Social origins of evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social origins of evil - Essay Example Without showing what environments will inevitably lead to evil acts, however, the experiments retained very little external validity, outside of showing that given the right set of powers and responsibilities, â€Å"normal† human beings will commit evil acts. In trying to determine the nature and origins of evil acts, sociologists try to explain and determine the social prerequisites for evil acts, rather than trying to utilize the individual characteristics (with its environmental interaction) in its explanation. Based on research in sociology, the most explanatorily useful theory of the origin of evil acts is tied to the theory of bureaucracy, along with concepts like â€Å"authorization† and â€Å"McDonaldization†. Together, these observations into contemporary Western life may help explain the social origins of evil for the past half-century. Ritzer (2007) introduces Max Weber’s theory of rationality as a primer to his talk on bureaucracy and the conce pt of McDonaldization. To Weber, rationality meant â€Å"that the search by people for the optimum means to a given end is shaped by rules, regulations, and larger social structures† (p. 23). The rise of institutions, and institutional power, represented the crux of formal rationality and, as it continues today, bureaucracy is designed to have many advantages over other mechanisms of power. For Weber at least, bureaucracy is the most efficient structure for handling a vast number of tasks. Additionally, bureaucracy relies on the quantification of facts as much as possible to inject objectivity into issues of process and, for that reason, bureaucracies and bureaucratic policies are highly predictable due to the rigidity of the procedures they put into place. Because of all these facts, bureaucracies by definition remove as much power as possible for individuals and place that power within the hands of the organization, such that individuals are not left to make subjective deci sions. In this way, individuals are removed from the actual moral consequences of their decision-making. This fact is significant when looking at the role of bureaucracies in the origins of evil. Ritzer goes on to define a number of dimensions of McDonaldization. â€Å"McDonaldization† is Ritzer’s neologism for the formalization of structures and procedures in modern life. More specifically, a number of advantages to society define McDonaldization: efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, which coincide with the advantages that Weber defined as belonging to bureaucracy. Efficiency, for Ritzer, is the optimum method for achieving a goal. McDonald’s cuts the number of steps in a process of food production down to an optimum point, such that its customers enjoy the convenience of its products and the price at which they are provided. McDonald’s offers calculability, or the emphasis on the quantitative aspects of products and services provided to customers (Ritzer, 2007, p. 12). Because sizes are universal between McDonald’s locations, customers who have a favorite meal at one location can travel to any other location, order the same meal, and be guaranteed that the meal will be roughly the same size. McDonald’s offers predictability: a set of policies and procedures that all of its restaurants follow closely. Lastly, McDonald’s removes the power from individuals by transferring control to nonhuman technology. Like on the Ford assembly line, individual

Coca Cola Essay Example for Free

Coca Cola Essay Organizations need to change and adopt dynamic survival strategies to stay alive in uncertain political, social and economic environment (Hiatt and Creasy, 2003). All environmental factors present in the nature experience change on continuous basis. Human nature resists change, so managing that resistance requires well planned change management strategies. A structured approach to transfer organization, its people and processes from current state to a desired future state is called change management. This process gives employees the ability to accept changes in the existing environment of the business. Change can be of different type for example, change in technology, operations or strategies etc. company needs to implement individual strategies to cope with each type of change. Coca Cola Corporation is among one of the oldest corporations of the world. It has gone through many internal and external changes since it has been in existence. The company has used techniques of change management in order to survive from the consequences of those events. Coca Cola is a type of company that requires making changes in its products and business strategies according to the consumer expectations and external environment. Here in this study we would quote different examples from coca cola corporation’s history and will examine that what were the triggering events for opting the change and what strategies the company developed and implemented in order to successfully going through the transitioning process. Coca Cola is a type of company that requires making changes in its products and business strategies according to the consumer expectations and external environment. Here in this study we would quote different examples from coca cola corporation’s history and will examine that what were the triggering events for opting the change and what strategies the company developed and implemented in order to successfully going through the transitioning process. It is a well known fact that Coca Cola Corporation is an entrepreneurial venture started by one person who bought the formula from another firm and laid foundations of that beverages manufacturing firm. Current structure of the coca cola company is simple with minimal labor and management division. New system that can be adopted by the company may be the â€Å"machine bureaucracy† which has been defined as an organization with clearly defined hierarchy, well defined area of operations, standard operating procedures, proper rules and regulations, well division of labor, formal relationships among the member of organization, centralized decision making, technical competence and standardization of work. The company has faced a lot of external changes, for example in world war II, the company was able to manage its existing position at that time and also entered in many new markets and discovered new niches. The company established 64 plants across the world to supply drinks to the troops (Coca Cola Company, 2006-2011). The company also provided free drinks to soldiers which were the part of its strategy to become a patriotic symbol for the people of the country. Also it boosted the sales, so the company achieved two objectives by carefully planning to respond to that external environmental change. The plants developed by the company in war era helped its expansion after the war. The recent change management at coca cola is directed towards the intrinsic values and motivations of the employees and can be referred to as ‘employee engagement’. The change management process, together with internal branding programs is expected to bring about ideal behaviors in employees, which would align the operations of coca cola worldwide, and bring about efficiency throughout coca cola across all its business segments. Coca Cola Company can use two change management tools to make sure that all people who are required to be the part of change management process. These tools are Force Field analysis and AKADAR model. Force field analysis is a technique developed by Kurt Lewin to scrutinize the forces that are causing an opposition to change process (Bass, 2009). By doing Force Field Analysis, Coca Cola Company will be able to induct people who are in need of appropriate training. Another useful tool is AKADAR model which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. Through AKDAR model, firm creates awareness about the need of change, generate desire in the people to help in transitioning process, give knowledge to the people that how they can help the change process, develop an ability in the people to go through the change and provide them with continuous reinforcement to withstand the change (CMLR, 2011). Coca cola hopes to bring about a thoroughly integrated system of communications, and focus on creating brand relationships with their employees. This would enhance the operations of Coca cola, as an integrated approach would mean all employees believe in engaging fully in the values, and this would become an inherent part of the employees at a personal level. For this purpose, employee engagement surveys are conducted twice every year for all the coca cola associates, which serve to highlight the areas where action is required, and further actions and implementations can henceforth be executed. Employee engagement is very significant to all segments of operations at coca-cola and has translated into performance in areas where employee engagement is higher. For coca-cola, an engaged workforce means: A more committed workforce Employee performance aligned with organizational objectives Employees have a clear idea of what is expected of them and what are the deliverables Customer experience focuses an inherent part of employees’ values, who strives to provide a better experience to the customers. Customer focus was identified as a central tenant of the multi-year engagement strategy to be implemented in 2011(Gee, 2011) Change in inevitable. Therefore, the focus should not be on avoiding change, rather bringing about a smooth transition towards the new change by communication about the change, and ensuring all parties of the change that it is for the best of all those involved. To successfully implement organizational change of any nature, a specific regards to organizational structure, design, culture, management and leadership is required to see whether the change would make a best fit with the organizational goals and objectives. To conclude, it may be said that communication can be a key element to successful change management. Communicate the changes to the employees, tell them why the change was inevitable and how they will benefit from the change. The management should itself adopt a positive attitude towards the change so that employees can follow their lead and welcome the change. Coca-cola as a company has a heritage of embracing change rather than resist it and it should translate into their future endeavors towards change management to ensure that the organization is best poised to market and environmental conditions.

