Zerg vs. Protoss :: essays research papers

Zerg V. Protoss   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On planet Char, controlled by the mind controlling warp weapon, the Zergs, a fierce alien race, were at war with the Terren, a human like race. The Zerg were being pushed off their own planet. So Kerrigan, the leader of Zerg, devised a brilliant plan. She was going to genetically engineer a new breed to help destroy the Terren. They would combine part of them and the Terran to create the Protoss, a new alien race. Their plan is a success and their Protoss is powerful enough to push back the Terren. When Terren hears of the new breed, Protoss, they quickly challenges the Zergs to a battle in order to win over the Protoss. During the battle of Gloopinbopper, Zerg pushes on, with the help of the new creation Protoss. After days of battling and heavy losses they easily overruns the Terren and out numbers them ninety-eight thousand seven hundred and thirty four to thirty-seven thousand four hundred and fifty two. The Zerg’s final push to reconquer their home planet and retake the mind controlling warp weapon is once again a success. After the long and strenuous battle the Protoss begin to realize the sheer strength they possess within themselves. They decide that they are tired of being treated as pure slaves and begin to devise a plan to overthrow the Zergs and take over of the mind controlling warp weapon. After months of planning they finally have a devious idea on how to take over. But w hile still in the planning stages the Zerg realizes what they are planning and attack. The Protoss are caught off guard and have no choice but to retreat to the deserted planet of Pigglywigglywump. The Terren hear of what is going on between the Protoss and the Zerg. So they decide to use what little troops they have left to try to take over the weak Zerg and buy the Protoss time. With the time the Protoss gain they build a crystal powered mega bomb that is capable of destroying anything and everything around it, with the exception of the Protoss. In the meantime the Zerg have destroyed the Terran and are planning to continue their attack on the Protoss.

Unilever Org Structure

?Unilever has undergone various organizational structure changes since its inception. It initially started with a decentralized structure from 1950- 1980. Decentralization gave the company an advantage as they had the flexibility to change according to local consumer demand. They appointed managers who were local to that place so that the company had a good understanding of local market. The local managers were responsible for everything from marketing, sales and distribution.But Decentralization led Unilever to not have any common corporate culture or vision. It also led them to duplication of products, resulting in high costs. Moreover, they had less focus on globalization and couldn’t create global brands. In 1990 the company changed its structure based on business groups. The company became more centralized. They streamlined their operations so that they could get the products onto the market quickly. This structure too failed as they were no coordination between head offi ce, regional and national groups.The decisions were made by regional heads and local managers had no power to change them to suit to local markets. Finding a right balance between centralization and decentralization was their major problem. In 1999, Unilever decided to adopt a â€Å"Path to Growth Strategy†. They realized that they had a broad range of products and never had any focus on ones in which they were one among the top in market. So they switched to a structure based on global product divisions. Unilever was split into two separate global units namely Food and HPC headed by two executive directors.But they still had problems as the company had 2 separate chairmens in different countries which led them to operate as separate entities (Unilever NV and Unilever PLC. ). In 2005 as part of â€Å"one Unilever† Programme they scrapped this management structure by naming Patrick Cescau as single chief executive of Unilever. The company started to operate with matrix structure with multiple lines of authority based on product, regional and functional divisions. The company currently has 4 product divisions namely Foods, Personal Care, Home care and Refreshments headed by 4 different people.They have got 8 leads based on regional splits heading North America, Europe, North Asia, South East Asia and Australasia, South Asia, Latin America, Africa (Central Africa and South Africa) and Russia/North Africa and Middle East. In terms of functional division there is a finance, marketing, R&D and HR departments. This simplified management structure has given all the Unilever top managements greater accountability and better leadership. It has helped them to eliminate duplication, take faster decisions, target on specific products and capture the global and local market. Unilever Org Structure Unilever has undergone various organizational structure changes since its inception. It initially started with a decentralized structure from 1950- 1980. Decentralization gave the company an advantage as they had the flexibility to change according to local consumer demand. They appointed managers who were local to that place so that the company had a good understanding of local market. The local managers were responsible for everything from marketing, sales and distribution.But Decentralization led Unilever to not have any common corporate culture or vision. It also led them to duplication of products, resulting in high costs. Moreover, they had less focus on globalization and couldn’t create global brands. In 1990 the company changed its structure based on business groups. The company became more centralized. They streamlined their operations so that they could get the products onto the market quickly. This structure too failed as they were no coordination between head offic e, regional and national groups.The decisions were made by regional heads and local managers had no power to change them to suit to local markets. Finding a right balance between centralization and decentralization was their major problem. In 1999, Unilever decided to adopt a â€Å"Path to Growth Strategy†. They realized that they had a broad range of products and never had any focus on ones in which they were one among the top in market. So they switched to a structure based on global product divisions. Unilever was split into two separate global units namely Food and HPC headed by two executive directors.But they still had problems as the company had 2 separate chairmens in different countries which led them to operate as separate entities (Unilever NV and Unilever PLC. ). In 2005 as part of â€Å"one Unilever† Programme they scrapped this management structure by naming Patrick Cescau as single chief executive of Unilever. The company started to operate with matrix s tructure with multiple lines of authority based on product, regional and functional divisions. The company currently has 4 product divisions namely Foods, Personal Care, Home care and Refreshments headed by 4 different people.They have got 8 leads based on regional splits heading North America, Europe, North Asia, South East Asia and Australasia, South Asia, Latin America, Africa (Central Africa and South Africa) and Russia/North Africa and Middle East. In terms of functional division there is a finance, marketing, R&D and HR departments. This simplified management structure has given all the Unilever top managements greater accountability and better leadership. It has helped them to eliminate duplication, take faster decisions, target on specific products and capture the global and local market.

