Predispostion to Criminality an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

Predispostion to Criminality Many people today attempt to find and provide a definite link between the criminal and the reasons crime is committed. On all places along the political spectrum, it is difficult to find someone that does not have an opinion on why criminals commit crime. Those individuals that identify themselves with the far right tend toward describing crime as an act within the full control of the criminal committing the crime. They view crime as a personal choice made with a freedom of will that we all possess. The difference between one who commits a crime and one who does not is choice and nothing more. Therefore, many on the right argue, criminals should be removed from society both to protect society's innocent, law-abiding citizens, and to punish the criminal for the unlawful act he or she has committed. (Reasons, 1974) Need essay sample on "Predispostion to Criminality" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Contrasted to this, those on the far left tend to describe crime as more a social problem than an actual choice. In this scenario, the criminal is more a product of his or her environment. Due to such factors as the criminals' economic background, social background; whether or not the person is an addict of some kind, or if they grew up in terrible familial situation, or with such new technologies as genetics, those on the left attempt to describe the criminal as less free to choose whether or not to commit crimes. They tend to portray the criminal as almost incapable of choosing whether or not to break the law and argue that instead of locking them up and throwing away the key, the best solution to controlling crime is to attempt to rehabilitate the criminal and make him or her a reliable citizen who can once again, and in a lawful way, contribute to the betterment of society. (Reasons, 1974) Somewhere between these two extremes, as between all extremes, lies the truth. This paper will explore, with a special emphasis on the question of a negative familial background in predisposing an individual to crime, the relationship between the criminal as an individual and the criminal's behavior and attempt to explain what factor or group of factors may make a previously law-abiding citizen to choose to commit a crime for gain rather than going about life in a lawful way. Among many of the reasons given by apologists for criminal behavior is that the criminal is a product of his environment. This statement has many explanations behind it, but one that ranks at the top of these is the criminals' family circumstance. For an adequate explanation of criminal behavior, it must be decided what responsibility the criminal's family must take for the behavior of their kin. (Bonger, 1969) As a child is growing up within the confines of a family, there is certain to be taught to the child certain moral principles. These principles may take the form of direct teachings, such as the person beliefs of the family or the family's religious affiliation. But they may also be principles the child picks up through the observation of the behavior of the authority figures in the family. It cannot be overstated that if a family expects to raise a child with a strong sense of morality and proper behavior, those with the responsibility of passing on these behaviors must practice what they preach. It is sure to induce an immeasurable amount of confusion upon a child who time and again watches his mother or father act in ways contrary to the behavioral ideals they continuously attempt to bestow upon their child. This begs the question of whether or not a criminal has grown up in a family in which the duty of moral responsibility to society has in some way be ill-defined. There was time not so long ago that criminologists were virtually united in the belief that family experiences account could account for a predisposition to crime in most criminals. This idea was backed by a study published in 1950 by Sheldon and Glueck which maintained that a negative family environment, along with other characteristics such as temperament and body-type, could explain why delinquency appeared in some individuals rather than others. The ten year study of delinquent boys from the Boston area explained that if all other factors, i.e., age, race, neighborhood and intelligence, were kept constant, besides the constitutional characteristics which separated the boys, the only other factor which remained similar among them was "a family environment in which one or both parents were indifferent or hostile to the child and followed lax or erratic disciplinary practices." (Wilson, 1985) The term "criminal personality" is sometimes used among certain individuals to describe people who have committed multiple crimes. Although criminologists have long ago abandoned such a concept, agenda-driven organizations and individuals use the term to degrade people who have been convicted of crimes and to push their objectives on a public who sometimes believes that many people are just born bad. Nevertheless, there has been research that has concluded that the majority of criminal offenders do share certain personality traits with one another that set them apart from the general public. One of the traits the separates habitual offenders from non-offenders and occasional offenders is that they are more impulsive. Most criminals are less inclined to wait and work for self gratification and instead are determined to experience gratification immediately. The other trait is that they are generally less socialized. Many people growing up are taught to respect other people's property and to use manners and be polite. They are taught that if they do not act this way, they may hurt other people and this would be a bad thing. Habitual criminals however seem to be lacking this personality trait and instead act without the feelings of other people in mind. They are more inclined to not care about the feelings of others, making it possible to ignore the feelings of their victims. (Wilson, 1985) Given that much of our personality is developed not just from our friends and experiences in life, but from our parents and the way they raise us, it seems only logical that parents would in some way have shaped the criminal to be what he is. There may be some sort of genetic or otherwise predetermined disposition toward crime within an individual that the family, through its methods of rearing a child, could moderate or exacerbate. The interaction that may make a child more or less impulsive, or more or less incapable of caring about others feelings, by the