Education Finance Essay

1. 1Background to the Study The importance of education particularly in the 21st century to the total development of an individual is increasingly being over emphasized. This is due to the fact that an uneducated individual has little or nothing to offer the society; in terms of acquired wisdom. It is therefore not surprising that most parents are now developing keen interest about the education of their children, a situation that leads them to want to know more as well as partake in what goes on within the school system. In all countries of the world, education is recognized as the cornerstone of any structure for sustainable development of any nation. It is a fulcrum around which the quick development of economic, political, sociological and human country revolves. In Nigeria, the demand for popular education is so high because education is not only an investment in human capital, but also pre-requisite as well as correlated for economic development (Adeyemo 2000). The belief that education is an engine of growth rests on the quantity and quality of education in any country. In fact, the National Policy on Education (1981:6) states that education is the greatest investment that the nation can make for the quick development of its economic, political, sociological and human resources. It further adds that education shall continue to be highly rated in the national development plans because education is the most important instrument of change and that any fundamental change in the intellectual and social outlook of any society has to be preceded by educational revolution. Education, from the pragmatics perspective could be seen as the organization of experience into a holistic social intelligence for dealing with future experiences. The idealists see education as the cultivation of the desirable state of mind. Sociologically, it is seen as the dissemination of culture to the young generation. In other words, education is the â€Å"process by which the individual acquires the many physical and social capabilities demanded of him by the group into which he is born and within which he must function†,(Ohikhokhai, 2002 :154). A Similar definition by Fafanwa states: It is the aggregate of all the processes by which a child or adult develops the abilities, attitudes and other forms of behaviour which are of positive value to the society in which he lives, that is to say it is a process of disseminating knowledge either to ensure social control or to guarantee rational direction of the society or both. (Fafanwa, 1972: 8) There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria’s educational system at every level (Primary, Secondary and tertiary) has been experiencing a down turn in the last few years. One of such reasons could be attributed to the under financing of the educational sector. The success of a child in education depends largely on what the child is taught in primary school. In other words, primary school education is a foundation upon which all other levels of education are built. Many researches have revealed that good teaching particularly at the primary level, lay a solid foundation for higher studies and can make a lot of difference in pupils learning and ability to cope with other life challenges (Adepoju 2001). In order words, since the rest of the education system is built upon primary education, the primary level is the key to the success or failure of the whole system. Apart from home as the first agent of socialization, primary school is the first place that introduces formal education or literacy to the children. The National Policy on Education [2004] defines Primary Education as the â€Å"education given in institutions for children aged 6 to 11 plus† for a duration of six years. This definition is also supported by the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) which states that, â€Å"Primary Education (ISCED level 1) also known as elementary education, refer to the education programmes that are normally designed on a unit or project basis to give pupils a sound basic education in reading, writing and mathematics, along with an elementary understanding of other sources such as history, geography, natural science, social science, art and music† The goals of primary education as stated in the National Policy on Education [NPE, Section 3(16) is to: i. Inculcate permanent literacy and numeracy, and the ability to communicate effectively; ii. Lay a sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking; iii. Give citizenship education as a basis for effective participation in and contribution to the life of the society; iv. Mound the character and develop sound attitude and morals in the child; v. Develop in the child the ability to adapt to his/her changing environment; vi. Give the child opportunities for developing manipulative skills that will enable him to function effectively in the society within the limits of his/her capacity vii. Provide the child with basic tools for further educational advancement including preparation for trades and crafts of the locality Inspite of government’s commitment to the provision of basic education for all, dwindling financial resources coupled with sectoral competition for resources may hinder its progress. According to Hallak (1990), successive waves of economic and educational crises affected the efforts of government and social demand for education so that education both the general tensions in the development of education and the imbalances that had emerged in the previous two decades were aggravated. Nevertheless, inspite of the huge financial commitment and the high priority given to education, experts and scholars still doubts the adequacy of the fund in meeting with the growing students’ enrolment. In view of the foregoing, the government alone may not be able to meet the social demand for quality basic education. Therefore, private sector participation in the ownership and control of schools is inevitable thereby complementing the efforts of government. The decade from 1990 witnessed an upsurge in the number of private institutions of learning in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. Before this decade, most African Countries committed much of their expenditures on public education, which served as an instrument for building the nation, following independence. Today, there is pressure on African governments to shift from subsidization to privatization of their educational systems. Friedman’s (1955) theories on the privatization of education were and continue to be supported by researches who contended that public educational institutions lack incentives to improve educational systems. Among others, Chubb and Moe (1990) and Coleman (1997) argued that allowing school choice, mainly through the promotion of private schools, would improve educational markets. Many important educational decisions are related to costs of schooling. Information on costs is necessary to monitor resource allocation over time, to diagnose the function status of the education system, and to evaluate the efficiency in resource utilization (Tsang 2002). Specifically, cost of education refers to the resources used in the production of education services. They include not only public expenditure on education, but also private resources invested in education (Tsang & Kidchanapanish, 1992) Costs in this study are used to signify private cost of education incurred by the individual pupils and their families, and institutional costs of education incurred by the institution of learning. Tsang (1995), refers to private cost of education as those resources provided by household, individuals, and the community to support the production of educational services, which could be in form of Direct Private costs [Tuition Fees] which is only included in this study, Private Contribution [donations in the form of cash/gifts] and indirect costs [economic value of forgone opportunities of school] Babalola [1995] defines institutional costs of education as costs borne by the institution of learning. They consist of recurrent and capital cost. The recurrent costs are mainly what we are concerned with in this study. An ideal costing system relative to the input-output will enhance quality decision and planning programme for schools. The accurate knowledge of costing pattern will aid decision makers in the schools on the best alternative that may be considered in the management of the schools system. An ideal costing system will also enable parents, families etc to determine the cost effectiveness of enroling their children into private primary schools. 1. 2Statement of the Problem. The problem of rising cost [tuition fees] in educating pupils in private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government which has become an issue of concern to parents, families, wards and stakeholders alike. There is the need for private primary school administrators to pay serious attention to the causes and consequences of these rising costs [which could sometimes be as a result of high recurrent costs], with a view to controlling them while keeping pace with quality and productivity in the private primary school system. In view of the above therefore, this study endeavours to provide answers to the following research questions: 1. 3Research Questions 1. What is the total enrolment of each of the five [5] selected private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area from 2006-2010? 2. How much is the amount incurred by the schools in the five (5) years period on recurrent cost? 3. How much is the amount borne by families, parents or wards with five (5) years period on direct private cost per pupil [tuition fees]? 4. What is the correlation between direct private cost per pupil [tuition fees] and recurrent cost per pupil? 5. What are the sources of revenue available to the schools in sourcing for funds for the smooth running of the school? 1. 4Purpose of the Study The main aim of this study is to attempt to provide an analysis of the total direct private cost [tuition fees], total recurrent cost and sources of finance of private primary school system in Nigeria over the period of 5 years (2006-2010 academic years) with private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government as the case study. The study also attempt to highlight on the following: a. To determine the total enrolment of the five (5) selected private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area from 2006-2010 b. To determine the recurrent cost per pupil incurred by the school for five (5) years. c. To determine the direct private cost [tuition fees] per pupil borne by pupils, parents families etc for five (5) years d. To determine the Correlation between direct private cost per pupil and recurrent cost per pupil incurred will be determined for the five years (2006-2010) e. To determine sources of revenue available to the schools from 2006-2010 1. 5Significance of the Study This study will be significant in the following ways Firstly, it would serve as a source of statistical data information to primary school administrators and stakeholders alike for effective and efficient planning and cost control in private primary schools. Secondly, the study will provide the basic x-ray of cost pattern in Nigerian private primary schools from which future judgement with respect to plans, policies and programmes can be made. To this end, primary school administrators will be able to guide against any future deviation from expected goals Thirdly, the study could also provide private primary school administrators knowledge on the best decision to make with regards to the issues of pupils enrolment, staff employment, maintenance and so on. Also, the study will disclose the amount of money expended by the five (5) schools within the five (5) years period in recurrent costs. Furthermore, the study will disclose the direct private cost borne by pupils, families etc in the schools within the five years period. Lastly, the study will find the relationship between private direct cost per pupil and recurrent cost per pupil in the five (5) selected schools 1. 6Scope and Limitation of the Study This study focuses on the historical analysis of recurrent costs, private direct costs [tuition fees] and revenue sources using private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government as a case study. The study is, however limited to 5 out of the 24 registered private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo state as at 2006-2010. Owning to the fact that the recurrent education expenditure increasingly accounts for greater percentage of the total capital and recurrent expenditures in Africa, this study concerns only the recurrent expenditure incurred by the schools, direct private costs borne by the pupils, families etc and sources of finance. This is in line with Coombs and Hallak (1987:55) and Mingat and Tan (1988:26) who rightly observed that most analysis of unit costs focus on recurrent spending because capital costs typically are only small part (in Africa, less than 20 percent) of the cost of education. According to Mingat and Tan, unless the objective is to access the cost of building additional school places (which is not the case in this study), the analysis of unit costs is usually directed at recurrent spending. Federal government primary schools and public primary schools are not included in this study because the study deals with only selected private primary schools 1. 7Operational Definition of Terms In order to enhance better understanding of this research project, certain operational terms that were used are clearly defined to reflect the specific situation with which they are used. Cost: This refers to the actual or notional expenditure incurred on or attributes to, a specific thing or activity. It refers to what is given up in order to educate an individual or group of individual. Although, total cost in education is a function of capital and recurrent cost, the cost referred to in this research work is specifically recurrent expenditure which constitutes about 80% of the total expenditure in the primary schools. Cost is used interchangeably with expenditure in this research Institutional Cost: This refers to what the institutions of learning (primary schools) have to give up in order to provide education or train the pupils. They are both capital and recurrent costs. However, institutional cost in this project excludes capital costs. Private Cost: These are borne by the individual pupils and their families. They relate to both direct and indirect costs of education which are borne through tuition fees, earning forgone, additional living costs, books uniform and transport. However, private cost in this project includes only tuition fees [direct private cost] Recurrent Cost: These are those costs for goods and services consumed in the course of a budget year, and which must be regularly replaced. Here, it include such expenses incurred on items such as staff salaries and allowances, maintenance, payments of electricity bills, purchases of materials needs etc Recurrent cost is also known as the running cost of education Unit Cost: This is the average cost incurred in providing academic service to the pupils. It is calculated by dividing the total expenditure per session by the number of students enrolled. In its operational term, the unit cost here refers to the actual amount or expenditure incurred per pupil during the course of the teaching-learning process in the primary schools. Its determination here does not however include expenditure on Capital items. Finance: Finance according to the context of this study is the act of raising or sourcing for funds for the running of the school. School: A school according to the context of this study refers to primary schools where formal teaching process takes place. CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In this chapter the literature review is made under the following headings: 1. Concept of Cost 2. Cost of Education 3. Private Cost of Education 4. Direct Private Cost of Education [Tuition Fees] 5. Institutional Cost of Education 6. Recurrent Cost 7. Unit Cost of Education 8. Cost Determinants 9. Cost Control Strategies 10. Sources of Revenue for Education 1. CONCEPT OF COST The definition of cost is very open, as it means a lot to different people. People tend to define or use it to say their purpose. To some cost is the price paid for a commodity or for the consumption of goods and services. In economic term, the concept of cost if perceived as something which is given up in order to have another. In more a precise way, we can monetary say that cost is alternative forgone. It may be the monetary expense on education. In its broad usage cost implies the resources [money, materials and men] used up for the operation of a business enterprise [Lipsey, 1976; Aghenta, 1993] Babalola [1991] also gave credence to this assertion that cost is a measure of what is given up in order to produce or consume a commodity. Adedeji [2002], see cost as a measure of what is given up in order to produce or consume a commodity, Agunbiade [1997] citing Pandit [1979] stated that expenditure is the total financial resources allocated to a specific economic activity for a given period usually a year. Unit cost analysis helps the understanding of the internal efficiency of the use of resources at the institutional level. Cost effectiveness analysis relates cost of inputs used up in the teaching-learning process with the output. This helps decision makers to make rational choices between various alternative courses of action. Unit cost helps planners to know the cost of keeping a student at school, operating a school etc. The unit cost required by a student in a year is referred to as input and educational planners have of recent named it the â€Å"student year†. Unit cost has been the basis for funding education in Nigeria, for example, when the Federal Government launched its Free Education Programme in 1977, it used unit cost in allocating funds to the scheme, that is forty naira per pupil (Daily Times of Nigeria, 4th January 1980, Editorial Comment). Longe (1988) maintained â€Å"cost information is crucial in decision making as it facilitates efforts to make the best but the least costly choice among alternatives†. In the event of embarking on any programme without considering the cost such programme end up being a white elephant project which will only lead to wastage of heard earned resources. 