The Economics of Illicit Drugs Essay -- Crime and Drugs

In this essay I will define drug abuse and show the economic impact of the sales of illicit drugs. I will introduce an argument for legalization and the impact to the economy. Next I will discuss some of the economic cost from lack of productivity, health care cost and other cost associated with Drug abuse. In order to understand the economic impact of illicit drugs we must first define what a drug is. A drug is defined as any substance other than food that affects the way your mind or body works. Abuse is defined as the wrong use or misuse of something. So drug abuse would be defined as the wrong use of drugs. As a D.A.R.E. officer, this definition has been ingrained into my mind for the past eighteen years. During my twenty years of Law Enforcement I have learned how dangerous drugs are to the economy. They damage your body and drug abuse also has a huge economic impact on the country. In the United States there are two types of drugs legal and illegal. The legal drugs have two subcategories, prescription and over the counter. Prescription drugs are placed into different categories called schedules. The ones that have a highest chance for abuse or addiction have a higher place in the schedule. Schedule I drugs are the drugs that have no safe or accepted medical use in the United States. Examples are heroin, marijuana, LSD, PCP, and crack cocaine. As you go down the schedule the drugs become less addictive and have a small potential for abuse, but are still controlled by the Drug Enforcement Agency. Schedule V are the lowest controlled drugs. Examples are codeine, valium and xanax Non prescription drugs are those that are sold over the counter and you do not need a prescription to purchase. The illegal o... ...0,000,000 on the health care, productivity and other cost, yet in the same time period we only spent $150 Billion on enforcing the drug laws. If we focused on the treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers, I feel a substantial portion of the trillion dollars could be used for other things. The economic benefit could possibly be unmeasurable. Works Cited Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) . (n.d.). Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) . Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/ Moomaw, R. L., Olson, K. W., & Edgmand, M. R. (2007). Crime and Drugs a Modern Delima. Economics and contemporary issues (7th ed., pp. 201-216). Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF DRUG. (2001, September 1). National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/economic_costs98.pdf

Gender Differences in Religious Belief Essay

Critically examine the relationship between gender, religious participation and religious organisation Studies of religious belief verify consistently that the female gender shows greater participation to religion than that of males. This greater commitment to religion described by sociologists such as Bensen applies throughout the course of the woman’s life, and as noted by Glock and Stark, their greater pledge to religion is consistent regardless of the religious organization, whether it be New Religious movements, New Age spirituality, or traditional faiths. Beit-hallahmy and Argyle state that whether it is a matter of private churchgoing or private prayer and regardless of religious belief women appear more religious than men. Religions universally have been found to be deeply oppressive to women, born from ancient teachings indicating their inferiority to men. Writers like de Beauvoir and Sadwai see religion and religious ideology as playing a part in maintaining male domination that is found in many aspects of contemporary social life. In religious scriptures women take the lesser position; De Beauvoir highlights how scriptures in most religions suggest that â€Å"man is master by divine right† and Aldridge explains how in the Qu’ran women are legally inferior to men. Why, then, do women pursue a faith which encourages their oppression, more so than the gender with the power to dominate it? Biological factors begin with Miller and Hoffman’s explanation that women take fewer risks than men and as a result seek to conform to a group’s religious identity rather than undertake the challenge of authority and autonomy. Men more often reject the religious beliefs of the mainstream and engage in risk-taking behaviors. According to Stark this risk taking inclination in a man to not â€Å"think ahead† means that men are less religious because they are willing to take a gamble on there not being an afterlife. However sociologists like Freese and Montgomery debate this argument works on an assumption that everyone makes the same risk assessment when in fact men are just more prepared to take that risk. Roth produced a study which showed there to be a smaller gap between genders in the percentage who believe in an afterlife but a large gap in those who give attendance and prayer to religion, suggesting women just participate actively more than men. Armstrong states that biological differences between men and women gave way to male domination; patriarchal montheism has replaced polysthetic beliefs which promoted the role of the female in society, for which evidence was found by archeologists in the form of old statues of goddesses. He argues that natural male aggression was the tool used to manipulate religion into a patriarchal institution. The socializations built upon this biology, are of men to be strong and domineering, and of women to be passive, obedient, and nurturing, which according to Mol, are the qualities associated with religiosity. Miller and Hoffman establish that gender socialisation makes women more cooperative and caring, and this can leads to many explanations for their greater participation in religion. One is their role of guardians in family life. Bruce states that women’s child bearing and rearing experiences for instance develop their traits as nurturers as opposed to confrontational and goal seeking. Luckmann further explains that women have a greater responsibility for rearing children and participate