Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication

Intensely hot Chili Peppers Californication The impact of the Western culture on the improvement of the cutting edge society is hard to overestimate. The western world has greatly affected improvement of all nations on the globe. This effect has become an argument and the talk addresses an assortment of parts of this pattern. Therefore, scientists, teachers, official, big names of the stage and the remainder of the number of inhabitants in the planet are engaged with the discussion.Advertising We will compose a custom paper test on Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More A delineation of such inclusion is the melody by the American band Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (â€Å"Red Hot Chili Peppers† n.p.). The very word â€Å"Californication† can represent westernization and the melody reveals insight into as far as individuals can tell. The tune uncovers significant parts of the ongoing social effect of the western world. As a matter of first importance, i t is important to take note of the tune centers around a few parts of Hollywood’s sway. These impacts incorporate the spread of excellence principles, case after distinction and, obviously, the American Dream (â€Å"Red Hot Chili Peppers† n.p.). The entertainers are singing about the manner in which individuals attempt to safeguard or get their childhood and engaging quality. They additionally notice people’s want to get acclaimed despite the fact that the distinction can be far fetched. The tune has an extremely wide crowd as it advances to bunches of individuals. For example, heaps of individuals can relate themselves to the pictures uncovered in the melody the same number of them long for things referenced. In spite of the fact that the band focused at masses, the tune can likewise be intriguing to specialists regarding the talk of otherness. It is additionally imperative to take note of that the melody was discharged in 1999 yet it despite everything stays o pportune. As far as the talk on the otherness, the melody is extremely intriguing. Hence, the entertainers concede that there are various societies. Nonetheless, they additionally stress that the last purpose of all yearnings is as yet the western piece of the western nation. Strangely, Eastern individuals note that their way of life has likewise influenced the USA and other western social orders (Nair-Venugopal 4). In any case, Red Hot Chili Peppers accentuate that those impacts are immaterial contrasted with the effect of the western progress. All the more along these lines, it is conceivable to express that the tune is a song of praise of otherness. Kastoryano stresses that it is normal for a person to recognize his/her personalities and otherness (80). The writer additionally takes note of that individuals are frequently pleased with their otherness (Kastoryano 80).Advertising Looking for paper on workmanship and plan? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your firs t paper with 15% OFF Learn More The tune is an outline of such a pride. Americans flaunt their otherness and stress that the remainder of the world wants to impart it to them. As indicated by the band, westernization has influenced the whole globe (â€Å"Red Hot Chili Peppers† n.p.). At the end of the day, all individuals take a stab at turning into a piece of the other (for example western) world. Notwithstanding, the melody gives just a single point of view. For instance, the entertainers appear to be uninformed of the manner in which different countries have influenced the western human advancements (counting California). As has been referenced over, the entertainers are hesitant to concur with the otherness of the remainder of the world, as they just acclaim their own otherness. It is additionally imperative to take note of that moral issues are likewise forgotten about. The melody doesn't contain just a case of the performers’ moral assessment of the issue. They n ote that obliteration can likewise make new life (â€Å"Red Hot Chili Peppers† n.p.). Be that as it may, the moral part of the issue needs considerably more consideration (Eckstein 134). For example, Chouliaraki and Orgad express that the moral perspective can help stay concentrated on humanness while considering the issues identified with otherness (342). Being moral assists individuals with investing heavily in their otherness and regard different people’s personality. In any case, despite the fact that the tune doesn't address numerous parts of the otherness, it despite everything makes an entire universe shared by various individuals. The tune imparts the thoughts of western impacts. As indicated by the tune, there is just a single route connection between the west and the east (â€Å"Red Hot Chili Peppers† n.p.). The entertainers stress that the entire world follows the way made by the western progress. Critically, California is viewed as an emblematic hear th of the most recent patterns in the western world. Taking everything into account, it is conceivable to take note of that the melody being referred to expands the talk concerning the connection between the west and the east. It makes individuals consider the job of media and the connection among's media and the possibility of otherness. The melody centers around the manner in which a few Americans see or may see the connection between the western and eastern worlds.Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More It makes a feeling that Americans are happy they are so extraordinary and they are particularly complimented as the remainder of the world needs to be much the same as them. Truly, every individual needs to choose how he/she ought to see the possibility of otherness. Nonetheless, such melodies as â€Å"Californication† may make individuals think with a particular goa l in mind. Truth be told, the tune adds to the production of the picture of a world isolated in two sections, for example the west and the rest, who need to turn into a piece of the reality where the American Dream rules. Chouliaraki, Lilie and Shani Orgad. Legitimate Distance: Mediation, Ethics, Otherness. Universal Journal of Cultural Studies 14.4 (2011): 341-345. Print. Eckstein, Lars. Against an Ethics of Absolute Otherness, for Cross-Cultural Critique: A Response to Tammy Amiel-Houser. Implications 22.1 (2012/2013): 124-136. Print. Kastoryano, Riva. Codes of Otherness. Social Research 77.1 (2010): 79-100. Print. Nair-Venugopal, Shanta. Locating the Terrain. The Gaze of the West and Framings of the East. Ed. Shanta Nair-Venugopal. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. 3-29. Print. Intensely hot Chili Peppers Lyrics. 2013. Web.Advertising Searching for exposition on craftsmanship and plan? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More

Roberto Clemente Essays - Roberto Clemente, Clemente, Free Essays

Roberto Clemente Essays - Roberto Clemente, Clemente, Free Essays Roberto Clemente Group: Pittsburgh Pirates Roberto Clemente was conceived in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August eighteenth 1934. He was the first Hispanic baseball player to be drafted into the baseball Hall of Fame. He was additionally the subsequent baseball player to be put on a postage stamp. Roberto Clemente was tormented with back torment during his vocation, yet still he end up being one of the best baseball players ever. Roberto Clemente had consistently like baseball. He was likewise lucky to join an expert Puerto Rican baseball crew at 17 years old. He went through his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers ranch group. He was contemplating stopping since he was dealt with unusually. The establishment was attempting to stow away Clemente from the Giants so when he played great, they would seat him. In any case, when he did awful, they would keep him in the game. Clemente later came back to Puerto Rico after his first, disillusioning season to visit his sibling, who was kicking the bucket from a cerebrum tumor. While he was there, an alcoholic driver crushed into his vehicle and forever harmed three spinal circles, which would trouble him through the remainder of his profession. In 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Clemente for $4,000 and put him out in right field. During his first season he gunned down 18 sprinters. He got 20 sprinters out in his subsequent season. In his second season he had a .311 batting normal and had 5 homers. At that point in 1958 he drove the National League in outfield helps with 22. In 1960 Clemente had a fabulous year. He hit 16 homers, batted .314 and had 94 R.B.I?s (runs batted in). He drove his group to the National League flag. Furthermore, stunned the country with a furious about the Yankees in the World Series. Clemente batted .310 for the arrangement. He won his first batting title in 1961, hitting .351 with 23 homers, 10 triples, and 89 RBIs. Clemente used to overswing the bat and his head would sway when he swung a bat. So Clemente began utilizing a heavier bat. After that he proceeded to appreciate 11 of 12 seasons with his batting normal over .300. In late December of 1972 a quake struck Nicaragua. In excess of 6,000 individuals were murdered, 20,000 harmed. In the wake of hearing that a portion of the provisions they had sent to Nicaragua were not getting to the opportune individuals, Clemente chose to assume control over issues. He traveled to Nicaragua in a payload plane also, ensure that appropriation was completed appropriately. On New Year's Eve he loaded up an over-burden DC-7 Air Force Plane that he leased for $4,000 to fly to Nicaragua. The plane collided with the sea soon after departure. Roberto Clemente was the main Hispanic baseball player at any point drafted into the Baseball Hall of Distinction, and in 1994 a sculpture of him was disclosed at Three Rivers Stadium at the elite player game.

Up Your Geek Stats with an Insider Look at the World of Video Game Development

Up Your Geek Stats with an Insider Look at the World of Video Game Development Im a woman who works in STEM and is involved in the gaming industry, so its entirely possible Im biased when I say this is one of the best books Ive read this year. Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap, is aimed at a fairly specific demographic: women with a passion for video games who might be wondering how to break into what is, at times, a very hostile industry for women. But if you dont fall into either of those categories, dont worry; you certainly dont have to be a lady or a gamer to give this superb and informative collection a read. The book is edited by veteran game developer Jennifer Brandes Hepler (probably best known for her work as a writer at BioWare on the Dragon Age series of video games), and contains 22 personal essays from a wide range of contributors. Each of these women work in different facets of game development, including writers, engineers, technical artists, designers, producers, CEOs, and everything in between. In the space of a short chapter, each of these women speak about how they first fell in love with video games, how they broke into the industryand how they managed, or didnt manage, to stay there. The chapters are loosely grouped by profession, each section capped with supplementary chapters by Hepler which provide additional information, advice, and resources for both women trying to find their place in the industry and for allies already inside who can help make more diverse teams possible. Even in the books happiest success stories, its clear: none of these women had an easy road to get where they wanted to be, or to keep their place there once they earned it. Even if you dont pay attention to video games at all, youre probably aware that these days, being a woman with opinions about video gamesmuch like being a woman with opinions about comicscan be a pretty dangerous thing to be. This danger has escalated in the past five years or so, with the anonymity of the internet allowing more and more trolls to threaten, stalk, doxx, attack, and even drive women from their homes. Their supposed crimes? Pointing out problematic elements in video games. Working in video games. Daring to be publicly part of a space that they actually make up over half of. Yeah, weve all heard this story before. Were all sick to death of hearing this story. But the story keeps happening, and while Women in Game Development isnt directly about this abusive culture, it is a book that is very much born in a time where this sexism (and racism, and homophobia, and body-shaming, and everything else they can throw at you) is a part of daily life in video games, in ways both subtle and blatant. On the one hand, this book is a victorious declaration. Here are twenty-two women who made it work, in twenty-two different ways. And they are women who will not be silenced, who are out in the thick of the industry doing amazing and empowering things through determination, guts, resilience, talent, and above all, a burning passion for video games. But the collection isnt just a celebration of these isolated successes; its also looking forward, a vow to keep fighting to make things better. This is a book published for everyone, but its a book that is primarily written for, and speaking to, the women who will come next. Many of the contributors emphasize the importance of various mentors in their career paths, and this book is working very consciously to help pay that good support forward. This book is speaking, at times directly, to the women who will come next. The ones who need to know what it takes, how many approaches and destinations there are within the vast field of game development. Who need to know how much of a better place the industry has become, thanks to women like those in this book, but also how much further it still has to go.

