Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay

Critical thinking entails the ability to think clearly and rationally. The reason is that even though the conclusion may seem logical every individual has different ethics. For instance, if an individual needs a job in order to acquire money quickly, then it makes sense to do is needed to make the most money the quickest. Let us say the logical job would be to obtain and sell scrap copper because the one can make a large amount of money in a little amount of time. While another individual may say this is a logical way to make money quickly, ethically it is wrong. Critical thinking is one’s form of judgment that has a particular purpose and reflective judgment. When individuals use critical thinking, one reaches a decision or solves an issue. Reaching this conclusion and judging what to believe or what to do in a thoughtful way. Critical thinking is a tool that individuals can use to evaluate incoming information. Critical thinking is being able to learn new material with an open mind and having a heightened level of self-awareness of our biases and how our biases impact the analysis of information. Business ethics are very important when solving moral problems in a business is concerned. I do believe critical thinking can be at odds with moral decision making. One should be good simply because only what is good is to be done. Being good often brings a reward in a way or the other but it is not always the case. This is why sets of rules known as ethics have been created. Critical thinking entails the ability to think clearly and rationally.

Overview of accounting analysis Essay

1. A finance student states, â€Å"I don’t understand why anyone pays any attention  to accounting earnings numbers, given that a ‘clean’ number like cash from operations is readily available.† Do you agree? Why or why not? I disagree with the finance student, because net income forecasts future cash flow and is informative. a. Net income forecasts future cash flow better than current cash flow, and does so by recording transactions associated with cash consequences when the transactions occur, rather than when the cash is received or paid. To compute net income, the effects of economic transactions are recorded on the basis of expected, not necessarily actual, cash receipts and payments. b. Net income is informative when corporate managers have better information than outside investors. Corporate managers use accrual rather than cash accounting to prepare financial reporting and determine net income. Since accrual accounting helps managers to record past events and forecast future events, net income gives superior information. 2. Fred argues: â€Å"The standards that I like most are the ones that eliminate all management discretion in reporting – that way I get uniform numbers across all companies and don’t have to worry about doing accounting analysis†. Do you agree? Why or why not? I disagree with Fred, because the elimination of delegation of reporting to management will create chaos and misinterpretation of financial statements. Corporate managers know how to apply and judge business transactions using the accrual accounting framework. They have inside information and make appropriate judgments to convey that information to investors and forecast future performance. If this discretion is eliminated, managers will be unable to make use of inside information in reported financial statements. However, since investors view profits as a measure of a manager’s performance, some managers have an incentive to use their accounting  discretion to distort reported profits by making biased assumptions. Also, the use of accounting numbers in contracts between the firm and outsiders provides a motivation for management manipulation of accounting numbers. Therefore, the delegation of financial reporting decisions to managers has both costs and benefits. Accounting rules and auditing are mechanisms deigned to reduce the cost and preserve the benefit of delegating financial reporting to corporate managers. 3. Bill Simon says, â€Å"We should get rid of the FASB and SEC, since free market forces will make sure that companies report reliable information.† Do you agree? Why or why not? Free market forces do not make sure that all companies report reliable information. Bill assumes that corporate managers do not disclose unreliable information and that they share inside information with outside investors. In real life, managers disclose false information and investors don’t detect inside information right away. Therefore, FASB and SEC force managers to disclose reliable information and comply reasonably with U.S. GAAP standards. 4. Many firms recognize revenues at the point of shipment. This provides an incentive to accelerate revenues by shipping goods at the end of the quarter. Consider two companies, one of which ships its products evenly throughout the quarter, and the second of which ships all its products in the last two weeks of the quarter. Each company’s customers pay 30 days after receiving shipment. Using accounting ratios, how can you distinguish these companies? Both companies will have the same amount of revenues and expenses in their income statements. However, their balance sheets will show different amounts. At the end of each quarter, the company that ships its products evenly throughout the quarter should have higher cash and a lower accounts receivable balance than the company that ships all its products in the last two weeks of the quarter. We can distinguish between these companies using the following accounting  ratios: a. Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio = Sales Accounts Receivable The company that ships its products evenly throughout the quarter and has steady sales will have a higher accounts receivable turnover ratio. b. Accounts Receivable Days Ratio = Accounts Receivable Average Sales per Day The company that ships its products evenly throughout the quarter and has steady sales will have a lower accounts receivable days ratio. c. Cash Ratio = Cash + Short-Term Investments Current Liabilities The company that ships its products evenly throughout the quarter and has steady sales will have a higher cash ratio. 5. A. If management reports truthfully, what economic events are likely to prompt the following accounting changes? a. Increase in the estimated life of depreciable assets. If managers find out that the actual life of the depreciable assets lasted longer than was expected, managers will increase the estimated life of depreciable assets. b. Decrease in the uncollectible allowance as a percentage of gross receivables. The firm will decrease the percentage of uncollectable allowance when it receives orders from reliable customers. In contrast, the firm will increase the percentage of uncollectable allowance when it receives orders from unreliable customers. c. Recognition of revenues at the point of delivery, rather than at the point  cash is received. A firm could recognize revenues at the point of delivery rather than at the point of cash receipt when its customer’s credit improves or its customer’s cash payment is not a risk. d. Capitalization of a higher proportion of software R&D costs. A firm will capitalize a higher proportion of software R&D costs when the firm has established the technical and commercial feasibility of the asset for sale or use. For example, technical and commercial feasibility may be established when the firm completes the software and either uses it or sells it and is able to demonstrate how the intangible asset will generate future economic benefits. 5.B. What features of accounting, if any, would make it costly for dishonest managers to make the same changes without any corresponding economic changes? Opinion of third parties. Auditors provide a clean opinion of a firm’s financial statements. If the changes in the accounting policy are reasonably consistent with economic changes, auditors will not provide a clean opinion of the financial statements. Accrual reversal effect. Aggressive capitalization of software R&D expenditures will increase net income in the current period, but the later writing-off of capitalized R&D costs will decrease net income in the following period. Lawsuit. If a firm discloses false financial information and its investor loses because of that information, the firm will pay legal penalties. Labor Market Discipline. The labor market for managers will discipline those who are perceived as unreliable managers in dealing with external parties. 6. The conservatism principle arises because of concerns about management’s incentives to overstate the firm’s performance. Joe Banks argues: â€Å"We could get rid of conservatism and make accounting numbers more useful if we delegated financial reporting to independent auditors, rather than to  corporate managers.† Do you agree? Why or why not? I don’t agree with Joe Banks, because if we delegate financial reporting to independent auditors rather than to corporate managers, we will decrease the quality of financial reporting. Auditors don’t have all the inside information that corporate managers have when the economic reality of the firm is displayed. Furthermore, the way managers and auditors assess a firm is different. Auditors could apply accounting standards to assess business transactions in a mechanical way rather than using their professional judgment, leading to poor quality financial reporting. For example, everybody agrees that market-value accounting provides relevant information; however, auditors are concerned more about the audit liability. 7. A fund manager states: â€Å"I refuse to buy any company that makes a voluntary accounting change, since it’s certainly a case of management trying to hide bad news.† Can you think of any alternative interpretation? Voluntary accounting change could happen because business circumstances have changed in the firm. For example, unusual increases in receivables might be due to changes in a firm’s sales strategy, or unusual decreases in the allowance for uncollectible receivables might be reflecting a change in a firm’s customer focus. Therefore, an analyst should use qualitative information such as the evaluation of the context of the business strategy and economic circumstances, and not deliberately interpret the firm’s accounting change as earnings manipulation. 8. Fair value accounting attempts to make financial information more relevant to financial statement users, at the risk of greater subjectivity. What factors would you examine to evaluate the reliability of fair value assets? We should examine the fair value hierarchy to evaluate the reliability of fair value assets. Level 1 is the most reliable in terms of valuating fair value assets because it is based on quoted prices, like a closing stock price in the Wall Street Journal. Level 2 is the next most reliable and would rely on evaluating similar assets or liabilities in active markets Level 3 is the least reliable level because it requires a good deal of judgment and is based on the best information available (such as a company’s own data or assumptions) to arrive at a relevant and reliable fair value measurement. Financial statement users can trust prices in liquid markets as long as observable inputs such as level 1 and 2 reflect quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities. In level 3, we encounter unobservable inputs.

