customers. What’s particular pleasing is that our viewpoint results show their crew find extended hours fits into their life style too. _Drive-thru they have enabled their operations to capture on average an extra 11,200 cars per drive-thru so far this year. But while overall drive-thru CSO has fallen 1% and total experience times have fallen by 10 seconds, friendliness, accuracy and communication scores have weakened. They need to step up their performance and refocus efforts around the basics of people, product and equipment. Next year, they are developing higher capacity ordering systems to continue growth, such as customer order displays. It is about offering modern, flexible, and effortless order-and-pay options that will help make the customer’s experience more convenient and enjoyable. Brand Transparency and Local Relevance Their marketing proposition for 2009 is ‘simple, easy enjoyment’-giving their customers affordable treats in an entertaining and convenient way. With tough economic time ahead, offering good value for money to customers is crucial, so delivering a great value will also be a key of theme. In response to customer feedback, the Pound saver Menu will be renamed the saver Menu in January, so as not to suggest a specific price. Little Tasters’ will be launched too, offering new flavours in a small size as a tempting snack or tasty treat. They tend to get bored of their promotions quicker than their customers, argued marketing director Alistair Macrow, so returning to calendar will be coffee mugs in January and, in the spring, monopoly which will guarantee a winner in every r estaurant. Making our restaurants ‘kid loved, mum approved’ will be a central part of strategy, revealed senior Vice President for marketing Jill McDonald. To achieve this, they will review and re-energise birthday parties, continue to develop Happy Meal activation kits, keep using licensed characters to promote fruit bags, carrot sticks, milk, water and orange juice and carry on their successful ‘Did You Know? ’ advertising for children. ACHIVING INFLUENCE 2009 saw McDonald’s receive more positive press coverage than ever before, with food sourcing, A-level equivalent qualification, new uniforms, football and re-imaging all helping to change customers’ perception of the brand. Nick Hindle, Vice President for communication said: â€Å"in 2010 they will campaign to drive sales and become even more influential. They will focus on leading the eating out market and campaigning on food, crusading in communities to connect with families and young adults and investing in the skills of franchisees in their work as Brand Ambassador. † THEY WILL BUILD ON OUR SUCCESS BY: __generating coverage on the economics of eating out, retail coverage of the key trends, health coverage around food’s nutritional content and social affairs coverage on how families are changing their eating out habits. _launching a report on eating out, something the media, politicians and stakeholders can turn to for an understanding of the sector, its size, its diversity, the choice and trends. __building on their footfall in the community programme by providing coaching places to the disaffected young people __piloting a litter programme in Birmingham and Manchester that should help us win the litter battle, without putting any extra strain on restaurant operations. PESTLE Analysis POLITICAL The operations of McDonalds are affected by the government policies on the regulations of fast food operation. Currently government are controlling the marketing of fast food restaurants because of health concern such as cardiovascular and cholesterol issue and obesity among the young and children in the country. Governments also control the license given for open the fast food restaurant and other business regulation need to follow such as for a franchise business. Good relationship with government in giving mutual benefits such as employment and tax is a must for the company to succeed in any foreign market. McDonalds should also protect its workers by ensuring all the hiring, compensation, training or repatriation is according to Malaysian labour law as stipulated. ECONOMICS As a business entity, McDonalds need to face a lot of economic variables outside its company or its macro environment. Dealing with international sourcing for its material McDonalds should be aware on the global supply and currencies exchange. Remember, McDonalds import most of its raw material such as beef and potatoes due to local market cannot supply in abundant to meet the demand of its product. Any upside of currencies especially dollar will be impacting its cost of purchase. Working on the local country, McDonalds must face government regulations on tax of profit where it gains from the operation and other tax such as entertainment and restaurant service tax. Each country may have different scale or types of tax available and McDonalds should follow the regulation if it wants to continue the operation. As a franchise, McDonalds should also pay certain percentage of the revenue to the parent company in United States. The economic condition and growth of the country also is an important indicator to the demand of products that McDonalds offered. As the food priced slightly above normal foods, not many people will have the income range to consume the products. Moreover if the economy is bad and income percapita is affected, the demand of McDonalds product will certainly going down. On the other hand the good economy also means disposable income is more and people can spend more on more expensive food at fast food restaurant. SOCIAL / CULTURAL The changing lifestyles of Malaysia due to development of Malaysian economy should be also taking into consideration. While more people are able financially to eat at more expensive outlet such as fast food restaurant, they have higher expectation. They want to have quality in services and more conveniences that can differentiate one restaurant from another. Young urban consumers want technology in their life and facilities such as credit card payment, wireless internet, cozy and relaxing ambient place, and other attraction for their hangout and eating. All these needs should also be taken into consideration. There is not much difference between cultural and the purchase of products in a single country but for different countries cultural sensitivity should be upheld. For example in India people (Hindu) do not take beef, Muslim countries do not take pork, German like beers, Finnish like fish type of food menu, Chinese like to associate food with something good (for example prosperity), Asian like rice and Americans eat in big-sized menu. So far McDonalds has shown good efforts in localization of its menu to suit local taste but it should constantly survey and learn about local culture to better understand and design the best product for them. TECHNOLOGY For a fast food restaurant, technology does not give a very high impact on the company and it is not a significant macro environment variables. However McDonalds should be looking to competitors innovation and improve itself in term of integrating technology in managing its operation. For example in inventory system, supply chain management system to manage its supply, easy payment and ordering systems for its customers and wireless internet technology. Implementation of technology can make the management more effective and cost saving in the long term. This will also make customer happy if cost savings results in price reduction or promotional campaign discount which will benefits them from time to time. LEGAL As a certified fast food operator, there are many regulations and procedures that McDonalds should follow. For example is the Halal certification that becomes a concern to Muslim consumers. McDonalds should protect its integrity and consumer confidence by ensuring all materials and process are as claimed or must followed. Other legal requirement that the business owner should follow as stipulated in laws are such as operating hours, business registration, tax requirement, labor and employment laws and quality & environment certification (such as ISO) in which the outlet has been certified. The legal requirement is important because the offenders will be fined or have their business prohibited from operating which can be disastrous. ENVIRONMENT As one of world largest consumer of beef, potatoes and chicken, McDonalds always had been critics for world environmentalist. This is because high onsumption of beef causing the green house effect by methane gasses coming from the cow’s ranch. Large scale plantation has effect the environment and lost of green forest opening for plantation activities. Vegetarian environmentalist criticizes the fast-food giant for cruelty to animals and slaughtering. In Japan, once McDonalds want to introduce whale burger causing uproar because whales are endangered specie s. Before using paper packaging, once McDonalds also had been criticized for being insensitive to pollution because using polystyrene based packaging for its foods. Imagine millions of people purchase from fast food operator and how is the impact to world environment by throwing away those hard to recycle packaging. Our world is getting concern on environment issue and business operating here should not just care for profit, but careful usage of world resources for sustainable development and care for environment safety and health for our future generation. Critics and concern from all public or activist should be review and support if necessary to ensure we play our social responsibility better. SWOT Analysis Strengths McDonald’s business is running since 1955 and 20 of the top 50 corporate staff employees had started as a restaurant level employee time of the beginning. In addition, 67,000 McDonald’s restaurants managers and assistant mangers were promoted from restaurant staff. There was a one popular magazine in 2005 listed McDonald’s as the â€Å"Best place to work for minorities. † In order to new strategy of McDonald’s, it spending more than $1 billion annually in training its staff, and every year more than 250,000 employees completing their graduation from McDonald’s training facilities named Hamburger University. The business is ranked number one in Fortune Magazine's 2008 list of most admired food service companies. One of the world's most recognizable logos (the Golden Arches) and spokes character (Ronald McDonald the clown). According to the Packard Children's Hospital's Center for Healthy Weight children age 3 to 5 were given food in the McDonalds packaging and then given the same food without the packaging, and they preferred the food in the McDonald's packaging every single time. McDonalds is a community oriented, socially responsible company. They run Ronald McDonald House facilities, which provide room and board, food and sibling support at a cost of only $10 a day for families with children needing extensive hospital care. Ronald McDonald Houses are located in more than 259 local communities worldwide, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs offers cost effective medical, dental and education services to children. They also sponsor Olympic athletes. They are a global company operating more than 23,500 restaurants in 109 countries. By being spread out in different regions, this gives them the ability to weather economic fluctuations which are localized by country. They can also operate effectively in an economic downturn due to the social need to seek out comfort foods. They successfully and easily adapt their global restaurants to appeal to the cultural differences. For example, they serve lamb burgers in India and in the Middle East, they provide separate entrances for families and single women. Approximately 85% of McDonald's restaurant businesses world-wide are owned and operated by franchisees. All franchisees are independent, full-time operators and McDonald's was named Entrepreneur's number-one franchise in 1997. They have global locations in all major airports, and cities, along the highways, tourist locations, theme parks and inside Wal-Mart. They have an efficient, assembly line style of food preparation. In addition they have a systemization and duplication of all their food prep processes in every restaurant. McDonald's uses only 100% pure USDA inspected beef, no fillers or additives. Additionally the produce is farm fresh. McDonald's serves 100% farm raised chicken no fillers or additives and only grade-A eggs. McDonald's foods are purchased from only certified and inspected suppliers. McDonalds works closely with ranchers, growers and suppliers to ensure food quality and freshness. McDonalds only serves name brand processed items such as Dannon Yogurt, Kraft Cheese, Nestle Chocolate, Dasani Water, Newman's Own Salad Dressings, Heinz Ketchup, Minute Maid Juice. McDonald's takes food safety very seriously. More than 2000 inspections checks are performed at every stage of the food process. McDonalds are required to run through 72 safety protocols every day to ensure the food is maintained in a clean contaminate free environment. McDonald's was the first restaurant of its type to provide consumers with nutrition information. Nutrition information is printed on all packaging and more recently added to the McDonald's Internet site. McDonalds offers salads, fruit, roasted chicken, bottled water and other low fat and calorie conscious alternatives. WEAKNESSES Their test marketing for pizza failed to yield a substantial product. Leaving them much less able to compete with fast food pizza chains. High employee turnover in their restaurants leads to more money being spent on training. They have yet to capitalize on the trend towards organic foods. McDonald's have problems with fluctuations in operating and net profits which ultimately impact investor relations. Operating profit was $3,984 million (2005) $4,433 million (2006) and $3,879 million (2007). Net profits were $2,602 million (2005), $3,544 million (2006) and $2,395 million (2007). Opportunities In today's health conscious societies the introduction of a healthy hamburger is a great opportunity. They would be the first QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) to have FDA approval on marketing a low fat low calorie hamburger with low calorie combo alternatives. Currently McDonald's and its competition health choice items do not include hamburgers. They have industrial, Formica restaurant settings; they could provide more upscale restaurant settings, like the one they have in New York City on Broadway, to appeal to a more upscale target market. Provide optional allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. In 2008 the business directed efforts at the breakfast, chicken, beverage and convenience categories. For example, hot specialist coffees not only secure sales, but also mean that restaurants get increasing numbers of customer visits. In 2009 McDonald's saw the full benefits of a venture into beverages. Threats They are a benchmark for creating â€Å"cradle to grave† marketing. They entice children as young as one year old into their restaurants with special meals, toys, playgrounds and popular movie character tie-ins. Children grow up eating and enjoying McDonalds and then continue into adulthood. They have been criticized by many parent advocate groups for their marketing practices towards children which are seen as marginally ethical. They have been sued multiple times for having â€Å"unhealthy† food, allegedly with addictive additives, contributing to the obesity epidemic in America. In 2004, Michael Spulock filmed the documentary Super Size Me, where he went on an all McDonalds diet for 30 days and wound up getting cirrhosis of the liver. This documentary was a direct attack on the QSR industry as a whole and blamed them for America's obesity epidemic. Due in part to the documentary, McDonalds no longer pushes the super size option at the dive thru window. Any contamination of the food supply, especially e-coli. Major competitors, like Burger King, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy's, KFC and any mid-range sit-down restaurants. Dr. Jill Novak, University of Phoenix, Texas A University.