2. COST OF EDUCATION Many scholars have tried to define cost of education over the ages. Akanbgou [1981] defines cost of education as being â€Å"all the real resources used up in the production of human assets†. He agreed with Pandit and Bourgeis who define cost as the real resources used up in the form of educated manpower. Obasi [1983] observed cost of education as â€Å"the sum total of all the resources used up in the production of human capital asset in the form of educated manpower†. Longe [1988] defines cost of education as the value of all the resources in terms of money and sacrifice used to accomplish educational project. That is, to produce and educated person. This definition could imply not concerned with monetary outlay and expenses on education but also the income forgone on opportunity cost which represents the real charges resulting from the operation of the educational system. Babalola [1995] posited that education cost is a measure of what a student, an institution of learning or the public has to give up in order to educate an individual. While Adedeji [1994] quoted by Oladejo [2002] opines that educational cost represent the value of all the resources in term of money and sacrifice used to accomplish a given educational or project. This definition implies that the expenditure in an educational institution is the monetary expenses incurred by the institution to produce an educated person. In the view of Babalola [2000], he sees cost of education as the â€Å"total resources devoted to education, this includes direct money outlays† [tuition fees, expenditures on additional living items, books, uniform and transport]. They also include indirect financial burdens [in form of opportunity cost measured as the loss of income incurred either by the individual or by the society as a result of schooling]. He stressed further by saying cost of education include non monetary cost [which include such things as the burden of study and for some students, pain of being away from home]. The loss of opportunity to earn wages or salaries in the labour market is the true cost of the individual student of his or her decision to enroll in a full-time or part-time course of education. The cost of education to a country consists of total public education expenditure, total direct private cost, total indirect private cost measured in terms of forgone earnings, improperly estimated educational cost on government education expenditures. Expenditure on education overtime has been observed to be on the increase across different levels of education in most countries of the world and in Nigeria in particular. It should be noted however, that the cost of emphasizes is the recurrent cost which constitute a greater percentage share of total expenditure in education and direct private cost [tuition fees] According to Ojo [1986] quoted by Oladejo [2001], education has enjoyed a higher share of national budget over the years due to the increasing level of expansion brought about by a continue increase in education demand. Agunbiade [1997], observed that there was a staggering figure for educational expenditure during the third national development plan. This expenditure has continued to be on the increase over the years in most different institutions which of cause differ from one institution to the other. However, as an institution’s enrolment increases, the tendency is that both the expenditure and revenue should increase equally. But, according to Agunbiade [1997], revenue do not correspond with the increase in enrolment. Psacharopulars and Woodhall [1997] posited that attitude towards educational expenditure began to change as predicted by Jallade [1973] partly due to the huge increases that has occurred during the period. According to them there is increasing evidence of financial constraints in many developing countries as proportion of expenditure has began to decline. However, Zymelman [1982] cited Psacharopoulos and Woodhall [1997] explained that expenditure on education at all level in African nations including Nigeria has remained fairly constraint. Afolabi [2001] in his article asserted that the cost of education in recent times in Nigeria has become astronomical which according to him is attributed to increase in teachers salaries and allowances to meet with the hyper-inflation condition in the country. This statement is posited by Shehan [1973:16] where he explained that real expenditure per pupil has risen in many countries of the world. Real expenditure in this context means money expenditure deflated by appropriate price indices for the various inputs [teachers, books, equipment etc] which are used in the educational system. The higher level of education demand more expensive buildings and equipment and more emphasis on high-cost research activities. Enrolment increases has been greatest at these high cost levels. The increase in enrolment at the high-cost end of the system continue to increase demand for more resources [that is, financial resources which represents the expenditure to be incurred in the production process] Institutions overtimes, have witnessed continue increase in the expenditure pattern. This continues expenditure increase as argued by Shehan [1983] have a weakening effect on institutions considering the overall level of finance available to them, hence the need for a comprehensive system of cost control private primary school system. 3. PRIVATE COST OF EDUCATION. Concepts of cost from the viewpoint of economic analysis; the proper definition of cost (real cost or economic cost) of an input to education is its opportunity cost, which is measured by the value of the input in its best alternative use. Applying this concept to the cost of an education system, the real cost of education includes not only public expenditure on education but also private costs (Bowman, 1966). Private resources to education can be classified into three categories: direct private costs of education, household contributions to school, and indirect private costs of education (Tsang and Kidchanapanish, 1992). Direct private costs of education are expenditures by parents on their children’s schooling, such as expenditures on school fees (tuition and other school fees), textbooks and supplementary study guides, writing supplies, uniform, school bag and transportation. Expenditures on school fees are part of the revenue for a school to be used to finance institutional costs; they may be used to pay teachers in a private school or used to support non-personnel costs in a government school. Non-fee expenditures are additional financial resources to schooling not captured in institutional costs. For primary school pupils in some countries there are also boarding costs. Household contributions to school are contributions, in cash or kind from families to school and/or school personnel (e. g. teachers). Contributions to school can be used in a variety of ways, for example, to purchase reading materials for a library, to purchase sports equipment, or to construct a school building. They are captured in the institutional costs of a school. In some countries, household contributions to teachers are the main source of income for rural primary teachers (Paulsen, 1981; World Bank, 1991). Household contributions can be important in the financing of education in that they augment public resources to education and they can be managed by school personnel. Indirect private costs of education refer to the economic value of the opportunities foregone as a result of schooling. The opportunities foregone can be a child’s labor in family production, in looking after younger siblings, and/or in performing other household chores. Such costs are usually difficult to estimate and assumptions have to be made about the economic value of a child’s labour, nevertheless, they are still important to consider in that parents sometimes withhold their child from school because of the need for the child’s labor, especially for parents in the rural areas (Psacharopoulos and Woodhall, 1985). In a recent study of India, Tilak (1985, p. 22) estimated that the indirect private cost in terms of foregone earnings accounted for about 40% of the real cost to education, based on 1977-78 data. For purposes of improving education quality, there are at least four reasons for considering private resources to education. First, direct private costs and household contributions are direct private resources that augment public resources to education. Some of these direct private resources (such as school fees and household contributions) can be used by the school as intentions to raise quality. Second, how parents allocate their resources to schooling is also relevant. Parents may be encouraged to spend more on items (such as textbooks and other learning materials) directly related to student learning. Third, differences in private resources to education among social groups may exacerbate educational inequalities among social groups. A good understanding of the variations in private resources to education will inform educational policies designed to mitigate educational inequalities. And fourth, the omission of private resources can significantly underestimate the true costs of education and may lead to erroneous estimates of the costs of quality-improvement interventions. To date, there are very few studies of private resources to education in developing countries, and information on private resources to education in these countries is either lacking or fragmentary (Tsang, 1988). However, the available evidence indicates that private resources to education are very substantial (Tilak, 1985; Tan, 1985; Paulsen, 1981); they also vary significantly among countries and type of school (Wolff, 1985; Schiefelbein, 1986). These preliminary findings indicate the potential of private resources to education as a policy option for educational decision makers for influencing educational quality. 4. DIRECT PRIVATE COST OF EDUCATION [TUITION FEES] According to Tsang (1995), Direct private costs are defined as household educational expenditure related to a child’s schooling, including tuition expenditure and non-tuition expenditure (such as spending on other school fees, textbooks and supplementary study guides, uniforms, writing supplies, school bag, transportation, and boarding). Thus, direct private costs are divided into two components, non-tuition costs and tuition costs. Non-tuition costs are put into two groups: instruction-related costs (such as parental expenditures on textbooks, workbooks, and writing supplies) and non-instruction costs (such as parental expenditures on uniform, school bag, transportation, shoes and sportswear, and school fees on sport activities and other school events). However, private direct cost in this project includes only tuition fees. Wolff provided measures of the direct private costs for students in secondary schools in nine eastern African countries (1985, pp. 51-55). The ratio of total direct private cost to total cost per student varies according to the type of secondary schools and country. It ranged from 0% for day schools in Somalia for 1981-82 to 81% for assisted Harambee schools in Kenya for 1981-82. The ratio for boarding schools was consistently higher than that for day schools. On the average, direct private costs accounted for one third of the total cost per pupil. High direct private costs were also reported in Tan’s study of secondary schools in Tanzania (1985b). She found that even though state school students paid no fees, their school-related expenditure added up to US$139 per student in 1981. The direct private costs for students in private schools were even higher (US $439). Bray (1996) surveys educational cost studies in nine East Asian countries. He finds that direct private costs as a percentage of total costs in public primary schools range from less than 10% in Lao PDR to over 70% in Cambodia. Most hover around 20%. Carnoy and Tores (1994) finds that parents assume about 30% of the total cost of public primary education in Costa Rica. Carnoy and McEwan (1997) carry out a similar study in Honduras. Restricting their attention to uniforms, school supplies, and matriculation fees, they find that direct costs account for 43. 5% of total costs; under more conservative assumptions, the figure is still 27. 4%. 5. INSTITUTIONAL COST OF EDUCATION This consists of capital cost and recurrent cost. Capital costs are associated with durable educational inputs particularly land, building, furniture and equipment which are made use of in a single fiscal year. Usually people talk of capital stock versus capital flow. The stock of capital is inventory of buildings equipments and other capital items out sting at a given point in time. It is like reservoirs that can be drained down by depreciation or renovate and enlarge by new inflows. The volume of an educational system capital stock can be measured by depreciating the original cost of each in the inventory at the appropriate rate (adjusted for major repair, additional and replacement made in the items). Educational expenditures are those that contribute directly to teaching, learning and research, for example, teachers’ salaries and allowances, salaries and allowances of administrator, that is, non-teaching staff, expenses on books and stationeries, transport cost other consumable materials like water, electricity, post and telegram etc. and additional buildings. Thus, expenditures on consumable goods such as materials and personnel salaries, rent, interests, grants etc used up within an accounting year are classified as recurrent expenditure (cost). While capital (cost) expenditures include the purchase of durable assets such as buildings or equipment, that are expected to yield benefits over a longer period. To Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1997), the crucial distinction between recurrent and capital cost lies in the source of finance. To them, recurrent expenditures are financed from current income or revenue, while capital expenditures are financed by loans from international agencies as well as other sources of income. Owning to the fact that the recurrent education expe.   