Internet Marketing Essay

What is Marketing? Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. What is Internet Marketing? Internet Marketing is the process of building and maintaining customer relationships through online activities to facilitate the exchange of ideas, products, and services that satisfy the goals of both parties. Introduction Internet marketing, or online marketing, refers to advertising and marketing efforts that use the Web and e-mail to drive direct sales via e-commerce as  well as sales leads from Web sites or emails. Internet marketing and online advertising efforts are typically used in conjunction with traditional types of advertising like radio, television, newspapers and magazines. Internet marketing can also be broken down into more specialized areas such as Web marketing, email marketing and social media marketing: ï‚ §Web marketing includes e-commerce Web sites, affiliate marketing Web sites, promotional or informative Web sites, online advertising on search engines, and organic search engine results via search engine optimization (SEO) ï‚ §Email marketing involves both advertising and promotional marketing efforts via e-mail messages to current and prospective customers ï‚ §Social media marketing involves both advertising and marketing (includingviral marketing) efforts via social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Digg. Objectives of online marketing †¢To inform users of your web presence and the benefit your website offers over its competitors. †¢To persuade users to use the services of the firm. This could be done by offering a discount for a limited time. †¢To make sure the business is listed in all the most popular search engines and directories. †¢Keep customers updated of any new products or changes to business services. †¢Make sure that customer have a pleasant website experience by continuously improving the navigation of the site. †¢To aim for sales of x amount and net profit of x amount in a given period. Objectives of a business having a retail outlet/ showroom. †¢To reduce costs by moving some of their operations online. †¢To integrate online and offline strategies to maintain and improve relationships with customers. This could be by offering reserve online and pick up in store strategies like some retailers do. †¢The company’s strategy should support the overall marketing objectives of the firm this maybe to increase overall market share or profit. †¢To promote both online and offline activities. Advantages of Internet Marketing[7][8][9] Internet marketing is important because it aligns with the way consumers make purchasing decisions. Studies by analysts such as Gartner indicate that increasing numbers of consumers use social media and research on mobile Internet to carry out preliminary product and price research before making final decisions. Internet marketing enables you to build relations with customers and prospects through regular, low-cost personalized communication, reflecting the move away from mass marketing. †¢Convenience. Internet marketing enables you to be open for business around the clock without worrying about store opening hours or overtime payments for staff. Offering your products on the Internet is also convenient for customers. They can browse your online store at any time and place orders when it is convenient for them. †¢Reach. By marketing on the Internet, you can overcome barriers of distance. You can sell goods in any part of the country without setting up local outlets, widening your target market. You can also build an export business without opening a network of distributors in different countries. However, if you want to sell internationally, you should use localization services to ensure that your products are suitable for local markets and comply with local business regulations. Localization services include translation and product modification to reflect local market differences. †¢Cost. Marketing products on the Internet costs less than marketing them through a physical retail outlet. You do not have the recurring costs of property rental and maintenance. You do not have to purchase stock for display in a store. You can order stock in line with demand, keeping your inventory costs low. †¢Personalization. Internet marketing enables you to personalize offers to customers by building a profile of their purchasing history and preferences. By tracking the web pages and product information that prospects visit, you can make targeted offers that reflect their interests. The information available from tracking website visits also provides data for planning cross-selling campaigns so that you can increase the value of sales by customer. †¢Relationships. The Internet provides an important platform for building relationships with customers and increasing customer retention levels. When a customer has purchased a product from your online store, you can begin the relationship by sending a follow-up email to confirm the transaction and thank the customer. Emailing customers regularly with special, personalized offers helps to maintain the relationship. You can also invite customers to submit product reviews on your website, helping to build a sense of community. †¢Social. Internet marketing enables you to take advantage of the growing importance of social media. An article on the Harvard Business School Executive Education website highlighted the link between social networking and online revenue growth. According to the article, a group of consumers that responded most strongly to the influence of social networks generated increased sales of around 5 percent. You can take advantage of this type of influence by incorporating social networking tools in your Internet marketing campaigns. Disadvantages of Internet Marketing[7][8][9] †¢Competition. Nowadays there is cut-throat competition among various companies. Online marketing gives you an opportunity to attract international audience but at the same time you are also inviting the international market competition for your business. †¢Online Illiteracy. A majority of people who don’t have any knowledge about the online marketing companies fail to make any impact. You have to be very wise while targeting the right audience for promoting your product online. †¢Changing Technology. Science and technology are doing wonders these days. People are changing with the technology and so do the online software. You have to keep in touch with the latest technology and adopt the necessary software which are quite costly. †¢Personal attention. There is lack of personal attention given to a customer when they are shopping online on your website. Some people love to take advice which is not possible in online marketing. †¢Maintenance. It is very essential for a website get upgraded after regular intervals. But this is not practically possible because reconstructing the websites consumes a lot a time. †¢Slow internet connections can cause difficulties. If the companies build too complex or too large websites, it will take too long for users to check them or download them and they will get bored eventually. †¢The e-commerce doesn’t allow the user â€Å"to touch† the merchandise before purchasing it. Because of this, some salesmen are starting to guarantee the possibility of returning the product. In Germany, where a law that regulates e-commerce and guarantees the customers the total refund of the money exists since 2000, the electronic commerce is very popular. †¢Other factor is the payment: many users still don’t trust in the electronic methods of paying and give up buying online because of this. †¢One of the major disadvantages may be the lack of trust of the users because of the constant virtual promotions that appear to be frauds. This is an aspect that deteriorates the image and reputation of quality and honest companies. †¢Other disadvantage is the cash on delivery system, since it doesn’t guarantee the 100% purchase of the product. This is also the case of thousands of users that dedicate themselves to daily mock big companies by ordering on the internet using false identities. The Questionnaire I sent out the questionnaire to friends and colleagues who work at advertisement and marketing agencies with a good client base. These companies deal in all kinds of marketing and not only online marketing. I got a lot of responses from them. These were the questions asked: How long has your company been making or trying to make money through online marketing? †¢Less than a month †¢1 month- 6 months †¢6 months- 1 year †¢1 year- 3 years †¢3 years+ How much money is your company earning online per month? †¢Not earning money †¢Rs 1000- Rs 5000 †¢Rs 5000- Rs 20000 †¢Rs 20000- Rs 50000 †¢Rs 50000+ What’s the most troublesome problem your company has about making money online? †¢Don’t have enough technology †¢Not enough time to focus only on online marketing †¢Not enough funds †¢Too complicated †¢Others What tools/ software (that would save time and effort) would you be likely to purchase to help assist in online marketing? †¢Traffic tools that help generate visitors †¢Content tools that help create fast content †¢Designing tools that help design good quality graphics †¢Research tools that help in research and gathering of data †¢Others The Results The results in a nutshell †¢More than 3/4th of the respondents have more than 1 year experience making money online, yet most have not earned any money yet, or at most Rs1000- Rs 5000 per month. †¢The 3 biggest problems that are preventing/hindering people from making money in online marketing are that they do not have the technical skills and that they find it a complicated task to get into online marketing on a large scale. Not enough technical skills – You don’t actually need to learn and master all the technical skills. If you do, then stop calling yourself an internet marketer and start calling yourself a programmer. You only need to learn basic technical skills such as using an FTP program, installing your Word Press blog, create a basic html page, connecting your domain and hosting together. These skills, like any other skills, can be learned. The question is: are you willing to? Not enough traffic – Traffic by itself is useless if you can’t convert them into money , or if you can’t convert them into whatever you’re trying to achieve. In other words, you need conversion to make your traffic worthwhile. Search engine optimization You can do some Search engine optimization to rank your  sites highly in the search engines. To get conversion, the best way is to target the right audience who are already searching for what you are selling (so you don’t need to educate them that they need your solution/product). Then build trusting relationships with them, and the first way to start doing that is to actually tell your audience who you are as an individual, and start giving instead of receiving all the time. Not enough money – This is a classic. Not enough money to make money online means you don’t have the money to pay for business expenses like domain, hosting, email auto responder services, legitimate and honest how-to courses, etc. The company can spend less money by writing, designing, or programming the online ad/ marketing strategy. †¢More people are into niche marketing (where you enter multiple niche markets) rather than into 1 or 2 markets where you go deep and establish yourself as an authority in the marketplace. In a few cases the companies have a very limited number o f clients. This helps them focus on the needs of selected companies and is able to provide good quality work. †¢In terms of tools/software that saves time and efforts by automating tasks, people preferred to use tools that help in designing graphics and tools that help generate visitors. Survey conducted by SEO Industries- A U.S based industry[5][6][10] I picked up a survey along with statistics that was conducted by SEO industries in 2012 and have compared it to their previous survey conducted in 2010. And have posted my conclusions at the end of each sub topic. A Typical Online Marketer So, what did a typical internet marketer in the 2012 survey look like? I know â€Å"typical† is a dangerous word, but just for fun, here’s a persona of our average respondent: †¢47%Based in United States †¢77%Male †¢46%26-34 years old †¢18%Works at 2-5 person company †¢23%3-5 years in online marketing †¢35%Started as an in-house marketer †¢46%Currently works as an in-house †¢19%Makes $30,000-45,000 Conclusion The US accounts for a large part of our audience. Female respondents increased slightly from the 2010 survey, from 20.6% to 22.7% – that’s 10.2% more women in the survey this year, but still a sizable gender gap. International Marketers 65 countries have been represented in the 2012 survey. Many people asked last time to see more than the top 10 countries, so here are the top 25, by % of respondents: †¢47.3%United States †¢12.9%United Kingdom †¢4.4%Canada †¢4.0%India †¢3.3%Australia †¢2.4%Germany †¢2.0%Netherlands †¢1.8%Spain †¢1.3%France †¢1.2%Romania †¢1.1%Brazil †¢1.1%Italy †¢0.9%Israel †¢0.8%India †¢0.7%Ireland †¢0.7%South Africa †¢0.6%Bulgaria †¢0.6%Denmark †¢0.6%Hungary †¢0.6%Pakistan †¢0.6%Philippines †¢0.6%Poland †¢0.5%China †¢0.5%New Zealand †¢0.5%Sweden Conclusion US representation decreased from the 2010 survey (53% to 47%), while the UK grew from 9% to almost 13%. Israel fell out of the Top 10 from the #4 position in 2010, and Brazil slipped to 11th, while Romania narrowly pushed its way into the #10 spot. Service Mix and Demand Not surprisingly, most respondents (92%) have SEO services as part of their mix. The rest of the top 5 breaks down like this (keep in mind that most respondents offer multiple services other than online marketing): †¢92%Search Engine Optimization †¢82%Analytics †¢71%Link building †¢71%Content marketing †¢70%Social Media and/or Community Management This matches up pretty well with perceived demand changes over the past year. These are the top 5 service areas that our respondents believe are growing (as % of respondents): †¢72%Social media and/or community management †¢71%Search Engine Optimization †¢65%Local SEO †¢56%Content marketing †¢54%Analytics Conclusion Topping the list of services with the biggest decrease in demand are – Event planning (67%), Offline marketing (51%), and PR (48%). Of course, it’s important to note that they have strongly focused on online marketing, so these decreases are probably just the natural evolution of our industry. Training and conferences Most of us still get our industry education online, but in-person events round out the top 5: †¢93%Online resources – blogs, websites, etc. †¢88%Hands-on experience †¢64%Read a book †¢53%Attended a conference †¢50%Attended training seminars/workshops Over half of respondents have attended a conference in the