Thursday, October 31, 2019

Collecting and preparing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collecting and preparing - Essay Example The photographer needs to use the modern as well as state-of-art camera for the attaining better results. The size of the lens should be 28 mm focal length and macro lens should be 50 mm focal length, which gives a standard quality photo. The photographer also should record the crime scene along with the areas attached with it. They also should record the appearance of the evidence and provide the investigator the photograph along with the evidence for the further investigation. At last, the photographs of the crime scene must be presented in front of the judge in the form of evidences in a systematic manner (Pearson, 2015). At the initial steps, the photographer should have the knowledge about different types of camera. The photographer appointed should be well acquainted with the type of camera that is required to take the photo of crime scene along with the perfect size of the lens and other accessories. The confidence level of the photographer must be high and should give higher attention at the time of work (Pearson, 2015). The equipment such as camera should be good quality attached to a perfect quality of lenses. During the time of capturing photo, there should be proper lighting so that clear photo could be taken (Pearson, 2015). During the time of photography of a crime scene, the photographer needs to ensure the safety by wearing the precautionary dress and needs to use certain arms or weapons while capturing the physical evidences (Pearson, 2015). There are two types of photography such as micro and macro. The photographer also needs to take the photo from different angles to make it easy for investigation process. For the two types of photo, photographers should use two types of cameras such as micro camera and macro camera so that the standard of the capture could be ensured (Pearson, 2015). The photographer should mark on the photo

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Effects of Mobile Phones on Studies Essay Example for Free

Effects of Mobile Phones on Studies Essay Abstract: Mobile phones are rapidly growing technology all over the world. According to new United Nations report 60% of the world has mobile phones. People of any age using it for interaction and other purposes especially the students. They use it for interaction and entertainment etc. as mobile phones have advantages it also have disadvantages and its effecting the students’ education. This study was conducted to determine the impact of mobiles on the education of students. The methodology of questionnaire was used to collect data. A small sample size of 100 students was taken from different colleges and universities of Lahore with the technique of simple random sample. And then the collected sample was analyzed on SPSS 20. Most of the students claimed that they uses the mobile phones to interact with friends and even teachers, they use it for entertainment whenever they get bored and even they use the mobile phone during their lecture also. Keywords: Mobile Phones; Education; school environment; University; Pakistan Introduction: Mobile Phones are widely growing technology all around the world especially in developing countries, and are becoming a social symbol as well. According to the new United Nations report, now 60% of the world has mobile phones and in 2002 only 14% of the world had any kind of mobile phones. People especially our youth are doing its extensive use, they are using it for entertainment, interaction with friends and family, learning purposes, and for internet etc. too. Mobile phones are removing distances among people now they are no need of landlines or any other kind of communicating source (fax, latter, e-mail etc.). Mobiles are becoming a part of life now a day. As technology changing rapidly, the technology of mobile is also changing. The new mobiles with new advance technology have many new and attractive features for its users. Mobile phones have many advantages and disadvantages as well. Our youth uses the mobile phones as messenger and spend their whole day in messaging and calls. Read more:Â  Effects of Cell Phone Addiction The so much use of mobile phone also causes of many diseases and other problems as well like economical, educational, political, social and in professional life and it has been proved from the previous researches about the effects of mobile phones. There are already many researches have been conducted about the effects of mobile phone. In our research we will try to find out how mobile phones are affecting ones educational life, either it’s because of its advance technology or its extensive use. Students use so much of mobile phones that it effects their grades as they cannot completely concentrate on their studies. Mobile phones are also effecting school’s environment as students spend their time in making short message service (SMS) taking photos even without knowing the friends and sometimes also of the faculty. Even the school/college administrator thinks that the mobile should be bane in school. Mobile also have advantages as parents have security about their children if anybody in college/university gets late they can inform their parents. This study was conducted to determine how much mobiles are effecting our students’ education and how we can overcome from this problem. Mobile companies are giving them different calls and messages packages then how can we aware our students not to spoil their time on mobile as this is the time when they can make their future. Literature Review: There are many studies which suggest that mobile phones are effecting our youth’s education and their grades badly. Mobiles are not even effecting the youth’s education it also affecting the school’s environment. In an essay on internet sakazaki4693 (2009) [ HYPERLINK \l sakazaki4693 1 ] suggests that mobile phone should be banned in schools as students always seems to look busy in short message service (SMS) multimedia message service (MMS) taking photographs of friends and faculty even without knowing them and many more. It wastes so much of their time. In an research paper Olofinniyi OE et al. (2012) [ HYPERLINK \l OEO12 1 ] prpposed that mobiles phones are effecting secondary schools’ Academic performance and they concluded that mobiles are not effecting their performance but also introducing some negative habits in studs like use mobile during lecture or in library which lacking their performance, so parents and administration should discourage thm to use mobile phone. Research Methodology: This study was conducted with an aim to find the aspects of mobile phone usage among Pakistani users. The purpose of this study was to find that how mobile phones are effecting the grades and education of students. The methodology of questionnaire was used to collect the responses. The students of universities and colleges were taken as population with the technique of simple random sampling. From the selected population 100 students were selected as sample out of which 80 students responded back thus the response rate of this research is 80%. And then SPSS 20 was used to analyse the collected data. References: |Bibliography | | |x | | |Bibliography | | |x | | |[1] | | |sakazaki4693. (2009, February) www.studymode.com. [Online]. HYPERLINK | | |http://www.studymode.com/essays/Schools-Should-Ban-The-Use-Of-192766.html| | | | | |http://www.studymode.com/essays/Schools-Should-Ban-The-Use-Of-192766.html | | | | | |[2] | | |Olofinniyi OE, Fashiku Co, Fashiku BC, and Owombo Pt, Access to GSM and | | |Students Academic performance in Secondary School of Osun State,

