United States Fight for Freedom - 703 Words

The right of American freedom is most treasured because of past historical events which were highly significant leading up to America’s independence. The Boston Tea Party is considered to be one of the most significant events which led to the Revolutionary War. Some say if the Boston Tea Party had not happened, the Americans may not have made noteworthy historical data. Initially, the event of the Boston Tea Party only seemed inconsequential and rather rebellious, but it was actually the Americans first step towards having their own freedom. It all started with a group of determined colonist not wanting to pay taxes on goods and took action on three British tea ships. This act of defiance, and several key players, inadvertently lead to arguably the most significant act of America’s fight for freedom. During the 1760’s the British Parliament passed a series of acts designed to reduce the British national debt and to finance the costs of keeping regular soldiers o n the American frontier. The most notorious of these was the Stamp Act of 1765, which placed a tax on almost every public piece of paper in the colonies, including: newspapers, pamphlets, diplomas, licenses, packs of cards, almanacs, and dice.1 Initially, because the French and Indian War had lasted so long and was the most costly, the Parliament figured taxing the Americans would help decrease their debt. Little did they know that this would only anger the Americans, and ultimately lead to the revolution. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Rights Movement and World War II1075 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to president Franklin D. Roosevelt the future world shout be a world that people have essential human freedoms also known as the four freedoms; freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. 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Tobacco took a great amount of work to harvest, but with the slaves help it all got completed. Slaves cost at least three more times than a regular servant for the reason that slavery was their life, it was their job. Regular servants finished their ‘slavery’ time in about 4 years. Slavery really got across the whole country as time passed, and in 1670 the crop, tobacco, tookRead MoreAmerica s Essential Documents Of America1644 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent depending on its history. The Un ited states of America has grown incredibly from its humble beginnings. We’re now one of the greatest superpowers in the world! But our society wasn’t just developed over night; when you look back in history you can find many points in time when someone or something impacted the growth of America. The growth of America has mainly been influenced by the knowledge of our rights, the fight for those rights and freedoms, and the desire to try and extend thoseRead MoreEssay on Fighting for Equality and Freedom1229 Words   |  5 Pagesarose in America’s freedom. The Declaration of Independence stated that â€Å"†¦all men are created equal.† However, the rights for the ‘White Man’ were significantly above all others, and because of this, women and black men lacked the same equality as the ‘White Man’. In WWII, women took up jobs previously held by men, while the African Americans attempted to join the military. They wanted t o assist in the war effort and help defend America to gain their freedom. This freedom for America meant toRead MoreAbolition Slavery And The United State Of America859 Words   |  4 Pages In the 1840s slavery become a big issue in the United State of America. Since passing the Louisiana Purchase, the United State start expanding their land. They took over the Indian Territory by forcing them to leave the country or to relocate in the different city. The expansion of the United State leads to decide some state should be a free slave. In the 1820s, they passed a low that request 36’30 parallel are decided to be a free state. Abolition slavery becomes a question In the American societyRead MoreAmerican606 Words   |  3 Pageshundreds of years the United States has been attracting immigrants from a variety of different countries, races, and religions to come live in a land full of freedom and opportunity. These people were looking for more than just rights and privileges. Their real desire was to become something that represents pride and honor, an American. Being an American means much more than living in the United States. Along with the name come a number o f different benefits such as, freedom of speech to expressRead MoreAfrican American And The American Revolution1277 Words   |  6 Pagesmen are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† The American Revolution is considered one of the greatest and most memorable eras in United States history. Colonist were under the rule of the British which eventually created a problem for them. They came to the realization that being under Great Britain was preventing them from exercising their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happinessRead MoreRace and Politics in Rebecca Scott’s Degrees of Freedom: Louisiana and Cuba after Slavery640 Words   |  3 PagesRebecca Scott’s Degrees of Freedom: Louisiana and Cuba after Slavery is a story based on a nineteenth and twentieth century comparative history of two sugar- producing regions. While explaining this, Sc ott mostly focuses on the race and politics. The two places that Scott focuses on is the state of Louisiana in the United States, and the country of Cuba. Scott explains how Louisiana slaves are in a situation where they are trying to fight for freedom against the white Americans in order to gainRead MoreThe Thin Line Between Love And Hate Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pageswars with more in the future. For every war requires soldiers to fight for what they believe in. In most cases the soldiers are on a mission to fight the enemy for their country. Fighting is common between individuals because conflict is inevitable. It can try to be avoided, but as a nation, we can never eliminate it.The way to manage conflict and reduce the damage is less hate and more love. The overall goal of the soldiers is to fight for the interest of the country which is not peace but power. The

Media and Foreign Policy Free Essays

POLITICAL SCIENCES| MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY| SUBMITTED TO | MR. IJAZ BUTT| SUBMITTED BY| AYESHA SADDIQUE (01)| SADIA ABBAS (29) MISHA ZAIDI (12) INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES PUBJAB UNIVERSITY LAHORE | B. S (HONS. We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Foreign Policy or any similar topic only for you Order Now ) 3RD SEMESTER (MORNING) FOREIGN POLICY AND MEDIA DEFINITION OF FOREIGN POLICY Foreign Policy can be defined as â€Å"Relations between sovereign states. It is a reflection of domestic politics and an interaction among sovereign states. It indicates the principles and preferences on which a country wants to establish relations with another country. † WHY IT IS NECESSORY FOR A COUNTERY? No country today can think of a life independent of other nations. Every country has to develop relations with other countries so as to meet its requirements in economical, industrial and technological fields. It is thus necessary for every country to formulate a sound foreign policy. Foreign policy is necessary for a country to * Promote sovereignty national interest Cope up the problems of environment, Terrorism and many others. * Solve the issues of poverty, underemployment, and Unemployment * Strengthen territorial security integrity of country * Get International resources for countries domestic socio- economic context such as trading. DETERMINANTS OF THE FOREIGN POLICY The following are the determinants of the foreign policy of Pakistan:- Administrative  Troika Administrative Troika comprises the President of Pakistan, The Prime Minister rand Chief of Army Staff. It plays very important role in formulating foreign policy It can approve or disapprove the foreign policy of Pakistan President Or can make any change in it. However, it is very difficult to deviate from the previous foreign commitments made by Troika. Chief of prime Army staff minister Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs The ministry can play very important role in formulating the foreign policy. It comprises the specialists and experts of foreign policy and the bureaucrats of high level. They prepare foreign policy, keeping in view the basic objectives and principles of the policy. They formulate the policy, plans and programs regarding the priorities of foreign policy, and fully cooperate with Troika for its preparation. In accordance with new constitutional amendment, the Troika has been replaced by the National Security  Council. Intelligence  Agencies Pakistan’s intelligence agencies also play very effective role in the formulation of foreign policy by providing full information about the objectives of other countries foreign policies. Keeping in view these in formations, Pakistan  formulates its foreign policy. Political  Parties  and  Pressure  Groups Related essay: â€Å"Disadvantages of Foreign Workers in Malaysia† The political parties and pressure groups have deep impacts on the formulation of foreign policy. The political parties include the priorities of foreign policy in their manifestoes, and after their success in the election, they force the government to change the priorities of foreign  policy according to the changing scenario in the light of their view points. Likewise the pressure groups can also influence the foreign policy. Parliament The Ministry of Foreign Affairs usually prepares the foreign policy according to the directions of executive and puts it  before the Parliament for approval. After discussion and debate the parliament gives approval to it or suggests some FOREIGN POLICY AND ROLE OF MEDIA: Recent events in world have intensified speculations about the role of traditional mass media as well as communication technologies in shaping political events and cultures across the world†¦ Media do not necessarily influence policymakers directly, but may work through public opinion by shaping what people know and believe about foreign politics. Public opinion, embodied in predominant political views or in election results, can have considerable influence on policymakers that need approval from the electorate. Influence of media on foreign policy Accelerant to positive action * Political decision-making process in the light of a new or ongoing issue * Speeds the parliamentary process and deployment process of an already mandated issue Impediment to positive action * Where coverage of an incident will degrade public will and support for an ongoing operation or diplomatic initiative * Slows the parliamentary process and deployment process of an already mandated issue * As a threat to operational and national security Agenda Setting Agency Raises an unknown issue to a position where it produces political pressure for action According to the researchers: Mody represents a strongly normative perspective, arguing that an informed citizenry is necessary, although not sufficient, for preventing conflict and humanitarian crises. In her argument, media influence foreign policy by putting issues on the public agenda and by framing them in a way that catches the attention – and sympathy  œ of a large audience, which then demands action from their elected representatives. Philip Seib from the University of Southern California discusses â€Å"new† media, in particular satellite television and the Internet. Seib posits that the media are indeed able to change the status quo of foreign policy by shaping international and domestic public opinion. Seib’s main idea is the â€Å"virtual state:† disperse communities achieve an unprecedented cohesion that puts them on the political map internationally. Satellite media and the Internet foster â€Å"virtual sovereignty† by cultivating a shared identity among disperse members of ethnic or religious communities. This is relevant for foreign policy because virtual states can affect the stability of traditional states and regions. Media can also alleviate tensions and conflict by providing new perspectives to an unprecedentedly large audience. Seib recommends that, if policymakers want to take advantage of the media’s power to create communities, cooperation is a better approach than competition, and international media, such as Voice of America and Deutsche Welle, become relevant tools of foreign politics. PAKISTAN FOREIGN POLICY: Pakistan  is the second largest  Muslim  country in terms of percentage of population (after  Indonesia), and its status as a  declared nuclear power, being the only Islamic nation to have that status, plays a part in its international role. Pakistan has a fierce independent foreign policy, especially when it comes to issues such as development of nuclear weapons, construction of nuclear reactors, foreign military purchases and other issues that are vital to its national interests. Pakistan has a strategic geo-political location at the corridor of world major maritime oil supply lines, and has close proximity to the resource and oil rich central Asian countries. Pakistan is an important member of the  Organization of Islamic Cooperation  (OIC), a  major non-NATO ally  of the war against terrorism, and has a highly disciplined military, which is the world’s  eighth-largest  standing military force. Basic Goals of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy * Maintenance of territorial integrity. Maintenance of its political independence. * Acceleration of social and economic development. * Strengthening its place on the globe. * Keeping cordial and friendly relations with all countries. ROLE OF MEDIA IN PAKISTAN FOREIGN POLICY Pakistan has developed a vibrant and free-wheeling media in the last decade . Yet Pakistani journalists continue to face pressure both from the authorities and militant groups when reporting on terrorism and its impact on the count ry and this effect its foreign policy. Senior Journalist, Zahid Husain spoke on ‘Pakistani media and its impact on foreign policy. ’ He was of the view that Pakistani media is much more candid, opaque and vocal regarding foreign policy. One of the major problems of print media, he said, is its division in English and Urdu. English newspapers cover issues related to foreign and security policy while there are hardly any such issues available in Urdu newspapers. This dichotomy is an underlying reason of our conflicts over various issues and inability to reach consensus. What should be the role of Pakistani media * Play role from watch dog to defender * Awake the people in a right way * Provide authentic and sincere information to people * Impartially shape public opinion CONCLUSION: So all of this proves that Pakistan media is just playing the role of watch dog in the formation of Pakistan’s foreign policy. it needs to much more mature. in order to make a perfect policy Pakistan media have to play its real role of awaking the people. Above discussion posit that the media shape foreign policy by shaping public opinion. How to cite Media and Foreign Policy, Essay examples