The Performance Appraisal Systems Performance

The Performance Appraisal Systems Performance The research explores the effect of performance appraisal on performance of employees and in turn on companies as well. The purpose considers the operation of Shell in UK and Pakistan to enhance its employee performance. Furthermore, the academic requirement, the research aim and question are specified in literature available on performance appraisal system. Also with the supporting of related theory available by book s, journals, articles and surveys, the critical review of literature is made in all the aspects of topic and concept of performance appraisal system and its relationship to drive performance. The self administered questionnaire is distributed among the selected sample, like Shell UK and Shell Pakistan staff members, also a telephonic interview from the top mangers helped in collection of the required data. Than data is analyzed through different ways of comparison and contrasts. Finally the general recommendation of research findings is made on the current performance appraisal system and main driver of employee performance which company and employee wants. The study seeks to examine Analyze performance appraisal system and its impact on employees performance working in different working environments a case study of Royal Dutch Shell retail specific to operation in UK and PAKISTAN. In the 1980s Western world observed the achievement of Japanese organizations. The main factor identified for this success was the recognition and proper utilization of their work force. This has subjective the key practitioners and writers of western countries and they also start considering the significance of proper management of their work force, they name this management, Human Resource Management or HRM. Most the organization is no longer rely on the fixed resource of capital and technology to achieve competitive advantage in fast changing and highly competitive environment(sparrow et ,1994).its mainly on the hiring and skilled retention, devoted and motivated employees that will give an organization a competitive edge. To improve the effectiveness of their employees organization are more focusing on the management of their human resources. According to Boxall and Purcell (2003) when the human resource practices are aligned to an organization business strategy it become more effective. Furthermore, McCourt and Eldridge (2003) propose the integration of individual human resource practices so that they balance each other.Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) and Collins and Porras (2004) highlight organizations which have successfully aligned their human resource practices with business strategy. Unfortunately, for many organizations the effective human resources management is still problematic. Therefore Bratton and Gold (1999), state that performance appraisal (pa) in organization is a continuous and problematic process which is not liked by both mangers and employees. According to Latham and Wexley (1994) performance appraisal is like a seatbelt which still necessary, is unpopular. Lawler et (1995) suggest that since it is noticed that performance appraisal fulfilled the needs of organization and the individual, which are different, performance appraisal will always be characterised by differences in purpose, miscommunications and ineffectiveness. Fletcher (2004) states that many organization move away with the effective performance appraisal. The term performance appraisal will be used in this study to consign to the appraisal practice. Different organization called this on different names such as performance evaluation, performance review, performance rating ,employee evaluation and employee appraisal (ivancevich ,1995).after finding that employee performance can affect largely on productivity of organization ,they continue to endeavour to find out the most effective way of managing its human resources. Performance appraisal is human resource practice used by organization for the development of their employee to best output potential and overall enhancement of an organizations performance and efficiency. Shell is known for exploring and producing oil and natural gas products and also famous for retail stations. Shell transport and trade oil and gas product for heavy industrial uses includes fuel and lubricant for ships and planes. Many other activities includes wind power, electricity production, and making solar panels, producing petrochemicals which are used for coatings,plastics and detergents, and build up new technology for hydrogen vehicles .More importantly, approximately 3% of the worlds oil and approximately 3.5% of the worlds gas is produced by Shell companies, similar to other major private oil and gas companies (Shell, 2005). Using royal Dutch shell plc for research study is because it is international group of energy and petrochemicals companies, operating in more than 145 countries and employing approximately 119,000 people (shell, 2005). They are one of the biggest in the oil sector is known to be listed in the top 50 companies on number one in the world. (Fortune ,Global 500 ,2009).This research is going to look at the concept of HRM, draw up a unified work to examine its role on profitability and growth of businesses, and finally, investigate the current business context with regards to performance appraisal system of Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Literature review 2.1 Performance appraisal Performance appraisal is one of the important practices of human resource management started early in 1813 in United states of America ,(Bellows and Estep 1954m cited in wise and Buckley ,1998)so there is increasing interest in and uses of performance appraisal system in the last three decades stated by Murphy and Cleveland ,(1995).therefore extensive literature available on this subject. in spite of this success ,many organization still struggling to make and implement effective performance appraisal system. all the thought given to process ,many of flaws still willful (wise and Buckley ,1998).performance management is a bigger picture in which performance appraisal is located (piggot ,Irvine ,2003),performance management focuses on providing a framework for guiding employee performance towards achieving organizational goals(Torrington et ,2002)performance management is therefore anxious with improving the performance of teams and individual to ensuring the optimal environment is av ailable for their employees to enhance their performance (Armstrong ,2003). Wilson and westrn, (2003), and Cattell, (1999) argued that performance appraisal is looked in the broader term and that its begin in management by objectives, performance management is a continues repeated process of decisive performance expectation, supporting performance, appraising performance and, managing performance standards (Analoui and Fell, 2002). Performance appraisal generally means the annual interview between the manger and employee to discuss the individuals job performance during the previous 12 months the result of action plans to encourage enhanced performance (Wilson and western, 2001). Armstrong and Barron (2003) stated that it is easier to achieve the desired goals and objectives when the manger and subordinates clearly know what is expected of them. According to Fletcher (2004), performance appraisal provides a prospect for a manger and for subordinates to discuss the previous performance work on agreed objectives and standards to reach an agreement on how the appraise can enhance job performance. Performance appraisal is spread in organization since 1960s for employee evaluation, for organization planning purposes, and it is becoming the important element for maximizing the effectiveness of all part of the organization ,from management staffing and development to production and customer services (Creamer and jonosik, 2000).it was used before in this century by larger organization mostly for the administrative purposes (peter and Liang ,2007). 2.2 Why performance appraisal? Performance appraisal is one of the important among the HRM practices ,many organization is able to measure the development of their employee posture and behavior through the use of appraisal system.teh information which is get by this approach is used for the changing in the selection and training practices to chose and develop employees with the require behavior and attitude. The effectiveness of skilled employee is not in favor unless they are properly motivated to perfume their job (Singh K, 2004). Wan et al (2002) explored that there is encouraging relationship between performance appraisal and employee performance or organizational performance. The basic object of performance appraisal is how productive and employee is and verify the way in which employee productivity can be improved. 2.2 .1 Benefits of performance appraisal to employee Generally, performance appraisals serve an important purpose in the management of workforce and in achieving the organization objective. From employee perspective, performance appraisal give direction to employee that what exactly their way of required to do the job, also to motivate them to achieve their target and help them to improve their work performance. According to Brown and Heywood, (2005) performance appraisal is formalized way of monitoring the work force and it is proposed to be a management tool to enhance the performance and productivity of worker. Performance appraisal also improves the commitment of employee (Brown and Benson.2003).The Organization needs an appraisal system in order to put their managers in charge of relation to the performance of organization because when employees are given their job responsibilities and duties, then they are liable for these responsibilities. Also Fletcher (2004) suggested that performance appraisal provide a platform for employees to look forward their tough goals and objectives, which leads them in successful completion of their job. The positive feedback receive from the mangers in appraisal interview will motivate employees in improving their performance likely. Martin and Jackson, (2000) appraisal is also a method of enhancing employee training and development as it provide information about the strength and weaknesses in performance, which create a debate how to improve the performance of employee. In the end it helps the employees to understand their overall contribution in achieving organization goals (Martin and Jackson, 2000). 2.2 .2 Benefits of Performance apprisal to organization In most of the organization performance appraisal are used to take meaningful decision regarding salary increases, promotion and transfer. Performance appraisal is also the known to be best for the training and consultation of individual employees by their superiors to improve job performance (Wan D et al 2002, Sels L 2003: Singh K, 2004).the performance related pay processes can also be used in integration with appraisal system. There are many ways by which organization will enhance the performance of their employees. They use performance based compensation to give rewards on successful completion on specific organization goals and objectives. Further research has given evidence that compensation to employees help in improving their performance (Gomez -Mejia wellbourn,1988 ., Milkovich Boudreau 1998). Another system is the bonus system which can also be used for motivating employee to work towards their achievement of the company (Pfeffer 1994).Empirical studies done and found tha t there is positive relationship between performance-related pay and overall company performance. 2.3 Problem with performance Appraisal Deming (2000) stated that performance appraisal is considered to be one of the seven deadly diseases of management practice. He argued that rating employee on individual based was not a suitable way of measuring performance since the working environment is controlled by manager contributes to and affects the way of employee performance. Many problems arise during performance appraisals, some arise from manger side and some from employee, and also some arise from other factors. 2.3 .1 Employee and mangers perception about PA Mostly employees dislike performance appraisal interview for the fear of uncertainty in handling the questions, fear of criticism, concern about promotion, and also fear because their future job with organization mainly depends upon the outcome of these interviews. Employees see these interviews as validation for those decisions which are already made concerning salaries, promotion and job tenures. Poorly conducted performance appraisal system can more damage the organization environment. In organization many managers also dislike performance appraisal interviews; its difficult for them to explain employees about their poor performance they find it unpleasant and awkward. Some managers fear that performance appraisal gives employees self satisfaction and result in lower of performance. Due to these reasons, they not give any positive information to employees. Another reasons to give regular scheduled for taking appraisal interview. Some manger not involve in seriously performance appraisal they just taking it as job to be completed not a mean of exchanging or sharing suggestion and getting new ideas from their subordinates (Wells and Spinks ,1994). 2.3 .2 Complexity of PA procedure Armstrong and Baron, (1998) has name performance appraisal as dishonest annual ritual because manger and staff disbelieve performance rating with the faith that performance related pay may function unfairly. Some problems with appraisal are known as complex procedure used in assessment, biased elements which bring confusion in the assessment, rewards and progress in the hand of single boss, employees have to work with their appraisers after the appraisal and idea is that performance appraisal aims to limit the collective aspects of work. There are some common problems which are faced by both appraiser and appraise such problem like paperwork; formality of the appraisal process .thats why performance appraisal has been termed as curse rather than a solution for organization (Taylor, 1998). 2.3.3 Performance appraisal to organization Grint (1993) argues that due to the subjectivity of performance appraisal is not giving the positive expected result to organization and is unlikely to assist objective appraisals. He indicates that performance appraisal is not as much acceptable to line managers as it is acceptable to human resource managers. However he admits that performance appraisal still play important role in organization. Fletcher (1997) suggests that expecting too much from performance appraisal is danger since it in unlikely solution for all performance problems. In spite of the criticism, Fletcher (2004), Murphy and Cleveland (1995) argue that performance appraisal is important for improvement performance in organization and Simmons (2002) say again that nobody give reasonable alternative for appraising perfomance.Fletcher (2004), Murphy and Cleveland (1995) suggest that the process that is followed in design and implementation of such a system prohibits effectiveness rather than only performance appraisal is not responsible. Fletcher (2004) further argues that organization spends proper money, time and willing to spend effort can achieved successful performance appraisal system. He also acknowledges though that if organization has an effective performance appraisal system they still have to monitor continuously that system to make sure that it compels all needs of its stakeholders. 