Ikea Operations Management Essay

Profile: ikea IKEA is the world’s most successful mass-market retailer, selling Scandinavian-style home furnishings and other house goods in 230 stores in 33 countries and hosting 410 million shoppers per year. An acronym for founder Ingvar Kamprad and his boyhood home of Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd, IKEA began operating in Sweden in 1943 and continues its original ethos based upon cost obsession fused with design culture. No design, no matter how inspired, finds its way into the catalogue if it cannot be made affordable. With an aim of lowering prices across its entire offering by an average of 2% to 3% each year, its signature feature is the flat packed product that customers assemble at home, thus reducing transportation costs. Yet, unlike some peers, IKEA has sustainability at heart and, through an internal mantra of ‘low price but not at any price’ is a leading example of sustainable innovation and business growth.The company designs its own furniture, which is made by about 1,500 suppliers in more than 50 countries. It also sells online and by mail order with the print run for the 2006 catalogue hitting 160 million – more than the Bible, so IKEA claims. Finding the right manufacturer for the right product is a key component of the company’s success. It once contracted with ski makers – experts in bent wood – to manufacture its Poang armchairs, and has tapped makers of supermarket carts to turn out durable sofas. Simplicity, a tenet of Scandinavian design, also helps keep costs down. For example, the 50 cents Trofà © mug comes only in blue and white – the least expensive pigments. IKEA’s conservation drive extends naturally from this cost-cutting. Adding to the challenge, the suppliers and designers work to customize some Ikea products to make them sell better in local markets. That said, the global middle class, that IKEA targets, shares buying habits: The $120 Billy bookcase, $13 Lack side table, and $190 Ivar storage system are its best-sellers worldwide and average spending per customer globally is even similar: According to IKEA, the figure in Russia is $85 per store visit – exactly the same as in statistically more affluent Sweden. IKEA operates approx 25 US stores, which account for 11% of the company’s sales and Germany is its biggest market, accounting for nearly one-fifth of revenue. Sales have been growing steadily each year thanks both to expansion of its store network and the ongoing price cuts – 18 new stores were opened in 2005 and the retailer reduced prices by 3%. Such expansion has kept IKEA’s turnover rising – in 2005 by 17.3% to $18.8 billion from $16.0 billion in 2004. And, although being privately held IKEA’s profit figures are not published, conservative estimates put pretax operating profits at around $1.7 billion. IKEA maintains these profits even while it cuts prices steadily with operating margins of approximately 10% being among the best in home furnishing. To keep growing, IKEA is accelerating store rollouts in both large outlet and new high-street formats. Nineteen new large outlets are set to open worldwide in 2006, at an average cost of $66 million per store. The firm plans to boost their profile in three of its fastest-growing markets: In Russia, where it is already a huge success in Moscow, in China, where is has a strong footprint, and in the US, where the goal is to have 50 outlets by 2010. IKEA demonstrates that, when underpinned by strategic partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers, providing access to affordable contemporary design, in an exciting, yet simple format can be a winning formula. Where and when did IKEA start? What does IKEA stand for? Who founded IKEA? Find out all about the history of IKEA and the timeline of the store’s development in this article. IKEA founder, Ingvar KampradIngvar Kamprad The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began his business career as a young boy selling matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbors near Agunnaryd. As his business grew, he expanded to selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens which were a new phenomenon in 1935. He was very clever in utilizing his resources – he delivered his goods by bicycle, and later used the local milk delivery vehicle to make deliveries. IKEA In 1943, with a gift from his father, Ingvar established his business, using his initials, Ingvar Kamprad, the name of the farm on which he was born, Elmtaryd and the village nearby, Agunnaryd for the acronym. At this time, he was selling everything from pens and wallets to watches and nylon stockings by going door to door and selling directly to his customers. By 1945, the first advertisements for IKEA began showing up in local newspapers and he had developed a rudimentary catalog. IKEA Catalog Locally manufactured furniture first showed up in the IKEA product range in 1947 and was received positively by its customers. It wasn’t until 1951 however that Ingvar began to focus only on furniture and discontinued all other products from the IKEA product range. The first IKEA furniture catalog was published that same year and 2 years later, in response to competition, the first furniture showroom opened in the village of Älmhult. This same competition caused other furniture stores and manufacturers to put pressure on suppliers to boycott IKEA which led to the critical decision to design their own furniture beginning in 1955. IKEA Flat Pack Furniture ikea_lovet_table.jpgIt’s difficult to overstate the importance of this turn of events. Designing furniture for their own stores allowed IKEA to focus on low prices, improve function and ultimately led to the success of the company. Around this time, an employee removed the legs of a table in order to fit it into the trunk of a car and avoid transportation damage, which began IKEA thinking about designing furniture to be flat packed. In 1956, IKEA began testing the concept of flat pack to reduce costs through reduced transportation expenses, lowered storage space requirements, decreased transportation damage and reductions in labor costs. The IKEA Lovet table, pictured left, was the first IKEA product designed as flat pack furniture. http://www.ikeafans.com/ikea/ikea-history/ikea-history.html Ingvar Kamprad The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began his business career as a young boy selling matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbors near Agunnaryd. As his business grew, he expanded to selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens which were a new phenomenon in 1935. He was very clever in utilizing his resources – he delivered his goods by bicycle, and later used the local milk delivery vehicle to make deliveries. History of IKEA IKEA was founded in Älmhult, Sweden, in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. He founded the company at the age of 17. IKEA is an acronym incidentally similar to the Greek word ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± [oikia] which means (home) and to the Finnish word oikea (correct, right), but actually was originally an abbreviation for â€Å"Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd†. Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd comes from the address where Ingvar Kamprad started the company IKEA initially. Originally, IKEA sold pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewelry and nylon stockings or practically anything Kamprad decided is a needed product on reduced price. Furniture was first added to the IKEA product range in 1948. In 1955, IKEA began to design its own furniture. The company motto is: â€Å"Affordable Solutions for Better Living.† At first, Kamprad sold his goods out of his home and by mail order. Later a store was opened in the town of Älmhult. It was also the location for the first IKEA â€Å"warehouse† store which came to serve as a model for IKEA establishments elsewhere. On March 23, 1963, the first store outside Sweden was opened in Asker, a Norwegian municipality outside Oslo. IKEA has grown step by step into the world’s largest furniture retailer. There are 202 Ikea stores in 32 countries. Of these, 180 stores belong to the Ikea Group. The remaining 22 stores are owned and run by franchisees outside the Ikea Group. Products Available IKEA’s products are used from the customers for the whole furnishing of a home. Customers may find everything they need and basically furnish their houses â€Å"from the forks to the chairs†. The products available are: * Storage furniture; * TV solutions; * Small storages; * Sofas and armchairs; * Tables and desks; * Chairs and lighting; * Decoration and mirrors; * Floors; * Textiles and rugs; * Beds and mattresses; * Cooking and eating; * Furniture care and hardware; * Kitchen cabinets and appliances; * Bathroom furniture; * Clothes storages; * Safety products;