Horse Meat Global Supply Chain Management Essay

Horse Meat Global Supply Chain Management - Essay Example From this research it is clear that  the meat industry includes the slaughtering, packaging, processing of animals The Primary focus of the industry is meat production, but it also deals with a variety of side products such as hides, feathers, dried blood etc. Through rendering processes, meals such as protein meat and fat such as tallow are also produced. Europe is a major meat producer, and the EU accounts for more than 16% of meat produced globally. However, the sector has been suffering from the recent economic instability and increased number of frauds in meat processing and selling. The present report will give a detailed situational analysis of the meat adulteration scandal which took place in Europe and later migrated to other parts of the world. The report throws a light on the origin of the horse meat scandal and its subsequent contamination to other countries. The shortcomings in the supply chain from the producers to the supermarkets have been discussed, which led to the spread of the adulterated meat. In the next part possible steps to resolve the issues of supply chain has been discussed with references to supplier relationships, pernicious incentives and quality standards of the supplier products. In the next topic possible steps have been discussed to control the br3eakdown in the supply chain and preparation for future risks.  Food supply chain is a process operating in a dynamic, complex and critical environment where integrity of the product is vital.  ... In the next topic possible steps have been discussed to control the br3eakdown in the supply chain and preparation for future risks. Discussion Issues Food supply chain is a process operating in a dynamic, complex and critical environment where integrity of the product is vital (Bourlakis and Weightman, 2008). Quality of food is vital for the smooth flow of the supply chain. The evolution in technology and logistics has increased the productivity of the food supply chain to a great extent. As the food supply chain is becoming increasingly complex, it is becoming important to monitor and regulate the flow of supply chain across national and international borders (Power, 2005). Due to the rise in consumer concern regarding food safety, product traceability and labelling, various regulatory framework has been defined to control the supply chain process. A typical food chain includes food manufacturing, agriculture, wholesaling and retailing of food and drinks and the food catering secto r (Eurostat, 2011). The food supply chain of Europe consists of many players. There are more than 3 million food producers. From the farmers or producers, the food products are suppliers to tier one and tier two suppliers. Sometimes, this chain is even longer with their three suppliers. From these suppliers and manufacturing companies, the processed food finally reached the supermarket and retail market chain, where they are sold to the customers. The European supply chain structure has been essentially labelled as funnel because a small number of players dominate in control and pricing. The European food market is however becoming saturated because of the low growth prospects (Agriculture and agri-food

Relapse Prevention the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors Term Paper

Relapse Prevention the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors - Term Paper Example In most cases, such individuals attempt to quit completely or try to modify such addictive behaviors such as by reducing their alcohol intake or smoking (Fisher and Harrison 2). A majority of individuals who make attempts in most cases become successful in changing such behaviors. However, among those who make attempts by seeking medical attention to change addictive behaviors, about 60 to 80% is seen to return to the same behavior after some time (Jonson 765). This is what is termed as relapse. Despite all the challenges that an individual faces in an attempt to move away from addictive behavior, it is necessary that such individuals be helped to cope with the challenge. Johnson (766) argues that the ultimate goal of relapse prevention and recycling success entails helping such individuals stop drug abuse or help them become more successful as they learn from experience. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on relapse prevention and substance abuse. Johnson (769) notes that interventions designed for relapse prevention have been made under the clinical application of Marlatt and Gordon’s model. The model came about after the advent of a focus on maintenance and relapse prevention. Under this model, interventions are designed so as to enhance the maintenance of behavior change and to ensure that there are self-management and skills for withstanding the challenges posed by relapses (Fisher and Harrison 12). Johnson notes that relapse prevention goals are twofold: preventing initial relapse and management of relapse to abate a complete relapse in case it fails to occur. Nevertheless, treatment goals based on the reduction of harm and reduction of substance use have also been tried. The effectiveness of relapse prevention models have been reviewed with regard to different substances and then matched with numerous intervention alternatives.

