Thursday, October 31, 2019

Why are ethical considerations important in contermporary social Essay

Why are ethical considerations important in contermporary social research - Essay Example This essay will attempt to give explanations as to why ethical considerations are important in contemporary social research. In the ethical guidelines from the Social Research Association (2003), a social scientist has a sense of obligation to certain key stakeholders of the research they are undertaking. This means that the social scientist must fulfill these obligations. They include an obligation to the society in which the research is taking place. A researcher has to ensure that information collection is done under scientific methods and without subjectivity that the researcher may feel towards the society. The second obligation is to the sponsors or employers of the researcher, where the researcher is required to ensure that the relationship is well defined and do not influence the findings of the research being undertaken. The third obligations fall to the colleagues in the field of the social research. This duty is fulfilled by the researcher ensuring that high standards of collection of data and analysis are maintained for the benefit of all researchers who are involved in the field. This promote s trust in the research findings because of the high level of professionalism. The fourth obligation is to the subjects that will take part in the research the e4thical consideration dictates that the subjects should be made aware of all that entails being part of the particular research. This information is necessary so that the subjects can be able to make informed decisions about their participation. Following the broad aspect of ethical guidelines stated above, it is clear that for a contemporary social research to be undertaken, there are a couple of things that need to be fulfilled to ensure that the findings are not tainted in anyway by using un-scientific methods. These are the ethical considerations that need to

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Importance of Measuring and Managing Performance Essay Example for Free

Importance of Measuring and Managing Performance Essay It is very important to measure and manage employee performance at Leyton Sixth Form College. The consequences if they don’t manage performance is that teachers won’t know whether they are progressing or not. Whether they’re way of teaching is effective or not. It is important for new employees to assess their performance so that management can make judgements on measuring performance will enable teachers to know where they stand and have a clear view on what skills they need to improve on. Motivation is important in LSC because it gets the employee to work as hard as possible. t helps push employees to achieve targets set. By identifying areas where an employee may be losing his colleagues, a personal development plan can be put in place. Similarly, if a negative trend is seen among a number of employees, company controls and procedures can be evaluated to address these problems at a general level. Measuring and managing performance helps LSC look at employee progress to see whether they are achieving all their targets. Also the importance of managing performance is to give good motivation for employees to work hard since they are being evaluated. LSC do an employee evaluation that gives teachers constructive criticism and an idea on what they need to work on and what they doing a good job on. Measuring performance benefit LSC as they reveal the good and bad aspects of a given job. They improve the relationships and moral within the organisation. Another important matter is that measuring and managing performance helps improve the performance of individuals to ultimately improve the efficiency and productivity of the company. Which in LSC case is the staff by doing performance developments and appraisals can help employees reach their full potentials.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effects of Globalization on Quality of Life

Effects of Globalization on Quality of Life The globalization phenomenon is seen as the world-wide movement to bring different countries and societies together, allowing for greater integration and contact. Products, ideas, transactions and information are now able to circulate more freely. Consequently, this results in a global society of similar standards, where faster communication between societies would mean rapid improvements in the global economy and living standards as a whole. 1.1 The Advantages of Globalization Clear advantages resulting from globalization are the more efficient exchange of ideas and information between people and societies. Key knowledge and information in areas of science and technology can be shared more quickly, allowing for the development of new products and solutions to help us improve our daily lives. Much improvement can also be seen in the global economy due to the greater ease in financial transactions and free trade agreements between countries. In addition, more jobs are created due to the greater ease for countries to invest in the developing nations. 1.2 The Disadvantages of Globalization However, there are the downsides of globalization as well. Homogeneity and standardization are often seen, leaving little difference in the individual societies. Unique cultures of the individual societies are starting to erode as nations strive for progress and advancement to fit in with the rest of the world. One example is the traditions of the Masai tribe in Africa, which have been scrutinized and abolished by outsiders, is now lost due to globalized intruders of the land. Developing countries are also in the risk of losing their cultural identity as they tend to embrace the influx of ideas and information with open arms, and in turn, neglecting culture heritage and traditions. An increase in consumerism and number of activities has also taken a toll on the environment shown by the dramatic increase in pollution levels and climate change. Stress levels are also on the rise with the greater competition among people and societies as noted by urban Sociologist Georg Simmel in his book On Individuality and social form. 2. Impact Globalization has on Tourism The tourism industry, being an important sector in the global economy is also affected by the increasingly intense waves of globalization. It has brought about both positive and negative outcomes and effects. 2.2  Advantages of Globalization on Tourism One obvious advantage of globalization on the tourism sector is the increase in the number of travelers. As people become more aware of their surrounding countries and the different society out there, curiosity for the places would be sparked. Fueled by financial and social improvements, peoples disposable income would increase, allowing them to travel more than before. The increase in the number of people travelling brings with them a demand for hotels, and at the same time opening up more job vacancies and boosting the countrys economy. 