Financial statement analysis Essay

Financial statement analysis is a process which examines past and current financial data for the purpose of evaluating performance and projecting future risks and potential of a company. Financial statement analysis is used by various people and companies for different reasons, e.g. investors, creditors, lending officers, managers, employees and many other parties who rely on financial data for making economic decisions about a company. The objective of this David Jones financial statement analysis is to identify the company’s performance issues, to provide suggestions and recommendations by employing the Ratio Analysis method and analysing Profitability, Efficiency, Short and Long term Solvency, and by using Market Based Ratios. The following report outlines the financial performance of David Jones Limited based on the FY2011 & FY2012 Annual Reports. The key measures used to assess company performance are Profitability, Efficiency, Short & Long-term Solvency and Market-Based Ratios. David Jones has performed well in a few areas which include having solid cash flows, low debt, a strong balance sheet and assets in prime locations; however there is definite room for improvement with regards to sales performance, and it needs to address the high cost of sales and sluggish inventory in order to turn around company profitability and performance. We have studied your 2011 and 2012 financial reports and statements and can see that your company’s sales performance has been declining year on year. Sales revenue for FY2012 was down -4.8% when compared to FY2011, and FY2011 sales were down -4.45% vs. FY2010. Your chairman and management have blamed this on the depressed consumer sentiment and increased global competition as a result of the strong Australian currency. â€Å"The uncertainty of Europe and USA and volatility in global equity market have contributed to a general feeling of uncertainty, the strong Australian dollar also contributed to price deflation and encouraged spending offshore.† (page 2, Annual Report) Profitability In FY2012, all measures of profitability were considerably down on last year. Gross Profit was down from $767m to $670m, and the Gross Profit margin (GP %) was down 160bp to 37.5% (-4.2% on FY2011: 39.1%). The poor GP % has been the result of discounting in a competitive environment and dealing with excess inventory on hand at the commencement of FY2012 (page 5, Annual Report). When compared to your main competitor Myer (Market Capitalization 1.59b1 Vs. DJS 1.477b2), there is a large variance between the Gross Profit Margins of the two companies (Myer GP % FY2012: 49.3%3, +160bp from previous year, DJs-FY2012: 37.47% -160bp). This can be attributed to Myer’s much lower Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) (Myer 56% Vs. DJs 62.5% in FY2012). Myer has a competitive advantage in the marketplace with a larger network of stores and greater buying power. Their larger volume of purchases may mean they are able to obtain lower cost prices with suppliers. However, there are a few key areas you have identified in your Future Strategic Direction plan which we feel will assist in lowering your COGS and result in a better GP % rate. Firstly, signing exclusive brands to your portfolio will ensure product differentiation to customers and better control over supplier trading terms and prices. Secondly, the Cost Price Harmonisation that you are engaging in with suppliers (page 3, Annual Report) is key to maintaining your GP % and ensuring that your COGS do not rise and prices do not become uncompetitive with international retailers. Thirdly, discontinuing lower margin categories and moving towards a greater product mix of higher margin categories (page 4, Annual Report) will increase your GP % in the long run and ensure you maximize the profit outcome from the inventory you carry. For example, introducing more private label house brands could be one strategy in which to increase the proportion of higher margin products in your portfolio. The Net Profit Margin in FY2012 dropped drastically compared to FY2011 (-36.9%, $101 vs. $168 million), with sales revenue dropping -4.8% ($1.867b vs. $1.962b). It was however, on par with Myer at 5.4%. The main factor contributing to the big fall in net profit were the high operating expenses over FY2012. Depreciation expenses were up by +13.23%, leasing expenses were up by +6.1%, advertising and marketing had gone up +19%, administration expenses were up by +29.4%, and finance costs were up +40%. Excess inventory during the clearance period also resulted in heavier discounting and contributed to the fall in net profit. Whilst your company has noted Cost of Doing Business (CODB) Reductions as one of the points in your Future Strategic Direction Plan, there are many other areas that can be addressed to ease operating costs. For example, a reduction in the size of all or some of your retail stores will result in savings in store costs such as leasing, staff, utilities, and so on. This could be implemented in conjunction with the Omni Channel Retailing strategy as highlighted as the first point in your Future Strategic Direction Plan (page 3, Annual Report), as customers move away from traditional bricks and mortar shops and increasingly to online shopping destinations. The excellent growth rate in HY2013 of your online store4 highlights the opportunities in the online channel and the change in customer shopping behaviour. With regards to the Asset Turnover ratio, your company performed slightly better than Myer Holdings in FY2012 (1.5 Vs 1.34, Refer to Appendix B). Internally, there was an 8% drop that was due to sluggish sales