parent, involves three processes. The first is the development of attachment. By attachment it is meant the desire by the parents to impress upon the child the importance of the acceptance and approval of others. The second is time horizon. This is meant as the shaping of the child's ability to understand that the actions which he or she performs in the present will more than likely have consequences for which the child, if he or she performs the action, would then be held responsible. And the third process is the development of conscience. The development of conscience is the development within the child of an internal resistance to the performance of certain actions which, because of the consequence of the actions, would cause within the child certain feelings of anxiety. (Wilson, 1985) If, because of a lack of responsible parenting, or any parenting at all, these processes are in some way disturbed, the results upon the child could be disastrous. But before these processes can be fully integrated into the child's psyche, a strong bond must be formed between, at the very least, the mother and the child. Contrary to Locke's idea that children are born as blank slates, scholars have determined, after closely watching children for, in some cases, up to a decade after birth, that babies can be classified into three types; "easy children," who carry regular sleeping patterns, are cheerful, adaptable, and regular in bodily functions, "difficult children," who have irregular habits, cry a lot, and are withdrawn and intense, and "slow to warm up children," who, as the name implies, are slow to take on the habits of "easy children" but are not prone to excessive tantrums similar to the "difficult children." It was determined that the babies that showed these qualities did so independently of the handling of the babies by the parents. The children that were deemed "easy children" readily adapted to most situations whereas the "difficult children" had a much harder time and required extensive patience and parenting skills. Further research showed that as many as 70 percent of the children labeled "difficult" went on to develop behavioral problems which required psychiatric supervision. The way in which the parents bond with the children who are destined to have problems may greatly determine the way in which the child grows up and lives his or her life. But the sad fact is that the bond that develops between the parent and the child is in large part dependent upon the innate temperament of the child. (Wilson, 1985) A parent can develop the exceptional skill and patience required to adequately deal with a child whose temperament is difficult. But the child, based on his or her temperament, influences that way others respond and interact with it. An "easy child" is naturally going to smile more, probably going to have more sensitive skin, and overall respond more happily to attention from others. Because of this, this child will be smiled at, tickled, and played with more than a child, i.e., the "difficult child," who does not. Because it is easier to adapt to the demands of child that is not seen as a problem, a stronger bond may be formed between the "easy child" and its mother than the "difficult child." As a result, the future socialization of the "easy child" will be smoother than that of the "difficult child," leading to fewer problems in adolescence and eventually adulthood. (Wilson, 1985) The importance of a strong bond between mother and child was illustrated by a study done at the University of Minnesota in which researchers observed a group of children and their mothers since birth. The researchers concluded that by the age of six months, children who had securely attached themselves to their mothers were, at the age of two years, more likely to seek their mother's help when a difficult task presented itself. By the time the child was five years old, he or she was more able to adapt to changing circumstances and better equipped to cope with difficult tasks. Contrasted to this, children, who because of their tendency to avoid their mothers because of a lack of such an attachment, were more prone to becoming angry and frustrated when presented with a difficult task. Although the study does not go so far into the child's future to determine which of the two groups would be more likely to commit crimes later in life, it seems intuitively obvious that the individual les s capable of adapting to the difficult situations presented by life would be a stronger candidate in determining which of the two groups would be more likely to break the law. (Wilson, 1985) Alas, we cannot blame everything on the mother. Although there is much evidence to suggest that a healthy childhood in which strong bonds are developed between the parents and the child will result in a well adapted individual capable of living peacefully within society, there are other factors that may contribute to determining whether or not one child over another would be more likely to commit crimes into adulthood. One of these factors comes from the relatively new science of genetics. The idea that genetics may influence criminal behavior is "politically explosive." Many people either vehemently deny that such an explanation to crime can exist, and others gleefully welcome the possibility. There has, of course, been no definite link between genetics and crime. Much as there is no such thing as a "criminal personality," there has been no "crime gene" found. However, given the rapid expansion of the field and the findings of just how much of our diseases, appearance, etc., is the result of genetic factors, I think it is safe to assume that there will probably be found, if not a direct link between genetics and criminality, than at least some factor of genes that together would make one individual inherently more prone to crime than another. (Wasserman, 2001) Because the link between genetics and criminal behavior has yet to be found, and because the possibility of its being found is not far off, much of the debate on the subject has centered on whether or not the criminal, once there is established a genetic predisposition to crime, can be justifiably punished. If, after all, what he did was "in his genes," it seems as though it would be immoral to punish him. We do not generally feel that a person that is genetically prone to diabetes is responsible for their coming down with the condition. This debate raises a relevant question. It has already been determined that a negative familial background could make one more likely to commit crime, yet we still punish people that commit those crimes. I think the same can be said for genetics; just because