2.2 Disadvantages of Globalization on Tourism On the other hand, there are also disadvantaged of globalization on the hospitality sector. Due to the increasing demand in travelling accommodations, hotels are springing up all around, especially in the heart of the city where tourists would frequent. Such places are usually busy and noisy, with a similar surrounding environment as they have back home, which is not ideal as people go on holiday to get away from their hectic lifestyle and schedule. The busy setting decreases the quality of relaxation as tourists would not be truly able to let loose and relax. Therefore, there is a need for guests to be in a different environmental setting for them to truly relax. 2.2 How Globalization have affected Design in General Globalization has affected design in many different ways; from skyscrapers, shopping malls, franchised restaurants and banks are coming to a standardized structure and design. Professor Roger K. Lewis posed a question on his paper Architecture and the Global City whether When abroad, how often have you felt especially comfortable in a hotel room similar to others you have stayed in, felt relieved perusing a menu with foods you recognize, or enjoyed shopping in a store whose merchandise and interior design are like the store at home? 2.2 .1 How Globalization have affected Design in Hotel Design The notion of luxury also evolved, from the simplistic mindset of material possession and wealth, to the psychological and spiritual aspect of life. Time and experience are now seen as prized commodities. With the rapid reduction in space and land available, micro-hotels such as the capsule hotels are gaining popularity. Though capsule hotels are small in size, they serve the main purpose and function of temporary accommodation space: a space for sleeping. The limited available space is not only efficiently used; functional comfort is also taken into consideration. Convenience in location is also an important part of the capsule hotel, where it is located mainly in busy city area. Such hotels are popular among businessmen and tourists, who are looking for a cheap place to rest for the night. The increased traffic in the cluttered and noisy urban jungle has also led to the revival of spaces for retreat from the chaotic urban setting. As global competition among people and industries increases, people are spending more time working. This result in higher stress levels and lesser leisure time for relaxation and entertainment. High levels of pollution in terms of noise and environment are also the reason why the demands of such escape are increasing. Retreats are situated away from urbanization, where relaxation and serenity are prized characteristics. Another growing trend is the eco-friendly hotels and resorts. In mind of the rising environmental issues and concerns, these hotels aim for earth-friendly solutions to the different problems faced, without sacrificing luxury and comfort. One common approach that is adopted by hotels is the use of non-toxic cleaning agents, recycling of waste from both staff and guests and the use of renewable energy. 3. Uniqueness amidst Standardization Boutique hotels in general, aim to be unique and different setting themselves apart from the bigger, main stream hotels. Being in a much smaller scale of 3 to 50 guest rooms, boutique hotels are known for their personalized treatment of individual guests. Ultimately, boutique hotels aim to design for distinctiveness and diversity. What makes the boutique hotel more ideal is that it is close to the heart of the city, yet away from the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle. The concept for the boutique hotel is to provide an escape for people from the busy urbanized setting of everyday life.   The chosen site in the Minden Cluster of Tanglin Village fits with my concept as the surrounding environment is tranquil and peaceful, different from the cluttered urban setting which most hotels are located in, yet still close to the shopping district at Orchard Road. The process of cleansing ones mind and soul is used in the design approach of my boutique hotel. From the noisy, busy city, one goes through a cleansing process of walking through the space to reach the ultimate destination of a quiet haven. 3.1  Cleansing of the mind and soul It starts off in the lobby area whereby public areas such as the reception and dining areas are located close to the road where the traffic is, and private areas such as the room are placed furthest away from the road, where it is quieter. At the pool area from the lobby, one goes through a transition area to calm their minds and filter out distractions and stress resulting from the cluttered urban city. Ultimately, one reaches an area of peace and serenity; the rooms. It is a private haven for the individual guests, an area which is quiet and relaxed, free from distractions and the prying eyes of the public sector. Water is used as the main element in my design as it brings about a calming effect and rejuvenation of the spirit. Water features are also used as partitions to enhance the feeling of being surrounded in an oasis. This will provide tourists with a place where they can truly relax and unwind from their daily activities. 3.2 Luxurious comfort The layout of spaces is not aimed at solely to maximize profits, but more towards the wellbeing of the guests. Wide pathways and minimal furniture are purposefully allocated for the guests to maximize the comfort levels of the visitors. The use of space in the lobby is slightly different where spiritual calmness of the guests is translated in terms of enclosed areas with high ceiling, and the play of light and water elements. 3.3 Relaxation The term relaxing space comes in many different forms and differs with each person. They can be in the form of an enclosed space with high ceiling, like those found in churches, or simply being outdoors, close to nature. These are the different kinds of relaxing spaces that are integrated in the boutique hotel design. Being located at the back of the site, away from prying eyes of the public, the use of nature and outdoors is implemented in the private area where the rooms are. The rooms are designed in blocks, differing from the original architecture of the lobby block, so as to allow for more efficient cross ventilation of spaces. With the use of plants as soft boundaries, constant fresh air can be expected when staying the rooms, ensuring comfort for the staying guests. 5. Conclusion The question to ask is does globalization really improve our quality of life? Advancing technology may have provided us with products and services to ease our problems in life, but globalization have also brought about different kinds of problems, such as the increase in stress level with the ever increasing fast-paced lifestyles of people. Increase in human activities and demands have also cause a strain on the environment with the worsening pollution and a change in the ecological system, along with a greater increase in stress level in people. Fast-paced lifestyles are seen all around the world, even when people are on holidays and being surrounded by similar hectic environments. So, have globalization then improve our life quality?