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Socio-Cultural Impact of Tourism

Socio-Cultural Impact of Tourism Chapter 2 Literature Review There are many researchers who have examined on how tourism affects the local people in a destination. They have worked on how to assess the negative and positive impacts of tourism on society. This literature review will be based on the research of the socio-cultural impact of tourism on the local people in Mauritius. The impacts that tourism brings to the local people will be assessed by the use of a questionnaire. This literature review will be completed by searching for journal articles, relevant studies which have been previously done on the topic. Overview of Tourism Tourism is an active and deal process which include direct and alternative relationship between people and originator of tourism products. The interaction between people is the is often the necessary feature which characterizes a tourism experience. These experiences can lead to both positive and negative impacts and this should be controlled in order to maximize the positive impacts and minimize and negative impacts (Sheldon Abenoja). Positive and negative feature of tourism can be moved to the tourists and the hosts population as a tourism product can only be consumed in a destination. One of the most influential socially based plan refined to examine the impact of tourism has on local people and the environment in which the local people live is dependent on the work of Doxey (1975), who was able to demonstrate the feeling that local people show as tourism extend and start to use greater area of a local economy over time. (Doxey) also argued that there are basically four levels to be considered when assessing local feelings towards the tourism industry. These are as follows: Euphoria: This is where tourist come to a destination where they are received with little control and planning in a destination Apathy: Tourists are accepted by the local people in a destination, commercialization takes place and there is a relationship between groups. Annoyance: As the tourism industry is being saturated, local people tend to have uncertainty about a location of tourism. Tourism planners increase infrastructure instead of controlling the growth of tourism. Antagonism: Local people start to become irritated and this is presented to tourists and tourism and planning is restorative. The number of impacts from tourism is physically wide and it often has the authority on areas beyond those usually linked with tourism (Kreag 2001). It is difficult to measure the exact type and magnitudes of impacts of tourism as they cannot be viewed in a separate way because the effect brought by tourism alone and the effect which has been accomplished by other agents of change such as modernization, development, and the influence of media (Archer Cooper, 1994; Lickorish Jenkin, 1997; Mathieson Wall, 1982). Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism According to (Oppermann Chon, 1997), they argued that the socio cultural impacts should be available in towns and it should be designed in such a way in order to achieve the ideals of sustainable development. The socio-cultural impacts of tourism occur when there is the interaction between the host, or local people, and guests, or tourists (Smith 1995). However, Glasson, Gofrey and Goodey (1995) argued that the socio-cultural impacts are the people impacts of tourism and it concentrates on the day to day changes and quality of life of residents in a destination. It has been stated by (Opperman and Chon 1997) that tourist and the host interactions does not have effect on the hosts and the society of the host, but also it has an effect on the tourists and the tourists societies. Socio-cultural impacts have both positive and negative forms and it is the hosts and the guests who are affected (Cooper et al., 1998; Oppermann Chon, 1997). Moreover, (Pi-Sunyer, 1973), stated that socially and culturally, tourism has often been victim of social tensions. It can be noted that the principal impacts affected by the tourists and host relationship are the demonstration effect, that is when the behaviour of the hosts community is developed in such a way to imitate the tourists (Boissevain, 1979; Tsartas, 1992). During their stay in a destination tourists interact with the local residents and this interation brings an outcome such as modifications in the quality of life of the hosts community, value system, labour division, family relationships, attitudes, behavioural patterns, ceremonies and creative expressions (Fox 1977; Cohen 1984; Pizam and Milman 1984). The encounters of tourists and the hosts occur when tourists are buying goods and services from any host individual where there are at the same place and at the same time and where they can exchange ideas and information (de Kadt 1979). Another type of encounter which occur in tourism is where there is a failure in promoting mutual understanding among different nations and stereotypes prevail (Nettekoven 1979; Krippendorf 1987; OGrady 1990). In addition, socio-cultural impacts of tourism also include change in the language that is used in a destination (White 1974; Brougham and Butler 1977; Jeffs and Tavis 1989; Wallace 1997); growth in the consumption of alcoholics, crime, prostitution and gambling (Young 1973; Graburn 1983; OGrady 1990). According to Brunt and Courtney (1999) argued that socio cultural impacts of when there is the interaction of tourists-host could be utilized to host residents and was affected by their role and their relationship within the tourism industry. Communities Perspective of Tourism Considering the attitude of local people the large range of the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the community at large and individual can be analysed (Fredline, 2004). (Ratz 2002), said that the lives of the hosts community are changed by two major factors which are namely the tourists-host relationship and the development of the tourism industry itself. Local people and foreign companies are encouraged to invest in different types of tourist enterprises (Larsen 1998) and this is looked in such a strategy to motivate economic activities to take place which will make the state become richer. In a host community, not every people perceive the impacts of tourism in the same manner. Researches says that the level of satisfaction of residents in a destination and their attitudes in relation to tourism are conditional on their perception of the impact of tourism. Socio-Cultural sustainability Cultural sustainability is the maintenance of local values, the way that people live in their environment and identity (Heikkinen et al. 2007). According to (Besculides, Lee, McCornick, 2002; Simpson, 