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

Personal Statement - Essay Example While at David Game College I have learned academically and socially. My major subjects include accounting, statistics and economics. I have outstanding marks in all of these courses. I feel that the instructors have done an excellent job preparing me for more in-depth study of Economics and Finance. My minor subjects at this time are maths, statistics and information technology. I believe that this combination of academic subjects has laid a proper foundation for my future studies. I especially feel that my information technology class has been helpful in showing me the possibilities for using technology to apply my knowledge of Economics and Finance. My time at David Game College has helped me to grow and mature as a student and as a friend. I have especially benefited from the opportunities I have been given to work collaboratively with classmates. An important learning experience came when I was assigned to produce a report with two other students that held very little in common with myself. While uncomfortable at first, we soon found that the most important thing we shared in common was the desire to do well on the report. As a result, we began to focus on our common goal instead of differences in culture and belief. We completed the report and received outstanding marks. This was an important learning experience because I realize that working in Economics and Finance will require me to work with all kinds of people from all over the world. I learned that if you focus on a common goal, differences seem to be less important. These are exciting times for the study of Economics and Finance. The global recession and financial meltdown, state debt and trade relations are in the news daily. I believe that when times are bleak, knowledge and understanding are the only things that can help to brighten a situation. Understanding the complexities of a national economy and then being able to apply

Economic Barriers and Healthcare Pursuits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Economic Barriers and Healthcare Pursuits - Essay Example Healthcare financing is undoubtedly an expensive undertaking (Rapp, et al. 2010). Pooling together adequate resources for to actualize the plan developed to combat implications of HAIs is a challenge. Health care is primarily provided for by the state or the government due to the externalities that characterize the healthcare market. The government undertakes massive projects for the benefit of individuals across all levels, healthcare included. This aspect may pressure the government to direct more funds into healthcare, a scenario that may or may not is realized. One of the critical efforts towards addressing HAIs problem and subsequent problems posed by medical errors is the adherence of both patients and caregivers to set healthcare procedures especially in relation to preventative measures that healthcare facilities are supposed to observe. Patient or caregiver ignorance and failure to adhere to the set measures or systems of combating HAIs and medical errors general poses significant stumbling blocks to the effect of the plan. Healthcare pursuits are sensitive to legal systems. A change in healthcare policy must receive adequate legal attention and support. This is in line with formulating and implementing necessary policies that aid the plan’s practice. Legal obstacles to the plan can be in terms of slow adoption of relevant legal policies to aid the process, or even having the plan legally challenged to rule out its implementation. The future is hard to predetermine following the uncertainties that characterize future times. Healthcare complications are also diverse and dynamic over time, meaning that medical interventions keep taking new directions as new complications emerge. The plan can be implemented today, but be rendered useless some into the future in the event that medical errors worse. This would need that every variable that the plan treated be accounted for all over again. To minimize such occurrences, intensive and extensive research has to be done to confirm long-term viability of the plan.  Ã‚  

Course project week 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Course project week 1 - Assignment Example The fracturing process involving pumping of fluids usually made up of chemicals and water, into structures at high pressure. Following a buildup of pressure that ultimately exceeds the strength of the rock, fracture occur, which might extend hundreds of feet away from the situation of the well. A propping agent is then pumped into the fractures to keep it open, as pumping pressure is freed (Hydraulic fracturing, 1990). At the end of the fracturing, the inner pressure within the geologic structure makes the injected fracturing liquid to rise above the surface for storage in pits or tanks to await disposal or recycling. In the United States, this process is currently underway in the Marcellus Shale region that takes in places like Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Virginia Maryland, and West Virginia. South America also has fracturing going on in places that include Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina while in Europe fracturing goes on in Britain between Blackpool and Pendle Hil, in Lancashire. Despite much criticism, hydraulic fracturing has affected the economy in a number of positive ways. This includes the Creation of employment opportunities for many Citizens, generation of income for the many employees working in this sector, increasing the states revenues both directly and indirectly (Karapataki, 2012). In addition, the fracturing process has increased economic activities in certain places thus improving tax Revenue of the concerned Local Government. Hydraulic Fracturing Background Information | Hydraulic Fracturing | US EPA. (n.d.). Home | Water | US EPA. Retrieved March 15, 2013, from

Analysis the external business environment Essay

Analysis the external business environment - Essay Example One of the bases that the airline is considering in Asia to avoid the high costs and the geographic isolation that Australia faces is China (The China Post, 2011). Before making the move, it would be necessary to evaluate the external environmental factors that could affect the organization’s decision. Markets, competition and airline regulation in China would be equally important to be considered. 2. External factors affecting the organization External factors are those that are external to the organization and over which the organization has no control but still is influenced by it. In this analysis only two such factors would be considered – the macroeconomic environment and the markets, competition, and regulation in the airline industry in China. A country’s institutional environment affects the boundary choice for an organization because this reflects the extent to which a firm can participate in the business environment. According to Brouthers and Hennart (2007) five types of risks influence the decision - product, government policy, macroeconomic, materials, and competition. 2.1 The macroeconomic environment Macroeconomics deals with the economy as a whole and the factors that it encompasses include the economic output, unemployment, inflation, savings and investments (Investopedia, 2011). These are the key indicators of economic performance and are closely monitored by the governments, business and consumers. 2.1.1 Economic output The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. According to a government report its annual output should be US$ 3,000 per person by 2010 which is 3 – ? times of the level that it was ten years ago (China Digital Times, 2008). By 2010 China has surpassed Japan on the list of world’s largest economies and stood at the second position behind only the United States (Politics Daily, 2010). The PRC has low vulnerability to external shocks and this has helped it to maintain macroeconomic stability. The PRC has a large internal market, large foreign exchange reserves, low dependence on high technology and has high consumer and investor confidence (ADB, 2005). Macroeconomic stability is essential to attract private investment and create pro-poor markets. Economic growth in China has been consistent under different leaderships. Inflation and unemployment are low when the Communist Party is in power (Feng, 2010). The Party embraces economic performance as its top priority. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Beijing will take just five years to become the world’s largest economy (China Economic Net, 2011). The PRC attracts the highest FDI in the region and has been the second largest recipient of the FDI in the world (ADB, 2005). However, there are concerns that the government controlled market system in China prohibits the development of the Chinese economy (Sheng, 2011). Because of its liberalization reforms a nd investment in infrastructure China has been able to attract considerable FDI. China is now implementing a socialist market economy where the government carries out marketization management of the economy. 2.1.2 Unemployment The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines unemployed workers as those who are currently not working but are willing to work (IndexMundi, 2011). The unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent in China which is a matter of concern. However, this data is only for the urban areas and if the migrants are included the figure could go up to 9 percent. Besides substantial unemployment and under employment exists in the rural areas as well. Moreover, higher

Friendships with a pinch of salt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Friendships with a pinch of salt - Essay Example Tobias had been my best friend since fourth grade. He was a bright eyed, blond haired new student who strode into the classroom as if he owned the place. While I tend to be withdrawn, he was confident, sure of himself and would always stand up for what he wanted. Up until now, I had always considered this to be a good trait, today I wasn’t so sure. â€Å"Come on, we’re running late.† He had pulled me into a half-jog; half-sprint and now turned so he was running backwards and grinned at me. The hot pavement was harsh on my bare feet and I grimaced, trying to keep up with him. I was not good at running at the best of times. My breath came in short gasps and I had to brush at my forehead to prevent the sweat from dripping down into my eyes. â€Å"Run faster.† He egged me on. Finally, we stopped and I stood breathing heavily holding the wall up, or perhaps it was holding me. The world swam in front of my eyes and I could vaguely see Tobias standing in front of me looking slightly concerned. â€Å"Hey. Are you alright?† He put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me. I tried to answer him, but it was hard to talk. The words caught in my mouth and it was becoming difficult to breathe, each breath was harder than the one before. I fumbled in my pockets, looking for my inhaler. There were far too many pockets on this pair of shorts, two on each leg, two on the back and another couple of hidden pockets inside other ones.