someone is predisposed to committing crime, it does not follow that the criminal should not be held accountable. A person who was genetically (or for that matter familialy) predisposed to crime would be inclined but not necessitated to act out the crime and therefore should be held responsible. Whether holding that person responsible involves incarceration or rehabilitation is where the true debate should lie. (Wasserman, 2001) Another controversy being played out in modern times is the influence that violence in the media has on our children. Researchers have shown that a rise in violent crime occurred at the same time, all over the world, as "the first generation of children raised on TV began to reach the prime ages for committing violent crimes." And although they say that this comparison may not be completely accurate, and that there could be many other factors which could be attributed to the rise in violence, they nevertheless go on cite numerous studies that have been done on the subject which point to a direct correlation between violence on television and violence in the real world. The correlation is so strong, in fact, that it led to numerous major organizations such as the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, among others, to sign a joint statement noting the dangers of exposing children to long term media violence. (Bushman, 2001) The idea that certain individuals are predisposed to violence is a controversial one. However, much research has been done that shows the link is there. We should, as a society, move to an acceptance of this fact and begin to debate whether or not the current justice system deals with criminals in a morally justifiable way. And if it is determined that it does not, then perhaps it is time to move away from a system that emphasizes punishment and toward a system that emphasizes rehabilitation. Works Cited Bonger, Willem (1969). Criminality and economic conditions. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Bushman, AuthorB.J., & Anderson, C.A. (2001). Media violence and the american public. American Psychologist. 56, 477-489. Reasons, Charles E. (1974). The criminologist: Crime and the criminal. Pacific Palisades, CA: Goodyear Publishing Company, Inc.. Wasserman, D., & Wachbroit, R. (2001). Genetics and criminal behavior.New York: Cambridge University Press. Wilson, J. Q., & Herrnstein, R.J. (1985). Crime and human nature.New York: Simon and Schuster.

AIDS Crisis essays

AIDS Crisis essays Post world war civilization around the world has undergone many changes. With modernization, urbanization and western ideas infiltrating many countries, traditional ways of life and culture have been forced to adapt to this new and fluid society. AIDS has been referred to as the disease of modernity, and nowhere has its devastating effects been more profound than in Africa, specifically, the sub-Saharan region. Before diving into the causes and effects of HIV/AIDS on African society, it is necessary to understand AIDS as a disease; its origin, transmission, and development. Tissue preserved in 1959 from a central African man has recently been identified as the earliest known case. Many speculate that AIDS may have spread from the blood of hunted chimpanzees to their butchers in the years after WWII. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is transmitted through bodily fluids, including blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. Most commonly, it is transferred through sexual contact, intravenous drug use where needles are shared, and through blood transfusions. HIV/AIDS is a viral disease which tends to progress in three distinct stages. Within the first several weeks after infection, acute, flu-like symptoms develop, and many think nothing of it. A long period of ten years, on average follows, during which time no symptoms are present. In the final stage, full-blown AIDS appears, which is characterized by the collapse of the bodys immune system from which death ultimately occurs from wasting or overwhelming infection.3 Why has Africa been especially hard hit in the AIDS pandemic? Africa is an economically depressed region where everyone from government officials to children are forced everyday to survive. Mass migrations of people to urban areas in search of work began following WWII. These people left behind families and adopted new ways of life in the cities. Many fell into the practi...

Reedsy Learning The 5-Minute Publishing School

Reedsy Learning The 5-Minute Publishing School Introducing Reedsy Learning: The Five-Minute Publishing School â€Å"Once you stop learning, you start dying,† a great man with a mustache once said. And while I’m sure most of us agree with the sentiment, our hectic modern lives often leave us with little time to expand our knowledge. That is, of course, until now.Today, the team here at Reedsy is proud to unveil Reedsy Learning - a series of short publishing courses designed to help you learn more about writing, publishing, and marketing amazing books†¦ five minutes at a time.Learn how to publish over a cup of coffeeCreated by some of the best professionals in the industry, each course lasts just 10 days, with a new lesson arriving in your inbox every morning. These fun-sized knowledge nuggets can be absorbed in less than 5 minutes - perfect to enjoy on your morning commute or over a cup of coffee.And did we mention it’s FREE? Free online courses in writing, publishing, and marketing books! #ReedsyLearning What would you like to learn this week?As of this post, Reedsy Learning has launched with ten fascinating courses.Want to find out more about traditional or self-publishing? We have a bunch of courses to choose from. Need to get your rear into gear and grind out  that first book? Writing coach Jennie Nash has written a course  to educate and inspire you. Selling your book on the Kindle Store? This free course will teach you how Amazon’s Ranking Algorithms work and how you can use them to your advantage.At the end of each course, we’ll send you an online quiz, designed to help you retain all that precious knowledge you’ve accumulated.Get started right nowTo start, just pick any topic and you’ll receive your first lesson the next day. But don’t get too greedy - you can only register for one course at a time. That way, you won’t overload yourself and start ‘skipping class’ after a few days 😉At the end of your ten days, let us know what you think. We’re always looking to improve the courses, so we’re relying on your help!What subjects would you like to see covered on Reedsy Learning? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll do our level best to make it happen for you.