2008) the cultural and social as aspect of sustainability may be supported by tourism development by granting a change of declining traditional industries appealing infrastructure development promoting pride referring to culture and community, fostering cultural acceptance amongst visitors, keeping cultural heritage, fostering cross institutional acceptance and bring into existence educational favorable circumstances. However, (Liu 2003; Stronza, 2007), argued that tourism can bring up new lifestyles, belief, and values to hosts, and come through changes in the living form of the communities. Positive socio-cultural impact of tourism Tourism brings into contribution of an improvement of the social infrastructure in a destination. Cultural development can be considered as a positive impact of tourism. Various situations exist where tourism is the active force behind the preservation and awareness of local culture and traditions. (United Nations, 1996; Jamaica Sustainable Development Network, 2001; Tourism Product Development Company 2005; du Cros; 2001) Negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism For some islands, there are negative social impact that are created due to tourism. An increase in the price leads to a fall in the standard of living of the local community. Fishermen are deprived from their occupation. Sometimes locals are prevented to get access to public beaches as most hotels give priority to tourists to enjoy the beaches and therefore locals are left with only part of the beaches. Moreover, there are capacity issues where the beaches are overcrowded which leads to traffic congestion and noise pollution, reverse acculturation and high crime rates also occur (United Nations, 1996; PA Consulting Group, 2007). Physical influences causing social stress The physical power that increasing tourism has on a destination can cause social stress because this encounter the local community. Cultural degeneration such as damage to cultural heritage may take place from vandalism, littering, pilferage and illegal removal of cultural heritage items or by changing the historical landscape that surrounds it. Resource use conflicts will arise because there is a competition between the host community and the tourists for making use of prime resources such as water and energy which are limited in supply. Conflicts will arise when there will be the construction of hotels in coastal areas. Culture Clashes As tourism is the movement of people to different places geographically and places of social relation between tourists and the hosts, culture clashes may come forward because of differences in their cultures, ethnic and religious groups, values, lifestyles, languages and levels of prosperity. There will be economic inequality between local people and the tourists as they spend more than they often spend in an economy. Behaviour of tourists causing irritation Tourists usually fail to respect local people and their moral values due to carelessness in a destination. They may not respect the locals traditions by taking pictures where they are not allowed to do so and they may also be not well dressed in religious places like temples, mosques, and church. Crime Jud (1975) stated that amount of criminal movement facing foreign tourists grows as the number of illegal chances increase. He also said that the more tourists arrival in a destination will result in more chances for crime to take place. However, Lin and Loeb (1977) argued that there might not be a certain connection between tourists and criminal activities. Moreover, Bernasco and Luykx (2003) stated that there are three factors which pull crimes against property and these are attractiveness, opportunity and accessibility. As a result if communities do not protect themselves and imperfectly put in order by external agencies, some individuals will precise their personal temperament and devotion towards criminal behaviour. Moreover, Shaw and Mc Kay (1992) stated that a weak organizational form within a community may produce an environment more favorable for criminals against people and vice versa. Job level friction There has been a lack of professional training and low-paid tourism jobs such as waiter, cleaner gardening are offered to local people whereas the higher-paying jobs are like managerial jobs are offered to foreigners. Change of local identity and values Conventional tourism can bring impact change or loss of recognition and values and leads to influences as stated below: Commercialization of local culture Tourism can turn local culture into product and this is when religious traditions, local customs and festivals are diminished to adjust to tourist expectations and this has been called as reconstructed ethnicity. Standardisation A destination aim is to satisfy and it risk standardization, accommodation, food and drinks, etc must meet the want of the tourists in a destination Adaptation to tourist demands In destination tourists have the desire to buy souvenirs, arts, crafts, cultural manifestations. Craftsmen in many tourists destinations have changed their products by designing new types to make them match the new customers tastes. Increase of Prostitution and sex tourism According to the WTO (World Tourism Organisation) experts (1994) sex tourism has its principal intention that effect of a commercial sexual relationship. Sex tourism is absolutely tangible encounter in which the partner is not anymore an animated object. Many men go to Asia to choose Asian girls because no communication is possible. Sex workers can be migrant women in a destination from neighbouring countries. Moreover, sex tourism has impacted to an increase in AIDS in India. It has been discovered that upper grade hotels have their supply for sex tourism to take place. Sex tourism is also linked to drug peddlers who search for long vacation tourists at cheap destinations. The economic impacts of tourism According to (Loomis and Walsh 1997) businesses and public organizations are progressively showing interest in the economic impacts of tourism at national, state and local levels as the tourism industry contributes to the nations balance of payment (BOP) and this provide a great supply of income (Tatoglu, Erdal, Ozgur, Azakli, 2000). The World Traven and Tourism Council (2012) reported that tourism can be beneficial to an economy in terms of increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, (Andereck Valentine, Knopf and Vogt 2005) reported that tourism industries can have a positive effect on the economy of a community by effecting diversity, and tax revenue. Furthermore tourism is taken into consideration as a determinant that provides a higher living standard and which effect to attract investors to do investments and tourists to spend which as a result creates greater benefits than costs (Brida, Osti Faccioli, 2011). The benefits that tourism bring in an economy According to (Rithie, 2000; Carolson Millan, 2002; Getz, 2005) said that the events in a destination tend to improve the infrastructure and development capacity. (Westerbeek et al. 2005, p. 133) reported that when infrastructure is well articulated consisting of physical venues, accommodation and facilities such as transport can lead a an even to success