Cross Media Assignment Essay Example for Free

Cross Media Assignment Essay In the first part of My Cross Media Assignment, I analysed, ‘L’Oreal Casting Crà ¨me Gloss.’ This advert cast Cheryl Cole, the nation’s sweetheart, in an advertisement for hair dye. This advert inspired me, to develop a beauty product, because it is such a big market here in the U.K. I took a close look at what Cheryl’s make-up was, and it was neutral and fresh, this was, apart from her eye shadow. As a result of this, I decided to design an eye shadow. I conducted research into Barry M’s Dazzle Dust, because their print ad’s are always flamboyant, and are interesting to look at. They use bright eye shadow, and usually darker coloured backgrounds to make the image ‘pop’, and stand out to the audience. The unique selling point of Dazzle Dust, is all the colours that it comes in, this makes the product unique. I decided to take a different route, and develop a product that women can use for the day and then for the night. I matched my product, Day n Night, to my target audience, because I think that women would want to own a product that they can use in the morning, when they go to work, and then they can use it straight after work, as a top up, using different colours, to go out for a drink with her friends. I think that my product appeals to women, because it is compact, useful, and there is a gap in the market for a product like mine. I planned my advert, by going to high street make-up retailer, House of Frasier, and I researched the eye shadow industry, and found that the adverts for the Day are very different from the ones that show a ‘night look’. The ‘Daytime’ look for most eye shadows is, a corporate woman looking clean. She normally has a very light Smokey eye, with a pink tint to blend. Whereas in the night look’ the woman has darker eyes, with black as a liner, and dark greys to blend. I decided for my advert that I would use the same woman, in two different situations, wearing two different styles of eye shadow, so that you can see a visible difference. I constructed my brand identity by using two colours, purple and lilac, the purple represents the night look, whereas the lilac shows the day look. I decided not to give my product a slogan, because I realised that women’s make up doesn’t generally have slogans, because if a woman sees a good advert, she will buy the product, and if she likes it, she will buy it again. I made the product represent all women, because in the U.K it is a frequently occurring thing, to see women go out with their friends after a day at work. I did not use a model for my print advert because I wanted my advert to be relatable to women, and give them a real product, rather than some product the celebrity endorsing it doesn’t use. The workplace I decided to use was a secretary’s desk, trying to show that you do not need to hold down a high paying job, to be able to buy the product. The only regulations that I might possibly face in my advert, is when the women goes out for a drink with her friends. There are restrictions in using alcohol in television or in print adverts, because Alcohol advertisements often portray alcohol as enhancing economic success, fun, attractiveness to the opposite sex, athletic skill, and social popularity, and this is the wrong message to send and is therefore not allowed. To prevent my advertisement to be subject to this, I have made sure that the alcohol is never directly seen, it is always mixed in a glass with something else, and the women are not sexualised, in anyway, and when you see men, looking at the woman with the eye shadow on, it is clear to the audience that they are not drunk, and that they haven’t been drinking. Looking back at my advert, I think that I could improve my television advert, because I do not think that in my storyboard, I showed off the product enough, and it was a little vague. Although I think I did meet the audience’s needs, and I did produce a product that I am pleased with, and I thought, there was a gap in the market for. I think on reflection, that my eye shadow box, was the best thing that I did concerning my whole assignment, and I am entirely pleased with my body of work, although there could have been some improvements made.

