Guidence for Getting Answers

Case 2 Intranets: Invest First, Analyze Later? Questions: 1. Where and under what circumstances is the â€Å"invest first, analyze later† approach appropriate? where and when is it inappropriate? Give specific examples of technologies and other circumstances. 2. How long do you think the â€Å"invest first , analyze later† approach will be appropriate for intranet projects? When (and why) will the emphasis shift to traditional project justification approaches? (Or has the shift already occurred? ) 3. What are the risks of going into projects that have not received a through financial analysis? How can organization reduce these risks? . Based on the numbers provided for Cadence Design System’s intranet project, use a spread sheet to calculate the net present value of the project. Assume a 5-year life for the system. Case 3 Putting IT to Work at Home Depot Questions: 1. Explain why the team based structure at Home Depot is so successful. 2. The structure means that the SPST reports to both marketing and technology. This is known as a matrix structure. What are the potential advantages and problems? 3. How is collaboration facilitated by IT in this case? 4. Why is the process flow important in this case? Case 4 Dartmouth College Goes WirelessQuestions: 1. In what ways is the Wi-Fi technology changing the Dartmouth students? 2. Some says that the wireless system will become part of the background of everybody’s life – that the mobile devices are just an afterthought. Explain. 3. Is the system contributing to improved learning, or just adding entertainment that may reduce the time available for studying? Debate your point of view with students who hold a different opinion. 4. What are the major benefits of the wireless system over the previous wire line one? Do you think wire line systems will disappear from campus one day? (Do some research on the topic. )

Ageing problem in China

The second half of the 20 century, human beings has experienced the most rapid population ageing population process, especially in developed countries. Meanwhile, China followed the step to get in an ageing society with weak economic strength and an Imperfect system which have significant Impact In economy and society. In addition, the current old-age security, health care Institutions and traditional management system have not kept pace with the development of old age boom, so that China's government should take a series of measures to encourage people to prepare for old age.The United Nations believe that if the old people in a country over the age of 60 are more than 10 percent or over arrears old of population for more than percent of the total number, then it is already belongs to an ageing population country. This problem is generated by population age structure, while the change depends on three factors: births, deaths and migration. The most Important element determining the ageing population Is the decline of fertility rate. [l] So far, In our country there are 144 million of classified old people, making 1 1 percent population in total, and Increasing at percent average annual rate.It Is predicted that by 2020 China's elderly population will reach million, accounting for 17. Percent in total, and after 2050, the data will jump to percent, getting into severe ageing stage. The ageing levels rise from Percent to percent in Just less than arrears, while Britain, France, the united States and other western industrialized countries of will take roughly arrears. [2] As a developing country with a large population, this rate is indeed staggering. Impact Ageing population Is the product related to national economy, politics, culture and any other fields.It concerns the people's livelihood and national sustainable development strategies of major social Issue. In this paper I will discuss two mall Impacts related In economy and the whole society. With the growt h In the number of people living longer, it brings financial difficulties, especially in China, the number of old people is large and the number increases dramatically which means the government needs to increase the financial expenditure in retirement pay, pensions, health care, health insurance and elderly welfare.Moreover, there is not a perfect social security system in our country. The labor market is also affect by an ageing population. To be specific, it causes a decline in the proportion of working-age population and the ageing labor force, leading to a reduction in supply of workforce and labor productivity. In this case, China will find it hard to change the situation In cheap labors focus and get some competitive edge in the International market. The consumption structure and Industrial structure might be changed.We cannot Ignore the fact that old people are a kind of special consumer group In living goods, housing, tourism and medical care. With the number of old people going up, those consumer rodents gain their position in the market which is the reason to make the medical industry in a large extent. The elderly are the major consumer of health care group and main beneficiaries in medical insurance system. On the one hand, old people belong to the group of easily attacked by diseases because body tissues and organs are heading into a higher speed aging process, and the resistance is too weak to resist the attack of disease.The relevant research indicates that percent of critical illness shared by the people who are over arrears old is 5. 6 times more than the total in the whole country. On the other hand, there are varieties of demands in health service and the medical expenditure is become more and more expensive, so that numerous families can not afford it. The burden of family will be heavier than before. A family with old people is required long-term care services, rehabilitation care and spiritual consolation and so on.Nowadays in China, the structure of family affected by One Child Policy, one person required to support the four elderly and one child. How stressful they are. Strategies Facing the severe situation of an ageing population, it is a challenge for the Chinese overspent. In order to promote sustainable development and harmonious society, the three below strategies can be done by government to encourage people to have a happy life in their old age. To improve the old-age medical security system and continue to be improved.It can offer a effective and a whole set of services from hospital to daily health care, as well as medical insurance, pension insurance and elderly welfare for the old people. In addition, it stimulates the economic boom of relevant industry, such as home-care agencies. Paying greater attention to the elderly community service system and strengthening community- based social welfare and the basic community service function. The overwhelming majority of old people are empty nesters, which m ean they like the birds living in the empty nest and no one take care of them.Considering this situation, government should invest more on building elderly community service system, like increase the sport equipment, medical services, elderly community activities and projects. To make people more aware of elderly health care by promoting or advertising. In this way people will gradually notice and improve the ability to remain independence. It can also help the elderly to be self-reliance, self-care and self-help capabilities which will benefit for their physical and mental health.On the other words, it can cultivate a healthy aging environment to reduce aging, so that many organs and functions could be extended as much as possible. In conclusion, much needs to be done to deal with the ageing population, and it not only depends on a robust system of government but also the effort of the public. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. We need to develop step by step and lear n from experiences other countries to help us to promote strategy of sustainable development.

Educational circles Essay

Lifelong education is a concept not to vague in today’s educational circles. It has been used in many different forms to promote a person’s pursuance to knowledge. It is claimed that life is education, practically speaking when you live you encounter deterrents or resistance in forms of challenges. It is normal for a person to face this situation, in here you will see that ones failure and challenges arise man’s normal tendency is to adapt and move on. Therefore learning and educating himself on the situation he/she has just experienced (Smith M. 1996). The issue that can be seen in pursuing further education is Man’s ability to absorb and effectively comprehending knowledge at a certain age. Man’s psyche changes as it progress deep into the application of his/her field or application. When the application stage of man kicks in he or she finds it difficult to learn new things because his/her paradigm is already stuck on its present state. That’s why preparation to a lifelong education is vital. It features a lot of difference between specializing. Specializing is done when man pursues and therefore encloses himself to a specific study. Not only that, he or she will be engrossed in its application, one reason for this is the field maybe his or her source of income. Examples are doctors, engineers, or architects who pursue to improve knowledge in their respective fields. The difference between lifelong learning and specialization is on it’s the width of its spectrum. A person pursuing a lifelong learning is more open he or she views mistakes as an opportunity of learning. A person pursuing specialization is not close minded but more coherent in their studies, and they usually have a rigid paradigm. The importance of differentiating lifelong learning and specialization is important. Creating standard studies on this topic will give students and educators a point of reference. This point of reference will assist our education system on integrating this to a learner’s life. Show them the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing one side to the other. Or even provide an evolvement study to at some proportion integrate the two different sides together. Reference: Smith M. (1996). Lifelong learning. http://www. infed. org/lifelonglearning/b-life. htm

The Issue of Animal Rights In the Modern World Essay

The Issue of Animal Rights In the Modern World - Essay Example This essay stresses that the man has a high intellect and capacity for reflective activity that cannot be observed in animals. However, this representation is associated with a conflicting situation. Let us imagine a mentally ill person or a person who suffers from mental retardation. In fact, they are not much different from animals because they lack the ability to think properly. This paper makes a conclusion that the analysis of the problem of equality around the world allows one to see that equality is seen only as the equality between people. However, this notion of equality is not fair. Animals also have their moral rights, because they are able to suffer like humans. The capacity for suffering is the foundation that makes it possible to take into account the moral rights of animals. Intelligent differences between humans and animals are not a valid reason to deny the moral rights of animals. Otherwise, people who have problems with mental activity should be deprived of their moral rights, but this is not happening. Fair equality is the equality that takes into account the interests of not only people but also animals. Animals, in turn, have a moral right to protection of their life and the creation of decent conditions for its existence. If human society wants to be called a fair society, it is necessary to strive for a just equality. Cruelty to animals that are seen as soulless machines is a road to nowhere.

Research design Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design - Research Paper Example These factors, according to Hsieh (2011), have a profound impact on the actions, behaviors, and interests of a student in language classrooms, which either hinders or promotes their performances in learning foreign languages. In addition, gender has become increasingly important as a perspective in foreign language acquisition investigations, which have highlighted females as being more positive and interested in comparison to males. This gender perspective is especially salient because it has important pedagogical and theoretical implications in the learning of foreign languages, especially because females tend to use more learning strategies and do so more effectively (ONeill, 2008). However, there is a dearth of information about the very nature of these differences in nature and whether they are linked to attitudes, motivations, or both. Therefore, investigating affective aspects is increasingly crucial with the addition of the gender perspective to enhance the outcomes and inter ests of students in learning foreign language (Lee, 2005). This study will seek to contribute to current literature by providing more gender-sensitive insight for a Muslim country. The in-depth interview method will be used for this research study because it is considered as the best fit for collecting social and personal concerns, approach, motivations, beliefs, and attitudes (Babbie, 2010). In addition, it is possible to vary the scope of the interview method from investigations on a large scale to studies on a small scale that can be conducted by one researcher. This is especially because the rationale behind in-depth interviews involves attaining a snapshot of attitudes and conditions at a single moment or point (Fowler, 2013). For this research study, the interview questions will be adapted from the ATMB, or â€Å"Attitude Motivation Test Battery†, by Gardner. The selection of Gardner’s Attitude-Motivation Test

Analysis of Child Labor in Photographs Research Paper

Analysis of Child Labor in Photographs - Research Paper Example The first photo is that of a young boy working as a garbage picker. This was taken Mexico in the year 1996. The second photo is of two young girls pictured outside a brick factory, taken on 9thof February 2002. Pictures do not have the power to tell people how to think but they direct them on what to think about. This means that they have the power to make something the center of focus. Another important aspect of pictures is that they are able to achieve a high conviction of power. This is because they are able to appeal to the innermost part of a human being and cause them to demand that justice is granted to the oppressed. In order to achieve greater convincing power and emotional impact, Lewis Wickes Hine capitalizes on the facial expressions of his subjects as seen in the pictures of children fetching wood scraps to be used at the brick factory. The most striking detail in the Kabul picture is the faces of the children featured as they express emotional suffering and exhaustion. The innocent children without a doubt are tired of the kind of work they have to do to make ends meet. They are clearly unhappy at face. The work that they have to do is heavy and especially so considering that the location at which they are working looks desolate. The picture shows the child at the background having a face contorted possibly due to exhaustion and helplessness. A closer look reveals that the child is weeping; possibly wiping her tears. Both the children are dressed in a manner that clearly defines their state of poverty. The children walk with their heads focused on the ground. This shows how downcast they are. This is justified given the fact that other children of their ages are in school or at least playing together somewhere. Between the two girls, the younger is weary to an extent that she is not even able to keep up with the walking pace of her sister. The garbage picker’s face reveals a shade of sorrow even though his face is focused on the photograph er. He is clearly tired, possibly having worked a long time searching in the garbage. He works in a place where all around is garbage. His merchandise therefore comprises pieces of waste material. Both of his hands tightly hold whatever treasures he has retrieved from the garbage pit. The garbage picker carries a box on his back, an item that clearly is big for a person his size. He seems to be helpless and hopeless going by his facial expression. What is evident in both pictures is the depiction of children subjected to child labour and the effect this has on the emotional wellbeing of the victims.