The Reality Of Reality Television Essay - 1973 Words

Introduction Reality television has turned into a noteworthy piece of our way of life. The shows are described to be fun, engaging and acquaint society with new points of view. In the wake of a monotonous day at work, it s decent to return home and watch something careless on television, while unwinding. While the debate that violence in the media is making for a brutal culture has been made a million times, sometime recently, I am striving to make an alternate relationship. As we are aware, the larger part of reality television contains some sort of harsh circumstance, whether verbal, emotional, physical, money related, or potentially sexual. Despite the fact that the predominance of this violence is tricky all by itself, the way that these shows are taped or situated in local circumstances is particularly concerning. Police activity being filmed for reality television is a prime example of a particularly concerning reality television. These particular television shows includes but are not limit ed to The First 48, COPS, Police Women of Memphis, etc. These particular shows display events that can be labeled as brutal, violent and intense. Majority of the population, are in agreeance that, that level of law enforcement tactics and incidents should not be displayed or available to the general public. According to Dowler (2002), public knowledge of crime and justice is largely derived from the media. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the dangers involved in filmingShow MoreRelatedThe Reality Of Reality Television936 Words   |  4 PagesThe reality show phenomenon Have you ever wondered what attracts millions of Americans each week to watch this cultural phenomenon know as reality television? It first started in 1948 when Allen Funt created a TV series called Candid Camera, this is the first known reality television show series. â€Å"Reality television episodes have increased up to 57% of all television shows that can be found on your TV guides† (Shocking). Big Brother was one of the first successful and most viewed reality televisionRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television882 Words   |  4 Pages What is it about these reality shows such as: Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Bad Girls Club, and The Real Housewives that we cannot stop watching? After watching reality shows like this, it leaves people craving the next episode of the next week. Reality television producers are exploiting people by giving the public a â€Å"sense† of reality but not the real version of it, but rather exploit people and use stereotypes to make money for entertainment. The specific points of this argumentRead MoreThe Reality of Reality Television1699 Words   |  7 PagesThe Reality of Reality Television Jacqueline Knudsen ENG122: English Composition II Jenna Fussell February 2, 2013 The Reality of Reality Television Have you ever set there watching your favorite reality television show and wondered what effects it could have on you, your family or your friends? Truth is most people do not think about the effects television shows can have before watching them or allowing their children to watch them. ThisRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television1499 Words   |  6 PagesAgainst Reality TV For close to a decade, the ethics behind the existence of reality TV have been questioned. While there are ardent viewers of reality TV, researchers and other scholars disapprove them, and claim that the world would have been in a better place. Reality TV shows, especially in America, are extremely profitable to media owners, and this has increased their popularity in the recent years. The main target audience for these shows are teenagers and women, who spend a lot of time discussingRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television927 Words   |  4 PagesBehind the Reality of Reality TV There are many different opinions when the subject of reality television is discussed. Although reality television shows are thought to be negative they really are just mindless entertainment. Many can argue that these shows are misleading and disturbing. On the other side of this, people merely use these shows for entertainment and allow people to forget about stress in their lives. The cause of these different opinions is a result of different age, gender, religionRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television1511 Words   |  7 PagesReality TV is defined as television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.(Dictionary) As we all know, in today s world we are presented with numerous Reality TV Show such as Keeping up With the Kardashians, Basket wives and The Real Housewives of Miami. These shows give a false message to their viewers of what is reality and what is purely entertainment. Many reality programs create an artificial environment for the show thatRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television991 Words   |  4 PagesWe see content on television every day either to see the news, watch a movie, series or any program we would like to watch. Television give us a different and visually perfect way of entertainment. Reality television is a genre of television which seems to be unscripted showing actions of â€Å"real life†. The viewer sees the reality shows for entertainment but neither the pressure, competitiveness nor loneliness that lives in imagines. To be real -time and people- admiration from viewers, thinking thatRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television Essay1287 Words   |  6 PagesReality television is now one of the most consumed television genres broadcasted to the general public. Reality television has become more about mindless watching and creating the most unrealistic environment possible, rather than creating a show for an important purpose. Today, shows like Beauty and the Geek, Big Brother, and every other reality show fit into this mold, but when viewed critically lessons appear. In the case of TV today, reality shows depict an altered reality because of the unrealisticRead MoreReality Television : Is It Reality?849 Words   |  4 PagesIs it Reality? Pop culture is popular culture that dominates a society at a point in time. Today, reality television is a part of the society’s popular culture (Johnson 289). The question is why? Reality television is a genre of television programming that focuses on members of the public living in conditions made by the creator, and displays how people are intended to behave in everyday life (Johnson 290). Reality television is debasing and should be strictly controlled, if not banned altogetherRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Television Essay1697 Words   |  7 PagesReality television has taken off over the past few years bringing shows to the airwaves such as the Bachelor and Breaking Amish. One of the more successful reality television shows, which is going off the air after this season, is Duck Dynasty. The show features a cast of redneck white males who have created a fortune making handmade duck calls. Their wives are the typical stay at home moms who cook and clean the house, or as Uncle Si would say, wifely duties. The show is shot in West Monroe, Louisiana

What is a Political Party Definition and How They Work

A political party is an organized body of like-minded people who work to elect candidates for public office who represent their values on matters of policy. In the U.S., home to a strong two-party system, the major political parties are the Republicans and the Democrats. But there are many other smaller and less well organized political parties that also nominate candidates for public office; among the most prominent of these are the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Constitution Party, all three of which have run candidates for president in modern elections. Still, only Republicans and Democrats have served in the White House since 1852. Did You Know? No  third-party  candidate has ever been elected to the White House in modern history, and very few have won seats in either the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. The Role of a Political Party Political parties are neither corporations nor political-action committees, nor super PACs. Nor are they nonprofit groups or charitable organizations. In fact, political parties occupy a vague space in the U.S.—as semi-public organizations that have private interests (getting their candidate elected to office) but play important public roles. Those roles include running primaries in which voters nominate candidates for local, state and federal offices, and also hosting elected party members at presidential nominating conventions every four years. In the U.S., the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee are the semi-public organizations that manage the nations two major political parties. Am I a Member of a Political Party? Technically, no, not unless youre elected to a local, state or federal party committee. If youre registered to vote as a Republican, Democrat or Libertarian, that means you are affiliated with a particular party and its beliefs. But youre not actually a party member. What Political Parties Do The primary functions of every political party are to recruit, evaluate, and nominate candidates for election at the local, state, and federal levels; to serve as opposition to the opposing political party; to draft and approve a party platform to which candidates typically must abide; and to raise large sums of money to support their candidates. The two major political parties in the U.S. raise millions of dollars each, money they spend trying to get their nominees into office. Lets take a closer look at how political parties actually work to accomplish these goals. Political Parties at the Local Level Political party committees operate in cities, suburbs, and rural areas to find people to run for offices such as mayor, municipal governing bodies, public-school boards, and Legislature. They also evaluate candidates and offer endorsements, which serve as guidance to voters of that party. These local parties are made up of rank-and-file committee people who are, in many states, elected by voters in primaries. The local parties are, in many locations, authorized by states to provide election judges, observers and inspectors to work at polling places. Judges of elections explain voting procedures and use of voting equipment, provide ballots and monitor elections; inspectors keep an eye on the voting equipment to make sure it works properly; observers scrutinize how ballots are handled and counted to ensure accuracy. This is the fundamental public role of political parties. Political Parties at the State Level Political parties are made up of elected committee members, who meet to endorse candidates for governor and statewide row offices including attorney, treasurer, and auditor general. State political parties also help to manage the local committees and play a crucial role in mobilizing the electorate—getting voters to the polls, coordinating campaign activities such as phone banks and canvassing, and making sure all the candidates on the party ticket, from top to bottom, are consistent in their platforms and messages. Political Parties at the National Level The national committees set the broad agendas and platforms for the party workers at the federal, state, and local levels. The national committees, too, are made up of elected committee members. They set election strategy and organize the presidential conventions every four years, where delegates from each state gather to cast ballots and nominate candidates for president. How Political Parties Came Into Being The first political parties—the Federalists and the anti-Federalists—emerged from the debate over ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The formation of the second party further illustrates one of the primary functions of political parties: serving as opposition to another faction with diametrically opposed values. In this particular case, the Federalists were arguing for a strong central government and the opposing Anti-Federalists wanted the states to hold more power. The  Democratic-Republicans followed soon after, founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to oppose the Federalists. Then came Democrats and the  Whigs. No  third-party  candidate has ever been elected to the White House in modern history, and very few have won seats in either the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. The most notable exception to the two party system is  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a socialist whose  campaign for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination invigorated liberal members of the party. The closest any independent presidential candidate has come to being elected to the White House was  billionaire Texan Ross Perot,  who won 19 percent of the popular vote in the 1992 election. List of Political Parties The Federalists and the Whigs and the Democratic-Republicans have been extinct since the 1800s, but there are plenty of other political parties around today. Here are some of them, and the positions that make them unique: Republican: Takes more conservative positions on fiscal issues such as spending and the national debate and social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, both of which a majority of the party opposes. Republicans are more resistant to change in public policy than other parties.Democrat: Tends to favor an expansion of social programs that assist the poor, broadening coverage of government-sponsored health care, and strengthening public education systems in the U.S. Most Democrats also support the right of women to have abortions and of same-sex couples to marry, polls show.Libertarian: Favors a dramatic reduction in government functions, taxation and regulation and takes a hands-off approach to social issues such as drug use, prostitution, and abortion. Favors as little government intrusion into personal freedoms as possible. Libertarians tend to be fiscally conservative and liberal on social issues.Green: Promotes environmentalism, social justice and the rights of lesbian, gay, bi sexual and transgender Americans to receive the same civil liberties and rights others enjoy. Party members typically oppose war. The party tends to be liberal on fiscal and social issues.Constitution: Formed as the Taxpayers Party in 1992, this party is socially and fiscally conservative. It believes the two major parties, the Republicans and Democrats, have expanded government beyond the powers granted in Constitution. In that way it is much like the Libertarian Party. However, the Constitution Party opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. It also opposes amnesty for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, wants to disband the Federal Reserve and return to the gold standard.

Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry Free Essays

string(104) " European community of consumers, there is a trend whereby consumers are becoming more green conscious\." Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry BY caracal Industrial Ecology Practices in the Fashion Industry Introduction The industrial revolution in the sass brought a paradigm shift to the way humans interacted with the environment. The increased capability of producing and manufacturing on a large scale, the rise of multiple industries, growing demand and proliferation of hedonistic consumption patterns, has created a culture of surplus, want and waste. (Fallacy-Companion, 2012) From an environmental point of view, this resource hungry trend is unsustainable and has detrimental ecological impacts, such as pollution and climate change. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now These problems have highlighted the consequence of our insatiable demand for resources and the need to rethink current practices and thoughts in order to maintain current living standards and ensure future growth. The ideas of environmental management, industrial ecology and ecological footprint have been proposed to allow for a meticulous look to the products that we manufacture and use, with emphasis on measuring the ecological impacts in hopes of reducing them. A multitude of tools have since been created to measure efficiency in hopes to highlight areas for improvement, of which the ISO standard and Life cycle assessment are part of. Undoubtedly, many companies have adopted life cycle analysis (LLC) in order to assess and reduce their product’s impact on the environment. The fashion industry, at its core, is based on the notion of continual consumption of the ‘new and the discard of the ‘old’, especially with new seasonal lines coming out every 3 months. The industry celebrates creativity with the continuous turnover of trends, leading to the â€Å"premature product replacement and fashion obsolescence†. This constant change has major negative environmental and social impacts, particularly on those at the bottom of the supply chain. Ellwood et al, 2006; Whether and Leastwise, 2008) Moreover, delicates production, often all over the world, is commonly practiced in line with the competitive advantages of different locales (such as low-cost labor, less stringent standards/regulations, strength in technology etc). Studies of Ellwood et al (2006), Madsen et al (2007) and Fletcher (2008) have highlighted issues of apparel waste as the majority of textile waste are not recycled or reuse but usually ends up in landfills. In this report, Nikkei Inc. And Levi Strauss Co. Are chosen as case studies of the fashion industry for their efforts o apply LLC to their products. Life Cycle Assessment and IS014040 The International Organization for Standardization (SO) is an organization that aims to promote worldwide standards for proprietary, industrial and commercial purposes. ‘SO, 2013) The ISO 14000 series is a family of standards that related to environmental management, which aims to help organizations measure and minimize operations that will negatively affect the environment and comply with environmental regulations and audits required in the country of operation. For example, the ISO 14001 is integral to the European Union’s CEO-Management and Audit Scheme (AMASS). AMASS, 2011) Before t he development of the ISO 14000 series, most organizations had to rely on internal environmental management systems that made comparisons between companies difficult. The ISO 14040 standard focuses on Life Cycle Assessment. LLC is a technique to assess environment impacts associated with all the stages of a product’s life from its raw material extraction to its processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair, recycle and disposal. It is believed to encompass a larger scope of environmental concerns as the compiled inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases includes the attention impacts associated with the identified inputs and releases, which can then be interpreted to help make informed decisions and build corporate environmental strategies. EPA, 2013) The method is most often used for the pinpointing potential for process improvements by assessing environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s life. (Securing Mueller, 2008) ISO 14040 standards shows how the LLC is to be carried out in four distinct phases as seen in Figure 1 before. Before any LLC can be carried out, an explici t goal and scope of the study, inclusive of technical details, has to be defined. This can then serve as a reference to guide the subsequent work. The functional unit, system boundaries, assumptions and limitations as well as the impact categories are identified and set in this first phase. The life cycle inventory analysis will then carry on from phase one by creating an inventory of all flows (input and output) between the stages of a product system, inclusive of all activities in the relevant supply chain and gives a clear picture of the system boundaries. Only when this is complete can the life cycle impact assessment be carried out. This is the most complex stage of the process as it aims to evaluate he significance of potential environmental impacts and calculate the input and output from the inventory. At the end of the assessment, the information gathered is evaluated and the assessment is objectively assessed before the identification of significant issues and problems, its evaluation and limitations are put forth. Figure 1 : The 4 phases of LLC (http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ File:PhasesOfLifeCycleAnalysis. Eng) Current Context and Trends Environmental Management has progressed significantly over the years with regulations becoming more stringent and accountability expectations higher. Figure taken from Penman’s (1999) report shows a simple evolution of environmental policies and their primary characteristics from the sass to present, whereby attitudes towards the environment have changes from merely managing the problem in the early days to one that is more actively involved in trying to prevent probl ems. Figure 2: Evolution of environmental management (Seaman, 1999) Within the industry and companies, Lamming ; Hampton (1996) stresses the need for companies to engage in environmental management as public pressure is and will continue to be a major factor. In their study, 75% of customers state that they would consider a Meany’s environmental reputation when purchasing and 80% of those would be willing to pay a premium for an environmentally friendlier product. Although there are limitations to their study, in that the sentiment may only be shared by the European community of consumers, there is a trend whereby consumers are becoming more green conscious. You read "Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry" in category "Fashion" Hawked et al (1999) in the book ‘Natural Capitalism’ also calls for companies to embrace a new industrialism that will create profits and jobs while saving the environment, through the creation of a closed-loop supply chain that will generate more value and profit. By aggressive recycling, there is the potential of reducing up to 90% of energy and materials consumption. Although individual organizations are recognizing the need and their responsibility to address environmental and sustainability issues, there remains a lack of systematic and coordinated effort across the board. At a larger and general scale, there has been an increase of government level interest and engagement to transition sustainability at the firm and facility level, to one that is more holistic and encompasses production sustainability throughout the value chain. Golden et al, 2011) President Obama issued Executive Order 13514 in 2009 that requires â€Å"the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, obtain 50% diversion rates of solid waste, pursue opportunities with vendors to reduce greenhouse gas (GOGH) emissions, ensure procurement preferences for energy-efficient products, and reduce consumption of paper with low recycled content†. Likewise the Securities Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are driving the use of sustainable product design and supply c hains by the issuance of directives and interpretive guidance. Golden et al, 2011) Since the fiasco of â€Å"sweatshop† labor in the sass, leading to public outcry and clash on the fashion industry, there has been unison of calls for greater accountability. (Whether and Leastwise, 2008; Clownish et al, 2012) Especially in an industry where the consumers are the largest stakeholders; public opinion is crucial and highly influential. This helps the environmental cause when more consumers become green conscious and demand for a smaller ecological footprint. There is a need to cater to these consumers and for companies to set themselves apart from their competitors. Kumar Amalgamate, 2006) Environmental consciousness has been worked into the corporate social responsibility (CAR) of many companies and increasingly, in the fashion industry, CEO-fashion is trying to capture a larger share of the mainstream market with fashionable and environmental apparel. Regions, 2006) There is a lso the emergence of industry consortia such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Sustainability Consortium (TTS) and the Outdoor Industry Association (IA), all of which are multi-stakeholder organizations that are suited for establishing standardized metrics for regulation. Nikkei and Levies are both part of the SAC. Case study: LEVI STRAUSS CO. Company Background The company, Levi Strauss Co. Was founded by its namesake, Levi Strauss onetime in the mid-sass. It started off as a dry goods wholesaler before collaboration between Levi and Jacob Davis, a tailor, in 1872 saw the filing for its patented rivet pants- the start of the denim company that it is known for today. Over the years, the company have grown tremendously and has expanded its brands carried. Its current brands include Levi'†, Dockers@, Signature by Levi Strauss Co. And dENiZEN@. The company has a vision to be â€Å"the embodiment of the energy and events of our times, inspiring people with a pioneering spirit† (Levi, 2013) and is committed to a variety of issues in its public policy approach that includes read, worker rights, equality and the environment. Since the sass, with the rise of global environmental concerns and problems, Levies have been working on reducing the environmental impact of its products. This was done by complying with environmental regulations, implementing a Code of Conduct for its suppliers- ensuring a reduction of water consumption and ending the use of harmful chemicals on its Restricted Substances List, switching to organic cotton when possible and increasing the amount of recycled materials in their end product. In 2007, as part of an attempt at a consolidated look at the company’s environmental impact, a LLC was one on 2 products- a pair of Levi'† 5018 stonewashed Sears and the Dockers@ original khakis. This enabled the company to develop strategies that will address the greatest impacts on the environment to ensure longevity in the industry. (Levi, 2013) Levies introduced its water;less Sears in 2011 and its waste;Less Sears in 2013. Waste;Less Sears has a minimum of 20% post-consumer recycled content (from PET bottles) instead of cotton. Ferries, 2013) Levies Life Cycle Assessment Levies product lifestyle assessment focuses on a quantitative method that looks at ass and energy balance using direct and indirect data over the â€Å"cradle to grave† lifespan of the product. A disclaimer on their website states that this LLC does not include social or economic impacts. In the input/output inventory aspect of the LLC, indirect data of mass and energy inputs are taken from extensive industry-average data sets. Together with the system analysis of the lifestyle assessment, in accordance with ISO 14040 requirements, the data is then translated to calculate the environmental impacts of the system. Figure 3 below shows the 6 stage system analysis of the 5018 Sears taken from the Levies website, that starts from the cotton production till the end of life after consumer use. Figure 3: LLC of a pair of Levies 501 Sears (http://alleviators. Com/sites/default/files/ liberationists/2012/4/ca-summary-2012-update. PDF) Phase 1: Goals and Scope Levies wanted their LLC to be done on a high volume product, produced for the U. S. Market during the 2006 production year. The Levi'† 5018, medium stonewashed Jean was