2.4 Why performance appraisal fails Fletcher and Williams (1985) point out that only assessment of people is not only thing involve in appraising persons work performance. in fact there are two incompatible roles involve in appraisal- these are judge and helper. In its unclear format, foot and Hook (2002) stated that some usual appraisal schemes have been accused of being run for the profit of personnel managers or top managers, with many other people in the organization not really understanding or appreciating what the performance appraisal scheme was trying to achieve.A sample of a typical form for performance appraisal using Management by Objectives (MBO) i.e. (based on objectivity rather than subjectivity) is drawn in appendix a below, that shows that the questions are quite straight forward and seems no direct confusion in terms of understanding: 2.4 .1 Expected many results from PA Foot and Hook (2002) raised the point that why the performance appraisal fails and where we are mistaken? One major point is that too many purposes are attached to fulfil by the appraisal system. Usually, most of the appraisal schemes drop into one of three categories i.e. they are concerned with performance, potential or reward. Failure to this occurs as they dont fall into one of the three categories described, but are expected to achieve all three in general. The recognition of appraisal system downgraded due to the reason that many managers claim that they give this sort of feedback all the time informally, and if they do this well there may indeed be no need for a formal appraisal scheme. Foot and Hook, (2002) But in general, it is important to say that it is unlikely that all managers in a particular organization will appraise their staff constantly and effectively, so we do not have enough argument against the use of performance appraisal systems. There are some other flaws in the approach of performance appraisal that are mentioned by Foot and Hook (2002) as below: Lack of clarity Linking appraisal with pay Keeping information secret from the employee And Subjectivity or attacks on the appraises character As we now entered into the new millennium, so almost everything is reshaped and rethought for more effective results, so the performance appraisal as well. Mentioned by Stone (2002) that a study by William M. Mercer Consulting in 1995 suggested that 84 per cent of responding companies would continue to use the results of performance appraisals for its further improvement. So it is obvious that performance appraisals will be the keystone of performance management programmes. This studies show that majority of organizations will continue to use some version of these systems with the passage of time. 3 Methodology This research follows methodology of Saunders (2003) explain the research its in his famous research onion. The research methodology explained the overall process of implementing research which includes information about how the data will be collected, from whom, who will be included in the collection of data and how the involvement made in research (Saunders,2003).In this research the assessment in detail of findings from the primary research. This will be done through the analysis and discussion of the result obtained through the unstructured interviews and questionnaire which was conduct with various personnel of the shell Pakistan, and Shell UK .The analysis and findings from the primary research, relates to the objective of the research mentioned in the literature review. The primary research findings will be discussed in detail in order to draw conclusions and recommendations, which will discuss in the organizational findings and discussion. In the research a total of 70 questi onnaires spread among the targeted sample of shell Pakistan. A total of 28 completed and returned, showing the participation average rate as 47%, which is still a good response rate for questionnaires. The feedback was expected at least 50%; the reason behind was the good management cooperation and the researchers good recognition among other employees. The management distributed and recollected the questionnaire in the time frame allotted for this activity and the management also shown their own interest due to the examination of upcoming results to find out the actual root of many problems. In addition to the overall result of the questionnaire, the telephonic interviews were also analyzed to see how it can influence the whole results. While in Shell UK the same number 70 questionnaires distributed across the selected sample, mainly these questionnaires distributed in the shell retail patrol service stations. in which 35 of them completed and returned, which is the good expected rate of feedback 50 %.the reason is the mangers corporation and organization culture ,which always welcomes these research for the result which gives useful amount of information to the organization to help them in their organization development. 4 Organizations findings and discussion 4.1Organizational Context: Royal-Dutch Shell Group Overview The Royal Dutch Company for the development of petroleum properly in the Netherlands East indies was registered in Hague in 1890.than in 1949 the name is changed to Royal Dutch petroleum company .Shell was first registered back in 1897 by brothers Marcus and Sam Samuel called as the shell transport and trading company, Ltd .(now it become PLC ,public limited company ).The first joint operating company Royal-Dutch /shell ,the Asiatic petroleum company was first established in 1903 and in 1907,Royal-Dutch and shell merged their operation respectively ,in 60 % Royal-Dutch ,40 % shell. Even though after merging their interests the main company remain separate: like one can buy share in Royal-Dutch or in Shell-Transport, but not in the Group as such.US oil production increase due to the Group founded the American Gasoline Company to sell gasoline along the pacific coast and also to buy oil in Oklahoma establish the Roxanna petroleum in year 1912.this growth further boost up in 2000 result ing 34 percent earnings from discovery and production and 4 percents is comes from the sales of oil products were generate in USA.(shell .com )(financial report 2009,Royal Dutch shell plc). 4.2 Largest profitable MNCs( multinational corporation) The Royal Dutch /Shell Group is one of the largest and profitable MNCs in the world (Shell plc ,Annual report 2009 ) .The Anglo -Dutch group of companies is the Royal-Dutch shell group, the two holding companies which own the group is being the shell transport and trading company Plc (UK) and Koninklijke Nederland (Royal Dutch petroleum company, Netherlands).these companies have divided share between them are 40 percent and 60 percent respectively of the following three subsidiaries, which also own them further holding companies for more operating subsidiaries: these are Shell petroleum NV (Netherland) Shell petroleum Company LTD (UK) Shell petroleum Inc.(USA) 4.3 SHELL UK 4.3 .1 from oil well to the petrol pump Shell UK is best known for its energy product and services from the oil well to petrol pump, from the pit of North Sea to the warm house throughout UK, shell delivers the energy which full fill the Britain needs. Shell makes major contribution in UK economy, Shell is not just through providing product and services to UK customer ,but also contributes through employment ,investment and tax revenues which boost up economy. Shell has around 8,600 workforces in the UK. In UK energy that is use by millions of people for heating and powering their homes Shell is the major provider of energy in UK.(shell.co.uk) 4.3.1,2 Upstream business Shell main upstream business is a leading player in the North Sea for over 30 years. In UK sector of North Sea, shell is giving interest to more than 50 fields, operated in more than 30 installation platforms, 30 subsea installations, three onshore gas plants and a marine terminal. Shell is producing approximately 15 % of UK oil and gas on behalf of its co-ventures.(shell.co.uk) 4.3.1,3 Downstream business Shell Downstream business includes 900 shell-branded service stations, operates the second largest refinery in the UK which providing products like premium fuels, chemicals for industry, and V-power patrol. The global headquarters of shell downstream supporting business functions is located on the south bank of the Thames in London. Shell technology centre Thornton, involved the largest community of scientists working on huge range of research projects, and also working on technologies associated with fuels, lubricants, additives, and engineering.(shell.co.uk) In term of oil and gas production volumes shell is the largest exploration and manufacturing companies operating in UK. Shell operates major number of its operation in UK continental with the 50:50 joint ventures with ExxonMobil. Mostly UK oil and gas production came from the North Sea .in the Atlantic margin area, shell has an interests as non-operating contributor mainly in the west Shetlands area, which cover area of Schiehallion, Clair and loyal fields. 4.3.2 Shell Pakistan Bovee, (1997) stated that today work place is completed of the people who differ in race, gender, age, culture, family structure, religion and educational background. Such cultural diversity is the second movement contributing towards the importance of ability of successful communication with people of other cultural. The business messages, how to create, planned, sent, received, and interpreted in the work place is also affected by diversity. (John v, thrill and Courtland, 1977). 4.3.2,1Shell entry in Asia The brand name Shell enjoys a 100-year history in this part of the world, dating back to 1899 when Asiatic Petroleum, the extreme eastern marketing arm of two companies: Shell Transport Company and Royal Dutch Petroleum Company began importing kerosene oil from Azerbaijan into the subcontinent. Even today, the legacy of the past is visible in a storage tank carrying the date 1898. 4.3.2 ,2 PAKISTAN subcontinent The known history of Royal Dutch Shell plc in Indo Pakistan subcontinent dates back to 1903 when partnership between the two big companies, The Shell Transport Trading Company and the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company struck and start supply petroleum to Asia. In 1928, to increase their distribution capabilities, the marketing interest of Royal Dutch Shell plc and the Burma Oil Company Limited in India were merged and Burma Shell Oil Storage Distribution Company of India was born. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the name was changed to the Burma Shell Oil Distribution Company of Pakistan. In 1970, when 51% of the shareholding was transferred to Pakistani investors, the name changed to Pakistan Burma Shell (PBS) Limited. The Shell and the Burma Groups retained the remaining 49% in equal propositions. In February of 1993, as economic liberalisation began to take root and the Burma divested from PBS, Shell Petroleum stepped into raise its stake to 51%. The years 2001-2 have seen the Shell Petroleum Company successively increasing its share, with the Group now having a 76% stake in Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) an expression of confidence. The company is among one of the best company in the country. The company provides the entire fue l products, competing with the international standards on the standard price. 5 Main findings After the organizational context the main description of differences in implementation and adaptation of HR practices with the focus on performance appraisal system for their employees while working in the two different business environment ,which is shell UK and shell Pakistan. In research finding it is clear that the present appraisal system at Shell Pakistan is conducted annually in each and every department of the organisation. Also in findings it is clear that the annual appraisal system at Shell Pakistan consists of a formal appraisal system to evaluate the employee performance. The finding also results in that a very short number of employee 15 % is fully aware of objectives of performance appraisal system, 15 % of wholly respondent fully aware of it means that makes a very weak performance appraisal knowledge base for their recommendation. However, it is clear that in Shell Pakistan there is a significant weakness in conducting of effective training and development programmes by management. As employee working in the Shell Pakistan there is need of more awareness program to let the staff fully aware and get the maximum benefits from it. While in shell UK also uses formal appraisal system and uses the scorecard for the performance appraisal, employees are rewarded individual performance and also the team achievement in put to sustainability. As comparison to Shell Pakistan, In research findings it is clear that very good percentage number of employee like 40% of wholly respondent is fully aware of performance appraisal and reward management. They know that they can assess on the number of grounds works and will get rewarded according to their individual and group performances. There is also continues training and development program running time to time for the awareness of Shell UK employees. That why employee working for Shell UK is getting much more benefits compare with the employee working for Shell in Pakistan. Although Shell Pakistan has already been practicing it, there still consist some necessary considerations to PRP (Performance Related Pay).Contingent pay covers various methods of providing additional rewards for individuals or teams. As a cost effective factor, stated by Armstrong (2002) that increments may be withheld for unacceptable performance although this is rare, and some structure have a merit bar which limits increments unless a defined level of merit has been achieved. In the table 1 of appendix has straight merit increments shown as example of merit pay. The increments percentage will depend on total merit pay budget for each performance grade, the number of employee in each performance level and finally their current level of base pay, (John Shields 2007). One of the best ways of motivation is linking pay directly to employee performance, in Shell UK finding results 70 % of the questioners respondents were strongly agree to this statement while 20% agree, 7% disagree and 3 % strongly disagree. It implies that there is need of contingent pay in the company. Even though pay for performance and contingent pay is difficult in mange, but include many methods of providing rewards for individual or team (Armstrong and Stephens, 2002). Improved team working is one of the core elements in the business strategy for the Shell Pakistan, so it is good to attach/associate individual performance pay to the performance of individual and teams. On the other hand ensuring that this scheme is distributed fairly so can meet the desired level of performance, competence, contribution or skill and thus improve organizational performance regarding team based tasks while not de-motivating those who cannot currently compete. (Armstrong M, 2002).here HR and operation manager is agree on the point that rewarding those who can meet assured targets is practicing in Shell Pakistan. To maintain these scheme is hard because of political instability in the Pakistan which influence the shell operation .these factor includes limit on production, civil unrest ,international conflicts, and due to local security concern that affect the safe operation of the shell standards in country. Here also employee keen interest in performance pays more tha n reward because the uncertainty of business environment there is fear of job loss. While UK economy is one of the best stable economies for business operation, where Shell UK deliver very affective performance appraisal system for their employees. To analyze the performance of team and individual Shell UK have very stable roots in country can focus in increase the business perfor