past two years (including local meet-ups). Here are the top 10 industry events for our audience: †¢18%Search Marketing Expo †¢14%Search Engine Strategies †¢11%Local Meet-ups †¢7%Pubcon †¢7%ad:tech †¢7%MozCon †¢6%Distilled’s Searchlove/Linklove †¢5%Google I/O †¢4%SXSW †¢4%WordCamp Conclusion It’s interesting to see the rise in smaller events. Individual VS Team priorities When we’re not learning, we’re spending our time in the trenches. These are the top 5 tactics that respondents said they spent their individual time on (as % spending more than half their time): †¢24%SEO †¢11%On-page Optimization †¢10%Link Building †¢8%Social Media Marketing †¢6%Copywriting/Blogging/Writing How did that stack up against where our teams (SEO’s teams) are spending their time? †¢18%SEO †¢14%Link Building †¢12%Copywriting/Blogging/Writing †¢11%On-page Optimization †¢10%Social Media Marketing Conclusion While people reported that their teams spent more time on link-building and writing/blogging while they personally spent more time on on-page tactics, it’s interesting to note that the top priorities are pretty similar. Online marketing is still a hands-on business, even at the upper levels. Spending and Budget In 2012, respondents reported the following budgets for consulting services, with over a third (34.4%) spending $1,000/month or more on consulting and outsourcing: The average monthly spend on tools and software was quite a bit less, with only about 17% of respondents spending more than $1,000/month: Ad spend is diversifying in 2012, although traditional PPC still leads the way. Following is a graph of ad spent by category (total respondents). Top tools used Top 5 analytics tools as % of respondents †¢93%Google Analytics †¢16%WordPress Stats †¢13%Omniture †¢9%CrazyEgg †¢7%Compete Not to exaggerate, but Google Analytics just crushes everything else. The 2nd place is internal WP stats. Omniture is back in 3rd. WebTrends is #8. It’s getting tougher for the big enterprise vendors. Top 5 keyword research tools †¢88.3%Google AdWords †¢58.6%Google Insights †¢20.2%SEMRush †¢16.7%Wordtracker †¢13.9%Raven Top 5 content marketing and outreach tools †¢74%Twitter †¢53%LinkedIn †¢45%Google’s Insights for Search †¢31%StumbleUpon †¢31%Google Reader Top 5 Conversion Rate Optimization and usability tools †¢73%Google Website Optimizer †¢18%CrazyEgg †¢16%Pingdom †¢11%ClickTale †¢8%KISSmetrics Paid VS Free Tools Focusing on SEO, there’s still a solid divide between paid and free tools. Almost 24% don’t use paid tools at all (and probably run with scissors), but we’ll get to that in a minute. The top 10 paid tools (as % of respondents) are: †¢55%Moz & Open Site Explorer †¢17%Majestic SEO †¢17%Raven †¢13%SEMRush †¢10%Screaming Frog †¢9%Market Samurai †¢8%Advanced Web Ranking †¢8%Link-Assistant.Com, Rank Tracker, etc. †¢7%Wordtracker †¢7%Spyfu In the last 12 months, here are the top 10 free tools you’ve used (* denotes tools that also have paid versions): †¢83%Google Webmaster Tools †¢47%Moz & Open Site Explorer* †¢42%Bing Webmaster Tools †¢41%Firebug †¢31%Majestic SEO* †¢28%Yahoo! Site Explorer †¢26%Xenu †¢22%SEOBook Tools* †¢19%Screaming Frog* †¢18%Hubspot Grader* Conclusion Free tools from search engines rank highly on this list; although, Yahoo Site Explorer was discontinued during the 12-month period. Social Media Tools Last but not least, the rise of social media is undeniable. There have been a lot of arguments for where we’re spending most of our time. Here’s what you had to say about the top 10: †¢88%Facebook †¢83%Twitter †¢55%Google+ †¢49%YouTube †¢47%LinkedIn †¢47%Blogging †¢21%Pinterest †¢9%StumbleUpon †¢5%Tumblr †¢5%Flickr Conclusion Not surprisingly, Facebook and Twitter still dominate the landscape. While Pinterest has come on strong, it still trails all of the big players, including YouTube. Literature Review  E International Journal of Business and Social Science- Vol. 1 No. 1; October 2010.[4] E-Marketing; in one hand, it is noticed that the number of studies conducted by researchers and practitioners in the field of E-Marketing from 2003 to 2010 is relatively limited. This can be justified by the relative novelty of EMarketing. This provides an indication that E-Marketing is relatively new for academics and practitioners and also provides reasonable expectations about the increase in number of studies related to E-Marketing in the near future. The total number of studies was 365 studies, 73 % of it was empirical and 27 % of the total number of articles was not. It is also noticed that the research activity output in E-Marketing had decreased significantly between 2003 and 2008 within the literature period. Although the published articles had covered the following research areas: E-business, E-marketplace, Electronic Commerce, Electronic platforms, ICT adoption, Internet marketing, On-line trust, B2B, Performance evaluation, The Web, Electronic marketing, E-mail Making, Ereadiness, E-relationships, E-security, E-service, E-supply chain management, Internet adaptation, Mobile marketing and some other research. Electronic Commerce was the major research area covered by the researchers in the field followed by Electronic Business and Internet marketing. Most of the empirical studies had been conducted in: the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK which was the biggest in number of studies conduct in the literature period. By analysing the articles conducted in the UK market it was noticed that these articles had covered the following research areas: E-business, Electronic  Commerce, Electronic marketing, Internet marketing, the web, ICT adoption, Business performance and some other research areas. On the other hand, most of the articles in the literature were published in the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (27 articles) with a percentage of 7.4 % of the total number of studies conducted in the period of the literature. The next six top journals were: Internet research, Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Journal of Internet Marketing, Journal of Interactive Marketing and Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing. Based on the literature there are clear research gaps in the field of E-Marketing especially in the areas of EMarketing performance as well as E-Marketing adoption in Small Business enterprises (SBEs). To fill such gaps and extend previous studies there is a need for conducting more research to investigate the relationship between implementing E-Marketing and SBEs performance. Online Marketing; New models of advertising?- By Kim Eriksen, Claus Hemmingsen, John Kuada Supervisor- Aalborg University.[3] Throughout our search we discovered that it appears that the companies, have been, and still are using internet as a communication tool to a limited extent, i.e. one way communication to the consumers (as opposed to new marketing models). The literature provided us with some indication of why this is the situation. One can call it simplicity for the companies or lack of knowledge towards other ways of using the internet. Most important discovery is maybe the fact that the latter has been the trend and way to do business. Many companies have not been keeping track on the trends that have arisen in the past decade. So the answer to our first question is that, international oriented Danis h companies have alternative options available, and are not that far from being able to utilise these alternatives. With few correction and a little of extra resources it would be possible for most of them to gain a better use of the internet. Having analysed several company websites it is clear that parts of the theory behind the new marketing models are being used. Whether conscious choice, random chance or even a need to â€Å"follow suit†, most companies try to keep their sites easy to navigate, with focus on language and information. However several are not utilising items such as chat forums, direct service contacts and in general the two way communication to get closer to an enhanced use of their presence online. We  have examined the Internet users’ demands and needs online, and found that they only to a small degree ask for involvement. There are explicit demands for less advertising and simple and well structured websites, but when it comes to dialogue, and participation only a smaller part of our population asked for direct involvement. Login and personalisation are however in high demand, a relatively new tool, login have appeared on more and more sites, developed from extranets (dealer logins) to consumer login to remember setup, addresses and other information the consumer need to type each time a purchase is made. This leads us to conclude that over time the demand for further involvement will grow. One of the most important features the internet provides is communication, communication between themselves and their customers. Companies has for a long time been using the internet as advertising tools to promote their product. In other words, it has been a one-way communication. Chat and forums is one of the possibilities the internet provides. The focus has to take a turn in the consumer’s direction. So instead of one-way communication it should be two-way communication. Consumers want to able to identify themselves in the sites and product. This would be achieved through chartrooms and forums. Instead of being a visitor they would rather be participants on the sites. Conceivably more like Blogs and newsgroup provides. What we also found out, was that the entrance to a site has to be simple and direct. A concern that we were faced with, was the fact that only few companies has a list of contact persons for direct contact. Also, with larger companies a receptionist is available; why not make his/her presence available on the internet via the company website. A simple process that would start the dialogue with the visitor, perhaps reveal areas where the website are failing to meet the needs of the visitor. It would moreover be an indication that the companies involved the consumers/participants in the process. All in all we believe that in order to gain fully effect of the internet and thereby increase the sale it is more important to have 20 dedicated customers that uses the sites than 100 visitors that have no direct connection to the site and therefore do not purchase anything. Danish companies have to reorganise their homepages in a way that it becomes easy and simple to navigate through and the possibilities to communicate with the consumers. Recommendation[2][10] Your online marketing strategy is based on getting more potential customers to your site and converting them into paying customers. It really is that simple. Through using a wide variety of techniques you can pinpoint those customers and make sure that they find your business when they search online for products or services that you provide. When they find your website a variety of other online marketing tools will be waiting to convert them to buying customers. In order to do this effectively, most of the focus will be on two major aspects of the marketing plan: using keywords in all online content and creating as many links as possible to your website. The more backlinks you have, the better your site will place in search engine results and the more people will find your website. The more effectively you use keywords, the more search engine friendly your content is and therefore more likely to be ranked. The more visitors you get to your website will result in more new customers for you. New customers mean an increase in sales and profit just like we said when we talked about the potential for exponential growth with online marketing for your business. Techniques to Increase Your Business’s Profits: Whether you have suffered a downturn in your business, have never built it to the level you are aiming for or if you are just starting out, your goal needs to be using online marketing strategies to increase your profits. There are four basic ways to improve profits: 1.Increase customers 2.Increase traffic to increase customers 3.Add to product offerings to make them more compelling 4.Use PPC, SEO, local business results, article marketing, etc. 5.Increase number of transactions per customer 6.Build mailing list 7.Increase customer communications through auto responders, newsletters, broadcast messages 8.Offer them upsell opportunities—pitch something seasonal 9.Send out reminders for services and specials 10.Increase the average dollar amount per transaction 11.Offer bundle packages and upgrades, strong reasons to purchase 12.Decrease costs, finding free traffic, lowering cost per click 13.Increasing conversions, decreases costs. 14.Offer a bonus, change a headline, offer a free consultation. 15.Even converting from 1% to 2% is a 100% improvement and cuts costs for buying traffic in half—pure profit! By putting an online marketing plan in place and following through with it, you can achieve all of these goals. You can easily improve your profits through the strategic use of online marketing techniques that will increase customers, increase the number of transactions per customer, increase the average dollar amount per transaction and decrease costs while finding free traffic which leads to a lower cost per click. Conclusion[1] [2] Internet Marketing is Not Easy it is filled with many complicated challenges that can put you off track, confuse you, and prevent you from succeeding. Reports and eBooks that attempt to give you a one-size-fits-all approach tend to miss a very important point; successful internet marketing requires you to be a dynamic, intelligent, and flexible. So a set of static, unchangeable plans is unlikely to make you successful. Traditional marketing methods are still highly relevant in the networked economy, though firms must now consider a host of new and innovative marketing methods available online (e.g., dynamic pricing, online community) In contrast to the one-way mass promotion that characterizes modern marketing, Internet marketing enables firms to engage the individual in personalized dialogues Individualization and Interactivity are two forces that make online marketing different Marketing, and the relationships it creates, should be considered in the context of particular processes and stages Bibliography †¢Internet Marketing Report- University of International Business and Economics- HUA Ying[1] †¢Online Marketing; New models of advertising?- By Kim Eriksen, Claus Hemmingsen, John Kuada Supervisor- Aalborg University.[3] †¢E International Journal of Business and Social Science-Vol.1 No.1; October 2010. [4] †¢2012 SEO Industry Survey [5][9] †¢Best Retail Brands 2011- Interbrand Webliography †¢Onlinebusinessmarketing.ie[2] †¢Moz.com[6] †¢Wordpress.com[7] †¢Westcoastmarketing.com[8] †¢Startup Nation[10]