and reducing costs, ameliorating the convenience of spectator, as well as the athlete and long term benefits for the local community when the event ends. Multiplier effect Tourism as a supply of income is difficult to measure, this is because it creates multiplier effect (Clarke et al, 2009; Brida et al, 2010; Rastegar, 2010). Multiplier effect is the abundance of money which is generated due to tourist spending in an economy it increases as it passes through different areas of the economy (Dritsakis, 2008; Boopen, 2006. Tourism does not only leads to employment opportunities but also motivates growth in the primary and secondary sectors of the industry. Primary tourism sectors namely, lodging, dining, transportation, amusements and retail trade are influenced directly and most of the other sectors are have impacts of the secondary effects. Direct effect in the economy These are production changes which are linked with the actual effects of changes in tourism expenditures. An increase in the number of tourists staying in a hotel would lead to an increase in profits due to sales in the hotel sector. Direct effects of tourists spending also include hotel payments for wages and salaries, taxes, and supplies and services. Indirect effect in the economy This is the re spending of the hotel industrys revenues in other behind industries. For example industries which supplies products and services to hotels. Modification in sales, jobs, and income in the linen supply industry shows another area of indirect effects after all connecting hotels to various degrees to multiple other economic sectors in the region. Induced effect in the economy Induced effect is the household income earned directly or indirectly by tourism spending. For example employees from the hotel and employees from the linen supply are supported directly and indirectly by tourism, they spend their money in the local region expenses of housing, food, transportation and spending of added wage, salary, or owners income are considered as induced effect. Indirect effects of tourism on GDP (Gross Domestic Product) Tourism is a big constituent of the services economy, representing 30% of international trade in services. Taking into account of the revenue, the T20 countries generate nearly 70% of global tourist activity. In addition, the contribution that tourism can make to the growth of the economy is found in its indirect impacts, which in the T20 countries showing over 45% of tourisms total contributions to the GDP. These indirect impact which are linked both to goods and services bought by the tourism sector and to investment and public spending multiplied by tourism are an important factor of economic growth. The exchange rate effect of tourism Tourism is a major foreign currency earner as it supplies the market with foreign currency and this market would not exist if tourism would not be so large. This diminishes the cost of foreign currency below what it would otherwise be. Creation of employment According to (Bridenhann and Wickens, 2004), tourism is an industries among many other industries which has the highest power to contribute towards job creation and economic development, especially in rural areas. Environmental impact of tourism Negative environmental impacts takes place when the level of visitors in a country exceeds the carrying capacity of an environment or use greater space that is required for an environment. When it is uncontrolled, it brings threats to many natural areas around the world. The environment quality, natural and man-made is of great importance to tourism. However, the relationship with the environment is intricate. The environmental impact is related with the construction of the general infrastructure in a destination such as roads and airports, and of the facilities of tourism, such as resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses. As the negative impacts of tourism can destroy the environment in the long-term, and these impacts should be minimized. Further literature of the negative environmental impact of tourism is as follows: Land Degradation The important resources of land are fertile soil, forests, wetlands and wildlife. Due to an increase in the construction of tourism facilities there has been pressure on these resources. Direct impact can be caused by providing tourists with the facilities needed such as accommodation and other infrastructure needed on the environment. Moreover, when there is deforestation, forest often suffers from this disaster. Air and noise pollution Pollution is something harmful that begins into the environment and these harmful materials are called pollutants. It can be natural such as volcanic ash. Pollution can be also produced by human activity for example trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water and land. There are various things that are useful to people create pollution. Cars eject pollutants from their exhaust pipes. Burning coal to produce electricity pollutes the air. Industries and homes spread garbage and sewage that can pollute the land and water. Impacts on Biodiversity Tourism can cause loss of biodiversity in various ways for example by competing the wildlife for habitat and natural resources. Negative impact on biodiversity can be caused by trampling, stress in animals, import of invading species, destruction of habitats, marine habitat deterioration. Strain on water resources Water is one of the important resource that is needed to survive and for a business to continue to operate water is need in the everyday operation of the business. Hotels use water in swimming pools, golf courses and also water is used by the tourists for personal use. Therefore there is a tendency for shortage of water and generating a greater volume of wastewater. Energy Utilisation Hotels use huge volume of water. Tourists staying in a hotel use on average 1/3 more water per day than a local inhabitant. The consumption of energy per m2 per year by one star hotel is 157kwh (380 KWh in a four star hotel) (EEA, 2003). However, the infrastructure is not suitable as it has been designed to cope with peak periods. The role of the UNWTO, (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) towards the environment In order to prevent the unfavorable impacts of climate change, the IPCC reports 2007 need 25-40% emission reduction sphere for the Annex 1 Parties (industrialized countries) by 2020, compared to the basis year 1995.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Zeno of Elea :: essays research papers