Home Rule :: Essays Papers

Home Rule It all took place between the 1870's and 1920's. Home rule was a huge part of the political life in Ireland, which meant that the Irish Parliament would be restored for most issues, but the British government would still cover many important areas (Conflict 3). The term Government Association started to be used very frequently; Isaac Butt was the gentleman who founded this association. In 1873 this became known as the Home Rule League and in 1874 a general election was held where fifty home rulers were elected to the Home Rule party also known as the Irish Parliamentary Party (Irish 29). Butts' goal was to get both Protestants and Catholics to support Home Rule as a movement targeted towards giving Ireland a federal government within the United Kingdom. Butt was not an aggressive leader and the people of Ireland did not feel he was fulfilling his job completely. A man by the name of Charles Stewart Parnell challenged Butt and became the leader in 1880 (Charles17). The British people began to think that the Home Rule would lead to the separation of Ireland and Britain. Parnell realized that the people did not like the British Rule and this is what caused them to support Irish nationalism. In 1880 Parnell won the support of the Fenians and the Irish Republican brotherhood that wanted total separation but were willing to compromise and accept Home Rule. In 1881 the second Land Act gave the "Three F's" which the Land League had demanded. Fair rents would be fixed by judges appointed by the government, fixed tenancies would have to be agreed between tenants and landowners (avoiding evictions), and free sale of his lease would be permitted to a tenant who wished to give up farming. Gladstone and most of the Liberal Party conversed to the Home Rule cause in 1885, and this is when the conservative party opposed Home Rule and threatened some kind of defense on the United Kingdom (Gladstone 6).

Analyse and Evaluate the significance of Fiscal Policy rules Essay

L1. Monetary policies are where the government use changes in the base rate of interest to influence the rate of growth of aggregate demand, the money supply and ultimately price inflation. In the short run economic growth is an increase in real GDP, In the long run economic growth is an increase in productive capacity (the maximum output an economy can produce) Economic Stability – the avoidance of volatility in economic growth rates, inflation, employment and unemployment and exchange rates. International Competitiveness – The ability of an economy’s firms to compete in international markets and, thereby, sustain increases in national output and income. L2. Monetary policies can be used to promote economic growth, Economic (this stability reduces uncertainty, promotes business, consumer confidence and investment) and International Competitiveness. This causes an ? in AD, which can be good for an economy. For example if a Government ? interest rates, people will have an ? in disposable income, because payments on credit cards will ?, mortgage payments will ? and it is not worth saving due to the reduced rate of interest, meaning they have more to spend on goods and services, thus AD ?. L3. Monetary policies can promote economic growth and stability and international competitiveness as changes in the interest rate affects Domestic Demand (Consumer Expenditure, Investment and Government Spending) and National Demand (Net Exports) via Exchange Rates as when the interest rate ? so the does the currency’s strength. So if the rate of interest increases, so does the strength of the pound, meaning that there is an ? in international competitiveness as more economies want to purchase our currency. This causes an ? in AD causing the AD curve to shift to the right, from AD1 to AD2. Causing and ? in employment, ? production and ?economic growth, ?international competitiveness and ?international competitiveness If economic growth becomes too rapid it can also be dampened nby an ? in interest rates causing AD to ? due to the fact that their credit card charges and mortgages have ? and it has become more worthwhile to keep money in the bank and reap the rewards from a higher interest rate rather than spend. So peoples disposable income ?. Monetary Policy can promote economic growth and stability because of the Monetary Policy Transmission mechanism; the way in which Monetary Policy affects inflation rates through the impact it has on other macroeconomic variables. It is said that low and stable rates of inflation provide the framework for economic stability as inflation reduces the purchasing power of money. When the government uses monetary policy to reduce the rate of inflation inflation targeting) they can stop economic stability from becoming unstable as when inflation occurs, and usually wage growth ? there is a danger that inflation will become out of control so much so that producers and consumers are no longer able to use the signalling function so it can become clear what goods and services consumers most want. Inflation targeting makes the consumers and investors more clear about the future and so they know what to expect so they can plan ahead. This can cause an ? in C and I and therefore and ? in AD (shifting the AD curve to the right). The fact that inflation targeting is flexible means it meets the policy target. The government can use Monetary to policy to ? the supply of money, so banks have more money to lend, so it is easier for consumers to take loans so there disposable income ?, this can cause and ? in Consumer Expectations and vestments, causing an ? in AD, ?production, ?international competitiveness, ?employment, ? economic stability and ?economic growth L4. HOWEVER whether the Monetary policy is affective depends on many factors, for example it depends on how big the increase or decrease in interest rate is, a small change could make little or no difference for example if income interest is reduced by 0.00000000000000000000001% then people are unlikely to start spending more and it will have little or no effect on AD. It also depends on when interest rates are changed as to what else is going on in the economy at that time, for example if there is a fiscal policy causing income tax to ? at the same time as a ?in interest rates the affects of the Monetary Policy may be cancelled out by the fiscal policy. It depends on Central Bank bringing creditability to the target as the central bank has to build up a reputation for meeting targets. This can lead to low economic growth being traded off for low inflation in the short run, but not the long run, which is what is needed for an economies economic growth to be sustainable! The Central bank must be good at forecasting inflation, as the Monetary Policy works with time lags, there can sometimes be a two year delay! So the Central bank will have to set today the interest rate to affect the rate of inflation it expects in two years time! For example Inflation targeting has to be guided by forecasts of inflation and all macroeconomic variables that affect inflation. It also costs a great deal to employ people who have the ability to forecast inflation well which could cost a lot to employ someone capable of doing this, this means that it ? costs, which means the possibility of an opportunity cost involved as that money could have been spent on something else for example new hospitals. There can also always be unforeseen circumstances such as unexpected recessions and natural disasters such as the tsunami, this affects the Central Banks ability to deliver economic stability and economic growth as they do not know if they may need to be doing other policies to help these unexpected situations, as they may only be able to do so when the economies conditions are stable. To conclude Monetary rules and Fiscal Policy targets and constraints can promote Economic Growth, Economic Stability and International Competitiveness, however there are many factors to take into account when doing so.

Free Essays on Technology Vs. Evolution

, all of us have two agendas: one hidden in the recesses of our minds, and one that we sell to ourselves and others† (De Waal 662). What this is saying is that even if someone has no thought in their head that what they are about to do is unselfish; the... Free Essays on Technology Vs. Evolution Free Essays on Technology Vs. Evolution Technology Vs Evolution Until the recent discovery of cloning, no one thought that technology was in any way related to morality. In reality isn’t technology against the morals of the natural world to begin with? But is there even such a thing as a purely selfless act? Sure there are actions that seem selfless, but the reason for doing them is consciously or unconsciously selfish. Evolution is a natural occurrence that one would think is unselfish and completely moral, however in reality the process of evolution is very selfish. It is a species genes changing so that the species will ultimately survive, this is an act that only helps that species. Technology is created to conform to how far evolution has gone. Technology is the next step in the evolution process for humans, and it is making all humans a little more immoral. A tribal shaman â€Å"ensures that the relation between human society and the larger society of beings is balanced and reciprocal, and that the village never takes more form the living land than it returns to it – not just materially but with prayers, propitiations, and praise† (Abram 5). While this seems to be natural and morally thanking the earth for what is has given, the shaman are doing this because the â€Å"scale of a harvest or the size of a hunt are always negotiated between the tribal community and the natural world† (Abram 5). This seemingly selfless act is really only to help the amount of food they can grow or catch that season. This leads to the thought that there is no such thing as a purely moral person. â€Å"If people think they are at times unselfish, so the argument goes, they must be hiding the selfish motives from themselves. In other words, all of us have two agendas: one hidden in the recesses of our minds, and one that we sell to ourse lves and others† (De Waal 662). What this is saying is that even if someone has no thought in their head that what they are about to do is unselfish; the...