Corporate finance 501 case assigment 5 Mergers and acquisitions Essay

Corporate finance 501 case assigment 5 Mergers and acquisitions Oracle-Sun Merger - Essay Example The paper will firstly deal with the impact of this merger on the shareholders of each of the companies. The paper will also provide a brief overview of how the financial condition of both the companies has improved post the merger. The paper will further deal with how the two companies together prove to be more profitable than each of them individually and how the companies prove to be more successful. The merger of the two companies has proven to be very helpful and beneficial to the shareholders of both the companies. Issues that have been prevalent in the organizations individually are now being treated and improved. These improvements simply mean more sales and higher revenue which in turn simply means that the shareholders earn more. The businesses provide the shareholders with a high return and together the two companies are able to beat the tough competition that they faced from companies like Microsoft. Hence with the increased availability of resources and a combination of excellent products, the company will be able to generate higher revenues thereby providing the shareholders with better results and returns. In a presentation by Sun, the company has listed out a few of the benefits for the companies individually as well as in a partnership. The report stated that for the Sun customers, ‘Oracle plans to protect, extend and enhance customers’ investments after closing’ (Sun). The company also expects that there will be higher investments and innovation in the research and development and also extended value for better and more rounded off products. Also the Sun customers will be able to use the global systems and services of Oracle. In the case of the oracle customers, ‘Reduces integration costs while improving performance, reliability and security of the system’ (Sun). The customers would also gain a complete and integrated line of standards based products as

Separation of Powers Within the United Kingdom Constitution Essay

Separation of Powers Within the United Kingdom Constitution - Essay Example The English government has three branches which include: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The U.K is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch is the executive head of state while the Prime Minister is the head of government. Additionally, the Executive includes cabinet ministers, civil service, the police and the armed forces. The Executive formulates and implements government laws. The legislature, formally the â€Å"Queen in Parliament† is responsible for making laws. The judiciary is supposed to be free from parliament and the executive and is responsible for resolving conflicts between institutions of the state, individuals and the state and individuals, immune from criticism. Separation of powers, strengthened by the rule of law and parliamentary sovereignty is highly emphasized in the English Constitution. There would be no liberty if the same man or the same body exercised those three powers. The powers of the three arms of government generally overlap. The British Constitution does not strictly separate the powers. This is mainly due to the complexity and the interrelated nature of the functions of the state. A solid example of overlap between the three branches is the position of Lord Chancellor who is a member of the Cabinet, the head of the judiciary and also chairs the House of Lords when they sit as a legislature. The Constitutional Reform is currently reforming this role to highlight SOP. However, some argue that such a position acts as a bridge between the executive and the judiciary. ... However, some argue that such a position acts as a bridge between the executive and the judiciary. The executive and legislature have great connections in exercise of their powers. According to Bagehot (1867) that relationship is the â€Å"efficient secret of the English Constitution.† Overlaps are evident as seen when ministers sit in parliament and perform legislative functions; and the executive tends to control MPs to vote in a certain way. The government is usually made up of the party with the majority of seats in the House of Commons, which means that the executive has great control on legislative decisions. The Prime Minister, cabinet and bureaucracy determine the legislative agenda and the cabinet. Also, many judicial officers such as the Attorney General and the Lord Chancellor are appointed by the government. The executive generally dominates especially in cases where the government has a firm majority in the House of Commons to the extent that it is assured of winn ing major votes in the House. In Britain, a government of national majority coalition draws its political leadership in dominant control of authoritative decision making; and national public policy. The legislature may interfere in executive roles when government loses a vote of confidence and through Acts of parliament which may affect executive decisions. There is an overlap between the Judiciary and the Executive in that the Lord Chancellor who is the head of Judiciary also sits in the cabinet. In this case a member of the Judiciary finds himself in the cabinet. Again the Lord Chancellor chairs the House of Lords when they sit as legislature. In this instance a person who heads the Judiciary also chairs the proceedings of the legislature. There is

Globalization And Its Challenges Marketing Essay

Globalization And Its Challenges Marketing Essay Introduction Globalization is a process of integration and interaction among the people, organizations, and governments of different countries. It is also a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology (Smith Doyle, 2002). This process has significant impact on political systems, on economic development, on culture, on the environment, and on human rights around the world (Smith Doyle, 2002). Globalization is a tool that could help you nurture your business foreign countries (Tapper, 2000). When a company decides to go global, it will often experience an increase in profitability. Nevertheless, not every business will benefit from globalization. Some organizations may experience a healthy growth in global market, but some would have to overcome many challenges before establishing a successful business in a foreign country (Zboch, 2009). Wages, child labor laws and outsourcings effect on sale are salient issues for doing business overseas. Nike is the worldwide global corporation that has its manufacturing factories on contract basis around the world. Although Nike is the global leader in the athletic footwear industry, it