Given the existence of corporate governance codes, based presumably on Essay

Given the existence of corporate governance codes, based presumably on some ethical considerations, among British PLCs why do we still observe crises and failures of, for example, the Northern Rock type - Essay Example In like manner, Bear Stearns an upper tier US investment bank was only rescued from the crises by the Federal Reserve Bank. (Avgouleas, 2008). In addition other major investment banks such as Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, UBS, and JPMorgan have all announced negative earnings in their last financial reports as well as plans to lay off a significant number of workers. The paper first of all looks at the regulatory environment of Northern Rock; Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to the awareness, acceptance, and management of the implications and effects of all corporate decision†making, taking particular account of community investment, human rights, and employee relations, environmental practices, and ethical conduct. (Park, 2007). According to Hsueh (2008) CSR has received much attention in recent years and more and more businesses are taking CSR to improve their corporate image. CSR activities show consideration for the environment, consumers, charity, minority groups, employee welfare, community development, women empowerment, etc. (Hsueh, 2008) For example car manufacturers across the globe are responding to the major global concern of Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission which is tremendously depleting the ozone layer and increasing the risk of cancer and other diseases that come as a result of ultraviolet light. The next section looks at the banking code in relation to corporate social responsibility. â€Å"The practice of CSR is subject to much debate and criticism. Proponents argue that there is a strong business case for CSR, in that corporations benefit in multiple ways by operating with a perspective broader and longer than their own immediate, short-term profits†. (Sacconi, 2004) â€Å"Critics argue that CSR distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; still others argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over

Investment Data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investment Data - Essay Example It came into existence as a result of several mergers and acquisitions. Based on the latest Annual Report of the company, it has not issued shares of common stock using investment bankers or a syndicate of investment bankers, or at least there is no mention of any from accessible official documents ; in fact, it has been known to be buying back its shares. The only reference which could give one an inkling of common stocks being handled is this excerpt from its Notes to Financial Statements: â€Å"The merger was accounted for using the purchase method in accordance with SFAS No. 141, and the aggregate transaction value was $6,890 million, consisting of $5,829 million of cash and common stock issued at closing, $973 million of consideration for the shares acquired from . . . .† One major investment bank, Morgan Stanley, has probably handled some negotiations leading to some acquisitions. However, there is no explicit mention of Morgan Stanley anywhere in the companys most recent Annual Report, although the investment company has on several occasions made evaluative comments concerning Verizon. If anything, there seems to be a close relationship between the firm and Morgan Stanley. One of its Directors has had former ties with the investment bank: â€Å"Mr. Nicolaisen, 63, . . . has been a Director since 2005. He is also a director of MGIC Investment Corporation, Morgan Stanley and Zurich Financial Services.† (Annual Report 2007) Investment Dictionary defines Financial Intermediary as an institution that acts as the middleman between investors and firms raising funds. Often referred to as financial institutions. Investopedia states that it can include chartered banks, insurance companies, investment dealers, mutual funds, and pension funds. building societies, credit unions and financial advisers or brokers. Evidently, the investment banker also serves as financial adviser and broker/dealer for

Apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to your every day interactions Essay

Apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to your every day interactions - Essay Example Maslow suggested that there exists a hierarchy of needs and motives that is the main determinant of human behavior. It has been argued that if the existence of unsatisfied needs drives for higher motivation, then people need to understand and identify those needs which are more important for their successful behavior. In this context, Abraham Maslow proposed a model of human motivation and suggested that the higher-level needs can be satisfied and achieved only after satisfying or achieving the lower-level needs. In this regard, Maslow used a pyramid of needs with five levels, each level depicting each need. In the lowest level there are Psychological needs, such as need for air, water, sleep, and nourishment, which are required for the sustainability of life. In the next level there are Safety needs, such as need for safe area to live, job and financial security, need for medical insurance etc., which are required for safe, secure, and harmless life. In the next level there are Soci al needs, such as need for friends and belongings, need to give as well as receive love, which are required to interact with other people. In the forth level there are esteem needs, such as needs for self-respect, attention, achievement, recognition, reputation etc., which are needed for a person to feel the sense of â€Å"belonging†. In the upper-most level there are Self-actualization needs, such as needs for truth, justice, wisdom etc., which are needed for a person to achieve his full potential in life. The figure below shows the Hierarchy of Needs (Slater and Bremner, 2003, pp. 57-58; Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, n.d., p. 1-3). In my life the need for friends and family is the most. They played most crucial role in motivating me to achieve successes in every sphere of my life. In my life both friendship and love are highly important to achieve potential performances in every section of my life. These needs give me enough strength and

