Monday, September 30, 2019

Human Sexuality: Toys and Technology Essay

Throughout history, the concept of sexuality and what is deemed as normal within different societies has evolved constantly. Various social standards and expectations often play into how a culture will approach sexuality—what it entails, what its limits may be, or if it is even an appropriate topic of discussion (Davies, 1982, p. 1042). Evidently, no matter how liberal or relaxed a particular society may be, there are still certain areas of sexuality that are considered taboo such as the integration of technology (Rubin, 1989, p. 267). This pertains to the use of internet or film porn, vibrators, and other sex toys. While the use of technology for sexual purposes is widespread, there are still some apprehensions about it, and many are still uncomfortable with the concept of sex toys and pornography. Due to factors such as politics, religion, and cultural traditions, society still tends to classify the use of sexual accessories or entertainment as taboo; and this is indicative of how social norms influence one’s views and comfort level when it comes to sexual behavior. As political changes have altered the way in which society functions, so have they altered people’s views of sexuality. Consider the ancient Grecian times, during which sexuality and promiscuity were considered to be a normal part of everyday life. People treated sexual behavior in a relatively unabashed manner. When kingdoms and politics began to grow to be larger in scale, however, it had an inverse relationship to the presence of sexuality in society (Greenberg, 1988, p. 185). Sexual enjoyment began to be more repressed in an effort for politicians and rulers to control a group of people (Davies, 1982, p. 1032). Political movements also led to the promotion of chastity as well as the elimination of prostitution (Rubin, 1989, p. 68). Widespread political agendas essentially began implementing a new mindset and a new set of morals in society. Instead of sex being treated as a natural and acceptable part of life, the growth of politics determined sexual behavior as being immoral; and as time passed, it became a solid societal expectation that people should repress any animal-like sexual urges and avoid promiscuous behavior. At the very least, they should keep their sexual conduct private and refrain from discussing it with others. Aside from prostitution, masturbation was heavily discouraged (Rubin, 1989, p. 68). Even in today’s society, this mindset is still present. Many people, especially women, are uncomfortable with the concept of masturbation, let alone discussing it with others (Rubin, 1989, p. 282). With vibrators being one of the most popular masturbation accessories, the negative or awkward associations between the vibrators and the actual act of masturbation can be observed—that is, since masturbation is still considered by some to be taboo, vibrators and other sex toys are automatically put into the same category. Along with politics, religion has been a major influence in terms of how different cultures and societies perceive sexuality. When one considers the literal translation of the Bible, for example, the messages are clear and quite threatening. Those who violate what God declares to be the boundaries of sexuality are thought to be an â€Å"abomination†, and it even states that prostitutes should be stoned to death (Greenberg, 1988, p. 196). The enforcement of these beliefs within society was for the purpose of creating social boundaries in an effort to maintain ultimate control over a group of people (Davies, 1982, p. 060). If society followed a religious order, then immoral behavior would theoretically be minimized. Many cultures, especially in the Western world, therefore, adhered to the Christian-based ideals of sex (Rubin, 1989, p. 283). This philosophy says that sex has one sole purpose, which is procreation. The Bible also states that sex is intended to take place between a man and a woman, suggesting that masturbation is a sin (Rubin, 1989, p. 283). This explains why so many still frown upon sex toys, which are meant to enhance one’s sexual pleasure even if they are not having sex with another person. Religious texts, in general, have served to disassociate several aspects of sexuality with moral and ethical behavior (Davies, 1982, p. 1042). Not only is masturbation considered unethical, but so is watching pornography. The Bible does not only classify sexual deviancy with physical actions, but what one thinks about as well. If someone is watching pornography, they are thought of to be engaging in immoral behavior; and if they are married, then pornography is simply considered to be another form of cheating and disloyalty. Many couples today will choose to watch a porn video together in order to enhance their sex life, but it is still thought of as taboo and not often discussed amongst couples. Regardless of whether or not all people believe in a certain religion, it is clear that religion has affected society and how people perceive matters such as porn or masturbation—even if they are not aware of any religious influences. Together, politics and religion have introduced the concept that illicit sex is unethical (Rubin, 1989, p. 289). They have developed social traditions and standards, which includes laws against pornography and other sexual factors that are considered to be obscenities (Rubin, 1989, p. 289). It is now a normal standard in society that one has to be at least 18 years of age to rent or buy porn. In addition, adult entertainment has become its own thriving industry due to the laws that prohibit pornography from being viewed by the general public (Rubin, 1989, p. 290). Of course, separating the porn business from society is not necessarily a negative act, especially since children should not be exposed to such graphic themes and images. The fact that there are laws that ban porn and other forms of adult entertainment, however, add to society’s stigma when it comes to how porn is perceived. A porn video is not considered to be the same as a rated R movie that children under 17 cannot watch. It is thought of as a taboo movie that even adults think of as inappropriate or socially unacceptable (Davies, 1982, p. 1037). If there are laws required to regulate or even ban certain sexual acts—such as in certain states, where homosexual sodomy is illegal—then sexuality in general is considered criminal, and that it should be treated with caution (Rubin, 1989, p. 91). The criminalization of sexuality has essentially conditioned society to be apprehensive in how they engage in sexual acts and whether or not they make use of any available material or objects that were created to improve their experience. Although the use of vibrators has become increasingly population—especially after the hit TV show Sex and the City made the â€Å"Rampant Rabbit† vibrator so famous—it is still considered to be a rebellion against tradition (Davies, 1982, p. 1040). Perhaps this is why women who openly admit to using sex toys are still referred to as â€Å"new age† or â€Å"modern women†, even though vibrators and other toys have been available for so long. When one thinks of the traditional and socially acceptable form of sex, they will most likely think of a man and a woman who are probably married. Sex toys are typically not considered a â€Å"normal† part of intercourse; and many consider using vibrators as emasculating to men and traditional gender roles (Greenberg, 1988, p. 15). Sexual behavior is already thought to be lusty and risque. When additions like erotic toys are added, sex is thought to be that much more taboo (Greenberg, 1988, p. 224). This is because toys are basically an excess—that is, couples do not need vibrators in order to have intercourse. Even during masturbation, people do not require inanimate objects to engage in the act. According to Gayle Rubin (1989), there is also a sexual hierarchy in society that lists what is defined as normal sex (p. 282). Monogamy is one of the defining factors of â€Å"good† and â€Å"acceptable† sexual behavior; and since pornography is generally based on pure lust between two unmarried people, it is still not thought of as a normal form of sexual expression. The use of vibrators, especially for masturbation purposes, tends to be looked down upon as well, simply because it tends to cross traditional social boundaries (Davies, 1982, p. 1032). These boundaries imply that technology in general, when used for sexual acts, represents a lack of morals, ethics, and values (Rubin, 1989, p. 310). This, of course, is not the case. Although centuries have passed since Western society adopted religious and politically-based views on sexuality, people still cannot fully accept that objects like vibrators and porn films have become a normal part of sexual behavior. The attempt to regulate sexual behavior and influence how people approach their own personal sex lives is nothing more than an example of the desire for ultimate control (Greenberg, 1988, p. 238). Although there should be restrictions that protect children from adult content, this should not affect society’s comfort level when it comes to sex—after all, it is a natural behavior. Sex, in general, is simply taken too seriously in Western culture, and only causes unnecessary amounts of stress and anxiety on those who wish to deviate from the standardized ideal of sexual behavior (Rubin, 1989, p. 310). Vibrators and sex toys are nothing more than accessories for sexual acts, and pornography is merely an adult form of entertainment; but due to political, religious, and traditional forces, they are still considered to be sexual and social taboos.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Internet Marketing Essay

For my assignment I work for an internet consumer magazine, I have been asked to produce an article and will then analysis the benefits of internet marketing to customers. Customers have gained massively from the use of the internet. As the number of users of the internet increases more and more customers will shop online. Listed below are some of the benefits of the internet for the customer. Customers stay updated Customers are kept updated with product information either via the website or emails. With the internet now becoming mobile, through 3G technology and Wi-Fi, customers can be kept updated almost in real time. Customers can compare online One of the greatest advantages for the customer is that they can compare products or services they wish to purchase from the comfort of their own homes. Instead of visiting a number of different retail outlets, the user simply has to open different window tabs to compare prices or features of the product/service they wish to purchase. Many retailing websites offer the facility where different products they sell can now be easily compared. There is also price comparison websites that customers can use to get the best possible price for their products. Clear product information for the customer Websites offer clear product information on the product or service. There is little chance of misinterpretation or mishearing what the sales person said. Transparent pricing Pricing online is very clear and transparent for the customer. Customers can take advantages of pricing that may change regularly or take advantages of special offers that last for a limited period. Track your purchase Consumers have to pay for their product /service before they receive it. It is important that consumers feel reassured when this happens. Many websites allow consumers to track their purchase from order, dispatch to transportation before delivery to their home address. Again this reassures the consumer and makes them feel that they are obtaining a good service online. Reduction in personal carbon footprint. As consumer spend more time shopping online and use their cars less. Their personal carbon footprint is reduced. 24/7 Shopping There is no time restriction on when a consumer can shop online. Many online sales now start at midnight on a particular day encouraging customers to shop all hours of the day.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Internet Banking - Computers and Internet Essay