chosen. The data compiled from Levi Strauss and Co. ‘s suppliers is processed via Gab 4 software datasets, following the ISO 14040 series standards. The LLC was conducted by PEP Americas from Boston, MA. The results were intended for internal use and with the option to share selected data publicly after addition reviews. Phase 2: Inventory Analysis Figure 4 shows the system boundary of the Levies 501 Jean, from the different places where cotton is sources, the different production plants, distribution channels to its end. Figure 4: Levies 501 Jean System Boundary (Levi, 2013) Phase 3: Impact assessment After gathering information and data, Levies was able to measure the climate change, energy and water use of their best-selling Sears, with interesting results. A pair of original Levies has a global warming potential of 15 keg CA equivalent, consumes MAIM] of energy in its production process and only has 1% of its ingredients that are recycled. (Gaskin, 2012) Figures 5-7 show a breakdown of the weight of different factors and their impacts. Unsurprisingly, the growth of cotton was the most water intensive stage in the LLC, with the usage of the Jean being the next highest. Usage however was by far, the biggest contributor of energy use and climate change. This is due to the long lifespan of the Jean (denim as a material can be quite hardy) and the instant wash cycles can add up significantly over time. Figure 5: Impacts on energy use (Levi, 2013) Figure 6: Impacts on water use (Levi, 2013) Figure 7: Impacts on climate change (Levi, 2013) Phase 4: Interpretation From the LLC, Levies realized that the majority of environmental impacts occur in the lifestyle phases that are outside their direct control. Reducing the overall environmental impact requires a two-pronged approach of focusing on internal operations whilst engaging consumers. Internally, Levi started looking at cotton production at the farmer’s level, switching to organic cotton when possible and articulating in projects such as the â€Å"Better Cotton Initiative†, as cotton growing is water intensive. They also reduced product packaging and tweaked product design and manufacturing to reduce their water and energy use- the waterless and wasteless Sears. (Levi, 2013) WaterLess Sears cut water use in the finishing process by an average of 25%, with a high of 96% in some ranges of Sears. This is attributed to the decrease of cotton used in the production and the change in Levies finishing processes, which helped to cut water use by 10%, by doing without a laundering process and creating a different look. These changes did not require a major factory redesign and there were no high capital barriers that prevented Levies from adopting such CEO-friendly measures. Ferries, 2013) As a customer-facing company, Levies aimed to engage and educate their consumers on the environmental impact of their fashion choices and encourage responsible care of their washable garments. Figure 8 and 9 shows the environmental impacts of different washing methods. Product care labels on its brands have been changed to instruct consumers to wash in cold water, tumble dry medium and wash less often. (Levi, 2013) Figure 8: Comparison of energy use between different wash methods (Levi, 2013) Figure 9: Comparison of water use between different wash methods (Levi, 2013) Case study: NIKKEI Inc. Nikkei was founded in 1971 by Bill Borrower and Phil Knight, whose passions were to increase track and field athlete’s performances on the track by creating lightweight shoes. Over the years, the company has changed with the times and expanded to cover a wide range of sports other than track and field. Nikkei is involved in the design, development and worldwide marketing of footwear, apparel, equipment and accessory products. With an effective branding and marketing campaign, Nikkei has established itself as a forerunner in the sport-fashion industry with Nikkei being the largest footwear manufacturer in the fiscal year ending May 2011, amassing revenues of about $20. 9 billion. As of May 2004, Nikkei has 28000 retail accounts in U. S. And through a mix of independent distributors, licensees and subsidiaries in over 170 countries. (Kumar ; Amalgamate, 2006; Nikkei, 2013) With operations that are so dispersed, it is no wonder that Nikkei products have well hidden environmental costs that if were to be considered, would price the item much higher than its retail cost. Nikkei Inc. Currently has seven brands under its portfolio, including Nikkei, Cole Han, Converse, Hurley International LLC, Umbra, Nikkei Golf and Jordan. Figure 10, taken from Nikkei. Com (2013) shows the corporate overview of the company in 2013. Part of the business strategy of the company for 2013 is to pursue growth that is â€Å"sustainable, profitable, capital efficient and brand enhancing†, whereby environmental responsibility is inbuilt into the company’s goals, vision and culture. (Nikkei, 2013) It is important to note that Nikkei was a main target for unfair labor practices in the sass which greatly affected its public image. Since then, much have been done to manage such risks of which being a pioneer of sustainable practices is seen as integral to its environmental risk. There are no official accounts off published LLC according to the ISO 14040 standards, done on a Nikkei product. However, this is common as most companies may not necessarily want to publicity reveal it’s LLC. Nikkei however, in its sustainability reports, follows similar steps in qualifying its environmental impacts. In this case study, I will attempt to frame their goals and targets in the context of a traditional’ LLC. Figure 10: Corporate overview of Nikkei Inc (Nikkei, 2013) Shift towards Sustainable Business and Innovation (Phase 1 2) To support Nine’s strategic evolution and transition to sustainable business models, the Sustainable Business and Innovation (SUB;l) was set up with its mission to enable Nikkei to thrive in a sustainable economy. A matrix structure was step up to integrate retail, logistics and information technology well so as to foster new platforms and forms of collaboration. Nine’s value chain has also been re-envisioned to be a closed loop cycle. Figure 11 shows the distilled seven fundamental stages of the new value chain- plan, design, make, move, sell, use and reuse. (Nikkei, 2013) As dated before. Nikkei remains vague on the factors that are considered in their corporation and production processes that contribute to their environmental impact. In their release of public information, Nikkei uses a tool called the Material Assessment Tool (MAT) and analyses the life cycle of raw materials used in production. Henderson et al, 2009) The MAT allows Nikkei to view the impacts from the materials used across four categories: Chemistry, Energy/CA – equivalence, Water/Land use and Waste with a total LLC score given. (See Figure 12) (Nikkei Considered Design, 2010) Products that are more sustainable would score higher on the MAT score. Figure 13 shows a snapshot of the different materials that go into the pr shoe. Figure 1 1: Overview of the Nikk ei value chain (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 12: Material Assessment Tool used by Nikkei (Nikkei, 2013) adduction of a Figure 13: Materials in a typical shoe (http://www. Lodestars. Net/bookings/copy-of- Semifinal-Presentation) Charting Progress and Changes in Environmental Impacts (Phase 3, 4 and beyond) Since the drive towards being more accountable started in the late sass, Nikkei has been tracking its progress based on its metrics in their corporate reports. Figure 14 ND 15 shows where the company is at with regard to meeting their 2011 targets set in 2009, where most objectives are largely on track. Figure 16 how implementing energy management strategies in retail stores in North America has allowed Nikkei to save 3. Million Kiss of electricity while giving a 20% return on investment, the partnership of how being environmentally conscious can help with operational savings. Nikkei has started a code of conduct for its suppliers to meet, to reduce their environmental impact, according to their MAT scheme. Suppliers are ranked and encouraged to improve on their operations, while their research and development am have been constantly looking into the development of lighter shoes and apparel in their new product design that utilizes less raw materials and more recycled materials. Nikkei also tried to reduce its waste by redesigning its packaging to use less material in its shoebox experiment (Figure 17). Although the results were not very successful, Nikkei continues to revamp and work on developing a sturdy prototype while reducing waste. Nikkei have also started several consumer-targeted initiative such as â€Å"reuse-a-shoe† campaign whereby old shoes are collected and dissembled to e reused in the manufacturing process, increasing recycling and lessening the dependency on raw materials. (Nikkei, 2013) Nikkei promises to commit to their environmental goals and work towards have a truly closed loop supply chain. However, Figure 18 shows that there is still much unaccounted areas in Nine’s internal assessment and much of their initiatives are focused on the American market. With a company who has great global presence, there is still much to be done, environmentally, in other markets. Figure 14: Progress in sustainable business models (http://www. Nikkei. Com/ creator/content/PDF/documents/en-useful-report. UDF) Figure 1 5: Progress in climate change targets (http://www. Nikkei. Com/creator/ content/PDF/documents/en-useful-report. UDF) Figure 16: Results of energy management systems on retail stores (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 17: Nikkei shoebox experiment (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 18: Nikkei Climate and Energy reporting landscape and roadman (http:// www. Incompressibility. Com/report/uploads/files/ NIKKEI_Len_ClimateEnergyLandscapeRoadmap. PDF) Evaluation of Levies and Nikkei Nikkei and Levies both belong to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) whose aim is to create an apparel and footwear index for the industry, to 1 . Understand and quantify sustainability impacts of apparel and footwear products, 2. Reduce redundancy in measuring sustainability for the industry, 3. Drive business value through reducing risk and uncovering inefficiency and 4. Create a common meaner to communicate sustainability to stakeholders. (SAC, 2013) The SAC was formally launched in 2011 and its sustainable apparel index allows apparel retailers and brands to compare the performance of their upstream supply chain through a unified method and metrics. Their LLC is based on the AI_EGO CEO-index, Nine’s environmental design tool and SAC’s social and labor indicators for the manufacturing phase. There have been several criticisms of this tool as being too qualitative and the version that is being developed now is current designed to be more quantitative, life-cycle oriented. (Golden et al, 2011) The original intent of choosing these two companies was to highlight how environmental tools can be useful in such a wasteful industry such as fashion. In releasing that they both were part of the same industry consortium, whose aim was to provide a basis of comparison, I had assumed that there would be the possibility to have a clear comparison after evaluating both companies. However, further research did not yield any significant or comparable set of data or reports. In fact, the SAC website would redirect the user back to the sustainability pages of the individual companies. The fact that these two companies belong to the same industry consortium and yet cannot be compared, show the great limitation of LLC and current environmental management strategies. There are too many requirements and considerations in engaging in a holistic LLC and companies tend not to divulge too much information on their supply chains. As such, it is difficult to ensure that hey did not overlook particular flows in their operational process. On the other hand, it is heartening to see both companies engaging in similar trends to engage their customers to be part of the recycling and green process of returning Sears/ shoes back to the retailers so that they can be reused and/or recycled. Moreover, there seems to be a great sense of commitment by both companies towards corporate social responsibility and environmental accountability whereby active steps are being taken to reduce the environmental impact of the company, their facilities and their products. How to cite Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry, Essays