Definition of terrorism (international, state and religious) Research Paper

Definition of terrorism (international, state and religious) - Research Paper Example This research generally discusses the delicate issue of terrorism. In the introduction, a brief background is given about its origin and the general understanding that people have about terrorism. In the essay the actual meaning of terrorism is given to try and shed light on the different misconceptions that people have. The essay continues to unfold the different kinds of terrorism that exist, that is; international, religious, and state terrorism, giving the differences and similarities that exist between them. The researcher also goes deeper to give the different groups that are classified in each kind such as Al-Qaeda and many more others. At the end of this research, the researcher has given a conclusion about terrorism terming it as a complicated and delicate issue that is really causing mass destruction of property and lives. The researcher has called to all leaders and citizens to look for ways to reduce terrorism. Keywords: Terrorism, International Terrorism, State Terrorism , Religious Terrorism Introduction Many people have only heard about terrorism, but do not have a clear understanding of the real meaning of the word. Since the attacks of the Pentagon and World Trade Centre most people have started having a concern on terrorism and possible solutions to terrorist activities. There are some misconceptions that different people have when it comes to terrorism. People should understand that such activities like, killing another person, killing lots of people, or wrecking properties is not terrorism. These are just some few ways that terrorists use to conduct their terrorist activities. Terrorism is not limited to a certain type of behavior or a particular method (Malisow, 2008). The Origin of the Word Terrorist The term terrorism originated after the American Revolution. After this revolution, the people of France decided to follow suit. So they started their own rebellion, but once the government was overthrown, the rebels had a problem amongst thems elves. There emerged different groups among the rebels that wanted different things. There are those who wanted France to remain as it was before, and there were those who wanted to some changes to be introduced. So there was this group named Jacobins in this revolution, the Jacobins saw that the rebels were getting out of hand and decided to tame these groups, so they introduced the Reign of Terror in September 1793. This reign was established to ensure that the people in France followed the new government’s rules and regulations. Anyone who went contrary to that was arrested, beaten, or even killed (Malisow, 2008). What is Terrorism? The term terrorism refers to the act of scaring someone into doing something they wouldn’t do out of their own free will. Terrorism has been used very much in the modern times politics. For example, if a politician wants to be re-elected back to his position without opposition, he or she might threaten his or her opponents by either beat ing or killing some, as a way of scaring the rest to conform. The terrorists’ main goal is usually to affect the government and change how a nation’s affairs are run by scaring the people of that particular country. A good example is the Somalia government where the terrorists had taken over the administration of the government (Malisow, 2008). For terrorists to achieve their goal, there must be the following: The terrorist must have a political goal. This because through politics, they are able to interact with different groups. Politics involves the interaction of different groups of people and does not deal with an individual, so it will be so easy for a terrorist to gain ground (Malisow, 2008). A terrorist must use force. An act is not considered as an act of terrorism if it uses non-violent means. It must involve hurting someone or threatening to hurt someone (Malisow, 2008). Terrorist use their victims to serve as examples. By hurting or threatening to

Hunter College Dance Program Student Concert program C Essay

Hunter College Dance Program Student Concert program C - Essay Example The role of the audience is to be critical of the dances in order to comprehend the artistic influences in the dance and to encourage and critique the performers to facilitate the development of the performers(Minton, 74). The rationale for the concert is to facilitate an interaction between the performers and the audience. The reason for the choreography was to serve as a guide for aspiring artists on how to handle a real life situation. The concert provides the dancers with a platform to present their creativity to the audience in order to learn how to perfect technique, style and execution (Minton, 48). The audience is watching in order to experience the artistry, which is present among the students at the collage. This offers the audience with an opportunity to comment on the pieces. The audience is also watching for entertainment through the music and choreography, which characterizes the concert. There is a definite relationship between the audience and the performers. This is essential in order to facilitate both parties to experience the different emotions and messages which are evident in a performance. However, in this scenario, the performer is the source of the content the audience will respond to during the choreography (Minton, 74). This means that the choreographer leads the audience through this artistic journey. The audience has to interpret the message in the dance in order to comprehend the artistic message being passed by the choreographers. This was evident in several performances especially in the choreography Not my Chains, Choreographed by Elana Jaroff whereby the choreographer elicited the feel of freedom. Music was an essential element in the performances. This is because it provided the rhythm for the performers to express their artistry. The choreographers used music, which complemented

Introdiction to airline and airport management Essay

Introdiction to airline and airport management - Essay Example It is important to evaluate whether these factors are positively affecting the commercial air transport or not. The expectations of air passengers have increased in terms of quality of air transport services. Since passengers groups can be segmented into various categories based on different variables therefore, their needs may vary. The immense variability among the needs of the passengers has always been a major concern for the airlines. The ultimate need of all passengers is their satisfaction. Apart from the service quality improvements made by all airlines, the airports have widely adopting the quality criteria. Since the airports are also operating in a more competitive environment therefore, airport management is improving to serve passengers in a better manner. In the previous years, the customers used to buy tickets directly from the airlines and no contractual relationship used to exist between the customers and the airport. Today, the situation is very different because even without having any contractual relationship with the airports, the passengers expect to have excellent airport services. For fulfilling the needs of the passengers, the airport nowadays are giving great focus towards ground handling, security checks, airport access and border controls etc. The European airports have developed â€Å"Airport Voluntary Commitment on Air Passenger Service.† It has been developed after the extensive consultation of airport management with Consumers, European Commission and European Government. According to the voluntary commitment, European airports accept the responsibility to provide defined quality of services to the travellers without any legal binding on a consistent basis. For example, according to Airport Voluntary Commitment, â€Å"Each airport will prominently publicise the services it offers for assisting passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs).† 2 The

Introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction - Essay Example This research is an effort to see how Primark has been able to apply its HR policies towards satisfying its customers and motivating the workforce. The main intention of the study is to develop an understanding of the concepts of Human Resources Management in general and how the established theories and principles are applied to a particular organization. During the study an effort will be made to observe the general working at Primark store in Manchester to seek answers to the following key objectives. Prerequisite to a decent work culture is about respecting individuals and treating everyone, customers and colleagues, with dignity. How Primark has been able to adopt a balancing approach towards motivating the workforce. Undertaking a research implies that one must be aware about the subject, and able to apply the knowledge gained in practical working environment. This research is also being undertaken with the vision that it helps in carving out an effective and efficient HR professional having thorough understanding of the ways employees can be motivated to give optimum performances. To come out with a quality research on the subject and get a feel of the competitive environment in retail industry, get to know about the HR policies of Primark in particular and how its employees feel a