W7 As Merck Serono Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W7 As Merck Serono - Essay Example As such, they should have a wealth of competent and qualified set of human resources who could undertake roles and responsibilities which cater to the diverse needs and demands of the organization. On the other hand, in terms of technical competencies, the acquisitions of organizations, especially from diverse fields of discipline, enable DuPont to develop technological competencies, applications, human resources, infrastructure, and skill set to fit currently entrenched technology to match the newly acquired organizations. In addition, when new products have been added to their product lines, DuPont benefits through the opportunity of catering to a wide range of clientele, depending on the products or services offered, the geographic location, as well as the competitive advantage exhibited over their competitors. Gaining organizations with different product lines necessitate additional research to be undertaken by the executive management team of DuPont to ensure that they are qualified and competent to operate new businesses and develop strategies accordingly. Besides the potential benefits discussed, one strongly believes that DuPont probably gained maturity in discerning which ventures and acquisitions contributed most to meeting the organization’s mission, vision, and goals. The organization, through its executive management team and leaders, probably gained exemplary acumen in determining which ventures would be most lucrative in providing financial gains with the amounts that are to be invested in each endeavor. There are potential losses in terms of opportunity losses where the organization could have pursued some ventures that proved to be unprofitable or those which significantly mismatch their current organizational thrusts and directions. As such, instead of focusing on areas, fields of discipline, or core competencies on currently held and evidently productive ventures, the time, resources, and efforts spent locating other

Reasons behind Britains decision to participate in World War I Essay

Reasons behind Britains decision to participate in World War I - Essay Example The news was a surprise because until then Britain had aptly deployed a diplomatic foreign policy, and had substantially refrained from wars and European predicaments (Turner, 1988, p.23). Britain was referred to as the possessor of â€Å"Splendid Isolation,† and, until 1900, it was not a part of any significant military convention with any other states (Woodward, 1967, p.3). The factors that provoked Britain to enter this war has been debated a lot lately and no single factor can be termed as the sole reason behind Britain’s decision to enter the war. This paper is an attempt to unveil those salient factors that pushed Britain to join the Great War. German connection: In early 1500s, Europe entered a modernized era, and nations developed a strategy of "Balance of powers" (Orakhelashvili, 2011, p.123). It was done to eradicate or prevent the evolution of any single state as supremely powerful. However, this equilibrium was drastically shaken due to the occurring of seve ral historically influencing incidents. These include the 16th century Hapsburg Crisis, which resulted in Thirty Years’ War that greatly affected Europe from Hungary to Spain and later broke Hapsburg Monarchy in smaller kingdoms (Kann, 1980, p.45). The period of 1792 to 1815 saw France became a domineering empire on the continent during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. The German Crisis further deteriorated the situation and let Germany gain assertive control all over the Europe, which nullified the strategy of Balance of Powers. Hence, as an outcome of this unsettling scenario, two regions substantially gained the status of separate unified powers namely Germany and Italy. Kaiser Wilhelm II transformed Germany into an aggressive state, and ignored the long followed foreign policy of a status quo. (Wintle, 2002, p.55) Germany wanted to become as strong at sea as Britain, and hence, instead of renewing its treaty with Russia, Germany collaborated with Austria. The fear of Berl in’s resentment compelled Russia and France, two significant neighbouring states located on eastern and western sides of Germany, to come together for an alliance. Thus, the power in Europe was divided into two influential groups Central and Entente, and each group shared equal military strength. In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary collated together under a treaty called the Dual Alliance and Italy joined in early 1900s, which converted it into Triple Alliance whereas France and Russia collated and formed Dual Entente in 1892 (Wintle, 2002, p.55). In the last decade of 19th century, Germany started to build its navy, which posed great threat to the world’s most influential and powerful maritime state, I-e Britain. Germany’s naval in-charge Admiral Von Tirpitz formulated a new policy in 1897 targeting Britain’s naval powers and decided to outnumber them on Home Waters by building High-Seas Fleet. The Austrian Ambassador in Berlin wrote: Germany’s a lready swiftly growing position as a world power into a dominating one. England is now regarded as the most dangerous enemy which, as long as Germany is not sufficiently armed at sea, must be treated with consideration in all ways (cited in: Afflerbach & Stevenson, 2012, p.116). Before the onset of 20th century, Britain and Germany shared friendly ties. However, this transformation of policy clearly projected the intentions of Germans and by 1907, British government realised that the most potential threat posed to its stability, and supremacy was from Germany. Hence, Britain had no other choice but to collaborate with rival nations Russia and France and the mutual alliance became Triple Entente. (Afflerbach & Steve

Observational Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Observational Research - Essay Example On the other hand, in non-participant observation, the role of the observer is limited to that of a spectator (DocShare, 2009). The components of observational research are a collaboration of several skills. These include listening skills, non-verbal behavior, conflict management, relationship management, creativity, critical thinking, communication and analysis skills. These components are needed so that the researcher can embark on a successful observation research project. The observational research process includes nine steps (DocShare, 2009). First, is to determine the research objectives, what the researcher wants to observe and his purpose. Second is the selection of the research subjects, i.e. the people to be observed. The third step is for the researcher to decide what field role he is going to adopt, whether a participant or non-participant. Gaining entry to the research field or going where the participants spend time is the fourth step. The fifth step is building rapport with the subjects to develop a reciprocal relationship and mutual trust. The next step is observing the phenomena of interest and recording the findings. The seventh step is exiting from the field of study.

Marketing principal Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing principal - Case Study Example The company’s major vision is creating brands that will run the market and achieving maximum profits from the brands (Narayani 1-36). Apple was started in 1976 and has since grown from a small business into one of the most valuable and successful brands in the globe. The brand has managed to plant a perception in its consumers’ minds that it is the very best of the total brands and has, therefore, gained total trust from its consumers (Mirachandani 276-277). The brand has portrayed excellent marketing techniques, and has established an ability to distinguish themselves from other brands. The company has other features such as realizing user friendly and innovative products (Sandoval 98-99). On the market of its products, a certain study revealed that the brand consumers who fall under the categories of high salaries, young ages and techno savvy tend to purchase its products. In the US for instance, about 22 million adults owned an iPod. Several products from apple target consumers who want to listen to music at a go (Mirachandani 276-277). Considering that apple is highly rated, several people desire owning one of its products. This popularity has enhanced sales for the company (Mirachandani 276-277). Apple, however, has some faults in some of its products. The iPod Nano for instance, is said to have a faulty screen that breaks easily. Issues such as poor battery life and software issues also portray weaknesses from the company in its brands (Mirachandani 276-277). The continuous release of music products is continuously generating high revenues for the company, putting it at par with the music industry (Jennings 402). This creates pressure on the company on what decision to take on the music industry. The company also stand gaining many market opportunities. ITunes for instance, is used to download legal songs (Jennings 402). If apple makes all cell phones and MP3 players

Functional organizations are described by organizational charts Essay

Functional organizations are described by organizational charts. Explain why a temporary organization such as a project can benefit from using an organizational chart - Essay Example lpful where projects involve various departments and participants who have to coordinate their work or when they are required to report to a person from a different department. Some projects involve working with new faces and one has to learn to recognize these new faces for better efficiency under these circumstances, an organizational chart comes in handy because it not only has the faces of the participants of the project but also their names and their different roles not to mention it provides a constant reference point. An organizational structure helps in better management of resources and personnel by preventing duplication of roles and capacities moreover, it helps reduce the work load of managers and supervisors as it shows the number of people they have to supervise and the various departments that have to report to them. If the project is to take a considerable length of time, an organizational chart is used by project participants to see their promotion options and the vacancies that surround them. This way they don’t have to miss out of opportunities that they can easily take advantage