Proposing a Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Proposing a Solution - Essay Example In this regard, as a resident of Los Angeles, California, the problem that has besieged commuters in this area is the consistent and persistent traffic jams that cause delays in arriving at scheduled destination in time. The essay hereby aims to achieve the following objectives: to define the problem; to find a solution; to defend one’s solution by testing it; and to offer reasons for adopting the proposal in detail. Definition of the Problem Traffic jams in Los Angeles have been manifested to be a perennial head-ache for daily commuters. Local residents, visitors and daily commuters have observed that traffic congestion has been a problem for several years now. One contends that traffic congestion is actually not the problem; it is an effect of something that has not been appropriately addressed. If one were to closely analyze the situation, the real cause of the problem is the greater increase in the number of vehicles commuting the area during peak hours and the lesser amou nt of accessible roads. The number and space of accessible roads apparently become limited during peak hours and could not possible accommodate the excessively large amounts of vehicles plying the area. Alternative Courses of Action Seeing this as a problem of demand and supply, the alternative courses of action are as follows: to address the demand aspect through implementing reforms and policies concerning road or freeway use (through increasing the tolls; parking fees; and penalties for violating traffic rules); and to encourage commuters to share riding in vehicles. Likewise, the local traffic agency could apply number coding schemes to lessen vehicles commuting during peak hours. In addition, to address the supply side, the possibilities of building more roads or alternate routes could be examined. Addressing the demand side means lessening the number of vehicles plying the freeway, especially during peak hours. As suggested, LA traffic enforcers could examine the possibilities of implementing increased prices for tolls, parking fees and penalties for traffic violations; encourage commuters to share riding in vehicles and even implementing a coding scheme where vehicles with plate numbers ending in certain numbers would not ply the freeway once a week. The advantage of this option is that lesser number of vehicles would mean lesser congestion. The disadvantage of this is that commuters could be enraged by limiting or restricting the use of their vehicles. The second alternative, addressing the supply side is to build more roads or alternate routes. The advantage of this option is that more roads would give vehicles greater spaces to travel. The disadvantages are: funds for construction and the space to accommodate more roads. Recommended Course of Action After evaluating the options, one would propose focusing on the demand side through instituting higher prices for tolls, parking fees and penalties for traffic violations to demotivate commuters in using vehicles and to be encouraged to share riding vehicles with others who go the same route. Likewise, applying the number coding scheme is another viable solution to limit the authorized vehicles plying the freeway. By increasing pricing policies, the city would generate more revenues and would enable the most efficient use of roads. As for the supply side, building more

He Nurse' Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors Essay

He Nurse' Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors - Essay Example It is estimated that, at least one in ten inpatients have faced an incident of medication error, leading to severe injuries. Nurses have a very critical responsibility in the identification, reduction, and prevention of any foreseeable medical risks in hospital settings and other environment of medical care. To counter the increasing cases of medical errors, nurses and other practitioners should view every medical error as a complex system failure rather than an individual failure. As a result, effort towards the development of defenses to eradicate errors is more likely to advance patient safety rather than blaming individual responsibility. Medication errors entail preventable events (harm or death) caused by inappropriate medication or treatment procedures. Introduction The recent medical errors not only cost individual lives and health but also have a very extraneous financial burden that ranges from 21 billion to 37 billion dollars every year. Frequent medical errors lead to a r eduction in the level of satisfaction and trust in nurses and the entire healthcare system by the society. Safety concerns among patients constitute the main cause for patients seeking alternative care. Health practitioners have the responsibility of complying with the five main rights to safe medication, right route, right patient, right drugs, and right time. As stated by Ball (2010), in 2010, there are between 78 000 to 120, 000 reported cases of deaths caused by preventable and unnecessary medical errors annually. Additionally, thousands of inpatients are affected by nonfatal medical errors. Medication errors also lead to psychological and physical errors among the affected patients. Nurses have an incredibly decisive role in reducing cases of medication errors. They have the responsibility of ensuring that other health professionals do not make unnecessary mistakes and that they too do not make obvious mistakes. Thesis Statement The main role of any health professional is to pr otect and improve patients’ health. Nurses have the key responsibility of reducing cases of medication errors in health sectors. They have the mandate of utilizing all the available resources, strategies, and mechanisms to mitigate increased deaths and harm caused by medication errors. The cooperation between all involved players in the health sector can record significant improvement in-patient health Owing to increased deaths and physical injury caused by nurses’ medication errors, nurses have come up with a variety of strategies and measures to counter the alarming death rate. At present, there are several suitable methods for reducing the impact of medication errors. For starter, drug selection is extremely crucial especially among vulnerable people in the society. Nurses should avoid ordering drugs on Beers Criteria for patients who are 65 years and above. The Beers Criteria points out the drugs that should be avoided by aged patients who have a specified medical condition. The use of trailing zero after decimal in a dosage is another core reason for medication error. For instance, it is possible for health practitioners to misinterpret 1.0g with 10 g in the situation where the decimal is not legible. According to the existing medication regulations, zero is

Individual Internet Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Internet Assignment - Essay Example Such decisions require consistency in the general business and the marketing strategy for that business. A rightful unit in this line makes decisions on products within it, the price within the set guidelines, dealers to be used and a communication strategy that is analogous to the business’ strategy. A product portfolio is the set of products that is offered by a company. The marketing strategy of a company should thus be alongside the products in the offer and based on various business models (Zamagni 373). 1. Marketing mix According to Perreault and McCarthy (50), a marketing mix is a set of variables put together by a company to satisfy the target market. It has four tenets as indicated in the figure below. Product; this involves the development of the correct product for the market. One should choose the right characteristics and services for customer satisfaction. Place: the business should ensure that the product is at the right place where it is required by the target market for purchase. Price; the business owner should choose a price that the target market is willing to spend on the product Promotion: the process of informing the target market about the product With a good marketing mix, the customer is able to perceive the product correctly. It determines the poisoning of the product with relativity to the needs of the customer. 2. Porters five forces The porter’s model is essential for checking the economic models that impact a business (Zamagni 375). The model (as indicated in the figure below) can be used by a company in the following ways; Internal industry rivalry; this occurs through competition in pricing the products or other means. The firms should be able to set competitive prices (as defined in the market mix). Entry threat; this threat arises from other companies who may want to develop the same product. It can be lowered by developing high end products Substitute products; the business owners should be aware of the substitu tes available in the market and look out for potential substitutes. They can decide to enlarge market definitions. Supplier/buyer powers; the business should offer a wide range of prices to the buyers. To the suppliers, they should be given very high standards for materials supplied to up scale the quality. 3. Break even analysis In aligning the right strategies, a business should be aware of the break even point in order to avoid losses. This is the point where the sales made are just enough to cover the costs associated with production. At this point, further sales indicate profits for the business. In coming up with a break even analysis, the business owners should consider the fixed and variable costs, margins of contribution and the operating leverages (Menon, 25). 4. Product life cycle analysis This is an assessment of environmental effects associated with a product from raw materials to end of its usage. In the case at hand, this technique is useful in supporting the business strategy. It also acts as an input to the design of a product and also for declaring the product. It is an essential tool for business decision making in areas such as; environmental comparisons to determine environmental value of product as well as methods of production and various choices, manufacturing and commercial development. 5. SWOT Analysis This analysis aims at identifying the strengths, weaknesses, the opportunities as well as the threats found in a

Emotions and Posture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Emotions and Posture - Essay Example However, one clearly recognizable difference to my posture from these other activities existed when I worked on a computer in a seated position. Because my eyesight is declining, it is increasingly difficult to work with a distance away from the computer screen, which caused a slight slouch in my posture while completing computer tasks. However, I experienced no slouching posture during the process of reading books or finishing other near-sighted tasks. After completing these initial observations over the course of three days, I manipulated the posture variable for the next three days. Part of this manipulation was a slightly slouched stance by approximately 15 degrees. I concluded that this degree of change would not be readily recognizable by others who knew me well; however, I believed the change would register at some levels in both my own mind states and those of others. In order to maintain consistency, I kept this slouched position during all activities and at all times for th ose three days during which the experiment was being conducted. Once my body became acquainted with the new stance through some practice and conscious thought, the new posture seemed natural, which allowed me to ignore that variable as I interacted with others and carried on with my daily life. During these interactions, the differences I noticed were not significant. Others seemed to be set in their perceptions of my body such that they could not notice the difference in my posture. However, my interactions with others changed in that I felt less confident (partly because of my idea that bad posture is an unattractive trait) and less open to interpersonal interaction. A decrease in confidence may have created a feedback loop in which my behavior affected other’s interactions with me during the time of the experiment. However, as I said, there were no noticeable differences in the way others perceived or interacted with me while the manipulation of my posture was occurring. A fter the experimental period had concluded, I returned to my usual patterns, including readjusting to my normal posture. From this, I discovered the interpersonal confidence I had before the posture change and I felt less self-conscious about my attractive (or unattractive) stance. Posture, as such, does not receive much conscious thought from most people unless of course their posture is noticeably bad either to the self or to others. Overall, my normal patterns seem to have returned without any major difference. The question of whether the posture manipulation ultimately resulted in a change in my emotions depends on the situation. In some situations, the bad posture variable made me less likely to engage in interactions with others because I felt less attractive. Anxious emotions could be attached to the bad posture in that way. In other situations, the bad posture variable had no effect on how others treated me, which left emotions like happiness from acceptance unchanged. My mo od did not suffer because of a bad stance, at least according to my observations. A serious limitation to this experiment is, of course, the self-reporting on a variable I am always tempted to think about during the course of the experiment. Nevertheless, despite this limitation, I believe that emotions can be affected by posture, assuming that one has a notion of good posture as a physically attractive trait and that one either perceives himself as having a good or bad one. If the individual or the society has no

Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

5 - Assignment Example The term ‘love’ originated from English language in the 8th century and evolved to become what we know it today. From the old English, the word ‘lufu’ is related to ‘luve’ in Old Frisian, ‘luba’ in old Germany and ‘lubo’ in Gothic. In early systems of Scandinavian languages, there was ‘lof’, an equivalent of today’s ‘love’. Its present meanings were also contributed by the Indo-European ‘lubido’ connoting desire and ‘lubet’ which meant that something was attractive. As the word was changing from culture to culture, it acquired a different meaning considering the varying purposes for which people wanted to use it and the kind of emotions they wanted to express and as it came to Greek, the word ‘love’ acquired its meaning, as I define it and from the OED definition, from the Greek mythology in ancient Greek where words like ‘xenia’, †Å"philia,† â€Å"storge,† â€Å"eros,† and â€Å"agape.† Apparently, it is intoxicatingly fascinating to note that the meaning of words evolves from time to time and culture to culture as necessitated by cultures and customs. My definition of love as an intangible emotion that one experiences when they meet something or someone that makes them happy has been shaped by my American culture. Similarly, the word ‘love’ acquired various terms such as ‘lubido’, ‘lof’, ‘luba’ and ‘lubet’ in various languages as necessitated by what the people wanted to express and such meanings having been changing from time to time to a now relatively standard meaning of ‘love’. Hence, the meaning of words is shaped by time, cultures and customs coupled with the message that they are envisioned to