Cival War essays

Cival War essays 1.a). Slavery was the main issue of the wars beginning. b). Other contributing factors were economic and agriculture problems. 2.a). Because the south was looked down on by the north. And the election of Lincoln. b). The election of Abraham Lincoln who was an anti-slavery. c). Because white people in the south used the slaves as their assets. 4.Because with the election of Lincoln, it became clear that the southern bloc lost its favor on the national stage. 1.a). The battle of Bull Run. b). Because they were the 1st major engagement of the war. 2.a). Because of the people and the accessories such as weapons, and also transportation. b). Because there were many battles and armies and people were being killed. 3. I think the war could not have ended. 1.a). Grant won 2 crucial victories down west. Ulysses S. Grant name stood for Unconditional Surrender Grant. Lee read his enemies. He lead a group of officers. b). You have to be cocky and confident about the decisions and outcomes you make to be a good leader. 2.a). Pressure for the emancipation came from unlike people and places. States and officers would have risen on Lincoln if he issued the emancipation. b). Yes he did. 3.a). Abolitionist were people against slavery. b). The movement began when Lincoln issued the emancipation at January of 1863. c). The risks of being part of the underground Railroad was very high. 1.a). Because they had to accept the emancipation proclamation. b). Yes, because the government is more organized and demanding to get the job done. c). Only when very necessary. 2.a). The cause of the Richmond bread riots was Lees attack on McClellan. b). Because they were not capable to afford things. c). They started using their own currency after the emancipation proclamation was issued. 3.a). The copperheads were people against the emancipation proclamation. b). They idealized peace de ...

The War Against Drugs Essays - Drug Control Law, Drug Culture

The War Against Drugs Essays - Drug Control Law, Drug Culture The War Against Drugs Naufel Tajudeen Crimes, Drugs and Policy The War Against Drugs In this country, we are locked in war we simply cannot win. We strive to protect over 10,000 miles of border, against enemies who are driven by the lure of an obscene profit. We have fought this a version of this war before, and have lost. All that has really resulted from this war is the overcrowding of prisons, the expansion of law enforcement's ability to encroach on the personal lives of ordinary citizens, and paranoia and distrust. I am referring to the war on drugs. As time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that the war on drugs is as useless as prohibition was almost 80 years ago. Now it has become a point of pride for our elected officials, who use the war as a re-election tool. To most people the fiscal reasons for ending the war are the most convincing. For example, it costs over $30,000 per year to house a prisoner - this does not include processing and legal fees, only the actual prison costs - food, w ater, electricity and guards. There are over 1.5 million non-violent drug law offenders in prison right now, and this number is increasing daily. That means we are spending a minimum of $45 billion per year keeping former tax-paying citizens, most of whom had jobs and were contributing to the economy in some way, locked up with murderers and rapists. When these people get out of jail, they will have criminal records, which will make it nearly impossible to get a decent job and a grudge against the government and society in general. In addition, we spend $37 billion per year funding the police efforts and interdiction, and recent evidence suggests the CIA have been involved in drug-trafficking to fund its own private wars. Currently there is over $150 billion worth of drug traffic that remains untaxed. If one figures a tax rate of 15%, that is a total of $22.5 billion of taxes that America doesn't see. The bottom-line? The U.S. Treasury estimates America wastes a minimum of $104.5 bi llion per year fighting a war that can not be won, while crime rates continue to rise (because of the huge profits made possible by the risks involved in the drug trade as drugs remain illegal), and the quality of education, medical care and environmental protection falls due to lack of money in the budget. There are also moral dilemmas in declaring war on drugs and their users. Firstly, drug use or abuse is a medical and social problem not a criminal problem, yet we think we're solving the problem by throwing people in jail. The logic seems to be, maybe if we just take their life away, confiscate all of their personal property, ruin their reputation and self-respect, put them in jail with the worst elements of society - murderers, thieves and rapists, where they will most likely be beaten and/or raped repeatedly they will see the error of their ways. Not a very enlightened sentiment. Also bare in mind, nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are all drugs. Nicotine is one of the most addict ive drugs known to man, behind substances like heroin. Cigarettes kill over 300,000 people every year. Alcohol kills over 120,000 people every year. Alcohol has been linked to men beating their wives and children. In contrast, marijuana has a recorded history that dates back over 4000 years, and has never killed anyone in the direct way alcohol does. The DEA's own Administrative Law Judge, after reviewing the evidence, called marijuana ...one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man... It's been said that the first casualty in any war is truth. That sentiment is seen nowhere as clearly as in the war on drugs. The government and special interests have been running this war for over 50 years now. The government spews propaganda as truth, to cover their collective backsides, which creates distrust and unrest, and breeds contempt and disrespect in our children. An example - We have uniformed police officers coming into our classrooms telling kids that marijuana is mo re dangerous than alcohol. History and scientific evidence prove that it

Risk Management Assignment (BP) British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon Essay

Risk Management Assignment (BP) British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon - Essay Example PART A Introduction Where the world is growing and enhancing at a phenomenal pace, new, modern and contemporary technologies have emerged and growing rapidly in every field of life, which has transformed the ways of living as an outcome. This has also affected the world of commerce and has allowed the businesses to move ahead in a new direction. Investments and returns are the key aspects for a businessperson when setting up the business. However, a business always accompanies innumerable risk factors with it, whether it is the competitor threat, emerging new prospects in the industry, variations in the economic conditions, changing values of the goods or services or the fluctuations in foreign currencies. Risk is the probability or the possibility that a particular step or decision gives an adverse conclusion or makes a loss (Great Britain, pp.1, 2007). More or less, risk is a factor that all businesses enterprise carries; however, the extent and scope of risk varies from business t o business. In the old times, when the businesses were involved in more of manual activities, risk was one of the factors that were at a high level. However, nowadays, the risk factors involved in the business can easily come under measurement through the advancement of technologies and processes. Risk Management A course of action that determines, button down, breakdown, investigate, and either acquire and acknowledge or alleviate risk or ambiguities when making a decision or while investing comes under reference of Risk Management.  The aftereffects or the chain reaction may lead to huge losses if the organizations do not carry out the process of risk management in a commensurate way. One of the major examples that prove the importance of risk management is the Financial Crisis that happened in the year 2008. Through the process of risk management, the intensity of risk coupled with the business and its functions can come under measurement, and course of actions can undertake to eradicate or play down the risks. The businesses execute the process of risk management in order to spot the circumstances, conditions, or actions that may lead to adversity so that preventive measures can come under implementation in order to lessen the risks involved to overcome the consequences that may result in the catastrophe. The determination of risks through a systematic, planned, and apparent approach provides a business to evaluate, quantify, and give high importance to the risks so that adapted and pertinent steps can come under accomplishment to diminish them (Crouhy, Galai, Mark, pp. 37-54, 2006). The organizations’ prime goal and vision is to generate revenue, make profits for themselves and other stakeholder, augment their worth in the market, and create a good will. Therefore, one cannot neglect the fact that risk management is of utmost importance for any organization. In order for a business to flourish and prosper, risk management is one of the essential and elementary aspects and functions that a business should consider and undergo. Risk management is

South Korean History and Analysis of Social, Technological, Economic, Research Paper

South Korean History and Analysis of Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political Issues - Research Paper Example Some resentments of that period in history still weigh heavy on the memories of some older Koreans. It was a time when Japanese influence became a threat to the language and culture of the Korean people (History of South Korea, 2004). Regardless of the Japanese efforts, today younger Koreans willingly follow Japanese pop culture. When Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945, it brought the end of World War II; however, it brought further turmoil to Korea. In 1948 the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) was established with Rhee as the first President. Later that same year the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) was formed under Kim II Sung (History of Korea, 2004). Two years later North Korea invaded South Korea, which prompted the first action under the United Nations Command. Bombings of the North brought devastation and casualties and China to the North’s’ behalf. However, armistice negotiations were started in 1951 and concluded in 1953. It was not until 1987 that South Korea was able to hold its first democratic election (History of South Korea, 2004). Social Atmosphere: The Korean people share a common culture and language history. Today only a small Chinese community of around 20,000 people reside within and influence South Korea. The population has grown to 48.7 million people in a small area the size of Indiana. Populations are very dense in the areas of the Northwest, Southeast, and the plains south of Seoul-Incheon area. Many Koreans have migrated to China, the United States, Japan and other countries that were formerly under Soviet Union rule (US State Department, 2011). The language of the Korean people is influenced by Japanese and Mongolian culture. It does differ from Chinese, as it does not use... This paper stresses that at the end of the 19th century Chinese power became weakened, therefore, Korea was once again open to Western and Japanese invasion. When Japan annexed Korea in 1910, it began a period of imperial rule that lasted 35 years. Some resentments of that period in history still weigh heavy on the memories of some older Koreans. It was a time when Japanese influence became a threat to the language and culture of the Korean peolpe. This discussion declares that the Korean people share a common culture and language history. Today only a small Chinese community of around 20,000 people reside within and influence South Korea. The population has grown to 48.7 million people in a small area the size of Indiana. Populations are very dense in the areas of the Northwest, Southeast, and the plains south of Seoul-Incheon area. Many Koreans have migrated to China, the United States, Japan and other countries that were formerly under Soviet Union rule. The language of the Korean people is influenced by Japanese and Mongolian culture. It does differ from Chinese, as it does not use tones. The earlier well-learned classes spoke Korean, however, read and wrote Chinese. A writing system using phonics was invented in the 15th century to provide a writing system for lower classes that could not read classical Chinese. Today the modern Korean uses hangul with Chinese characters almost exclusively. There are approximately 1300 Chi nese characters being used within the modern Korean language. What about the use of English?

Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000 - Essay Example Nevertheless, the uncertainty of what constitutes terrorism under international law has manifested at national level with difficulty in distinguishing between state and non-state terrorism (Williamson, 2009). In considering whether the acts in the current scenario constitute acts of terrorism, this paper will consider the position under UK law, with specific reference to the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 1(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 provides that an act of â€Å"terrorism† includes any act that includes the following â€Å"(a) involves serious violence against a person, (b) involves serious damage to a property, (c) endangers a person’s life, other than that of a person committing the action; (d) creates a serious risk to the health and safety of the public or a section of the public, or (e) is designed to seriously interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system† (Section 1(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000). ... o, the group of individuals are part of â€Å"Abort Abortion† and whilst they are not listed as a proscribed organisation under Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000, the individual acts may nevertheless constitute acts of terrorism under section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and this paper shall consider each act in turn. 2 Alison’s liability for sending photos of aborted foetuses to the doctors who have been previously targeted. Alison’s campaign of sending the photos to the doctors whilst unpleasant hasn’t caused serious damage to person or property and it will difficult for this conduct to fall within the other sections of section 1(2) to constitute an act of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000. Additionally, the photos have been sent merely as a reminder of the horrors of abortion, with no specific threat. However, it is possible that Alison could face liability for harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Section 1(1) of the Protecti on from Harassment Act 1997 provides that individuals must not engage in conduct which: a) Amounts to harassment of another; and b) Which they know or ought to objectively know constitutes harassment (Section 1(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997). The test for determining harassment is objective and Section 2(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 provides that if an individual’s act constitutes harassment in line with the section 1(1) definition, the conduct will constitute a criminal offence. If we apply this by analogy to the current scenario, it is evident that the photos have been sent to the doctors before and that they have been targeted. The images are disturbing and as the photos have been sent repeatedly, there are strong grounds for Alison’s conduct constituting harassment under

TORT LAW- PROBLEM QUESTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

TORT LAW- PROBLEM QUESTION - Essay Example This was the original negligent act, so the analysis must stem from this. Below is the analysis of the situation, with a conclusion that outlines the probable outcome. Since this action is one that is based upon negligence, the scenario will be analyzed using the elements of negligence – duty, breach, causation and damages. Duty The first element that must be examined in this action, and any other negligence action, is duty. As far as duty goes, there does not need to be privity between the parties – anybody who might be harmed because of the actions of the person causing the negligence is owed a duty, according to Donoghue v. Stevenson.1 This is particularly true when the harm is foreseeable.2 Therefore, if a person is reasonable, and is driving reasonably, then the harm cannot be said to be foreseeable. This would negate a person's duty. Whereas, previously, in English law, there must be some kind of privity between the tortfeasor and the victim, in that the victim an d the tortfeasor must have had some kind of prior relationship, the landmark case of Donoghue v. Stevenson3 altered this. In Donoghue v. Stevenson, the plaintiff, Donoghue, became ill after drinking ginger beer which had a slug in it. The justice in Donoghue proclaimed that individuals owed a duty to anybody who might be affected by their actions. Another case, Caparo v. Dickman4 states that the duty of care can be explained threefold - that the harm was reasonably foreseeable, that there was a relationship of proximity between the tortfeasor and the victim, and that it would be fair, reasonable and just to impose liability. So, as in the case of Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v Morts Dock and Engineering Co Ltd5, the defendants were not held negligent for a fire which broke out on the water, even though they knew that there was oil slipping below the dock onto the water and the defendants could not reasonably foresee that water would ignite. Moreover, proximity is also an issue, becaus e the harm caused must be proximate to the tortfeasor - Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.,6 is a case where there was not proximate cause between negligence on one end and an unforseeable victim on the other. In that case, the defendant was helping a woman onto a train and this woman had fireworks which exploded. This caused scales to fall on a distant bystander, and the court decided that the distant bystander’s injuries were not proximately caused by the defendant’s actions. On this ground, the client would prevail, because he acted reasonably in his driving, therefore, there was not a duty to Sheila, as the injury was not foreseeable. On the other hand, since he left 10 minutes late,he might have had a duty if there was an issue to where her brain injuries would have occurred with a ten minute delay. Breach Breach is the next element that needs to be looked at. Again, foreseeability is the key to a breach of a duty. The injury that occurs must be foreseeable.7 If the injury that occurred was not foreseeable, then there would not be a breach of duty.8 Again, this would rest upon whether or not the person was acting

Current State of Credit Card Industry in America Essay

Current State of Credit Card Industry in America - Essay Example This essay offers a thorough analysis of the state of the credit card market in the United states. Since the early eighties, the credit card industry in America have been controlled by the banking and financial associations, namely VISA and Master Card International. Over the years, several merchants have entered the credit markets and have strategically focused on expanding their market share which led to the flooding of credit cards in the US market. Looking at the rapid expansion of the credit card market; there are ominous signs for default in card payments which is the next most likely risk in the US economy after the mortgage crisis. This is due to the fact that the customers repayment capability of the credit card customers have declined after the economic crisis due to loss of jobs, fall of income, foreclosure of their homes, etc. The credit card risk in USA has serious consequences for the credit companies, financial sector and the economy of US. The payment default of the customers would result in the loss of return on investments for the banks and credit card companies. The personal finance schemes would prove to be a failure and the credit card companies would loose huge amounts lent in the US market. This loss would affect the liquidity of the companies and the investors would loose confidence on the company’s performance. The market information on the declining performance of the companies would result in erosion of shareholder’s wealth and the share prices in the market would fall. The overall decline in performance of the credit card industry would affect the market performance and the market index would plunge once more after the global financial crisis (Jickling 88). Proposed Solution The solutions to overcome the next most likely risk in the credit card markets of US have been proposed as follows. The increase in the credit card market risk is due to the intention of the market players to squeeze the borrowers to the fullest and restore their profit margins after receiving a setback from the losses of the mortgage market. The proposed solution includes intervention of the government to cut back the rising interest rates and the deceptive tactics employed by the credit card issues in charging the customers with more amount of repayment. Already the income level of the customers has lowered and a further rise in interest of the credit card companies would extract the entire liquidity from the economy and would raise the subsequent risk of credit card default . Thus government regulations on stabilization of the interest rates and reduction of the hidden costs would help to maintain a position of equilibrium in the credit card market. Secondly, the tightening of the eligibility criteria for credit cards is another solution proposed to avoid the future consequences. The credit cards in the US markets should be issued to worthy borrowers by estimating their income level and repayment capability. Customers like the students who have limitations in repaying the borrowed amounts should not be flooded with credit cards. These policies of the credit card companies are likely to resolve the situation of a likely future crisis in the credit card industry. Consequences of what happens if change is not made The future consequences are grave if changes in the credit card policies and the interest rates are implemented by the market players. The customers who have been facing a constraint in liquidity level would use the credit cards as their last re sort. If the ever rising interests rates initially from 10% to 15% and then to 20% in the subsequent stages are not cut back, this will increase the

English2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English2 - Essay Example As the title suggests, the article is about five new technologies in the auto industry that are geared towards easing the burden of driving in modern times; these technologies are meant to make driving easier, especially for the safety conscious drivers. The article lists a number of technologies that are slowly revolutionizing the auto industry, and soon, are going to be the market driving forces for the entire auto industry. The main idea/thesis of this article is that, to attract the safety conscious drivers, some carmakers are revolutionizing the auto industry through the introduction of innovative and highly exotic technologies. The main goal of this article is to highlight some of the major technologies that are rapidly emerging in the auto industry, and the market trends that arise thereafter accordingly; the safety conscious drivers are being attracted to the new designs, and as tastes and preferences change, the said technology inevitably becomes cheaper. The article is highly objective and informative given that it not only comes from an authoritative source, but it also goes ahead to provide reputable examples and statistical evidence that backs the arguments it makes. In this respect, the points are strongly argued out to a logically satisfactory level, without bias of any sort or inaccuracies as the information can be verified as well. The writer of the article adopts a levelheaded tone that is strikingly informative as well as declarative; this is highly effective because it lends credence to the article by making it authoritative to the readers. The points are logically sequenced to allow for a regular flow of thought and cohesion in the arguments, an attempt by the writer at being communicative both effectively and efficiently. The target audience for this article is comprised of the safety conscious drivers and carmakers in the