Internet Banking - Computers and Internet - Essay Example So the current research empirically investigated the future of Internet banking, through semi-structured, convergent, in-depth interviews and successive stages of this study. At this stage of the paper, the role of the interviews will be outlined and then the nature of this facility will be explained. The objective of this dissertation is to ascertain the perceptions and attitudes to Internet banking usage amongst universities students of the Edinburgh; in particular focusing on the uncertainty associated with the usage. The data collected was primarily quantitative in nature with the questionnaire questions being mostly close ended leaving no scope for divergent and qualitative responses. Though some specific and limited questions were left specifically for qualitative responses; however these were mainly utilized in obtaining concluding impressions of respondents. Three main data sets were collected from respondents pertaining to awareness, understanding and approval of Internet banking. Each data set was comprised of two or three questions in order to obtain an established view of the respondent in respect of the data set or aspect of usage of Internet banking. ... The chief variables concerned basic awareness of Internet banking, knowledge of various possibilities of usage of Internet banking and the factors that promoted/discouraged usage of Internet banking. Questionnaire sought to collect data in respect of these variables. 3.5 Statistical Procedures Results are analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 11.0) using standard statistical tests and analysis procedures. The values of variables we will give in the results are means and standard deviations throughout. The overall indexes and factor scales are calculated and examined using demographic comparisons and other techniques. Exploratory statistics such as cross tabulation with Chi-Square tests, frequency histograms, and pie charts can calculate to better understand the results. Other statistical analyses included Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA), based on the General Linear Model (GLM), and calculation of confidence intervals. For all statistical significance tests, a 95% confidence level was working. Such analyses are relatively objective. The following presents a summary of results from all sources and identifies key strategic prospects and recommended actions. In keeping with the triangulation method, we point out significant similarities and differences in findings across sources. For some issues, data are not available from all sources. There are two methods, which are mainly used in researches, and these two methods are: 1. Qualitative research method 2. Quantitative research method In this study, quantitative approach was flexibly so that this approach is use over here. But

Friday, September 27, 2019

An e-commerce strategy and architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

An e-commerce strategy and architecture - Essay Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that the Secure-Car Business deals in such systems along with other accessories which can help secure our vehicles from illegal intrusion. Up till now, this firm has been running its business using tradition business management structure. For instance, it has a store where people come to shop. They shop for the desired product and pay instantly. The firm has adopted a paper based approach to keep the record of its products and services. In this IT based era where people want to shop by remaining at their homes, Secure-Car has been using a traditional business approach. Once the manager/owner of the firm was using the Internet to locate information on a specific device, he was shocked to see the support of the Internet for delivering the required information in a few seconds. Manager/owner of the firm decided to implement an e-commerce platform for their business. The basic purpose of implementing this e-commerce business is to promote their business and let the other people shop by sitting at their homes. This e-commerce web site will allow the customers to place an order online by filling an online form. In this scenario, the order details will be received by the Secure-Car firm and they will deliver the product to their customer. Though, it is a proposed scenario and for the actual implementation of this idea, the manager/owner of the firm must be familiar with the terms associated with e-commerce. 2- Introduction to E-commerce Concepts A lot of the ways business organizations and individuals perform their daily tasks and continue to exist in the twenty-first century are measured with the huge web of electronic networks that is normally acknowledged as the Internet (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). In addition, the across-the-board existence of the Internet for performing transactions between sellers and buyers is the fundamental motive behind the development of electronic commerce or simp ly (e-commerce). According to (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 25; Stair & Reynolds, 2003, p. 19), â€Å"electronic commerce is the process of selling and purchasing services and goods and products is carried out electronically by means of computerized business transactions over the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies†. In addition, e-commerce also encompasses the operations behind those business transactions, such as business marketing advertising, offering customer support, and processing payment. Additionally, by replacing old and rigid paper-based and manual techniques with electronic processes, and with advanced information flows in up to date and active manners, e-commerce does not only offer the business organizations a capability to accelerate the process of ordering, delivery, and payment for products, services and goods but also minimizes the operating and inventory expenditures of the organizations (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 25). Moreover, the World Wide W eb (WWW) has turned into a common platform for performing e-commerce, building and implementing latest tools and technologies for the organizations to communicate with each other and their customers.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enhancing the Ability to Think Strategically Research Paper

Enhancing the Ability to Think Strategically - Research Paper Example The article aimed at creating awareness on the development of strategic thinking and developing a model that would enhance critical thinking among adult learners. The authors acknowledged the essentiality of strategic thinking. They pointed out the existence of little knowledge regarding this issue. . Casey and Goldman (2011) suggested a model that would enhance strategic thinking. Their model incorporates iterative, interactive, as well as dynamic learning methods with individual factors. Additionally the model explains how organizational factors and job experiences can be used to enhance strategic thinking. The model that the authors developed was based on the theoretical framework, which asserts that development of strategic thinking is elicited by individual factors and experiences in addition to organization factors. According to Casey and Goldman (2011), manipulating the above aspects can lead to development of critical thinking. Casey and Goldman (2010) concluded, â€Å"Devel oping the ability to think strategically is one of the most needed yet least understood areas of management.† Moreover, they established that critical thinking is crucial for individual at the different positions in an organization. Strengths and Weaknesses The major strength of the article is the strong evidence on which the authors have based their arguments.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

American History - Essay Example This condition was exacerbated by the creditors’ reluctance to accept the currency of Continentals. The problem arose from the fact that the Articles of Confederation did not stipulate the jurisdiction for printing money among the 13 states. Furthermore, the Articles constrained the Confederation Congress from raising taxes and initiating legal proceedings in disputes between states. The inadequacy of the Articles was further exposed by the Shays’ Rebellion, â€Å"in which farmers refused to pay taxes and took up arms to protect their right not to pay those taxes. The national government called out the federal militia and stopped the rebellion, but the entire episode made very clear the fact that a stronger national government was needed† (www.socialstudiesforkids.com). These weaknesses inherent in the Articles impelled the drafting of a more robust framework of governance in the form of the Constitution. The purpose of the convention for the drafting of the Constitution was to elicit a consensus on the preferred mode of government and the process of electing representatives. Fifty five delegates in total attended the convention. Considering the diverse range of views and opinions expressed, as well as taking into account the handful of radical proposals made in these sessions, the delegates considered it prudent to maintain utmost secrecy. While the convention initially set out to amend the Articles of Confederation, its thrust soon shifted to replacing it completely. Intense debates raged between the delegates from Virginia and New Jersey. While the former wanted a more democratic and representative Constitution, the latter preferred the status quo. James Madison and Edmund Jennings Randolph, both of whom represented Virginia, argued that â€Å"no confederacy could endure if it acted upon states only and not directly upon individuals. Madison and Edmund Jennings Randolph were able to enter the Constitutional Convention with a plan of government

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Incentives can lead to improved performance Essay

Incentives can lead to improved performance - Essay Example Desirable incentives can improve employee motivation and therefore performance if constraints are applied reasonably. This paper explores the relationship that exists between incentives and employee motivation. Naturally, human beings act purposefully. The hope for a reward therefore is a powerful incentive that can motivate people to do certain things. In the organizational setup, incentives can be financial or non-financial, and positive or negative. Positive incentives are those that offer positive assurance that certain needs or wants will be fulfilled. On the other hand, negative incentives re those that are purposely applied to correct the defaults or mistakes of workers. Some common forms of incentives include job security, job satisfaction and job promotion. There are several reasons behind the promise of incentives in an organization. Some of the main reasons include to increase productivity, encourage enthusiasm, encourage job satisfaction, increase commitment, and to shape people’s behavior and attitudes toward work (Harpaz, 1990). Individuals will always do whatever they wish to do or otherwise do what they are motivated to do. Many theorists have defined motivation in various ways. Kreitner defines the term as the psychological process that defines the orientation and purpose of behavior. Others define it as the internal drive to satisfy a need that is not satisfied (Murphy, 2009). From the above definitions, motivation may be assumed to be the inner force that drives people to realize personal and organizational goals. Some of the theorists that have contributed to the understanding of motivation include Abraham Maslow (hierarchy of needs), Skinner (reinforcement theory), Herzberg (two- factor theory), Adams (equity theory) and Vroom (expectancy theory) (Terpstra, 1979). According to Maslow, there are five levels of needs. The lower level needs have

Monday, September 23, 2019

Smartphones Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smartphones - Research Paper Example Smartphones assist students in the universities and colleges to connect to their instructors in various activities such as giving assignments and rescheduling classes. Statistics shows that Smartphone are essential devices and contribute positively to the lives of students. 53% of the phone uses are at the age of 18-24 years while 63% of the users are at the age of 25 to 34 years in the USA (33). Although Smartphones are very useful in academic institutions, they can also be harmful to schools especially during exam periods. Some of the harmful effects of students having Smartphones in schools especially Universities are cheating in exams, texting when instructors are in class and disturbances when they ring. There are several advantages of using mobile phones in the class by the students and teachers such as connectivity enhancement. Tutors and instructors can give assignments to students through the internet without the necessity of physical contact. Students do not need to visit the library to search for items as they can use the internet, which enhances their studies. According to Hingorani and others, students who do not have Smartphones experience some fear known as Nomophobia especially in the universities (35). There is increased usage of mobile phones by the youth aged between 18 and 35 years with most of them preferring Smartphones compared to other types of phones (36). As the students, advance their academic levels, their usage of mobile phones increases. Mobile phones have many accessories making their usage have a wide diversity in terms of its uses such as calculators, navigators, and maps, which are very useful to students and instructors (36). Students normally utilize S martphones in performing most of the class work such as calculations, studying maps, and downloading lecturers’ notes. There are many other services in the universities

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Positive and Negative Aspects of Immigration in the United States Essay

Positive and Negative Aspects of Immigration in the United States - Essay Example However, the earlier immigration at the beginning of the twentieth century had a comparatively greater impact because the United States was less populated at that time (Saiz 14). â€Å"If current immigration rates are sustained, two-thirds of the population growth in the United States could be accounted for by immigration by 2050† (Saiz 14). The arrival of new immigrants is creating severe opposition as well as spirited defense for immigration. Every year, the debate on the benefits and adverse effects caused by immigration grows increasingly heated, and its political discourse is likely to be a major issue in the future (Isbister 1). Philip Martin and Elizabeth Midgley argue that a significant issue is an illegal immigration which began rising in the 1970s. This was the first main immigration issue debated in Congress in the 21st century (Martin and Midgley 3).   The arrival in the United States of large numbers of foreigners from various countries can either be a cause for concern or a trend to be welcomed. â€Å"There is no single answer, which helps to explain why Americans are ambivalent about immigration† (Martin and Midgley 3). The United States has always celebrated its immigrant heritage with mass naturalization ceremonies on July 4; these ceremonies associate immigration with the founding of the United States. American leaders have reiterated the renewal and rebirth caused by the advent of newcomers in America considered as the ‘land of opportunity’. This implies that immigration enables individuals to improve their lives and also strengthen the United States at the same time (Martin and Midgley 11).   