Developing Organisational Vision and Strategic Direction

Questions: Task 1In preparation for creating the vision and strategic direction Assess the role of the key stakeholders of your chosen organisation in relation to the vision. Analyse the factors which impact on your organisation and its vision.Task 2 Create a written vision for the organisation or division. Establish how you intend to develop the strategic direction for the organisation or division.Task 3Having created the vision you now need to develop the communication strategy for the stakeholders of the organisation or division. Analyse the methods to communicate the vision, in ways which will engage and inspire others in the organisation or division. Assess how to build support for this vision. Assess ways which you will use to communicate the vision and strategic direction to external stakeholders.Task 4You must now consider the implementation of the vision and strategic direction within the organisation or division. Analyse the leadership behaviour needed to promote the vision Assess wh at is necessary to embed the vision in the organisation or division. Use the vision to derive the organisational objectives which set the strategic direction. Outline the strategic planning process which you will use for the organisation or division. Answers: Task 1 Stakeholders management is one of the main motives of any organisation. Stakeholders plays the role of advocate, sponsors, partners and also the agents those are required for the change needed in the organisation (Aaker, 1995). The relationship in private sector with the stakeholder plays an important role in the external environment. However the relation with stakeholder in the public sector is way too difficult and haphazard. In the company US Veterans affairs department, Stake holders play a very important role in the complete management of the organisation. Primary stakeholders include the group of health care group board of directors, senior managers, functional managers, patient, employees and shareholders. The correct amount of stakeholder in the health care organisation is responsible for the growth of the organisation and it helps to determine the correct level of authority, responsibility and helps there influencing ability to get the results that was the influence negative or positive, there strong sides and there weak sides, power to tolerate the amount of risk and strategy to influence the stakeholder. The work of the Board of directors of the organisation helps to set the plans, increase the standards, and allocate the proper resources. The Board and including the Boards chairman helps in guiding and providing support to the central officers. The CEO helps in providing the right way to achieve the goal and support. The CMIO or the Chief Medical Information Officer helps to overcome the gap between the clinical and the administrative department and the Clinical officer helps in playing a significant role to maintain the CDS and the clinical objectives (Lorange, 2002). The Pharmacy Director helps in maintaining the medication safety and the role of the director and the officer in implementation is very important in the reputation of the organisation. There are many factors thathave a complete impact on the health care organisation. As the organisation US veteran grows the factors also increases day by day. The major factors that influence the vision of the organisation are. Firstly, reputation the organisation spends a huge amount of money each and every year on advertisement (Lawrence, n.d.). But during the tenure it was found that the amount of money which the organisation spent on its web printing and advertisement is not necessary, if the same amount is spent on the quality than the reputation of the organisation increase rapidly and this will help the organisation in achieving a huge amount of profit because the people believes in quality.Secondly, the time factor is one of the most important factors. The time which the physician gives to the patient is an important factor as they dont have a problem in wasting but the time spends with the patient and the interaction between them is a good factor. Thirdly, like each of the d ifferent brand health care services also needs to understand the importance of expertise. With the help of proper expertise the communication between the patient and doctors increases. Task 2 The Vision of the organisation US veteran affairs department the leading health care organisation in the US is a healthy world where people can enjoy their physical and mental health properly to its fullest. The visions of building a healthy USA are. Firstly, strive to increase the number of people who are leading healthy lives. This vision is aimed at the improvement of the health and wellbeing at all stages of an American citizen, hence decrease the widespread presence of various unhealthy habits that lead to chronic disorders. This vision can be achieved by focusing our attention on the risk factors and taking effective interventions at the points where the risk is the greatest (Bethel, 1971). If implemented properly, then this vision can have a great impact on the lives of others in a positive manner. Secondly, reduction of health inequalities vision aims to reduce the gaps between the various socio-economic groups i.e. the rich and the poor. This means bridging the gap between t he wealthiest and the economically deprived people in terms of medical healthcare.This vision requires enormously complex solution across the various sections of the American society thereby creating a special environment that helps to improve living conditions of the people supported by various laws aimed at betterment of the society. Thirdly, are the protections against threats to the peoples health and wellbeing (Kotler, 2000). This vision is aimed to ensure that USA has proper and effective strategies capable of coping up to the threats against the peoples health and welfare. This can only be achieved by preparing for the worst case scenarios like plagues, or other deadly epidemics that can completely devastate a countrys population .Both the state and local public healthcare systems should walk hand in hand to achieve this vision. Fourthly, creation of a healthy and responsible society the main aim of this vision is to create an environment where the people are conscious about their responsibilities towards one another. Due to the challenges in building such a society is great, so the relationships between the various sectors must be built properly to achieve this vision. Hence both the government and the citizens must work together to fully achieve the above visions and hence make the population of America healthy and prosperous.The Vision of the organisation US veteran affairs department the leading health care organisation in the US is a healthy world where people can enjoy their physical and mental health properly to its fullest. Setting up the objectives of an organization is the most important and challenging job. Thomas Carlyle said that A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder (Cuneo, 1997). Hence the objectives should be envisioned properly before setting out on the task. Their main function is to integrate the organization along with the various groups of people working inside it.Objectives are the ends toward which an organization should strive to achieve. In other words, they should know their destination before setting out on their tasks. The goal should set the direction in which the organization should walk in order to achieve it. It should be taken into consideration that the objective is clearly set (Waniganayake, 2012). The objective in mind must correspond to the organizational type, i.e. the organization itself governs the final outcomes. Also various factors that may end up affecting the outcome of this objective should also be analysed. Proper strategies to overcome these hurdles must be taken; so that the organization does not sway from its path. The objectives set should be realistic rather than idealistic. Objectives of an organization must have a positive effect on the society (Koskinen, 2005). They should trigger a development of the society. Also they should have some form of hierarchy. They can be broad or aimed specifically at special groups of people within the organization itself. They govern the process of decision making, because the decisions are made according to the situation that the company is in while following the path set. Task 3 The proper use of heath communication strategy and health information technology is very useful in improving the qualities of health and the aim by motivating the workers and to achieve health equity. Ideas and information about the health are made through the way of effective communication in which the people interact with each other in there day to day life. Health care in the organisation helps the organisation to find the central health care and the way the common people has views about the health care organisation (Jain, 2013). Each and every member in the health care organisation should know the reasons to perform better. They should have the idea about their contribution which will help the organisation to perform better, so that their contribution helps in the advancement of the company. They should know that there hard work is not only to earn profit in an organisation nut there contribution are helping a human in saving their life (Jenssen, 2009). The employees should be gi ven the chance to be a part of the innovation project of the organisation. They should be given with the right tools and resources so that the output is better. The main purpose for a healthy communication is that everyone in the organisation should be given respect by one another. The organisation should have the strategy of triple aim to achieve its vision. The triple Aim that effective health care should pursue the three dimensions to achieve its vision. Firstly, The patients in the health care of the organisation, the outcome of the health he received, The systems productivity and the costs of the health care (Robbins and Coulter, 2005). The triple aim technique helps to show the status of the organisation or the quality of the organisation in front of the whole world. By keeping check on these three elements of the heath care the organisation can build support for its vision. There are many ways in which the organisation can link itself with the external stake holders. Through the help of passive activity we can communicate with the stakeholder like team meeting and briefing can be held which will be helpful in communication with the stakeholder, new starter stuff induction session, the stake holders should get all the operational update through the help of weekly staff newsletter (Guertner, 1993). There should be new media channels and the videos should be uploaded in the internet, annual report and the financial summary should be updated to the stakeholder, an one to one staff and manager session should be held, Regular emails to the management team and the stakeholders should be given by the CEO of the organisation and the feedback should also be included in that following report, staff focus group and management time out sessions should be held. Task 4 Leadership behaviour from has always played a vital role in the success of an organisation as it is one of the most important feature in an organisation in achieving the goal of the organisation. The leadership behaviour is always related to the performance of the team. The leadership behaviour should focus on the study like transformational study, transactional study, initiating the structural behaviour and the spanning of the boundary. The leader of the team should inspire and empower the team for better performance that will help the health care organisation in several ways. The leader should be task focused person and should built its way to fit in the organisational framework (Daft, 1997). The leader should have a transactional behaviour where he can reward and praise his team member for the accomplishment of the job given and also to punish them if the expectation is not covered. A vision is very important in any heath care organisation. It set some objectives which are to be accomplished by the organisation. The major problem in the health care system is the lacking of objective and the capacity to mix its strategies across different upcoming situation and different time (Stoner, 1982). There is the need to improve the quality of health care service and also to reduce the cases of defects in a health care service in the case of patients. There should be a proper equity in the health care services and there should be a proper leadership function in all the department of health care. The ultimate aim of any health care organisation is to deliver Quality service and this can only happen if good strategically decision is made (Tozer, 1997). The aim of a health care organisation are very high but if the strategic decision are implemented in a correct way. The following strategy should be followed to achieve the goals: The staff services should be caring A clear communication should be set for the treatment. A clean and safe environment The health care should be clinically excellent Meaning of the word strategic planning is to look for ways for establishing a specific set of directions for an institutional organization. It ensures the resources are utilized effectively and properly. It is a structured approach towards the future of the organization, i.e. where does it want to stand in its future (Fallshaw, 2000). This ensures the dollars allotted for its budget is following a specific plan rather than haphazard spending. It is a common misconception that strategic planning is same as long-range planning, but there are significant differences between the two. Long range planning is a kind of prediction into the future based on the present position of the company, while strategic planning assumes that the institution has quick reflexes for responding to a changing environment. References Aaker, D. (1995).Strategic market management. New York: Wiley. Bethel, L. (1971).Industrial organization and management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Cuneo, K. (1997).Contemporary organisational and team building elements. Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy. Daft, R. (1997).Management. Fort Worth: Dryden Press. Fallshaw, E. (2000). It planning for strategic support: Aligning technology and vision.Tertiary Education and Management, 6(3), pp.193-207. Guertner, G. (1993).The Search for strategy. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Jain, N. (2013). Strategic Management.Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 17(1), pp.89-90. Jenssen, S. (2009). Foresight and governance: how good can it get? The case of stakeholder image construction in a municipal vision project.Technology Analysis Strategic Management, 21(8), pp.971-986. Koskinen, K. (2005). Role of metaphoric boundary objects in the development of a company's strategic vision.International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 1(2), p.156. Kotler, P. (2000).Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Lawrence, J. (n.d.).A strategic vision and a new management approach for the Department of the Navy's research, development, test and evaluation (RDTE) portfolio. Lorange, P. (2002).New vision for management education. Amsterdam: Pergamon. Robbins, S. and Coulter, M. (2005).Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Stoner, J. (1982).Management. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Tozer, J. (1997).Leading initiatives. Port Melbourne, Vic.: Butterworth-Heinemann. Waniganayake, M. (2012).Leadership. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.