Sprint Wireless Service RECYLING Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sprint Wireless Service RECYLING Program - Essay Example Customers do not need to pay any additional charges to get their devices shipped and recycled through the company’s buyback program. The devices sent to the company through FedEx or United States Postal Service are tested by the company’s technicians for condition assessment. If a device is in a condition to become reusable by minor repairs, which is most likely in majority cases, the company makes use of all available resources to refurbish the hardware and update the software to make it ready for use again. Even in case a device is not in a condition suitable for refurbishment, the company separates its usable parts and recycles the rest of the device in accordance with the Federal and State environmental regulations. The receiving and processing of the shipment usually takes around thirty days, whereas it takes up to three billing cycles for a customer to get the account credit. The company also shows it corporate social responsibility by taking steps towards the promotion of free internet safety resources for children. Sprint gives two options to the customers. Customers either can get their due credit from the company through bill credit or can gift it to the Sprint project Connect to fund for the internet safety program. The company uses ISO SUU1 and 14UU1 as the recycling quality standards that ensure the use of most environment-friendly electronic waste disposal methods. The service has seen a number of considerable achievements so far. It has been ranked at the top spot among all major carriers. It also holds the record for recycling the most number of devices in a week. Currently, it has been named as the most eco-focused wireless carrier. Sprint has been the first U.S. telecom company to deliver an ‘A+’ corporate social responsibility grade (Sprint). The Sprint Buyback Program has been very successful since its start, which is evident from the fact that the company had collected

Physical Activity and Wellness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Physical Activity and Wellness - Research Paper Example Since the establishment of the physical activity, several factors influence the level of exercise behaviors of people. Physical activity entails bodily movement produced by skeletal muscle that results in energy expenditure above resting level. Several guiding framework are put in place to aid in understanding the multiple elements at each level. Individual factors are core when it comes to factors influencing a person’s involvement in exercise. The factor is innate to each person and differs from person to another such as a person’s genetic make-up, sex, growth and development as well as socioeconomic status among others. Social factors influence the physical activity of a person as fellow peers encourage one another to participate in exercise regime. Yet another influence is the environmental factor, ones surrounding such as walk paths encourage people to walk to work or shopping centers and even at times just for leisure. To build an environment suitable for physical activity opts to be an objective when setting up settlement units for it supports an active lifestyle. For example, safer streets that support biking, jogging and wider walking causes majority of the population to engage in some form of exercise reducing bad health outcomes. Controlled environment especially at workplace ensures employees access to existing communication channels and networks that improves levels of physical activity at all instances such as encouraging people use staircase instead of use of elevator.

Simplified Model of Consumer Behaivor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Simplified Model of Consumer Behaivor - Essay Example Under the decision making stage, the consumer behavior may be significantly influenced by a range of psychological factors including motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes. Those factors play a central role in the process of need recognition. Once a consumer identifies his actual needs, he will begin pre-purchase research so as to gather maximum information about available products in the required category. In addition, he may search for alternatives. In the output phase, the consumer makes a trial purchase and may or may not repeat the purchase based on the post trail purchase evaluation. Recently I purchased a Nokia N8 mobile phone. Certainly, a number of socio-cultural factors and Nokia’s promotional practices have influenced me to take this purchase decision. Firstly, I came to notice a Facebook post depicting extensive features of this cell phone. While I went through the post in detail, I could realize that most of the product features were really useful to my everyday life. When I researched further, most of the online mobile phone review forums strongly recommended me to order for a Nokia N8. In addition, reputed social status that I would obtain from purchasing this costly model also persuaded me to go on with the purchase decision. ... My attitudes and beliefs toward the Nokia brand greatly influenced me to make this purchase decision. Since Nokia is world’s leading mobile manufacturer, I strongly believed that they had adequate expertise and experience to deliver high quality products. Moreover, I thought that Nokia N8 with 12 mega pixel camera would assist me to put off my plan for digital camera purchase. Trade Dress â€Å"Trade dress refers to total image or overall impression created by product’s configuration or packaging, interior and exterior decor, architecture and other promotional materials† (Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett and Dunner). In the United States, a product’s trade dress is considered as a form of intellectual property and hence it is legally protected by the Lanham Act. In the country, registrable trade dress elements may include features like â€Å"size, shape, color, texture, graphics, and packaging† (Finnegan, et al). Evidently, the size, shape, and color of a product are major factors that distinguishes the particular product from other similarly products. A product’s texture indicates the font, style, and other characteristics of writing that are used to label name and other details of the product on its cover. The element of graphics plays a notable role in creating the product’s visual appearance and thereby attracting consumer attention. In addition, packaging also contributes to a product’s external look even though the primary intention of this feature is to protect the product from damages. Coca Cola’s 3-dimensional Coke product has a valuable trade dress. The shape and color of this 3-dimensional Coke product

Stress Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stress Management - Essay Example Moreover the job designation has evolved in the past few years into a complex hybrid of what if used to be. The employees today have to perform a number of different roles in order to ensure that their job is well done. A very common example is of a university professor. Not so long ago professor just worried about delivering lectures but the situation has now changed. A regular professor has to involve him or herself into administrative tasks, teach classes, be a positive role model and over all that engage in inter office politics. This is just one example from a pool of thousands of other similar problems being faced by employees globally. The importance of stress management programs have thus increased over the last few years. Corning Inc is a glass and ceramic manufacturing company located in United States. The company has a very long and rich history of implementing innovative and state of the art program to improve working conditions for its employees. The Research & Development department is a very significant aspect of Corning’s success in recent years. The capability to provide an environment of learning where its scientist and researchers can engage in developing latest technologies is a significant capability of Corning. Moreover a unique collaborative culture exists in Corning which ensures that ideas and people come together in excellence to produce high quality in both culture and goods. In 1992 the national institute for occupational and safety health was established in United States. The aim of this institution was to improve the everyday life and more importantly the workplace life of office workers. To keep the efficiency of the company to a maximum it is not has permitted a highly bureaucratic system like other governmental organizations. This has allowed the organization to keep the innovation intact. Over the years the company has engaged in many different ventures with organizations all around USA in order to

Travel planning Essay Example for Free

Travel planning Essay Two flights from Belfast to Paris (Charles De Gaulle) Flying with Easyjet Belfast Intl to Paris Charles de Gaulle flight 6723; Private taxi transfer from airport to hotel. This fabulous hotel is in the Saint Germain region which is close to the Latin Quarter. Whisky Bar, Small garden, Terrace. Â  A select and refined atmosphere in the great tradition of the Englishs clubs. The austere Haussmannian faiade gives way inside to a warm universe where the copper reflections of the bar mingle with the lustre of fine wood panelling and the rich leather of Chesterfield armchairs. An ideal ambiance for intimate conversations. Here as in each of the rooms, every detail contributes to provide a sense of relaxation and well-being. The colonial-inspired decor of the 59 rooms and suites, including exotic hangings and wood paneling, varies depending on the floor The rooms feature parquet floors and provide exceptional comfort and calm. An elegant footbridge connects a winter garden with a terrace perfect for beautiful days. On the top floor, you can admire the Pantheon under the glass roof. During the evening, the Bridge Bar offers you a wide selection of cocktails and cigars in a refined atmosphere. In the Latin Quarter, the Left Banks spirit of social protest still abounds. Here, students continue to redefine the world in the classrooms of the Sorbonne, in the streets, in the bistrots, and in the intellectual fare offered in the many bookshops. Up the hill, the Pantheon holds the remains of their prestigious ancestors (Dumas, Balzac, Hugo ). Ten minutes by foot, the Pantheon or Notre-Dame de Paris are readily accessible.