performance (1.5 Vs. 1.63, Refer to Appendix A). Since your Net Profit Margin dropped dramatically in FY2012, the Return on Assets (ROA) followed suit and decreased by -41% (from 13.96 to 8.23, refer to Appendix A); not a good result in asset management performance. Your company’s property portfolio consists of 4 buildings valued at $612 million (page 5, Annual Report). All of these buildings are in the prime locations, with two in the Sydney CBD and two in the Melbourne CBD. The rental income is assumed to be in the vicinity of $39 million per annum (page 5, Annual Report). If a reduced size store was considered, a potential income of $10-15 million could be generated per annum, increasing the net profit percentage by 9-14% (Net Profit FY2012 – $101,103,000). Your company’s re-development consideration is a long-term process and we believe it will be successful in generating positive ROA with the appropriate planning. Improving the Gross Profit margin while maintaining current overheads will result in a positive increase in the Net Profit margin position and enhance the overall performance of the company. Efficiency Efficiency is more meaningful when compared to peers in the same industry and can assist in identifying businesses that are better managed relative to others. By comparing your figures with Myer, your company performed better in Inventory Turnover (89 days vs 96 days, Appendix A & Appendix B), which means you have a better stockturn and are generating revenue from your inventory in a shorter period of time. However, 89 days is still a fairly high measure as it means you are sitting on stock for an average of 3 months before it is sold through. To improve your inventory turnover, you could consider dropping your bestselling items more frequently to stores, but with smaller quantities each time. This will ensure that the stores which are selling through the stock quickest remain in stock at all times, without a large amount of unsold stock building up in the slower performing stores and affecting your inventory turnover. It also means you will be generating sales and cash more quickly from your stock investment. Myer performed slightly better on â€Å"Average Days Sales Uncollected† (DJS: 3.5 days vs. Myer: 2.5 days, Appendix A & B). To improve this measure for example, you could encourage more online sales to generate faster turnover into cash than store card sales which are monthly billings. Internally, FY2012 performed slightly better than FY2011 in Average Days Sales Uncollected (FY2012: 3.5 vs. FY2011: 4 days) but worse in Inventory Turnover (FY2012: 89 vs. FY2011: 87 days). The differences were negligible. Short-Term Solvency David Jones has a good ability to meet its short-term financial obligations, with a Current Ratio of 1.05 in FY2012 (Appendix A) outperforming Myer at 0.88 (Appendix B). However, since the Quick Ratio is not high at 14.4% (Appendix A), short-term liquidity could be an issue. When compared with Myer at 11% (Appendix B), David Jones has performed better. The Current Ratio performed better in FY2011 than FY2012 by 14.6% (Appendix A). The main reason for this is the 15.1% increase in Current Liability ($306 million Vs. $266 million), with the $40 million difference due to an increase in Account Payables. There is no change in the Quick Ratio from FY2011 to FY2012 (14.4%), i.e. on the low side and short-term liquidity can be an issue, should not allow it to be deteriorate. The â€Å"Cash & Cash Equivalents† and â€Å"Receivables† figures totaled $36.935 million which represented around 14% of â€Å"Payables† in the 2012 Annual Report. In order to achieve a better short-term liquidity position, a more efficient ordering & inventory control system should be implemented. Less inventory on hand equates to more cash and liquidity. Excess inventory can jeopardize a company’s liquidity, in addition to causing stock problems and markdowns at the end of a season as was evidenced in FY2012. Long-Term Solvency You company performed much better than Myer Holdings in the area of Long-Term Solvency. Your company has demonstrated consistency in this area and long-term solvency should not be an immediate issue with your organization. The Debt to Equity ratio showed that there was an increase of 11% in FY2012 compared with FY2011 (Refer to Appendix A), i.e. the liability has gone up relative to shareholders’ equity. The main contribution to the increase is due to the +22.3% ($265m Vs. $216m) increase in the Payables account. It is important to ensure that this trend does not continue and that debt does not continue to rise when compared to equity levels. With strong non-current assets of $917 million & total assets in excess of $1.24 billion, the Debt to Total Assets ratio is healthy, with FY2011 at 35% and FY2012 at 37% (Refer to Appendix A) respectively. The extra 2% was due to the liability increase and it was the fallout of excess inventory as discussed in the short-term solvency section. Market-based Ratios To calculate the Price/Earnings (P/E) Ratio, we used the share price on 16/5/2013 ($2.80). This equates to a PE ratio of 14.43, with the Earnings yield ratio at 6.93% and the Dividend yield ratio at 6.25% (dividend was 17.5c). Myer Holdings’ dividend yield was around 7% (dividend of 19c with share price at $2.70). The market-based ratio is higher than your main competitor (Myer PE ratio is 11.8)5. However the Price/Earnings ratio indicates that today’s share price of the company is on the low side as it is below 15. The majority of analysts believe that the company is performing below par and do not recommend buying or holding David Jones shares at the moment. Eva Brocklehurst of FNArean.com is