Zeno of Elea Zeno of Elea was born in Elea, Italy, in 490 B.C. He died there in 430 B.C., in an attempt to oust the city's tyrant. He was a noted pupil of Parmenides, from whom he learned most of his doctrines and political ideas. He believed that what exists is one, permanent, and unchanging. Zeno argued against multiplicity and motion. He did so by showing the contradictions that result from assuming that they were real. His argument against multiplicity stated that if the many exists, it must be both infinitely large and infinitely small, and it must be both limited and unlimited in number. His argument against motion is characterized by two famous illustrations: the flying arrow, and the runner in the race. It is the illustration with the runner that is associated the first part of the assignment. In this illustration, Zeno argued that a runner can never reach the end of a race course. He stated that the runner first completes half of the race course, and then half of the remaining distance, and will continue to do so for infinity. In this way, the runner can never reach the end of the course, as it would be infinitely long, much as the semester would be infinitely long if we completed half, and then half the remainder, ad infinitum. This interval will shrink infinitely, but never quite disappear. This type of argument may be called the antinonomy of infinite divisibilty, and was part of the dialectic which Zeno invented. These are only a small part of Zeno's arguments, however. He is believed to have devised at least forty arguments, eight of which have survived until the present. While these arguments seems simple, they have managed to raise a number of profound philosophical and scientific questions about space, time, and infinity, throughout history. These issues still interest philosophers and scientists today. The problem with both Zeno's argument and yours is that neither of you deal with adding the infinite. Your argument suggests that if one adds the infinite, the sum will be infinity, which is not the case.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A criminologist Essay

A criminologist blames economic recession and complex financial system as major reasons for the rising white collar crimes in the U. S. â€Å"In huge numbers of cases, people are not aware that they have been victims of white collar crime, for example, subjected to illegally spewed out pollution, or that they have purchased products that are unsafe, or that they have been subjected to corporate price fixing, or to the consequences of commodity speculation, which is believed to be one significant factor in driving up the cost of gasoline at the pump.â€Å"Witnesses† of white collar crime who often do not realize that a crime has occurred , may be confused about what to do in response to it. And our traditional frontline enforcement agencies ha not been organized to monitor and respond to white collar crime. In this case principal gents who handle such cases play an important role in white collar crime. Informers & Whistle Blowers: Ethics Text #6. How can corporations ensure th at their employees behave ethically? An ethical culture should be a top priority of every business, large or small. The challenge for many organizations is trying to understand what it takes to build one. From an enforceable code of conduct, to ongoing training and communications, to an anonymous reporting hotline, companies can quickly implement ethics and compliance programs and solutions that foster an ethical culture across the enterprise. In many companies today, management is dealing with a hodge-podge of different personalities, belief systems, backgrounds, ethnicities and politic affiliations. These are just a few things that may impede creating a single unified system of ethics. While many may say that right and wrong is what should ultimately determine the culture, others will argue that what is right for the majority may not be right for the minority. Having an ethical culture is an important component to running an effective business today. In fact, with the current state of legal and industry regulations, from Sarbanes-Oxley to HIPAA, not only is having an ethical culture a good idea, it is now practically a requirement. Developing an ethical culture will take more than creating a list of company dos and don’ts; although that list will help. It will take more than issuing a code of conduct via email to a new hire; although that too will help. What it will take is a combination of things. On this page, we focus on the top six steps that have the most effective and direct impact on establishing an ethical culture. The six steps are as follows: 1. Establish an enforceable code of conduct 2. Initial and ongoing training 3. Regular communications 4. Anonymous reporting hotline 5. Enforcement/Action 6. Rewarding employees that live the culture 1. Establish an Enforceable Code of Conduct A code of conduct, often referred to as a code of ethics, is the foundation of any ethics program. The code of conduct should not be designed as a reaction to past missteps. An ethical culture is built upon the proactive efforts of the organization. The development of the code of conduct should be led by those at the top of the company, and should also include employees in the process. 2. Initial and Ongoing Training There is a phrase that has been used many times when it comes to training: â€Å"The day we stop learning is the day we die. † One of the most important aspects of developing an ethical culture is the ongoing training that companies can provide to executives and employees. The purpose of training is to help employees know what is expected of them and to help them understand that a strong ethical culture can protect the company’s reputation and actually enhance profits. Employees need to know that their ethical or unethical choices will have a direct impact on the success or failure of the company. In addition, training should also be tailored to specific positions in the company and employees roles. Management may need additional training to help deal with employee issues, while someone in purchasing may need more training on gifting policies and someone in finance needs to understand the company’s position on fraud. 3. Regular Communications Once the policy has been executed and training has started, communicating aspects about the code of conduct can have a significant impact on the ethical culture. Many of these communications come through the human resources department, but the voice of the executive management team is critical in these communications. The goal of communications is to make ethics a live, ongoing conversation. If ethics is something that is constantly addressed, referenced frequently in company meetings, and in personal conversations among managers and employees, then people are more aware and more willing to defend the company’s policies when they see or hear of problems. Employees will hold other employees responsible and accountable for living the company’s values. 4. Anonymous Reporting Hotline The fact that an ethics hotline exists within many companies may be a surprise to their employees. The hotline number or Web site URL is often hidden in the back of an employee handbook or within the dusty binder labeled Corporate Governance. An anonymous hotline provides employees with a confidential way of reporting unethical or inappropriate behavior. Many people are not comfortable with reporting bad behavior for fear of being considered a â€Å"snitch,† possible repercussions if the guilty party learned of who reported him or her, or perhaps impacts on their job. â€Å"Unfortunately, more than two of five employees (42 percent) who witnessed misconduct did not report it through any company channels.Others may want to report their concerns, but are not comfortable going directly to a manager or fellow employee. This is why the anonymous reporting hotline is so important. In its 2006 Report to the Nation on Fraud and Abuse, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners concluded that â€Å"Occupational frauds are more likely to be detected by a tip (34%) than by other m eans such as internal audits, external audits or internal controls. 