to a lesser degree in the labor force, leaving them with more time for church-related activities and a greater need for a source of personal identity and commitment. Women are more likely to take on the task of the moral development of their child along with the rest of their duties in socializing a child. There is an expectation for women to be defenders of tradition and Halman and Draulans note that these roles give women a greater focus on the family. Luckmann also highlights how women’s role as a housewife gives them lesser participation in the labor force, leaving them with more time for church-related activities and a greater need for a source of personal identity and commitment. They are more likely to experience status frustration, born from the constraints of housework and childcare or the unsatisfying lower middle class jobs which are mainly done by women. Religious participation can reinstate identity and give women focus, because where men gain individuality through work, women revive their low sense of worth through religion. Religious faith and practice can enhance psychological well-being by being a source of comfort to women in times of distress and by enhancing their social interaction with others in places of worship. More responsive and sensitive personality traits in a woman mean they are more likely to contemplate emotional wellbeing and not only seek solace in religion bit find meaning and purpose in life. Personality was be attested as a key factor by Thompson, who found that men who possess those qualities more commonly found in women, such as sensitivity , were similarly more likely to be religious. Reasons other than oppression that lead a higher percentage of women to respond to their environment and pursue happiness through religion are the increased levels of poverty they experience. Official figures show women are 14% more likely than men to live in households with incomes that are 60% below the national average. More frequently diagnosed mental illness and depression in women can explain their higher contribution to religion, as cults, sects as a social network and comfort for women outside the isolation of the home or of their minds. Women’s tend to be more open about sharing personal problems and are more relational than men which is encouraged in the close knit community of a sect. The intimacy of the private sphere can also replicate women’s â€Å"sphere of the home† whilst theodicies explaining their feelings and offering solutions justify their role as a woman. New Religious Movements such as cults are also generally more popular with women because of cult focus on self-discovery and fulfilment, which correlates with the female inclination towards self-criticism and self-improvement, due to their suffering higher levels of marginalisation and lack of self-confidence. Some evidence contradicts the male role as non-spiritual however, as Davie found there is an equal spiritual confidence in the existence of ghosts between genders. A key to understanding modern women’s higher participation in religion is the shifts in demographic trends. Brierly’s study found that in 1979 the proportion of male church goers were 45% but in 1989 it had dropped to 42%. The ratio of live females to live males rises steadily and correspondingly a disproportionate number of elderly women seek refuge in the church in response to loneliness or consoling philosophy nearing the end of their lives. Davie explains how women are more actively responsive to religion because males and females have differing visions of God; males associate him with power and status whereas women associate with his traits of love, comfort and forgiveness which explains their greater involvement in community religions. They are more concerned with people orientation than control. Female differences in nature also explains the particular appeal of New Age ideas revolved around well-being and stress relief. Concepts such as herbalism, yoga and meditation, homeopathy, aromatherapy and massage, horoscopes, astrology, fortune-telling are strongly associated with females, according to Glendinning and Bruce. This recent marketization of religion often promotes earthly concepts which are more linked to femininity and female empowerment than the tradition of male domination. Mother Gaia, the theory of Mother Earth as a living entity, is more appealable to women for instance. Women’s heightened spirituality can be attributed to their greater role in biological life processes. Walter and Davie see women as more emotionally exposed to the â€Å"ups and downs† of life because of childbirth, and their nurturing role as teachers, care assistants, social workers, and so on, and also the expectation that they be unpaid carers for vulnerable family members. This heightens their sensitivity and attunes the spiritual dimension of human existence, because as Davie argues, these factors give women a closer association with birth and death which are generally central concepts of religion. As females live longer than men some studies have shown that many widowed women may turn to religion for the comfort of reassuring philosophies and social networks. It is possible that some women take refuge from some of the theoretical oppressions bore by religion. Swatos talks of the fulfilment that can be had from being a second class citizenship. Feminist writers like Walby and be Beauvoir suggest that the doctrine of many of the world’s religions contain an ideology of the family which emphasises women’s traditional roles as wives and mothers in the family. Some women, however, are happy to take on this role. Barrett and Pryce, for instance, highlight how Rastafarianism assumes the woman’s position as a housewife and mother as a protection from sexual and racial abuse in the outside world. On one hand this gives ultimate power to men by denying female participation to society in the name of protection, but some more introverted Rastafarian women may enjoy this safety within the sphere of the home. A similar contradiction of female subjugation is the veil; whilst Aldridge notes the hijab in Islamic cultures as a symbol