Exploring the contribution of forensic science

Exploring the contribution of forensic science Forensic psychology has proven itself to be a quite intriguing field of study. From serial killers to child custody cases, the work of a forensic psychologist is involved. Forensic psychology is the intersection between the field of psychology and the legal system (Huss, 2001). Or, as defined by the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP), [forensic psychology] is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system (ABFP, 2010). This profession is not restricted to just one area of the legal system; in fact it contributes to the subspecialties of corrections, civil court, investigations, criminals, juveniles, and police. The purpose of this paper is to explain the roles and responsibilities a forensic psychologist has in each subspecialty, review court cases and research relative to the area, and discuss ethical dilemmas/ challenges and controversial issues forensic psychologists may encounter. Note: Throughout the text the terms forensic psychologist and psychologist are used interchangeably to describe the profession Introduction Criminal Criminal psychologists can be found in various settings with a wide array of roles and responsibilities. Aside from studying criminal behavior, criminal psychologists work with the police departments assisting with investigations, giving advice on how to conduct interviews with suspects and witnesses, they provide their services as an expert witness, aid in the process of rehabilitating an offender, and continuously research developments related to their field (Bull, Hatcher, Cooke et al, 2009). In the case of Jenkins v. U.S., 1962, it was ruled that a medical degree was no longer a requirement for an expert witness and that with the proper training and level of expertise a psychologist could now testify on issues relating to mental disorders. However in the role of an expert witness there are a couple challenges that appear which are attorney contracted psychological services and the admissibility of expert testimony in court proceedings. During a court proceeding a criminal psychologist may be called upon to give their expert opinion about a matter related to the case. The purpose of an expert testimony is either to explain or give information to help in either the jury or judges decision making and is related to the psychologists area of expertise (Shuman Greenburg, 2003). According to the Federal Rule of Evidence (Fed. R. Evid.) 702 If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise, if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case. In cases when a psychologist is asked to be an expert witness by an attorney who is requesting information to defend his or her client, problems may arise. An attorney seeks out a psychologist to provide expert testimony and evidence that will benefit the case of their client, not the opposing side. However, a psychologist is ethically responsible for providing an unbiased opinion or delivery of facts regardless of which attorney contracted their services. The pressure to be loyal to the attorney that has contracted the psychologists services causes a problem for those psychologists who uphold the integrity of the profession. When caught in a situation where the findings of the psychologist are not aligned with the goals of the attorney, the psychologist can either give a testimony that is altered to fit the requests of the attorney and risk civil liabilities and ethical complaints, or they can report the facts and risk not being called upon again. Although it is a true dilemma to de cide which direction to take as a professional, upholding individual integrity and that of the profession is vitally important. Based on the responsibilities outlined in the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists (1991), forensic psychologists should make a reasonable effort to provide their services in a manner that is responsible and forthright. When a the services of a psychologist are requested, they should be upfront about their position to be unbiased and only report the facts regardless of the outcome. Another challenge that surfaces with expert testimony given by a psychologist is its admissibility in court. As mentioned earlier in the Fed. R. Evid. 702, an expert testimony may be utilized if it is based on sufficient facts or data. The facts and data are what determine the reliability of the experts testimony. This becomes a factor when it must be determined whether the information presented should be admitted as evidence in the court proceeding. Prior to the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc.(1993) in order for an experts evidence to be admitted in court it must follow the rule of general acceptance, which meant the evidence must have been obtained using scientific techniques that were generally accepted in the scientific community (Bartol Bartol, 2008). With the ruling in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. it is now left to the discretion of the judge to determine whether experts evidence should be admitted. For a psychologists is becomes a challenge to convince the judge that the information they are presenting is both valid and reliable. As a safeguard, psychologists should disclose the sources of all of the information used to form their testimony (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, 1991). Aside from the challenges criminal psychologists face as an expert witness, they also must address the controversial issue of whether offenders can be rehabilitated. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported a study that looked at the level of recidivism of a group of prisoners released between 1983 and 1994. What they found was that a high percentage of these individuals were re-arrested (Beck Shipley, 1997; Langan Levin, 2002). With high numbers of released prisoners returning to the prison or criminal justice system, the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs is questionable. Research is still being done on what causes crime and what type of psychological effects do prisoners experience while incarcerated (Benson, 2003). Hopefully with a better look into what leads a person to commit a crime, better ways to rehabilitate them will be developed. Juvenile There are two themes that govern the juvenile justice system which are the welfare of the juvenile offender and public safety (MacArthur Foundation research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice). The forensic psychologist in this specialty adheres to these themes in their roles and responsibilities to conduct assessments, evaluate competence, and provide therapy (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Forensic psychologists may be called upon to assess a juveniles level of threat to society, whether they are competent to make certain decisions, and decide what type of treatment can be offered to them (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Working with juveniles is not the same as working with an adult population. One ethical dilemma that comes about when working with juveniles is whether the psychologist has sufficient competence for working with juveniles if they have only assessed adults. Outlined in the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists (1991) under competence, it states a forens ic psychologist should only provide services in areas that they either have specialized knowledge, education, experience or skill. Psychologists must be very careful when assessing juveniles because they do not present the same behaviors as adults; some of these behaviors may be misinterpreted by the assessor if they have no knowledge of juvenile assessments (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Assessment is a very important part of the juveniles dealings with criminal justice system, so a psychologist should make every effort to ensure they are competent in this area prior to providing services. When approached about providing services as a juvenile assessor, the forensic psychologist should be honest about their limitations in competence and either make an effort to become knowledgeable about the area, or decline the request (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, 1991). Dual relationships also pose an ethical challenge for forensic psychologists in this area of specialty. Forensic psychologists should avoid the role of both evaluator and treatment provider (Bartol Bartol, 2008). This is an issue because as an evaluator, the forensic psychologist is contracted with the court, who is the client. Which means the forensic psychologist must warn the individual of the limits to confidentiality. In the role of the therapist, the client is the individual patient and there is some protection of confidentiality under patient-therapist privilege. In the case of Jaffe v. Redmond (1996) the U.S. Supreme court supported confidentiality in federal courts. It is best practice to avoid dual roles. If the two roles must be combined, there should be an effort to avoid any negative effects to the individual client (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, 1991). Levels of juvenile cognitive skills and adjudicative competence are issues that are still being debated in the juvenile justice system. The MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice define competence as ones ability to understand the processes associated with the trial, aid the attorney, and make important decisions. However, research has found that a number of juveniles 15 and under have mental competency scores similar to adults with serious mental disorders (MacArthur Foundation). Which means juveniles are not capable of making reasonable decisions related to waiving their constitutional rights, confessions, and plea bargains (Mac Arthur Foundation)The goal of the juvenile justice system has been to rehabilitate offenders so that they can eventually lead healthy lives as adults, without much focus on their competency to understand the justice system (Viljoen Wingrove, 2007). The belief is that juveniles should be assessed based on their levels of development, not the standard of the justice system which is geared towards adults because some developmental issues may not be detected (Ryba, Cooper, Zapf, 2003). The decision whether a defendant should be transferred from juvenile court to criminal court is an issue that is still being worked out in the justice system. In the case of Kent v. United states (1966) where 16-year-old Morris Kent, after confessing to his crimes, was transferred to criminal court and found guilty of housebreaking and robbery, and not guilty by reason of insanity for rape. Kents attorney argued that Kents case should have remained in juvenile court because he would have had a better chance of rehabilitation than in criminal court where he was sentenced to 30 to 90 years in a mental institution (Kent v. United States, 1966). Even today research is still being done on whether juveniles have adjudicative competence and if they should be transferred to criminal courts. Civil The Civil Court is primarily designed to handle private disputes between individuals or organizations (Britannica Online Encyclopedia, 2010). The major roles of the forensic psychologist in the civil court setting are those of an assessor and evaluator. Forensic psychologists may be called upon to assess emotional factors related to traumatic or personal injury litigations; assessment of psychological factors in relation to harassment, discrimination, and workers compensation disability, as well as post-mortem assessments and competency evaluations (Franklin, 2006). Forensic psychologists are also called upon in family courts to complete child custody evaluations (Franklin, 2006). Child custody evaluations conducted by psychologists tend to bring up some ethical concerns. An unresolved controversial issue in this subspecialty is that there is currently no standard practice when conducting child custody evaluations (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Many psychologists choose to use several forms of psychological testing as means to determining child custody in response to the American Psychological Associations (APA) (1994), request that there should be several methods for collecting data (Bow Quinnell, 2001). The issue with the psychological tests used is that there is no empirical evidence to support it (Bow Quinnell, 2001). To ensure adherence to the APA guidelines, the psychologists should use several techniques to conduct evaluations such as interviews, self-report studies, and psychological testing (Bartol Bartol, 2008). If a forensic psychologist is called upon to conduct a mental evaluation of a victim in sexual harassment suit, it is important that the psychologist thoroughly explain the potential use of the information gained. Informed consent now becomes an issue in this case because the victim must reveal personal information regarding their past sexual history during the evaluation (Bartol Bartol, 2008). The APA state in the Ethical Principles Psychologists and Code of Conduct section 3.10(c) When psychological services are court ordered or otherwise mandated, psychologists inform the individual of the nature of the anticipated services, including whether the services are court ordered or mandated and any limits of confidentiality, before proceeding. This can become a challenge for a forensic psychologist if the victim does not fully understand the limits of confidentiality in this situation. The forensic psychologist should take special care to explain to the client, in language they underst and, that the information provided may be used in the courtroom. By doing this the psychologist is making an effort to reduce the potential for more harm to the client. One of the most controversial issues in this area of forensic psychology is physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide takes place when a competent individual requests that a physician prescribe a medication that will aid them in ending their life. The role of the psychologist is to determine whether or not the individual is competent to make such a decision. The state of Oregon, in 1997, enacted its Death with Dignity Act which allows for physician-assisted suicide (Oregon State). The debate on whether other states will join Oregon is ongoing, as well as the research on the responsibilities of the forensic psychologist in this role (Bartol Bartol, 2008). The case of Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc (1993) is pivotal in this subspeciality because of the forensic psychologists role as an expert witness in civil cases. Research is still being done on how the Daubert standard affects the admissibility of expert testimony given by forensic psychologists (bartol Bartol, 2008). Investigative The work of the investigative forensic psychologist may be the most popular because of the media hype over the role of criminal profiling. In the case of U.S. v. Sokolow (1989) a form of profiling was used to make an arrest based on the behavioral characteristics of drug dealers. Criminal profiling methods have been around long before the gained popularity in the media. Actually, forensic psychologists have a few other roles and responsibilities dealing with investigations besides criminal profiling. Forensic psychologists use a variety of techniques to link a suspect to a crime. They study the crime scene to get a better understanding of the physical and verbal behaviors of the suspect (Woodham, Hollin, Bull, 2007); they also use geographical profiling to determine the territory of a serial offender (Bartol Bartol, 2008). This information is then used to narrow down the list of possible suspects put of a larger population. Psychological autopsies are unique responsibility of inves tigative forensic psychologists because they are done to determine the mental state of an individual prior to their demise. Also an investigative psychologist may conduct a forensic hypnosis to aid in a witnesss or victims recall of a traumatic event. Much scrutiny surrounds the use of forensic hypnosis as well as criminal profiling. Despite the glamorous appeal profiling has shown on various TV shows and movies, it is not a widely accepted practice. There are several concerns that cause profiling to be a very controversial issue. From the lack of research supporting its reliability and validity (Mcgrath, 2000), to the belief that profilers are creating opinions based on gut feelings (Bartol Bartol, 2008), and its inability to meet the basic expert witness standards sought under the section of the Federal Rule of Evidence 702 that states the testimony [of an expert] is based upon sufficient facts or data, . . . is the product of reliable principles and methods, and the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case (Alison, Bennell, Ormerod, Mokros, 2002). This brings about ethical challenges because forensic psychologists are obligated to provide services that are consistent with the highest standards of the profession (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologist s, 1991, p. 657). As Alison, et al. (2002) assert, the methods used for profiling result from an understanding of personality and trait approach that is both naÑ-ve and outdated. Many researchers suggest that psychologists should be cautious about using profiling in criminal investigations (Bartol Bartol, 2008; Alison, et al., 2002), but if it must be done, appropriate steps should be taken to base their opinion on current empirical evidence that is available and not just on gut feelings (Torres, Boccaccini, Miller, 2006). As of today, there is still a need for research to support the use of profiling. Pretrial identification methods is another area of ethical concern for psychologists because of its vulnerability to bias and error. Many police agencies use lineups and photospreads to help witnesses identify a suspect. The issue of bias arises when either the investigator or administrator make suggestions or subtle innuendos about who the suspect is. In a study conducted by Greathouse Kovera (2009) it was found that in situations where the administrator of the lineup and photospread knew who the suspect was, the witness was more likely to correctly identify them as oppose to situations where neither the administrator nor the witness knew the suspect. To resolve an ethical dilemma of this type, it is recommended that those administering the lineup and photospread should not have knowledge of who the suspect is (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Correctional In 2005 nearly half of the inmate population in prisons and jails reported having a mental health problem (James Glaze, 2006). With such a rise in the number of mentally ill inmates, the prison system may now be the nations largest provider for this special population (Fellner, 2006). Rising numbers indicate there is an even greater need for forensic psychologists working in the prison systems today. The role of a forensic psychologist is that of assessor and treatment provider. Within these roles, forensic psychologists are responsible for coordinating and ensuring the mental health programs are running properly, supervising the employees assigned to these programs, and administering mental health services to the inmates that need it. The forensic psychologist also functions as a trainer for the staff and screens the staff that will be working with inmates in special mental health units and step up to help in crisis situations (Magaletta Verdeyen, 2005; International Association f or Correctional and Forensic Psychology, 2010). Working in correctional facilities can be very challenging for the forensic psychologists. The work environment is no way comparable to the application of psychology in the community or private setting. There are various risks and safety issues when dealing with criminals in this type of setting such as dual roles. The Standards for psychology services in jails, prisons, correctional facilities, and agencies address this issue by stating Mental health services staff do not assume a dual role that overlaps with other functions and services (e.g., security) of the correctional agency or facility that could result in unethical dual-role relationships that risk harm to their offender or inmate clients (International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology, 2010, p. 19). At times, a correctional psychologist may act in the role of evaluator and therapist, or even as the therapist and a stand-in correctional officer. In some correctional facilities the expectation is that a psychologist is a correctional officer before any other role, thereby making it a responsibility of the psychologist to aid in doing a count of the inmates, conducting searches of an inmates cell and person, supervise inmates, and escort inmates to segregated areas (Bonner Vandecreek, 2006). Dual roles of this type create mistrust between the inmate and the psychologist because the psychologist is now viewed as another correctional officer and not someone there for the interests of the inmate. In order to eliminate the potential of dual roles, the psychologist should request in writing that they should only be assigned to duties that align with their particular profession and ethical standards (Bonner Vandecreek, 2006). A second ethical challenge for psychologists is avoiding situations that would intentionally cause harm to their client. The conditions of prison are not necessarily adequate for those suffering from mental illness, and many times many of them go undertreated (Fellner, 2006). The prison walls are riddled with too many inmates, violence, and victimization by other inmates and the staff (Bartol Barto, 2008).It is the responsibility of the psychologist to maintain their position as an advocate for their client and not as an additional perpetrator of their rights but this is challenging when jail and prison conditions prevent effective treatment. The IACFP (2010) contend that Offenders are incarcerated as punishment, not for punishment (p. 759). Participating in or allowing the inhumane treatment of inmates, mentally ill or not, goes against the standards for psychologists in this subspecialty. Unfortunately, psychologists may be harming unintentionally causing harm by not provided the adequate treatment needed. The climate of the prison environment will take several steps in order to see a change, but there are things a psychologist can do to resolve some of these issues. It is important that the psychologist does not fall into the same mentality of a correctional officer and participate in activities that are intended to do harm. The IACFP (2010) suggest that psychologists should avoid any delays when a request has been made for mental health services; avoid imposing any biases or beliefs on or towards inmates; meet the requirements of due process; practice within ones personal scope of competency; and continuously advocate for better mental health services in jails and prison. One controversial issue that surrounds the treatment of mentally ill inmates is their segregation from the general population. In the case if Perri v. Coughlin (1999) a severely disordered inmate was kept in an observational where an inmate is stripped of their clothes and placed in a cell for their protectionfor a total of 108 days without any treatment. Another issue is although inmates have the right to refuse treatment, they can be forced to do so if it is determined that they are severely disordered and cause a threat to themselves and others which was argued in the case of Washington v. Harper (1990). Forced consent to treatment stirs up controversy for psychologists because inmates may only consent to treatment for fear of privileges being taken away, such as in the case of McKune v. Lile (2002). Despite the controversies that come about it the correctional system, the research focus has been on reducing recidivism and increasing rehabilitation. Police The final subspecialty of forensic psychology to be discussed is police psychology. Police psychology is the application of psychological principles to the profession of law enforcement and public safety (Bartol Bartol, 2008). As a police psychologist the primary role is to provide psychological services to law enforcement either through counseling, employee screenings, fitness-for-duty evaluations, assessment of incidents requiring deadly force, crisis counseling, and special unit evaluations (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Police psychologists assist with the special units of police agencies including, SWAT, hostage negotiations, and victims response. Just as with all the other areas forensic psychologists team up with, there are a few ethical issues that emerge. Conflicts between agency requirements and the ethical standards of the psychologist can pose a serious ethical dilemma when working with police agencies. Two ethical challenges in particular are the interrogation methods of some police agencies that lead to false confessions. Leo Ofshe (1998) assert that false confessions are a result overzealous police officers who are so eager to arrest a suspect that they tend to overlook evidence that may point towards the individuals innocence. Some tactics police may use to gain these confessions are deprivation, humiliation, or manipulation (Bartol Bartol, 2008). These actions cause problems for psychologists because they position is to advocate for human rights, when these actions can be viewed as violations of these rights. When psychologists are caught in situations that cause ethical conflicts they must abstain from taking part in those behaviors. It is at the discretion of the individual psychologist whether they wish to continue consul ting with police agencies that practice abusive interrogation techniques (APA, 2007). If they decide to continue their work, psychologist should consult with police on interrogation strategies that will not impede on an individuals human rights and decrease the likelihood of a false confession. Interrogation tactics have begun to come into the lime light with Americas War on Terrorism. But before then there was focus on another controversial issue, excessive force. Excessive force has been a controversial issue for decades. Many Civil Rights protesters can probably recount various incidents when they were victims of police excessive force. However the most striking case of our time dealing with police excessive force is that of Rodney King in 1991. Surrounding the issue of excessive force is also deadly force, although its occurrence is not frequent. With both of these issues, psychologists may be asked to conduct fitness-for-duty evaluations to determine the officers ability to carry out their required duties (Bartol Bartol, 2008). A plethora of research is available for the subspecialty of police psychology. Topics range from cultural competency, dealing with the mentally ill, on the job stress, excessive force, employment screening, and community relations. As the research in this area progresses, enhancements can be made to the types of treatment psychologists offer. Conclusion The field of forensic psychology encompasses a wide range of roles and responsibilities; with various contributions to the fields of law and psychology. In its short existence there have been tremendous gains in research and practical applications. As the profession of forensic psychology grows in popularity among the public, there is sure to be greater strides in the collaboration of psychology and law.