has had a great deal of bad publicity due to its labor practice. The scandals involved child labor, slave wages, excessive working hours, forced overtime, and hazardous working conditions. Bad publicity related to Nikes labor practice had ruined its reputation and brand image. Some criticized that Nike did not enforced its code of conduct with the correct procedures. After receiving many complaints of its unethical practice, Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike realized the seriousness of the matter. He visited Nikes contract factories and delivered a variety of speeches regarding his upcoming actions to improve the human right situation (Hobbs, 1998). However, many people doubt his sincerity, and fear that he could not deliver on his promises of providing a healthy environment for workers. Even up until now, Nike still struggling to recover from its negative image as a human rights violator. Would Nike be able to solve this problem in future? Has Nike improved the labor conditions in Asia?    The purpose of this paper is provide an understanding of the various difficulties and complexities companies faces in todays global world. This paper will describe the accusations brought against Nike labor practices and all of the corrections that Nike formulated to produce a healthy and safe working environment effectively. This paper will also provide some recommendations for Nike to improve their performance in future. I. Globalization and Environmental Forces Globalization is commonly understood as the spread of influence of culture, religion language, communication, technology, trade, media, and transportation. That spread of has involved the intertwining of economic and non-economic activity across the borders (Smith Doyle, 2002). Today, many companies move their business operations to foreign countries by going global (for instance, Apple, Coca-Cola and Dell) and they have different reasons for doing business internationally. These reasons include: expand to new markets, diversify business, and increase market shares and brand value. Other reactive or defensive reasons for globalization including trade barriers, customer demands, globalization of competitors, and regulations and restrictions (Okolo, 2008).Reduction of cost is the major reason for companies going to global. Today, production cost has been increasing tremendously in developed countries. Many companies have outsourced its entire production operation to developing countri es or third world, like China, Cambodia, Brazil, India, Vietnam and Indonesia. They believe that production or service offshoring will eventually lower their production, labor and utility costs. However, doing business overseas has its benefits as well as its challenges. Companies may face legal, ethical, and cultural challenges in global business. Since every country appears to have its own law and regulation, companies must understand the standard pay or minimum wage requirement to avoid all conflict of interest. Ethical issues in globalization are those related to environmental protection, and concerning relation between different countries (e.g. industry espionage and hostile take over). When companies operate internationally, most of them are facing great challenges in cultural differences. Cross-cultural issues may arise when people within companies have different culture, language, religion and belief begin working together are not skilled or adept enough to deal with effectively. II. The Athletic Footwear Industry Recent economic crisis has affected the athletic footwear industry. The athletic footwear sales posted a 1.4 percent decline in 2009, and in 2008, sales were down 3.2 percent. (See Appendix A).  Footwear is considered less cyclical than apparel when consumer spending is under pressure. Analysts are expecting the footwear market will continue to grow over the next few years (PRlog press release, 2009). The retailer market of sporting goods is very competitive and highly fragmented. Intense competition will easily drive weak companies out of the market. Thus, many retailers reducing their presence in underperforming markets or restricting store growth in saturated markets. The costs of production have been rising in the U.S since 1990. The rapid rise in production costs has resulted in many U.S companies move theirs manufacturing works to Asia. Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and China has become a major outsourcing destination for the U.S. apparel and footwear manufacturers (Locke Siteman, 2001). Nike and Adidas have dominated the global branded athletic footwear markets. Market leader Nike has a significant lead over Adidas in footwear market for the last few years while other competitors like Reebok and New Balance is still lagging behind in the sales. (Locke Siteman, 2001) III. The Globalization of Nike Nike was founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. The company initially was an importer and distributor for Japanese specialty running shoes. The companys profits grew quickly and it opened its first retail shop in California in 1966. While other footwear companies still manufacturing their own shoes in high-cost countries, Knight decided to outsource its shoe production to lower-cost Japanese producers during the 1970s. By the early 1980s, as costs continued to increase in the U.S, Nike closed all its U.S and Japan factories, and it outsourced its production to Korea and Taiwan. When these countries began to develop and the wages increased significantly, Nike urged its suppliers to shift their production to even lower-cost countries like Indonesia, China and Vietnam. The company found that these countries have no protective labor laws and labor union at that time. Moreover, these countries provided huge supplies of cheap labor. By 1992, Nike sourced almost all of its shoe p roduction from Asia. The company has placed its employees at its outsourced factories to help monitor production processes and product quality (Locke Siteman, 2001). Today, Nike has successfully established an intensive network of footwear factories throughout China and Southeast Asia. Nikes operations are divided into three product lines: footwear, apparel and equipment. Their products are manufactured by nearly 600 supplier factories, employing over 800,000 workers in 46 countries around the world (Nike, Inc., 2010). In addition, Nikes sales have grown over 50% since 2005 to and reaching US$19 billion in 2009. (See Appendix B). Footwear is Nikes largest product category, 30% of shoes are sourced from China and Vietnam, 22% from Indonesia, and 6% from Thailand. Nike has manufacturing agreements with independent factories in India and Latin America like Brazil, Mexico and