Impact of Globalisation on Africa Essay Example for Free

Impact of Globalisation on Africa Essay This course will examine the critical and rapidly changing role of the state at the beginning of a new millennium as a result of internal and external factors, paying special attention to the state as a central player in ensuring the provision of public services, as well as facing the new challenges emerging around the world. It will enable students to: †¢ assess the impact of global economic liberalisation and information dissemination on governments and their constituents; †¢ engage in specific analyses of the changing role of the state, the different actors and stake-holders involved, the mechanisms of governance at different levels; and the emerging frustrations and violence. †¢ identify the capacities of and constraints facing governance processes; †¢ critique the manner in which reforms undertaken by governments impact social, cultural and economic development; and †¢ analyse the challenges faced by governance with regard to democratisation; To accomplish this, the course is divided into three thematic areas: 1. The State and the People (internal factors): Under this first part of the course, students will identify the basic components of state-craft, the different actors who come into play in decision making, the relative importance of each over the course of history, the constants in different geographic contexts, etc. With the advent of fresh economic, social, and environmental challenges, there is a strong sense among governments that their scope for autonomous public action is being reduced by the forces of globalisation and the consequent growth of inter-dependence among states. Sound governance in the public sector is a critical factor for continued progress. A determined effort is thus required by governments in refocussing the capacities of the public sector to meet the emerging challenges, and to grasp the opportunities thrown up by the global trends in a new millennium. 2. The State and Globalization (external factors): Under this second part, students will review the process of rapidly increasing globalization, and its impact on the role of the state, the process of increasing inter-connectedness between societies such that events in one part of the world have increasing effects on people and societies far away. Economically, transnational flows of commodities and production factors, such as capital and labour, are being accelerated. Politically, the sovereignty of nation states is being undermined, and certain kinds of supra-national authorities are being enhanced. Socio-culturally, contacts between peoples in different parts of the world have become easier, enhancing the advent of a global culture and cultural homogenisation. The effect of the integration of markets, new information technology, the erosion of sovereignty, the growing role of non-state actors, and sub-national groups, and an increasing inter-dependence among states, has resulted in the emergence of a global community, global issues, and global actions. Students will analyse the changes required in the functions of the state so that it can effectively mitigate the impact of globalization to ensure sustainable development, and national security. 3. Reconstructing the State (mechanisms of reform): Under this third part, students will review the need for recasting the roles of the institutions of the state, as well as the normal interaction between the various stakeholders – the state, the private sector and the civil society. They will analyse and debate on how national governance institutions can be reconstructed and retooled in different contexts within a climate of privatisation, participation, and decentralisation, how local governance can be promoted, how rule of law and regulatory frameworks can be established through responsible governance, and how democratic space can be created and maintained. This includes engaging civil society and the private sector in a dynamic partnership to improve the quality of developmental services, enhance social responsibilities, and ensure the broadest participation of citizens in civic life. The task o f the state is to take advantage of the forces of globalisation in providing a secure and stable domestic environment. The course will also analyse the manner in which the state can promote the participation of citizens in decision-making, enforce impartial legal frameworks, build transparency and promote accountability and equity, design policies on consensus, and provide strategic vision to overcome the challenges of mitigating the negative impacts of the global economy, transnational bodies, international law, powers and power blocs, and sub-national fringe groups. READINGS While required readings will consist of the following texts which will be placed on reserve in the Library, additional articles for each lesson may also be made available either over email or in hard copy. Some of these articles are cited in the various lesson descriptions below. Recommended Texts: †¢ Globalisation, Human Development Report 1999, UNDP, available for free download at : http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/ †¢ Reinventing Government, David Osborne, 1992. †¢ Reconceptualising Governance, Discussion Paper 2, UNDP, January 1997, available for free download at : http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN98-21.PDF/Recon.htm †¢ The Third Wave, by Samuel Huntington, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. †¢ Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen, published by Random House Anchor Books. †¢ The World Turned Upside Down? Globalization and the Future of the State, by Berry Jones, published by St. Martins Press. †¢ Globalisation and its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz, published by W W Norton and Company. †¢ The Lexus and the Olive Tree, by Thomas Friedman, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Other General Texts: †¢ Globalisation and the State, World Public Sector Report 2001, United Nations †¢ Civil Society and Political Theory, Arato and Cohen, MIT Press, Cambridge. †¢ Democratic Governance, March and Olsen, New York Free Press. †¢ Globalization and the Nation-State, Holton, London: MacMillan. 2 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Strange, Cambridge University Press. Marc Williams (1996), â€Å"Rethinking Sovereignty†, Chapter 8, Elenore Kafman and Gillian Youngs (Eds.), Globalization: Theory and Practice, London: Pinter Globalization: Theory and Practice, edited by Youngs, London: Pinter The Twilight of Sovereignty: How the Information Revolution Is Transforming Our World. Wriston, New York: Charles Scribner. Governance in the Twenty-first Century , Rosenau in Global Governance, Vol. 1, No. I (Winter 1995) Globalisation, State Sovereignity, and the Endless Accumulation of Capital. Arrighi. A new version of a paper presented at the ‘States and Sovereignity in the World Economy’ conference, University of California, Irvine, 21-23 Feb. 1997. What Future for the State?, Strange, Daedalus Vol 124, (Spring 1995), 56. The Defective State, Strange, Daedalus Vol 124, Number 2, Spring 1995. The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Strange, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996 Governance and Politics in Africa, Goran and Bratton, Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc. Colorado, USA. Institutions , institutional change and economic performance. North, Cambridge University Press. Making democracy work, Putnam, Leonardi, and Nanette, Princeton: Princeton University Press. CLASS POLICIES Class Participation: Class participation is essential in this course, and therefore, timely and regular class attendance is mandatory. Class attendance will be marked at the very beginning of each class. Attendance will be graded. Except for serious emergencies, and medical reasons, which must be brought to notice immediately over email, absences or late arrival will not be â€Å"excused†. It should be clearly noted that almost one-third of the Final Grade is dependant on attendance and punctuality. Drafting: Particular emphasis will be placed in this class on building up an ability to draft assignments and papers in a grammatically correct and logical manner, in presentations that can carry weight and conviction with the reader. The same will hold true of oral presentations in class. Email: Because of the importance attached to email and web pages, all students must have proper email accounts, and must check them regularly every day. (All email addresses will be collected in the first class). Students should also maintain a group address (Listserv) of all classmates, including the Professor, so that messages of common interest can be circulated to all. Reference Formula: All email correspondence MUST contain the following four-part Reference Formula in FOUR places, namely, (a) as the only â€Å"subject† of the email; (b) as the only first line of the text of the email; (c) as part of the â€Å"header† of any attached assignment, and (d) as the â€Å"filename† of the attachment: (initials of university)-(course symbol)-(initials of student)-(assignment number) 3 Example of the four-part Reference Formula: NYU-G-XXX-A# (where NYU stands for New York University, G stands for Globalisation, XXX are the student’s initials in capital letters, and A# is the assignment number). Format of assignments: Assignments will normally be submitted in hard copies, and must be saved in Microsoft Word (or WordPerfect) format exclusively. They should be saved with the same filename as the â€Å"Reference Formula† above, so that no confusion is ever created. Web-Sites: Each student will be encouraged to maintain a personal web-page, which will be graded. (Some tips on the quickest means to establish student web-sites will be discussed in the first class). In addition, a Class Web-Page may also be maintained as a group project. Each student will have to provide a personal â€Å"thumbnail† picture and a few lines of descriptive text for this Class Web-Page. These thumbnails have to be provided within the first two weeks of class. Other material on the class web-page will include summaries of class notes, and links to the personal web pages of each student reflecting their respective assignments. Assignments: Assignments will include : (a) One Mid-Term Paper (4-6 pages, single space, Garamond 12 or 14 pt. font, or equivalent) to be prepared and submitted by the 7th week of class. (b) One Final Paper (14-16 pages, single space, Garamond 12-14 pt. font, or equivalent) to be prepared and submitted by the 12th week of class. (c) Class Notes to be prepared each week by designated students working separately or in couples for each of the class sessions. (d) Oral presentations, supported by Summaries, on some of the essential texts (note: The summary of the presentation MUST be circulated to all students and to the professor via email a full 24 hours before the presentation). Class Notes: The objective is to maintain a complete record of the notes from each class on the home-page. The assigned group (which will always be different from the group preparing the presentations) will be responsible for preparation of the class notes. Class notes MUST be written within 24 hours after the class, and then circulated immediately via email to all. Class notes should not be longer then one page and should contain the following 1. The gist of the topics discussed in class. 2. The lessons learned News: The daily reading of at least one leading American newspaper (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, etc), one major foreign newspaper or weekly (London Guardian, Economist, etc), and one major American quarterly (Foreign Report) is required. All are available over the Internet. GRADING POLICY Grading Notes: In judging the quality of all assignments, the total grade for each of these will be divided into three portions, one-third for the quality and formatting of the presentation, one-third for the factual accuracy of research, and one-third for the strength and persuasiveness of the opinions expressed. Extra weight will be given for any visible improvement of work manifested over the semester. 4 Grading values: A+ (98-100) A (94-97) A-(90-93) B+ (88-89) B (84-87) B-(80-83) C+ (78-79) C (74-77) C-(70-73) D (60-69) F (59-less) Grading Break-up: Attendance and participation Web-page maintenance Assignments (oral and written) Final or Term Paper SCHEDULE OF LECTURES 30% 10 % 30 % 30 % SESSION 1 : INTRODUCTION Class policies and ground rules regarding, drafting techniques, web-sites, email addresses, oral book presentations, etc., and the road map of the semester will be discussed in detail. SESSION 2 : THE ROLE OF THE STATE : RIGHTS, DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS This session reviews the definitions of the state, including the institutions of the legislature, the judiciary, electoral bodies as they have traditionally been conceptualised. What are the duties of the state to the public? What levels of government carry out what duties? How does legislature respond to the needs of the state, its duties and obligations? Governments are established to respond to the needs of their populations? What are these needs? How are they defined? What right do the people have to demand them? How do they make their concerns known? And in turn do they have duties to fulfill in their capacities as private citizens that contribute to the smooth functioning of their governments? What is the role of citizenry in good governance and in the effective functioning of the state? Book Presentation: Globalisation, Human Development Report 1999, UNDP Other discussion Papers: Public Sector Management, Governance and Sustainable Human Development. Discussion Paper 1. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. January 1995, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN9821.PDF/Psm.htm The Challenge to the South, The Report of the South Commission, 1992. Available through http://www.southcentre.org/ The Rise of the Brand State, Peter van Ham, Foreign Affairs, Sep-Oct 2001 SESSION 3 : UNDERSTANDING GLOBALISATION This session will attempt to define the parameters of the forces of globalisation in their historical and functional contexts. How does globalisation today differ from its earlier versions? What are the respective roles of the state and the private sector in using these  forces ? How do states, citizens, businesses, benefit from these forces ? Who gains and who loses out in the process. Book Presentation: Reinventing Government, David Osborne, 1992. Other dscussion papers: Selling Globalization The Myth of the Global Economy, by Michael Veseth Globalisation, Human Development Report 1999, UNDP, Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/default.cfm The Clash of Globalisations, Stanley Hoffman, Foreign Affairs, Jul-Aug 2002 SESSION 4 : GOVERNANCE AS A BASIC PRE-CONDITION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Governance is a basic precondition for sustainable economic, social and political development. This lesson will look at the linkages between governance and development that is sustainable. It will review how systems of governance can effect development positively or negatively and the challenges posed to the state and society. It will also look at accountability and transparency in dealing especially with corruption, which is a major concern in most countries. Book Presentation: Reconceptualising Governance, Discussion Paper 2, UNDP, January 1997 Other discussion Papers: Governance for Sustainable Development, a UNDP Policy Document, 1997, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/policy/default.htm Corruption and Good Governance. Discussion Paper 3. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. July 1997 Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/ under: Discussion Papers Series. SESSION 5 : THE INTEGRATION OF MARKETS, TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION This lesson reviews the impact of globalization on nations and countries all over the world. It examines the development of new technologies, and rapid information communications that are breaking down barriers of time and distance. It looks at the effect of unprecedented integration of trade and financial transactions through electronic means and the massive diffusion of information through Internet and satellites. It examines the effect of globalization on the sovereignty of the state and the need for a change in its role. Book Presentation: The Third Wave, by Samuel Huntington, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. Other discussion Papers: Globalization and the Nation-State, by Robert J. Holton, London: MacMillan, Philip G. Cerny (1996), â€Å"What Next for the State?†, Chapter 9, Elonore Kafman and Gillian Youngs (Eds.), Globalization: Theory and Practice, London: Pinter. The Knowledge Gap, Avinesh Persaud, Foreign Affairs, Mar-Apr 2001 SESSION 6 : THE EROSION OF SOVEREIGNTY The process of globalisation is undermining the sovereignty of nation states and will lead to the eventual disintegration of the sovereign states system in international politics. The sovereignty of nations is being undermined by multiple sources: technology, civil society, global consensus on issues such as human rights, democracy and governance. However, sovereign states are still the basic constituents of the international society. This lesson will look at the effect of globalization on the sovereignty of the state and review policies that need to be adopted to meet the requirements of the international community. Book Presentation: Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen, published by Random House Anchor Books. Other discussion Papers: Philip G. Cerny (1996), â€Å"What Next for the State?†, Chapter 9, Elonore Kafman and Globalization: Theory and Practice, by Gillian Youngs (Eds.), London: Pinter, The Twilight of Sovereignty: How the Information Revolution Is Transforming Our World, by Wriston, Walter, New York: Charles Scribner, Will the Nation State survive Globalisation, Martin Wolf, Foreign Affairs, Jan-Feb 2001 SESSION 7 : THE GROWING ROLE OF NON-STATE ACTORS The modern state is witnessing civil society, NGOs and the private sector becoming more powerful at the expense of the state. In some countries, the influence of some transnational corporations (TNCs) has become greater than that of the state. These TNCs are the most important single force creating global shifts in economic activity, and their strategies and operations are much influenced by the forces of technological change. Moreover, private investment has become a major source of funding for development activities. How can the state interact with these non-state actors gradually gaining a more prominent role? This lesson explores the different experiences and responses of nations to answer this question. Book Presentation: The World Turned Upside Down? Globalization and the Future of the State, by Berry Jones, published by St. Martins Press. Other discussion Papers: Governance in the Twenty-first Century, by Rosenau, James N. in Global Governance Vol. 1, No. I (Winter 1995) Public Sector Management, Governance and Sustainable Human Development. Discussion Paper 1. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. January 1995, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN9821.PDF/Psm.htm Assignment submission deadline for one of the following topics: 1: How is globalization affecting the poor and other disadvantaged groups in developing and developed countries. Each student can either take one country or one aspect of globalization to prepare this summary. In other words the unit of analysis could either be one issue/aspect of globalization applied to different countries, or one country through which all aspects are brought together. or 2: Critically examine the problems of the civic and corporate responsibilities of multinational corporations. Students can either choose one company, or prepare a general note to examine how private sector companies can share social and economic responsibility for the communities and groups in which they work. Such responsibilities might include, among other possibilities, support to local economic development, increasing awareness of human rights, supporting the government to fight cross border corruption, etc.. SESSION 8 : THE INCREASING INTER-DEPENDENCE AMONG STATES There is visible evidence about the emergence of a global community, global issues and global actions. Examples lie in multi-lateral organisations as in the United Nations system, and in regional institutions, as in the European Union, NAFTA, ASEAN, etc. Increasing interaction among states in tackling political, economic and financial issues, has resulted in a growing awareness that interaction at regional and global levels is essential in this globalized world. There is a need to address issues of peace, security, economic stability, poverty and health as global concerns. There is an awareness that global actions are becoming essential in effectively tackling problems which are acquiring global dimensions, for example, drugs, terrorism, global warming, crime, poverty, illiteracy, AIDS, etc. There is growing awareness also about the concept of â€Å"global public goods†. How can nations deal with this new interdependence? What is the most effective role for the state? This lesson reviews the effect of rapidly increasing globalisation in the 21st Century and its impact on national governments of the North and South. It looks at the issue of global goods, effects on the growth, distribution of incomes, availability of public services, and increasing inequities within countries and across nations and reviews the need for increased collaboration in policy, with particular emphasis on global governance. Book Presentation: Globalisation and its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz, published by W W Norton and Company. Other discussion Papers: Governance in the Twenty-first Century by Rosenau, James in Global Governance, Vol. 1, No. I (Winter 1995) SESSION 9 : THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION AND LOCALISATION Globalization is forcing states to cede some sovereignty over global issues. The greater demand for decentralisation and citizen empowerment is also forcing states to devolve power, authority and finances to local levels. What is the role of decentralisation and how can this be distinguished from the process of devolution, and deconcentration? This lesson will look at institutional changes, experiences in decentralisation and democratic governance. Book Presentation: The Lexus and the Olive Tree, by Thomas Friedman, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Other discussion Papers: Institutions , institutional change and economic performance, by North, Douglass, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Making democracy work, Putnam, Robert D., Robert Leonardi, and Raffaella Y. Nanette. 1993. Reconceptualising Governance. Discussion Paper 2. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. January 1997, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN98-21.PDF/Recon.htm Globalisation, Human Development Report, UNDP, Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/default.cfm Globalisation’s Democratic Defeat, Joseph Nye, Foreign Affairs, Jul-Aug, 2001 SESSION 10 : RETOOLING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE INSTITUTIONS. Governments and international organisations are faced at all levels with increasing globalisation, population, and growing needs. New forms and ways of government functioning are emerging. The twenty first century is marked by a focus on democratisation, and an increased emphasis on global, national and local governance. The challenge is to restructure national governance institutions to deal with the impact of globalisation and the changing circumstances as well as providing efficient and effective public services with limited funds. Other discussion Papers: The new institutionalism: Organizational factors in political life. by March, James. G., and Hohan P. Olsen.. American Political Science Review 78 (3): 734-749. SESSION 11 REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS The objectives are, ensuring society-based supremacy of laws, establishing regulatory systems to set up effective regulatory frameworks and a rights based system, ensuring equal treatment before laws protecting life, property and human dignity. How is law implemented in multijuridical states? What challenges does this present to governments? How does this affect the democratic representation of each citizen? The session will also look at overarching international juridical bodies: who designs them, who informs them, how is their mandate determined and implemented. Particular attention will be focussed on the World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO. Country cases are used to illustrate the needs of establishing policies, laws and resource priorities at the national levels to ensure equity and justice, and the upholding of rule of law, bringing security, and predictability to social, political and economic relations in the world. Other discussion Papers: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights; United Nations Available at: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html SESSION 12: BUILDING NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR What constitutes civil society? What is the most effective role of civil society organisations at the local, regional and global level? Do they and should they have well defined mandates? How can they work collaboratively with government? In addition, beginning with a review of the traditional role of the private sector in the stability of a nation-state,what are the moral, financial and legal obligations that the private sector has both to governments and to its constituents, addressing the question of the appropriate tools for regulation, if any. It examines the vital role of the private sector in good governance and in mitigating the negative effects of globalisation. Other discussion Papers: Citizens, Strengthening Global Civil Society. CIVICUS. Good Governance and Trade Policy: Are they the Key to Africa’s Global Integration and Growth?. by Francis and Yates, Alexander; World Bank. 1999, Available at: http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=detailseid=000094946_99032505 585398 Taxes and Bribery: The Role of Wage Incentives. Besley, Timothy, and J. McLaren. Economic Journal, Vol. 103, January 1999. Final Paper submission deadline: What is the issue of the changing role and power of the nation-state in the face of globalisation. Some argue that invincible globalising forces will inevitably lead to the demise or fatal weakening of the nation-state in international politics. This kind of argument is explicitly presented in titles such as â€Å"The End of the Nation-State† (K. Ohmae, 1996) and â€Å"The Retreat of the State† (Susan Strange, 1996) Others refuse this argument and contend that nation-states will hold fast to their traditional powers and sovereignty. Examine the conflicting arguments on the relationship between globalisation and the sovereignty of the nation-state. In doing this, look into the conceptual aspects of globalisation and sovereignty first, present the different views on the subjects, and try to arrive at some conclusions as to what the conflicting arguments imply for human development. or A focused single-topic paper, either on one of the following topics, or on any other relevant topic which is cleared in advance with the Professor: (a) Corruption and Accountability. (b) Electoral Reform in Established Democracies. (c) Decentralisation and Democracy. (d) The Importance of Rule of Law and Access to Justice. (e) The Limits to the Capacity of the Public Sector. (f) The Uneven Impact of Globalisation. (g) The Erosion of Sovereignty. (h) The Role of Civil Society in the Future World. (i) The Role of Foreign Direct Investment. (j) Information Technology as a Driving Force. (k) Terrorism, causes and effects (l) Poverty and its Effects (m) New Doctrines in Law (n) Free Trade and Protectionism (o) Migration flows in a Globalised world. SESSION 13 : FINAL SUMMATION CURRENT GOOD PRACTICES Several modules of good governance exist around the world. Students will identify different models of good governance and critically analyse its components establishing the reasons for the success of the models and identifying the circumstances where these models could be used as an example of best practices. What does capacity development for governance involve? How is the capacity of a national government assessed and what are the innovative approaches required to create an enabling environment and interrelationship of groups and organisations. Other discussion Papers: Governance for Sustainable Human Development. Discussion Paper 7. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. http://magnet.undp.org/policy/default.htm January 1997, Available at: Corruption and Good Governance. Discussion Paper 3. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. July 1997, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/ under: Discussion Papers Series. The Capacity to Govern: Report to the Club of Rome. Yehezekiel, The Commonwealth Portfolio of Current Good Practices and New Development in Public Services Management, Commonwealth Secretariat. 1996, Emerging Issues in Capacity Development, Proceedings of a Workshop. Institute on Governance, Ottawa, 1994. Spreading the Wealth, Dollar and Kraay, Foreign Affairs, Jan-Feb 2002 Is Inequality Decreasing, Galbraith and Pitt, Foreign Affairs, Jul-Aug 2002 SESSION 14 : DISCUSSION ON FINAL PAPERS This session will review the Final Papers of students before the semester ends