Different forms of child abuse Essay Example for Free

Different forms of child abuse Essay Child abuse is a common term for four types of child maltreatment: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, and neglect. Children are usually victims of more than one type of abuse. They could be both sexually and emotionally abused or they could also be physically abused and neglected. In some severe cases, children may suffer from more than two forms of abuse. Child abuse was once viewed as a minor social problem that only affected a handful of U. S. children. In recent years the media and law enforcement has paid close attention to the issue. More than 1,000 children died from abuse in 1996, in the U.S. (1). Approximately 231 children are abused each day. That is 10 children every hour, and one child every six minutes. Each day in the United States, more than three children die as a result of child abuse, in the home. More children, age four and younger, die from child abuse and neglect than any other single, leading cause of death for infants and young children (1). The abusers can be family members, parents, caretakers such as babysitters and teachers, and strangers. Abuse occurs among all ethnic, social, and income groups. Most parents dont hurt or neglect their children intentionally. Many were themselves abused or neglected. Usually the cases that are reported involve poor families with little education. Also common in reports are young mothers, single-parent families, and parental drug or alcohol abuse. The frequency of child abuse is difficult to estimate, due to so many cases going unreported. There are signs, symptoms, and causes to all four types of child abuse. When you have a concern for a childs well-being, the signs or symptoms may help guide you in the process of reporting. Although, these signs, mentioned later, dont necessarily indicate that a child is being abused. A professional, who would be able to determine the abuse, should investigate the possibility. Determining the exact cause of child abuse is almost impossible. In general,  the factors that influence whether abuse will happen is grouped into two categories- internal and external. Lack of social support, economic hardship, and chemical dependency are a few external factors. Some internal factors are: biological, emotional, and psychological. Some factors are as common as low intelligence and range to, as rare as, a severe personality disorder such as Schizophrenia. Isolation is a factor contributing to abuse. When families have difficulties, perhaps from unemployment or other social problems, they may respond in a number of ways. The families that respond by isolating themselves, by withdrawing themselves from neighbors and friends, are the most likely to be abusive. Charles F. Johnson defines sexual abuse as any activity with a child, before the age of legal consent, that is for the sexual gratification of an adult or a significantly older child. Sexual abuse involves fondling, penetration, persuading a child to expose his or her sexual organs, and allowing a child to view pornography. In most of the reported cases the child knew the abuser, and one in five of the abusers were under age themselves. 12% of the confirmed cases reported in 1996 involved sexual abuse. An estimated 10-15% of males and 20-25% of females reported they were sexually abused by age 18 (2). Most sexually abused children never come to the attention of the authorities. There may be no physical signs of harm, but there is always the intense shame, and secrecy is often maintained, even by the adults who know of the abuse, for fear of destroying a family. There is evidence emerging that as many as one in three incidents of child sexual abuse are not remembered by adults who experience them, and that the younger the child was at the time of the abuse, and the closer the relationship to the abuser, the more likely one is not to remember, claims Linda Williams. Convicted rape and sexual assault offenders serving time in State prisons  report that two-thirds of their victims were under the age 18, and 58% of those (nearly 4 in 10 imprisoned violent sex offenders) said their victims were aged 12 or younger. In 90% of the rapes of children less than 12 years old, the child knew the offender. Sixty percent took place in the victims home or at the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative. Two-thirds of sex offenders in state prisons victimized a child. For offenders imprisoned for violent crimes against victims younger than 18 (1994), 15% were convicted of forcible rape, 57% were convicted of other types of sexual assault (lewd acts of forcible sodomy, statutory rape, etc.), about thirty percent reported attacks on more than one child, and more than half the victims were younger than 12. Out of 277 inmate interviews of all prisoners convicted of rape or sexual assault, two-thirds victimized children. Three out of four child victims were female, prisoners convicted of attacking children were mostly male, 97%, and about 22% of the child sex offenders reported having been sexually abused themselves during childhood. Half of the women raped were younger than 18 and 20% were victimized by their father (3). Children often fail to report because of the fear that disclosure will bring consequences even worse than being victimized again. The victim may fear consequences from the family or feel guilty for consequences to the perpetrator. Victims may also have a feeling that something is wrong with me, and that the abused is their fault. The impact of child sexual abuse is tremendous. It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America, today. Approximately 31% of women in prison state they have been abused as children and about 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused. Young girls who are forced to have sex are three times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol and drugs in adulthood, than girls who are not sexually abused (4). There are two different types of indicators of sexual abuse, physical indicators and behavioral indicators. Some of the physical indicators are: 1)Torn, stained or bloody underclothes. 2)Frequent, unexplained sore throats, yeast or urinary infections. 3) Bruises or bleeding from external genitalia, vagina, or anal region. 4) Sexual transmitted disease. 5) Pregnancy. Some of the behavioral indicators are: 1)The victims disclosure of sexual abuse. 2)Disturbed sleeping pattern. 3)Difficulty in walking or sitting. 4)Avoidance of undressing or wearing extra layers of clothes. 5)Sudden decline in school performance. The two prerequisites for this form of maltreatment include sexual arousal to children and the willingness to act on this arousal. Factors that may contribute to the willingness include alcohol or drug abuse, poor impulse control, and a belief that the sexual behaviors are acceptable and not harmful to the child. The chances of abuse are higher if the child is developmentally handicapped or vulnerable in some other way. Often there is no physical evidence of sexual abuse for a doctor to find. In fact, physical examinations of children in cases suspected sexual abuse supply grounds for further suspicion only 15-20% of the time (4). Physical abuse is the nonaccidental infliction of physical injury to a child, such as cut, bruises, welts, and broken bones. The abuser is usually a family member or other caretaker, and is more likely to be male. In 1996,  24% of the confirmed cases of U.S. child abuse involved physical abuse (4). A rare form of physical abuse is Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which a caretaker, most often the mother, seeks attention by making the child sick or appear to be sick. Skulls and other bone fractures are often seen in young abused children, and in fact head injuries are the leading cause of death in abused children. A few physical indicators of physical abuse are: 1)Unexplained welts or bruises on the face, upper arms, throat, thighs or lower back in unusual patterns or shapes which suggest use of an instrument (electric cord, belt buckle) on an infant in various stages of healing that are seen after absences, weekends, or vacations. 2)Rope burns. 3)Bald patches. 4)Refusal to undress for gym. Some of the behavioral indicators of physical abuse are: 1)Behavioral extremes- withdrawal, aggression, depression. 2)Unbelievable or inconsistent explanation for the injury. 3)Fear of physical contact-shrinking back if touched. 4)Fear of medical help or examination. The usual physical abuse scenario involves a parent who loses control and lashes out at a child. The trigger could be a dirty diaper or crying. Unlike nonabusive parent, who may become upset or angry with their children from  time to time but are genuinely loving, abusive parents tend to harbor deep-rooted negative feelings toward their children. Emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse, according to Richard D. Krugman, has been defined as the rejection, ignoring, criticizing, isolation, or terrorizing or children, all of which have the effect of eroding their self-esteem. Emotional abuse usually expresses itself in verbal attacks involving rejection, belittlement, humiliation, and so forth. Emotional abuse also includes bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a child in a dark closet. Often psychological abuse accompanies other types of abuse and is difficult to prove. It is rarely reported and accounted for only 6% of the confirmed 1996 cases (3). A few physical indicators of emotional abuse are: 1)Eating disorders- obesity or anorexia. 2)Nervous disorders- rashes, facial tics, hives, etc. 3)Speech disorders- stuttering, stammering, etc. 4)Flat or bald spots on head (infants). A few behavioral indicators of psychological abuse are: 1)Age inappropriate behaviors- bedwetting, soiling, etc. 2)Habit disorders- biting, rocking, etc. 3)Cruel behavior- seeming to get pleasure from hurting another child, adult, or animal. 4)Overreaction to mistakes. Emotional abuse can happen in many different settings: at school, at home, on sports teams, and so on. The forth and final forms of child abuse is neglect. Neglect is the failure to satisfy a childs basic needs and can assume many forms. Emotional neglect is the failure to satisfy a childs normal emotional needs or behavior that damages a childs normal psychological and emotional development, physical neglect is the failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, or supervision, and educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and failure to attend to a special educational need. Failing to see that a child receives proper schooling or medical care is also considered neglect. In 1996, neglect was confirmed in over half of the abuse cases (3). Some physical indicators of neglect include: 1)Poor hygiene- lice, diaper rash, body odor, etc. 2)Lack of immunizations. 3)Untreated injury or illness. 4)Poor state of clothing. A few behavioral indicators of neglect include: 1)Chronic hunger or tiredness. 2)Assuming adult responsibilities. 3)Unusual school attendance. 4)No social relationships. Many cases of neglect occur because the parent experiences strong negative feelings toward the child. At other times, the parent may truly care for the child, but lack the ability to adequately provide for the childs needs due to being handicapped by drug abuse, depression, mental retardation, or other problems. As a result, their physical, emotional, social, and mental development is hindered. Young children remain at high risk for loss of life. Between 1995 and 1997, 78% of these children were less than five years of age at the time of their death, while 38% were under one year of age. As for cause of death, 44% of deaths resulted from neglect, 51% from physical abuse, and 5% from a combination of neglectful and physically abusive parenting. Approximately 41% of these deaths occurred to children known to child protective service agencies as current or prior clients (5). Abuse investigators are often a group effort involving medical personnel, police officers, social workers, and others. Careful questioning of the parents is crucial, as is interviewing the child. The investigators must ensure, however, that their questioning does not further traumatize the child. A physical examination for signs of abuse or neglect is, always necessary, and may also include blood tests, x-rays, and other procedures. If the child has sisters or brothers, the authorities must determine whether they have been abused as well. Signs of physical abuse are discovered in about 20% of the sisters and brothers of abused children (4). Child abuse can have lifelong consequences. Research shows that abused children and adolescents are more likely, for instance, suffer emotional problems, do poorly in school, abuse drugs and alcohol, and attempt suicide. As adults they have often have trouble establishing intimate relationships. Notification of the appropriate authorities, treatment of the childs  injuries, and protecting the child from further harm are the immediate priorities in child abuse! Sources All Figures Based Upon The Following: 1.A Nations Shame: Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States. 2.Child Maltreatment 1998: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. 3.http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats.htm 4.http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats2.htm 5.Wang, C.T. Daro, D. (1998). Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the 1997 Annual Fifty State Survey.