quoted as saying in March 2013, † David Jones (DJS) is transforming. For brokers it’s not a moment too soon, as department stores have been plagued by a soft consumer environment and a need to respond to new trends in shopping. In its first half results the company has flagged progress with its strategic plan, reducing costs and expanding margins. Earnings were ahead of expectations for the half but sales growth was not. What pleased was the increased margin. What concerns brokers? Most importantly, a lack of sales momentum. There’s no Buy rating on the FNArena database. Two brokers have downgraded ratings to Sell in the wake of the results. There are five Sell ratings. There was one upgrade to Hold, and there are three Hold ratings. The consensus target price is $2.73, suggesting 11.5% downside to the last traded share price. A dividend yield of 5.5% is reflected in consensus earnings forecasts for FY13.†6 Performance Issues As highlighted above, your declining sales performance is the biggest concern for shareholders and needs to be addressed immediately. Whilst earnings were ahead of expectations, this was managed by cost reductions and a move towards increased margins. An improvement in sales in conjunction with the efforts you’re undertaking to reduce expenses and the cost of doing business will result in an improvement in the bottom line and signal confidence in the company and a turnaround for investors. David Jones has been labelled as an up-market department store. Australia’s $12 billion fashion retail industry is forecast to grow by only 0.5% in FY2012 with only an average 1.2% annualised growth expected for the next 5 years, according to analysis group IBISWorld. Furthermore, IBISWorld says shoppers are now more likely to buy low to mid-range priced clothing which has contributed to the declining value of retail sales. In general, the outlook is not too positive for the industry.7 Greater differentiation is required between David Jones and Myer in order to attract and retain customers. Mark Ritson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Melbourne Business School commented, â€Å"David Jones and Myer are just two sides of same boring coin.† He says, â€Å"I still believe to this day that most people coming out of either David Jones or Myer on Bourke Street don’t know which one they just come out of.†7 Some of the issues have been addressed by your company’s Future Strategic Direction Plan, for example, a move towards Omni Channel Retailing, building a â€Å"Home of Brands† strategy which differentiates David Jones from Myer, and cost improvements including GP margin improvements, CODB reductions and Cost Price Harmonisation with suppliers (pages 3-6, Annual Report). Conclusion A thorough review of your company’s FY2011 and FY2012 Financial Report & Statements has indicated that David Jones has a strong balance sheet, solid cash flows, low debt, and assets in prime locations. David Jones has performed on par, or better than Myer in the areas of Net Profit Margin, Asset Turnover, Inventory Turnover, and Short & Long-term Solvency. However, the company’s declining sales performance is the biggest area of concern. Almost all measures of profitability were worse than Myer and have been falling when compared to David Jones’ own performance in prior years. We believe that further differentiation from Myer, cost reductions & margin improvements, harmonization of prices to become more competitive with international competitors, better inventory management & a reduction in excessive stock, reduced retail floor space, and the move towards Omni-Channel Retailing will enhance the value of your company and result in better performance for all stakeholders. We hope this report has provided insightful recommendations into improving the performance of your company. This report has been generated for your company’s own reference and not for any other purposes. Other companies or individuals should not use or rely on any material contained within this report without the consent of our office.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Essay

Out of the three that I chose, the program that I feel that would be the most valuable for the organization that was profiled in Appendix A is Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services. Program’s Objective: The objective of the block grants for community mental health services program is to provide territories and states with assistance financially in the making of their plans to provide mental health services to adults and children, as well as monitoring all progress and providing technical assistance. Eligibility: The States and U.S Territory Governments are eligible applicants and the recipients of States and U.S Territory Governments are the beneficiaries. Type of Assistance: This particular program is provided with Formula Grants Dollar Range and Average Amount of Assistance Awarded: The dollar range that is listed for this program is $50,000 to $53,096,425. The Average amount of assistance that is awarded is $6,761,619. How this program is utilized by the organization that is profiled in Appendix A: The organization in Appendix A’s needs are that they are able to provide psychiatric counseling services to the residents of El Paso County who are considered to be low income. I believe that the block grants for community mental health services program would benefit the state of Texas by providing funding so that this program can continue services and develop new innovative ideas and future plans to better its services. Since residents only need to pay an amount that is based on their income I believe that the cost would work well for them as well.