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Example of Concert Essay Example for Free

Example of Concert Essay This was a paper written by an actual student in the Popular Music in America class. It is not offered as an award-winning review nor is it compositionally error-free. It did, however, receive an A for this assignment and is an example of the level of writing and analysis that is required to receive an A. Please do not, however, begin your paper in exactly the same way or attempt to copy â€Å"buzz words† or phrases. Write your own paper! On February 17, 2005, the Jazz Ensemble at Tarleton State University had their first concert of the spring semester with special guest trumpeter, Daryl White. The jazz ensembles collectively performed thirteen pieces during the concert. â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon†, â€Å"Waltz for Debby† and â€Å"Ancient Memories† were three stylistically different pieces that allowed the audience to experience the various sounds of jazz music. Jazz music, like all music, tells a story and here are the stories of â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon†, â€Å"Waltz for Debby† and â€Å"Ancient Memories†. â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon†, written by Bart Howard and arranged by Sammy Nestico, is an upbeat standard sung most famously by Frank Sinatra. In the instrumental version of this song, a Latin-inspired sounding consonance set the romantic mood at the beginning of this song. A piano and saxophone then alternated the melody of the song as though they were dancing like two lovers flying to the moon. As the passion of the song heated up, the texture changed within the song as the saxophone took the melody and the piano and other instruments within the ensemble were in accompaniment. The rhythm, which was continuously steady seemed to get faster like a heart beat by the climax of the song. It was also at this point that the dynamics of the song were increasingly getting louder until all instruments met at the top with a bang and then changed the dynamics again to a moderate level until the song concluded.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Indian Gaming Industry Marketing Essay