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality Essay -- Cuba Equality Racism Ess

The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality Introduction During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the island of Cuba was in the process of emerging from a Spanish colony to an independent nation. Freedom from Spain, however, was not the only struggle that Cuba was experiencing at this time. After having been oppressed by slavery for several centuries, Afro-Cubans, who had joined the fight for independence in large numbers, were demanding equality in Cuban society. Nevertheless, whites, especially in the elite, continued to initiate discriminatory practices against them. As a last resort, Afro-Cubans staged an armed protest in response to the outlawing of their political party in 1912. Although valiant, the attempt was nonetheless a failure because it did not succeed in establishing racial equality in Cuba. Rather, it tragically resulted in the massacre of thousands of Afro-Cuban protesters by Cuban whites. Discussion As was the case throughout the Americas, white racism against blacks and mulattos was deeply rooted in Cuban society. Prejudice and discrimination against Afro-Cubans continued to increase after the abolition of slavery in 1886. Whites, particularly those in the upper classes, viewed blacks and mulattos as belonging to an inferior race that was unworthy of the same rights and privileges that they themselves enjoyed in society. Education, entertainment, and employment were some of the areas in which Afro-Cubans suffered significant discrimination. They were often denied acceptance into private schools, given separate accommodations in theaters and other entertainment establishments, refused service by many restaurants, and were usually unable to obtain employment in professional and skille... ...test as a last resort to bring about its restoration. Nevertheless, it resulted in failure when Afro-Cubans were massacred by the thousands. Conclusion The massacre of 1912 demonstrated that there remained to be seen true racial equality in Cuba. Although the wars of independence had brought about some improvements in race relations, such as the fraternity shared between the races when fighting together against Spain, and the recognition of some Afro-Cubans as outstanding military leaders, the nation’s black and mulatto populations remained for the most part at the lower levels of society. Without politicians who would support their interests, Afro-Cubans would continue to be without equal opportunities in Cuba. Works Cited Helg, Aline. Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1995.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Police Perception In My Community Essay

INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE Community Oriented Policing is a philosophy and not a specific tactic, It is a proactive, decentralized approach, designed to reduce crime, disorder, and by extension, fear of crime, by intensely involving the same officer in the same community on a long-term basis, so that residents will develop trust to cooperate with police by providing information and assistance to achieve those three crucial goals (Trojanowicz   and Carter,1988) The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Crime Act) is widely recognized as a significant milestone in community policing. It was intended by President Clinton and Attorney General Reno as the â€Å"changing of policing.† The legislation provided the funding vehicle for an additional 100,000 police officers to boost law enforcement efforts in a climate of nationwide anxiety about crime. The Act gave the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (OCOPS) the task of supporting a major drive toward rooting community policing in solid foundations to become the prevailing orthodoxy in American law enforcement. (Nicholl, 1999) Law Enforcement Agencies throughout the country look to Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to improve their own services. According to OCOPS, â€Å" Community policing focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships. The community policing model balances reactive responses to calls for service with proactive problem-solving centered on the causes of crime and disorder. Community policing requires police and citizens to join together as partners in the course of both identifying and effectively addressing these issues.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to note then the Public’s Perception of the Police is an essential element for the success of Community Policing-based strategies. Throughout the country, studies have been made that correlate Police Perception and Community Policing. During the past 20 years, there has been an expanding body of research examining citizens’ attitudes toward the police. Most of this research has been directed at assessing the determinants of these attitudes. In contrast, less attention has been focused on the reasons why citizens hold certain attitudes (Frank et al,2005) The author then, as a member of the Chesterfield Police Department, has a special interest in Community Policing and Police Perception, most especially in his own community. This research them aims to study Police Perception particularly in the Community of Chesterfield Township, a part of The County of Macomb in the state of Michigan.   It is worth mentioning that The   Chesterfield Police Department ‘s aim is embodied in its mission statement:   it is committed to providing the highest quality of public service and crime prevention while maintaining the public’s respect and protecting the rights and dignity of everyone. The Chesterfield Police Department is dedicated to strong community relationships while providing a safe environment to enhance the quality of life for our citizens and visitors, which is very much in line with the concept of Community Policing. This is further supported by this Police Department’s value statement , abbreviated as POLICE, which includes developing an everlasting PARTNERSHIP between the Community, having a dedicated to the OATH of protecting and serving all people ,recognizing the importance of all Department members and Citizens, treating each other with fairness, LOYALTY and respect , maintaining   the highest degree of INTEGRITY, being responsible and accountable for their own actions and decisions , believing that COOPERATION and teamwork will enable them to achieve all goals of this Department and having a commitment   to EXCELLENCE in the performance of their   duties (http://www.chesterfieldtownshippolice.com/values.htm)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Chesterfield Police Department’s Mission and Value statements share the same elements with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services which aims   â€Å"to help law enforcement agencies implement and enhance community policing, defined   as â€Å"a policing philosophy that promotes and supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and police-community partnerships.