Test for Glucose Control Treatment

Test for Glucose Control Treatment Introduction Carbohydrate forms the principle source of energy. Usually polysaccharide (starch and glycogen) which are glucose units joined by a-glucosidic links and disaccharides (sucrose and lactose) the main dietary carbohydrate. Carbohydrate absorption must be presented to the intestinal epithelium in monosaccharide from mainly glucose and therefore digestion must precede absorption. Glucose gained a significant importance because brain cells are very dependent on it as it is sole source of energy supply. Red blood cells also depend on glucose to carry out their functions. Therefore the blood glucose concentration must be maintained within relative narrow range. After a carbohydrate-containing meal, glucose is transported in the portal blood to the liver, which takes up 60% of the glucose load. Consequently, a rise in the blood glucose concentration causes the release of insulin which will increase the entry of excess glucose into the liver where it is stored in form of glycogen. The normal plasma glucose concentration remains between 4.5 and 11 mmol/L, despite the intermittent load entering the body from the gastrointestinal tract. The maintenance of plasma glucose concentration below 11 mmol/L minimizes loss from the body as well as providing the optimal supply to the brain. Mayne, (1994). All the filtered glucose through glomeruli is reabsorbed in the proximal tubules. Therefore no glucose should be detected in urine; significant glycosuria occurs if the plasma glucose concentration exceeds 11 mmol/L. The two most important hormones in glucose homoeostasis are insulin and glucagon. Insulin is a 53 amino acid polypeptide, secreted by the ÃŽ ²-cells in the islet langerhans of the pancreas in response to a rise in the blood glucose concentration. Insulin stimulates glycogen synthesis and inhibits glycogenolysis through interaction with an exquisitely coordinated control mechanism that is central to the regulation of blood glucose concentration. Glucagon is a 29 amino acid polypeptide secreted by the ÃŽ ±-cells of the pancreatic islet. Its secretion is decreased by a rise in the blood glucose concentration. The action of glucagon is opposite those of insulin. It stimulates hepatic glycogenolysis through activation of glycogen phosphorylase, gluconeogenesis, lipolysis and ketogenesis. Marshell, (2000). The world health organization (WHO) defined diabetes on the basis of laboratory findings as a fasting venous plasma glucose concentration greater than 7.8 mmol/L and greater than 11.1 mmol/L two hours after the oral ingestion of the equivalent of 75g of glucose even the fasting concentration is normal. Mayne, (1994). Diabetes mellitus classified in two types; insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM type-1) where there is a defective insulin secretion. This condition presents in childhood or early adulthood (less than 20 years). Because of insulin deficiency, hyperglycaemia is very likely to occur. As a result glucose will leak to urine (glycosuria) because the plasma glucose concentration exceeds the renal threshold (10 mmol/l). Other consequences related to this condition are polyuria (frequent urination), glucose lost in urine draw water with it by osmosis producing osmotic diuresis characterized by polyuria. The excess fluid lost from the body leads to dehydration and thirst which is a c ompensatory mechanism to counteract the dehydration. One of severe metabolic complication that may occur in this condition is ketoacidosis; there is increased lipid and protein breakdown, enhanced hepatic gluconeogenesis and impaired glucose into cells. Marshall, (2000). In this condition insulin doses are required for the treatment. The causes of the type I diabetes can be an autoimmune where the islet cell antibodies react specifically with the ÃŽ ²-cells, or viral infection that destroy the ÃŽ ²-cells of pancreatic islet. Individual with certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types have been shown to carry a particular high risk of developing type I diabetes. In type II diabetes, non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), obesity is the biggest risk factor, 90% of type II diabetes are obese and it is occurs in the late onset. In this condition ÃŽ ²-cells of islet langerhans are normal which means that there will be a normal insulin concentration and sometimes high in the blood. Also the sensitivity of insulins target cells reduced. The cause of reduced remains elusive, recent research suggest that adipose tissue cells secrete a hormone known as resistin, which interfere with insulin action in experimental animal. This could be an important link between obesity and insulin resistance. Resistin is distinct from leptin, the hormone secreted by adipose cells that plays a role in controlling food intake. (Kumar Clark, 2002). Treatment of this condition by dietary control and weight loss, exercise, sometimes oral hypoglycaemic drugs required. Other conditions can lead to Diabetes Mellitus such as absolute insulin deficiency due to a pancreatic disease (chronic pancreatitis, haemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis). Relative insulin deficiency, can cause diabetes mellitus due to excessive growth hormone, glucocorticoid secretion, or increased plasma glucocorticoid concentration due to administration of steroids. Also drugs like thiazide diuretics can cause diabetes mellitus. Mayne, (1994). Materials and method Please refer to medical biochemistry practical book (BMS2). Result: The equation obtained fro the calibration curve used to calculate the concentration of glucose in plasma. Y = 0.018 X Where y = absorbance x = glucose concentration Patient 1: P (fasting) = 0.078 / 0.018 = 4.3 mmol/L P (2hrs) = 0.105 / 0.018 = 5.8 mmol/L Patient 2: P (fasting) = 0.113 / 0.018 = 6.2 mmol/L P (2hrs) = 0.105 / 0.018 = 8.3 mmol/L Patient 3 P (fasting) = 0.148 / 0.018 = 8.2 mmol/L P (2hrs) = 0.264 / 0.018 = 14.6 mmol/L Conclusion: Patient 1 is normal Patient 2 has normal fasting glucose level and high value after 2 hours (9.6 mmol/l), so this patient must be retested before diagnosis. Patient 3 is diabetic Discussion The glucose calibration graph showed a good linearity which means that Beers Lambert law is obeyed and the results are accurate. In glucose tolerance test (GTT) the patient is asked to eat normally in the three days leading up to the test and to be fasting for at least 12 hours. At the end of time the patient is asked to collect urine sample and blood sample is collected. After that, the patient drinks 75g of glucose in 300 ml of water within 5 minutes. After 2 hours, the patient is asked to collect anther urine sample and blood sample is collected. Normally when the patient is fasting, the glucose level should be < 5.5 mmol/L and there is no glucose in urine. After the patient is given the sugar, the glucose level in the blood will increase, but in the normal person the glucose concentration should go back to normal within 2 hours and no glucose can be detected in urine. What is happening in the normal person after given glucose is that insulin is produced in high concentration, the glucose is converted into glycogen and then the glycogen is stored in the liver. Finally, insulin concentration also decreases t o normal concentration. Whereas, in the diabetic patient the glucose level stays high because the insulin is insufficient, not produced or present but not functioning due to a defect in the ÃŽ ²-cells of pancreas. In normal condition, the filtered glucose is completely reabsorbed in the proximal tubule. In Diabetes Mellitus the blood glucose is much above the renal threshold (11 mmol/L), reabsorption becomes saturated and it starts to appear in urine. The presence of glucose in urine is called glucosuria. Glucosuria results in osmatic diuresis that increase water excretion and raises the plasma osmolarity, which in turn stimulates the thirst centre. Osmatic diuresis and theist cause classical signs and symptoms of polyuria (large volume of urine) and polydipsia (excessive thirst). In patient-1, fasting blood glucose (4.3 mmol/L) is within the normal range and no glucose in urine. After 2 hours the blood glucose level is 5.8 mmol/L, which is below 7.8 mmol/L and no glucose in the urine. These mean that this patient is normal. In patient-2, fasting blood glucose is within the normal range and no glucose in urine. After 2 hours the blood glucose level is 8.3 mmol/L which is slightly high but it is within the normal range of impaired glucose tolerance (7.8- 11.1 mmol/l), whereas urine glucose is negative. This means that this patient must be retested before ending to diagnosis of impaired glucose or any other diagnosis. Many people with impaired glucose tolerance progress to develop diabetes, but this condition can be prevented with adoption of a diabetic-type diet and weight loss (if overweight). Whitby, G, et al, (1988). Patient-3 has high fasting blood glucose level (8.2 mmol/L), and in the urine the glucose is not detected. After 2 hours the glucose concentration did not reduce and it went higher up to 14.6 mmol/L. in addition to that, the urine dipstick showed very strong positive reaction (4+), which indicate that this patient is diabetic. In this patient the glucose concentration was high before the sugar was given. This means that there is a defect in insulin secretion which can not breakdown the glucose and bring to the normal level. The high blood glucose level was due to glycogenolysis, gluconeogesis or high glucose intake. Therefore, this patient may have type-1 Diabetes Mellitus. Questions: What facts should be taken in account when interpreting the results of glucose tolerance test? The facts are: Patient should eat normal diet within 3 days before doing the test. The diet should contain at least 250g of carbohydrate. Patient should be fast over night at least 10-12 hours and does not eat during the test. The 75g of glucose should be dissolved in 300 ml of water and then ask the patient to drink it within 5 minutes after collection of fasting blood sample. A pregnant woman should be given less than 75g of glucose as it may affect the baby. If the amount of glucose given is less than recommended, it will affect the result as the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is standardized procedure. Patient should rest through the test; smoking is not permitted; drink of water is allowed. Blood sample should be collected in container that contains sodium fluoride to inhibit glycolysis. The patient must consult the health care provider if he/she is using medication that can interfere with the test result includes Thiazide diuretics (e.g. hydrochorothiazide), beta-blockers (e.g. prpanolol) oral contraceptive and some psychiatric drugs. There are interfering factors that affect OGTT. There are acute stresses for example, from surgery or infection, and vigorous exercise. Blood glucose rise with age and their renal threshold is increased. Time of sample collection is important (morning). The method we used employed glucose oxidase- name 2 other methods for glucose estimation and describe the principles used. Ortho-toluidine method (mono step): glucose reacts with ortho-toluidine in hot acidic medium to form a green coloured complex. The intensity of the final colour produced is directly proportional to concentration of glucose in the sample. UV-kinetic method: This method also measures the concentration of glucose. The reagent contains ATP, hexokinase, NADP and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzme in ethanol amine buffer (PH 7.5). Why HbA1c a better guide to long term diabetes control than glucose? The determination of plasma and urine glucose provides information about the metabolic status only at the moment. Long term control of glucose can be obtained with relative ease by measuring the amount of particular haemoglobin fraction in red blood cells. The glucose enters the red blood cells and binds the haemoglobin to a very small extent. Although some of the glucose diffuse from the haemoglobin due to formation of covalent bond, but some of the glucose will react with a particular amino acid in the haemoglobin protein. The haemoglobin/glucose complex has different chemical properties from the haemoglobin, thus it can be separated chromatographic or electrophoresis technique. The estimation of Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) depends on the mean plasma glucose concentration and the life span of red blood cells (RBCs). The normal level of non-diabetic is < 6%. Also because it depends on the plasma glucose concentration, HbA1c in diabetic patient tend to be increased over the prev ious 1- months. The extent of elevation of HbA1c indicates the overall degree of blood glucose control; in poorly controlled diabetes it may rise as high as 25%. Whitby, (1998). So the higher percentage of HbA1c indicates more glucose bound to haemoglobin and hence poor control of diabetic. Subsequently this test is used to asses the quality of the long term control of blood glucose in diabetic patient. Also it examines the patient faithfulness with which he/she followed the health care instruction and the effectiveness of the medication prescribed for treatment.