Impact of Offender Stigma and Discrimination

Impact of Offender Stigma and Discrimination Does stigmatising offenders cause more harm than good? Discuss In the study of deviant behaviour, sociologists have explored the effects of society’s perceptions on deviants in a school of thought popularly known as ‘Interactionism’. Deviant behaviour, explained from this perspective, is more a result of how society deals with the deviant individual, rather than a result of the individual’s unique characteristics or background. The labelling theory put forth by interactionists, thus argues that an offender’s deviant ways is not due to his or her own deviance but due to the external stigma faced by the individual. This essay will argue that stigmatising offenders causes more harm than good for the following reasons. Firstly, stigmatising offenders can lead to re offending. Secondly, stigmatising can affect the self-esteem of an offender. Thirdly, stigmatising can also result in the unintended consequence of causing stress and social isolation for the family of the offenders. Fourthly, this essay will discuss and further refute the idea of stigma acting as deterrent to crime. Lastly, stigma will hinder an offender from re integrating and contributing back to the society. This essay will highlight society’s influence in the understanding and portrayal of deviance and will discuss the consequence of this on rule- breaking individuals. Furthermore, it will include examples and various sociological theories to justify the impacts of stigmatising offenders. The definition of stigma used in this essay would be that of Goffman’s(1963) who defines stigma as ‘the situation of the individual who is disqualified from full social acceptance.’ Merton (1948) introduced the concept of the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. This begins with a false conception of the situation evoking a new behaviour making the original false conception come true. (Merton, 1948) This can be used to explain how society stigmatising offenders can cause more harm than good as the stigma can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy being created by the offenders. Where an individual has committed a deviant act, they will be stigmatised and cut off from ‘participation in more conventional groups’. (Becker 1963). Becker attributes the further development of deviant behaviour to the stigma faced by the individual which thus results in the individual’s inability to lead an ‘ordinary routine life’. The individual is further given an ‘outsider’ status. When this occurs, the individual internalises the idea of him or her being a deviant. This will propel the individual to act deviantly to upkeep societyâ₠¬â„¢s stigma of him resulting in secondary deviance. The secondary deviance thus causes more harm than good as it will only result in the reoffending of an offender. It can thus be derived from the above that self-fulfilling prophecy which originates from stigma will result in re offending, thus causing more harm than good. This is evident in the UK with regards to the Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). ASBOs are intended to protect the public from anti-social behaviour that is likely to cause harassment, distress or alarm. In 2013 however, it was found that 73 % of the offenders had breached their orders. A possible explanation for offenders who had breached their orders could have acted in this way to conform to society’s expectations of them by unconsciously adopting the self-fulfilling prophecy. This thus causes more harm than good as it has also resulted in offenders regarding ASBOs as a ‘badge of honour’. (Squires and Stephan, 2005) thus living up to society’s expectations of them. Stigmatising offenders can also cause more harm than good as it can lead to the ‘dramatization of evil’ (Tannenbaum, 1938). This can have potentially lasting implications on the behaviour in children, thus causing more harm than good. The process of dramatization of evil involves the shift from an act being defined as evil to the individual becoming seen as evil. For example when a child has committed a criminal act he or she will be separated from other children and will then will be tagged. This evil is then further dramatized by treating the individual the way society thinks the individual should be treated. The individual is recognised as being different from others who are considered ‘normal’. Tannenbaum (1938) describes this process one of â€Å"tagging, defining, identifying, segregating, describing, emphasizing, making conscious and self-conscious.† This inaccurate label that stigma can impose on an individual results in the social exclusion of the individual. This cause more harm than good because the offender will now associate himself with other deviants ( Heimer and Matsueda, 1992) and this could further lead to deviance amplification ( Lermert, 1967) Recently, Injunction to Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance (IPNA) bill was the subject of debate, with the House of Lords rejecting this bill. The intention of the bill was to replace ASBOs. The IPNA in my opinion, is a reflection of ‘dramatisation of evil’ as, it can result in many unassuming juveniles being caught by it which can trigger the possibility of the juveniles seen as delinquent rather than the act alone. This will thus cause more harm than good. It should also not be passed as this could lead to children being considered offenders for petty crimes. This will breed a new generation offenders from such a young age. Stigmatising offenders can result in a lack of self-esteem in offenders. This is explained by symbolic interactionism. The symbolic interactionist view holds that the stigma faced by offenders would affect the way they perceive themselves and this in turn will affect their future behaviour(Blumer, 1969) , causing more harm than good. Cooley (1922) states that one’s perception is formed through the â€Å"looking glass self†. An individual thus will shape their self-concepts based on their understandings of how they are being perceived. With regards to offenders their self perception and esteem is thus based on what is reflected of them in society. An offender will thus have a low self esteem as what is reflected of them is likely to be poor. This reflects how crucial society’s perceptions of offenders are as it can reduce the offender’s esteem where they are negatively perceived. Having a low self-esteem will result in the failure of the offender to move past his mistakes. However, it is impossible to completely blame society for an individual’s actions at the end of the day. Deviants are not always ‘thrust’ with the label of offenders. Offenders could have actively seeked the label be joining certain groups. (Ackers, 2007) Also, Lemert (1967) argues that offenders who have committed secondary acts of deviance do not necessarily commit crimes just because of the stigma they face. There are instances where offenders are able to brush off the stigma, and in other instances even become oblivious to the stigma. The idea of whether stigma discourages offending behaviour and thus acts as deterrence to crime, has indeed been a contentious issue. (Williams and Hawkins, 1992; Tittle, 1980; Grasmick and Bursik, 1990; Zimring and Hawkins, 1973; Andeneas, 1974; Nagin and Paternoster, 1994). Becker (1955) in his study; Marijuana Use and Social Control; observed that the stigma attached to marijuana users as ‘unproductive criminals’ acts as a deterrent to individuals who intend on using the drug. This is supported by the observations of Cohen, who noted that there are certain roles which people actively resist, such as the label of alcoholic or drug addict. Cohen observes that people would avoid subjective identification with these negative labels even when they have been identified with them, trying to limit the visibility of these roles or to emphasise that these are secondary characteristics of their sense of self. Similarly, stigmatising offenders, can work as a deterrent as potentia l first time offenders would not want to be labelled or stigmatised. The certainty of stigma derived from punishment of a crime deters an offender more than the severity of the punishment. (Nagin, 1998). From an economic view point, a key advantage of stigma is that it is a deterrent with no cost involved. (Rasmussen, 1996) This could thus reflect the benefits that stigmatising offenders has. Whilst stigma acts as a deterrent and thus causes more harm than good, it also has some limitations. Firstly, where the stigma is huge, and the offender has no way of hiding it or shedding it, the stigma will be counterproductive to deterrence and will instead amplify the offender’s misconduct. Secondly, research has also shown the stigma might have little effect of already stigmatised ex-convicts, and can possible drive the ex-convict to commit more crimes (Funk, 2004). Having taken into account the advantages of stigma being a deterrent to crime, and the limits to this, this essay argues that whilst stigmatising offenders is good as it helps to deter potential new offenders from committing crime to avoid the stigma that other offenders already face. Offenders are not the only ones to face the stigma and the possible effects of it. Stigma also has broad effects on their families who suffer stress from stigma and also possibly social isolation. This especially holds true for the families of offenders in prison, where the stigma is borne by a host of non-offenders as well. (Thompson, 2008) Where the families of prisoners come from areas that are ‘disproportionately victimized by crime’, the stigma they face is a lot greater. Children of serious offenders suffer secondary stigma, which is related to the idea of ‘contamination’. (Condry, R. and Boswell and Wedge) Condry states that this stigma could be long lasting and serious. 3 It has been established that the stigma society holds of offenders have a significant impact on their livelihood and their abilities to re integrate into society. This is proven by the failure of ‘disintegrative shaming’ which is adopted by many countries which will make an offender still feel like a criminal, and prevent him from re integrating into society. Mc Alinden (2005, 2007) argues that disintegrative shaming stigmatises offenders which thus results in the ostracism from their respective communities. This in turn may result in violence directed towards the offenders. This was evident in the brutal slayings of two sex offenders in Maine in 2006, where the addresses were obtained via the sex registry. This sparked debate in the US as to whether an online sex registry (and thus shaming the sex offender) was necessary. Furthermore, this form of disintegrative shaming will hinder an offender’s employment opportunities and re-entry into the community. This knowledge has contributed to an alternative method of combating certain deviant behaviour, such as juvenile delinquency, known as ‘Reintegrative Shaming’. This method has been analysed by Braithwaite and Mugford. Central to this process is the condemnation of the deviant act, while reintegrating the individual into regular society. A conference is conducted between the deviant, the victim and the deviant’s family, with a neutral coordinator. The deviant is forced to hear the victim’s side of the story, and is shamed in front of his family. He is given the opportunity to apologise and is in turn forgiven, hence reintegrated into society.(McAlinded, 2005 , Makkai and Braithwaite 1994). Braithwaite notes that the most important elements for this method to work are that the actor and the act must be decoupled, so that it is the act which is criticized, not the actor. Petrunik (2002 : 56) that re integrative shaming allows a sex offender to ‘redeemâ⠂¬â„¢ himself/ herself whilst under the scrutiny of the community concerned. Braithwaite identifies Japan as a country with much lower crime rates because the communitarian values that are upheld in Japan enable re integrative shaming to be successfully applied. Further examples of successful re integrative shaming would include New Zealand where juvenile delinquency is dealt with by family group conferencing. Re integrative shaming will also allow the offender to contribute to society, (Braithwaite, 1989, McAlinden 2005). It must be noted that re integrative shaming should not be seen as a softer option to conventional punishments as it can also be degrading and hurtful. There are however certain shortcomings to re integrative shaming. They are that both the victim and the offenders have to be present. McAliden finds that where the participation of offenders is forced upon them, the programme is futile. Where offenders voluntarily involve themselves, the programme is more effective. (McIvor 1992; McLaren 1992; McGuire 1995). Furthermore, forcing victims to participate could lead to victimization and disempowerment. Moreover, the process is often met with controversy, particularly with ‘gendered and sexualised violence’. (Hudson, 2002). â€Å"Disintegrative shaming† on the other hand, labels and stigmatises offenders, ostracises them from the local community and may result in violence directed towards offenders. Mc Alinden (2005, pg 380), in support of Braithwaite’s disintegrative shaming practices in the form of coercive criminal justice responses will not deter offenders, protect victims or make significant reductions in recidivism levels except in the short term. The difference between reintegrative and disintegrative shaming is not in the quality of the shaming, but in its aim and in the processes that follow. However, my view is that such a process shows the deviant that he is no longer ostracised by other members of society. After the apology, he is forgiven by all, including the victim. This eliminates the sense of alienation which was identified earlier as the central cause for amplification of the deviant behaviour. However this process may not work well for perpetrators of serious crimes or for adults, who may not be as open to such a process as juveniles.

Diabetes :: essays research papers

Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread, rice, and potatoes, from sugar and other sweet foods, and from the liver which makes glucose. Insulin is vital for life. It is a hormone produced by the pancreas, that helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body. The main symptoms of untreated diabetes are increased thirst, going to the loo all the time – especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush, and blurred vision. There are two main types of diabetes. These are: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Type 2 diabetes, also known as non insulin dependent diabetes Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. It is treated by insulin injections and diet and regular exercise is recommended. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though in South Asian and African-Caribbean people often appears after the age of 25. It is treated by diet and exercise alone or by diet, exercise and tablets or by diet, exercise and insulin injections. . The main aim of treatment of both types of diabetes is to achieve blood glucose and blood pressure levels as near to normal as possible. This, together with a healthy lifestyle, will help to improve wellbeing and protect against long-term damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and major arteries. The main symptoms of diabetes are: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  increased thirst †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  going to the loo all the time – especially at night †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  extreme tiredness †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  weight loss †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  genital itching or regular episodes of thrush †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  blurred vision. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overworking Type 1 diabetes develops much more quickly, usually over a few weeks, and symptoms are normally very obvious. In both types of diabetes, the symptoms are quickly relieved once the diabetes is treated. Early treatment will also reduce the chances of developing serious health problems. Diabetes is a common health condition. About 1.8 million people in the UK are known to have diabetes — that’s about three in every 100 people.

A Defense of Epicurius :: Essays Papers

You did What? To Whom? When? A defense of Epicurius. There have been many attempts at formulating a theory that accounts for our intuitions regarding the harm of death. Most theories attempt to account for this intuition by attributing the harm of death to a deprivation of some sort. That is a person is harmed when she dies because she is deprived of some good thing. This paper is a defense of Epicurius's argument regarding death as a response to deprivation theories. Before I enter into the argument proper, two statements should be made. First, I do not intend to defend hedonism in this paper. Although, I am uncomfortable defending any particular thing as having intrinsic value, I am inclined to say there must be some things other than pleasure that have intrinsic value (and the converse). However, this rejection of hedonism is in no way relevant to my defense of this argument, because the loss of goods has no bearing on death, regardless of what exactly the goods are. Second, I will define death as follows: the permanent end to existence. Since existence is a binary property (either there exists something that corresponds to x or there does not), this means that death must be instantaneous. For at any given moment one could ask, "Does Kai exist?" and receive an answer, we can narrow the time of death to an instant. Thus, death mimics a function of the form: f(x) = 1 if x < 1; f(x) = 0 if x > 1. The idea is that at every point after 1 you are dead, but at every point up to and including 1 you are alive. In other words, there is no point at which you are not either alive or dead and no point at which you are both. Now that's done. Epicurius's argument is essentially that there is no point at which we are harmed by death, and therefore death is not bad. Specifically, he formulates his argument in the following way: 1. Death is not bad for the victim before death. 2. Death is not bad for the victim after death. 3. Thus, there is no time at which death is bad for the victim. 4. Thus, death cannot be bad for the victim. A defense of Premise (1) is not hard. Since my death has not yet occurred it is impossible for it to act as a cause of anything that is occurring now.

Achrondoplasia Essay -- essays research papers

Imagine living in a world where everything is super-sized. Imagine having to step on a stool to crawl into bed, or having to climb onto a shelf to be able to reach a light switch. Most of all, imagine having to look up to your much taller younger sister when she speaks to you. Situations like these are what Ivy Broadhead, a teenager with achondroplasia, have to go through everyday. Ivy was born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. It is caused by the presence of two mutant alleles in the fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 (FGFR3). It is a substitution, to be precise, at nucleotide number 1138 in the DNA. This substitution on the DNA level results in a minute change on the protein level. This change in the protein impairs the function of the FGFR3 receptor. It is not currently known how this change produces the features of achondroplasia, but scientists are working on it. Ivy is the third generation in her family to be affected by achondroplasia. Her grandfather, her father, and her brother also have it. Achondroplasia is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait whereby only a single copy of the abnormal gene is required to cause achondroplasia. Nobody with the mutated gene can escape having achondroplasia. Many individuals with achondroplasia have normal parents, though. In this case, the genetic disorder would be caused by a de novo gene mutation. De novo gene mutations are associated with advanced paternal age, often defined as over age 35 years. If an individual with achondroplasia produce offspring with a normal individual, the chances of the offspring inheriting the mutant allele achondroplasia is 50%. If both of the parents have achondroplasia, the chances that their offspring will be of normal stature a... ...asia." University of Virginia Health System. 6 Nov. 2007. University of Virginia. 03 Feb. 2008 . Anonymous (4). "Zoey." Zoey's Story- Achondroplasia. 27 Sept. 2007. 3 Feb. 2008 . Broadhead, Ivy. "Living with Achondroplasia." ChronicleLive. 4 Aug. 2005. The Evening Chronicle. 3 Feb. 2008 . Francomano, Clair A. "Achondroplasia." Gene Reviews. 9 Jan. 2006. 02 Feb. 2008 . Nicholson, Linda. "Genetic Counseling." Kids Health. Apr. 2007. 3 Feb. 2008 .