†Ã¢â‚¬  (C.O.P.S. http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=36/ )   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chesterfield Township is located in Macomb County, Michigan and encompasses an area of approximately 26 square miles. The population at the 2000 census was 37,004.   This increased to 446,962 in the year 2006. (Muller, 2006) The Township was established in 1842 and became a Charter Township in 1989 by Resolution. (Pall, 2002)   In Chesterfield, The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 28. The number of murders and homicides was 1. The violent crime rate was 0.7 per 1,000 people.   Meanwhile, in the whole Macomb county, of which Chesterfield is included, a total of   22,395 were reported for the year 2000 , a majority of reports were for Larceny and Motor vehicle theft. Sixteen of the reports for that year were on murder, 309 for rape and 384 reports on robbery for that year (Federal Bureau of Investigation to the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data, University of Michigan)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is in from scope then that the author gathered data for the completion of this research Guided by feedback from other researches undertaken on Police Perception of the community such as these:   Ã‚   â€Å"Gathering data on crime and community policing at the local level not only supplements our national data, but also allows local officials to identify their particular crime control needs,† said Bureau of Justice Statistics Director Jan Chaiken.   â€Å"As part of the Justice Department’s emphasis on police working with residents in their neighborhoods, we are giving local law enforcement agencies tools to learn more about crimes and public opinion that may not be reported to the police.† Community policing is a crime fighting strategy that encourages law enforcement to work in partnership with the community to solve crime problems. The high degree of citizen support for America’s neighborhood police officers is a testament to the dedicated men and women who work day in and day out to establish relationships with residents in their communities,† said Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder.   â€Å"These relationships help citizens and police work together to promote community safety.† (Smith et al, 1999)†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In light of these statements, this research was undertaken to determine the Police Perception in the Community of Chesterfield Township, whether it is positive or negative through the use of a Police Perception survey adapted from earlier studies made by other police department in certain cities, particularly Portland (Campbell De long, 2005) , Pasadena (Police Assessment Resource Center, 2006). Chicago (The Chicago Community Policing Evaluation Consortium, 2004) and Kentucky (Kentucky Crime Prevention Coalition) it also aims to provide demographic breakdown of survey respondents in relation to their Police Perception in Chesterfield Township.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such information will enable the Chesterfield Police Department to continue living out their mission statement and embody the philosophy of Community Policing by either maintaining or improving their performance based on their community’s police perception, as will be determined by the survey done for this study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the hope of this author that this research will also lead to the initiation of other studies concerning his community and the other areas in the County of Macomb, and even the State of Michigan to further improve the Police Departments public service performance to ensure the safety of the citizens. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The idea of examining Police Perception is not new. The community’s perception of the police department has been linked to the success of police programs to promote safety in the neighborhood. A study made by Gallagher. Et al in 2001, summarizes the studies made regarding Police Image and Community’s perception of the Police in a â€Å"The Public Image of the Police: Final Report to The International Association of Chiefs of Police. Research findings point out that : â€Å"Polls of the adult population in the United States since the 1960s show that the majority of the public has an over-all positive view of the police. Depending on the year and the particular measure used, the percentage of respondents with a positive assessment of police has been between 51 and 81 percent. When asked to assess service to their own neighborhoods, respondents tend to produce even higher evaluations. Relatively few citizens offer a negative assessment of police. (Gallagher et al. 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research also recognizes that Police Perception has a great impact on the success of the promulgation of Community Policing. Trojanowicz & Carter(   1991) discuss the philosophy and role of community policing. It points out that â€Å"Community Policing’s unique contribution is a radical departure from the past and the present. While today’s community policing efforts retain the best elements of the foot patrol programs of the past, they are intended to avoid both the old system’s abuses and shortcomings.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In â€Å"Community Policing, Community Justice, and Restorative Justice: Exploring the Links for the Delivery of a Balanced Approach to Public Safety† Nicholl in 1999 with a report funded by Grant No. 98-CK-WX-0059 awarded to the National Victim Center by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. It discusses the concept of Community extensively, in a policy-maker’s perspective.   