Spectator Violence at Sporting Events

â€Å"These people want to hurt you. It†s frightening. You feel like you†re in a cage out there†. Reggie Smith, (Berger, 1990). Spectator violence at sporting events has been recorded throughout history. People who have power over the events, often team owners, indirectly influence the amount of spectator violence by encouraging the factors contributing to violence, in order to benefit themselves. Sale of alcohol, encouraging crowd intensity, creating rivalries, and targeting social groups, are factors affecting the degree of spectator violence and can be proven to be influenced by the owner†s actions. Therefore the blame for spectator violence can be attributed to whoever has power over the sport. Many historians suggest that an increase in spectator violence coincides with the commercialization of sports. Anthropologists agree that in societies where games were not for profit, they were enjoyed as celebrations of physical skill without competitiveness or violence between players or spectators (Berger, 1990). However, when people gained power or financially from the sporting events, spectator violence increased (Berger, 1990). Public spectacles and games were part of the Roman Empire. Each emperor had an amphitheater and the size of the crowd reflected the emperor†s wealth or power. The emperor through crowd excitement could influence spectator violence to such an extent that gladiators could be killed or freed depending on the crowd†s effect on the emperor (Robinson, 1998). The emperor encouraged the Roman working class, â€Å"to forget their own suffering, by seeing others suffer,† while the senators, and emperor would benefit financially from gambling profits (Robinson, 1998). With the commercialization of sports, owners† profits increased with alcohol sales. Beer drinking has been an integral part of sports since the late 1870†³s. Chris van der Alie noticed that his saloon did well when St. Louis Brown Stockings were in town. As a result, he decided to sell beer at the games. On February 12, 1880, Alie signed a contract with the Browns allowing him to sell alcohol on their property (Johnson, 1988). During a game on July 6, 1881, the first alcohol related brawl broke out in the crowd, injuring twenty spectators and killing two (Johnson, 1998). The signed contract with the Browns† was a financial bonus for the owner, however permitting alcohol to be sold, might have indirectly contributed to the injuries and deaths. Alcohol sales contribute financial support to teams. â€Å"Without beer companies as sponsors, the teams would have trouble making ends meet. † Bob Whitsitt, president of Seattle Supersonics, (Berger, 1990). The more alcohol consumed, the more revenue for the owners. During the 1987-1988 season the Cincinnati Reds sold 12,610 half-barrels and 35,365 cases of beer. The amount of beer consumed averages out to a pint for every man, woman, and child who attended the 81 games the team played at home (Johnson, 1988). The team†s owner benefited with a financial profit of over 1 million dollars. Sponsorship or ownership of teams by alcohol manufacturers, increases the alcohol sales. The first major partnership of beer and baseball dates from the 1953 purchase of the Cardinals by August A. Busch, Jr. , president of the Anheuser-Busch brewery (Johnson, 1988). In twenty-five years its† sales soared from fewer than 6 million barrels a year to more than 35 million (Johnson, 1988). In addition to direct profit, alcohol also indirectly increases profit through increased attendance. In 1974, when the Cleveland Indians† fan attendance was down, the owner implemented â€Å"Beer Night† where they sold beers for 10 cents at the first game of a three game series against the Texas Rangers (Berger, 1990). Attendance was up by 3500. The night turned out to be the first and last â€Å"Beer Night†. When a brawl occurred during the 5th inning, hundreds of Indian fans charged the field and beat up the Texas Ranger players. Seventy-six people were arrested. All were intoxicated (Berger, 1990). There†s no question that the beer played a great part in the affair† (GM Eddie Robinson). Eddie Robinson did not apologize for the incident, and it took Lee MacPhail, president of American League to intervene and ban the beer nights (Johnson, 1988). The rowdy behavior contributed by alcohol consumption often accompanies the throwing of beverage containers. Cups, bottles, and cans act as stimuli and provide a throwing opportunity. In 1988, Pete Rose of Cincinnati Reds was pelted with full cups of beer and whiskey bottles, when he stormed out of the dugout to dispute a call. It was insane, many of the fans were throwing unopened beer cans† Pete Rose, (Johnson, 1988). To restrain spectator violence, many agree with not selling alcohol at sporting events. â€Å"The selling of alcohol at sporting events should be banned† (Johnson, 1988). Other solutions have been implemented, such as limiting drinking to designated areas, selling