of patriarchy, degrading women to a state of invisibility and keeping them devoid of identity, some women find anonymity to be protective from the judgement and sexual degradation of men. A growing number of Western Muslims have taken to wearing the veil to in fact reinstate a female identity separate from their face; writers like Ahmed and Watson argue that the veiling of one’s face can be a way to resist the patriarchy and sexual objectification of Western culture which views women as visual objects. Faiths as a majority oppose the admission of women to leadership in religious organisations. A pun of the â€Å"stained glass ceiling† is used as a pun by sociologists to explain how women are maintained at the bottom of the career ladder to authority within the church, and barred completely from the priesthood in Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Judaism, which is seemingly discriminatory, but perhaps female role models within religious doctrines presented as meek and nurturing figures have had such an influence on the identity of a religious women that they feel more comfortable in a non-domineering role. Examples can be taken from any religion proving the sub-ordinance of women taught by most faith systems. The socialisation of women to be obedient and take on the follower role means they are further likely to be a willing follower of religion. Overall social, psychological, and biological factors interlink to form explanations for greater female participation in religion and religious organisation. The gravity of female relation to religion as an explanation, compensator, duty, and social outlet mean that their commitment is likely to persist regardless of the injustices and subjugations it bears upon the gender.

Mortal Kombat: video game Essay

â€Å"According to Time magazine, September 27, 1993, violence in video games is on the rise especially with the release of Mortal Kombat. Over 50 million children all over the United States brought this violence into their homes. The parents and other adults of these children finally decided that the video games in the U. S. had gone too far. † Mortal Kombat was the first game that brought blood and gore into the video game world. Mortal Kombat started in the arcades it was such a hit, they made it into a game you could buy for personal use. Critics raved over it when it was first introduced, saying it was too violent for kids and it needed to be taken off the shelves. This game appealed to many people because of its real-life graphics, blood and gore. The game was also responsible for the video game rating system used today. The game was an instant hit, they made an endless amount of Mortal Kombat games, for every gaming system imaginable, there was even a movie made based on the game. This essay will illustrate how Mortal Kombat is violent, and take a critical point of view of this popular game. Mortal Kombat is a video game based around hand-to-hand combat between two characters in the game. The person playing would control one-character and use combinations of punches, kicks and special moves to cause as much damage to the opponent as possible. This game is fun and very addicting; children would end up playing the game constantly trying to master the moves and techniques of the game. People found it fun because the characters and the worlds that you fight in seem like some fantasy, most people would fight their friends to see who would rein supreme; it was a constant challenge to be the best fighter. With the new game that came out not too, long ago you are able to plug an internet cord in the back of your gaming system and play anyone in the world. This game caught so much criticism that the makers had to take the blood out of the game, and they turned it in to white sweat, but little did the critics know that there were codes you could enter to bring the blood back to the game. There also were codes called â€Å"Fatalities† which were finishing moves where you could decapitate someone’s head, rip their arms off and burn them alive. The new game is even worse than the original with more finishing moves and better graphics. When you go out and buy a game like this, you should know what to expect; that you are going to be fighting an opponent with the intent to kill him. The basic principals of this game are fine, but the more advanced our technology gets the more graphic the games get. The blood and gore look almost life like now, which is not necessary to have to play the game. The game was given the MA rating which is for people 17 and older. The rating made the game intangible for young people to go out and buy. Because young kids could not have the game with the new ratings, they just wanted to play them even more. People who are sheltered from reality will be worse off, than people who are allowed to experience real life. There are some countries in the world, who do not even have electricity let alone video gaming systems, but are still are involved with senseless killing of each other. In other countries, it is just as common for young children to carry guns as it is for Americans to play video games. I think that violence is part of our society. I do not think that video games are any more violent than movies, television and the general violence in the world today. As far as the people who take what they see in video games and imitate it to real life I feel there is a mental problem and they need help, because they have a hard time separating fiction from non-fiction. Mortal Kombat was one of the first of many video games that got controversy for being too violent. This game also led the way for countless other violent video games. I feel as if no one would have made a big deal out of the violence there would not be problems that there are today. As they put stricter ratings on the games it only made people want it more. This game was so popular that there was a movie made after it and all the characters seemed to come to life on the big screen. As the critics put the whole concept of violent video games down, all it did was feed a fire to burn and made Mortal Kombat became larger than life.