TORT LAW- PROBLEM QUESTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

TORT LAW- PROBLEM QUESTION - Essay Example This was the original negligent act, so the analysis must stem from this. Below is the analysis of the situation, with a conclusion that outlines the probable outcome. Since this action is one that is based upon negligence, the scenario will be analyzed using the elements of negligence – duty, breach, causation and damages. Duty The first element that must be examined in this action, and any other negligence action, is duty. As far as duty goes, there does not need to be privity between the parties – anybody who might be harmed because of the actions of the person causing the negligence is owed a duty, according to Donoghue v. Stevenson.1 This is particularly true when the harm is foreseeable.2 Therefore, if a person is reasonable, and is driving reasonably, then the harm cannot be said to be foreseeable. This would negate a person's duty. Whereas, previously, in English law, there must be some kind of privity between the tortfeasor and the victim, in that the victim an d the tortfeasor must have had some kind of prior relationship, the landmark case of Donoghue v. Stevenson3 altered this. In Donoghue v. Stevenson, the plaintiff, Donoghue, became ill after drinking ginger beer which had a slug in it. The justice in Donoghue proclaimed that individuals owed a duty to anybody who might be affected by their actions. Another case, Caparo v. Dickman4 states that the duty of care can be explained threefold - that the harm was reasonably foreseeable, that there was a relationship of proximity between the tortfeasor and the victim, and that it would be fair, reasonable and just to impose liability. So, as in the case of Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v Morts Dock and Engineering Co Ltd5, the defendants were not held negligent for a fire which broke out on the water, even though they knew that there was oil slipping below the dock onto the water and the defendants could not reasonably foresee that water would ignite. Moreover, proximity is also an issue, becaus e the harm caused must be proximate to the tortfeasor - Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.,6 is a case where there was not proximate cause between negligence on one end and an unforseeable victim on the other. In that case, the defendant was helping a woman onto a train and this woman had fireworks which exploded. This caused scales to fall on a distant bystander, and the court decided that the distant bystander’s injuries were not proximately caused by the defendant’s actions. On this ground, the client would prevail, because he acted reasonably in his driving, therefore, there was not a duty to Sheila, as the injury was not foreseeable. On the other hand, since he left 10 minutes late,he might have had a duty if there was an issue to where her brain injuries would have occurred with a ten minute delay. Breach Breach is the next element that needs to be looked at. Again, foreseeability is the key to a breach of a duty. The injury that occurs must be foreseeable.7 If the injury that occurred was not foreseeable, then there would not be a breach of duty.8 Again, this would rest upon whether or not the person was acting

English2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English2 - Essay Example As the title suggests, the article is about five new technologies in the auto industry that are geared towards easing the burden of driving in modern times; these technologies are meant to make driving easier, especially for the safety conscious drivers. The article lists a number of technologies that are slowly revolutionizing the auto industry, and soon, are going to be the market driving forces for the entire auto industry. The main idea/thesis of this article is that, to attract the safety conscious drivers, some carmakers are revolutionizing the auto industry through the introduction of innovative and highly exotic technologies. The main goal of this article is to highlight some of the major technologies that are rapidly emerging in the auto industry, and the market trends that arise thereafter accordingly; the safety conscious drivers are being attracted to the new designs, and as tastes and preferences change, the said technology inevitably becomes cheaper. The article is highly objective and informative given that it not only comes from an authoritative source, but it also goes ahead to provide reputable examples and statistical evidence that backs the arguments it makes. In this respect, the points are strongly argued out to a logically satisfactory level, without bias of any sort or inaccuracies as the information can be verified as well. The writer of the article adopts a levelheaded tone that is strikingly informative as well as declarative; this is highly effective because it lends credence to the article by making it authoritative to the readers. The points are logically sequenced to allow for a regular flow of thought and cohesion in the arguments, an attempt by the writer at being communicative both effectively and efficiently. The target audience for this article is comprised of the safety conscious drivers and carmakers in the

The Many Issues Working Parents Face Essay Example for Free

The Many Issues Working Parents Face Essay Working parents may consider work to be either a blessing or a curse. Most people agree that without work there is no way to support oneself or a family. Both parents are forced to work because they want their children to experience â€Å"the good life.† However, on their road to success, working parents have to sacrifice several other things. In addition to a lack of family or leisure time, a person’s job also creates a lot of stress. Work can be the highway to success. However, hectic schedules caused by long hours of work can lead to negative changes in one’s personal life. Marilyn Gardner talks about a cop whose work hours are messed up. She states that Mr. Fulgham â€Å"works twelve-hour shifts which rotate between days and nights† and eats breakfast when his family is normally eating lunch. He gets almost no time with his family. When he gets a chance to spend time with his family, it causes the schedule of his family to get messed up too (Gardner 235-38). De Graaf, a journalist for the New York Times, states that â€Å"(u)ntil the current recession, Americans were working some of the longest hours in the industrial world.† Long hours at work lead to lesser time with family. For example, in â€Å"My Mother, Her Career, My Questions,† Palmer has a friend whose mother hardly spent any time with her. Being a doctor and working long hours, the mother was so tired when she came back home that she had to â€Å"force hers elf to play† with her kids (Palmer 244). This shows how work can have a negative impact of the person’s relationships with his/her family. Even parents feel guilty about not being able to spend enough time with family. They admit that the longer they work, the lesser time they spend with their kids (Seligson). It is said that people who work longer hours are more likely to get a divorce due to the lack of togetherness. The main point of being a â€Å"family† is that the members of the family have to be together and enjoy each other’s company. However, parents that work weird schedules or extremely long hours fail to spend enough time with their family. This loosens relationships and can even tear apart families. Thus, there has to be a balance between work time and family time. Parents are always aiming to work those extra hours to get more work done, but they do not realize that  they are missing out on their children’s lives. Additionally, working parents need to know that too much work can also cause Another negative effect of working long hours is the stress it causes. When there isn’t enough time to complete a certain project at work, a person works overtime to finish it. These long hours can mess up a person’s daily schedule. Anger, exhaustion and stress are some of the many negative effects long hours have on an individual (Gillian). Audrey Gillian, a journalist for The Guardian, feels that Ronald Regan was wrong when he said â€Å"hard work never killed anyone.† The health issues caused by working long hours can eventually lead to death. In addition to that, in â€Å"The Case for Staying at Home,† Claudia Wallis talks about how women have to work both at their workplace and at home which creates more stress and exhaustion. In â€Å"Serving in Florida† Barbara juggled two different jobs. With the minimum wage she got, she could hardly afford to pay her rent (Ehrenreich 179-186). She started working longer hours to get more money. Although she tried fighting till the end, she had to finally give up both her jobs because she was working all day and couldn’t seem to make ends meet (Ehrenreich 186). It seems like people have to choose between life and work. After coming back from a day of hard work, one would usually opt to take a break and just rest. However, women are expected to come home and attend to the family’s needs. She has to cook, clean and basically keep her family happy (Wallis 240). This causes the person to be stressed out and fatigued. People need to realize that it is fine to take a break from work once in a while. A person’s body has a certain limit for everything. When a person goes beyond that limit, the human body reacts and this causes stress and other health related issues. Stress leads to fights which lead to broken relationships. Are you ready to forget about family and only focus on your career? Most would say that there needs to be balance so that one can be successful at work and at the same time, maintain good relationships with his/her family. All in all, work may have a positive effect on our lives, but in excess it can ruin a person’s life and even break up families. Work can also make a person weary and tired. If you are in surgery, would you prefer a well rested doctor to operate on you or one who has been working the whole day with no break? I would surely opt for the rested one to make sure nothing would go wrong. People need to maintain a work-life balance so that the effects of work  don’t cause their life any harm. Works Cited de Graaf, John. Less Work, More Life. The Progressive Sept. 2010: 22+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. Ehrenreich, Barbara. Serving in Florida. 2001. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Boston: Bedford, 2008. 179-86. Print. Gardner, Marilyn. More Working Parents Play Beat the Clock. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 235-38. Print. Gillan, Audrey. Work until You Drop: How the Long-hours Culture Is Killing Us. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 20 Aug. 2005. Web. 06 Dec. 2012. Palmer, Kimberly. My Mother, Myself, Her Career, My Questions. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 243-45. Print. Seligson, Hannah. When the Work-Life Scales Are Unequal. The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. Wallis, Claudia. The Case for Staying at Home. 2006. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Bedford, Freeman Worth Pub., 2008. 240-41. Print.