Liou & Savage make the connection between Community Policing Strategies and Public Perception of Police through their research â€Å"Citizen Perception of Community Policing Impact† This study examines the impact of community policing by analyzing citizens’ perception of crime and police work before and after implementation of a community-oriented policing program in three neighborhoods in the city of West Palm Beach, Florida. The study reveals very positive findings about the community policing, including: perception of decreased local crime, increased perception of police performance, neighborhood improvement, and police-community relationship. Implications concerning the relationship between the community and the police, and citizen satisfaction and public services are discussed.( Liou & Savage) Many other studies have been done to examine Police perception and these take into consideration different variables, being done in various settings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frank, Smith and Novak (2005) focused on the reasons why citizens have certain attitudes towards police officer. Their study â€Å"uses the survey responses of 613 residents of a Midwestern city to examine the information accessed by citizens when responding to questions regarding their general and specific attitudes toward the police. The findings suggest that citizens focus on attributes of agencies and encounters, some focus on the behavior of officers during interactions, and others base their attitudes on general perceptions of the occupation of policing.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A comprehensive look at   Police perception issues can be found in Brown & Benedict’s article â€Å"Perceptions of the police: Past findings, methodological issues, conceptual issues and policy implications† which is a   research updates and expands upon Decker’s article â€Å"Citizen attitudes toward the police: a review of past findings and suggestions for future policy† by summarizing the findings from more than 100 articles on perceptions of and attitudes toward the police. Initially, the value of research on attitudes toward the police is discussed. Then the research pertaining to the impact of individual level variables (e.g. race) and contextual level variables (e.g. neighborhood) on perceptions of the police is reviewed. Studies of juveniles’ attitudes toward the police, perceptions of police policies and practices, methodological issues and conceptual issues are also discussed. This review of the literature indicates that only four variables (age, contact with police, neighborhood, and race) have consistently been proven to affect attitudes toward the police. (Brown & Benedict,2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In terms of application, several police departments have made their own studies on Police Perception. â€Å"Community Policing in Chicago an Evaluation of Chicago’s Alternative Policing Strategy†   Prepared by The Chicago Community Policing Evaluation Consortium was done in through a grant awarded to   award to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority in 2004. The â€Å"Portland Police Bureau 2005 Community Assessment Survey† was conducted for: City of Portland, Bureau of Police by Campbell de long resources Inc in August 2005 Police Assessment Resource Center and   Vera Institute of Justice completed â€Å"Assessing Police-Community Relations in Pasadena, California† in 2006 . The Kentucky Crime Prevention Coalition, meanwhile, adapted the use of a Community Policing Survey. HYPOTHESIS H0= There is no significant percentage of Chesterfield Residents who have a have a positive perception of the Chesterfield Police Department H1= There is a significant percentage of Chesterfield Residents who Have a positive perception of the Chesterfield Police Department METHODOLOGY:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taking into consideration the limitations in man power and resources for this research, a simple random sampling method was applied to come up with the survey results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on the calculation for a 95 per cent confidence level and confidence interval of five, the sample size was 275.   The survey was conducted by distributing survey forms in several households   around the Township of Chesterfield. Respondents were limited to Chesterfield residents above 18 years of age. Only one respondent per household was accepted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These survey forms, consisting of eight simple questions pertaining to the residents’ perception of the police, which was based on survey forms used by other Police Departments as stated in the literature review. Only eight questions were included in the survey, because these questions focused on Police Perception. This is due to the scope and resource limitation stated earlier. A copy of this questionnaire is included in the appendix section of this paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This study’s objective is to present data about Police Perception of the residents of the Township of Chesterfield in Macomb County in the State of Michigan. This research is done to show that the general perception of police in the sample population perceive the police positively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sample size was 275 respondents in the township of Chesterfield, which has a population of 446,962 in the   latest census in the year 2006. Based on a confidence level of 95 and a confidence interval of 5, the sample size is sufficient to estimate the response of this community regarding their perception of the Chesterfield Police Department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figure 1 shows the demographic breakdown of respondents by race. More than half of the respondents were Caucasians, which also reflected the actual population of Caucasians, 93 % of Chesterfield population, in the 2000 Census made by the US Census Bureau. In the sample population, 61 per cent was composed of Caucasian or white residents. Other races