Biblical Foundations

Biblical Foundations Paper Many people play a part in curriculum development and design in secular and non-secular school systems. This may include society, government, church, and family. Before developing a curriculum components are considered where educational questions are asked and answered with a probable cause in order to set goals and objectives from standards to make up the curriculum. Educators in both secular and non-secular schools have to decide what content is meaningful and purposeful for students to learn. Christian philosophy and worldviewLearning takes place through experience and individual study from both a teacher and a student. From a biblical prospective teaching and learning all points to God as the Creator and Sustainer of all reality. If planning with the purpose of applying biblical principles, educators should direct principles not only at the content being taught but also to the development of a biblical worldview of the students and the way they learn. I n my opinion, God made all persons unique in their own special way so that they can contribute their special gifts, talents, experiences, and insights throughout society just as his son Jesus did.The bible makes it clear that God calls us to be a community in society which we all contribute our special gifts given to us (Van Brummelen, 2009). To teach means to take the lead in planning appropriate lessons catered to each individualized learning styles covering all contents in lessons by producing a variety of ways to capture the attention of students. Educators can use the appropriate tools to apply principles to essential questions, objectives, key learning activities, and classroom management strategies to determine whether lesson and unit plans lead towards the purpose that’s desire to achieve.Jesus captured the attention of many through his teachings because he taught like no other he was unique and reached people from their level of understanding through his teachings. A scripture that comes to mind is Proverbs 22:6 which states â€Å"train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it† (KJV). When teachers train students through modeling and through educational principles they are able to effectively train a child to grow up with morals and values as well as how to be productive members of society, and how to respond correctly to the world that surrounds them.Personal belief about truth of society The Bible explains that no one is perfect in this world, Romans 3:23 says, â€Å"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God† Romans 3:10 states â€Å"None is righteous, no, not one† (KJV). Therefore, we all have flaws and should work on doing good rather than evil teaching the way of being righteous and doing what is expected of us. Galatians 5:22-23 says, â€Å"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; again st such things there is no law† (KJV).Being effective means knowing how to recognize problems that deals with situations from multiple perspectives. Teachers can rely on their professional knowledge and judgment to take action by knowing the consequences of solved problems whether good or bad. A good teacher sets the tone and lays the foundation for students to succeed with learning by implementing great strategies to encourage and promote self discipline in a positive classroom environment. Roles of the teacher and learner Teachers play a very important role in influencing and in increasing students’ interests in an active-learning environment (Rotgans and Schmidt, 2011). Timothy 2:15 notes, â€Å"study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed† (KJV). An important part of the education process is to give students the tools needed to integrate what they learn, know, and believe in order to mature in a way that will remain with t hem for the rest of their lives. As a Christian teaching in a public school, I can most definitely explain what I teach differently from a Christian teacher due to my character principals I follow to guide me daily throughout life.I can teach students to question what they know, what they think they know, why they think they know it, and then begin to lead them to the truth about the lessons being taught. I can answer questions that might arrive based on my beliefs using logical thoughts derived from my opinion. With my teaching principles, as in Jesus’ ministry, there is a strong link between standards, objectives and outcomes. I feel that students need to know what is important and not forget. As with me, following the example ofJesus by modeling and practicing what I believe not only communicates the content but also gives students the strategies, skills, and processes they will need to apply the truth about learning. Using assessments, reinforcement, and reviews that will link declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge will also enable students to retrieve and apply knowledge gained in real-life situations. We as educators must remember that we are working with the future that students possess and that we have the unique opportunity to have a major impact on the lives of students.Roles of the society, government, church, and family in the development of curriculum Politics influence curriculum design and development because it all starts with starts funding. Public and private educational institutions both rely on politics for funding, hiring of personnel, building, and maintaining facilities, and equipment. Mainly all aspects of curriculum depend on local, state and national political standards in which affects curriculum development. According to Ganly (2007), the federal government mostly influence the range of the curriculum found in the classrooms.The state provides support materials and a guide for each subject area and grade level. The st ate also determines what students should be learning and provides a list of approved materials that can be used in the classroom. The state sets the standards on what students should be learning and forms committees holding public meetings where they listen to different interest's and opinions on curriculum form members of the community. After suggestions are considered the state sets rules for student standards. The District provides materials for teaching such as state standards and pacing guides to the curriculum.The district also reviews material that can be used in the classroom and recommends specific materials that should be purchased. The community plays a very important role in influencing curriculum in a school. Different community groups such as religious, political, and varying associations influence a school by effecting what topics may be taught. The community is also influential when deciding on things to implement and use because they are actively involved in distric t decisions about proposed materials. The community plays a role in extra curricula activities by hosting different clubs, teams, and events.Families of students also play a role in the curriculum through surveys that are established giving feedback on how they feel the curriculum is helping with student learning. Parents’ opinion matter due to their perception of education and the needs of the school system that helps in teaching learning principals of education. â€Å"When parents are involved in their children's education, both children and parents are likely to benefit† (Brown, 2000). References Brown, P. C. (2000). Involving parents in the education of their children. Retrieved from http://www. idsource. com/kidsource/content2/Involving_parents. html Ganly, S. (2007). The key players in curriculum development in United States schools. Retrieved from http://voices. yahoo. com/the-key-players-curriculum-development-united-535636. html Rotgans, J. I. , & Schmidt, H. G. (2011). The role of teachers in facilitating situational interest in an active learning classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 37-42. Van Brummelen, Haro. (2009). Walking with God in the classroom: Christian Approaches to Teaching and Learning 3rd Edition