The Indian Gaming Industry Marketing Essay The Indian gaming industry is at a nascent stage but is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. In the last 15 years, India has witnessed considerable economic growth. This, in addition to its demographic structure, offers immense potential for the gaming industry. An amalgamation of our culture, rising urban incomes, education, IT development and telecom growth offer the perfect platform for the gaming industry. IT and telecom considerably drive the gaming industry. One of the segments with highest growth is the console gaming industry which is capturing higher market share year on year. While the global gaming industry is growing at 22 per cent, the Indian gaming industry is valued at Rs 13 billion and is expected to grow to Rs 38 billion by 2015  [2]  . India offers a huge pool of talent in the IT and programming sector which plays a substantial role in the development of quality games at reasonably lower costs. Additionally, while the gaming industry is picking up, serious players and investors are entering into the industry, consequently facilitating its further growth. Figure 1 Growth Trend of the Gaming Industry in India  [3]   Recently, 3G rollout in India, an increasing number of high-end mobile phone users, and broadband and DTH penetration into homes, contributed to the strong market currents that the Indian gaming industry is now riding on. Over the years, the price of games has declined significantly, making the games more affordable to Indian gamers  [4]  . High-end mobile phone consumers, for instance, a growing iPhone consumer base, point towards a promising future for the mushrooming gaming industry. These buyers thus become a very lucrative segment which includes a premium, tech-savvy population which, evidently, has higher disposable incomes. Figure 2 Orientation of Gaming Industry in prominent markets  [5]   Due to the rising population in urban India, more and more open fields and available lands are being converted to high rises, for commercial or residential purposes. This leaves the kids with little or no space to play, which adds on to the inclination towards indoor games. Hence, urbanization as well serves an important factor for the rise in console gaming market in India. As per NASSCOM report, the growth drivers in the gaming industry in India are  [6]  : The growth of the gaming industry from 2006 levels is primarily driven by increased consumer spending on gaming. The services side of the business is propelled by captives set up by international publishers of mobile game development, BPO support for MMORPG games and development revenues from PC/console game production, game art, etc. By 2012, the movement up the value chain in services, resulting in more end to end off-shoring work, is expected to contribute to the growth of revenue from development services. Domestic outsourcing is also expected to pick up, especially in the mobile and online gaming segment. Original IP development in domestic and international markets, which is at a nascent stage, will gain in significance in coming years. Falling console prices and increasing mobile and broadband penetration are expected to give a fillip to consumer markets. However the growth in gaming Industry is also coupled with challenges. As per NASSCOM report  [7]   Lack of trained man power in the industry who have the skill sets to develop end to end games and have worked in advanced NGN pipelines Infrastructure related issues like high cost of consoles, non availability of adequate bandwidth, non availability of SDKs etc Pirated copies of gaming software and tampering of consoles in still wide spread in the country Acclimatizing the Indian population to gaming which is relatively a newer form of entertainment and not integrated into the Indian culture. Lack of original Indian IP and quality games with local themes which can spur the Indian market High import duties for gaming hardware and absence of well defined policy for the growth of gaming industry Objectives  [8]   The objectives of this MRR are as follows: To study the potential market for console based gaming in India and to reach the potential customers in this particular segment of the gaming industry To study the feasibility to set up experience gaming flagship stores and scale up implementing the franchise model To study the feasibility of organizing regional league events and launching a pan-India console gaming league event leveraging upon the underlying business model To study the feasibility of creating a virtual store model functioning as an e-commerce platform to achieve appropriate channels of merchandize distribution and social media integration To study the feasibility of synergies between each of the business models so that it helps in strengthening the brand Scope and Limitations of the study  [9]   Scope Overall A study of the current Indian Gaming Industry, focusing on the console gaming industry in India A study of the various players in console gaming market Retailers, Parlours An overview of the fully integrated console gaming pan-India network comprising of stores, IT Infra-Telecom network, e-stores, vendor partners and pan-India competition An integrated financial analysis of the business plan Console Gaming Store A study on the requirements for setting up a console gaming store A study and recommendation on the business model of the store franchise/ownership A study on local/regional popular gaming championships A study on the experience aspect of consumer viz. gaming merchandize, game theme-based relevant food/snack/beverage, entertainment lounges A study on the interior design plus IT infrastructure for the store e-Store A study of the pre-requisites for operating an e-Store A study of the integration of virtual and physical platforms. (demo games, league leader boards) A study of IT resources for the e-Store. (hardware / software / network maintenance) A study of the supply chain framework required for operating an e-commerce model A study of social-media integration of the GOD brand through the e-platform A detailed financial analysis for the business model League Model A study to explore opportunities at the various feasible levels (local, regional, national etc) to conduct the league A study to look at the logistics and other facilities required to organize such a league A study of marketing and sponsorship to run the league model A study to look at the financial feasibility of organizing such a league Limitations The study will focus only on console gaming The study will only focus on partnerships with console makers and console game makers and no local players The study will not include who will be the architect and owner of the store The study will not include where the equipment and other technical requirements will be sourced from The study will have market research that will have limited sample size In lieu of reliable data, interviews with experts from the company and the industry will be conducted Who will implement the technology infrastructure, supply centre and training and development and the quality of implementation is not known Approach and Methodology  [10]   Analysis External Analysis of console gaming industry in India Feasibility (Strategic) Analysis of each business model Competitor Analysis Data Gathering Existing competitor stores in major cities Internet Probable supplier / partner working model Feasible communication channels with console game publishers and vendors Other secondary research Survey Three tier-1 cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore) with sample size 30 Customer questionnaire over e-mail, social media and other online channels Study Functional feasibility Technical feasibility Survey Analytics Interview Potential customers from sample space Supplier / Partner FGDs Existing game parlour owners Note: The above might change in case we adopt the lean start-up process for this business External Analysis Indian Gaming Industry Macro-Environment Analysis Political Context The key political factors influencing the Indian gaming industry are as follows: High duties and taxes for console gaming  [11]   The gaming industry is growing at a very healthy rate. The introduction of all major players like Wii and the aggressive promotions of Xbox 360 have taken the Indian console gaming industry on a high growth trajectory. Even upon the high growth expectations from the Indian market, these consoles are still quite expensive as compared to the US. One of the key factors for this difference is the high duties and taxes in India. These components add as much as around 40% to the price of the consoles. This is comprised of around 27% of customs duty and more than 12% of value added taxes. This significantly increases the prices of gaming consoles in India.  [12]   Infrastructure issues for the gaming industry  [13]   India ranks quite low on the internet and broadband penetration when compared to rest of the world. The average broadband speed available in India is also quite low when compared with the developed countries. This restricts users from connecting with wide range of gamers across territories and to play as per their convenience. However, this is expected to be overcome by the advent of high speed internet at affordable rates. The technological development in the past few years would play a very important role in bringing the gaming revolution in the near future in India. Economic Context The economy of India is the eleventh largest (by nominal GDP) and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The growth rate for the year 2011 2012 was 6.5% and is expected to grow at 6.9% in the year 2012 2013 (as per World Bank)  [14]  . This provides an opportunity for various industries to grow within the country. Maximum growth has been observed during the 2000 decade when the country touched growth rate as much as 10.6%. The per capita income has also increased steadily in the past years. It soared by 15.6% in the fiscal year 2010 2011  [15]  . One of the key factors behind the economic development was the economic liberalization in the early 1990s. This strong economic development portrays an increase in the paying capacity of the consumers and an increased standard of living. The needs of people also grow along with prosperity and opens new opportunity for businesses. Gaming as an industry has also been growing gradually with this incremental growth trend. For the gaming industry, the expected growth is magnificent. As per a NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) report, a 4X growth in the Indian gaming industry is expected from the year 2010 to 2015. The same report states that the console gaming industry would grow 17X from the year 2010 to 2015  [16]  . The rising disposable income in urban India and the increasing consumerism makes a good case for growth in the console gaming segment in the next few years. Social Context Indias population in 2011 was more than 1.2 billion (Source: World Bank) and a growth rate of 1.41%  [17]  . India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35. It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan  [18]  . The increasing per capita income has largely increased the middle class population of the country. This change in the economic status, when seen along with the overall young population, it can be inferred that the paying capacity of the youth has increased in the past years. The interests of people has also evolved including entertainment and gaming. Gaming is gradually gaining importance not only as a source of entertainment but more towards lifestyle. The earlier modes of gaming was TV video games and small hand held devices, which has moved to online, mobile based and console gaming. This growth is also supported by the increased paying capacity of youth, who are the most important target market for gaming. Due to the rising population in urban India, more and more open fields and available lands are being converted to high rises, for commercial or residential purposes. This leaves the kids with little or no space to play, which adds on to the inclination towards indoor games. Hence, urbanization as well serves an important factor for the rise in console gaming market in India. Another social factor is that of safety. The anti-social elements of the society are also growing, especially in the urbanized regions, which is a cause of concern for the parents to let the kids play outdoors. The cases of kidnapping of children for ransom have become a commonplace now. To avoid such risks, parents prefer their children to go out only under their supervision, or to remain indoors, playing video games on computer or on consoles. A change in the mindset of parents has also been observed in the past years in terms of how they perceive video games, maybe on computers, or on consoles. Earlier, these games were looked at things which would distract the children from studies, and would spoil the child. Parents were conscious that the children would get addicted to these games. But gradually this mindset has undergone a great change. The parents of today, not only allow their kids to play the games, but they themselves enjoy playing such games with them. One of the reasons for such a change is the genre of games being developed these days. The games developed earlier were mostly racing or fight based, but now, the games include all variety and cover various fields, including education and strategy type games. These games dont only entertain the kids but also play an important role their mental development. The motion games have taken the trend to the next level by providing means of physical exercises as well. It has also been observed that the games developed specific to India have shown very good response in the market. Sony launched Hanuman: Boy Warrior, a PS2 game based on Indian mythology with an expectation of 3000 to 4000 units uptake on the first day, though the response was 10,000 units. Indian origin social networking site Ibibo started its cover versions of social networking games with Teen Patti and Mumbai Underworld, getting tremendous response. Sony is also planning to launch games based on characters of Amar Chitra Katha. Going forward, we can expect more local developers and players to come out with similar games.  [19]   Technological Context India has been growing stronger technologically in the past decades. The technological advancement is also one of the key factors for economic growth and prosperity. Post liberalization, in the early 1990s, a lot of investment in the country has on the technology. The advent of internet was a big leap in the field of communications globally. The telecommunication industry in India is also quite matured. Total number of telephone subscribers in India is more than 960 million, with an overall tele-density of almost 80%  [20]  . But the users of broadband are still limited to less than 1% of the population  [21]  . This leaves a huge scope for development of the internet gaming industry. At the same time, this also signifies that the potential for console gaming market is immense. The number of smartphones in India is currently about 30 million, and is growing at a CAGR of more than 30%  [22]  . This also opens up a huge market of mobile gaming in India. This is increasing trend of adoption of technology and getting closer to digital gaming, is effectively inducing the spirit of gaming in the Indian multitude, which would eventually reach to the best gaming experience which can be provided by console gaming. Hence, we see that from a technology perspective, India is very receptive to changes and new technology, gaming being a very important dimension of this entire change process. Environmental Context The world has been observing strange climatic changes in the past years. A lot of these have been attributed to global warming as well. The irregular rains, amounting to much more than usual downpour during the monsoons and scorching heat during summers is cause of major concern globally. From a macro perspective, the glaciers are melting and causing danger of extension for some species. But from a micro perspective or from an individuals point of view, such extreme climate causes day-to-day inconvenience. One of the side effects of these extreme climatic conditions is the inconvenience to children who would want to go out and play. The parents are conscious not to send their kids out for playing in extreme heat or chilling cold, and would rather prefer to keep them in-doors and provide options to play and entertain within the house. Such environmental changes, not good for the human populations though, are favourable for the thriving gaming industry in India. These factors add onto the influence on people to get more and more involved in the flourishing world of gaming. Legal Context One of the most prominent concerns for the concern for the digital world today is piracy. The creativity industry has been losing great amount of revenues due to this evil. The laws for piracy are in place but still need a more firm implementation. Piracy has been observed majorly in the music and movie industry, which has been going on for a long time now. Eventually, this evil also grew on to the world of softwares, as computing became an inevitable part of our lives. The latest trends of piracy are being observed in the field of gaming, wherein PC gaming and console gaming are the soft targets for pirated games. The revenue being lost by these industries due to piracy is immense. The game console manufacturers like Sony are creating more robust and intelligent systems to identify and not support duplicate or pirated games, but at the same time theres more to be done by the government towards reducing this piracy. National Competitiveness Gaming industry growth Comparative Study of other economies Gaming Industry is already a multibillion dollar industry in developed economies and is growing at a tremendous pace. The below list shows some key developed economies and emerging economies and their current growth pattern  [23]  . Developed Economies: United States The US video game market is and has always been the largest in the world. From 2003 to 2008, it more than doubled, from $7.00 billion to $15.5 billion, respectively. Because console gaming is the most popular in the United States and knowing the console market is declining it is projected the US market will continue to sustain growth but at a slower rate. It is expected to reach $21.1 billion in 2013. Online gaming will be the fastest growing gaming category in the US. Canada Canadas market is growing at a very fast rate. Between 2003 and 2008, it grew from a mere $0.4 billion to $1.3 billion. This number is expected to reach $2.4 billion in 2013 while the increasing mobile penetration (phones per capita) of 69% in 2008 is expected to reach 91% in 2003. Japan After a 30.2% growth spurt in 2007, the Japanese market declined by 20% in 2008 and is further stagnating. As in the United States, console gaming is the most popular in Japan; the significant decline of console gaming is expected to dramatically affect Japans growth. Even though Japan is the home of several major video game players, and even though the market size between 2003 and 2011 is projected to increase from $3.5 billion to $6 billion, the console market will disproportionately grow from $2.7 billion to $2.9 billion. Western Europe The analysis of Western Europe consists of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland. Similar to the US and Japan, console gaming consists of the greatest portion of the market (70%). However, Western Europe is also the largest world market for PC games. The market in Western Europe is projected to increase from $5.0 billion in 2003 to $13.9 billion in 2008 to $19.5 billion by 2013. Emerging Economies India The gaming market in India has taken a huge leap in recent years. It emerged in 2006 explaining the lack of data in the chart above. As with many other translational corporations, big video game firms (EA, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard) have recently established operations in this economy. In conjunction with its growing economy, the video game market is projected to grow from $0.21bn in 2008 to $1.60bn in 2012. The short-term future of the industry lies in Zeebo a new console launched in India but the long-term future, like other countries, is expected to lie in online gaming. Indias video game market is growing at such a fast rate that UTV Interactive, an Indian video games publisher, recently purchased the US online gaming firm, True Games Interactive. Brazil In Latin American, the market expanded from $0.3bn in 2003 to $0.7bn in 2008 and is projected to reach an estimated $1.3bn in 2013. Though the market has grown about $1 billion, Brazil only comprises about 5% of the market. Though it has minute market share, Brazil is still one of the key emerging markets in the region and the world. Internet penetration is projected to significantly increase from 32.9% in 2008 to 73.2% in 2013. Russia Another one of the BRIC economies, Russias video game industry is expected to double from $0.25bn in 2007 to $0.5 in 2012. With increasing mobile penetration, mobile gaming has become a large part of the countrys market. Porters Diamond Model Analysis The below study gives a detailed analysis on national competitiveness of the gaming industry with respect to the leading economies in this industry and a focus on emerging countries like India which have a bright scope for growth in the future. Figure 3 Porters Diamond Model for gaming Industry in India  [24]   The above diagram shows the four corners that make up the national competitiveness structure of the diamond model. Government and Chance above can be attributed to as exogenous parameters. Factor Conditions: HR Knowledge Pool  [25]   Given the current scenario of the video game industry, irrespective of the any particular mode that is thriving over another, e.g., online social media integrated increase in demand over conventional PC gaming, what we see is that the countrys leading rapid growth in the industry is capitalizing on a human resource platform that is developing and evolving over time. An analysis of the video game industry value chain that will be dealt with later involves major parties like publishers, console vendors, retailers and consumers. Every stage in the chain involves extensive human resource requirements. A recent study suggests one of the key 3 reasons why the US, Canadian, Japanese as well as emerging economies like the BRIC economies are world leaders in the gaming space, is their ability to incubate: Skilled workforce There is a massive requirement of programmers and game developers that are young understand the changing trends of the industry and fast in bringing our new games to the market, thanks to the shorter product S-curves of gaming companies. Leading economies like the US and Japan, and of late the BRIC nations, especially India, are breeding grounds for high quality technical talent pool, thanks to its universities, evolving scope and encouragement for fresh talent to take up rewarding careers in the gaming industry. Supporting Industries Another factor in steep success of game companies in these leading economies are the supporting industries that groom the industry continually, e.g. retail distribution, online marketing, global supply chain and key partnerships (Facebook and Zynaga). These supporting industries help provide employment across diverse roles and opportunities. With impressive growth projections of the video gaming industry in India, from $ 0.21 billion (2008) to $ 1.6 billion (2012) , aggressive acquisitions like UTV Interactive buying US gaming firm, True Games Interactive, rising middle class with high disposable income, social trends boosting child awareness towards latest technologies, online and brick-n-mortar retail influx, all these factors show the growth potential in supporting industries in India other than US based publishing and developing companies. Thus theres a requirement of talent pool, both by ways of quality as well as quantity  [26]  . Physical Resources Infrastructure The infrastructure scenario of India is congenial to the scope for growth of the video game industry. The symbiosis of the key physical resource requirements can be depicted using a diagram as below: Figure 4 Physical Resources Infrastructure Capital Resources Financing and capital injection across all segments of the industry is crucial to the overall growth of the industry and hence increases in substantial contribution to Indias GDP. The primary underlying factors are: High disposable income of the urban middle class segment Entrepreneurial attitude to establish end-user delivery systems, e.g. cafes, parlours, lounges, franchises, online media tie-ups, etc. Liberal legal and government norms encouraging domestic and foreign investment in the sector. Presence of operations of transnational firms in the country Based on recent research, EA, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard have already established operations in India  [27]   Transnational gaming companies to encourage and invest in development of gaming software from India RD centres which will further boost national economic outlook on a global scale Firm Structure, Strategy Rivalry: If we take a look at a generic organizational structure of a game development company, we could then analyze how Indian companies are faring against the leading AAA rated ones and whether their firm structure is in accordance with their long term strategic intent and growth prospects. Future opportunity: extrapolation of existing structure into service space for emerging economies like India Figure 5 Firm Structure From the above diagram, we can see that any game development company functions in a dual structured operational model, first, a business management arm which takes care of the marketing, PR, releases, publishing and reviews of the game, and, second, a project management arm which takes care of the game development through all its technical and functional stages of development, testing and go-live. At the organizational level as well, apart from the above hierarchy, if we compare gaming companies like Electronic Arts against Indian majors like Indiagames, we would see a similar pattern. Every such game development company works in a studio format, each studio responsible for production of a particular genre or line of gaming, e.g., casual, kids, sports, action, etc. Thus, for a country like India where gaming industry growth looks positive, inculcating such a competitive and global culture sets the firm on the path of sustainable development. As mentioned in the earlier section, based on a research by Duke University, companies like EA, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard have setup operations in India. This would in turn give rise to rivalry and competition among the subsidiaries and help release games faster in the market, thus increase potential to bring more and more new and advanced games in the market. Also, the presence and growth of the local Indian gaming community like Indiagames and Zapak also adds to the rivalry, since home-grown developers and publishers would not so easily give way to transnationals to break into the domestic market. Now having spoken about the firm structure and rivalry in the game development and publishing end, the industry looks feasible for a new business in a country like India. However, if we