Carer’s and UK social work law Essay

               ‘Carers’ need support from the civil law, not punished by the criminal law. To what extent do you consider the law treats ‘carers’?                ‘Carers’ have become an essential aspect in the lives of the UK citizens. A carer can be referred to as anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem, or an addiction cannot cope without his or her (carer) support. There are various reasons behind any individual taking on caring are varied, but can contain causes such as: Serious physical illness, Long-term physical disability, Long-term neurological conditions, Mental health problems, Dementia, Addiction, Learning difficulties.                   Just as the reason why someone becomes a carer varies, the same is the case for the tasks that a carer fulfills. These tasks include practical house hold tasks, personal care and emotional support among many others. Just like any other individual in United Kingdom, the ‘carers’ needs protection by the law especially the civil law and not being subjected to punishment by the criminal law. The justice system in the United Kingdom is the mechanism that upholds the rule of law. The country’s courts provide a forum that is effective in resolving disputes as well as to test and enforce laws in a rational and fair manner. Moreover, the courts system has formed the basis for the solving of any disputes and law breaking offences in the community and at all levels (Swain & Rice, 2009).                â€Å"Law and social work† have become an important aspect in the United Kingdom social set up. It refers to the crossing point between the carrying out of the communal work and the legal structure in the country. This includes components of the legal system such as the: legal establishments (prisons and courts among others), case law, and legal experts such as the judges, attorneys, forensic experts, paralegals, and alternative dispute resolution, among many others. Law plays numerous significant roles in the ‘carers’ practice of social work. For example, from an environmental viewpoint, the legal structure is an essential part of any client’s social setting. Numerous social work clients are concerned with legal structures, such as criminal justice, child security, or mental health. ‘Carers’ need to be sensitive of the laws that controls or regulates every structure so as to help clients steer their way through these s tructures more efficiently, and to be capable of advocating for law improvement to improve the integrity of fit linking clients and their socio-legal surroundings. In addition, laws also oversee loads of interactions of interest to social work clients (McIvor & Raynor, 200). These include relationships such as tenant/landlord, employer/worker, patient/physician, children and parents as well as customer/vendor among others relationships. Hence, familiarity of the law ought to give practitioners with a realistic perceptive of their clients’ rights and responsibilities in a wide variety of social relations. Subsequent, organization-specific laws regulate a number of social agencies such as the hospitals, social assistance, schools, mental health facilities, correctional institutions, and other social agencies. Organization-specific laws may order who is qualified for services, principles for record keeping, privacy, and other client civil rights (McIvor & Raynor, 200).                ‘Carers’ or better still ‘Social workers’ have to comprehend these laws in turn to make sure that their organizations abide by the laws, and to be able to advocate for modifications in the law so as to encourage better and bigger economic and social impartiality. Thirdly, different laws control the occupation of social work itself. Mostly there are licensing and/or authorization laws that control the carrying out of social work, as well as who possibly will practice and what values of performance are lawfully allowed for them to perform. ‘Carers’ should also be conscious of unprofessional conduct or (tort) bylaws that make out when a ‘carer’ may be legally accountable for inducing injury or harm to a customer if they carry out their practiced duties in an approach that falls below a rational level of care. In summary, some ‘carers’ has their work in forensic surroundings, conducting examinations , valuation, and treatment for clients involved in court or other legal systems. Such settings include probation, prison, child custody assessment, and uncontrolled committal to mental health foundations (McIvor & Raynor, 200).                   Despite being vital in the governance of any country, there is great difference between the civil and criminal law. The two are different as well as broad components of law with distinct of laws and punishments. â€Å"The disparity stuck between criminal law and civil law is reflected on the two varied objects which law seeks to practise, put right or penalty. The constituent of civil law is the putting right of wrongs through by forceful compensation or repayment: the offender is not penalized; he only undergoes so much harm as is indispensable to make good the wrong he has done. The person who has suffered gets a specific benefit from the law, or at least he avoids a loss. Alternatively, in the case of crimes, the main objective of the law is to discipline the reprobate; to give him and others strong enticements not to commit same or similar crimes, as well as to change him preferably and also satisfy the public sense that wrongdoing ought to meet wit h revenge.