Social Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Social Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health. Answer: Introduction The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the ethnic groups of Australia who have great attachment to their land, culture, spirituality and community. However, due to their scarred history troubled by loss of land, forced settlement in other areas and loss of family member, their emotional and social well-being has been seriously affected. Poverty, unemployment, health issues and racial discrimination has become common challenges in their life after leaving their ancestral homes and settling in new areas (Mitrou et al., 2014). Although the term social and emotional well-being is a multidimensional concept that often includes mental health, however the aboriginals prefer the term social and emotional well-being instead of mental health because of its more holistic connotation. The purpose of this report is to further explore the aboriginal perception of social and emotional well-being and mental health and find out why they give more preference to social and emotional well- being. It also gives an insight into the changes found in the Aboriginal Medical Services and its alignment with WHOs primary health care principles. In accordance with the aboriginals preference for social and emotional well-being, the services and performance of one Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service has been discussed too. Difference between aboriginal concept of social and emotional well-being and mental health As defined by WHO, mental health is a condition of social and emotional well-being where people have the capacity to cope with normal life stressors. Hence, mental health is associated with symptoms that arise due to complex interaction of biological, social, economic, environmental and psychosocial factor of an individual (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2017). It implies that social and emotional well-being is necessary to promote mental health in people. However, according to the aboriginal concept, they regard social and emotional well-being as a crucial factor to reduce stress and promote mental health. The aboriginals are closely attached to their land and culture. For them, social and well-being can be promoted by focusing on solving socioeconomic concerns in their life instead of focusing on mental health issues (Le Grande et al., 2017). This is particularly important because several social challenges in their life increase psychological distress for them. Some of the so cial issues that contribute to high stress for them include unresolved trauma, loss and grief, experiences of racism and discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage and social exclusion (Markwick et al., 2014). Hence, implementing strategies to reduce social issues will play a role in better social and mental health outcome in the group. Great difference has been found in the perception of social and emotional well-being in Aboriginal people and the mental health concepts in the group. The non-indigenous group concept of mental health comes from illness perspective, where the focus is on addressing symptoms of mental illness and improving peoples level of functioning in the environment (UN Chronicle, 2017). This implies an individualistic concept where the focus is on improving the health of the individual alone. However, by reviewing the National Aboriginal Health Strategy, it can be said they have a broader concept of health where much emphasis is given on closeness to land and their culture to promote social and emotional well-being. Hence, according to WHO concept, social well being is a part of mental health, however according to indigenous context, mental health comes under the umbrella of social and emotional well-being. From this perception of indigenous people, it can be said that they have a holistic view o f health and well-being (Calma, Dudgeon, Bray, 2017). From the aboriginal perceptive, focusing on social and emotional well-being is considered effective because they have suffered a lost because of the negative colonial history and ongoing disadvantages such discrimination, grief, unemployment, adversity and health disparities. Hence, addressing social disadvantage in their life will help them to achieve the goal of social and emotional well being. Reducing the poor mental health outcome in indigenous people is a national priority and considering the aboriginal concept of social and emotional well being and mental health, many promising initiatives has been implemented to restore their well-being. The indigenous population is dispersed and social disadvantage acts as major barrier in access to health. High level of unmet need is the reason for high stress and poor quality of life in the group. Health care workers and social agencies are acknowledging the impact of social and cultural determinants on well-being of the group and taking the best world approach to eliminate disadvantage as well as improve mental health outcomes in the group (Calma, Dudgeon, Bray, 2017). Therefore, modifying the social factors that contributes to mental stress will be beneficial in achieving positive health outcome in indigenous people. Evolution of aboriginal medical service and alignment with primary care outlined by WHO: In 1971, first Aboriginal Medical Service was developed and it was the first Aboriginal community controlled health service (ACCHS) specifically for the Aboriginal community. The AMS was developed on a voluntary basis in Redfern, Sydney. Since them many health policies were implemented to help states and other agencies work together for optimal health of aboriginals. In 1973, after the instruction of Commonwealth Government, many states took the responsibility for managing indigenous affairs and implementing appropriate policies for them. An Aboriginal Health Branch was also established which first proposed a Ten Year Plan for Aboriginal Health (NACCHO, 2017).As experience of racial discrimination was found to be a major barrier in delivering quality care to aboriginals, the enactment of the Racial Discrimination Act in 1975 also supported AMS to make health care service available to the group. The utility of the Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern for indigenous people is that it has worked to provide accessible and primary health care to the group for more than 40 years. The primary service provided by AMS followed the WHO principles of primary health care. After the adoption of the Declaration of Alma-Ata, primary health care became the core policy for WHO. The focus was on strengthening the values of the primary health care service because it is first level of care in both middle and low countries (Marles, Frame Royce, 2012). The core principles of primary health care outlined by WHO included universal access to care, coverage on the basis of need, community participation in health agendas, commitment to health equity and social justice and inter-sectoral approaches to health (WHO, 2017).When the AMS Refern was established, the aboriginals relied on emergency department or local general practitioner for health care service. There was no Medicare at the time and the AMS acted as a source to eliminate barrier related to visiting health care service or purchasing medicines (Marles, Frame Royce, 2012). In this way, it served to fulfill the WHO principle of universal access to care. Within one year of the establishment of AMS Redfern, it became very popular and was much in demand. However, this resulted in funding challenges and federal governments arranged for funding to fulfill the demands of the target group. Currently, AMS for aboriginals have evolved and it is now a multidisciplinary health service with wide range of clinic and outreach service. In accordance with the aboriginal preference for addressing social and emotional issues in their life, community controlled model of health was adopted by all AMS and ACCHS in urban and rural Australia (Marles, Frame Royce, 2012). Its action of following the principle of holistic health care are in alignment with the WHO principle of primary health care. This can be said because holistic health care seeks to balance mind, body and spirit for well being of an individual. By such integrative approach, it can promote social justice and health equity in indigenous people. Secondly, holistic approach refers to social, e motional, and cultural well-being of the community by supporting people to achieve their full potential in the community (Hinton et al., 2015). Hence, use of holistic care approach by the AMS was beneficial in addressing all social issues in Aboriginals such as eliminating racial discrimination, poor access to health service and maintaining cultural continuity. To fulfill the health care needs of aboriginal and promote social and emotional well-being of the community, it is essential that health care staffs are prepared to understand the culture and adversities in their life. AMS recognized this important priority to educate health care professionals so that culturally sensitive care could be provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Marles, Frame Royce, 2012). The advantage of providing culture awareness training was that increased access to health care, enhanced effectiveness of care and improved health care disparities too. Focus on cultural competency ensured that all primary care service had proper set of values, behaviors and attitudes to work cross-culturally with indigenous patients. Cultural competency contributed to flexibility in service and better participation of aboriginals in health care decisions (Clifford et al., 2015). This action of AMS also displays work in accordance with the WHO primary care principle of health equity. The strategy of cultural respect was a positive step towards health equity because cultural competence helped health care staffs to develop respect for the group and ensure equity in access to care. Achievement of cultural respect was a core strategy and this was done by AMS by action on advocacy, social determinant of health and increasing outreach and home visit (Freeman et al., 2014). Application of social and emotional well-being in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS): The ACCHS are services committed to addressing the primary health care needs of aboriginals. There are more than 150 ACCHS in Australia and their main goal is to establish primary health care facilities for local aboriginal people. Danila Dilba Health Service is one of the examples of an ACCHS organization located in the Greater Darwin, Australia. The Danila Dilba Health Service is mainly committed to provide culturally appropriate primary health and community service to people living in Greater Darwin (Danila Dilba Health Service, 2017). Social and emotional well-being can be promoted in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by the focus on implementing socially and culturally responsive care and eliminating all social and emotional well-being concerns in their life (Couzos Thiele, 2016). The Danila Dilba Health Service has applied social and emotional well-being approach for indigenous group by reducing the sufferings of aboriginal with mental illness. This ACCHS implemente d a Dare to Dream programme which provided support and counseling to indigenous people with mental illness. The effectiveness of the programme was that it made people aware about early signs of behavioral and mental health issues. This empowered the community to take proactive step and prevent risk of mental issues in the group (Weightman, 2013). The focus on providing culturally appropriate care also ensured that young aboriginals received care and education in an appropriate manner. The core aim of any ACCHS is to deliver culturally competent care and meet the special needs of the indigenous people. The Danial Dilba ACCHS focused on promoting the specific need of identify risk behavior and mental health issues at an early phase. It provided exclusive support to counsel people with mental illness or risk of illness. All necessary guidance was provided regarding the seek treatment and counseling support from relevant mental health services and promoting coping skills in the group. By the focus on culturally appropriate care, it has fulfilled special needs and preference of aboriginals while providing care. All ACCHS also have the responsibility in the area of advocacy which provides voice to the aboriginal community so that they can express their concerns. The Danila Dilba Health service also focused on advocacy by providing services that are responsive to the local needs of the group. They have maintained fairness and accountability in their work culture (Danila Dilba Health Service, 2017). Conclusion The report gave a critical insight into the aboriginal perspective on social and emotional well being in comparison to mental health. The Aboriginal preference for social and emotional well being has been found due to prevalent of many social issues in their life such. Racial discrimination has also become a pathway that has resulted in distress, unemployment and ill health in the group. It points to the need for evolution and development of health care service specifically for the aboriginals. Important policy changes and development in aboriginal health care has been found by the discussion on evolution of the AMS and its alignment with principles of primary care. The crucial role of the ACCHS in advocating for the aboriginal community has also been understood by the action of Danila Dilba Health Service. Long term effort and policy changes in the future are also needed to fulfill the goal of social and emotional well being in the group. Reference Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet. (2017). Social and emotional wellbeing (including mental health) Selected health conditions Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status 2016 Health facts ,Healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017, from https://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/overviews/selected-health-conditions/mental-health#fnl-1 Australia's First People - Their Social and Emotional Well-being | UN Chronicle. (2017).Unchronicle.un.org. Retrieved 4 December 2017, from https://unchronicle.un.org/article/australias-first-people-their-social-and-emotional-well-being Calma, T., Dudgeon, P., Bray, A. (2017). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health.Australian Psychologist,52(4), 255-260, available: DOI:10.1111/ap.12299 Clifford, A., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., Tsey, K. (2015). Interventions to improve cultural competency in health care for Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA: a systematic review.International Journal for Quality in Health Care,27(2), 89-98, available: https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzv010 Couzos, S., Thiele, D. D. (2016). Aboriginal peoples participation in their health care: A patient right and an obligation for health care providers.Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal,40, 6-7. Danila Dilba Health Service. (2017).Daniladilbaexperience.org.au. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://www.daniladilbaexperience.org.au/about-us.html Danila Dilba Health Service. (2017).Daniladilbaexperience.org.au. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://www.daniladilbaexperience.org.au/ Freeman, T., Edwards, T., Baum, F., Lawless, A., Jolley, G., Javanparast, S., Francis, T. (2014). Cultural respect strategies in Australian Aboriginal primary health care services: beyond education and training of practitioners.Australian and New Zealand journal of public health,38(4), 355-361, available: DOI:10.1111/1753-6405.12231 Hinton, R., Kavanagh, D. J., Barclay, L., Chenhall, R., Nagel, T. (2015). Developing a best practice pathway to support improvements in Indigenous Australians mental health and well-being: a qualitative study.BMJ open,5(8), e007938, available: doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007938 Le Grande, M., Ski, C. F., Thompson, D. R., Scuffham, P., Kularatna, S., Jackson, A. C., Brown, A. (2017). Social and emotional wellbeing assessment instruments for use with Indigenous Australians: A critical review.Social Science Medicine,187, 164-173, available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.046 Markwick, A., McNeil, J., Parsons, L., Sullivan, M., Ansari, Z. (2014). Inequalities in the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: a cross-sectional population-based study in the Australian state of Victoria.International journal for equity in health,13(1), 91, available: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-014-0091-5 Marles, E., Frame, C., Royce, M. (2012). The Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern: Improving access to primary care for over 40 years.Australian family physician,41(6), 433, available: https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/june/the-aboriginal-medical-service-redfern/ Mitrou, F., Cooke, M., Lawrence, D., Povah, D., Mobilia, E., Guimond, E., Zubrick, S. R. (2014). Gaps in Indigenous disadvantage not closing: a census cohort study of social determinants of health in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 19812006.BMC Public Health,14(1), 201, available: doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-201 NACCHO. (2017).History. Retrieved 4 December 2017, from https://www.naccho.org.au/about/aboriginal-health/history/ Weightman, M. (2013). The role of Aboriginal community controlled health services in indigenous health.Aust Med Student J,4, 49-52. WHO | Chapter 7: Health Systems: principled integrated care. (2017).Who.int. Retrieved 4 December 2017, from https://www.who.int/whr/2003/chapter7/en/index1.html