Criminals are a product of their environment

Criminals are a product of their environment This essay will concern criminals in regards to their ecology. Ecological criminology is the observing of criminality, crime and victimization in relation to the area of individuals and organizations and how it forms and affects them. In broad terms crime is seen to evolve in pathological conditions of certain communities and areas. This association between crime and certain parts of a city namely areas with pathological conditions has a long past. Theorists such as Fregier (1840), Mayhew(1862) and The Chicago School of Sociology have contributed substantially to the debate of crime and the environment. Through Clifford Shaw and Henry McKays (1942) book  [1]  and other sociologist work such as Park and Burgess(1925)  [2]  comes the zonal hypothesis. It was found that cities develop concentric zones of life and activity. This is called this the concentric zone model. The model consist of five zones in the following order , the center is the Central business district, the transition zone of mixed residential and commercial uses, low-class residential homes (inner suburbs), better quality middle-class homes (Outer Suburbs) and the commuters zone. Baldwin and Bottoms also point out that offences are gathered nearby the city center According to Chicago School each district in concentric zones yields on something of the traits and abilities of the occupants. Through this knowledge it became known evident that there was a large amount of pathological behavior such as juvenile delinquency and alcoholism in the zone of transition. It also seems that the zone of transition adapted its own social organization such as cheaper rents, an unsettled population, and a few settled institutions and also tended to house recent peers of immigrants which seemed to yield the same forms of behavior including crime. Before one looks at the explanations of why the zone of transition is a problematic zone there are some methodological problems one must look at. There may be a distinction between the offence and the offender rate e.g. one person may be the cause of majority of specific crimes in a certain area. The rationality of authorized figures in relation to area based data may be brought into question. In the explanation given to define the zone of transition by the Chicago school it was alleged that the zone accommodated people unfamiliar to each other, urban life and to America also their surroundings seemed fluid which is also termed social disorganization. Social disorganization was based on three flexible elements such as poverty (unlike Sutherland which will be discussed further on), as the poor societies do not possess satisfactory funds to handle the difficulties occurring. The increase of residential mobility and racial diversity causes deterioration of community control through the deficiency of mutual beliefs which is viewed as permitting illicit conduct to advance and be transferred from one generation to the next. Similar to the social disorganization thesis Schuerman and Kobrin (1986) alleged a three phase procedure which denotes the evolving of high offender rate areas. These where shifts in land which meant increase in renting, changes in population which signified a decrease in people and increase in quantity of dissimilar beings as well as Changes in socio-economic statues which means additional inexperienced beings and advanced quantity of jobless people. In contrast to the idea that area of residence takes on character and quality of inhabitance, it is also noted that the inhabitants of an area take on characteristics and value of the area. This means the societal life of a zone can stimulus illicit inspiration. The societal life of a zone may have long term impact on the individuals personality, social activities, though processes a daily routines. As opposed to ideas such as certain areas influence individuals and vice versa, the theory of differential association according to Shaw and McKay, may illustrate how delinquent activities are ethnically transferred from one person to another. Edwin Sutherland (1924 and 1939) it was claimed that illicit conduct is cultured in contact through other individuals predominantly in intimate personal settings. This kind of knowledge not merely instructs the person about the detailed practices of performing delinquency, but similarly guides their drives, motives, attitudes and definitions of the law (Jones 2006). Wherever an individual is exposed to excess definitions favorable to violation of the law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law they are more probable to turn out to be a criminal. The probability is ascertained by discrepancies in regularity, concentration, significance and period of the relationship. An exemplification of this is as Orcutt (1987) states that students were more likely to smoke marijuana if one of their four closest friends did. Alike Social disorganization Wolfgang and Ferracuti (1967) state that subcultures of violence can often be found in poor zones, they also state that individuals from such backgrounds learn positive approaches towards vehemence though a process of differential learning, association or identification. Wolfgang and Ferracuti also claim that such a procedure might aid to dispel any outlooks of culpability that might perhaps arise as of inside such individuals. The fortes of Sutherlands theory lay in its capability to demonstrate delinquencies are not related to poverty. For instance Sutherland applied the concept to white-collar and professional crime, asserting that people turn into white collar criminals since they became engaged into a business culture that deemed unlawful practices as lawful Sutherland reasoned that numerous clusters of people in civilization varied in their views as to what caused suitable conduct and out of this multiplicity of opinions, culture conflict turns into the most definite proof of the social disorganization within society, and an underlying cause of differential association. For the purpose of criticism and analysis in regards to the ideas given by the Chicago school of sociology, the image of urban life assumed by the Chicago school is no longer the same. This is because it assumes an even, unchanging landscape. An Additional reproach of the Chicago school is that British capitals post Second World War did not look like the Chicago concentric ring pattern due to people fleeing away from the citys in fear. The theory is also insubstantial on individuals as it doesnt institute enough for decisions made by individuals such as highly emotive crimes such as crimes of passion e.g. serial killer which doesnt associate with no one to learn his modus operandi also known as method of operating. Theorist such as Tittle et al. (1986) claim that it is not the mocking of specific methods or the learning of illicit outlooks that is significant, but the learning of enthusiasms to participate in delinquency that create distinct relations. McCarthy (1996) revealed compelling proof of tutelage in techniques of delinquency between homeless youths Haynie (2002) establish that the quantity of criminal contacts in a persons network not individual had a strong optimistic outcome on that characters following criminality, but was also a stronger effect than the contacts total levels of criminality. Meaning and individual which has more criminal minded friends then an individual which only has one extreme criminal friend is more likely to be influenced. In light of everything mentioned what can be understood is that different theorist have different views and ideas on factors and elements which condition a person to act in a criminal way. Therefore some theorist claim people are the product of certain areas whereas others believe that the areas are the product of the people living in it, which effectively means there is a two way presses going on. On the other hand some theorist believe that poverty is the underlining cause of delinquency where as some theorist believe that poverty plays no role and that it is merely the individuals motivation which is fuelled by engaging with delinquent people in an close intimate setting.

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Domestic Violence What is your definition of love? Domestic violence is not considered love or affection. It is violence abuse. In your eyes what is domestic violence? Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation (thehotline,org). If you’re experiencing this you might have been hit, kicked, choked, and/or controlled. Physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and economical abuse are key warning signs. Abuse is a repetitive pattern of behaviors to maintain power and control over an intimate partner (thehotline.org). The following are behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish, or force them to behave in ways they do not want (thehotline.org). This also includes threats and intimidation. Warning signs you are in an abusive relationship include forbidding you from eating or sleeping, damaging your property when they’re angry by either throwing objects, punching walls, kicking doors, etc., and or using weapons to threaten to hurt you, or actually hurting you with weapons (thehotline.org). A woman of the name Jessica was stuck in an abusive relationship. She said, â€Å"I was a prisoner in my own home† (Axelord). Her boyfriend beats her, verbally abused her, and controlled her. He made sure she didn’t leave the house without him. He tapped her phone and made sure she knew not to eat, sleep, or shower without him being home to watch her every move. He installed cameras around the house to make sure Jessica wasn’t doing anything behind his back. If they trap you in your home or keep you from leaving, you’re in an abusive relationship. Jessica’s boyfriend claimed abusing her was his sign to show her he loved her and didn’t want to lose her (Axelord). Jessica said, â€Å"His excuse was he was afraid to lose me cause he loved me so much and that was his way of showing me that he loved me† (Axelord). This is what goes on in the minds of abusers. Jessica knew she was in a domestic relationship, but she had no way to get out until one day Jessica’s sister called the cops on her boyfriend and got a restraining order (Axelord). Not everyone knows they are in a domestic violence, the victims are manipulated into thinking it is a sign of compassion and love. More red flags include abandoning you in unfamiliar places, driving recklessly or dangerously when you are in the car with them, and or forcing you to use drugs or alcohol are red flags (thehotline.org). Calling you names, insulting you or continually criticizing you, refusing to trust you and acting jealous or possessive, and or trying to isolate you from family or friends are the first warning signs (thehotline.org). Monitoring where you go, who you call and who you spend time with, demanding to know where you are every minute, threatening to hurt you, the children, your family or your pets is when you seek help (thehotline.org). The first people to notice what is going on are family, friends, and neighbors. Domestic violence happens to both men and women on a daily basis. Women 20-24 years old are at the greatest risk. 1 in 3 women are homicide victims and murdered by their partner each year (SafeHorizon.org). Four million women experience physical assault and rape by their partner each year (SafeHorizon.org). 517 children witness domestic violence each year. Three in four children see the violence happening to their mother or father. 21% of children hear the violence going on. 3.3-10 million children are exposed to domestic violence yearly (SafeHorizon.org). Many children are not safe from this violence. Most of the time, the abuser also goes after the child. More likely than not the child is emotionally scarred for life. According to race, 53% White people are abused, 20% African American people, 16% Latino, and 6% Other (SafeHorizon.org). According to income the following are abused, 28% under $20,000, 30% making $20,000-$50,000, 18% making $50,000-$75,000, and 24% making more than $75,000 (SafeHorizon.org). Some risk factors related to domestic violence include young pregnant women because they are more likely to be targeted compared to older women (apa.org). The younger the easier to be manipulated and used. Domestic violence takes place between 6pm and 6am (apa.org). 60% of incidents happen at home (apa.org). 30%-60% of families experiencing domestic violence include poverty, substance abuse, and other violence (SafeHorizon.org). Domestic is the third leading cause of homelessness among families (apa.org). 1/3 of abusers are using New York shelters (apa.org). This is what you can do to help yourself when the abuser is not around; call a local battered womens shelter or domestic violence hotline and tell them what happened, ask them what your choices are to protect yourself, and what to do to end the violence (venetiservices.eu). Discuss the abusers pattern of violence with someone at a shelter or crisis line and think about what risks, there might be if you talk about leaving (venetiservices.eu). You should encourage your abuser to go to a group for batterers (venetiservices.eu.) If you’re a friend or family member you can encourage the victim to get to safety and help keep that person safe. Confront the abuser if you can do it safely (SafeHorizon.org). Dont accept excuses for violence from the people you love. If your loved one starts controlling your life and taking advantage of you, it is time to leave. Your significant other should always be there for you and care for you. If they ever lay a hand on you immediately call the police. On average it is said that it takes 7 tries to officially get out of an abusive relationship (Axelord.) A significant other should never lay a hand on you if it is not for comfort or affection. If you are physically, mentally, or emotionally abused, it is not love. That does not show that your significant other cares for you. You need to stand up for yourself and get help. Being in an unstable relationship may cause harm to you or your family. People have died, and people have been injured. Children are scared for the rest of their lives. Pay attention to the warning signs and seek help immediately if there are any red flags. The ones you love should respect you and care for you and your family. Works Cited Abuse Defined. The National Domestic Violence Hotline RSS2. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. http://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined/>. Axelord, Jim, â€Å"I was a prisoner in my own home.† 17 May 2013. CBS News. Carter, Lucy, Weitnom, Louis, and Behman. â€Å"Domestic violence and children.† Volume 9 number 7 Winter 1999. Domestic Violence: Statistics Facts. Safe Horizon. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statisticsfacts-52.html>. Partner Violence: What Can You Do? Http://www.apa.org. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/violence/partner.aspx>. Partner Violence: What Can You Do? Veneti CPT Services Ltd. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. http://www.venetiservices.eu/nuepsilonalpha/partner-violence-what-can-you-do>.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner Essay -- Slavery The Sound