low alcohol beer, and making it more difficult to buy. The solution of prohibiting alcohol at games was never implemented (Johnson, 1988) Alcohol sales increase revenue; profits keep the owners satisfied. The owners to increase entertainment and increase attendance often promote other stimulants such as music, hearing obscenities, and aggressive play in the event or in the stands. Since sports are a source of entertainment, loud music and aggressive play in the event pump up the crowds, increasing the fans† enthusiasm. Hearing obscenities can be contagious and escalate into more swearing, name calling and fighting. An obscene cheer starts with two fans, increases to eight and soon a whole section is vibrating to the pulse. If fans take exception to the obscenities individual fights break out building into group fights, as friends come to assist. Owners are often able to control the crowd†s involvement in the game with the type of music they play and how loud they control the volume (Robinson, 1998). An excited, participatory crowd heightens the atmosphere and increases future ticket sales, benefiting the owner. However, the same atmosphere can increase hostility leading to fan violence. Basketball games attract anywhere from twenty to thirty thousand fans, whereas a gymnastic competition may attract a few hundred (Robinson, 1998). This is party due to the loud, exciting atmosphere at a basketball game. Goldstein did a study comparing crowd hostility before and after a basketball game to before and after a gymnastic competition. He proved that the hostility increased considerably for the basketball fans, and also discovered that hostility occurred no matter if the fan was rooting for the winning or the losing team (Robinson, 1998). Large sport events like basketball often use music to increase the crowd†s hostility and competitive awareness of the game. Owners often don†t realize at what point hostility turns to fan violence. This may have been the situation for Dan Goodenow, organizer of the 1988 Martin Luther King Classic basketball tournament where 5 fans were arrested, a man's face slashed, and a police officer injured during a riot (Atyeo, 1979). Coaches and game officials blamed the rap group Public Enemy, who played before the game shouting obscenities, carrying plastic guns, and working up the crowd to an extent of raucous excitement (Chapman, 1988). Owners or school leaders help create team rivalry by encouraging fans, through city or school patriotism, to support their team. With media support, owners use historical team rivalry, competitive stories, propaganda and team loyalty to promote high-ticket sales and increase profits. Excessive promotion of rivalry changes crowd cheers to jeers that can lead to violence. The most common rivalries are school rivalries. Starting as far back as 1899 the students of Colorado School of Mines and those of Colorado College would celebrate victory by using dynamite to blow up the rival†s goal posts (Taylor, 1992). During one game the presidents of the universities promoted the final game, as â€Å"The top college in Colorado will win† (Taylor, 1992). By game time, most students from both schools were there to cheer their teams on. When Colorado College was down their fans, frustrated by the score and the name-calling, stormed the field at half time where a riot broke out. When rivalry was claimed to be a factor it was no longer promoted, and violence diminished (Taylor, 1992). A similar example of rivalry leading to hostility occurred in the 1999 Red Feather game Banting vs. Westminster. To encourage attendance and raise money for charities both schools had pep rallies to pump up the students by using music, videos and chants. During half time the two schools emerged towards the center of the field taunting each other. The organizers of the rallies intent on boosting ticket sales inadvertently encouraged spectator violence. There is an increase in violence following sporting events promoting rivalry as compared to regular promotion, as seen in professional boxing following a highly talked about match. The promoters in boxing do everything they can to make sure the matches turn out violent to satisfy the crowd. David C. Phillips a sociologist studied the rate of homicides following highly publicized heavyweight championship fights. The survey was done the 3 weeks following each of 18 highly publicized bouts from 1973-1978 compared to those bouts with normal publicity (Davidson, 1983). Phillips found that there were 193 more murders, in the surrounding areas, after the promoted fights as compared to the norms (Davidson, 1983). After the highly promoted Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier fight on October 1, 1975, the murder rate shot up thirty-two percent (Davidson, 1983). Phillips theory is â€Å"people see how violence is prized in the boxing ring and come to believe that violence outside the ring will also be rewarded† (Davidson, 1983). The rewards however, are the