Netflix Case Study

Running Head: NETFLIX ON THE MOVE CHANGES IN THE MOVIE RENTAL BUSINESS Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Changes Within The Movie Rental Business†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 NetFlix History and Strategies†¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Analyzing NetFlix Results†¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Review and Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Conclus ion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Introduction Impressive is the company that is able to make it to the top of their industry in quick fashion and remain there atop of all the rest of the industries.Taking away market share from other established companies is a feat that does not occur by accident. NetFlix is a company that was born in 1997 and by 2007 had revenues exceeding $1 billion. Not all competitors were prepared to handle the new strategies being employed by NetFlix and some fell quickly. Strategies and changes within the movie rental business that allowed NetFlix to accomplish such a qu ick business success story and others to fall just as quickly will be explored to give a clear picture of some of the external factors that were relevant in the NetFlix movement.By reviewing and analyzing some of the business decisions by NetFlix over the past 10 years, it will provide a better understanding of the effects of these decisions. Although NetFlix has obtained some great results over these years, there are also lessons to be learned and recommendations that can be given so that some of the less beneficial business decisions will not be repeated. This exploration of the NetFlix business strategy and the results from executing their strategies will help gain insight on how important it is to stay involved with the customer and satisfy the needs of the market.Changes Within the Movie Rental Business The video rental industry has reinvented itself often and in impressive fashion. Providing entertainment in the most convenient and cost-effective fashion has become the motivat or for multiple changes within the industry. The video industry began to take off in the 1980’s with larger chains like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery rising over the previous smaller shops. These new avenues are providing videos granted a better selection and often better pricing for the common video consumer.The popularity of these chains became more popular around the world and the businesses kept adding buildings and locations and became very popular for their wide selections, reasonable prices, and membership perks. Before long, these businesses added the increasingly growing gaming rentals as well making it convenient to now rent games for a much lower cost than purchasing the games. Convenience was impacted once again as NetFlix came on the scene in the late 1990’s. No other businesses had made efforts to use the unorthodox method of mailing DVDs to their customers.Rather than jumping in the car and heading to the nearest video store, NetFlix capitalized on bring ing the videos to the customer using their mailbox. Not only was it convenient, NetFlix allowed customers to hang on to the DVD without incurring late fees until the customer was ready to return and pick a new movie to be shipped out. Rather than a charge for each movie as the traditional method was for all other players, NetFlix charged in a monthly fee structure that allowed movie watchers to continue to watch videos as quickly as they could watch and send back with a request for a new movie.Although NetFlix was at first looked at as a non-threat with their entrance into the market, it was not long before others began make efforts to copy the methods that NetFlix had brought to life. â€Å"Further fueled by convenience, hassle-free Redbox kiosks offering $1 new releases at your local grocery store or gas station came on to the scene in 2004 and had grown to more than 25,000 kiosks by the year 2011† (Sunderland, 2011). Redbox began as an adventure with McDonald’s in o rder to add more convenience for the McDonald’s customers.In 2004, the concept of Redbox really started gaining steam. â€Å"With the majority of locations at McDonald’s restaurants, early headlines read, â€Å"Would you like a DVD with your fries? † and â€Å"Order Your Big Mac and DVD to Go† (The History of Redbox). And what are the newest trends in making video rental even more convenient? Video streaming has taken movie watching to a new level as there are multiple companies competing in this method of delivering a wide selection of movies and TV episodes over the internet.However, NetFlix has had a start on its competition by emerging as the world’s largest subscription service for movie watchers with over 15 million subscribers in 2010 (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013). NetFlix has enjoyed being at the top of the industry until recently. Over the past 10 years, NetFlix stock has increased 1700% (Wofford, 2013). The difference today is that o ther businesses have caught on to the successful NetFlix strategies and methods. Competition has risen significantly in the internet streaming method of delivering movies conveniently to home watchers.Amazon Prime is one of NetFlix’s recent competitors in both the DVD rental and the streaming internet video. Amazon Prime is another company that has significant and impressive growth in the past 10 years as stocks have soared over 1,100% (Wofford, 2013). Although Amazon Prime had not reached the heights of growth as NetFlix has accomplished, the ride for Amazon Prime has been at a steadier pace. And there are others that have entered the DVD and internet streaming movie distribution as well. Even Walmart has begun to enter the internet streaming market to share in this growing method of convenient movie watching.DirecTV, Time Warner, DISH Network, AT&T, and Verizon are all companies that have created more competition in the market by utilizing existing or newer technology allow ing for more opportunity of movie and TV entertainment by providing convenient movie selections while sitting at home. NetFlix History and Strategies NetFlix was formed and incorporated in 1997 by two â€Å"new technology† entrepreneurs Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph (Funding Universe). The two entrepreneurs set out to sell and rent the recently created DVD over the internet and deliver to the renter’s mailbox.Few stores in 1997 carried DVDs which was new format that was new technology as compared to the video tape. Although the DVD players were expensive as they entered the market, the two entrepreneurs set their strategy that the DVD would soon replace the video tape and began to figure how to best get it to the movie watcher. Experimentation with different mailers ended with a package that would successfully be sent to and from the renter for the price of a postage stamp. The company began to purchase copies of the nearly 1,000 available titles available on DVD and with 30 employees opened for business on August14, 1998 (Funding Universe).Pricing and discounts were created to invite the consumer to rent more while giving ample time to watch the movies and return. Soon after opening, promotions were given through sweepstakes and additional free DVDs with the purchase of some brand name DVD players. Not only could movie watchers rent but they also could keep and purchase that same DVD if it was to their liking to do so. NetFlix was not born, however, to only send DVDs through the mail. As the name implies, the founders had a vision and strategy to expand further into the access that the internet would provide.With year after year major growth, in 2006 NetFlix ended the year with over 6. 3 million members (NetFlix). In 2007, NetFlix introduced to it’s members the ability to stream and watch movies and TV shows right on their personal computers. Now the challenge for the NetFlix team was to invent a way of getting streaming movies into eve ryone’s homes. And the strategy began new life again creating and experimenting with devices to attain this. After several ideas and some failed concepts, NetFlix strategy changed once again.The widespread adoption of broadband connections to the internet had taken place in consumer’s homes and Microsoft and NetFlix strategies met up. Microsoft had already put out the Xbox and had envisioned it to be more than just a serious gaming system. Microsof t found NetFlix’s ideas of streaming movies over the Xbox device to the screen to be a good fit. Soon, many other devices and TVs were built with a chip and the NetFlix application to stream thousands of movies and TV shows right to the living room. NetFlix continued to grow and be the leaders in this industry while taking away market share rom other â€Å"traditional† methods of renting and watching videos. NetFlix management believed that the subscriber consisted of three types of customers: those who liked c onvenience of home delivery, bargain hunters who liked a good priced movie, and movie buffs who wanted a wide selection of movies (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013). The content was a weak spot for NetFlix, however. Despite having a now large movie rental business, NetFlix did not have the contacts it needed to bring the wide selection of Hollywood movies to the consumer’s screens.Although access to NetFlix may be cutting edge, few would watch if it only had older videos and TV shows (Roth, 2009). NetFlix began to search out ways to combine forces with other businesses that would give them access to more content. Not only was it lacking in content, but also needed to somehow gain access to the movie blockbusters much sooner. In many cases, hit movies would not be available to NetFlix for months and in some cases it would be years before these would be able to be watched by NetFlix subscribers.In 2008, NetFlix found agreement with Starz enabling the addition of 2,500 fresh vide os to NetFlix’s services (Roth, 2009). Underlying NetFlix’s great success from the years 2007 – 2011 was the understanding that they had to deliver additional content and make more available for streaming. Another strategy emerged in September 2011. Hastings announced that the company would charge separately for DVD rental and streaming video and that a new company named Qwikster would be formed to handle the DVD rental portion (Funding Universe).With substantial increases to consumers and issues like separate billings, users began to voice their displeasure with this strategy and many subscribers began to cancel their subscription. New subscriptions began to suffer as well with the new format and the price increase that was introduced. NetFlix reasoned that the change was needed due to the increase costs in licensing and streaming videos (Seeking Alpha, 2013). It was not long before the outcry of the customer and the loss of subscribers made Hastings rethink th is strategy.By the end of 2011, Hastings admitted that strategy was not appropriate and dropped the division of the DVD and streaming making them once again one entity. But by then, damage had been done and the poor strategy had taken its toll on the business while its stock had dropped by 75% (Funding Universe). The current strategy being pursued by NetFlix is one of moving to International expansion. Though many countries may not have the infrastructure in place to be able to stream from the internet, many countries do and this may be a unique opportunity for NetFlix to continue to grow.NetFlix has gained over 6 million subscribers within two years of its launch into International markets (Forbes, 2013). Although NetFlix seems to be leading now in the movie streaming industry just as it did with its strategy to mail deliver DVDs, competition is already on its way in the streaming movie business. Competition will continue to come up with their own unique strategies in their efforts to steal away some of the market share and success that has enabled NetFlix to continue to be successful. Analyzing NetFlix ResultsThe successful results of NetFlix over the years since its beginning can be seen in many statistical views. Focusing on the customer to tell us how NetFlix has performed would show us that from 2002 it grew from 600,000 members to over 6,000,000 members in 2006 (NetFlix). Each year after, NetFlix has gained a substantial quantity of members and in 2010 had over 20,000,000 members (NetFlix). Although there was a loss of subscribers in 2012 due to the Qwikster strategy of about 1 million subscribers, 2013 is estimated that NetFlix has over 33,000,000 subscribers in 40 different countries (Market Watch, 2013).The rebound has definitely made up for the loss of a year ago. This is amazing growth in a short amount of time and NetFlix has done well to keep ahead of its growth with its infrastructure and planning. Many of the new subscribers every year were cus tomers to local video outlets which have now suffered the reduction in business due to NetFlix’s success. The opposite effect of NetFlix’s success can be seen in businesses like Movie Gallery and Blockbuster as they have taken a large hit even to the extent of bankruptcy.Although it may be a short trip down to the video store, consumers have definitely shown by the numbers of subscribers that they enjoy the benefit and value of being able to have the movies come to them. Revenues are another way to show the success of NetFlix over the past 15 years. Like many other startup companies, the early years were not profitable. In 1999, the coming had to swallow $30 million in losses on only $5 million dollars of revenue (Funding Universe). However, by 2005 revenues had exceeded $600 million with net income of $42 million (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013).By 2008, these amounts had doubled (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013) and in 2012 NetFlix reported $3. 6 billion of revenue which was increase from the prior year by about 12% with $226 million net income (Bloomberg Business Week, 2013) . 2011 saw about a large growth of about 48% when compared to 2010 and while there was some growth of competitors in the recent years, many have seen negative growth in revenues partly due to the success of NetFlix. NetFlix has dominated market share in the digital on-line viewing of movies. According to a report by Sandvine Inc. in 2012, Netflix had captured 33% of prime-time web viewing (Edwards, 2012).As well, NetFlix has gained over 61% of all movie watching in the United States and with its aggressive strategy marches on to increase that as well as move aggressively internationally. Although international business continues to grow in subscribers, it is not yet profitable and currently is erasing much of the profits of the US business. It will take some time to get established internationally and provide profits. Stock prices for NetFlix had escalated significantly f rom the 2009 level of about $30 per share to the peak high value of $300 per share in 2011, but began a sharp downward trend in 2011 after the introduction of Qwikster.Basic earnings per share rose from a 2009 level of $2. 05 to that of $4. 28 in 2011 (NetFlix Investor Relations). It has taken some time to rebound from the events that surrounded the Qwikster disappointment, but stocks now seem to be continuing to increase as they appear to be reaching toward the $175 per share level. Review and Recommendations Over the short existence of the NetFlix company, it has done a good job at giving the customer what it has wanted and more. Over 90% of subscribers have indicated that they would recommend the NetFlix service to a friend (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013).NetFlix has been able to stay ahead of the rest of the movie rental industry by staying in touch with their customers and providing the services and movie selections that are important to them. The software that NetFlix has de veloped has made it easy for the customer to choose movies by categories and provides detail for each movie that helps subscribers make their decisions as to what to watch. The NetFlix software is also able to personalize the movie selection experience by capturing what the viewer has chosen before and what likes and dislikes the viewer has recorded after watching their selection.This personalization brings to the subscribers attention other movies that they may want to watch based on their preferences and likes in the past. NetFlix has given the opportunity for first time users to use the NetFlix services for an entire month for free. This allows the customer to feel like they are getting a real bargain as well as gives them ample time to try out the service before paying for it. The pricing structures that NetFlix has instituted gives the subscriber options as to how many DVDs can be rented at a time along with unlimited streaming.The $8. 99 membership is a bargain as unlimited DV Ds and unlimited streaming of movies is included. The largest interruption to the NetFlix business was in 2011 when it decided to split the DVD portion of the business separately from the internet streaming portion. This move was not along the same lines as their customers were wanting. Qwikster was the new company that would handle all of the DVD rentals and NetFlix would continue to provide the streaming video. The two companies would not be separate and charge separately as well for their services.With this change, a large price increase would be incurred as well as subscribers would pay separately for each service. It almost seems as though in this instance that NetFlix was not interested in what their customers wanted. The strategy to break these services into two distinct companies was not born from what would satisfy the customer but was rather an internal strategy to satisfy what the owners of NetFlix thought to be advantageous. Along with the change, the communication to th e subscribers was ineffective and poorly distributed.This poor decision did not sit well with about 1 million lost customers and stock prices fell dramatically during this period. After the fact, NetFlix heard the voices of the customer and decided to abandon this strategy and go back to the original format, but the damage had been done. The recommendation here is to find out what the customer views as important before fully developing and implementing new changes. NetFlix had been following this well until the 2011 Qwikster event.Now they have learned the hard way how important it is to know what the customer views as valuable in their services. Even with the loss of 1 million customers, NetFlix began to rebound and grow with additional subscribers, but how much more could they have accomplished without this major set- back. Conclusion I have enjoyed the services that NetFlix has provided related to DVD rentail and streaming movies and TV shows over the internet right to my living room. NetFlix has worked hard to ensure that their customers have many selections at a reasonable price.The company has grown substantially year after year with more customers, revenues, and profits and has taken and maintains the lead in this industry. Although this success has come quickly, it has not come easy. NetFlix has had to effectively plan, implement, and successfully change its strategies to satisfy its customers and stay in the industry lead. It has done well in implementing these strategies and the results speak for themselves. References The History of Redbox. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. edbox. com/timeline Sunderland, N. (2011). Convenience: The past and future of movie rentals. Retrieved from http://www. tetonvalleynews. net/entertainment/movies/convenience-the-past-and-future-of-movie-rentals/article_d88d5148-5000-11e0-8a97-001cc4c03286. html Gamble, J. E. , Thompson, A. A. , & Peteraf, M. A. (2013). Essentials of strategic management (3rd ed. ). pp. 277-30 3. Location: Mcgraw-Hill Irwin Wofford, T. (2013). How these companies are streaming money. Retrieved from http://beta. fool. om/tlwofford/2013/01/13/online-video-streaming-performing-well/20918/ Funding Universe. (n. d. ) Retrieved from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/NetFlix-inc-history/ NetFlix. (n. d. ) Retrieved from https://signup. netflix. com/MediaCenter/Timeline Roth, D. (2009). Netflix everywhere: sorry cable, you’re history. Retrieved from http://www. wired. com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-10/ff_netflix? currentPage=all Seeking Alpha. (2013). Domestically funding international growth: the NetFlix strategy. Retrieved from http://seekingalpha. om/article/1293701-domestically-funding-international-growth-the-netflix-strategy Forbes. (2013). Sizing up NetFlix’s international subscriber growth potential. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/03/05/sizing-up-netflixs-international-subscriber-growth-potential/ Market Watc h. (2013). NetFlix to announce first-quarter 2013 financial results. Retrieved from http://www. marketwatch. com/story/netflix-to-announce-first-quarter-2013-financial-results-2013-04-02 Bloomberg Business Week. (2013). Retrieved from http://investing. usinessweek. com/research/stocks/earnings/earnings. asp? ticker=NFLX Edwards, C. (2012). Bloomberg. NetFlix dominates streaming rivals in web-video market. Retrieved by http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2012-11-07/netflix-dominates-streaming-rivals-with-growing-web-video-share. html O’Neil, M. (2011). Social Times. NetFlix owns 61% of US digital movie market share. Retrieved from http://socialtimes. com/netflix-infographic_b73597 NetFlix Investor Relations (n. d. ) 2011 Annual report. Retrieved from http://ir. netflix. com/annuals. cfm Netflix Case Study Running Head: NETFLIX ON THE MOVE CHANGES IN THE MOVIE RENTAL BUSINESS Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Changes Within The Movie Rental Business†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 NetFlix History and Strategies†¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Analyzing NetFlix Results†¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Review and Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Conclus ion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Introduction Impressive is the company that is able to make it to the top of their industry in quick fashion and remain there atop of all the rest of the industries.Taking away market share from other established companies is a feat that does not occur by accident. NetFlix is a company that was born in 1997 and by 2007 had revenues exceeding $1 billion. Not all competitors were prepared to handle the new strategies being employed by NetFlix and some fell quickly. Strategies and changes within the movie rental business that allowed NetFlix to accomplish such a qu ick business success story and others to fall just as quickly will be explored to give a clear picture of some of the external factors that were relevant in the NetFlix movement.By reviewing and analyzing some of the business decisions by NetFlix over the past 10 years, it will provide a better understanding of the effects of these decisions. Although NetFlix has obtained some great results over these years, there are also lessons to be learned and recommendations that can be given so that some of the less beneficial business decisions will not be repeated. This exploration of the NetFlix business strategy and the results from executing their strategies will help gain insight on how important it is to stay involved with the customer and satisfy the needs of the market.Changes Within the Movie Rental Business The video rental industry has reinvented itself often and in impressive fashion. Providing entertainment in the most convenient and cost-effective fashion has become the motivat or for multiple changes within the industry. The video industry began to take off in the 1980’s with larger chains like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery rising over the previous smaller shops. These new avenues are providing videos granted a better selection and often better pricing for the common video consumer.The popularity of these chains became more popular around the world and the businesses kept adding buildings and locations and became very popular for their wide selections, reasonable prices, and membership perks. Before long, these businesses added the increasingly growing gaming rentals as well making it convenient to now rent games for a much lower cost than purchasing the games. Convenience was impacted once again as NetFlix came on the scene in the late 1990’s. No other businesses had made efforts to use the unorthodox method of mailing DVDs to their customers.Rather than jumping in the car and heading to the nearest video store, NetFlix capitalized on bring ing the videos to the customer using their mailbox. Not only was it convenient, NetFlix allowed customers to hang on to the DVD without incurring late fees until the customer was ready to return and pick a new movie to be shipped out. Rather than a charge for each movie as the traditional method was for all other players, NetFlix charged in a monthly fee structure that allowed movie watchers to continue to watch videos as quickly as they could watch and send back with a request for a new movie.Although NetFlix was at first looked at as a non-threat with their entrance into the market, it was not long before others began make efforts to copy the methods that NetFlix had brought to life. â€Å"Further fueled by convenience, hassle-free Redbox kiosks offering $1 new releases at your local grocery store or gas station came on to the scene in 2004 and had grown to more than 25,000 kiosks by the year 2011† (Sunderland, 2011). Redbox began as an adventure with McDonald’s in o rder to add more convenience for the McDonald’s customers.In 2004, the concept of Redbox really started gaining steam. â€Å"With the majority of locations at McDonald’s restaurants, early headlines read, â€Å"Would you like a DVD with your fries? † and â€Å"Order Your Big Mac and DVD to Go† (The History of Redbox). And what are the newest trends in making video rental even more convenient? Video streaming has taken movie watching to a new level as there are multiple companies competing in this method of delivering a wide selection of movies and TV episodes over the internet.However, NetFlix has had a start on its competition by emerging as the world’s largest subscription service for movie watchers with over 15 million subscribers in 2010 (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013). NetFlix has enjoyed being at the top of the industry until recently. Over the past 10 years, NetFlix stock has increased 1700% (Wofford, 2013). The difference today is that o ther businesses have caught on to the successful NetFlix strategies and methods. Competition has risen significantly in the internet streaming method of delivering movies conveniently to home watchers.Amazon Prime is one of NetFlix’s recent competitors in both the DVD rental and the streaming internet video. Amazon Prime is another company that has significant and impressive growth in the past 10 years as stocks have soared over 1,100% (Wofford, 2013). Although Amazon Prime had not reached the heights of growth as NetFlix has accomplished, the ride for Amazon Prime has been at a steadier pace. And there are others that have entered the DVD and internet streaming movie distribution as well. Even Walmart has begun to enter the internet streaming market to share in this growing method of convenient movie watching.DirecTV, Time Warner, DISH Network, AT&T, and Verizon are all companies that have created more competition in the market by utilizing existing or newer technology allow ing for more opportunity of movie and TV entertainment by providing convenient movie selections while sitting at home. NetFlix History and Strategies NetFlix was formed and incorporated in 1997 by two â€Å"new technology† entrepreneurs Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph (Funding Universe). The two entrepreneurs set out to sell and rent the recently created DVD over the internet and deliver to the renter’s mailbox.Few stores in 1997 carried DVDs which was new format that was new technology as compared to the video tape. Although the DVD players were expensive as they entered the market, the two entrepreneurs set their strategy that the DVD would soon replace the video tape and began to figure how to best get it to the movie watcher. Experimentation with different mailers ended with a package that would successfully be sent to and from the renter for the price of a postage stamp. The company began to purchase copies of the nearly 1,000 available titles available on DVD and with 30 employees opened for business on August14, 1998 (Funding Universe).Pricing and discounts were created to invite the consumer to rent more while giving ample time to watch the movies and return. Soon after opening, promotions were given through sweepstakes and additional free DVDs with the purchase of some brand name DVD players. Not only could movie watchers rent but they also could keep and purchase that same DVD if it was to their liking to do so. NetFlix was not born, however, to only send DVDs through the mail. As the name implies, the founders had a vision and strategy to expand further into the access that the internet would provide.With year after year major growth, in 2006 NetFlix ended the year with over 6. 3 million members (NetFlix). In 2007, NetFlix introduced to it’s members the ability to stream and watch movies and TV shows right on their personal computers. Now the challenge for the NetFlix team was to invent a way of getting streaming movies into eve ryone’s homes. And the strategy began new life again creating and experimenting with devices to attain this. After several ideas and some failed concepts, NetFlix strategy changed once again.The widespread adoption of broadband connections to the internet had taken place in consumer’s homes and Microsoft and NetFlix strategies met up. Microsoft had already put out the Xbox and had envisioned it to be more than just a serious gaming system. Microsof t found NetFlix’s ideas of streaming movies over the Xbox device to the screen to be a good fit. Soon, many other devices and TVs were built with a chip and the NetFlix application to stream thousands of movies and TV shows right to the living room. NetFlix continued to grow and be the leaders in this industry while taking away market share rom other â€Å"traditional† methods of renting and watching videos. NetFlix management believed that the subscriber consisted of three types of customers: those who liked c onvenience of home delivery, bargain hunters who liked a good priced movie, and movie buffs who wanted a wide selection of movies (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013). The content was a weak spot for NetFlix, however. Despite having a now large movie rental business, NetFlix did not have the contacts it needed to bring the wide selection of Hollywood movies to the consumer’s screens.Although access to NetFlix may be cutting edge, few would watch if it only had older videos and TV shows (Roth, 2009). NetFlix began to search out ways to combine forces with other businesses that would give them access to more content. Not only was it lacking in content, but also needed to somehow gain access to the movie blockbusters much sooner. In many cases, hit movies would not be available to NetFlix for months and in some cases it would be years before these would be able to be watched by NetFlix subscribers.In 2008, NetFlix found agreement with Starz enabling the addition of 2,500 fresh vide os to NetFlix’s services (Roth, 2009). Underlying NetFlix’s great success from the years 2007 – 2011 was the understanding that they had to deliver additional content and make more available for streaming. Another strategy emerged in September 2011. Hastings announced that the company would charge separately for DVD rental and streaming video and that a new company named Qwikster would be formed to handle the DVD rental portion (Funding Universe).With substantial increases to consumers and issues like separate billings, users began to voice their displeasure with this strategy and many subscribers began to cancel their subscription. New subscriptions began to suffer as well with the new format and the price increase that was introduced. NetFlix reasoned that the change was needed due to the increase costs in licensing and streaming videos (Seeking Alpha, 2013). It was not long before the outcry of the customer and the loss of subscribers made Hastings rethink th is strategy.By the end of 2011, Hastings admitted that strategy was not appropriate and dropped the division of the DVD and streaming making them once again one entity. But by then, damage had been done and the poor strategy had taken its toll on the business while its stock had dropped by 75% (Funding Universe). The current strategy being pursued by NetFlix is one of moving to International expansion. Though many countries may not have the infrastructure in place to be able to stream from the internet, many countries do and this may be a unique opportunity for NetFlix to continue to grow.NetFlix has gained over 6 million subscribers within two years of its launch into International markets (Forbes, 2013). Although NetFlix seems to be leading now in the movie streaming industry just as it did with its strategy to mail deliver DVDs, competition is already on its way in the streaming movie business. Competition will continue to come up with their own unique strategies in their efforts to steal away some of the market share and success that has enabled NetFlix to continue to be successful. Analyzing NetFlix ResultsThe successful results of NetFlix over the years since its beginning can be seen in many statistical views. Focusing on the customer to tell us how NetFlix has performed would show us that from 2002 it grew from 600,000 members to over 6,000,000 members in 2006 (NetFlix). Each year after, NetFlix has gained a substantial quantity of members and in 2010 had over 20,000,000 members (NetFlix). Although there was a loss of subscribers in 2012 due to the Qwikster strategy of about 1 million subscribers, 2013 is estimated that NetFlix has over 33,000,000 subscribers in 40 different countries (Market Watch, 2013).The rebound has definitely made up for the loss of a year ago. This is amazing growth in a short amount of time and NetFlix has done well to keep ahead of its growth with its infrastructure and planning. Many of the new subscribers every year were cus tomers to local video outlets which have now suffered the reduction in business due to NetFlix’s success. The opposite effect of NetFlix’s success can be seen in businesses like Movie Gallery and Blockbuster as they have taken a large hit even to the extent of bankruptcy.Although it may be a short trip down to the video store, consumers have definitely shown by the numbers of subscribers that they enjoy the benefit and value of being able to have the movies come to them. Revenues are another way to show the success of NetFlix over the past 15 years. Like many other startup companies, the early years were not profitable. In 1999, the coming had to swallow $30 million in losses on only $5 million dollars of revenue (Funding Universe). However, by 2005 revenues had exceeded $600 million with net income of $42 million (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013).By 2008, these amounts had doubled (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013) and in 2012 NetFlix reported $3. 6 billion of revenue which was increase from the prior year by about 12% with $226 million net income (Bloomberg Business Week, 2013) . 2011 saw about a large growth of about 48% when compared to 2010 and while there was some growth of competitors in the recent years, many have seen negative growth in revenues partly due to the success of NetFlix. NetFlix has dominated market share in the digital on-line viewing of movies. According to a report by Sandvine Inc. in 2012, Netflix had captured 33% of prime-time web viewing (Edwards, 2012).As well, NetFlix has gained over 61% of all movie watching in the United States and with its aggressive strategy marches on to increase that as well as move aggressively internationally. Although international business continues to grow in subscribers, it is not yet profitable and currently is erasing much of the profits of the US business. It will take some time to get established internationally and provide profits. Stock prices for NetFlix had escalated significantly f rom the 2009 level of about $30 per share to the peak high value of $300 per share in 2011, but began a sharp downward trend in 2011 after the introduction of Qwikster.Basic earnings per share rose from a 2009 level of $2. 05 to that of $4. 28 in 2011 (NetFlix Investor Relations). It has taken some time to rebound from the events that surrounded the Qwikster disappointment, but stocks now seem to be continuing to increase as they appear to be reaching toward the $175 per share level. Review and Recommendations Over the short existence of the NetFlix company, it has done a good job at giving the customer what it has wanted and more. Over 90% of subscribers have indicated that they would recommend the NetFlix service to a friend (Gamble, Thompson, Peteraf, 2013).NetFlix has been able to stay ahead of the rest of the movie rental industry by staying in touch with their customers and providing the services and movie selections that are important to them. The software that NetFlix has de veloped has made it easy for the customer to choose movies by categories and provides detail for each movie that helps subscribers make their decisions as to what to watch. The NetFlix software is also able to personalize the movie selection experience by capturing what the viewer has chosen before and what likes and dislikes the viewer has recorded after watching their selection.This personalization brings to the subscribers attention other movies that they may want to watch based on their preferences and likes in the past. NetFlix has given the opportunity for first time users to use the NetFlix services for an entire month for free. This allows the customer to feel like they are getting a real bargain as well as gives them ample time to try out the service before paying for it. The pricing structures that NetFlix has instituted gives the subscriber options as to how many DVDs can be rented at a time along with unlimited streaming.The $8. 99 membership is a bargain as unlimited DV Ds and unlimited streaming of movies is included. The largest interruption to the NetFlix business was in 2011 when it decided to split the DVD portion of the business separately from the internet streaming portion. This move was not along the same lines as their customers were wanting. Qwikster was the new company that would handle all of the DVD rentals and NetFlix would continue to provide the streaming video. The two companies would not be separate and charge separately as well for their services.With this change, a large price increase would be incurred as well as subscribers would pay separately for each service. It almost seems as though in this instance that NetFlix was not interested in what their customers wanted. The strategy to break these services into two distinct companies was not born from what would satisfy the customer but was rather an internal strategy to satisfy what the owners of NetFlix thought to be advantageous. Along with the change, the communication to th e subscribers was ineffective and poorly distributed.This poor decision did not sit well with about 1 million lost customers and stock prices fell dramatically during this period. After the fact, NetFlix heard the voices of the customer and decided to abandon this strategy and go back to the original format, but the damage had been done. The recommendation here is to find out what the customer views as important before fully developing and implementing new changes. NetFlix had been following this well until the 2011 Qwikster event.Now they have learned the hard way how important it is to know what the customer views as valuable in their services. Even with the loss of 1 million customers, NetFlix began to rebound and grow with additional subscribers, but how much more could they have accomplished without this major set- back. Conclusion I have enjoyed the services that NetFlix has provided related to DVD rentail and streaming movies and TV shows over the internet right to my living room. NetFlix has worked hard to ensure that their customers have many selections at a reasonable price.The company has grown substantially year after year with more customers, revenues, and profits and has taken and maintains the lead in this industry. Although this success has come quickly, it has not come easy. NetFlix has had to effectively plan, implement, and successfully change its strategies to satisfy its customers and stay in the industry lead. It has done well in implementing these strategies and the results speak for themselves. References The History of Redbox. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. edbox. com/timeline Sunderland, N. (2011). Convenience: The past and future of movie rentals. Retrieved from http://www. tetonvalleynews. net/entertainment/movies/convenience-the-past-and-future-of-movie-rentals/article_d88d5148-5000-11e0-8a97-001cc4c03286. html Gamble, J. E. , Thompson, A. A. , & Peteraf, M. A. (2013). Essentials of strategic management (3rd ed. ). pp. 277-30 3. Location: Mcgraw-Hill Irwin Wofford, T. (2013). How these companies are streaming money. Retrieved from http://beta. fool. om/tlwofford/2013/01/13/online-video-streaming-performing-well/20918/ Funding Universe. (n. d. ) Retrieved from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/NetFlix-inc-history/ NetFlix. (n. d. ) Retrieved from https://signup. netflix. com/MediaCenter/Timeline Roth, D. (2009). Netflix everywhere: sorry cable, you’re history. Retrieved from http://www. wired. com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-10/ff_netflix? currentPage=all Seeking Alpha. (2013). Domestically funding international growth: the NetFlix strategy. Retrieved from http://seekingalpha. om/article/1293701-domestically-funding-international-growth-the-netflix-strategy Forbes. (2013). Sizing up NetFlix’s international subscriber growth potential. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/03/05/sizing-up-netflixs-international-subscriber-growth-potential/ Market Watc h. (2013). NetFlix to announce first-quarter 2013 financial results. Retrieved from http://www. marketwatch. com/story/netflix-to-announce-first-quarter-2013-financial-results-2013-04-02 Bloomberg Business Week. (2013). Retrieved from http://investing. usinessweek. com/research/stocks/earnings/earnings. asp? ticker=NFLX Edwards, C. (2012). Bloomberg. NetFlix dominates streaming rivals in web-video market. Retrieved by http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2012-11-07/netflix-dominates-streaming-rivals-with-growing-web-video-share. html O’Neil, M. (2011). Social Times. NetFlix owns 61% of US digital movie market share. Retrieved from http://socialtimes. com/netflix-infographic_b73597 NetFlix Investor Relations (n. d. ) 2011 Annual report. Retrieved from http://ir. netflix. com/annuals. cfm