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner One of the main realities of human existence is the constant, unceasing passage of time. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner explores this reality of time in many new and unexpected ways as he tells the tragic tail of the Compson family. The Compsons are an old Southern aristocratic family to whom time has not been kind. Years of degeneration mainly stemming from slavery have brought them to the brink of destruction. Most of the story focuses on the Compson children who are undergoing the worst of the social and moral decay. Each of the four children perceives time in a much different way but by far the strangest and most bizarre attitude toward time that is given in the text is held by one of the three male children, Quentin. He is totally consumed with his past and at times can think of nothing else. He also becomes determined to stop time itself—a futile effort that will eventually force him to take his own life. Quentin’s obsession with the past and with the passage of time is a central theme of not only the Quentin section but of the entire book, and it is the key to understanding what Faulkner is trying to say about the decay of Southern culture and traditions. To fully understand the motif of time in the Quentin section it is first necessary to compare it with the different ways in which Faulkner uses time in the other three sections. The first section is narrated by the mentally retarded brother, Benjy, who has abs...

religion Essay -- essays research papers

My Religious Odyssey You can take the girl out of Catholic School†¦ Most people grow up with some type of belief system. Judaism, Christianity, Islam and even Agnosticism are some examples. It wasn’t until I had a child that I realized that religion was just man’s way of explaining God. Even as a kid, however, I always believed in a higher being. Not just because of my very heavy-handed Catholic upbringing. I questioned many things about my religion. Since I loved science, I was confused about how the â€Å"Big Bang† and Adam and Eve coexisted, but I always knew that God existed. I had no scientific irrefutable evidence – I just had faith. You know how they say everything you ever really need to know you learned by first grade? Well it wasn’t until I had both my faith and my life tested, that I fully came to realize that one’s spiritual journey in life doesn’t have so much to do with what religion one surrounds herself with, as much as the faith that one has in God. Faith is what defines a personâ€⠄¢s spirituality as opposed to specific religions. I was raised in a Catholic upbringing. I grew up in Chicago, which has the second largest archdiocese in the U.S. I was baptized as an infant at St. Sabina’s and attended high school at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts, run by the Sisters of Mercy nuns. Catholicism is a religion steeped in ritual and tradition and so I vividly remember my first holy communion in the first or second grade, and my Confirmation, when in the seventh grade I reaffirmed my decision to be both a Catholic and a Christian. I also remember the many hours of study, every year, in religion classes that were required in each grade level. I had cousins who weren’t Catholic who spoke of religion classes taking place only in Sunday school. I did not have Sunday school. I had Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday school. Every class attended mass at least one other day during the week, in addition to Sunday. I remember learning how to pray the rosary beads and knowing certain holy days and saints, important to the Catholic religion. We also participated in confession, where we told a priest about our sins and transgressions, and he gave us a penance to absolve us from guilt. If one is looking for a pomp and circumstance religion, then Catholicism is the one for you. Since about eighty-five percent of the school also attended the church, th... ...c ministry featured both the gospel music I had come to love at Lincoln Heights in addition to the hymns I grew up with at St. Margaret. The pastor believed that he was a sinner just like me and spoke of the church in terms of God’s people, versus a building. Most importantly, I felt a strong connection between myself and God and the other worshippers. They seemed to sense that I needed assistance in my spiritual odyssey, and reached out to me. Most of the congregation had attended Carmel Presbyterian for generations and were looking for new people to help rejuvenate the church. They openly embraced my family and we happily reciprocated. I had finally found a church home. Throughout my religious odyssey, from Catholicism to Baptist beliefs to Presbyterian creed, faith in God remained the one consistent sustaining value in my life. Faith helped me determine that religion by itself is not the most important qualifier in a person’s spiritual odyssey. Faith also helped me to develop a closer relationship with God and is what helped fortify my spiritual growth throughout difficult life struggles. Faith in God versus faith in religion is what most matters on life’s spiritual journey.

Nauru: The Gap Between Perception and Reality Essay -- Country Analysi

It would be easy to overlook the third smallest country in the world as a frivolous waste of time. Nothing could be further from the truth in regards to the island of Nauru. It is a multifarious nation described as almost a topographical micro slice of paradise. The Nauruan people have formed a democratic republic with a constitution safeguarding liberties and ensuring prosperity. At least this is according to the Nauru websites available to the public. Countries often present themselves as a glossy postcard picture on the outside. This picture does not always match the reality of what is on the inside. Looking at what the Nauruan Government and Tourist Organization have to say can serve as a baseline for comparison to the realities that Nauru is facing and the gap between the two. Nauru is a small island located only 26 miles south of the equator with a land mass of just over eight square miles. The government describes the island purely in topographical terms as â€Å"surrounded by a coral reef, exposed at low tide and dotted with pinnacles. The reef is bound seaward by deep water, and inside by a sandy beach. The presence of the reef has prevented the establishment of a seaport †¦a 150–300 meter wide fertile coastal strip lies landward from the beach. Coral cliffs surround the central plateau. The only fertile areas are the narrow coastal belt† (Republic of Nauru [RON], 2012, p.1). The Nauru government is also very proud of their parliamentary democracy and much of their website explains not only the freedom but also compulsory voting at age twenty and above. Their constitution also touts the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms such as â€Å"life, liberty, security of the person, the enjoyment of property and th... ...all, D. (2009). Doomed Island: Nauru's short-sightedness and resulting decline are an urgent warning to the rest of the planet. Alternatives Journal, 35(1), 34-37. Nauru Tourism, Department of Economic Development.(2012). Unique Nauru. Retrieved on 27 May 2012 from: http://www.discovernauru.com/ Singh, S. (2007, Mar 28). South pacific: Island nations struggle with obesity epidemic. Global Information Network, pp. 1. http://search.proquest.com/docview/457564219?Accountid =38569 The Republic of Nauru.(2011). Republic of Nauru. Retrieved on 27 May 2012 from: http://www.naurugov.nr/index.html The Republic of Nauru.(2011). The constitution of Nauru. Retrieved on 27 May 2012 from: http://www.naurugov.nr/parliament/constitution.html U.S, Department of State Website(2012) Background Note: Nauru. Retrieved on 27 May 2012 from: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/16447.htm