composes   14.5 percent and 12 percent were of African-American descent. Asians comprised 5.5 per cent and 4.4 % of sample population were Hispanics/Latino. Meanwhile, 1.1 per cent was   American Indians and Pacific islanders compose on 0.7 per cent. Based on these figures, it can be surmised that the Chesterfield Township was predominantly Caucasian, in terms of the population. The relationship of this data to the results concerning Police Perception will be discussed later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study only included residents who were 18 years old of age and above. The data shows that   majority of respondents were from the 18-29 age group, with a percentage of 39 of the sample population. The age group with the least number of respondents was that of residents 50-59 years old, representing only 9 per cent of the sample population. This signifies that the Chesterfield township has fairly young residents, as seen by the larger percentage of those below middle age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given the limited man power and resources, the author opt to estimate Police Perception using only eight questions adapted from other studies stated earlier. The first three questions were on how the community perceived police officers, based on their encounters. The fourth question estimated the residents’ opinion about the adequacy of the number of police officers in the community. The fifth, sixth and seventh questions estimated residents’ perception of police based on three parameters- behavior, ability to assess needs and relationship of police officers to residents themselves. The last question asked the residents to give their over-all perception by indicating their rating for the Chesterfield Township Police Department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figure 3 Police Perception Responses in Chesterfield Township Community shows the relationships of responses of residents to the first three survey questions. As evident in the chart, answers for the questions on police perception based on encounters follow a similar pattern, indicating that most respondents agree that police officers are prompt, professional and fair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figure 4 represents the respondent’s opinion on the need for more police officers in the community. Based on the results gathered, majority, 36.4 per cent , slightly agree that there is a need for more police officers in the community. As a whole, though, it can be seen that more residents disagreed and strongly disagreed, 14.5 and 7.3 per cent respectively, that there was further need for more police presence as compared to respondents who agreed,9.1 per cent, and strongly agreed,1.8 per cent to the augmentation of police visibility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regard to the Chesterfield community’s perception of Police based on three parameters, their responses follow a similar trend, as evident in Figure 5. In terms of behavior, 49 . 5 per cent rated police â€Å"Good†. 32. 7 % gave Chesterfield police officers a rating of â€Å"excellent†. â€Å"Fair was how 14. 5 per cent rated police in the community while 3.6 per cent did not know how to answer this question. In their ability to address the need of the community, Chesterfield police officers were   again rated â€Å"Good† by 54 . 5 per cent of   the residents.    An â€Å"Excellent† rating was given by 29.1 per cent, while â€Å"Fair† was what 11. 6 per cent deemed appropriate. There were 4.7 per cent of the population, though, that didn’t know how to rate their police officers. When it comes to relationships between Chesterfield residents and their community’s police, majority, 43.6 per cent chose to rate this, as â€Å"Good†, Fair was give as rating by 27. 3 per cent of the population and 21.8 gave an â€Å"Excellent† mark. There were 7.3 residents, though that were still unsure how to rate the Chesterfield community’s relationship with its police officers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on this information, Police perception in   the areas specified were rated â€Å"Good† by a majority of Chesterfield residents. This point out a positive view of the township’s police officers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In relation to this positive response, the over-all rating of Chesterfield township community residents is seen in Figure 6. However, here, we see a shift of the rating from â€Å"Good† to Fair†. Apparently, most residents, 40.4 per cent particularly, perceive the Chesterfield Police Departments’ performance as â€Å"Fair†. Thirty two per cent believe that the township’s police deserve a â€Å"good† rating. Approximately 25 per cent believe their Police force is â€Å"Excellent† HYPOTHESIS TESTING   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This limitation of this study has been presented in the previous chapters. It is important to reiterate that this is mainly, a descriptive study. However, for research purposes, the Hypothesis that â€Å" There is a significant percentage of Chesterfield Residents who Have a positive perception of the Chesterfield Police Department† has been stated, with its corresponding null hypothesis â€Å" There is   no significant lower percentage of Chesterfield Residents who have a have a positive perception of the Chesterfield Police Department†. Based on the data presented, there is evidence to believe that on all eight questions, the community’s police perception leaned towards a positive image of the members of the Chesterfield Police department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although specific statistical tools were not applied on the data, the descriptive statistics show that the Hypothesis should be accepted and the null hypothesis are rejected. CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATIONS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This study aims to observe the Chesterfield community’s perception of its police officers. Based on the data present, it is evident that most residents of this community hold a positive perception of their police officers. Descriptive Statistics show evidence of these, based on the percentages of positive responses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This study, however is