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Stealing Home :: Essays Papers

Stealing Home Can you imagine living somewhere all your life, and then having a stranger tell you to move? What about having you home taken away from you because you live differently then others? Or even yet, can you imagine having someone move in next door to you, and you die from a sickness that they brought with them? Native Americans have lived this way since the days of Christopher Columbus. As they were shuffled around and pushed westward, the crowd followed, until there was nothing left for them. American Indians roamed the lands of America long before settlers from Europe even dared to travel across the oceans. They lived from and with nature, respecting the laws of life, and cherishing every aspect of their civilization. They hunted and fished, using each part of their prey, wasting nothing. Bones were used for weapons; hides, for clothing and shelter. They lived simply. It was impossible to tell that their worlds would be turned upside down. When settlers first arrived in America, they were greeted by Native Americans. They helped the settlers learn to live the way they did – to use nature to its fullest and to respect it. Meanwhile, millions of Indians were dying from the diseases brought over from Europe. Indian villages were burned to stop the spread of disease. The settlers were scared of these diseases that no one seemed to understand. They blamed the Native Americans for deaths of settlers that were due to the diseases. This blind blame would be seen later in history, as the railroad invaded the territory of the Native Americans, and they were again blamed for death and warfare. Between the beginning of the Civil War and the Gold Rush of 1849, thousands of emigrants had been crossing the plains in search of gold. The Indians of the North-west generally accepted the government policy that the land west of the Mississippi River was theirs, and they expected settlers to stay out. Of course, the pioneers needed to cross that territory, which the Native Americans considered sacred hunting grounds (Schmitt 2). The Native Americans first learned of the railroads by runners – those who ran the land to learn of gold seekers and settlers moving across the territory. They called the railroad the "iron horse on the iron track," and as it moved across the Mississippi, it was evident to them that once again, their land would be taken (Schmitt 6-7).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Television Violence :: essays research papers

Television Violence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Violence in television, is it turning our children into violent, destructive, and hateful toddlers. Yes or no? In today's society television plays such a big role in our everyday lives that it is hard to see if it effects our children's behavior. Television has the potential of being a very constructive learning tool, if used correctly. On the other hand if used in a destructive manner it could, hypothetically, turn our children and future leaders of tomorrow into deadly hate mongers. I believe that television does effect the way people think and behave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a survey given in 1978 at an unnamed college in Washington D.C., when asked if what was seen on T.V. effected the way they acted ,2% thought it did , 7% didn't know and ,91% didn't think it effected them at all(2). In 1993 a similar survey was given in London by the Broadcasting Standard Council( BSC ). When people were asked if they thought T.V. effected the way people behaved 41% said yes, 4% left without finishing the survey, and 55% said that they didn't think it effected the way people acted(14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As seen in the survey the problem of television violence is being made more aware to the people of the world. The problem has also grown over the years to a more serious dilemma making the government start to try and solve the problem by initiating laws in which television stations must limit violence on T.V.(6). It is still not enough though the problem must be taken care of promptly before it changes society as a whole. If the problem is not taken care of swiftly then it could effect the future of the world by having violence rampage the streets of our towns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past when television was first invented it was a much happier time. people could walk on our streets without having to care if they were going to make it home alive. I'm not trying to say that television is the reason that society today is so dangerously violent, but as violence on television evolved so did the violence on our streets. In the past there were not as many violent T.V. shows if there were even any. Also T.V. was more of a family recreation, most families could only afford one T.V. set so when children watched T.V. they were supervised by their family making violence almost an impossible thing to see if parents were not interested. Today, there are an average of three televisions per household so it is harder for parents to make Television Violence :: essays research papers Television Violence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Violence in television, is it turning our children into violent, destructive, and hateful toddlers. Yes or no? In today's society television plays such a big role in our everyday lives that it is hard to see if it effects our children's behavior. Television has the potential of being a very constructive learning tool, if used correctly. On the other hand if used in a destructive manner it could, hypothetically, turn our children and future leaders of tomorrow into deadly hate mongers. I believe that television does effect the way people think and behave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a survey given in 1978 at an unnamed college in Washington D.C., when asked if what was seen on T.V. effected the way they acted ,2% thought it did , 7% didn't know and ,91% didn't think it effected them at all(2). In 1993 a similar survey was given in London by the Broadcasting Standard Council( BSC ). When people were asked if they thought T.V. effected the way people behaved 41% said yes, 4% left without finishing the survey, and 55% said that they didn't think it effected the way people acted(14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As seen in the survey the problem of television violence is being made more aware to the people of the world. The problem has also grown over the years to a more serious dilemma making the government start to try and solve the problem by initiating laws in which television stations must limit violence on T.V.(6). It is still not enough though the problem must be taken care of promptly before it changes society as a whole. If the problem is not taken care of swiftly then it could effect the future of the world by having violence rampage the streets of our towns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past when television was first invented it was a much happier time. people could walk on our streets without having to care if they were going to make it home alive. I'm not trying to say that television is the reason that society today is so dangerously violent, but as violence on television evolved so did the violence on our streets. In the past there were not as many violent T.V. shows if there were even any. Also T.V. was more of a family recreation, most families could only afford one T.V. set so when children watched T.V. they were supervised by their family making violence almost an impossible thing to see if parents were not interested. Today, there are an average of three televisions per household so it is harder for parents to make

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Weapons of the Middle Ages :: History

Weapons of the Middle Ages Have you ever wondered what kinds of weapons were used in the middle ages? Or have you wondered how they used to slash and bash through the heavily armored knights while being attacked by flying arrows by the longbowman? Well here are the answers There were a wide variety of weapons in the middle ages, one of which was the club. The club was mainly used to crush bones or fracture them. It was made of a light wood with a metal tip on the end and usually had spikes on them to inflict more damage. The club is the first melee weapon ever made and started in the Stone Age to kill deer or wild boar. As ages went by the club became less effective. After about 1400 A.D. the club was very rare to find in battle. What was interesting about the club is that it could easily be changed into a short-handled ax. All they had to do was either cut or take off the tip of the club and attach a sharp blade. The reason they sometimes changed the club into a short-handled ax, was because it could be throw n easily and inflict some pain, where the club when thrown, it was hard to throw and it inflicted little pain and damage. Another very useful weapon was the spear. The spear was a skirmisher’s best friend. A skirmisher was a soldier that carried around a bag full of spears. To keep from giving too much weight, they made the spear for the skirmishers with very lightweight wood, and a small pointy spearhead. The skirmisher’s job was to take the spears and throw them at a long range. The difference between a bow and arrow and a spear was that the spear could easily be turned into a melee weapon. In fact, when a skirmisher had only one spear left, he took the spear, left the bag, and went melee style and went into the battle. The first spear was simply a sharpened rock tied onto a long stick, which was in the Stone Age, and wasn’t used for killing people; it was used to kill animals for food, usually. Probably the most common weapon, was the sword. All kinds of swords, the standard sword, which was just a regular sword, the dagger, or knife, yes it was a type of sword, mainly a backup sword used if a soldier’s weapon was dropped, and the great sword, which was a huge sword that can only be used in control if the soldier used two hands.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Security Manager †Working with and leading people