Argentina to produce footwear for sale primarily within those countries (Nike, Inc., 2010). Nike contracted 618 factories to manufacture its products in 2009, only 71 out of its suppliers are producing footwear. Most of these suppliers are located in North Asia. (See Appendix C). In contrast, Nike apparel products are made in 391 factories and the majority of these factories are distributed in Southeast Asia. These differences are due to both to the rules governing international trade in the industries (Locke Siteman, 2001, pg7). In the mid-late 1980s, footwear quotas were eliminated whereas trade in garments is still control by the Multi-fiber Agreement (Locke Siteman, 2001). Nike has also developed and markets footwear and apparel products under the Converse, Umbro Inc., Hurley International, and Cole Haan brand names. The company sells its products through its own retail in over 180 countries worldwide as well as through internet sites (Nike, Inc., 2010). Today, Nike has become the world leader in the design, distribution and marketing of the athletic footwear (Locke Siteman, 2001). The swoosh logo has become one of the most recognized in the world. IV. Nikes Unethical Labor Practices Are you willingly to work more than 70 hours every week, or send your young children to work in a factory? Many of us will not do that, but for many people who want to eat, the obvious answer is Yes.. That is a reality Nike faced when it first started outsourcing the production of sports apparel and shoes to external companies in the third world. There are many controversies over its labor practices in Asia. In the 1980s, Nike was accused of exploiting cheap labor and exposing them to destructive working environments. The company had also faced criticism for use of children to make its sport gears in Pakistan factories. As a result, Nike was labeled as forcing children to slave away in hazardous conditions for below-subsistence wages (Hill, 2009, pg2). In what follow, the paper will provide an overview of the various abuses of which Nike and its suppliers had been criticized in the past decade as well as the problems that the company has confronted. Child Labor in Pakistan Child labor is spread all over Pakistan. Sialkot, a city in Pakistan, is also a centre for the production of export-oriented goods, particularly sporting goods (Locke Siteman, 2001). About 70% of the worlds soccer balls are made in Sialkot and companies like Nike, Addidas, Reebok and Mitre imports soccer balls from this city. In 1990s, Nike contracted for its soccer ball production with SAGA Sports. Both companies benefited with the access to child labor in Pakistan (Haider, 2007). In 1996, Life magazine published an article about child labor that occurring in Pakistan, which included a photo of a young boy sewing a Nike soccer ball. (See Appendix D). This article drew the public attention to all human rights and fundamental freedom. Various activists groups, trade unions and NGOs called for boycotts Nike soccer balls because of using child labor. The Atlanta Agreement has signed by The Sialkot chamber of Commerce with the ILO, UNICEF and several leading sports goods associations to implement a program to stop using child labor in Pakistan (Locke Siteman, 2001). However, the government carries lack of willingness to do anything. Consequently, the same problem still exists in the country and Nike is still importing its soccer balls in million quantities from Pakistan. Slave Labor in Asia More than 80% of Nikes supplier factories are located in Asia. The Asian governments prohibited workers from forming independent unions and set the minimum wage at rock bottom. Labor activists criticized that the workers in Nike factories were being paid below the minimum daily wage. For example, Nikes suppliers paid workers in Indonesia less than US$3 a day (Medea, 1998), and the wage did not meet the basic needs of one individual. In 2006, the Worker Rights Consortium calculated that a livable wage in Indonesia is about US$8 per day (Bose, 2008). Global Exchange, an international human rights organization published a report on working conditions in four Nikes supplier factories in Southern China. The report found that children aged 12 to 13 years old who worked in one of the supplier factories (owned by a Korean company) earned only 10 cents per hour. These children were forced to work up to 17 hours daily and were not allow talking during work. Supplier paid Chinese workers US$1.80 a day that was lower than the Chinese minimum wage of $1.93 for an eight-hour day. The report stated that Nike labor practices had violated Chinese labor law but Nike denied the accusation and claimed that the report incorrectly stated the wages of workers (Locke Siteman, 2001). In Thailand and Vietnam, workers earned even lesser (less than US$1.5 a day) compared to the workers in Indonesia and China. According to Vietnam Labor Watch, a livable wage in Vietnam is about US$3 a day whereas the minimum wage in Thailand is US$4.50 a day (Medea, 1998). Health and Safety Problems in Vietnam IN 1994, the Ernst and Young conducted audits on Nikes contract factories in Vietnam. According to its report, Vietnamese workers at the Tae Kwang Vina factory were often exposed to chemical, 77% of them had serious health and safety problems. Workers with breathing or skin problem had not been transferred to departments free of chemicals and most workers who dealt with dangerous chemicals were not provided personal protective equipment such as masks or gloves (Zboch, 2009). This report revealed that workers were exposed to toluene (a chemical solvent can cause permanent damage to brain, nausea, and skin irritations). Toluene concentration had exceeded 177 times acceptable standards in parts of the factory. This report had tarnished Nikes image since the report came from Ernst and Young, an auditing firms hired by Nike to assess its suppliers factories. In addition, Nike commissioned former Ambassador to the United Nation Andrew Young to assess working conditions in its contract fact ories. In Youngs report, there is no mention of serious health and safety issues in the Tae Kwang Vina factory. This reports had casts doubt on Nikes honesty and commitment to labor and environment standards (Locke Siteman, 2001). Although Indonesia, China, and Vietnam have minimum wage laws on the books, the government of these countries was still allowing Nike to pay wages well below the minimum rate. Nike further circumvented wage laws by paying new employees an apprentice rate for several months into an employees tenure (Turner, 2008). In 1997, more than 10,000 Indonesian and 1,300 Vietnamese Nikes contract factories workers went on strike to protest low and unpaid wage. In 