Vermont Teddy Bear Case Essay Example

Vermont Teddy Bear Case Essay Although Vermont Teddy Bear is a company with a rich track record in the business of last-minute gifts, its mission statement lacked its basic goals and philosophies that aim to shape its strategic posture. Vermonts mission statement clearly speaks to someone who is well acquainted with what the company does and what it sells, which is in my opinion a crucial point that the company missed when they addressed its customers. The following points provide an insight on what went wrong when Vermont decided to formulate its mission statement: * The Basic Product the company sells: Vermonts mission statement clearly failed to mention the type of product they sell. By defining the product the company simply distinguishes its offered products from competitive products of similar nature provided by other competitors in the market. * The companys targeted customers In this element, the company mentions who are its customers or potential customers. What will it do to serve them and how will its customers find this company different from the other companies or competitors who provide similar products in the market. Although Vermonts mission statement might have implied that it is currently targeting American customers through :The Vermont Teddy Bear brand represents the rich heritage of the Great American Teddy Bear begun in 1902. , yet this contradicts with the companys current plan in which it intends to exploit international markets, in other words, the company should revise its statement to include potential customers too. * The Technology applied: By defining technology, the company tells its current technology that it uses in making its products i. . whether state of the art technology or hand-made technology. It also tells about the unique ways in which its products are technologically more advanced or distinguished then their alternates. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the word craftsmanship found in the companys mission statement might tell that the companys products are hand-made, which distinguishes it from other players in the industry, given the fact that most stuffed toys to day are manufactured. The Companys concern for survival, growth and profitability: Vermont failed to fine the means it seeks to survive in the longer run given the fallback they are currently going through. It not merely lists them out but also defines the logic behind them and how will the company strive to achieve them; these goals serve as economic indicators for the companys performance, and hence indicates how far the company is from satisfying the principal claims and desires of its employees and stockholders. The Companys Philosophy: By defining philosophy, the company defines its way of working, its culture, its beliefs and how it sees work to be carried out. it is also an analytical way of defining the norms of which it runs. In my opinion, the companys mission statement had covered the companys creed through the following: We will strive to wholesomely entertain our guests while consistently exceeding our external and internal customer service expectations. * Concern for public image We will write a custom essay sample on Vermont Teddy Bear Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Vermont Teddy Bear Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Vermont Teddy Bear Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Concern for public image is a wide term that includes not only the corporate social responsibility but the overall impact of the actions taken by the company on its image, which in my opinion was totally dropped when formulating Vermonts mission statement. * Companys self concept By defining the self concept, the company shows the outside world its core strengths and the place it sees itself in the future. When reviewing Vermonts mission statement, it is clearly evident that the statement failed to express the companys core strengths in terms of the entrepreneurship capabilities and a robust distribution channels. In light of what was mentioned above, I suggest that Vermont should revisit its mission statement, the following statement will help the BOD in their plans for the company: Become number one instant gift solution in the USA in the next 20 years. We design and manufacture the best teddy bears in America. We satisfy customer needs through product differentiation, we offer exclusive hand-made teddy bears to premium customers as well as providing convenient products to the other customers. Speed and easiness of delivery of our products will be respected along with premium quality. Monthly Measuring customer satisfaction will be our main tool for maintaining our market positioning and for our continuous development for our brand and products. While achieving our mission in owning a profitable business, we will strive to being ethically, legally, and environmentally responsible while remaining fiscally sound. Vermonts external environment consists of three components: its operating, industry and remote environment. In these three environments, there is a chance that one of its external environments may change. All of these environmental sectors affect the companys operations both on the local and international level, and its very possible for change to occur (as witnessed throughout the case study). Operating Environment: Competitors of Vermont Teddy Bear could be subdivided into three categories: * Major plush doll manufacturers such as Mattel and Hasbro were considered competition in this sub segment of the toy industry. * Other bear manufacturers including Steiff of Germany, Dakin, Applause, Fiesta, North American Bear, and Gund, the leading market of toy bears. Variety of other special occasions greetings such as flowers, candy, balloons, cakes and other gift items that could be ordered by phone for special occasions and delivered next day. As for Labor, and given the massive production the company is required to undertake to meet its customers needs especially in special occasions such as Christmas, Valentines Day amp; Mothers Day , the company heavily relied on outsourced home worker s who performed production functions at their homes and hence were treated as independent contractors. Although these home workers/independent contractors allowed the company flexibility in meeting heavy demand as mentioned earlier which allowed them in scheduling their hours of work, home workers were free to reject or accept any work offered by the company which might make the company vulnerable to failure in meeting its customers heavy demand especially in high season sales. The company maintains a solid HR system through a strong built bear culture among employees. The companys manpower do not belong to any unions which eliminates any Labor issues. n the credit side I believe that the company does not face any problem with external financing; the company has two sources of financing, equity through issuance of shares since it is a traded company in the New York stock exchange market, in addition to debt and leasing which can be provided through commercial banks and leasing companies, which in my opinion is not a viable point for Vermont as it already consumed most of its credit li mits lately, comparing with its competitors who had greater financial resources. Historically, the companys focus had been to design and manufacture the best teddy bear made in America, using American materials. This philosophy was modified significantly in 1998 with the companys decision to explore the offshore sourcing of materials and manufacturing alternatives in an effort to lower the companys cost of goods sold and to broaden its available sources of supply, in my opinion such change would diverse the companys dependence on American supplies or raw material, now that it has a wide pool of international suppliers which will give the company a significant bargaining power in terms of cost and quality. Although many teddy bear producers define their product as toy and marketed solely to children. The company marketed its bears as an attractive gift or collectible for both children and adults which enabled the company to penetrate a wide-ranged customer pool, including children, young and old people whether males or females. If the company considers going globally, the company might face problems when addressing global customers, such Anti-Americans who might avoid buying the companys products knowing that it is an American product, especially that the companys competitive advantage stems from their origin, being one of the earliest producers of teddy bears in America. Industry Environment: Barriers to entry into this industry is there, evidenced by the challenges that Vermont along with the other current players face in the market, such as economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements and access to distribution channels. Given that both the stuffed toys and last-minute gifts markets are already saturated, I believe that the possibility of entry of a new player to the said markets is quite difficult, unless this new player intends to acquire an existing company to capitalize on its position in the market. For Vermont and as discussed earlier, the company had recently shifted to rely on various suppliers from local markets and different countries in its raw material in an attempt to reduce its costs, yet it was implied that it still relies on an American supplier-who happened to be the only eye maker left in America-in attempt to produce the ears with domestic materials, this might give this supplier some bargaining power to exert on Vermont. Last minute gift customers normally lack the power to force down prices or play competitors off against each other, this is mainly attributable to that Vermonts industry is a fragmented one, and last minute shoppers are ready to pay anything to acquire a gift due to time constraints which disable them to consider or make comparison with other competitors products; they will simply buy the first thing their eyes lie on to buy that gift especially in special occasions and events. Capitalizing on what was said earlier, Vermonts Teddy Bear as a product had several substitutes including toy bears, stuffed dolls or animals, flowers, candy, balloons, cakes and other gift items which in my opinion deserve the most attention strategically. To my opinion, and given that the Industrys competitors are numerous and that the industry growth is slow, Vermont is facing an intense rivalry from its competitors which the company should focus on strategically in the future. Remote Environment: The remote environment is what originates beyond the daily operations of Vermont. The remote environment is made up of five factors that are not influenced by a single company. These factors are economic, social, political, technological and ecological. Although these factors cannot be affected by Vermont, they can definitely effect the operations of the company. These must be all considered by the company when working with the market. Over the next twenty years, there are several changes that might take place in the remote environment. Since technology is not an important factor in this industry the company might disregard it when formulating its strategy. Political factors are quite stable on the local side yet if the company considers going global it must take these factors into consideration, for example if changes occurred in laws and regulations with respect to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), they must make changes to meet Political standards. Ecological factors also might cause several issues; although the companys manufacturing practices are environmentally sound, other factors might be an issue (for example global warming) given the fact that the company owns and operate a factory at which it produces its products, then the energy used by the company to produce its products must e modified in order to meet ecological standards. To be sustaining in the market, Vermont should encourage the knowledge of the internal environment that affects its business. There are many internal factors that impact Vermonts performance; these factors constitutes of the companys competitively important resources and capabilities. Unfortunately reso urces whether tangible or intangible are scarce by nature and it will be a great challenge for the company to manage their resources in order to gain the competitive advantage. Tangible Assets: The company operates and owns a fully integrated facilities including retail stores, manufacturing and distribution facilities in a 62,000 square-foot building on 57 acres that the company owns; * The manufacturing/production facilities included a state of the art packing and shipping equipment; * The companys call centers had state-of-the art technologies including PC terminals and very high tech telephone switching equipment that allowed the company to handle significant call volume; * The company installed a new telephone system, which improved its telemarketing operations and was designed to accommodate future growth in telephone call volume; * The company had a high-tech shipping system, including state-of-the art multicarrier software so that if a major carrier like UPS went on strike, it could immediately make adjustments; * In 1998 the company succeeded to secure a source of finance amounting $600,000 (in the form of equity investment that was injected by Shepherd Group) which will provide working capital for the company to pursue growth in the Bear-Gram channel and to maximize the benefits of importing raw material; * The company had launched an extensive website including pictures of the product in 1997 where its customers are eligible to place their orders online, which was part of the companys computer network of approximately 250 workstations that linked order entry with sales and accounting systems. Intangible Assets: * The companys name in combinatio n with its original logo was a registered trademark in the United States including The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Bear Gram, Teddy Bear Gram and Make-A-Friend-For Life; * It owned the registered trademark Vermont Teddy Bear in Japan; * The company claimed copyright, service mark, or trademark protection for its teddy bear designs, its marketing slogans, and its advertising copy and promotional literature; Organizational Capabilities: * The companys manufacturing practices were environmentally sound. The company sought to use the best available materials for its bears; * The companys products were sold with a Guarantee for Life under which the company undertakes to repair or replace any damaged or defective bear at any time; * The companys products were designed in such way to a certain event or occasions, the company even provided outfits to individualize the customers bears or to emphasize certain relevant characteristics of the receiver; * The company was primarily know for its Bear-Gram delivery service, where customers could send the gift of a Vermont Teddy Bear by placing an order through the companys 800 number or online, providing its customers with an instant and spontaneous solution for the perfect gift especial in events and special occasions; * Since its inception in the 80s, the companys main focus was to design and manufacture the best teddy bears made in America, using American materials and labor, which helped the company to build up a strong and extensive custome r base; * The companys decision to explore the offshore sourcing of materials was a brilliant and a dynamic solution for lowering the companys cost of goods sold and reducing the suppliers power over the