financial rewards to the owners, through increased ticket sales and media advertising. Spectator violence may be parallel to violence in the society. For example in a violent society, play will be violent, whereas in a peaceful society play will be more peaceful. The make up of the social group contributes to the possibility of violence. Spectators can be divided into different social classes and the event advertised in areas where a particular social group is targeted for ticket sales. Often working class males are targeted, as their values and attitudes of aggressiveness, fearlessness and toughness are well suited to competitive sports (Bonney & Giulianotti, 1994). They are likely to be the fans that are betting on the game or are there for the thrills (Berger, 1990). These fans are more likely to attend contact sporting events such as rugby and to be violent, compared to the upper class fans who analyze the game are more likely to attend a cricket match. In the sport soccer, hooligans who dominate the crowds are mainly males who generally act in rough, noisy behavior (Taylor, 1992). They have lawless fun, fighting spectators, throwing objects and vandalizing property. Most hooligans are from the working class. They have low ambitions, violent behavior and high stress levels (Bonney & Giulianotti, 1994). They act out their frustrations, like the Roman working class, by attending sporting events where they loose their individualities. Fans in Glasgow, Scotland, trampled sixty-six persons to death when they tried to return to the stadium they had just left upon hearing that a last-minute goal had been scored. Berger, 1982). â€Å"Hooliganism gives the organization of a team motivation with their traditional cheers and it builds the atmosphere which builds a team† Lesie Davis, management of Peru†s soccer organization (Taylor, 1992). Major soccer teams target this low-income social class because it brings atmosphere to the game and alcohol sales and profits increase (Shumacher, 1975). In marketing ticket sales for most team sports, owners target males nineteen to forty-five. Sixty three percent of males and twenty percent of females in that age range are involved with sports whether they participate in them, or follow them (Oliver, 1971). Team owners often exclusively target males, resulting in an increase of ticket sales and merchandise. However, when males are bonded they often act violently emphasizing their masculinity, machismo, bravery and fighting skills (Tiger, 1970). Many teams in the American Baseball League in the 1970†³s were having problems concerning fan violence, and found the main instigators were males. They changed the games to Sunday, traditionally a family day and encouraged female fans by admitting them free. With women and family present the men were less likely to loose their individuality and act violently as a group. The results for the next 5 years were positive as fan violence decreased by 30 percent (Berger, 1990). By studying the occurrences, degrees, and causes of fan violence over history, owners are able to decrease the incidents of fan violence while maintaining profits and entertainment value of their organization. Slowly but effectively owners, teams, coaches and professional leagues are creating solutions to minimize fan violence. The American Baseball League, National Baseball League and the National Basketball Association participate in TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management), which is a program for training everyone from vendors to ushers in handling people who have had too much to drink (Berger, 1982). Many of the NFL teams have moved their tailgate parties outside the stadium to eliminate the hostility caused by loud rock bands on the premises (Berger. 1990). Security cameras have been installed in many of the soccer stadiums and transportation centers to games, spotting the fans that cause the violence, and acting as deterrents for others. Controlled drinking areas, entrance controlled security checks, and increased visible security personnel are measures, which have helped to reduce fan violence in all sports. Most important, the owners need to be aware that some of their actions to benefit their organization have an indirect influence on the factors for fan violence. Sport is a basic feature of Australian culture. The achievements of Australian athletes have enhanced our image as a nation. Participation in sporting activities contributes to the health of millions of Australians; the teamwork and fair play which Australians learn on the playing field provide the basis for a good society. But Australian sport is not without shortcomings. Whilst sporting violence, on the part of both participants and spectators, is less frequent and less severe in Australia than in many overseas locations, it remains grounds for concern. Violence on the playing field sets a bad example for impressionable young Australians. Unruly crowd behaviour can spoil a pleasant family outing.