2000, 3,000 Chinese workers from Nikes contract factories protested dangerous working conditions and low wages. All of these protests took place in spite of the fact that these sorts of worker strikes are illegal in these countries (Turner, 2008). In addition to labor protests issues, numerous critics of Nikes practices had created a major public relation problem for the company. (See Appendix E traces the number of negative articles about Nikes practices.) The company has become a target for the anti-globalization and anti-sweatshop mo vements. The Anti-Nike campaign that organized by consumers and human rights groups has raised the awareness about sweatshop labor in third world countries. V. Nikes Response At the beginning, Nike denied all the violations of labor rights and they blamed their suppliers or the host government for its failures of enforcement. The company claimed that workers rights were respected despite the fact that Nike had failed to pay its workers with fair wages as well as to provide a safe working environment. In addition, Nike reluctantly to take responsibility for the labor, health and environmental problems found in its supplier factories. Nike claimed the company does not own these factories; therefore, it has no responsibility towards the workers (Avery, 1999).    In response to the ongoing criticism, Nike formulated its code of conduct for its suppliers. Every supplier must agree to abide this code in order to get a contract. (See Appendix F for the latest version of this code). The Code of Conduct in theory condemns and prohibits child labor, requires that workers be paid fair wage, imposes caps on the days and hours that a worker can be forced to work, prohibits mistreatment or discrimination of workers in any form, and states that factories must implement programs that benefit workers health and safety, and recognizes and respects the workers right to freedom of association (Avery, 1999). In addition, Nike has trained its internal monitoring team to ensure all suppliers comply with its code of conduct. The company has also hired auditing firms to assess and monitor its suppliers regularly. Recommendations The majority challenges Nike has to overcome involved ethical and cultural issues. Even up until now, Nike is still facing allegations and criticism from labor groups and human right about its overseas labor practices. In response to these criticisms, Nike should work closely with its suppliers to improve working conditions and create safe and healthy environments for its workers. Workers should be provided some type of health insurance or protective wear. Nike can offer strong incentive to its suppliers, to ensure they adopt companys code of conduct. Lack of worker awareness of basic code of conduct provisions is a major challenge for the company. Hence, Nike should provide human rights training to workers, to raise their awareness of their rights. Communication problem arose in Nikes overseas factories due to language barrier and little knowledge on cultural. In Vietnam, all factories are owned by Korean and Taiwanese suppliers, thus they may not understand local language and culture. To overcome communication challenges in workplace, Nike should encourage its suppliers to recruit local manager or people in multiple language ability. Furthermore, training program should be provided regularly to both management and workers in order to improve communication between workers and management. The recent suicides of Foxconn workers in China are raising concern about ethical issues in supplier factories. (Foxconn is a key supplier to big tech companies.) In June 2010, a dozen of Chinese workers went on strike over wage violation. The Chinese government has increased the minimum wage due to the strike in many provinces (Kang, 2010). In future, China may not be the most attractive low-cost countries for foreign companies as more and more Chinese workers urge their employer to increase wages. This in turn, may cause a rise in manufacturing wages in China and that would substantially increase Nikes costs of production as most of its products are made in China. Nike can urge its suppliers to relocate their operations to other low cost countries in Latin America without compromising product quality. Nike assures the public that its suppliers pay the countrys minimum wage; however, in many countries minimum wage does not equate a living wage. The Indonesian government has admitted that the minimum wage only covered 70% of the basic needs of one person (Locke Siteman, 2001). Some countries like Vietnam and Indonesia arbitrarily set minimum wage low to lure foreign investments. Being an ethical employer, Nike must ensure every worker is being fairly paid. In addition to providing livable wages, the company should take the long-term cost of image damage into account rather than pursuing low cost strategy. After all, brand name is their greatest asset and Nike should take immediate action to clean up its mess instead of blaming the host governments or its suppliers. The development of a strict monitoring system in its factories overseas is still a challenge for Nike. Nikes factories are controlled by absentee owners, so the company should continue to hire independent firms to do the regular monitoring of the factories. Conclusion Today, more and more companies expand their business by going global. Globalization has brought a culture of free labor. Nikes linger sweatshop stigma is a case in point. The companys worldwide image was tarnished after a wave of public criticism for its labor practices. Many human rights groups felt that Nike was using slave labor as a tool to lower their production costs, and the workers were not receiving proper wages. Moreover, Nike had also been accused of using child labor in its factories and had failed to provide a safe working environment for its workers. In response to these criticisms, Nike formulated its code of conduct that required its suppliers to observe some basic labor and environment standards. The company also expands its internal and external monitoring to keep up with factory base. In summary, most companies may face legal, cultural, and ethical challenges when doing business overseas. These environmental forces are perceived as uncontrollable and could pose cha llenges for your company if they have not been well handed. The case of Nike demonstrated how difficult it could be for company to survive in global business market because of the different culture, laws and regulations of the host country. Therefore, increasing globalization of business is requiring managers to have global perspective and an understanding of the environment forces of the markets in which they operates (Dr C, 2005).