company; * The company has a wide range of products that suits both premium and regular customers; it has its handcrafted 15-inch classic teddy bears as well as its manufactured bears, in addition to other items related to teddy bears such as clothing, jewelry and accessory ornaments; * The company strove to provide rapid response to its customer orders and complaints. It believed that as a result of the quality of its products and service, it had established a loyal customer base; The value chain analysis (demonstrated below) aim at increasing customer satisfaction and managing cost effectively; it is a systematic approach to examining the development of competitive advantage, it comprises both primary and support activities: Source: pcwin. com Primary activities of Value Chain Analysis are directly concerned with the production or delivery of a product and consist of: * Inbound Logistics: Vermonts manufacturing premises included a state-of-the-art packing and shipping equipment, in addition the company also had a three-year lease on 10,000 square foot of inventory space at a separate location in Shelburne. Exploiting offshore markets for the sourcing of its materials provided the company with a wider base of suppliers which prevented the company from dependence risks; * Operations: despite the companys 1998 move to the offshore sourcing of raw materials and which implied a significant departure from the companys historical position as an American manufacturer who uses almost exclusively American materials, the companys products were still environmentally sound; the company sought to use the best available materials for its bears. The company produced two type of products; its handcrafted 15-inch classic teddy bear for those customers who are interested in an American made product and its manufactured event or special occasion-customized teddy bears for the rest of its customers, in addition to selling items related to its teddy bears; * Outbound Logistics: The company was known for its Bear-Gram delivery services, which enabled the company to provide instant delivery services (either by air or ground delivery services) to its customers throughout the different states of America as well as outside customers such as Canada through a carrier such as UPS. In addition, the company had a high-tech shipping system, including state-of-the-art multicarrier software so that if a major carrier like UPS went on strike, it could immediately make adjustments; * Marketing and Sales: The companys extensive computer network in addition to its new telephone system enabled the company to expand its customer base not only in Ver mont but throughout the rest of the states and the world and provide rapid response to its customer orders which in turn; * Service: The company sought to respond promptly to customer complaints. Each bear was sold with a Guarantee for Life under which the company ndertakes to repair or replace any damaged or defective bear at any time; These primary activities are supported by secondary activities which help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the primary activities of the company and consist of: * Firms Infrastructure: it can be subdivided into three main categories: * Organizational Structure: The companys Board members and Executive Officers had solid experience in different fields including marketing, finance amp; investment; * System of Planning Finance: The company managed to secure a $3. 5 Million commercial loan to partially finance its new facility, later the company completed a sale-leaseback transaction involving its factory, this financing replace the company s mortgage and line of credit. The company had also signed a letter of intent with a potential investor for a proposed $600,000 equity investment; the company intends to direct the proceeds of the said transaction to financing its working capital needs to pursue growth in the Bear-Gram channel and to maximize the benefits of importing raw materials; * Quality Control: The company strives to maintain its products environmental friendly and was safe for children. * Human Resource Management: * The company employed 181 individuals, none of them belonged to a union which provided the company with some sort of protection against strikes; * In order for the company to meet heavy demand at holiday periods such as Christmas, Valentines Day and Mothers Day, the company depended on independent contractors/home workers. * Technology Development: The manufacturing/production facilities included a state of the art packing and shipping equipment; * The companys call centers had state-of-the art technologies including PC termina ls and very high tech telephone switching equipment that allowed the company to handle significant call volume; * The company installed a new telephone system, which improved its telemarketing operations and was designed to accommodate future growth in telephone call volume; * The company had a high-tech shipping system, including state-of-the art multicarrier software so that if a major carrier like UPS went on strike, it could immediately make adjustments; * The company had launched an extensive website including pictures of the product in 1997 where its customers are eligible to place their orders online, which was part of the companys computer network of approximately 250 workstations that linked order entry with sales and accounting systems. * Procurement: * The most relevant long-term objectives for the company are as follows: * Competitive Position: the company always strives on keeping its position as a market leader backed by designing and manufacturing the best teddy bears made in America and represent an attractive gift or collectible for both children and adults; * Profitability: sustain and increase profitability by improving the Bear-gram services that is provided through either the internet or the phone which are designed to accommodate future growth in request volume; * Public Responsibility: the companys manufacturing practices respect the environmental aspects by using the best available materials for its bears. The company uses Differentiation-focus as a generic strategy illustrated in: * Using American-made materials in its products; * The company offers a life-time guarantee; * Easy order placement and prompt delivery; * Rapid response to its customer complaints. Grand strategies are applied through: * Product Development : The company diversified the spectrum of its products to include the following: * More than 100 different bear outfits to individualize the companys bears, to emphasize certain relevant characteristics, or to personalize bears for different occasions and events; * Using recycled Ben and Jerrys ice cream containers to make the bear joints movable, a feature associated with traditional, high quality teddy bears; * Selling items related to Teddy Bears; * Selling stuffed toys manufactured by other companies; * Changing the packaging structure to ensure damage-free products and lower courier services; * Turnaround Strategy: The company exercised the turnaround strategies to survive the following incidents: Incidents| Actions reflecting Turnaround Strategy| The companys expenses increased while sales growth did not offset this growth;| * Eliminate several unprofitable marketable ventures (such as its sponsorship to NASCAR circuit race car and driver); * Reduce General and Administrative exp enses; * Change of key management position;| * The company applied a new trademark name to broaden brand appeal and take advantage of national and international distribution opportunities; * Explore new opportunities for growth through opening new retail stores and expanding the catalog;| * Focus on Bear-Gram business to expand the companys distribution channels; * Shut down retail stores to reduce costs; * Change of key management position;| Vermont Teddy Bear Case Essay Example Vermont Teddy Bear Case Essay Although Vermont Teddy Bear is a company with a rich track record in the business of last-minute gifts, its mission statement lacked its basic goals and philosophies that aim to shape its strategic posture. Vermonts mission statement clearly speaks to someone who is well acquainted with what the company does and what it sells, which is in my opinion a crucial point that the company missed when they addressed its customers. The following points provide an insight on what went wrong when Vermont decided to formulate its mission statement: * The Basic Product the company sells: Vermonts mission statement clearly failed to mention the type of product they sell. By defining the product the company simply distinguishes its offered products from competitive products of similar nature provided by other competitors in the market. * The companys targeted customers In this element, the company mentions who are its customers or potential customers. What will it do to serve them and how will its customers find this company different from the other companies or competitors who provide similar products in the market. Although Vermonts mission statement might have implied that it is currently targeting American customers through :The Vermont Teddy Bear brand represents the rich heritage of the Great American Teddy Bear begun in 1902. , yet this contradicts with the companys current plan in which it intends to exploit international markets, in other words, the company should revise its statement to include potential customers too. * The Technology applied: By defining technology, the company tells its current technology that it uses in making its products i. . whether state of the art technology or hand-made technology. It also tells about the unique ways in which its products are technologically more advanced or distinguished then their alternates. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the word craftsmanship found in the companys mission statement might tell that the companys products are hand-made, which distinguishes it from other players in the industry, given the fact that most stuffed toys to day are manufactured. The Companys concern for survival, growth and profitability: Vermont failed to fine the means it seeks to survive in the longer run given the fallback they are currently going through. It not merely lists them out but also defines the logic behind them and how will the company strive to achieve them; these goals serve as economic indicators for the companys performance, and hence indicates how far the company is from satisfying the principal claims and desires of its employees and stockholders. The Companys Philosophy: By defining philosophy, the company defines its way of working, its culture, its beliefs and how it sees work to be carried out. it is also an analytical way of defining the norms of which it runs. In my opinion, the companys mission statement had covered the companys creed through the following: We will strive to wholesomely entertain our guests while consistently exceeding our external and internal customer service expectations. * Concern for public image We will write a custom essay sample on Vermont Teddy Bear Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Vermont Teddy Bear Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Vermont Teddy Bear Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Concern for public image is a wide term that includes not only the corporate social responsibility but the overall impact of the actions taken by the company on its image, which in my opinion was totally dropped when formulating Vermonts mission statement. * Companys self concept By defining the self concept, the company shows the outside world its core strengths and the place it sees itself in the future. When reviewing Vermonts mission statement, it is clearly evident that the statement failed to express the companys core strengths in terms of the entrepreneurship capabilities and a robust distribution channels. In light of what was mentioned above, I suggest that Vermont should revisit its mission statement, the following statement will help the BOD in their plans for the company: Become number one instant gift solution in the USA in the next 20 years. We design and manufacture the best teddy bears in America. We satisfy customer needs through product differentiation, we offer exclusive hand-made teddy bears to premium customers as well as providing convenient products to the other customers. Speed and easiness of delivery of our products will be respected along with premium quality. Monthly Measuring customer satisfaction will be our main tool for maintaining our market positioning and for our continuous development for our brand and products. While achieving our mission in owning a profitable business, we will strive to being ethically, legally, and environmentally responsible while remaining fiscally sound. Vermonts external environment consists of three components: its operating, industry and remote environment. In these three environments, there is a chance that one of its external environments may change. All of these environmental sectors affect the companys operations both on the local and international level, and its very possible for change to occur (as witnessed throughout the case study). Operating Environment: Competitors of Vermont Teddy Bear could be subdivided into three categories: * Major plush doll manufacturers such as Mattel and Hasbro were considered competition in this sub segment of the toy industry. * Other bear manufacturers including Steiff of Germany, Dakin, Applause, Fiesta, North American Bear, and Gund, the leading market of toy bears. Variety of other special occasions greetings such as flowers, candy, balloons, cakes and other gift items that could be ordered by phone for special occasions and delivered next day. As for Labor, and given the massive production the company is required to undertake to meet its customers needs especially in special occasions such as Christmas, Valentines Day amp; Mothers Day , the company heavily relied on outsourced home worker s who performed production functions at their homes and hence were treated as independent contractors. Although these home workers/independent contractors allowed the company flexibility in meeting heavy demand as mentioned earlier which allowed them in scheduling their hours of work, home workers were free to reject or accept any work offered by the company which might make the company vulnerable to failure in meeting its customers heavy demand especially in high season sales. The company maintains a solid HR system through a strong built bear culture among employees. The companys manpower do not belong to any unions which eliminates any Labor issues. n the credit side I believe that the company does not face any problem with external financing; the company has two sources of financing, equity through issuance of shares since it is a traded company in the New York stock exchange market, in addition to debt and leasing which can be provided through commercial banks and leasing companies, which in my opinion is not a viable point for Vermont as it already consumed most of its credit li mits lately, comparing with its competitors who had greater financial resources. Historically, the companys focus had been to design and manufacture the best teddy bear made in America, using American materials. This philosophy was modified significantly in 1998 with the companys decision to explore the offshore sourcing of materials and manufacturing alternatives in an effort to lower the companys cost of goods sold and to broaden its available sources of supply, in my opinion such change would diverse the companys dependence on American supplies or raw material, now that it has a wide pool