Rainbows and Rain :: Personal Narrative Sports Frisbee Essays

Rainbows and Rain I sit on my bed taking off my cleats as I hang the Frisbee over the huge torn chunk of wall, caused my removal of the corkboard and the wonders of â€Å"wall tape.† I finish my dinner and realize that the great idea of placing my plate into my â€Å"Frisbee tray" is not such a great idea when the plate is permanently stuck inside the Frisbee for a whole three minutes as struggle to pull it out. I scale the roof of my grandmother’s cabin in order to save my Frisbee from beating rains, intolerable sun, and absolute loneliness. I scale the steep weeds and ivy groves in order to save my Frisbee from the treacherous rivers which roars below. I pull and huck the Frisbee. I toss and pass the Frisbee. My hands turn red and chapped in the cold and fast and sweet in the heat. The Frisbee sails in the sky meeting the sunset horizons before a swift catch and speedy throw sends it again, through a similar cycle, of something I call magic. To sprint, and just believe that if I reach out far enough I will perfectly meet the disc and it will meet my hand as one total motion has been completed. The power of running as the Frisbee flies over your head, as you lose all sense of gravity to make the final grasp at spinning disc, is the beginning of the high. Just before you meet the ground, whether it a be serious layout or you end up tasting grass, dirt, fertilizer, it’s a worth it, just as long as you have caught the Frisbee. And the high sinks into the spirituality of it all; victory is possible in that mighty catch. Truly we are Heroins. This, my friends, is the sport the absolute addiction, of one single disc, cleats (or no shoes if you prefer), some grudging comfy clothing, H2O, and a heroin teammate. But it's not just throwing and catching, which I cannot resist. And I mean I really cannot accept the idea of people throwing out in the quad without me. If players of old, and players of new are throwing the Frisbee all I can do is join. Even in HI, at Kona beach, people were throwing---no one I knew---I knew that I just had to play and they were totally cool about it all.