Report on Value Chain Management

Introduction This paper aims to discuss such topic as quality and performance management, and particularly its relevance to the concept of value chain. Furthermore, it is necessary to explain how the increasing customer focus and business process perspective influence these fields of management and how the tasks of quality and performance managers have changed over recent years.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Report on Value Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More We also need to show this theoretical knowledge can avail modern organizations in developing new business strategies. This topic has been selected for the discussion because it manifests itself practically in every element of the value chain that consists of inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing, and sales (Porter, 1998, p 86). Moreover, the idea of value chain is applicable to various kinds of businesses, either manuf acturers of goods or providers of services. Overall, the findings of this report can better explain the problems, faced by present-day companies, for example, the inability to understand the customers’ perceptions of the product and his/her requirements. Finally, this paper will demonstrate that Porter’s model of value chain must not be taken as some step-by-step instructions; more likely, it is a generic description of the businesses process within and outside the company. In many cases, the mechanism of value creation has to be designed specifically for the needs of a certain company. The importance of performance and quality management for value chain In this section of the paper, we should first define the notion of value chain, as it is crucial for our understanding of various organizational processes. It was introduced by Michal Porter, who viewed it a series of activities through which the company adds extra value to their products and services (1998, p 36). Val ue chain shapes the pricing policies of the company. Thing is that the majority of modern businesses, estimate the price of the goods not only on the basis of production or labor costs. As a rule, they try to take into account the perceived value of the product, in other words, the amount of money, which the customer is ready to pay for it. The critical issue is that in many cases there is a great difference between the actual cost of production (procurement of raw materials, employees’ wages, transportation and so forth) and the perceived value (Graph, 2001, p 204). It should be pointed out that the idea of value chain value is applicable to both goods and services (Graph, 2001, p 204). In other words, those organizations that render financial, educational, or healthcare services to the customers should also consider the idea of value chain.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this case, the value chain will comprise such elements as the design of service, knowledge management (identification of customer needs and expectations), the actual delivery of services, and competition (Gabriel, n.d. p 11). Thus, it will not resemble the model, which was introduced by Michael Porter, and in point of fact, it is not supposed to do it. While estimating the price for the product, the management tries to take into account those properties of the product that are of the greatest importance for the customer, for instance, the serviceable life of the product, its design, its reliability, functionality and so forth. While discussion service sector, we may point out such value-adding elements as politeness of the employees, their willingness to pay attention to the customers’ needs, their expertise, their timing and so forth (Brotherton, 2003, p 19). On the whole, these examples indicate that quality and performance management are indispensible components for the functioning of value chain. The next section of the paper will show how these elements interact with one another. Another issue, which we need to clarify in this section, is the difference between quality management and performance management. To some extent, they can be regarded as the part and the whole. For a very long time, the term performance has been used to refer to some numerical characteristics such as the sales rates, the volume of output, revenues, operational costs, etc. Such interpretation has been rejected several decades ago, because it became evident to both scholars and management that performance also encompasses qualitative information. More importantly, performance management has become more customer-oriented. In particular, while assessing the company’s performance, modern managers focus not only on revenues and costs, they also include such data as the number of acquired and lost customers, and the reasons why clients customers decide to use th e company’s goods and service (Singh, 2004, p 25). Therefore, it is quite possible to argue that customer retention is one of those measurements, according to which the performance of an enterprise is assessed nowadays. In addition, performance evaluation includes such a parameter as the level of customer satisfaction (Singh, 2004, p 25).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Report on Value Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the duty of performance managers is not only to increase the profitability of the enterprise, but also to make internal operations within the firm more convenient or appealing to the customer. Namely, they focus on such issues as speed or confidentiality as they are very important value-adding elements. This is why leading corporations regularly conduct customer polls in order to find out which properties of the products and services require improvement. It should als o be mentioned that both performance and quality measurement have been strongly affected by the business process perspective; this means that while evaluating the quantitative and qualitative aspects of performance, modern managers usually single out very specific tasks or activities such as procurement, transportation, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and so forth. They view the functioning of the enterprise not as a whole, but as a set of related activities. The major advantage of this approach is that it enables the managers to identify those elements or processes, which should be optimized, redesigned or eliminated in order to reduce operational costs or to increase the level of customer satisfaction (Doumeingts Brown, 1997). In the majority of cases, performance management only supports value chain, because the customer is not directly affected by the company’s internal policies since he/she is primarily concerned with the quality of the product. However, the role of pe rformance management becomes conspicuous, when we are referring to the service industry. Quality management and Performance Management Products Quality management consists of the series of activities, which include the monitoring, assessment, and improvement of the quality of products or services (Miltenburg, 2005). It can be traced practically at every element of the value chain chain. At first, we need to analyze inbound logistics, which can be interpreted as procurement of raw materials or components. This issue is of great importance to the representatives of food industry and pharmaceutical companies (Schnoll, 2008, p 64). These companies pay special attention to the selection of suppliers; more importantly, they continuously ensure that their suppliers always meet the highest quality standards, set by the industry. In part, such attitude can be explained by the willingness to create a perceived value for the customers, yet, one should not forget that these enterprises may also face a legal action if they begin to procure raw materials from law quality suppliers. This argument is particularly relevant when we are speaking about pharmaceutical companies (Schnoll, 2008). Similar situation can be observed in automotive industry, for instance, Ford Motor Company prefers to merge with its suppliers in order to better control quality (Shah, 2009, p 6).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These examples indicate that inbound logistics can become an element of value chain only the company establishes certain quality standards, which has to be met, and ensures their suppliers are actually willing to do it. We can also refer to such elements of value chain as operations and outbound logistics, in other words, the manufacturing process and delivery to the customer. At this stage, quality management plays the most crucial role for every company, irrespective of its specialization. When speaking about manufacturing process and quality management, we can refer to the representatives of various industries, which create the perceived value for their products precisely at this stage, for example IT industry (Hewlett Packard, Apple, Adobe, etc), automotive industry (Toyota, General Motors, Ford), textile and fashion industry like Kelvin Klein. Among numerous quality management techniques, it is possible to single out the so-called quality circles (Dahlgaard, Kristensen Kanji, 2005). The main advantage of this method is the wide range of its applicability. The essence of this technique lies in the following: the company organizes groups of volunteers, whose task is to detect, analyze and avert the problems, connected with manufacturing process. These groups of volunteers usually consist of the company’s employees, working for the company for a long time and know every peculiarity of the manufacturing process (Dahlgaard, Kristensen Kanji, 2005, p 74). Usually, every department or business unit has such quality circle, and by sharing information with one another, the representatives of these quality circles are able to improve the business processes within the company and raise the quality of the product. The most important thing, which must not be overlooked is that both value chain and quality management have been strongly affected by customer perspective. This means that the companies try to view their