of international suppliers which will give the company a significant bargaining power in terms of cost and quality. Although many teddy bear producers define their product as toy and marketed solely to children. The company marketed its bears as an attractive gift or collectible for both children and adults which enabled the company to penetrate a wide-ranged customer pool, including children, young and old people whether males or females. If the company considers going globally, the company might face problems when addressing global customers, such Anti-Americans who might avoid buying the companys products knowing that it is an American product, especially that the companys competitive advantage stems from their origin, being one of the earliest producers of teddy bears in America. Industry Environment: Barriers to entry into this industry is there, evidenced by the challenges that Vermont along with the other current players face in the market, such as economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements and access to distribution channels. Given that both the stuffed toys and last-minute gifts markets are already saturated, I believe that the possibility of entry of a new player to the said markets is quite difficult, unless this new player intends to acquire an existing company to capitalize on its position in the market. For Vermont and as discussed earlier, the company had recently shifted to rely on various suppliers from local markets and different countries in its raw material in an attempt to reduce its costs, yet it was implied that it still relies on an American supplier-who happened to be the only eye maker left in America-in attempt to produce the ears with domestic materials, this might give this supplier some bargaining power to exert on Vermont. Last minute gift customers normally lack the power to force down prices or play competitors off against each other, this is mainly attributable to that Vermonts industry is a fragmented one, and last minute shoppers are ready to pay anything to acquire a gift due to time constraints which disable them to consider or make comparison with other competitors products; they will simply buy the first thing their eyes lie on to buy that gift especially in special occasions and events. Capitalizing on what was said earlier, Vermonts Teddy Bear as a product had several substitutes including toy bears, stuffed dolls or animals, flowers, candy, balloons, cakes and other gift items which in my opinion deserve the most attention strategically. To my opinion, and given that the Industrys competitors are numerous and that the industry growth is slow, Vermont is facing an intense rivalry from its competitors which the company should focus on strategically in the future. Remote Environment: The remote environment is what originates beyond the daily operations of Vermont. The remote environment is made up of five factors that are not influenced by a single company. These factors are economic, social, political, technological and ecological. Although these factors cannot be affected by Vermont, they can definitely effect the operations of the company. These must be all considered by the company when working with the market. Over the next twenty years, there are several changes that might take place in the remote environment. Since technology is not an important factor in this industry the company might disregard it when formulating its strategy. Political factors are quite stable on the local side yet if the company considers going global it must take these factors into consideration, for example if changes occurred in laws and regulations with respect to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), they must make changes to meet Political standards. Ecological factors also might cause several issues; although the companys manufacturing practices are environmentally sound, other factors might be an issue (for example global warming) given the fact that the company owns and operate a factory at which it produces its products, then the energy used by the company to produce its products must e modified in order to meet ecological standards. To be sustaining in the market, Vermont should encourage the knowledge of the internal environment that affects its business. There are many internal factors that impact Vermonts performance; these factors constitutes of the companys competitively important resources and capabilities. Unfortunately reso urces whether tangible or intangible are scarce by nature and it will be a great challenge for the company to manage their resources in order to gain the competitive advantage. Tangible Assets: The company operates and owns a fully integrated facilities including retail stores, manufacturing and distribution facilities in a 62,000 square-foot building on 57 acres that the company owns; * The manufacturing/production facilities included a state of the art packing and shipping equipment; * The companys call centers had state-of-the art technologies including PC terminals and very high tech telephone switching equipment that allowed the company to handle significant call volume; * The company installed a new telephone system, which improved its telemarketing operations and was designed to accommodate future growth in telephone call volume; * The company had a high-tech shipping system, including state-of-the art multicarrier software so that if a major carrier like UPS went on strike, it could immediately make adjustments; * In 1998 the company succeeded to secure a source of finance amounting $600,000 (in the form of equity investment that was injected by Shepherd Group) which will provide working capital for the company to pursue growth in the Bear-Gram channel and to maximize the benefits of importing raw material; * The company had launched an extensive website including pictures of the product in 1997 where its customers are eligible to place their orders online, which was part of the companys computer network of approximately 250 workstations that linked order entry with sales and accounting systems. Intangible Assets: * The companys name in combinatio n with its original logo was a registered trademark in the United States including The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Bear Gram, Teddy Bear Gram and Make-A-Friend-For Life; * It owned the registered trademark Vermont Teddy Bear in Japan; * The company claimed copyright, service mark, or trademark protection for its teddy bear designs, its marketing slogans, and its advertising copy and promotional literature; Organizational Capabilities: * The companys manufacturing practices were environmentally sound. The company sought to use the best available materials for its bears; * The companys products were sold with a Guarantee for Life under which the company undertakes to repair or replace any damaged or defective bear at any time; * The companys products were designed in such way to a certain event or occasions, the company even provided outfits to individualize the customers bears or to emphasize certain relevant characteristics of the receiver; * The company was primarily know for its Bear-Gram delivery service, where customers could send the gift of a Vermont Teddy Bear by placing an order through the companys 800 number or online, providing its customers with an instant and spontaneous solution for the perfect gift especial in events and special occasions; * Since its inception in the 80s, the companys main focus was to design and manufacture the best teddy bears made in America, using American materials and labor, which helped the company to build up a strong and extensive custome r base; * The companys decision to explore the offshore sourcing of materials was a brilliant and a dynamic solution for lowering the companys cost of goods sold and reducing the suppliers power over the company; * The company has a wide range of products that suits both premium and regular customers; it has its handcrafted 15-inch classic teddy bears as well as its manufactured bears, in addition to other items related to teddy bears such as clothing, jewelry and accessory ornaments; * The company strove to provide rapid response to its customer orders and complaints. It believed that as a result of the quality of its products and service, it had established a loyal customer base; The value chain analysis (demonstrated below) aim at increasing customer satisfaction and managing cost effectively; it is a systematic approach to examining the development of competitive advantage, it comprises both primary and support activities: Source: pcwin. com Primary activities of Value Chain Analysis are directly concerned with the production or delivery of a product and consist of: * Inbound Logistics: Vermonts manufacturing premises included a state-of-the-art packing and shipping equipment, in addition the company also had a three-year lease on 10,000 square foot of inventory space at a separate location in Shelburne. Exploiting offshore markets for the sourcing of its materials provided the company with a wider base of suppliers which prevented the company from dependence risks; * Operations: despite the companys 1998 move to the offshore sourcing of raw materials and which implied a significant departure from the companys historical position as an American manufacturer who uses almost exclusively American materials, the companys products were still environmentally sound; the company sought to use the best available materials for its bears. The company produced two type of products; its handcrafted 15-inch classic teddy bear for those customers who are interested in an American made product and its manufactured event or special occasion-customized teddy bears for the rest of its customers, in addition to selling items related to its teddy bears; * Outbound Logistics: The company was known for its Bear-Gram delivery services, which enabled the company to provide instant delivery services (either by air or ground delivery services) to its customers throughout the different states of America as well as outside customers such as Canada through a carrier such as UPS. In addition, the company had a high-tech shipping system, including state-of-the-art multicarrier software so that if a major carrier like UPS went on strike, it could immediately make adjustments; * Marketing and Sales: The companys extensive computer network in addition to its new telephone system enabled the company to expand its customer base not only in Ver mont but throughout the rest of the states and the world and provide rapid response to its customer orders which in turn; * Service: The company sought to respond promptly to customer complaints. Each bear was sold with a Guarantee for Life under which the company ndertakes to repair or replace any damaged or defective bear at any time; These primary activities are supported by secondary activities which help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the primary activities of the company and consist of: * Firms Infrastructure: it can be subdivided into three main categories: * Organizational Structure: The companys Board members and Executive Officers had solid experience in different fields including marketing, finance amp; investment; * System of Planning Finance: The company managed to secure a $3. 5 Million commercial loan to partially finance its new facility, later the company completed a sale-leaseback transaction involving its factory, this financing replace the company s mortgage and line of credit. The company had also signed a letter of intent with a potential investor for a proposed $600,000 equity investment; the company intends to direct the proceeds of the said transaction to financing its working capital needs to pursue growth in the Bear-Gram channel and to maximize the benefits of importing raw materials; * Quality Control: The company strives to maintain its products environmental friendly and was safe for children. * Human Resource Management: * The company employed 181 individuals, none of them belonged to a union which provided the company with some sort of protection against strikes; * In order for the company to meet heavy demand at holiday periods such as Christmas, Valentines Day and Mothers Day, the company depended on independent contractors/home workers. * Technology Development: The manufacturing/production facilities included a state of the art packing and shipping equipment; * The companys call centers had state-of-the art technologies including PC termina ls and very high tech telephone switching equipment that allowed the company to handle significant call volume; * The company installed a new telephone system, which improved its telemarketing operations and was designed to accommodate future growth in telephone call volume; * The company had a high-tech shipping system, including state-of-the art multicarrier software so that if a major carrier like UPS went on strike, it could immediately make adjustments; * The company had launched an extensive website including pictures of the product in 1997 where its customers are eligible to place their orders online, which was part of the companys computer network of approximately 250 workstations that linked order entry with sales and accounting systems. * Procurement: * The most relevant long-term objectives for the company are as follows: * Competitive Position: the company always strives on keeping its position as a market leader backed by designing and manufacturing the best teddy bears made in America and represent an attractive gift or collectible for both children and adults; * Profitability: sustain and increase profitability by improving the Bear-gram services that is provided through either the internet or the phone which are designed to accommodate future growth in request volume; * Public Responsibility: the companys manufacturing practices respect the environmental aspects by using the best available materials for its bears. The company uses Differentiation-focus as a generic strategy illustrated in: * Using American-made materials in its products; * The company offers a life-time guarantee; * Easy order placement and prompt delivery; * Rapid response to its customer complaints. Grand strategies are applied through: * Product Development : The company diversified the spectrum of its products to include the following: * More than 100 different bear outfits to individualize the companys bears, to emphasize certain relevant characteristics, or to personalize bears for different occasions and events; * Using recycled Ben and Jerrys ice cream containers to make the bear joints movable, a feature associated with traditional, high quality teddy bears; * Selling items related to Teddy Bears; * Selling stuffed toys manufactured by other companies; * Changing the packaging structure to ensure damage-free products and lower courier services; * Turnaround Strategy: The company exercised the turnaround strategies to survive the following incidents: Incidents| Actions reflecting Turnaround Strategy| The companys expenses increased while sales growth did not offset this growth;| * Eliminate several unprofitable marketable ventures (such as its sponsorship to NASCAR circuit race car and driver); * Reduce General and Administrative exp enses; * Change of key management position;| * The company applied a new trademark name to broaden brand appeal and take advantage of national and international distribution opportunities; * Explore new opportunities for growth through opening new retail stores and expanding the catalog;| * Focus on Bear-Gram business to expand the companys distribution channels; * Shut down retail stores to reduce costs; * Change of key management position;|