5. Enforcement/Action A code of conduct has to be enforceable, and a company needs to take action when problems arise. Employees should be part of the enforcement and know if and when it has been violated. While 42 percent of employees are reluctant to report unethical behavior, the good news is that the ERC study also found that â€Å"the rate of misconduct is cut by three-fourths at companies with strong ethical cultures, and reporting is doubled at companies with comprehensive ethics programs. † Unethical behavior can have a damaging effect on a variety of aspects of a business, from brand reputation to bottom-line revenues. WorldCom’s and Enron’s names will forever be connected to accounting scandals that led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Lockheed Martin was forced to pay $2. 5 million for knowingly looking the other way on alleged racial discrimination. Without enforcement, ethical guidelines listed in a corporate code of conduct are simply nice suggestions. 6. Rewarding Employees That Live the Culture The final step in developing an ethical culture is rewarding employees that behave ethically and live the culture that the organization is trying to instill companywide. With an ethics policy in place, ongoing training and communications, the ability to report unethical behavior and strict enforcement, an organization will have the structure in place that will leave little doubt the importance of ethical behavior. Like a manufacturing company that brags about its safety record with signs indicating how many days without an accident, companies should publicly congratulate their employees for adhering to the code of conduct. That performance could be rewarded in terms of a bonus based on how much money the company saved by not having internal issues or having to fight legal battles over unethical business or accounting practices. If an employee completes ethics training, is responsible for blowing the whistle on questionable activities, or provides unique ways for protecting the company’s confidential information, he or she should be recognized publicly by management. Employees need to know that creating an ethical culture is important to everyone from their direct managers to c-level executives.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Violence in Video Games

Violence in Video Games Across the globe, the use of video games has been on the rise since they first hit the market. These video games are designed on various platforms thereby targeting their usage amongst children, teenagers as well as young adults. Playing video games occupies a big part of the way they spend their free time and some have even ended up being addicted to playing video games. This has raised an alarm especially considering the influence they might have on the young minds.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Violence in Video Games specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Video games that involve violence and combat have elicited reactions from different circles like the regulatory bodies and experts on mental issues who argue that they should be restricted since they might have a negative influence on the kids prompting them to engage in violent crimes. Upon this concern being raised, various studies have been conducted see king to show a relationship between video games that involve violence and existence of violent behavior amongst the young people. Video games hit the market in 1970’s but the graphics were very simple and were not as combative. Games such as Pacman were built on a simple platform that would not be termed as excessively violent. The video gaming field was later to be revolutionized in the 1990’s as technology advancements allowed for more descriptive and detailed graphical images most notable being the ability to view blood as fluid and making killing look as it happens in the real world. This marked the entrance of video games such as ‘Mortal Kombat’ which allowed the video game player to enter a killing mission. The alarming nature of the violent video games elicited reactions from the law makers prompting the U.S congress to issue a regulation seeking to have the game developers come up with a way to rate them in the basis of age limit. This did little t o halt the developers’ efforts to come up with advanced video games with the next innovation being more interactive 3-dimensional violent scenes where the user was able to be placed in the middle of the battle as the ‘first person shooter’. The trend has since continued with more and more combative video games being invented and used by the young people and the situation has further been fueled by the rise in the usage of internet.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Studies conducted on this field in the past resulted in arguments with some showing that there is a relationship in playing violent video games and aggressive behavior while other studies showed mixed outcomes. Most of the research however showed that violent video games brought about aggressive personalities. These studies were backed by recent cases of violent cases in schools e.g. th e 1993 case of Columbine High School where two students (Eric and Dylan) went on a killing spree and in the end shot 12 students and a teacher. The two were said to be addicts of ‘Doom’, a violent video game. Further evidence to link the two was seen in the video they had recorded just before they went on the killing rampage where they mentioned the â€Å"Doom’ video game. Several other cases of young people going on shooting rampages have been reported and substantial evidence given to prove the link between the murders and playing violent video games (Ferguson 30). To try and explain the relationship between violent video games and aggression amongst the users, experimental, correlation and longitudinal methods have been used. Experimental research studies have only so far shown that playing violent video games only arouses a temporary short lived arousal of aggressive behavior. In correlation studies where the participants are required to fill in forms, the a im is to investigate the effect violent video games may have on personality and behavior. Correlation studies are said to be influenced by one recalling past influences but all in all the final results have indicated that violent video games result in hostility and aggressiveness. Young people who are regular users of violent video games are likely to engage in more physical confrontations. Longitudinal studies involve the study population being observed in their natural living patterns. These have shown mixed results concerning the relationship between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior. The immediate point to note is that such studies are open to a lot of influences with the biggest being that the subjects being studied are also exposed to other violent influences like Film and Television making it hard to point out the video games influence alone (Kooijmans 3). Results from the various study methods have indicated a considerable amount of correlation between play ing violent video games and aggression behavior leading to an increase in the criminal episodes reported amongst the users. Due to lack of a clear cut link on the influence of violent video games alone, calls have been made for a theoretical framework to be designed that will best explain the correlation.