Corrections and Rehabilitation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corrections and Rehabilitation - Research Paper Example In the early days these were the unwritten rules of those particular societies but all of them had a few characteristics in common like stealing, cheating, murder, embezzlement etc. were considered bad in all the societies. Today, almost all the nations have their own sets of rules that are termed as ‘laws’. Not abiding by the written or given laws is considered a deviance and termed as crime. Looking through history, we find that imprisoning was not a punishment in itself but it is a relatively new idea. Prisons were first used to keep criminals until the time of their execution. It was also used to detain debtors until they made their payments. The modern prison system was born in London in the 1860`s that prisons as known today become commonplace. Imprisoning the criminals is not the ultimate solution. They will eventually be released from prisons and will have to rehabilitate in the society. The important factor is how to re-establish them into the normal stream of t he society. It is not in the nature of humans to commit crimes but they due to different circumstances are forced to commit crimes. There is no unlimited resource of confining the criminals in penitentiaries for an unlimited period and it is against the basic human rights. Therefore, correcting and rehabilitating the criminals is of the same, if not more, importance than imprisoning them. (History, 2012) This concept is evolving to make our society a better and safe place. It is of extreme importance to the government as running prisons has a great cost. If the prisoners can be managed and rehabilitated in the society smoothly, the tax payer`s money can be put to better use. Realizing the significance of this issue the government has established many state run rehabilitation and correction centers like the Florida Department of Corrections (Florida Department of Corrections, 2012). Reducing recidivism also has a direct impact on society as a whole as the criminals are a part of the society. According to a research, religious activities, religious talks, vocational talks and strong family bondages have a positive effect on reducing recidivism (Che Din). LITERARTURE RIVIEW Since the evolution of the modern criminal justice system, there has been a debate as to how to convert the law breakers into law abiding citizens. That is in effect a discussion as to how to rehabilitate them into the society. It has been argued that there is a cost of ignoring rehabilitation to the effect that there is no concrete evidence that correctional programs either decrease recidivism or generate any other optimistic gains for offenders. However, in contrast to this an argument has been raised that rehabilitation programs have remedial effect on the criminals and has helped many in settling back into the society. A survey carried out has demonstrated that the public supports a correctional system that is both punitive and rehabilitating. To conclude rehabilitation in a wider perspect ive is a better course to follow (Cullen, 2000). The Florida Department of Corrections (Florida DC) is the third largest state prison system in the USA. In its mission statement, it is stated that Florida DC exists to protect public safety and to provide proper care and supervision of all the offenders under its jurisdiction providing them with all the assistance to help them re-enter into the society.

How Does Paid Employment Affect The Identity Essay - 4

How Does Paid Employment Affect The Identity - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in order to have paid employment exert friendly influences on one’s identity, it consequently becomes highly important to learn all the critical ways to thrive in a career in a very positive and professional manner. This remains a reality that employment heavily interferes with one’s identity, self-esteem, and psychological satisfaction either in a positive or negative way. Also, there definitely exists a direct relationship between a worker’s identity and the amount of salary on which he or she is employed in any organization. Workers getting high salaries tend to be more satisfied with their identities and enjoy high self-esteem in comparison to low-profile workers who get paid poorly and who also consequently, tend to face the pressures of low self-esteem and poor social identities. Maintaining the nature of work identity also holds huge importance once a worker enters the workplace and the type of management pr acticed in that workplace also shares a relationship with whether a worker would be able to maintain his or her identity or not. Much research has been done on workers’ identities, which has effectively changed the way relationship with organizations is perceived presently by the workers. More and more managers these days are seen increasingly focus on the concept of organizational culture and trying developing familiarity with the organizational culture and the nature of culture-oriented issues helps in proper maintenance of identity. It is mentioned by Grey that a highly professional and concerned approach is required in every organizational setup for addressing various critically important factors like workers’ skills and identity issues. The concept of organizational culture is heavily related to the potential to reformulate the concept of workforce identity, as mentioned in the work compiled by Grey. It is discussed by the author in the book that cultural concept got introduced in the American management system earlier in the 1980s. Actually, the cultural idea proposes that the organizational practices should be designed in such a way that they would promote the shared values because the establishment of shared values ultimately leads to solidifying the workers’ identities, as already discussed. For stable cultural management, it is critically important that the staff should have a firm belief in values instead of going along with the orders of the managers like feeling fewer automatons. There should remain no distance between individuals’ purposes and those of the organization in which they are employed. According to the theoretical approach introduced by Willmott, culture management has the serious potential to reformulate identity in harmony with the managerial doctrine. This theoretical approach professes that culture management should actually be perceived as a powerful tool through which internal world of an organization can be reshaped in terms of the identity of people at work. With the help of a historical approach, Grey discusses how Japanese managers laid greater emphasis on motivating the employees in order to commit them to working on united goals during the 1970s and 1980s, so that company output could be enhanced along with customer service.