Opportunity Divided essays

Opportunity Divided essays People came to colonial America for several reasons. Possibly the biggest reason was that many believed the economic opportunities were better in the New World then in England. In many cases, these settlers were correct. However, there were several distinguishing factors that said whether a person had certain rights or not. Because of status, indentured servitude, slavery, the need for extra workers, cultivation of the land, and extra space in the colonies, economic opportunity flourished and remained bias at the same time. In colonial times, status was the main reason for some people to have more opportunities then others. The plantation owners and the clergy men held the most power in the community. The common working man, or small farm owners, for the most part had a hard time getting their ideas put into action or their concerns recognized. The first people to stand up for themselves were Bacons Rebellion. As said is an excerpt from Colonial America by Oscar T. Barck, Jr. Bacons Rebellion was ...the first instance in the colonies in which the common people rose not only against the royal governor, but also the rule of the privileged class. This shows that opportunities were not always equal in colonial times. As the colonies began to grow, and before slavery became popular, indentured servitude was the biggest form of labor for those who needed it. Several reasons accounted for this, including the headright system which encouraged the importation of these servants. However, indentured servants had little rights, and colonial America cannot be considered a land of opportunity for these people while in the service of those who paid for their transport to the colonies. Life was tough for indentured servants. Not only were they under a contract that forced them to work for a certain period of time, but Gottlieb Mittelberger also stated in Journey to Pennsylvania ...Euro...