Epic of Beowulf Essay - Traits of The Anglo-Saxon Hero :: Epic Beowulf herobeo

Beowulf - Traits of The Anglo-Saxon Hero    Within the tale of â€Å"Beowulf† four character traits can be found which define the Anglo Saxon Hero. The first is loyalty, as demonstrated by the relationship between Lord and thane. According to page 23 of the â€Å"Beowulf† introduction, â€Å"a relationship based less on subordination of one man’s will to another than on mutual trust and respect.† The second and third characteristics are strength and courage. The importance of these specific traits to the Anglo-Saxon people is clearly presented during the reciting of Sigemund’s tale within Heorot. As the song states, â€Å"He was adventurer most famous, far and wide through the nations, for deed of courage – he had prospered from that before, the protector of warriors – after the war-making of Heremod had come to an end, his strength and his courage† (38). The final piece which comprises the Anglo-Saxon hero is the notion of fame. The only after life a warrior could ever a spire to have was immortality through fame. One again this is explained by the introduction to the story, â€Å"Beowulf’s chief reward is pagan immortality the memory in the minds of later generations of a hero’s heroic actions† (24-25). By understanding what defines a hero it is a simple matter to comprehend why Beowulf is considered by some to be the greatest of all. He posses unfaltering loyalty to his king and allies, and save for his final battle his thanes show the same devotion to him. His strength is unparalleled, as he is able to defeat each of his opponents and perform feats of unmatched endurance. Beowulf’s courage, though motivated primarily by his own notion of fate, is, none the less, unwavering. And as a hero he achieved his desire for immortality through the poem itself. Each of the four heroic traits can be identified within the three battles in which Beowulf participates: His battle with Grendel, his undersea struggle with the Grendelâ⠂¬â„¢s Mother, and his final fight with the dragon. Before going off to do battle with Grendel, Beowulf gives a speech that may appear conceited to the modern reader, but is in actuality a simple device used to insure his immortality through fame. Beowulf states, â€Å"I claim myself no poorer in war strength, war works, than Grendel claims himself. Therefor I will not put him to sleep with a sword†¦ and then may wise God, Holy Lord, assign glory on whichever hand seems good to him† (35-36).

A Psychoanalytic Analysis of To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Essa

A satisfactory understanding of a literary work necessitates a multi-level investigation—of the poem’s context, of the text itself, of the poem’s socio-political implications, of the poem’s trans-cultural implications, and of the Christian implications. To see a great work of fiction or a great poem primarily as a psychological case study,it means that we have to miss its real significance,its real meaning.Literary interpretation and psychoanalysis are two different field,though they are closely associated,they can in no sense be regarded as parts of one discipline.The literary cristic who views the masterpiece only through the lens of Freud, sees art only through a glass darkly,on the other hand,the reader who rejects psychoanalysis deprives himself of valuable tool in understanding not only literature,but human nature and himself as well. One of the most celebrated carpe diem poems in British literature,it has been praised by numerous literary scholars and critics fot its brilliantly wrought form,thematic significance,metaphysical conceits,paradox and irony.Unfortunately,not many of the readers thoroughly understand this poem.They will notice that its male speaker,an erudite man,tries to persuade a reluctant mistress to accept his proposal of physical love,those who are unfamiliar with the conventions of seventeenth century metpshysical poetry may feel that the poem is merely â€Å"weird†,†strange† or â€Å"sexiest†.They recognize that there is something questionable about the male suitor’s use of flowerly language in the first stanza.They also do not like the â€Å"bizarre† images in the second stanza â€Å"That long-preserved virginity/And your quaint horror turn to dust/And into ashes all my lo... ... begins his proposition of love by stating an impossible condition:†Had we but world enough,and time/,This coyness,Lady,were no crime.† His objective,despite the contradictory deceptiveness of â€Å"vegetable love†,is nevertheless the same:the woman must capitulate to his desires.It is only matter of time.From the eternal burning of vegetable passion,in the face of reality,we see that the love must end,the same as sexual profligacy,in dust.In the final stanza the speaker relaxes his harsh irony,here,too,the sexual image is evident.The fire image,which smolders in stanza one and turns to ashes in stanza two,explodes into passion in this concluding stanza.The poet conveys a sense of desperate ecstasy. Marvell’s great poem is not only a glorification of sexual activity,it deals with the total human psyche,many facets of which are both unpleasant and unconscious. A Psychoanalytic Analysis of To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Essa A satisfactory understanding of a literary work necessitates a multi-level investigation—of the poem’s context, of the text itself, of the poem’s socio-political implications, of the poem’s trans-cultural implications, and of the Christian implications. To see a great work of fiction or a great poem primarily as a psychological case study,it means that we have to miss its real significance,its real meaning.Literary interpretation and psychoanalysis are two different field,though they are closely associated,they can in no sense be regarded as parts of one discipline.The literary cristic who views the masterpiece only through the lens of Freud, sees art only through a glass darkly,on the other hand,the reader who rejects psychoanalysis deprives himself of valuable tool in understanding not only literature,but human nature and himself as well. One of the most celebrated carpe diem poems in British literature,it has been praised by numerous literary scholars and critics fot its brilliantly wrought form,thematic significance,metaphysical conceits,paradox and irony.Unfortunately,not many of the readers thoroughly understand this poem.They will notice that its male speaker,an erudite man,tries to persuade a reluctant mistress to accept his proposal of physical love,those who are unfamiliar with the conventions of seventeenth century metpshysical poetry may feel that the poem is merely â€Å"weird†,†strange† or â€Å"sexiest†.They recognize that there is something questionable about the male suitor’s use of flowerly language in the first stanza.They also do not like the â€Å"bizarre† images in the second stanza â€Å"That long-preserved virginity/And your quaint horror turn to dust/And into ashes all my lo... ... begins his proposition of love by stating an impossible condition:†Had we but world enough,and time/,This coyness,Lady,were no crime.† His objective,despite the contradictory deceptiveness of â€Å"vegetable love†,is nevertheless the same:the woman must capitulate to his desires.It is only matter of time.From the eternal burning of vegetable passion,in the face of reality,we see that the love must end,the same as sexual profligacy,in dust.In the final stanza the speaker relaxes his harsh irony,here,too,the sexual image is evident.The fire image,which smolders in stanza one and turns to ashes in stanza two,explodes into passion in this concluding stanza.The poet conveys a sense of desperate ecstasy. Marvell’s great poem is not only a glorification of sexual activity,it deals with the total human psyche,many facets of which are both unpleasant and unconscious.