† For example, the criminal law entails cases such as burglary, assault, murder among others while the civil entails aspects such as malpractice and negligence (Swain & Rice, 2009).                  Over the time the social work and the law in United Kingdom has come along together forming a relationship where one cannot do without the other. The law calls for a must registration of the carers in one of the many registers organizations in the country. This allows for the effective protection of the ‘carers’ by the law. This has brought along a clear understanding of the law and in turn defining what is ethically right for the caregivers in their work. The social law has called for ‘Carers’ need to recognize diversity in the caring services. Respecting and Valuing service users, irrespective of, for example, their ethical definitions, gender or age is central to excellent practice by the . It is also about working in a way that counters the unfair or unequal treatment of individuals or groups on the basis of their race, gender, class, age, culture, religion, sexuality or ability. There is a growing body of law that seeks to p rohibit and punish a range of discriminatory behaviors in various kinds of social setting, for example in the provision of services and in employment opportunities. For social workers, valuing diversity entails more than this. Social work professionals need to be aware that there are structural dimensions to discrimination.                The law defines what the carer ought to observe when offering their services to their clients. One of the key aspects that they are supposed to observe is the need to protect the rights and support the interests of service users and ‘carers’. In addition, the law also requires the ‘carers’ to strive towards establishing and maintaining the confidence and trust of service users and ‘carers’ or themselves. Other requirement by the law to the social care givers include: promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm. Valuing the rights of service users whilst in search to ensure that their behavior does not hurt themselves or other people. Endorse public trust and confidence in social care services, and also be e responsible for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.                Social work is a responsible and demanding job. Practitioners work in social settings characterised by enormous diversity, and they perform a range of roles, requiring different skills. Public expectations, agency requirements, resources, and the needs of service users all create pressures for social workers. The public receives only a snapshot of a social worker’s responsibilities and, against a background of media concentration on the sensational, the thousands of successful outcomes and years of hard work in childcare and with vulnerable adults are never considered. In intervening in people’s lives, social workers face practice dilemmas arising from the relationship between social work values and the law (for example, working to promote the rights and self-determination of service users and having to balance this with the need to protect them and to protect the rights of others (Swain & Rice, 2009).                  The relationship between social work and the law is part of an ongoing debate. There are those who adopt a legalistic model and argue that the law, reflected through court orders, is central to social work practice (for example, Blom-Cooper, 1985). Others have argued that over-reliance on the law fails to address the problems people face and may even exacerbate them. This seems to present a dilemma for practice. The growing importance of the law in social work practice and decision-making is reflected in the training requirements for professionals working in the field of social work (Department of Health, 2002). Yet it is essential that alongside this there is a value base with an emphasis on principles, such as partnership, equality, and empowerment, which must inform good practice (Bashir, 1999).                Over the past two decades, there have been a number of events that raised serious questions regarding social work practice. There has been fierce debate in relation to child protection issues, the changes within the criminal justice system (for example the introduction, by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, of anti-social behaviour orders) and the effectiveness of community care. There have been well-documented tragedies and errors of judgement (Blom-Cooper, 1985), apparent over-zealousness such as in the Cleveland affair (Butler-Sloss, 1988) and the misuse of power in residential care in the ‘pin down’ affair (Levy and Kahan, 1991).                  For many professionals in the field of social work, the publicity surrounding these and other events has led to a feeling of crisis. Social work as a profession has frequently been under attack since the mid-1980s, and this has undermined the public’s awareness of social work’s successes. For example, one of the observations about the Children Act 1989 was that it was based on current best practice within social work at the time, though such practice was not sufficiently widespread. The Act represented a new start for children, families, and other professionals working with children by radically changing the legal framework regulating the care and upbringing of children (Hardy and Hannibal, 1997). No legislation or legal framework can remain static, however, and because of reviews and enquiries such as the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report (Department of Health and Home Office, 2003), the Children Act 1989 has been significantly updated, and t he way in which it is interpreted, resourced and implemented has been strengthened (Braye & Preston, 1997).                