simplistic and there are a lot about Police perception these communities that should be evaluated so that they are translated into information that can improve the services of the Police Department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The data gathered for this research however, can be a guide to others who will pursue such inquiry on Police Perception and who are interested in this area as a means on evaluation of Community Policing Programs, much like what other police   departments have done in their respective communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to point out, however, that more resource be invested in such an endeavor to be able to come up with data that is comprehensive and more accurate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the hope of this author, though that this simple research has given a glimpse of the Chesterfield’s community’s perception of its police officers, and serve as a spring board to more advanced and relevant research.    REFERENCES: Annan, Sampson O.(1995) NATIONAL SURVEY OF COMMUNITY POLICING   STRATEGIES, 1992-1993 [Computer file]. ICPSR version. Washington, DC: The Police Foundation [producer], 1994. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], Brown, B. & Benedict W. (2002) Perceptions of the police: Past findings, methodological issues,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   conceptual issues and policy implications Policing: An International Journal of Police  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategies & Management, 25,543 – 580 Campbell Delong Resources, Inc.(2005) Portland Police Bureau 2005 Community Assessment   Survey Conducted for: City of Portland, Bureau of Police RETRIVED   27 APRIL 2008 from http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=105839 Chesterfield, Michigan. Podunk, The Power of Place retrieved 29 April 2008 from http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=21700    Frank, J, Smith, B.W., Novak, K.J. (2005)Exploring the Basis of Citizens’ Attitudes Toward  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the Police Police Quarterly 8, 206-228 Gallagher, Maguire, E., Mastrofski, S., Reisig, D.(2001) â€Å"The Public Image of the Police:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Final Report to The International Association of Chiefs of Police By The Administration  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Justice Program George Mason University†.   International Association of Chiefs of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Police retrieved on   28 April 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://theiacp.org/profassist/ethics/public_image.ht Liou,K.T.& Savage,E.G. â€Å"Citizen Perception of Community Policing Impact†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Public Administration and Management: An Interactive Journal. 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(2006) â€Å"Assessing Police-Community Relations in Pasadena, California.† retrieved on 28 April 2008 from http://www.parc.info/client_files/Pasadena/Assessing%20Police%20Community%20Relations%20in%20Pasadena%20California.pdf Scaglion , R. & Condon, R.   (1980)   Determinants Of Attitudes Toward City Police.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Criminology 17, 485–494 Sims, B., Hooper,M., Peterson S.A. (2002)   Determinants of citizens’ attitudes toward police:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Results of the Harrisburg Citizen Survey – 1999 Policing : An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 25, 457 – 471 The Chicago Community Policing Evaluation Consortium ( 2004 ) â€Å"CAPS at Ten :Community Policing in Chicago An Evaluation of Chicago’s Alternative Policing Strategy†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Institute for Police Research retrieved 27 April 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/policing_papers/Yr10-CAPSeval.pdf Trojanowicz R.C.   & Carter, D.   The Philosophy and Role of Community Policing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The National Center for Community Policing, Michigan State University.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   retrieved on 28 April 2008. fromhttp://www1.cj.msu.edu/~people/cp/cpphil.html

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How Competitors Affect Competitive Advantage of Pepsi Essay

Pepsi is one of the world’s top carbonated drink company established in 1893. Today it has grown into a multibillion company which produces some of the most popular soft drinks, cereals and franchise eateries (Our History 2011). But Pepsi, like most of the other companies is unable to escape competitors in their general task environment who directly affect their competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the advantage a company or product has over other companies in terms better attributes such as cost advantage, differentiation advantage, network distribution, and customer support that will help the company gain better sales compared to other companies (Hao, Ma 1999). For decades, Pepsi’s main competitor has been The Cola-cola Company, which is the world largest beverage company, followed by companies such as Cadbury Scheweppes Plc, Kraft, Dr, Pepper Snapple Group, Cott Corporation and Nestle (Joys M, Wolburg 2003). All these competitors are coming up with more innovative ideas to gain sales. Pepsi’s competitor affects Pepsi’s competitive advantage in terms of cost structure and cost advantage. A general sales key is to avoid price war between competing companies in the same industry because the companies must reduce their prices below the production price. This would affect the cost structure of a company and put the company in competitive disadvantage because sales below price margin means the company is selling at a loss. An example of price war between Pepsi and the Coca-Cola Company would be in the 1970’s. Coca-Cola bought most of the packaging bottles in the market to ensure lower production price beating its other competitors. In response, Pepsi had to cut its advertising and drop its selling price, decreasing its cost advantage (Coke and Pepsi’s uncivil). The price war between Pepsi and its competitors has been continual for decades. This tremendously affected and cost advantage