Ebooks vs books Essay

Paper and electronic books both make an excellent and effective way of reading, although paper books allow more of a precise effective reading while electronic books is often quicker and more convenient. Reading has always been one of our important and educational element. Since childhood, reading and books has always been exposed to us. Society evolution of books has completely changed and restructured our way of reading. Paper books are described to be â€Å"traditional books† whereas electronic books are described to be â€Å"modern†; but no matter of its  differences, both paper and electronic books are essential functions of reading. In difference of the fact that readings traditional and modern have many similarities, they also have some differences. Between Paper and Electronic Books, there are loads differences as well as similarities shared. Paper Books, for example affects the reader more differently than electronics. Though they both serve the same purpose in the matter; reading traditionally, increases the reader’s way of thinking and education. It impacts the readers on how they express themselves; improve  communication skills and opening their mind to new ideas. It offers more of an escape to the readers, thus broadening their mind and creativity. Whereas electronic books, has the advantage to change their lightning so that it is easier for the readers to read. Like a computer, it allows the reader to have the ability to translate any given book, look up information about the book and retrieve books quickly. Based on earlier research, many people assume the price of eBooks is more or less better than buying books. Generally each book has a different price depending on if it is hard or a paper  copy. Reading electronically, there are many of websites that could give the reader books for free and some that sells them at a cheaper price. Nevertheless, paper books at least have its advantages and reasons in their price. Despite their price in new books, bookstores can offer discounts and other benefits for books of usage at lower prices than eBooks. According to publishers, printing paper books are usually accounted for only eight percent of its cost based off the publishing. However, electronic books are often cheaper because of none printing fees. A clear difference is also the space and weight between each other. Coming in different bulky sizes, books often take more than enough space and are heavy. Carrying more than two or three around can become like a work-out. One the other hand, studies show that readers like some of the weight. With the given weight of the books, it allow readers to make sure that their items are not misplaced (Kevin O’Kelly). Despite the weight, books are known to be reliable equipment. Withstanding abuse form variations of temperature, moistures, falls and tearing, they are often known to be strong. Even more so, they give off an appealing yet elegant look and do not involve a need of power to function. Whereas eBooks are often thin and created to weigh the amount of a smart phone. EBooks are more of viewing hi-tech software, which can carry dozen to hundreds of books. Although they are able to withstand traveling without weight, eBooks also are able to break easily. Not being durable enough, eBooks has more of a chance breaking when dropped or wet. Still rather than being an easy usage, eBooks often need connection and can only produce a reader one book at a time. This can be problematic for a student that needed to study. In contrast, accommodating either paper or eBooks, each has their own disadvantage and advantage in reading. Each is somewhat of an advantage or disadvantage to different readers but they are both materialistic of the same thing and purpose. Similarly, both paper books and eBooks serve the purpose, for the reader to enjoy books. The decision is ultimately up to the reader to decide. Some people find that technology is convenient and reliable; while other fined that there is no reason to change things. They just each have ways of being an advantage and a disadvantage but are very similar in ways SOURCES Couts, Andrew. â€Å"IS THERE ANY REASON TO OWN PAPER BOOKS BESIDES SHOWING OFF? NOT REALLY. † Web. 26 October 2013 Mandly, Leah. â€Å"Nook vs. Book. † Daily Collegian (2010): Web. 21 Nov 2010. O’Kelly, Kevin. â€Å"EBooks vs. Print: Actually a Nonissue†. Web. 25 February 2014. Rlaforme. â€Å"Kindle vs. Nook vs. Book. † Genera=on the Alterna=ve Voice 1984. SBI. 12 January 2010. Web. 21 November 2010. Slater, Marc. â€Å"EBooks VS Printed Books: Which Is Preferred Now? †.