products from clients’ point of view in order to find out which properties are of the greatest value for the consumer; it may be the user-friendliness, functionality, design, and so forth. One of the most widespread methods is the so-called Kansei engineering. Its major objective is to identify the customer’ expectations and translate them into certain technical features (Nagamachi Lokman, 2010). On the basis of this analysis, they set quality standards and develop the strategies of quality management. Furthermore, one should not overlook the importance of post-sales services as the final element of value chain. As a matter of fact, a great number of customers view it as the most important component. They evaluate the quality and scope of post-sales services prior to making any purchasing decision. Therefore, the management of modern companies pays attention to the qualitative characteristics of any service, namely, timing, competence, responsiveness, and politeness (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985 p 48). These are the key characteristics to which both managers and scholars attach importance. One of the most difficult challenges, faced by the providers of goods and services is the identification of those qualitative elements that add real and perceived value to the product. In order to do it, the company has to carry out a great number of customer surveys. This approach enables them to better describe the clients’ expectation and their decision-making. In this section, we have examined the qualitative aspects of value chain. Yet, one should not underestimate the importance of performance management. Performance management is based on the idea that value chain can be decomposed into a set of distinct processes, namely, sales, procurement, production, distribution, etc (Ijioui, Emmerich, Ceyp, 2007, p 119). Thus, the managers can develop strategies that would enable them to reduce the number of operations needed for the creation of value chain. Furthermore, they are able to eli minate costs, associated the value chain creation. Currently, a great number of enterprises have adopted this approach; perhaps, the most eloquent example is chemistry industry (Ijioui, Emmerich, Ceyp, 2007, p 128). The majority of these companies use ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems in effort to monitor the key business processes, inventory, costs, customer orders, production processes. The key task of the manager is to increase the speed of operations, and to reduce the production costs, while retaining the quality of the product. Service industry and value chain Many scholars and managers have long debated the applicability of Porter’s value chain to the service industry. The thing is that this model was designed for the needs of those enterprises that manufactured some tangible goods: cars, clothing, medication, computers and so forth but not services like healthcare, finance, hospitality industry and so forth. Thus, one of the most difficult questions was how i t could be adopted by the representatives of service industry such as airline companies, banking institutions, hotels, restaurants, and so forth. The problem was that such activities as inbound logistics or post-sale services, which are the basic elements of Porter’s value chain, do not correspond to the activities of these service businesses (Hollenson, 2007, p 27). In this paper, we can refer to the model, proposed by Professor Elisante Gabriel (n.d). According to him, the value chain of service industry has to comprise the following components: The design of service: at this stage, the management identifies the needs of the customer, develops the strategies of addressing the needs and sets the pricing policies; Knowledge management: it has to perform two functions, namely to increase the company’s knowledge about the customers and two raise the clients’ awareness about the company; Delivery management, which aims to make the service both affordable and acces sible to the customer; Moment of truth: the actual point, when the service is being delivered to the customer. Service competition (Gabriel, n. d., p 20). We have discussed this model because it can better explain for us the tasks of quality and performance management. This framework is by no means universal, but it can act as the stepping-stone for those managers, who work in the service industry. First, one has to know which elements of the value chain have to be monitored and what the qualitative and quantitative aspects are, and, more importantly, how they should be measured. In the previous section of this report, we have pointed out those qualitative characteristics, which add value to the service: competence, credibility, reliability, responsiveness, security, privacy, accessibility, courtesy etc (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985 p 48). Under the circumstances, the main responsibility of a quality manager is to make sure the services meet the standards, set by customers . It should be borne in mind that many providers of services spend much effort to examining customer perceptions of their services. Overall, customer survey is considered to be the reliable or valid tool for the evaluation of services. In contrast, performance managers, specializing in service industry, tend to focus on slightly different parameters. They attempt to simplify the functioning of the company so that to make it more convenient for the client, for example, they may introduce information technologies in order to eliminate certain operations (Doumeingts Brown, 1997). One of the most common examples is the development of websites through which clients can purchase airline tickets or reserve rooms in the hotel. On the one hand, this change aims to reduce operational costs, while on the other, it strives to make the service more accessible to the customer and ultimately increase its real and perceived value. Thus, in the case of service industry, the role of performance mana gement is greater importance to the customer, and it directly affects his/her perception of the company. This feature distinguishes service companies from the manufacturers of products. One should take it into consideration that there is no universal value chain model that could be used by each representative of the service industry. More likely, this model has to be designed on an individual basis. The framework, proposed in this paper should be regarded only as the starting point for the managers. Discussion These findings indicate that the majority of modern organizations have become customer-driven and that many business processes within the firms are now oriented toward the creation of the products’ real and perceived value. The model of value chain, proposed by Michael Porter should not be regarded as the ultimate guideline for top-managers, because in many cases, it can be of little use, especially if we are speaking about the service sector. Still, it gives a good ide a of how the customers view the products and services and how the construct value. The work of quality and performance managers is based on the analysis of these perceptions, because in this way they can establish the standards of quality and assess the performance of the employees. One of the examples, which we have discussed in the previous section, is Kansei engineering which relies on the premise customer perceptions and expectations can be translated into technical specifications. Thus, we can argue that one of the greatest difficulties, encountered by modern enterprises is the inability to understand customers’ perceptions of the product or service. The thing is that in order to map out quality management policies, one should primarily define and list those qualitative characteristics of the product or service, which are of the highest value to the customer. Furthermore, one should not forget that value chain is a set of distinct operations, which can be either accelera ted or optimized, while others can be eliminated at all. This is the domain of performance managers, who have to analyze these operations, simplify them, and make them more cost-efficient and attractive to the client. Only in this case, the concept of value chain can avail the company. References Brotherton B. 2003. The International hospitality industry: structure, characteristics and issues. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Dahlgaard. J. Kristensen K. Kanji. G. 2005 Fundamentals of Total Quality Management: Process Analysis and Improvement. London: Routledge. Doumeingts. G. Brown J. 1997. Modelling techniques for business process re-engineering and benchmarking. NY: Springer. Gabriel E. (n.d) Value Chain for Services: A New Dimension of Porter’s Value Chain. Web. Graph. M. 2001. Product strategy for high technology companies: accelerating your business to web speed. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional. Ijioui R, Emmerich H, Ceyp M. 2007. Strategies and tactics in supply chain eve nt management. NY: Springer. Hollensen S. 2007. Global marketing: a decision-oriented approach. NY: Pearson Education. Miltenburg. J. 2005. Manufacturing strategy: how to formulate and implement a winning plan. Productivity Press. Nagamachi. M. Lokman A. 2010. Innovations of Kansei Engineering. CRC Press Parasuraman.A. Zeithaml V. and Berry. A (1985) Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research. Journal of Marketing. P 41- 50. Porter M. 1998 Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance: with a new introduction. NY: Simon and Schuster. Schnoll,  L..  2008.  Ensuring Supplier Quality.  Quality Progress  41,  no.  8,  (August  1):  64-66. Singh. S. 2004. Market orientation, corporate culture and business performance. NJ: Ashgate Publishing. Shah. J. 2009. Supply Chain Management: Text and Cases. Pearson Education. This report on Report on Value Chain Management was written and submitted by user Marcos Lynch to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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Discussing The Knife Crime In Britain Criminology Essay