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Violence in Video Games specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The recent greatest contribution in this area is the development of the general aggression model (GAM) by Anderson and Bushman in 2002. The model explains a person’s resultant internal state e.g. aggression by looking at the how the differences in personalities and situations come into play when considering the effect playing violent video games might have (Shin 6). The model explains that aggressive behavior is the resultant decision made by a person after thoughts, feelings and arousals interact. GAM model exp lains that playing violent video games produces effects that are both short lived and long-term effects. Playing violent video games in short term leads to aggressive thoughts, aggressive feelings and a feeling of violent arousal. These only contribute to aggressive behavior temporarily. In long term, playing violent video games leads to steady development of violent beliefs and formation of aggressive attitudes. This leads to formation of aggressive behavioral thinking which eventually becomes a normal way of thinking causing the young person to be insensitive to aggression which makes them view it as a normal way of life. Most young people undergoing puberty have a lot of biological changes that go on in them. As a result, as they grow mentally owing to environmental influences, the effects of violent video games may be incorporated as their minds go through the GAM model processes resulting in an aggressive lot. Violent video games have therefore been linked to the rise in cases of school shooters who go killing sprees as well as bullying in schools (Anderson and Gentile 2008). Video games are in this age being developed with focus on appealing to the target population which is the children, adolescents and the youths who are in their early adulthood. This has been inspired by the recognition that more and more young people have been taking to playing video games during their free time and the facts are proven by the massive increase in video games sales by the owner companies. According to Anderson, Gentile, and Buckley, as competition between companies in selling video games intensifies, they have resulted in innovative ways of designing the video games which has ended in a lot of arguably undesirable content in the video games (123). When violent video games hit the market in the 1970’s, the violence content was very minimal and the effects further suppressed by the fact that the graphics were not as developed.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As time went on and technology advanced, it became possible to create simulations of the real life images making it possible to show killing as real. Nowadays the video games have been associated with certain characteristics which make them more appealing. They have become more interactive and hence addictive, and the environment in the gaming world is mediated for an appeal to the users. Most violent games nowadays have sessions where the game player exchanges messages with the game making it possible to include violent language use. The narratives in most violent games explain to the gamer the variety weaponry available for use while further explaining how to use them. This has increased the young people’s awareness of assault riffles and other weapons that can be used in violent scenes while further instructing them on how to use them (Porter and Starcevic 4). As the game developers struggle to stay ahead of the competition, more and more content has been added in the vide o games with the most notable one that have elicited mixed reactions being; graphic violence, sex acts, revealed nudity, blood filled violent scenes, and making taking criminal roles seem like a heroic act. Thanks to technological advancements, now graphic representations in the video games are now close to real life and so is the representation of violence. With clear graphics, now the young people are exposed to a lot of complicated violent moves that are executable in real life. Playing Grand Theft Auto series presents one with simulations of real life violent acts where the gamer can steal cars, knock down pedestrians, take an assault riffle and shoot down a whole city population by killing anyone in sight. Scenes in the gaming world filled with blood which increases the violent feel of the games. Some games have very elaborate manner of killing but exaggerated blood spills where to mark a victim who’s been hit and died, blood splashes. The recently introduced Suda51†™s No More heroes on the once considered non violent gaming world Nintendo, is made up of scenes where the gamer crashes the targets limbs and includes a lot of blood splattering (Pramath 2010). In quite a number of video games today, scenes of people exposing their partial or fully nude bodies have become very common. This corrupts the young people’s minds. The line was however crossed when games surfaced involving pure sexual acts. A certain gaming company took the idea further and incorporated use of violence in the game. RapeLay, a game that hit the stores in 2006 sees the gamer take the role of a rapist and goes on a mission to violently undress and forcefully get sexual favors from unwilling victims in a crowded train. A certain level requires the gamer to take the role of the rapist and rape a woman and then two of her young daughters. Such a video game clearly soils the mind of the young people and makes rape look like a fun activity. In most of the violent video ga mes today, the user takes up the role of a criminal. The mission is committing a series of criminal acts while earning points for each successful act. In Hitman Contracts, the game player takes the role of a hired killer who is sent on a mission to kill a certain high profile individual. You must in the process kill the soldiers among other crimes in order to earn maximum points. The heroic deeds praised in most violent video games give the young people’s minds an impression that one should commit crime to feel heroic (Pramath 2010). Some violent games have been made with the ideas based on current points of conflict amongst states. After the September 11 attacks of the U.S by the Alqaeda terrorists, numerous games were developed with their story line revolving around terrorism. Most of them however sees the gamer take up the role of a terrorist and sends them on a mission armed with heavy weapons which enable them to bomb cities and buildings. Breeding a young lot that sees terrorism as a heroic deed really serves little to fight the act itself. Other games have story lines that elevate current conflicts. Postal 2 has scenes that seek to display the fall out of the nuclear bans between the U.S and North Korea while other games