Task 1: Teamwork mini project The teamwork mini project demonstrates its main target to discuss the role play of a selection day at St Patrick’s College. The conduct of this role play is done by a team of three students. The job title introduced for this selection day is the post of a security manager.One of the most important responsibilities of a security manager is to monitor the security operations in the college environment. A security manager is usually responsible for maintaining and implementing of a wide range of security policies, rules and regulations. It is important to ensure that the college environment is safe for students, college staff and visitors. Another significant responsibility of a security manager is related to recruiting new security staff and delegating specific tasks. The security manager should be able to keep track of various events as well as create emergency response plans. It is also significant to conduct regular security evaluations. There are two main roles typical to a security manager: managerial role and administrative role. In terms of demonstrating his managerial role, a security manager is expected to supervise security team on issues related to sickness and absence. Other important aspects of the managerial role of a security manager include coordination of all contacts with the emergency service providers in case a serious incident occurs; contacting external contractors regarding fire system and access to security systems; and ensuring safety of the entire building at all times. In relation to the administrative role, a security manager should carry out and record daily security checks in an appropriate manner as well as manage staffing levels including rotas. Reports of daily activities and problems with equipment, property and theft issues have been identified. The duties and responsibilities of a security manager are provided below: Monitor security junior staff to patrol college premises and detect signs of intrusions and ensure security doors, windows and gates are secured; Answer alarm bells and assigns officers to investigate disturbances and also to present a list of potential problems; Ensure that the fire call points, intruder alarms, emergency lighting are tested weekly and results recorded; Ensure security alarms are set and working correctly as well as gas and electrical appliances are turned off at the end of the day; Monitor and authorise entrance and departure of students and staff, visitors and other persons to guard against theft and to maintain security of premises; Coordinate with the reception staff and provide support and cover as required; Coordinate with facility management on health and safety matters; Liaise with the borough security and supersee the transfer of any accused person to the custody of the local law enforcement personnel; Act as the main key holder for the college on all call outs and liaise with other emergency services In terms of person specification, the following aspects have been outlined: EssentialDesirable Education and qualificationHigh diploma level (HND); Bachelor’s degree in business management/ managing people; Bachelor’s degree in security management; Complete senior management security programme; Hold a recognised training certificateDegree in criminal justice/ public administration Experience and knowledgeCandidate must be 21 years and over; One year post degree; Work with security systems including CCTV and access control and producers to promote effective security operations for the protection of assets, people and data; Knowledge of CCTV codes of practice, data protection act, British standard 7499; Static guarding and mobile patrol; Experience of managing teams; Knowledge of fire safety and health and safe procedures in the workplace; Knowledge of the equality act and its relevance to the collegeWork with the police force, national guard, voluntary service; Work at an operational management level delivering security service ideally with stu dents and within a high large profile; 2 years in security force Task 3: Self-reflection Having taken part in the project at St Patrick’s College, related to a selection day, I have had an experience which has given me an exciting opportunity to experience an active process of building strong leadership skills. Teamwork usually involves various individuals and groups working together to optimise their efficiency and reach common goals, as in the case with the project performed in St Patrick’s College (Sohmen, 2013). The benefits of team working on this project are numerous. First, teamwork leads to improved morale because team members learn to take sufficient responsibility for their actions, which may result in a significant improvement of the entire project. It is important that individuals gain authority and ownership over the project (Reevy, Chamberlain and Stein2013). A second benefit of team working on the project relates to greater flexibility. This means that people have an opportunity to become more flexible as result of working together on a project. They may also solve certain problems in an efficient manner considering that they unite their efforts to achieve common objectives (Sohmen, 2013). Another benefit associated with teamwork is that of increased innovation. Every team member can share important insights into developing the project successfully. Innovation is linked with creativity, implying that team members can demonstrate solid creative skills when providing suggestions to the project (Pacios and de la Fuente, 2013). As indicated in research, teamwork contributes to increased levels of motivation, which in turn positively affects one’s creativity. My role as leader and member of the team has developed due to my active participation in the project. Conflicts and difficulties are an inevitable part of any project, including the one at St Patrick’s College, but I have been determined to solve any challenges. I have demonstrated the skills of listening to others and considering their point of view regarding important stages of the completion of the project (Reevy, Chamberlain and Stein, 2013). Research places importance on the development of empathic skills, which are important in the process of bringing a project to successful completion (Tiffan, 2014). My role as team leader in managing conflicts has mostly involved the adoption of preventative strategies focused on the idea of preventing or minimising conflicts. As a result, I have contributed to the development of ground rules for the project at its beginning, as research also considers the relevance of systematic preparation in projects (Tiffan, 2014). Moreover, I have succeeded in developing a team agreement on the precise way in which the group could resolve any problems that may appear. Another strategy is to present details on the critical resolution process in which every team member is assigned specific roles. My role as leader and member of the team also included a solid focus on reactive strategies. In other words, I have thoroughly considered my responsibility to enhance the resolution of conflicts pertaining to the project (Sohmen, 2013). For instance, I implemented a form of authoritarian approach by informing the group about the scope of the resolution. Such strategy was more formal in the sense of adhering to strict rules of project communication. As an example, I directly informed the group that the major goal of the project is to focus on recruitment strategies used in the selection of employees. This fostered a sense of enhanced teamwork based on the urgency to resolve any conflicts and difficulties as quickly as possible. However, I also included a process of flexible discussion while trying to find solutions to conflicts (Tiffan, 2014). As a whole, the effectiveness of the team in achieving the projects goals was adequate. The team members were skilled and motivated to bring the project to a successful end. In addition, the group ensured that they had complementary skills (Stupans, 2013). They were able to relate to one another in terms of technical proficiencies. The aspect of mutual accountability was present at all stages of the project. They were all responsible for the creation of a strong culture of responsibility. Each team member illustrated the presence of clearly defined roles and responsibilities (Tiffan, 2014). As part of the process of achieving the project’s goals, productivity of team members has been properly recognized and rewarded. In addition, the effectiveness of the team reflected the regular tracking of individual and group progress. In case the team members exhibited any signs of struggling with completing the project, the team has been always ready to provide support and guidance which previous research has found to be important (Sohmen, 2013). The team was able to create a positive pressure to achieve the initially projected goals. Such goals have emerged in an attempt to guide the important decisions made by team members. This shows that the team has maintained a focus on the project’s mission related to the selection of a professional to work at St Patrick’s College (Stupans, 2013). The aspect of collective responsibility has been dominant in guiding the team working while completing the project of St Patrick’s College. My role within the team especially during the selection process was quite flexible because I had an opportunity to explore various aspects of that particular process. What I have done well was to outline briefly the personal qualities required for the position of a security manager/supervisor (Adams, Cain and Giraud, 2012). I demonstrated a proper knowledge of the job role as well as presented specific skills in organising important job roles and responsibilities. Moreover, I illustrated adequate communication and teamwork skills that have contributed to the successful completion of the project. I was able to work with culturally diverse individuals and lead them accordingly (Sohmen, 2013). However, I could have done better in improving my knowledge of specific aspects of security policies, rules and regulations pertaining to the job position. I could have taken my time to explore each of these aspects in detail in order to provide a better understanding of the specificity of the profession, which could have helped me focus on selecting the right candidates (Adams et al., 2012). Although I believe I have good skills in assessing people’s potential in a particular field, I need to do more research on this topic to improve my own capacity of working with and leading culturally diverse individuals (Tiffan, 2014). I could have also improved my cultural awareness considering the highly diverse workforce of the educational institution. In conclusion, this task has been completed successfully because of the focus on teamwork at all stage of the process. Task 4: Discussion of the main financial statements of a company There are three key components involved in the financial statements of a company, which are a profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. All the key components are used as a whole, to provide a clear picture of the financial position and financial results of a company (Parker, 2009). A structure designed for each of the financial statements is considered the most important element, though the influential decision depends on the requirements of the user. The key point supporting the importance of the profit and loss statement is that it is one of the most important financial statements and users like to observe the financial statements of a company, since it has the capability to help users or businesses generate profit by examining the over financial report (Buffett and Clark, 2008). In addition, the information inserted in the profit/loss statement is mostly released in the applicable currency, so it can provide a reasonable level of accuracy. Though, profit/ loss does not show the amount of assets and liabilities required by a company to generate a profit (Parker, 2009). Moreover, its financial results are not necessarily associated with the total cash flows generated by a company. The accuracy of this statement can be suspected when the cash basic of the accounting method is used. It is important to focus on ensuring accuracy as part of the broad purpose of accounting. Thus, the profit/loss statement, when utilised, can be fairly misleading. Balance sheet is expected to be positioned at a second place by many users, since it does not provide the financial results of business operations, and some of the information provided in it may be based on past business costs (Kalsyte and Verikas, 2013). This makes the balance sheet report less instructive or informative. However, the balance sheet is considered to have importance when compared with the profit/loss statement, since this sheet provides the amount of investment requirement to maintain the sales and profits shown on the profit/loss statement (Buffett and Clark, 2008). The third most important component of financial statement is cash flow, because it mainly focuses on recording cash inflows and outflows (Parker, 2009). This financial report provides a clearer analysis of a company’s cash flows than the profit/loss statement, which can sometimes present unbiased results, particularly when accruals are authorised under the growth basis of accounting (Palea, 2014). It is essential to understand the concept of the balance sheet, as it provides a company’s financial situation at any period of time, while a profit/loss statement provides a company’s overall financial performance within a set period of time. The profit/loss statement normally shows a company’s financial performance over a period, such as being released every year or after six months (Parker, 2009). On the other hand, the balance sheet gives a snap shot of the financial position accurately at the year-end or month-end. Finance managers rely on the balance sheet statements to examine whether purchasing certain equipment on debt is the right choice for a company at that time (Palea, 2014). The balance sheet also provides the owner’s equity; for instance, it indicates the total value of the inventory and the number of a company’s shares identified as outstanding. The profit/loss statement is one of the most important documents because it plays a significant role in a company’s decision making process. The profit/loss statement is an end result of the financial information that is provided in the journals and ledgers, and then changed into brief, summarised, compiled revenue and expense structures (Bao, Li, Wu, Zhu et al., 2014). This statement shows the overall revenues and expenses of a company for a set period of time. Senior managers and shareholders can find prosperity of valuable information on the profit/loss statement including the company’s overall sales, profits, retained earnings, net profits, and operating earnings. From this information, finance experts can determine and distinguish vital information about a company’s performance. Profit/loss statements usually give information for more than one period, for example two successive years (Buffett and Clark, 2008). It is simple to compare the financial results fr om one period to the next and conclude trends in earnings and expenditures. Whereas, cash flow statement is considered to be the most crucial element for any enterprise’s financial performance. It calculates the amount of capital that enters into a company and out of it over a specified time period. In this way, an enterprise is able to analyse and control how much capital it has in inflow to pay expenses and purchase assets. There is a difference existing in the structure of financial statements (profit/loss statement and balance sheet) for different types of business, such as sole trader, partnership and private/public limited company. Each company has different financial and economical positions so they use different financial statements with different structures that satisfy their financial positions (Bao et al., 2014). The financial statements gather the financial information from the sales and services provided and include the net taxable profit or loss for each month. Different types of business use different structures. For a sole proprietor, the financial statement is easy and simple because the financial report is just provided for the proprietor of the company. This means that it does not have to provide any balance sheet and profit/loss statement (Parker, 2009). The report just needs to provide or to show profit and loss financial information, whereas a private limited and public limited comp any, which has to organise its’ report based on accounting standards. There are two types mostly used by companies: international financial reporting standard (IFRS) and generally accepted accounting principle (GAAP). If financial statements are not structured based on standards it is complicated to evaluate and compare performance with that of other companies. For a partnership, the financial structure is focused on providing the profit/dividend and total contribution by partners in the investment capital of a company (Ronen, 2006). The objective of the financial statement is revealed in the balance sheet, profit/loss, cash flow and loss statement. When creating financial statements, the profit/loss statement would typically be structured first because the net profit or loss becomes a part of the statement in the balance sheet, or in a partners’ capital. Moreover, the end of a partner’s capital statement becomes a part of the balance sheet (Parker, 2009). The financial statement is focused on examining the total capital and profits of a company that are distributed inside its structure. For a public and private limited company, the financial statement must provide the following components: current assets, non-current assets, current liabilities, total sales, total profits, payable, dividends, and share prices (Ronen, 2006). References Adams, B. L., Cain, H. R. and Giraud, V. (2012). ‘Leadership, Motivation, and Teamwork Behaviors of Principal Investigator’s in Interdisciplinary Teams: A Synthesis of Research’. Journal of Leadership Education, vol. 11(2), pp. 176-191.Bao, C., Li, J., Wu, D., Zhu, X., Liang, C. and Liu, C. (2014). ‘Optimization of Integrated Risk in Commercial Banking Based on Financial Statements’. Procedia Computer Science, vol. 31, pp. 501-510.Buffett, M. and Clark, D. (2008). Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements: The Search for the Company with a Durable Competitive Advantage. New York: Scribner. Kalsyte, Z. And Verikas, A. (2013). ‘A Novel Approach to Exploring Company’s Financial Soundness: Investor’s Perspective’. Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 40(13), pp. 5085-5092. Pacios, A. R. and de la Fuente, G. (2013). ‘Teamwork and Leadership in a Virtual Learning Environment’. RUSC: Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento, vol. 10(2), pp. 358-374. Palea, V. (2014). ‘Are IFRS Value-Relevant for Separate Financial StatementsEvidence from the Italian Stock Market’. Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, vol. 23(1), pp. 1-17. Parker, R. H. (2009). Understanding Company Financial Statements. New York: Penguin Books. Reevy, G. M., Chamberlain, C. J. and Stein, J. (2013). ‘Identifying Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership Practices on Campus’. Currents in Teaching & Learning, vol. 6(1), pp. 4-17. Ronen, J. (2006). ‘A Proposed Corporate Governance Reform: Financial Statements Insurance’. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, vol. 23, pp. 130-146. Sohmen, V. S. (2013). ‘Leadership and Teamwork: Two Sides of the Same Coin’. Journal of Information Technology & Economic Development, vol. 4(2), pp. 1-18. Stupans, I. (2013). ‘Development of Contemporary Leadership Capacity through Teamwork in an Online Environment: A Pilot Study’. International Journal of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, vol. 25(2), pp. 262-268. Tiffan, B. (2014). ‘The Art of Team Leadership’. Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, vol. 15, pp. 799-801.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Annual Sports Day Essay