of Pepsi, thus reducing the company’s competitive advantage. The distribution network of its competitors also disrupts Pepsi’s competitive advantage. Pepsi must compete with its competitors to expand their distribution network in more countries to expand their sales because only one company can dominate the industry. Companies unable to dominate would lose competitive advantage and sales. For example, Coke controls 75 percent of the soft drink market in Israel and Pepsi is unable to penetrate the market due to Coke’s strong distribution (Hellman, Ziv 1991). Coca-Cola and Pepsi is also always competing to expand their vending activities in every district to increase sales (Pierce, Gala 2005). A research also shows that Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple are continually fighting for ‘calendar marketing contracts’ with supermarkets in United States, which allows an exclusive promotional shelf space of the product for a period of time. During months when other soft drinks brands are promoted in this promotional shelf space, there is a drop in sales of Pepsi. This shows that the presence of competitors trying to expand their distribution network, vending activity and shelf space activity will cause decreases Pepsi’s competitive advantage (Klein 2008). Main competitors also contribute negative impacts on the differentiation advantage and product offerings of Pepsi, decreasing its competitive advantage. For example, Pepsi’s competitors are always imitating Pepsi’s new products. The competitor’s impeccable speed in producing similar products in the market affects the sales that Pepsi should get for their investment in research and development. For example, when Pepsi launched its Pepsi Light, Coke came up with Diet Coke soon after. Soft drinks companies that are always imitating their competitors or are being imitated is causing competitive disadvantage whereby there is little product differentiation in the market (MacArthur 2006). However if the company does not imitate or come up with new innovative products they will also lose competitive advantage to their competitors who are always developing new products. When Cadbury Schweppes caught Pepsi off-guard by producing new beverages such as Hawaiian Punch, and Nantucket Nectar, Pepsi’s market share was heavily defeated (O’Connor, Brian 2002). Pepsi’s competitor also affects Pepsi’s competitive advantage through advertisement and promotions. Every time Pepsi advertises, Coca-Cola will immediately respond by doubling its advertisements, making Pepsi’s advertisement and sales target redundant (Rivalry on various fronts 2001). Coca-Cola is always competing with Pepsi to be the main sponsor in every Olympic game as this sponsorship significantly affects the consumers’ brand choice during the event period (Cho 2011). Competition by other competitors and their advantages directly affects Pepsi. Competitive advantages by other companies will affect  company’s sales, revenue, reputation and even customer support and loyalty. Mangers must also have a great understanding their company’s environmental opportunities and threats as well as internal strengths and weakness (Barney, Jay B 1995). This can be found by a planning technique called the S.W.O.T analysis. S.W.O.T analysis will allow managers at different corporate level will select business, corporate and functional level strategies to help gain competitive advantage (Waddell, Jones and George 2012, 148). Another model that managers should consider carrying out is the Michael Porters five-forces model. This model helps managers isolate particular forces in the external environment that are potential threats to the company (Waddell, Jones and George 2012, 148). In conclusion, managers must be aware of what their competition companies are doing and what their competitive advantages are and try to come up with a strategy to overcome their competitors’ competitive advantage. Reference Barney, Jay B. 1995. â€Å"Looking Inside for Competitive Advantage.†The Academy of Management Executive† 9 (4): 49-49. http://search.proquest.com/docview/210515505?accountid=10382. Cho, Sungho, Minyong Lee, Taeyeon Yoon, and Charles Rhodes. 2011. â€Å"An Analysis of the Olympic Sponsorship Effect on Consumer Brand Choice in the Carbonated Soft Drink Market using Household Scanner Data.† International Journal of Sport Finance 6 (4): 335-353. http://search.proquest.com/docview/912868591?accountid=10382 Coke and Pepsi’s Uncivil Cola Wars-Case Study Analysis. 2012. csinvesting. http://csinvesting.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/coke-and-pepsis-uncivil-cola-wars-case-study-analysis/ Hellman, Ziv. 1991. â€Å"Getting in Tempo with Pepsi Cola.† Jerusalem Post, Jul 05, 16-16. http://search.proquest.com/docview/321035209?accountid=10382. Klein, Benjamin and Kevin M. Murphy. 2008. â€Å"Exclusive Dealing Intensifies Competition for Distribution.† Antitrust Law Journal 75 (2): 433-466. http://search.proquest.com/docview/197278523?accountid=10382. Ma, Hao. 1999. â€Å"Creation and Preemption for Competitive Advantage.† Management Decision 37 (3): 259-266. http://search.proquest.com/docview/212092410?accountid=10382. MacArthur, Kate and Stephanie Thompson. 2006. â€Å"Pepsi, Coke: We Satisfy Your ‘Need States’.† Advertising Age 77 (48): 3-3,23. http://search.proquest.com/docview/208357645?accountid=10382. O’Connor, Brian. 2002. â€Å"How Giant Killer John is Winning Soft Drinks War ; the CITY Interview.† Daily Mail, Apr 11, 69-69. http://search.proquest.com/docview/321285141?accountid=10382. Our History. 2011. Pepsico. http://www.pepsico.com/company/our-history.html Pierce, Gala. 2005. â€Å"‘no Coke, Pepsi’ to be Replaced Under New Contract.† Daily Herald, Jul 11, 1-1. http://search.proquest.com/docview/313097832?accountid=10382. The Rivalry on Various Fronts. 2001. The Coke Pepsi Rivalry. http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Marketing/The%20Coke%20Pepsi%20Rivalry%20-%20Marketing%20Case.htm#II%20-Advertising Waddell, Dianne, Gareth R. Jones, and Jeniffer M. George. 2012. Contemporary Management. NSW, Australia: McGraw Hill. Wolburg, Joyce M. 2003. â€Å"Double-Cola and Antitrust Issues: Staying Alive in the Soft Drink Wars.† The Journal of Consumer Affairs 37 (2): 340-363. http://search.proquest.com/docview/195909317?accountid=10382