show the heroic deeds of using nuclear bombs. Some violent video games have caused a stir due to their abusive nature of a respected concept such as racial differences and respect for religious belief of honoring our dead. Left 4 Dead 2 came under much criticism for its story that revolves around killing zombies. These zombies are African-Americans which makes it clear that the issue of racial discrimination may be supported in this game. Religious beliefs also dictate on the respect of the dead who are represented as Zombies in this game. This does much harm for the young minds and can shoot down the efforts to raise religious kids (Pramath 2010). Despite the continued cries to restrict a number of violent video games and issue regulatory measures, more and more video games keeps on coming up and which seek to bring in new concepts. Some games have been totally banned in some countries owing to their nature to possibly corrupt minds including the young people and touching on sensitive issues that touch on a particular country. However their sales still continue in other countries prompting for production of more games. Companies that develop these video games are in business at competition increases as more companies come up but the population keeps demanding for more and better ones. This pushes the companies to come up with new video games that bring in new concepts or are fiercer than their competitions. This way the flow of the violent video games continues as more are put in the market Cooper and Mackie (730), Owing to the established influence of the violent video games on the children, parents are faced with the burden of bringing up kids whose minds have been spoilt by aggressive tendencies picked from the video games. As parents embark on the all important role of parenting their kids, they should be aware of the influences shaping the child’s behavior and take direct action to control it. Several discussions in the recent past have been directed on the influence violent media content has on the kids and experts have pointed out violent video games in particular as having the most influence. Anderson and Bushman attributed this to the fact that playing video games creates an interactive atmosphere as well as requiring the gamer to play the major role in the violent scenes as opposed to a passive role in watching violent films. Parents therefore should know this and be in a position to control the content in the video games their kids play. As a parent it is also very important to be always aware of what stage your child is in development phase. This way you will be better positioned in deciding the information they take in and the effect it will have on them. This is because young people are in a stage where their form of learning is mainly experiential and their behavior is shaped by observing, imitating and adapting to the prevailing environment. Exposure to such experiences as playing violent video games can lead the young people in mimicking the roles taken in the games thereby resulting in aggressive behavior (6). The understanding of the issues raised concerning the effects of violent video games, numerous studies have conducted on the subject with several models being developed to explain the effects. Most results have indicated a negative influence of playing violent video games arguing that they contribute to elevate aggressiveness. It is however evident from other findings that there have been reported some positive correlation between playing violent video games and children’s behavior. Skoric, Teo, and Neo, stated that violent video games arguably act as an avenue for the young people to relieve their aggressive behavior there by resulting in calm non-rebellious kids. Playing video games also act as a social activity where the child can interact with peers as they play the games. Other positive results reported from playing video games include improved hand-eye coordination and ability not to be distracted and attention to details. A combination of these factors has been said to better academic performance for kids who play violent video games. This justifies why playing violent video games is still a very valid option for raise a better kid (6). In taking active roles to regulate their child’s learning experiences and filter the contents of the video games, parents can make several efforts. It is important to check the video game for the rating which establishes whether it is appropriate for the kid’s age. This has been made possible by establishment of regulation seeking to have all video game developers provide rating for each game which restricts usage according to age limit. Let the vid eo playing sessions be within an area where you can monitor the kids as they play and if possible make attempts to play with them so as to understand the game content. Limit the amount of time spent playing video games to reduce attachment and negative influence. Encourage the kids to interact with their peers by participating in other extra curricular activities other than playing video games online (Sisson 5). In conclusion, although there has not been established clear evidence as to whether violent video games cause aggressive behavior, many studies have pointed out toward a possible link between the two. Everyone is however in agreement that the violent video games are in compromise of morals and expose the young kids to in appropriate content. Further studies will however need to be done to support the issue of negative effects since some studies have shown that it is beneficial to the young minds. Anderson, Craig, and Douglas Gentile. â€Å"Violent Video Game Feed Aggressio n in Kids in Japan and U.S.† Science Daily, 2008. Print. Anderson, Craig, Douglas Gentile, and Katherine Buckley. Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Policy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Anderson, Craig, and Brad Bushman. â€Å"Effects of violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Effect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-analytic Review of Scientific Literature.† Psychological Science, 2001. Print Cooper, James, and David Mackie. â€Å"Video Games and Aggression in Children.† Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1986. Print Ferguson, Christopher. â€Å"The School Shooting/Violent Video Link: Causal Relationship or Moral Panic.† Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 2008. Print. Kooijmans, Thomas. â€Å"Effects of Video Games on Aggressive Thoughts and Behaviors During Development.† Great Ideas in Personality, 200 4. Print. Porter, Guy, and Vladan, Starcevic. â€Å"Are Violent Video Games Harmful?† Australian Psychiatry, 2007. Print. Pramath, Gregory. â€Å"Top Six Video Games Censored Because of Violent Content.† Gamingbolt. Gamingbolt, 2010. Print. Shin, Grace. â€Å"Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression.† Journal of American Psychological Association, 2008). Print. Sisson, John. â€Å"Violent Video Games and Young People.† Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010. Print. Skoric, Marko, Linda Teo, Rachel Neo. â€Å"Children and Video Games: Addiction, Engagement, and Scholastic Achievement.† Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 2005. Print.