The 16th Dec is the founation day of my school and besides other annual co-curricular events like the magic show, fun fair, annual sports day is the event that students wait for anxiously . This event develops competitiveness, sports man spirit and team work among the students. They are full of joy on this day. As usual an interesting programme was chalked out for the day and printed copies were distributed to the students. The parents were also invited alongwith other digniteries and the chief guest. All the participants of different events were short listed and encouraged to get practice before the event. The physical training instructor was the incharge of the whole show and a full dress rehearsal was carried out a day before to give the final touches to the preparations. A DJ was specially hired to add some musical flavour to the event. An ex-student of the school hosted the event and added excitement to the occasion by her fluent, graceful and spontaneous commentary of the proceedings. The show began exactly at 10 AM after the chief guest has arrived at he stage with big round of applause. Parents had already seated in a separate pavillion and looked excited to see their children partcipating in the sports. At the beginning a boy of 9th class recited few verses of the Holy Quraan which was folowed by Naat to pay homage to the Holy Prophet (PBUH). First of all the atheletes, taking part in diferent events staged a march-past and assembled in front of the main pavillion. A student of 9th class stepped forward and requested the chief guest to formally declare the sports day open with a loud beat of drum and music. To start with, different races were staged among students of junior sectionwhich included the banana race, cycle race, baloon race, and back-ball race. It was great fun watching little kids making funny moves. A wonderful display of physical exercise was exhibited by all the students of school. A photographer was busy in capturing the events. Then it was the  turn of lthe senior section to show their talent in the races like the spoon race, sack race, the three-legged race, the dress-up race, 100 meter race and the 4X100 meter relay race. The famous tug of war won by the 9th class boys who displayed their sheer power and team work to win the contest. Students, teachers and parents shouted and cheered to encourage participants while the DJ added more drama with his musical flashes. The host kept the audience interested and informed by her articulate and fluent commentary. After races children, clad in the karate uniforms, came running in with their hands of their hips to exhibit their skills i the martial arts and self defence. It was followed by a brave display of smashing tiles with their fists and foreheads. Our PTI himself performed a dangerous stunt by breaking a stack of burning tiles with his hand on fire. Every one was dumb founded to see this and gave him a big applause. The girls of senior section performed aerobic exercise with musical rhythm in a graceful style. After that, a boy from 10th class sang a popular song of the famous Junoon band while a grils also sang a sufi folk song and got cheered and applauded by all the audiences. Pre-nursary kids presented and fancy dress show and exhibited as a king & queen, an angel, a soldier, a supreman and few more characters which looked so innocent and cute. At the end the host requested the chief guest to give away prizes to the winners of the different events. To conclude the show the chief guest delivered a brief speech which was followed by ex-principals address who shared her views and experiences and also announced donation for the teaching staff. In the closing speech, the principal thanked all the guests and parents for their valued presence and lauded the students spirit of competition and participation specially to the students who volunteered alongwith teachers in making the whole event a great success.

Standard 1a Knowing and Understanding Young Children’s Characteristics and Needs

Course ECD 202 Children with Special Needs Standard 1a Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs Summary: Experts do know that ADHD has a strong genetic component. In addition, they think that genes that control the levels of certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters seem to be different in those with ADHD. If your child has ADHD, you've likely run into people who doubt that ADHD is real, tell you that all your child really needs is a firmer hand, and, whether they mean to or not, question your skills as a parent.If it's coming from someone you're not that close to and it's really not their business, you have some options. You could thank them for their concern and change the topic, for instance. But if it's someone you're close to, you might choose to have a more in-depth conversation to debunk†¦ In some cases, though, there is no genetic link to ADHD, but other common behaviors, such as smoking or drinking during pregnancy, as we ll as other obstetrical complications have been linked to ADHD in children.Babies with low birth weight may have an increased risk of ADHD. The same is true for children who have had head injuries, particularly an injury to the frontal lobe. Young children who are exposed to lead or other environmental toxins such as PCBs or pesticides early in life may also have a higher risk of ADHD. ADHD always begins in childhood. For some people, though, ADHD is not diagnosed until adulthood. That means adults who are newly diagnosed have actually had ADHD for years, and have had to endure symptoms as they've matured.In addition, research shows that between 30% and 70% of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms of the disorder when they become adults. ADHD tends to run in families. Studies have shown certain genetic characteristics that occur with high frequency in families where one or more family member has ADHD. Also, if one or both parents have ADHD, their children are more likely to d evelop the condition. And at least one-third of all fathers or mothers who had ADHD in their youth have children with ADHD.Studies show that children with ADHD tend to have abnormal functioning, or dysregulation, of certain brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. There also tends to be abnormal functioning in the nerve pathways that regulate behavior. In addition, children with ADHD may have certain parts of the brain that are smaller or less active than they are in children who don't have ADHD. Recent studies show that the brain chemical, dopamine, may play a role in ADHD. Dopamine is an important chemical that carries signals between nerves in the brain.It is linked to many functions, including movement, sleep, mood, attention, and learning. Rational: Promoting child development and learning the standard is 1a this paper is on knowing and understanding young characteristics and needs. While doing this research paper it ties into key element 1a because it explains how the child develops and society to understand children as their individual needs Reflection: What I learned from doing this research paper is that there are a lot of children with this disability.And we have to observe children from birth on to notice things that are not normal and try to catch it early to be able to get treatment for the child in need. I will incorporate this into my professional career by paying attention to every child and not ignoring anything out the norm. And being able to be educated enough to be able to help the child get the proper help needed.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Can negotiations occur without trust