Discussing The Knife Crime In Britain Criminology Essay Section 1: The Problem of Knife Crime in Britain. In June 2006, 15 years old Alex Mulumbu after celebrating the end of his GCSEs exams became one more victim of Britains knife culture. The victim after he got off a bus with friends in Lambeth, south London had an argument with a larger group of teenagers (Woolcock, 2006). During the dispute members of the gang disappeared and returned armed with knives, baseball bats and hockey sticks. Alex was stabbed in the heart and was left lying in a pool of blood on the pavement (Verkaik, 2006). His father visited the scene of his sons killing where he stated to the media that Alex was a good boy and had nothing to do with knives and gangs (Sturcke, 2006). The case vignette above is a clear example of how knife crime is portrayed by the media. A teenager who is getting off a bus and it happens to get stabbed by the perpetrator. However, the reality of knife crime is not simply a black-white issue of good versus bad. The nature of such a problem is complicated and the responses towards it must therefore be multi-faceted (House of Commons). After all, if knife problem was that easy, it would have been solved already. One complexity is that the victims are not always good honest citizens who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The victims are often victimized before and are also those who are carrying knives in the first place (and actually their own knife is used against them). (www.direct.gov.uk). Furthermore, the offenders and victims status in not always differentiated, since the victims carry knives because they are often linked to gangs or have some kind of affiliation with street culture. This, in turn, could mean that a significant proportion of stabbings relate to street violence (www.docstoc.com), and as Professor Brohi claims a very small proportion of knife crime victims are innocent people walking down the street who are stabbed (House of Commons). The media make knife crime even more complex as they often cloud peoples perception by generating moral panic and by giving the impression that knife crime is out of control (Albertazzi, 2010:473). This moral panic, in turn, leads to fear of crime and social disorganization. Knife crime is also complex in itself as it is a symbolic of lack of social control within societies. Knife crime looks unsolvable and as there is no connection between adults-teenagers (Hume, 2008), although it involves young people and shatters lives. In particular, knife crime in itself gives the impression that somehow it is a matter of young peoples world since teenagers are on their own, surviving on the streets (Asthana, 2008). Thus, those who do not live in that kind of environments (outsiders) can never understand. Finally, knife crime is complex because there is no answer to the question why teenagers carry knives. We do not know whether teenagers carry knives for self protection and because of the growing lack of trust in the ability of adults to protect them (Kelbie, 2003), or whether carry knives for things like respect knife carrying is thought to be largely driven by a concern for self protection or to enhance status (Muncie, 2009:36). Continuing the study I am going to produce a report divided into three key sections. The first will be the extent of knife crime in Britain. The second will look at the causes of knife crime and finally the third will produce some initiatives dealing with knife crime. Section 2: The Extent of Knife Crime in Britain Furthermore, knife crime is very complicated in terms of defining whether it is a predominantly black problem. The media often give the impression that all crimes are committed by black people and therefore, make people adopt misconceptions (Wright, 2008). Hence, it is important to note that even though the issue looks like it is black in London and the South-East (www.london.gov.uk), at the same time there are evidence that suggesting that in the North-East (i.e. Glasgow, Scotland, Manchester) the problem is white (House of Commons). As a result, it might be predominantly a black issue in London but certainly not in other places. Given that, I have concluded that the issue of carrying knives has little to do with being black or white, but on the contrary, it has to do with being young and male (Muncie, 2009). Also, knife crime is complicated in terms of definition, since there is no clear Home Office clear definition of knife crime. According to that, the phrase knife crime was adopted by the media and is now popularly used to refer primarily to stabbings but also to the illegal carrying of knives by young people (House of Commons). Hence, since there is no clear definition, then, it is likely for the numerous to use different definitions in order to create statistics and therefore generate more complexity. Furthermore, knife crime is also complicated because there are too many different types of statistics (too much statistical data). In particular, there are statistics for knife crime from the hospital, the police, the British Crime Survey and finally the MORI (House of Commons, 2009). Each of these sources, measure different samples and different places (regions) in the country and therefore, it is too complicated to understand what is happening (Summers, 2008). For example, hospitals define knife crime when somebody has severe internal injuries as a result of knife penetration, whereas police define it when someone is carrying a knife (House of Commons) Furthermore, trying to measure knife crime is, again, difficult because there is also the dark figure of crime. Therefore, this hidden crime makes statistics themselves problematic (Messerschmidt, 1993). However, above all else, the complexity of knife crime is related to the media. The media manipulate the statistics and distort peoples perceptions about knife crime, since they are powerful and so pervasive in terms of their ability to create views (Jewkes, 2004). One distortion is that knife crime is predominantly a black issue. Given that, even though evidence suggest that knife crime is also a white problem (in other areas), yet, the media continue the misrepresentation constantly accusing blacks (scapegoats). According to that, I believe that this misrepresentation leads to moral panic which, in turn, somehow makes the statistics go up. In other words, since teenagers interfere with the media (moral panic), then, they may feel fear of the streets and therefore through self fulfilling prophecy, start carrying knives for self protection. Hence, there is an interaction-interrelationship between the statistics and knife crime (Newburn, 2007). Regarding to the problems associated with knife crime measurement, I believe that data should be collected through a regional setting and this is for two reasons. Firstly, because as indicated, knife crime is not a specific cultural issue of Blacks, and secondly, because the measurement of such a complex issue through national settings, inevitable will generate too many complicated statistical data. Furthermore, and as Young (1988) argues, national settings tend to miss some important elements in the distribution of victimization (Newburn, 2007). Hence, I suggest a regional setting both in areas with the highest knife-crime rates, but also to areas where crime rate is low. This, in turn, we will help us understand why it is black issue in some places whereas white in other. Equally important is to collect data using qualitative approaches, since it would be more beneficial to understand the lived experiences of those who carry knives (rationale behind knife crime) instead of how many carry a knife (What would be the point of knowing that 4000 are carrying knives after all?). For example, it would be very interesting to understand how knife crime is perceived and interpreted by the juvenile delinquents (ethnography research) and thus, find out why they carry knives. This way, more evidence will come up such as whether knife crime relates to Londons (for example) rates of poverty, neglect, unemployment and deprivation (House of Commons). Section 3: The Causes of Knife Crime in Britain. The social learning theory is one of the most enduring approaches among the criminological theories that underscore the nature of peoples involvement in social relationships. Sutherland, considered previous criminological theories and argued that anyone in society can be trained to adopt and follow patterns of crime and deviation (Colombo, 2009). In accordance to Sutherlands differential association conception, the prestige of criminals, the duration of contact between offenders-potential offenders and the frequency of interactions with criminal offenders, are all contributing factors in an individuals likeliness to occupy criminal activities. Sutherland also suggested that attendance with the development of criminal behaviours in social groups, for instance rough and tough attitudes, boosts the individuals propensity to interiorize criminal attitudes. Social learning therefore, links to the causes of knife crime as well as links to masculinity and rational choice perspectives. According to differential association concept, boys are growing up to be men. This process of affirming masculinity promotes boys to develop a public persona (an exterior) of being tough, macho and fearless. In the context of knife crime this means that men have to be risk takers, aggressive and support their competitive nature (i.e. territoriality). Boys, if lose their reputation in front of peers and someone undermines their masculinity, in turn, have to regain this reputation by carrying knives and using them in front of their mates. Thus, since they learn masculinity (via social learning), they learn to behave accordingly to this social role (masculinity) and therefore, act out like men (tough, aggressive). Finally, in terms of applying that to a knife crime, they make the ultimate decision (rational choice) on whether to carry knives by weighing the benefits (status, respect) against the risks (get stabbed, get caught). To conclude, I believe that there is a link between masculinities and social learning as what seems to be happening today, is that street culture (knife crime) is becoming masculine culture (i.e. through rap music) (Newburn, 2007). However, even though differential association theory is one of the most enduring theories about crime, yet, there are some difficulties in explaining knife crime. First of all, according to the first principle of differential association theory, criminal behaviour is learnt (Colombo, 2009). If that is the case, I believe that we have to critically question, how did the first teacher learnt the knife techniques (i.e. hide a knife, disposal once used), so that to pass this knowledge to others? Hence, differential association theory fails to explain the origins of knife crime, since there are no origins. Furthermore, there are no real empirical evidence of links between learning and knife crime. For example, differential association theory does not explain why in similar circumstances, (balance of favorable-unfavourable definitions) some individuals choose to carry a knife whereas others do not. Moreover, social learning theory fails to explain why teenagers develop to associate with those who carry knives. Instead, it focuses more on the peer influence and not on peer selection. Additionally, differential association, supports that all criminal acts are rational (maximase profit-minimise loss) and systematic. However, it fails to explain the spontaneous, wanton acts of violence, which have little purpose or utility (Siegel, 2004). Finally, it is very difficult for social scientists to measure such vague variables like excess of definitions favourable to law violation (Colombo, 2009). Section 4: Towards the Reduction of Knife Crime in Britain. The Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) is a multi-million-pound venture, against knife crime. Its main purpose is to limit the carrying of knives and serious stabbings among teenagers aged between13-19. It involves five government departments and 16 police forces (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). However, Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) has some important limitations in relation to the data, since the recorded crime, especially the less violent, can be affected by changes in police activity and public reporting to the data. Furthermore, there is a lack of comparison statistics in many areas. Finally, TKAP faced the heterogeneity of the forces (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). Another anti-knife policy that has been introduced is via legislation to forbid the sale of knives to anyone under the age of 18. Additionally, Police Operations like Blunt and Shield involve the rapid and random deployment of metal detectors in public places such as stations, schools and so forth. The aim of the policy is to identify and arrest anyone carrying a knife (www.insight-security.com). However, both the restriction of knives sales under- 18s, as well as the deployment of metal detectors fails to tackle the problem, since kitchen knives for instance, would still be widely available. Hence, it is more a problem of education, rather than access to knives. Furthermore, metal detectors may be not detecting all knives, as knives can be easily hidden and disposed once used. My opinion about tackling of knife crime is that one organization alone cannot end this issue. Given that, I suggest that the main aim of all anti-knife crime initiatives should be to increase the definitions against knife-crime (rational choice theory) so that young people understand that carrying knives is immoral but most of all, it is risky (maximize cost, minimize benefit). Furthermore, I support that the best anti knife-crime policy would be to educate the teenagers about this problem (social learning theory). Hence, young people could learn about the consequences of carrying knives at an early age through a mandatory module (i.e. weapon awareness) at schools. Furthermore, I believe that the best initiative to stop knife culture would be if parents (especially the fathers) could show their boys that carrying knives has nothing to do with being a man (masculinity theory). As a conclusion, I argue that Alexs case highlights the need for the authorities to recognize that educating both teenagers and families from an early age is crucial in order to tackle knife crime. Concisely, I have concluded that knife crime is very complex issue because of many reasons. The main one surely is because there are lots of statistical data. Additionally knife crime is complex because the media create moral panic and thus does not help. Moreover I have concluded that knife crime is not a black issue but a knife issue and thus, anti knife policies should redirect their focus on the rationale behind knife crime. Ultimately, I would like to try to give an explanation of what could have might happen in the case vignette. Alex could have been probably to the enemys territory and showed disrespect on the other boys. He threatened the teenagers with his knife and made them run away. Then, the other boys went to another estate, took knives and returned back in order to regain their reputation and status. They have learnt (social learning) that men never back out (masculinity) and finally, they have made the ultimate decision to take the risk and stab Alex (rational choice).