The law is one way in which established but discriminatory practices can be and are challenged. At the same time, however, the law can be seen as supportive of the prevailing social order, shaped by dominant forces that perpetuate inequality and injustice. Nevertheless, there are some key values embedded in legislation that are supportive of social work values. For example, the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 incorporates the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into UK law, with the result that the principles enshrined in the articles of the ECHR are directly applicable within the UK. These principles include respect for family privacy (Article 8) and an insistence on procedural fairness in the resolution of disputes (Article 6). Further, Article 14 aims at ensuring that the rights contained within the ECHR are secured without discrimination on any ground. The impact of the HRA 1998 on social care and social work has already been consider able (Bashir, 1999).                  Thus, it is important to recognise that the law expresses some values that accord with social work values and can help you to work in a positive way to support and empower service users. However, it is also important for social work practitioners to be aware of the ways in which the law can fail people. For example, there is little legislation to protect adults who are vulnerable through age. Community care legislation may provide that certain people are entitled to an assessment of their needs, but this is largely at the discretion of the local authority and it can be difficult for service users to challenge such decision-making (Bashir, 1999).                Although agency policies and procedures also set parameters within which discretion is exercised, often the individual social worker makes the initial decision. This choice will be influenced by a range of factors, including the knowledge and understanding of the social worker, his or her experience of similar situations, the viability of available options – including the law and ongoing policy – and the social worker’s own values (Braye & Preston, 1997). Conclusion                Social work practice is based upon assessments of situations and decisions about strategies to be adopted. Sometimes there can be a tension between the law and working within social work values; the law provides the framework for practice. In the next section, you are going to examine the legal structures and processes within which social work skills are applied. In summary, it is vital for the civil carers to have support from the law and most importantly from the civil law and the social work law in United Kingdom, and not to be punished by the criminal law. The law forms the framework of all the actions carried out by the carers and in turn, it rather than being punished should protect them. References Baker, C. (ed.) (1998)  Human Rights Act 1998: A Practitioner’s Guide, London, Sweet and Maxwell. Bashir, A. (1999) ‘Working in racist Britain’,  Community Care, 21–27 October, p. 26. Biehal, N., Clayden, J., Stein, M. and Wade, J. (1992)  Prepared for Living? A Survey of Young People Leaving the Care of Three Local Authorities, London, National Children’s Bureau. Blom-Cooper, L. (1985)  A Child in Trust: The Beckford Report, London, London Borough of Brent. Braye, S. and Preston-Shoot, M. (1997)  Practising Social Work Law, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Brechin, A. (2000) ‘Introducing critical practice’ in Brechin, A., Brown, H. and Eby, M.A. (eds)  Practice and Health in Social Care, London, Sage. British Association of Social Workers (2003)  Code of Ethics for Social Work  [online].  www.basw.co.uk/articles [Accessed 12 September 2005]. Butler-Sloss, E. (1988)  Report of the Inquiry into Child Abuse in Cleveland, London, HMSO. McIvor, G., & Raynor, P. (2007).  Developments in social work with offenders. London: Jessica Kingsley. Hayes, D., Humphries, B., & Cohen, S. (2004).  Social work, immigration and asylum: Debates, dilemmas and ethical issues for social work and social care practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Swain, P. A., & Rice, S. (2009).  In the shadow of the law: The legal context of social work practice. Annandale, N.S.W: The Federation Press Source document

To do so requires a certain synergy between strategy and innovation Essay

To do so requires a certain synergy between strategy and innovation. Clarify the link between 'strategy' and 'innovation'. Also explain how a proper balance can be achieved between strategy and innovation - Essay Example This can also be considered as the prime barrier to sustainable value differentiation. This is also one of the prime objective as well as observation point of the current research study. Literature on innovation has claimed that innovation can be considered as one of the crucial success for the survival and growth of any firm. It has also been proportionally related to sustainable and competitive advantage to any company. Despite the presence of various definition and concepts on innovation, researchers have not been able to conclude one single definition for innovation. According to Vyas (2009), five different expression of innovation can be represented