Can negotiations occur without trust BY Richer The nature of negotiation and its process constitutes a number of various factors that leads to an effective or ineffective process and outcome. One of the primary purposes of a negotiation is to come an agreement with another party by exchanging offers and to find solutions to a common issue, â€Å"whenever we cannot achieve our objectives single-heartedly' (Thompson, 2009).Some believe that in order to conduct a negotiation, trust is an utmost important factor as negotiators depend on the information provided by the other party, on the outcomes to which the parties omit throughout the negotiation process, and on the other party to deliver the commitments (Licked, Poplin, 2013). This essay aims to discuss whether trust is a precondition for negotiation. As such, it will attempt to reach to a deeper understanding of trust in a negotiation, before understanding how it may influence the outcome, and whether a negotiation may take place be tween us and the people whom we do not trust.Examples of trust and distrust within negotiations are given, before the essay will conclude with reasons why it is impossible to successfully negotiate with people whom we do not trust. Trust is commonly defined as a confident and positive expectation of the actions of another party (Lessons, Smith, 2012). Trusting gives us the assumption that the other party would meet the expectation by considering our welfare and honoring their commitment towards the agreement.Trust in negotiations, like in any other independent relationships, is characterized by dependency and vulnerability to the other party. Trust in this case, according to Lessons, implies to the positive expectation to sought common solutions to create value, integrate interests, and find mutually beneficial solutions (Lessons, Smith, 2012). This brings us to the characteristic of an integrative negotiation, which seeks to create value and achieving joint gains. In such cases, ne gotiators are in dependence to each or one another for the sharing or exchange of information.According to Licked and Poplin, even though a negotiator may have a certain level of doubt in the other party, he or she still has to have at least a bit of trust, otherwise, it may be impossible to accept anything the other party says at face value or reach a viable agreement (Licked, Poplin, 2013). As a result, being constantly afraid and doubtful with what is being shared would not low us to take a step further. This is further aggravated by the fact that negotiators may not be able to verify the received information.Here, trust is more about acceptance rather than further scrutiny and serves as stepping-stones to have an exchange of information during the negotiation process. Without trust, we are not able to move on further to create solutions and agreements based on the information received. As such, the negotiation is impossible to proceed further due to an absence of trust. In a neg otiation, many parties tend to focus on positions, not interests. The relevance f how interests could halt a negotiation seems to interlink with the problem of having trust.If we do not trust the other party, we lack an openness to share our objectives and understand their interests in the negotiation. In an example of the story shared by (Fisher, Our, 2006), two men were in conflict in a library as one wanted the window open and the other wanted it closed. Both could not come to an agreement on how much to leave the window open. When a third party, the librarian asked why both mean wanted it closed or open, one shared that he wanted to get fresh air, but the other wanted to avoid the draft (Fisher, Our, 2006).Here, we can see how both men focused on the position, the â€Å"what†, and not each other's interests, the â€Å"why'. As such, we can see that without understanding each other's interest, both men came into conflict and could not negotiate on a solution. As a result, it then becomes virtually impossible to really identify or appreciate the problem that actually needs to be addressed (Fisher, Our, 2006). To build on this, trust is extremely important as it serves as a foundation for understanding each other's interest before working on the solutions or agreements.Without trust, both parties will not seek to understand each other, and end up being fixated on their positions due to their own interests. This prevents both parties to successfully negotiate on the issue. In order to negotiate, trust is important in order to avoid retaliation due to a conflict of views and ideas. Without trust, every solution and idea will be met with suspicion and skepticism. This lack of trust not only inhibits cooperation and successful negotiation, it may also result in retaliation that causes the escalation of conflict (Coleman, et al. 2000). In addition, according to (Kramer, 1994), this may even result n paranoid cognitions in which one may feel that he or she is subject to the other party malevolence. These perceptions may then drive him or her to the point of hyper vigilance and rumination, resulting in a faulty diagnosis of the result of working with the other party (Licked, 2006). As such, conflicts would then arise, as the negotiator would increasingly focus on his or her position, and end up reluctant to come into agreement.The negotiation will then come to an impasse as both sides end up using their negative perceptions to retaliate each other, causing the conflict to escalate beyond control. As explained above, trust seems to be indispensable in order to negotiate. However, according to a writer Bonnie Change, claiming trust is necessary for all negotiation seem to be an overstatement as the significance of trust is culture and context specific (Change, 2009). In her example of how two people may conduct a negotiation without trust, she gave a scenario of negotiation with hostage- takers.A negotiator and a hostage-taker do not kno w each other and thus, will not have any trust between them. However, both of them may still engage in a negotiation to lay down the benefits of letting the hostage go. The negotiator's main objective is to talk the hostage-taker into revealing information about him or herself, and find out what kind of concessions to make for the release of the hostage. The hostage-taker's main objective is to use the hostage to obtain what he or she needs, including the escape from the crime.The succession of the negotiation in such cases are a result of the weight of the gains and losses, depending on which side has more power to influence the outcome. For example, if the hostage were to be a high profile person, the hostage-taker would have more power to negotiate through to his or her wants. Therefore, through this example, negotiations may occur even though both parties do not trust each other. According to (Choc, 2013), should there be no trust between two parties, relying on formal legal mec hanisms such as preparing contracts are constructive ways to proceed with a negotiation.These formalized documents remind people of what they had agreed upon and serves as documentation, minimizing miscommunication that may occur if a deal is made based on fertilization. Creation of such agreements usually requires elaborate consequences and penalties for violating the terms of agreement (Licked, Poplin, 2013). These consequences of violation commonly includes penalties such as monetary compensations and mechanisms such as law and the police force will be brought in to become part of the system of enforcement, should any agreements be violated.With a contract to force people to keep to a certain agreement, trust is not required in order for a negotiation to occur. We meet new people everyday, and sometimes, negotiations may occur whether or not we know the person. Of course, trust is not immediately established. Rather, like impressions, our Judgments of trustworthiness can occur ra pidly at the start of a stagnation. This trustworthiness may result from what the negotiator has learned about the other party's reputation. For example, if I wanted to buy something for a shop owner for the first time, I will naturally exhibit skepticism in the shop owner and the quality of the goods.However, if I see a crowd at the shop with people snapping up the items, naturally, I would have the trust in the shop owner that the goods sold would be good. Here, we can see how the reputation of a person may easily create trust in us, towards the other party, even if we were to be meeting for the first time. In addition, many negotiations seek trust as the objective and continue to build trust throughout the negotiation process. In the example of the negotiation with a hostage taker, the negotiator and hostage-taker may have not trust between each other at the very start.However, along the way, trust is built when both sides seek to understand the concessions that they can make, in order to gain what they want. While these initial impressions may also change as a negotiation unfolds, they create a powerful frame for interpreting the other party behavior and also provide a heuristic for duding negotiators' strategy choices (Lessons, Smith, 2012). As such, trust is important to keep a negotiation process going, and it is definitely an important factor to determine the relationship and outcome of the negotiation with the other party.As such, we cannot negotiate with people whom we do not trust. Earlier, contract binding was mentioned as a way where negotiation may occur even if there is no trust between two parties. Here, it is true that the two parties may have no personal trust in each other. However, according to Shapiro, even if there may be o personal trust, an institutional trust, also known as trust in a system, is what is present, leading to the creation of contract making (Shapiro et al. , 1992). With a trust in the legal enforcement system, it also cre ates a deterrence-based trust in order for a negotiation to proceed.Shapiro further added that this is a basic and ‘minimal condition' of trust in all negotiations (Shapiro et al. , 1992). This depends on the consistency in behavior and the threat of punishment if they do not maintain their promises to a certain commitment, and violate the documented agreements. In edition, it also depends on the gains for adhering to the agreements, such as rewards. Thus, the mentioned forms of trust will still be present even if we may have no personal trust.According to (Licked, 2000), even the most complex and sophisticated formal contract cannot stipulate every detail or possible contingency about the deal. Therefore, having personal trust in the other party is still critical. Without personal trust, a negotiation would not occur. This essay aims to discuss whether it is possible to negotiate with people whom we do not trust. Trust in this case, refers to having a positive expectation of the other arty and allowing ourselves to be dependent and vulnerable to the other party.There may seem to be cases where we may not have personal trust in a person and yet will still be able to negotiate. However, as mentioned in the essay, it may seem that trust is not present, but we may have a different form of trust, an institutionalized trust and most definitely, a deterrence based trust to ensure that we do not fall victim to breaches in agreements. The essay may show that it requires trust to form only cooperative agreements. However, likewise in competitive negotiations, it can still occur as deterrence based trust will be present to ensure hat agreements are not breached.As mentioned in the essay, without trust, we will only focus on our own objectives and interests and thus, will not allow the other party to gain anything. As a result, the negotiation will only come to an impasse if agreements cannot be made. In addition, without trust, we will be suspicious and skeptical of the information that is shared with us. This causes us to develop paranoid conditions and result in a conflict instead of being able to negotiate. To conclude, it is certainly critical to have some form of trust in a negotiation. However, it s also good to have relative trust, rather than an absolute trust.Having a fair share of distrust will definitely help us draw caution to what concessions we make. Ultimately, we cannot negotiate with people we do not trust at all. Trust will enable both parties to reach a solution that is needed or accepted by both sides, when we are not able to achieve them on our own.