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ageism, like racism or any other form of bias, characterizes individuals on the basis of their membership in a group. Many do not see ageism as being particularly harmful because unlike gender bias or prejudice it does not affect only one group of people; it affects the entire population (if they are fortunate enough to reach an age to be jested about. ) Reaching middle tends to be a period a very emotional period, especially for women moving closer to or going thorough menopause. In the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, we meet Evelyn in quite a state: her children are moving out, her marriage is dull and lifeless and she is the butt end of two very cruel ageist jokes in what seems to be a span of less than a month. To better understand ageism and how it was affecting Evelyn, we can simply compare the two incidents at the grocery store and how she dealt with them. In the first scene, Evelyn is almost knocked down by a young man rushing out of the story. She chases after him, shocked but genuinely curious as to why he is being so mean to her. â€Å"Move it fat cow! Beat it you old bitch! † Evelyn is left in tears wondering, â€Å"Why are you being so mean to me?! † Later on, at the same grocery store she is confronted with more ageists, this time two girls. As the girls steal her parking spot without an ounce of guilt, they let Evelyn know that they are faster and smarter. â€Å"Most people, especially younger people, barely notice that age is being made a stigma. But the message is that being old is repulsive, embarrassing or unthinkable is visible everywhere in our society. † (Crawford, 367) To these teenagers, Evelyn is nothing but an insignificant bump in their day. Like many adolescents, these characters are too wrapped up in their own lives to acknowledge, or even respect, her presence. To Evelyn these comments are detrimental; they solidify the demise of her youth. The clip also shows examples of older women being stereotyped. â€Å"Older women repeatedly say that their aging bodies are the first cues that others use to classify them. When (older women) interact with strangers in public settings â€Å"all anyone seems to see is an old woman. † (Crawford, 401) The teenagers in both scenes see Evelyn as fat, old and slow. A slightly less obvious stereotype can be seen in the production of Ninny’s character. Ninny might as well have been a page out of Crawford’s book; she describes grannies as follows: â€Å"her gray hair, worn in a tight bun, and her outdated, unfashionable clothes signify that she has not kept up with the times. † (401) Ninny is a sweet old woman dressed in floral prints, hair in a tight bun and refers to menopause as â€Å"the change. † While Ninny is a very positive character in the movie, her image is the typical media stereotype of a â€Å"little old lady. † Evelyn’s experience with menopause has both physical and psychological effects on her. Her worries that â€Å"she is too young to be old and too old to be young† are taking a toll on her relationship with herself. She is having a very difficult time accepting this – she eats compulsively and worries because â€Å"she can’t even see her vagina anymore! † Unfortunately for women, the changes that they go through (getting fat, old, etc) are not only â€Å"in their heads. † These changes tend to make society look at them differently because women tend to be evaluated through their bodies. Crawford, 403) Crawford explains menopause in further detail, pointing out that at times a woman may be irritable or disturbed by hot flashes but there are no studies that actually point to menopause causing depression. Many cultures, like Japanese and Mexican report that they do not get hot flashes as much as women in the US. African-American women do not see menopause as a significant period in their life. Western culture, however, has taught us that quite simply a woman that is aging is unattractive and crazy. Sarcasm aside, Crawford reports that women in the US and cultures with similar attitudes as the US are the women that feel the effects of menopause the most. This is highlighted in the movie with both Evelyn’s current distress and Ninny’s past going through the change. â€Å"I used to burst into tears for no reason at all! † Many people also like to think that women are crazy during menopause. The joke sums up part of Evelyn’s menopausal attitude: crazy and bored of her husband. Americans, therefore, have taken matters into their own hands. In the beginning of the clip, we meet Evelyn as a sad, frumpy woman who eats her emotions and lets others walk all over her. In the following scene, however, we meet an entirely new Evelyn. She is well dressed, bold and vivacious. This As Evelyn moves pushes through her midlife depression, she becomes increasingly concerned with her appearance. She loses a considerable amount of weight, wears bright make up and more fashionable clothes. Sales of anti-aging cream and numbers of cosmetic surgery define the way Western culture looks at getting old: its bad. Evelyn’s attitude towards the end is a little bit difficult to analyze. She seems happier and more confident yet it also seems that her new attitude comes with a vengance, she is very open with her distaste for skinny women, horny men and young people. According to Dr. Nosek in her journal article The Effects of Percieved Stress and Attitudes Towards Menopause and Aging Symptoms of Menopause, a woman’s reaction to menopause simply reflects her views on aging. Women that are indifferent to middle life do not display any particularly obvious menopause traits. Women who do not want to age and have self-esteem and body awareness issues have very different attitudes and symptoms during menopause. Evelyn has had her children and husband to take care of all her life so she was able to better hide her distaste for her looks and simple life. Now, however, she feels useless and it is very apparent that she is not comfortable with her appearance. â€Å"A woman's perception of symptoms alerts her to changes in her body and may propel her to explore ways to alleviate or manage the associated distress. (Nosek) In this case, Evelyn’s experiences with menopause were an expression of both her fear of aging, thinly disguised by her contempt for all things skinny, young and fashionable and by a new found independence she had from her kids and husband. As women get older, they begin to value their relationships with other females more, especially because men tend to live a relatively shorter time than women. This is apparent with Ninny, who finds solace in Evelyn’s weekly visits. â€Å"Older women tend to be involved with rich networks of friends and family. Compared to men in the same age group, they have more friends and eel closer to their friends. † (Crawford, 414) Evelyn benefits from her visits to the retirement home as well. As an older woman, Ninny is able to point out to Evelyn that what she is going through is normal and give her some advice. Evelyn also finds inspiration in a character named â€Å"Tawanda† – she mentions her quite often after her outburst at the grocery store. The friendship is mutually beneficial to the women who are in very different stages of their life. To Ninny, caring for Evelyn is a natural task that ends up being quite rewarding, she sees the improvement in Evelyn’s life and it is obvious that she is partly responsible for it. It is obvious that Evelyn is seeking support in her time of â€Å"change† – seen both in her weekly visits to Ninny and the women’s group that is briefly mentioned at the beginning of the clip. Crawford depicts the costs of care giving to be very trying for a woman because on top of caring for children she must care for the elderly. The author points this out, perhaps in a feminist point of view, assuming that the woman has had to balance a career and care giving most of her life. For Evelyn, this is quite the opposite. Evelyn’s life has been solely dedicated to caring for her children and husband. Now that her children are gone she seems to realize that her and her husband have drifted apart and her life is not as busy as it once seemed. With no particular meaning or direction in her life, she begins to eat out of boredom and look for other activities to fill her void. Rather than having an elderly person to care for, Evelyn goes out and volunteers to visit one. Crawford discusses care giving as having both psychological and econonomical costs but this is not true for Evelyn. The psychological benefits she receives from visiting and caring for Ninny outweigh any negative costs that it may have had.

Cango Video Analysis Essay

The speech Liz gave to the Hudson Valley Business Association was not organized. Recommendations: * Although Liz did not have a plan for CanGo initially she must realize what made the company successful and perfect that. * Liz need to effectively communicate her success but more importantly communicate how she plans to continue her success 3. Communication- a. Communication within the company is very poor and lacks substance. At this point meetings are a waste of time and money. The end result of meetings is non effective. Recommendations: * Before a meeting is conducted an agenda should be created and provided to all participants. This also provides the participants a chance to think about the upcoming meeting and helps prepare brainstorming ahead of time so that the meeting will be more organized and have a flow to it. 4. Prioritization- a. Nick has the inability to prioritize tasks and he is all over the place with his work Recommendations: * Research the use and purpose of a Gant Chart * Ask for some assistance in creating a Gant Chart * Understand how to adjust the chart to circumstance 5. Time Management- c. Currently the members don’t use time management and have no regard for each other’s need to meet deadlines and get tasks accomplished. Recommendations: * Set boundaries * Create a busy/not busy indicator * Utilize the meeting calendar and set times to discuss issues throughout the day* Pre plan 6. Financial Turmoil- d. CanGo is in a financial struggle right now with an unbalanced profit and loss. Without a sound financial foundation much else doesn’t matter. Recommendations: * Go over the books and determine where the financial problems are* Create an analysis * Discuss the potential dangers and success with a CPA * Create a financial plan and adhere

Nonverbal Communication Codes Essay

1. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? Why are you looking at me? Is the nonverbal message that I would take from the woman with the bad tan. 2. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? I believe the nonverbal message in this image is Affect Displays. A woman with an obvious bad tan seems as though she has a negative reaction to the gentleman that’s doing a double take, looking at her. Her facial expression has a look of irritation from the staring 3. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? It is hard to determine the effect on the other people that is in the image; however, I suppose the people that are around them that saw the interaction should’ve felt the awkwardness as well. It would be obvious that the signal would be not to get involved and to look away. 4. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? Smiling or showing a friendly face and eye contact should have been made to reduce the feeling of inadequacy or awkwardness. 1. What cultural barriers are seen in this image? I believe the gentleman is focused on the group of woman because he is trying to figure out their dress and culture because it is different than his. 2. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? I feel like the type of nonverbal communication codes that is being used is Affect Displays and Regulators. The gentleman’s posture is used to communicate his emotion and his posture asked the question, â€Å"what are you are doing, and why you dressed that way?† This is an example of the affect Displays because his posture is showing emotions. The other code that is then displayed is the regulator because he is giving eye contact to the group with a facial expression, and open mouth or raised eyebrow, trying to get the group’s attention. 3. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? The effect that each person has in the image is of non-affect. No one has notice the gentleman’s non-verbal communication methods. Either no one sees it, or he is being ignored, based off of the individuals in the picture. 4. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? The nonverbal communication skills and strategies that can be used to communicate effectively in this situation were simply being a friendly face and smile to show no threat. Also, if the gentleman was really serious, he should have stopped and face the group that he was trying to get their attention 1. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? The nonverbal message in this image says that there are still places in Asia where smoking continues to be allowed in some public places; and, smoking is a popular thing to do. 2. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? The nonverbal communication code that is used to deliver this message is the Adapters. Adapters are nonverbal behaviors that help you satisfy personal needs and adapt to the immediate situation or surroundings. 3. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? The effect that being an adapter in this image has on other people in the image I believe is that smoking is addictive and if one person smokes a cigarette and you are a smoker thing you will want a cigarette as well. 4. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? I am not a smoker; I would either leave the room or show displeasure from secondhand smoke. 1. What cultural barriers can be seen in this image? 2. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? 3. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? 4. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? 5. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? 1. What cultural barriers can be seen in this image? The cultural barriers in this image can be defined as business people who are possibly on their way to work on being a know it annoyed by a woman on her cell phone, not paying attention to where she’s going. 2. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? In this image, the people display a busy, business like image. The affect display can be displayed through their posture, and by putting little expression on their faces. It is almost as if it is a hostile rush to get where they’re going. 3. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? The nonverbal communication codes that can be displayed from this image is the Affect Display. 4. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? It seems as though the people in this image are annoyed by the woman was talking on her cell phone and not paying attention to where she’s going or having a very loud conversation. 5. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? Lady, please hang up the phone and watch where you’re going.