as follows; According to Therrien, et al. (2011), innovation can be described as a complex procedure related to processes and production functions. Here, companies try to build and acquire unique technological, strategic and marketing competence. These competencies can be acquired through resources and capabilities possessed by the organisation. Another important factor is transformation of these resources into distinctive innovation by innovation capabilities. At an organisational level, innovation represents the propensity and receptivity of the firm to establish and create new ideas leading to development as well as launch of new services and products. According to OECD and Eurostat (2005), Innovation is described as â€Å"implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service), process, a new marketing technique or a new organisational method in business practice, workplace organisation or external relations.† From the above definition it is clear that innovation in this contemporary business and economic environment is not confined to a simple change in the service or product or brand extension to a new market, but can spread across various facets of an organisation including operations, logistics, planning

TNT Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TNT Scenario - Essay Example Scenario planning is an important strategic tool for improving the effectiveness of strategy (Glesecke, 1998, p.43). It is not about scenario writing but is more related to strategic planning (Lindgre, and Bandhold, 2003 p.21). For example, TNT wants to obtain and maintain its strategic objectives in the European market. For this purpose, it decides that till the end of 2015, it will have to increase 5 per cent market share in the European market. To implement this change, more effective strategy is required in which the PEST (political, economic, social and technological) factors will be considered. Currently, the political environment looks stable and more business friendly than ever before. Subsequently, the cost inflation and cost of living are showing more stability because the entire European economy has recently recovered its debt crisis and the businesses and consumers are experiencing a rising confidence in the business activities. Moreover, the technological changes are tak ing place which can directly or indirectly put positive effect on the business activity. After this environmental scanning, TNT must increase its marketing and promotion cost along with providing and offering a range of incentives and discounts for attracting customers from untapped markets. In this regard, it is important to highlight that marketing cost should be increased by 30 per cent as this will increase more chances of attracting new customers. In this strategy, social media, print and electronic media should used. Technological advancement is the biggest threat for the company. TNT mainly relies on providing postal services across the world. However, recent changes in the technology in which paper-free sharing of information and more digital communication are being preferred. In this regard, TNT faces serious threat from the technological changes because new methods are being created which make the previous Technology can also be termed as an opportunity for the company. In this regard, it is important to highlight that the requirements and needs for business to business and business to customer have not changed much and still correspondence and communication is vital part of their business strategy. However, they have changed their communication method from postal to the digital aspect. If TNT decides to revamp its business strategy by investing in research and development especially in the field of information technology, then, there are chances that the company will be in a position to avail this opportunity.

Myers and Sadaghiani Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Myers and Sadaghiani - Essay Example t have been made by the author in the journal article are that the Millennials in the workforce are more motivated to work on tasks that are meaningful in nature and are essential for the attainment of organization’s aims and objectives. The second interesting point that the authors have made is that Millennials expect that they are provide with timely, continuous as well as constructive feedback which their managers and older coworkers might believe is unnecessary and time consuming. I agree with both the points made by the authors of the research article. I agree with the first point because any individual, whether young or old would be more motivated to work in those positions and on those tasks that are considered as significant by the organization and others. If they do not perceive that their work is of significance to others, they may feel that they are being used for work that is not necessary for the success of the organization and may end up being dissatisfied with that work. I agree that Millennials require timely, continuous and constructive feedback because they have recently graduated or joined the workforce and they require feedback in order to ensure that they are performing well on their tasks. Feedback and task significance are two important elements of job design that cause satisfaction among employees (Parikh, 2010). Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (January 01, 2010). Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials Organizational Relationships and Performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25, 2,