Pros and Cons On School Uniform

A crucial form of self expressions would be t o abolish school uniform. Ralph Wald Emerson stated the quote â€Å"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. † Selfishness is crucial because each student has their own clothing identification. It is to be announced that school uniform may del ay the transition into adulthood. â€Å"Life is full of transactions, and one of the more re marketable one occurs when we get ready to leave high school and go out in the world as young adults,† was spoken by the U. S.Department of Education. Adults should have their own choice of clothing. Wearing the school attire may have a detrimental effect on students Selfridges. There is a saying by Any Miracle which indicates â€Å"the only one can make Gonzalez 2 yourself happy. † When students wear the same gear, instead of having the pop opportunity to select clothes that suit the body type, c an suffer embarrassment at school. Having the freedom of expression helps not only in the age growth but also while in s school. Focusing so much on uniform takes away the attention from finding genuine lotions to problems in education.The push of uniform is driven by comer Call interest rather than educational ones. â€Å"Education must enable one to sift and weigh, t o discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction . The function of education, therefore is to teach on to think intensively and to thin k critically and essentially,† declared Martin Luther King Jar. In America we spend an aver GE of about one billion dollars on school uniform in just one year. It is proven that s dents that wear uniform tend to oppose of uniform.A 201 2 previewed study by researchers at the university of Nevada at Reno found that ninety percent of seventh and eighth grade public school students did not like wearing uniform. The MO re people that oppos e have less education because they focus more on taking uniform away than widening their education. On the website proton. Org expresses that â€Å"most PU bill schools with uniform policies are in poor neighborhoods, emphasizes the class deductions that uniforms were supposed eliminate. The use of school attire e emphasizes the socio economic divisions they are supposed to eliminate.Not all schools are the same but the ones that have uniform tend to lack focus on education. There's many reasons why uniforms should be eliminated but little have they truly put full s peculation the recognition their value. Gonzalez 3 Aside from convenience, there are other reasons to favor school uniform. Am Eng all those reasons one would be reducing peer pressure and bullying. On the website Stealth. Org says, â€Å"some kids give into peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids might make fun of them if they don't go long with the group. When all students are dressed similarly, the competition amongst students over the choice of clothes and the teasing of those who are dressed in less fashionable or less expensive outfits can be eliminated. An argument f or having school uniform is that they will bring conformity among students. In a person al Interview with Israel Pinion he revealed, â€Å"a school uniform is only comfortable during GA mess period. † Having student comfort themselves may result in increasing their owe n safety, comfort should be important in order to maximize learning outcomes.Although ugh many loud be against uniform not all have looked to see that it improves attendant CE and discipline. A 2010 study by researchers at the University of Houston found that t the average absence rate for girls in middle and high school decreased by seven percent. For most middle and high school is hard to get discipline and attendance info arced but uniform mightiest be the solution. School uniform may be a probable source o uneasiness for students considering that they need to make maximum use of their time in school.Just like there are cons on school uniform there are pros and one would be the at uniform may withdraw crime and boost student safety. Knowing uniform elm innate crimes, make students feel more confident. Eric Reverberant mentioned iconic dance and implied, â€Å"having confidence is on the most essential pieces of advice you'll race vive in life Gonzalez 4 that makes no sense if you've never done it. † When students feel confident, it helps them show up to school, it also helps their education performance exceed. Ha Vying uniforms, in school, may prevent the display of ongoing colors.According to a Center For Parent Information and Resources report in 201 3, almost 50% of students n high school say there are gang members at their schools. The elimination of gang c lord keep students focused on education and not as much on their clothes. Wear Eng uniform can enhance school pride, unity, and community spirit. In 2007 a study was m dad a University in the United Kingdom found that uniforms â€Å"often directly contribute et to a feeling of school pride. † (School Uniform) Being involved with school and the c immunity helps build networks and just might help later on in life.

My Oedipus Complex by Frank O’Connor

â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† by Frank O'Connor â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† is a story about a young boy of 5, Larry, who grows up in his own safe world with just himself and his mother. He is attached to his mother and wants her to belong only to him and considers his father a rival ? for her attention. However, when his father returns from WWI, a man whom Larry hardly knows, it is a constant battle between the two for the mother's love and attention. Larry is jealous of losing his mother’s undivided attention, and finds himself in a constant struggle to win back her affections. There are tree main characters in the story: Larry, his mother and father. Larry is a creative and imaginative boy. He gives his legs names Mrs. Right and Mrs. Left and invent „dramatic situations for them in which they discussed the problems of the day. â€Å" They discuss what mother and he „should do during the day and what presents Santa Claus should give a fellow for Christmas. He is full of joy, â€Å"feeling rather like the sun, ready to illuminate and rejoice. † He is a kind-hearted boy, thinking about his mo†¦. The novel My Oedipus Complex written by the famous Irish short storywriter Frank O’Conner, in my opinion, is more a spiritual exploration of the problems of youth and growing-up than just a simple story told by a little kid. The dramatic experience of Larry (both the narrator and the protagonist of the novel) seems to be the representation of part of our childhood stories. So let me have a brief analysis of the theme of the passage by looking into Larry’s character and what Larry went through in his heart in this story. While his father was fighting in the WW1 and rarely went back home, Larry was enjoying himself and relishing all of his mother’s attention and care, just as what he said in the third paragraph—â€Å"the war was the most peaceful period of my life†. However, things started to turn bad when his father came back and stayed at home: his mum’s love for him was shared by a â€Å"stranger†, he was told to shut up when the â€Å"stranger† was either talking or sleeping, and perhaps worst of all, he forfeited the right of climbing into the big bed and sharing his schemes with his mum every morning. These changes so upset and saddened him that, eventually, the boy became rebellious and declare an â€Å"open and avowed† war against his father, in which the two just contended for the mother’s attentions and care. As we know, to Larry’s disappointment, however hard he tried or whatever he did, he proved to be always on the disadvantaged side in the â€Å"war†. Then the author depicted an interesting dialogue between Larry and his mother, which may be construed as a reflection of the title â€Å"My Oedipus Complex†, but, according to me, it also perfectly reveals a change and maturation of Larry’s inner heart, for to be a husband means loads of responsibilities. What brought about the next big change in this family as well as the climax of the story was the birth of little sonny.

Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht Essay

This extract from Mother Courage and Her Children, by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Michael Hofmann and John Willett, is located in the prologue and the opening scene of the play, at a point where the author dispels the myths of chivalry and honour we have about war. The play is set in the thirty years war but was written at the beginning of World War II. The beginning of the play is set in Poland, where a sergeant and recruiting officer are on the outskirts of town standing in the bitter cold. In this extract, we are able to observe a recruiting officer’s troubles in enlisting new soldiers and the lengths in which he will go to gain new recruits. He then complains that there is no honour and upstandingness among humanity. This establishes the character as hypocritical and desperate. The prologue of the play begins with a song telling us of the daily hardships war can bring, not excluding death. The song lacks adjectives, taking a very brief blunt view. It also takes a very disapproving view of war and this is shown through the choice of words. However, the song is delicately laced with humour that lessens the impact the song may have given. It describes the soldiers very impersonally, referring always to them as one group, one army. Small, dispensable objects with no name – joined together. Their belongings are described as ‘lumbering’ and ‘straggling’ which gives the image of a strong animal (bear?), with more brawl than brains. This image is intensified by the next line How can you flog them into battle as you usually flog large animals. This gives the impression that soldiers are mindlessly following the commands of their superiors because loyalty demanded it of them. The second stanza of the prologue talks about soldiers and their empty stomachs before war. It does not specify whether this is because of lack of food or because war is so desolate that they cannot hold their food down. The line Courage has rum with which to lace it talks of giving rum to soldiers so they will not feel anything and since courage is defined as the absence of fear, the soldiers are therefore courageous. The line marching to death is also used. This links with the soldiers being courageous because you have to be courageous to march, knowing that at the end awaits death. The speech by the Recruiting Officer consists of mainly one long rambling sentence. This implies that the brawl is spoken by an uneducated soldier. It also suggests that the military cannot find enough recruits to enlist that it has to put soldiers in positions that they have neither the ability nor motivation to do well. Also, the soldiers may not` have acquired enough training to know how to do their job well. The second half of the speech speaks of the recruiting officer dulling the wits of a potential recruit by alcohol so that he would sign on to become a soldier. The recruit then runs away and the recruiting officer complains of the lack of honour and upstandingness among humanity. This speech speaks of the difficulty of recruiting people to die for their country and because of the lack of availability, they settle for standards well below normal. In the prologue, a rhythm of ABAB CDCD and so on is used. The set rhyming structure is used to capture audience’s attention and to give a rhythm by which to read the poem. This provides a flow from one line to another that keeps the reader interested. The last four lines of each stanza are indented, drawing the reader’s attention and marking it as significant. The author’s choice of diction creates a vivid scene of imagery where soldiers are fighting disease and starvation rather than the enemy. The line With crawling lice and looted cattle shows the poor state of hygiene and health the troops are in. This immediately dislodges the myth that war is all fame and glory. Instead, a vision of unhygienic environment that many soldiers live in during war is created. This extract, especially the prologue, spares no time in easing the reader into the reality of war. Instead, it plunges them into one of the worse aspects of war. The recruiting officer’s speech reveals much about human behaviour which the reader can relate to and this entices them to read on. The extract provides a very good introduction to the book for the reader and effectively summarises the hardships of war. The purpose of this extract is to introduce the reader to various parts of war in a way that will neither alarm nor bore the reader. This is achieved by various literacy features such as imagery, diction and repetition and by the hypocritical speech made by the recruiting officer.