Types of Sampling Designs Used in Sociology

Types of Sampling Designs Used in Sociology Since its rarely possible to study an entire population of focus, researchers use samples when they seek to collect data and answer research questions. A sample is simply a subset of the population being studied; it represents the larger population and is used to draw inferences about that population. Sociologists typically use two sampling techniques: those based on probability and those that are not. They can generate different kinds of samples using both techniques. Non-Probability Sampling Techniques The non-probability model is a technique in which samples are gathered in a way that does not give all individuals in a population equal chances of being selected. While choosing a non-probability method could result in biased data or a limited ability to make general inferences based on the findings, there are also many situations in which choosing this kind of sampling technique is the best choice for the particular research question or the stage of research. Four kinds of samples may be created with the non-probability model. Reliance on Available Subjects Relying on available subjects is a risky model that requires a great deal of caution on the part of the researcher. Since it entails sampling passersby or individuals with whom researchers randomly come into contact, it is sometimes referred to as a convenience sample because it does not allow the researcher to have any control over the representativeness of the sample. While this sampling method has drawbacks, it is useful if the researcher wants to study the characteristics of people passing by on a street corner at a certain point in time, especially if conducting such research would not be possible otherwise. For this reason, convenience samples are commonly used in the early or pilot stages of research, before a larger research project is launched. Though this method can be useful, the researcher will not be able to use the results from a convenience sample to generalize about a wider population. Purposive or Judgmental Sample A purposive or judgmental sample is one that is selected based on the knowledge of a population and the purpose of the study. For example, when sociologists at the University of San Francisco wanted to study the long-term emotional and psychological effects of choosing to terminate a pregnancy, they created a sample that exclusively included women whod gotten abortions. In this case, the researchers used a purposive sample because those being interviewed fit a specific purpose or description that was necessary to conduct the research. Snowball Sample A snowball sample is appropriate to use in research when the members of a population are difficult to locate, such as homeless individuals, migrant workers, or undocumented immigrants. A snowball sample is one in which the researcher collects data on the few members of the target population he or she can locate and then asks those individuals to provide the information needed to locate other members of that population. For example, if a researcher wanted to interview undocumented immigrants from Mexico, she might interview a few undocumented individuals that she knows or can locate. Afterward, she would rely on those subjects to help locate more undocumented individuals. This process continues until the researcher has all the interviews she needs, or until all contacts have been exhausted. This technique is useful when studying a sensitive topic that people might not openly talk about, or if talking about the issues under investigation could jeopardize their safety. A recommendation from a friend or acquaintance that the researcher can be trusted works to grow the sample size.   Quota Sample A quota sample is one in which units are selected into a sample on the basis of pre-specified characteristics so that the total sample has the same distribution of characteristics assumed to exist in the population being studied. For example, researchers conducting a national quota sample might need to know which proportion of the population is male and which proportion is female. They might also need to know the percentage of men and women who fall under different age, race, or class brackets, among others. The researcher would then collect a sample that reflected those proportions. Probability Sampling Techniques The probability model is a technique wherein samples are gathered in a way that gives all the individuals in the population an equal chance of being selected. Many consider this to be the more methodologically rigorous approach to sampling because it eliminates social biases that could shape the research sample. Ultimately, though, the sampling technique you choose should be the one that best allows you to respond to your particular research question. There are four kinds of probability sampling techniques. Simple Random Sample The simple random sample is the basic sampling method assumed in statistical methods and computations. To collect a simple random sample, each unit of the target population is assigned a number. A set of random numbers  is then generated and the units of those numbers are included in the sample. A researcher studying a population of 1,000 might wish to choose a random sample of 50 people. First, each person is numbered 1 through 1,000. Then, you generate a list of 50 random numbers, typically with a computer program, and the individuals assigned those numbers are the ones included in the sample. When studying people, this technique is best used with a homogenous population, or one that does not differ much by age, race, education level, or class. This is because when dealing with a more heterogeneous population, a researcher runs the risk of creating a biased sample if demographic differences are not taken into account. Systematic Sample In a systematic sample, the elements of the population are put into a list and then every nth element in the list is chosen systematically for inclusion in the sample. For example, if the population of study contained 2,000 students at a high school and the researcher wanted a sample of 100 students, the students would be put into list form and then every 20th student would be selected for inclusion in the sample. To ensure against any possible human bias in this method, the researcher should select the first individual at random. This is technically called a systematic sample with a random start. Stratified Sample A stratified sample is a sampling technique in which the researcher divides the entire target population into different subgroups  or strata, and then randomly selects the final subjects proportionally from the different strata. This type of sampling is used when the researcher wants to highlight specific subgroups within the population. For example, to obtain a stratified sample of university students, the researcher would first organize the population by college class and then select appropriate numbers of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This would ensure that the researcher has adequate amounts of subjects from each class in the final sample. Cluster Sample Cluster sampling may be used when it is either impossible or impractical to compile an exhaustive list of the elements that make up the target population. Usually, however, the population elements are already grouped into subpopulations and lists of those subpopulations already exist or can be created. Perhaps a studys target population is church members in the United States. There is no list of all church members in the country. The researcher could, however, create a list of churches in the United States, choose a sample of churches, and then obtain lists of members from those churches. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

W. L. Gore & Associates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W. L. Gore & Associates - Essay Example That is to say, their work is not under scrutiny, consistent monitoring and evaluation. Rather it is done in more of assisting than supervisory manner (Lussier & Achua, 2013). In the case, the crucial information entails the use of sponsorship programs. New associates are assigned a sponsor, who has the mandate of mentoring a new staff with an aim of ensuring they are successful in their respective roles. The same applies for employees undertaking new roles in the organization. As a result of employing this approach, many of the executives demonstrate their natural leadership skills, knowledge and attain the necessary expertise (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Consequently, there is creation and maintenance of high quality relationships at W.L. Gore & Associates. The quality of followership at W.L. Gore & Associates could be attributed to the structure and policies embraced by the company. For instance, new associates are not bombarded with outrageous expectations. Rather, they have a sponsor to help them achieve the targets they themselves set meaning they can concentrate on their tasks with minimal pressure. Secondly, the atmosphere created by the company makes the employees feel as part and parcel of the organization, hence a sense of ownership (Lussier & Achua, 2013). By relaxing the structures of chain of commands, the executives have a space of working leading to an escalation in

Marketing plan for jetblue airlines Research Paper

Marketing plan for jetblue airlines - Research Paper Example The key competitors of JetBlue Airways Corporation are Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, US Airways, and United Airlines (Cederholm, 2014a). Although it has its bases in JFK International and New York City, the airline’s other focus cities are Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport, Logan International Airport  (Boston), Long Beach Airport, Luis Muà ±oz Marà ­n International Airport  (San Juan), and Orlando International Airport (Wynbrandt, 2004). The company’s fleet size is 310 reaching more than 87 destinations. The organization’s slogan with which it has spearheaded its marketing strategies is ‘You Above All’ (Handley, 2013). The company has more than 15,000 employees. Its net income, total assets and total equity are US$ 401 million  (2014), US$ 7.1  billion  (2012), and US$ 1.9  billion  (2012) respectively. JetBlue Airways Corporation runs low-cost passenger airline services in the US. It mainly operates on point-to-point routes across the USA from its principal bases in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/JFK, or Orlando (Bomkamp, 2010). Its fleet consists of 120 Airbus A320 aircraft and 49 EMBRAER 190 aircraft, traveling to over 20 states (Schlangenstein, 2007). Through its subsidiary organizations, JetBlue provides extra services such as in-flight entertainment, voice communication and data connectivity services. These services by its subsidiaries target both commercial and general aviation aircraft. Moreover, JetBlue Airways has vacation packages, provided by its subsidiary, JetBlue Getaways website. This website also offers hotel and car rental reservations alongside the vacation packages. The company has numerous resources with which it can achieve greater heights through astute marketing. First, being among the latest entrants into the airline industry, JetBlue has one of the youngest and newest fleets in the skies. Second, it is a low-cost airline. Third, JetBlue