Discussing Teens Drug Abuse Problems Social Work Essay

Discussing Teens Drug Abuse Problems Social Work Essay There are various drugs which are abused by teenagers and adults. Most of these are addictive and have adverse health effects to users. The common drugs of choice are alcohol, cigarettes, speed, prescription drugs, heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Alcohol is the most abused drug, and it inhibits judgment among users (Stimson 34-48). Long term use leads to liver and kidney failure. Tobacco, or cigarettes are one of the most addictive drugs and their long term use leads to development of cancer, impotency, lung collapse and others. Cocaine and heroine are drugs which are injected, smoked or taken orally. They are very addictive and they distort reality among users. Long term use may lead to heart problems, mental disorders and high blood pressure. Sharing of needles may transmit STDs while drug overdose may be fatal. Marijuana is another common drug abused and it distorts reality among users. Long term use may lead to mental damage, and some researchers have linked it to development of s chizophrenia. Prescription drugs are also commonly abused by the old and young alike. Although done innocently, these drugs may cause sudden death due to overdose or fatal combination of drugs, as has been witnessed among many celebrities who have died early due to use of prescription drugs (Isralowitz 122-123). Causes of drug abuse There are various causes of drug abuse. Drug abuse can be blamed on parents, friends, individuals and society at large. These causes will be briefly discussed to show how everyone is responsible for the problem of drug abuse. Lack of parental supervision Parents have an important role in their childs upbringing. They serve an important purpose of instilling values in their children through socialization at early age. Parents should ensure that their children are morally upright and that they do not engage in social vices. However, in the modern world, parents have put professional lives ahead of their families and delegated the role of raising children to nannies and teachers. As a result, the children do not acquire much needed guidance on lifes issues, and many end up taking drugs through peer influence. Lack of supervision from parents, who pursue their careers at the expense of their families, can therefore be blamed for the high number of drug abuse cases among teenagers. Parents should supervise their children at all times to avoid negative influence from peers. Poor communication between parents and teens Lack of communication between children and parents, especially during teenage years is also another causality of drug use. Many teenagers are unable to effectively communicate with their parents since neither group understands the others needs. Parents appear too harsh to teenagers while teenagers appear to demanding to parents. When parents and teenagers are unable to effectively communicate about issues teenagers face, teenagers are left to seek advice from peers, who may influence them to take drugs. Parents should understand childrens needs and vice verse, if drug abuse is to be eliminated. Mental Physical abuse Domestic violence and abuse has been one of the most common triggers of drug abuse. When people are emotionally or physically abused, and they do not seek help, they may engage in drugs to forget their problems. Since most abuse cases are perpetrated by close family members, this makes it harder for victims to overcome, and many opt to try out drugs, which they perceive will distort reality and make them forget their concerns (United States Department of Justice Website 2000). Drugs of choice in such circumstances include alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. However, victims are unaware that use of drugs increases their problems since it leads to addiction, which needs to be treated. Publicizing abuse, passing tough laws and offering free help to victims will help reduce abuse cases and thereby reduce drug use cases. Media influence Media influence is a major causality of drug abuse, especially regarding drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. The media makes it appear cool to use such drugs through flashy advertisements in the media. However, less emphasis is placed on adverse effects of such drugs; hence teenagers are influenced to use them without enough information on repercussions faced due to drug use. This leads to addiction, and by the time victims realize, they cannot do without drugs. This influence from media can be stemmed through use of warning labels and bans on certain forms of drug advertising which targets the youth. Warning signs There are various symptoms and warning signs which are associated with drug use. These symptoms vary according to drugs used, genetic make up of users, quantity used, personality and other aspects. It is important to note that presence of a particular symptom does not automatically means that the individual abuses drugs, rather that it shows that further investigation should be done to ascertain drug use by the individual. Some of these signs are discussed below; Dropping Grades Sudden drop of grades without clear reasons may indicate drug use. This may be linked to missing of classes when taking drugs, or harmful effects of drugs which affect the brain and cause poor academic performance. This behavior is usually accompanied by disrespect for school authorities and fellow students. Missing Curfew Missing curfews without adequate explanation of ones whereabouts may also indicate drug use. When teenagers are unable to explain their movements, this shows that they are secretive, and drug use may explain this situation. However, teenagers movements should be established before accusing them of drug use. Disrespectful to parents Drug users are usually disrespectful to other people. This is due to the label which society gives them of drug addicts, which makes them harbor hatred towards society. Teenagers who use drugs are unable to explain their odd behavior to parents and much resort to disrespect as a means of covering up drug use (Giannini 69-73). Others are influenced by drugs to make irrational choices leading to disrespect of family, friends and the community. Stealing lying Stealing is a common trait amongst drug users and it emanates from the need to purchase drugs. Drugs are expensive to purchase and drug users may be forced to steal from family and friends to maintain the vice. When questioned about it, they are likely to lie about it. This makes it a symptom of drug abuse, and parents should be careful to note such behavior from their children. Who to blame Various discussions have centered on who is to blame for the problem of drug abuse. However, there is consensus that everyone is to blame for the problem. Parents have neglected their children and left nannies and teachers to raise them, as they pursue professional goals. Teachers have also neglected students since they focus on academic curriculum at the expense of social development. The society has tolerated drug abuse and perceived it as normal behavior without taking action against drug users (Roleff 39-44). This has left adolescents to seek advice from peers, who may influence them to abuse drugs. Teachers and parents ought to give attention to teenagers and advice them on harmful effects of drug use. The society should also condemn and punish drug users, since this will deter them from practicing the same. Risks involved There are many risks which are involved in drug use. These risks affect the health of the user, their relationships with family, society and friends, and their ability to achieve full potential in later life. In addition to this, some risks may be potentially fatal to users. Risks associated with drug abuse include addiction, health problems, transmission of STDs, accidents, mental disorders and problems with law enforcers. These risks will be discussed below in more detail; Addiction Most drugs are addictive to users. The degree of addiction varies according to several factors including specific drug used, genetic make up of user, quantities used and other factors. However, since most drugs are addictive, users become dependent on the drugs for performance of everyday activities. Drug addiction is the most harmful effect of drugs since it ensures that users are unable to quit drugs, and instead use more quantities of drugs to achieve the state of intoxication over time. Some of the most addictive drugs include cocaine, heroine and tobacco. However, other drugs such as alcohol, prescription drugs and marijuana are also addictive and may make users dependent on them. This makes it expensive to sustain abuse, and users may use illegal means of getting money to satisfy the addiction. Drug manufacturers use the aspect of addiction to ensure they have a steady supply of cash from addicts. STDS Many drugs affect the ability to make reasonable judgments by users. Some drugs, especially alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other hard drugs interfere with decision making abilities of users and may allow them to engage in irresponsible sexual behavior. This behavior may lead to transmission of STDs among people who engage in this behavior after drug abuse. In addiction, users who share needles when injecting themselves may acquire STDs as a result. Some STDs such as HIV are incurable and developing them leads to fatalities after a period of time. Others which are curable are expensive to treat, which leads to financial burdens on families of such drug users. Health problems Several health problems are linked to drug use. In fact, all drugs have a side effect or health problem associated with it. Drugs such as alcohol lead to kidney and liver failure while others such as tobacco may lead to development of cancer or lung damage (Learn about alcoholism website 2009). Hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin may lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. As earlier stated, sharing of needles may transmit STDs. It is clear that all drugs have adverse health repercussions. This leads to high medical costs to victims, and these problems may also lead to fatalities. This is an economic cost to families and governments around the world. Drug overdose may lead to instant death to users. Mental disorders There are various drugs which may lead to the development of mental disorders amongst users. These drugs adversely affect the brain leading to distortion of reality, leading to mental disorders. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin and others have been known to cause psychosis and illusions, which may develop into mental disorders. People with such disorders may perform unreasonable acts as they perceive themselves as normal and the rest as abnormal. These disorders are expensive to treat, and may at times be incurable to victims. Accidents Many accidents are caused by drivers or pedestrians who have taken drugs. Alcohol is the most common drug linked to accidents, although others also lead to accidents in our roads. In the US, over 37,000 people died as a result of accidents caused by drink-driving, while this figure exceeded 41,000 in the previous year. These figures show the severity of the matter. This is a matter of great concern especially when sober drivers are exposed to accidents caused by drunk drivers, which end up taking their lives. There are also other accidents at the workplace which are caused by working while intoxicated, especially in industrial plants where there is dangerous machinery. Accidents cause serious injuries or fatalities to victims. Trouble with the law Many drug users are arrested at some point in their lives due to drug use. Drug use causes addiction, which forces users to seek more. Since most drugs are illegal, law enforcers arrest drug users through elaborate schemes and plans put in place to deter drug use. Arrests over drug use have adverse repercussions including heavy fines and prison sentences. It also leaves a record which may affect future employment opportunities. Families suffer when breadwinners are arrested, and one loses employment when arrest over drugs is publicized. This creates a large population of social deviants who are a liability to society. Solutions In order to solve the problem of drug abuse, each society stakeholder should join efforts to fight the vice. The problem of drug abuse needs to be publicized and help given to drug users. In addition, stiffer punishment should be given to traffickers. These and more interventions will be discussed below; Family Counseling Counseling is the first step in solving the drug abuse problem. Users need to accept that they face a problem and counseling will enable them see the effects of drugs to themselves and their families. Family counseling also teaches families to be supportive of drug users in attempts to stop drugs (Evans Sullivan 75-76). This is important as drug users have families as primary socialization units. Family counseling should also address problems such as domestic violence which are causalities of drug abuse. Community and youth programs Community and youth programs educate youth on harmful effects of drugs. These programs also offer youth alternative activities to do with leisure time such as sports activities. When youth are aware of harmful effects of drugs, they are likely to avoid using them, thereby reducing the problem of drug abuse. Harsher punishment In order to deter trafficking and sale of drugs, laws which heavily punish drug use and trafficking ought to be passed. These should involve heavy fines and long prison sentences. When such laws are passed, they will deter drug traffickers, and when drugs are unavailable, the problem of drug abuse will reduce, if not completely eradicated. Harsh laws are very effective in deterring commission of crime. Communication In order to solve the drug problem, better communication between teenagers, teachers and parents should be developed. This will enable teenagers to share their concerns with parents and guardians, who will advice them on choices to make as opposed to peers, who may give wrong guidance and direction. Communication will also provide opportunities to teenagers to be aware of adverse effects of drug use. Summary The problem of drug use has been discussed in detail. Common drugs abused have also been discussed. Drugs have been seen to be harmful not only to users but also to their friends and families. Their harmful effects include health complications, fatalities, loss of employment, and economic burdens amongst other effects. Every member of the society is responsible for the problem of drug abuse and appropriate interventions should be implemented to discourage the vice. These include communication with teenagers, stricter laws against drug trafficking, family counseling and community programs which publicize the problem of drug use. This will ensure that teenagers are safe and free from drug abuse.