How To Write A Research Paper Essay Example for Free

How To Write A Research Paper Essay This guide covers research papers, and provides advice on forming a title for your research paper, how to plan your paper before you start, and filtering material for your research paper. What is a research paper? The terms research paper and term paper are frequently used interchangeably. However, the terms do not mean the same thing. Term paper was used in the past exclusively to refer to the project (indeed research based) that was due at the end of a term, semester or quarter whereas research paper had a more specific meaning, i. e. a paper written as a summary of research. Hence research papers may be written at any level (before, during and after attending university), they may be published works in a professional journal and they may represent the results of practical research, which would not ordinarily be conducted for a term paper. This is the context in which we will discuss the term research paper herein. A research paper is an academic written assignment that is the product of a research project. This may span days, months, weeks or even years. Typically, research papers will involve the examination of a particular issue, and discuss: * The background or history of that issue * Any outstanding questions relating to the issue (the research paper will commonly focus on one particular question and seek to establish evidence to answer this) * The current data and statistics relating to the issue * The problems relating to the issue as revealed by the data * The problems relating to the issue as revealed by practical primary research (i.e. carrying out interviews, tests etc) or secondary research (i.e. looking at other peoples research) * Proposed solutions to the problems, and the strengths and weaknesses of these * Conclusions drawn from the data, research and evidence, as examined * Recommendations in relation to these conclusions. We will look at each of these elements in turn, in order to understand how a student or professional can write a good research paper. Forming a title for your research paper Unlike most types of assignment, the research paper title is usually decided upon AFTER you have completed the paper. This is so that the title accurately reflects the contents of the paper. However, your research paper will need a working title. This helps you to focus and helps others to understand what you are doing for example, your lecturer/instructor or, if working at a higher level, those funding your project. You should therefore return to this section when you have completed your paper. You then need to pick a concise, accurate title for your research paper that will make readers want to look at your content, help others find your paper in databases, and explain exactly what is covered by the paper with a high degree of accuracy. A research paper will commonly have a title of 15-20 words in length. Every word must be necessary for the title and so for example, Project on Paper on Research on should be removed as these types of phrases are not necessary. Example concise research paper titles: * Unemployment by Constituency * Transport in New York Research Paper Subtitle Unlike a research paper or essay, it is very common to give your research paper a subtitle. This explains your title more fully, puts it in context and qualifies the extent, or scope, of the research. Example subtitles (relating to the above example titles): * 2007-2008 trends using constituency maps * Transport governance and provision since X was elected in 1999 Researching/gathering information for your research paper As your research paper needs to show a good depth of reading, good research skills are paramount! But before you start, a key thing to bear in mind is that you MUST reference all material that you use in your paper. So the first thing to do is find out what referencing style is required (either by your university or, if you are writing a research paper for a journal, by that journal) and start to record the location of your sources using that referencing style. If you do this as you perform the research, youll save yourself hours of time later on. Here are some research tips to get you started: RESEARCH STEP 1 * Form a list of keywords from your research papers working title * Use a thesaurus to find words that mean the same thing as your list of keywords RESEARCH STEP 2 Most students will begin researching using the Internet and indeed, this is a great way to get ideas for your research paper. So start with Google, type in your keywords and bookmark the most relevant information sites that appear in relation to the issue. Then identify all current matters that relate to your issue from those sites. Note: Internet websites provide a fast source of up-to-date information but unfortunately they are not a reliable source. Use a search of the web as a starting point but unless the website is hosted and edited by a reliable organization (such as the Government), dont rely on its contents as a source for your research paper. Find another means of verifying the information. RESEARCH STEP 3 Now youve identified a list of issues and current debates for your research paper, you need to find some quality source material. The first stage is to find the most recent books written about the issue youre researching. Whilst books are not as up-to-date as journals and articles, they will contain valid points-of-view that need to be considered. So where do you find books for your research paper? * Google Books this is a good place to start as it has several thousand books that have been scanned in, together with details and snippet views of those which havent been scanned in. * Amazon.com Amazon is a good source because you can see which books are being released, and their release date, as well as using search inside to look through the contents of many books (this latter service only works if you have placed an order before) * Questia Questia has thousands of books scanned in although you have to pay a small subscription fee. Your university may also provide you with access to a library and you can then search through their databases to find the most relevant and recent books for your research paper. The best way to scan whether a book is relevant to what youre writing about is to look through the index. Youll quickly see if theres anything useful in the book for your research paper. RESEARCH STEP 4 Now you have the latest books for your research paper, you need to start looking for journals. These really should be your main type of source material. Open University Web Resources is an excellent list of such journal databases, although youll need an ATHENS password to use some of them. Our favorite journal databases for consistently excellent and up-to-date content are: * ScienceDirect 2,000 peer-reviewed journals, books, handbooks etc * EBSCO- thousands of journals, millions of articles * Emerald- thousands of journals in management and library and information services, engineering, applied science and technology * Ingenta 4,500+ journals in all fields and a further 20,000 abstracts The latter source, Ingenta, gives you FREE access to the bibliography which is useful for your research paper even if you dont have an athens login. Locate articles relating to your subject and check out the bibliography for further reading which you might be able to locate online without passwords. You can sometimes obtain a free trial of these databases giving you temporary access. Also, the four websites also have a good number of journals that you do not need a subscription to view. These are often indicated by a special icon. For example (from Ingenta): RESEARCH STEP 5 There is one final type of source material you need to consider, and that is the news. If youre lucky enough to have an athens password, your first stop will be Lexis Professional (formerly known as LexisNexis Executive) which contains the full text of newspapers and other news sources worldwide; as well as company data, annual reports and business directory information from Disclosure, Extel, ICC, and Worldscope. If you dont have an athens password, any good news site will suffice US News, CNN etc. Of course, if you are researching an issue which affects another country, you should be looking at that countrys main news website. What you are looking for is any current developments that may affect the research for your paper. This may be statistics released by the Government, consultation papers, proposed changes in legislation, current developments or debates etc. Dont forget, newspapers are NOT a reliable source of information. You are using them to find information for your research paper but you should substantiate this information once you have found it. If it is reported that the Government has released some statistics, go and find those on the Government website. If a consultation paper has been released, go and find the paper and read it. Filtering the material for your research paper The five step research process reveals a lot of information for your research paper and youll need to filter it down, or youll have too much to analyses. This does, however, beg the question how many sources should you use? The answer to this depends on the level of your research paper. If it is an assignment for your degree, you should look at using roughly 9 quality sources per 2,500 words. If it is for some post-graduate course, you can easily double that. A professional research paper (for publication) might use 30-40 sources per 2,500 words. The emphasis in all cases, however, should be on quality and not on quantity. A good selection of research material from a variety of quality sources (i.e. not just books, not just journals, not just the internet and not just the news) is far better than a huge selection of research material from poor quality, unreliable sources of a similar type. To help filter the information you have found for your research paper, you are going to need to evaluate its quality. This involves a consideration of whether: * The source is a quality source -its reliable, dependable and highly likely to be accurate. * The source is unbiased watch newspapers which may have political views. Ask yourself if the writer has presented a balance argument, or has deliberately played down one side of the argument to prove his own personal views. * The source is relevant to your research does it specifically tie in with your working title? * You havent already got enough material to prove what this source proves if you aim to back up each of your arguments in your research paper with 2-3 pieces of evidence (for a very high quality paper) or at least 2 for a student paper, then you can filter out any material that is excessive of this. Creating an outline for your research paper A basic outline will look something like this: * Working title (as discussed previously) * Purpose this is a short statement to say what the paper is for. It helps people who are looking for research papers themselves to assess the relevancy of your research paper to their studies. Example purpose statement: This paper shows the number of people claiming benefits recorded as resident in each constituency in the United States in July 2008, together with comparisons with the levels in July 2007 and July 1997. This paper also presents residence-based unemployment rates for all constituencies in the United States. * Methodology this is a statement of how you will carry out your research. You have already done some secondary research but you may also wish to carry out primary research for your paper. Primary research (sometimes called empirical research) is research you carry out yourself and data that is produced as a result of this, which has never been published before. Primary research may be carried out through face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, postal surveys, website surveys or focus/discussion groups. Be careful before carrying out research over the phone or through the post though some states allow people to restrict how they are contacted. Secondary research is the study of data that exists already such as books, journals, statistics, other research papers, websites, news reports, magazine articles etc. You have already carried out secondary research through the five step research process. So which research method is best for your research paper? Instinctively you may think that the primary data will provide the most interesting results. However, if your time and budget are both limited, do not be tempted to embark on a study. You will do far better analyzing existing studies than producing a low-quality study that is limited in its value due to the amount of time and finance you can devote to it. * Scope of research all research is going to be limited to certain factors. A paper on crime cannot investigate all types of crime, committed by all sexes, all ages, globally. So how are you going to limit your paper? What areas of the issue will you look at and which will you discard? Your statement of scope will be about 150-300 words long and explain exactly what you are going to cover in your research, and what you are going to leave out (usually with brief reasons). If you are carrying out primary research, you may want to set out the limitations of this here too. * Introduction this is where you set the scene for your reader. You explain what you are researching and why. You identify the issues you will be looking into and you say what you are going to prove. It is therefore a good idea to write this last, along with your final title! * Background/history this section of your research paper isnt essential but might be appropriate. You might want to explain the development of the issue and how particular matters have arisen. Dont bother unless it is necessary, to put the matter in context. * Body this section of your research paper will be broken up into sub-sections, each dealing with a particular sub-matter. Aim to present balanced evidence in each section on the points you wish to raise, and try not to reach any conclusions at this stage. The body is the body of your research, not the analysis. * Findings/Discussion heres where you analyze the research you have conducted and say how your findings are relevant to the issue. Its a very important section, without which you will have merely stated other peoples findings and opinions without contributing anything yourself. * Conclusion this section of your research paper returns to the introduction and stated aims, and spells out very clearly how you achieved them, referring to the points you have proved and the evidence you have used to prove it. It should not be repetitive but instead, it should summarize the results of your research. You should also ensure no new material is introduced at this stage if you have new material for your research paper, put it in the body and findings sections. * Recommendations this section of your research paper is very much optional and will depend on whether such a section would be appropriate for the subject you are studying. Law research papers almost always will include recommendations. What sort of recommendations should you make? These might include: * How policies/the law/practice should be changed, based on your findings * What further research must be carried out before making any sensible recommendations. Your recommendations must actually relate to what you have established in your research paper. You cannot randomly introduce things at this stage that you think might be useful. They must be logical recommendations, based on your research and analysis, and they should follow on from the conclusion. Now you have written out an outline for your research paper, you will literally be able to fill in the blanks and your paper should evolve and progress naturally, following the headings you have chosen. Keep referring back to your working title as you write, as well as to your methodology and scope. This should limit you to material that is most relevant and ensure you dont include excessive, unnecessary points. Finishing your research paper Now youve written up your research paper, youll need to do a little editing and proofreading to ensure the finished product achieves the grade youre looking for. This includes: * Weeding out any unnecessary material. Evaluate what you have written and whether it is needed, keeping the methodology, scope and working title in mind * Proofreading your research paper. Read it out loud, have someone else read it for you, run a spell check, run a grammar check go over the paper several times and make sure you havent made any errors. There are often extra marks for students in respect of presentation. * Checking your referencing. Every source should be properly referenced. Quotations should be in quotation marks. Your work should contain a full list of references and a bibliography. References are sources you actually cite in your work whereas the bibliography includes sources which you may have read, and may have influenced your writing, but you havent specifically cited.