The cause and effect of Gangs in Society

The cause and effect of Gangs in Society According to Street Wars by Tom Hayden, an estimate of over 25,000 young people in the United States, the majority of them African American and Latino, have been killed in street wars during the past two decades (Hayden, Foreword). Because of these violent events, those who live in poorer areas of the country are stereotyped: every child with a tattoo and street child is stigmatized as a criminal who is creating an unfriendly climate for investment or tourism in the country(Hayden, Preface, IX). Gangs never used to be called gangs, and some still do not call themselves gangs(Hayden, 2). Although several gang members see themselves as a family or neighborhood, it is pointed out that gangs are essentially a criminal enterprise(Hayden, 3). This review of literature will examine the factors that contribute to the cause of people coming together to commit crimes, as well as the question of whether the decisions made to join gangs are forced or made at free will. An explanation for the gro wth of gangs is the continuation of extreme poverty and isolation among the generation labeled at risk in our nations cities(Hayden, 16). The stereotype that these people are all criminals has become one of the reasons gangs rebel against the society just because it was wrong and violated societys standards of acceptable behavior(Carrigan, 278). Growing Up Without Proper Nurturing Gang members often come from dysfunctional, abusive, or broken homes, poor living conditions, lack of parental discipline, neglect and low incomes(Carrigan, 285). A variety of studies have shown that a lack of time spent nurturing and properly disciplining children can be a significant contributor to problem behavior(Carrigan, 305). The National Center of Health Statistics in 1988 discovered that, Childrens well being is associated with family structurechildren from divorced families and those living with single parents have been found to have more emotional, behavioral, and academic problems than children living with both of their biological parents (Carrigan, 287). For the upbringing of gang members from single parent households, it wasnt so much the family status that caused the problem. Rather, the status brought on stresses and strains that contributed to the deprivation of good parenting(Carrigan, 287). Jane Rodd, an experienced social worker, states that, What society has to l earn is that children growing up have needs: support, love, respect, fair discipline and a family with positive social values. If these elements are not a strong part of childhood development, the child may well become antisocial as a youth(Carrigan, 287). Study done for the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada (1985) reviewed the literature on family relationships and delinquency and reached the conclusions that family criminality, whether it be parents or siblings, is a powerful predictor of childrens delinquency, and parental supervision, followed by mothers affection during childhood, appear to be the two most important variables accounting for adult criminality(Carrigan, 286). Some of the gang members are even homeless, either because their parents are on drugs and they discard them, or they have no homes and the children drift away(Castro). Most gang members have nothing to live for, except their hood. They pledge allegiance to their neighborhood gang, and it becomes their whole wide world, their family. Their loyalty is fierce(Castro). Donald J. McKinnon suggests that the main cause of juvenile delinquency is the lack of a sense of responsibility on the part of parents in the matter of bringing up and training children, l eaving them out on the streets(Carrigan, 284). The particular culture of a lower-class community is seen as one of the major factors that causes gang delinquency(Carrigan, 278). The individual is influenced by the norms of the gang, which in turn reflect modes of behavior acceptable to a lower-class culture. These norms are different from the middle-class culture, which places a higher value on conformist behavior(Carrigan, 278). Throughout American history, a high percentage of delinquents has come from poor economic backgrounds. The correlation led to the easy conclusion that poverty causes crime(Carrigan, 283). It is conveniently forgotten that the sources of most street gangs lie in violent oppression, dispossession, and migration(Hayden, 200). In the twenty-first century, the new generation has been Brought up in a materialistic environment, indulged, protected, and taught by consumer-oriented society that instant gratification was a normal expectation in life, therefore youths often lacked patience and an ability to cope wi th frustration(Carrigan 299). Influences in the past that had helped to nurture values and character were, by the 1960s, either substantially diminished or gone(Carrigan, 300). The decline in the influence of the churches, less emphasis on values education in the schools, and the diminution of the role of the state as a moral agent have contributed to the lessening of interest in the role of values as a governor on human behavior(Carrigan, 288). Heredity While bad neighborhoods and lack of moral education is blamed for the formation of gangs, some studies indicate that the urge to join gangs might lie, at least in part, in their genes(Boys May Feel a Genetic Pull Toward Gangs). Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909), professor of medicine at the University of Turin in Italy, argues that more persistent and violent criminals were born that way. They were throwbacks to a more primitive stage of development(Carrigan, 273). He also defined a criminal as an atavistic being who reproduces in his person the ferocious instincts of primitive humanity and the inferior animals, stating that these people generally have enormous jaws, high cheekbones, prominent superciliary arches, solitary lines in the palms, extreme size of the orbits, handle-shaped or sessile ears found in criminals, savages, and apes; insensibility to pain, extremely acute sight, tattooing, excessive idleness, love of orgies, and the irresistible craving for evil for its own sake, the d esire not only to extinguish life in the victim, but to mutilate the corpse, tear its flesh, and drink its blood(Carrigan, 273). Also, those born with criminal traits start lawless activities at an early age, and constantly demonstrate anger, a spirit of revenge, idleness, volubility and lack of affection(Carrigan, 273). It is said that aggressive behavior is one of the early signs of antisocial and criminal tendencies(Carrigan, 306). Other traits are also said to be hints of rebellion when children grow older: a taste for risk; below average verbal intelligence; response to frustration more likely to involve resentment and anger rather than composure or anxiety, guilt or depression; egocentricism; moral immaturity; and poor problem-solving, coping or self-regulation skills(Carrigan, 281). Children that have high tolerance for deviance in general; rejection of the validity of the law in particular, applies rationalizations for law violations to a wide range of stimuli as reasons for anger, tend to become a lot more rebellious when they grow older(Carrigan, 280). Even the most sensitive among them [the gang members] often have committed terrible violence(Castro). However, those who are insensible to pain are often one of the most violent members in the gangs. One gang member tried to steal a car from this guy, and when the guy resisted, he knocked him down and ran over him with the car. Then he backed up, ran over him again, then he drove around the block and came back and ran over him again. Then he put the car in reverse, and as he ran over the guy a fourth time, the police came along and saw it(Castro). According to a study, Boys who have a variant of the gene monoamine oxidase A(MAOA) otherwise known as the warrior gene are not only more likely to be in gangs than boys without the variant, but they tend to be among the most violent members(Boys May Feel a Genetic Pull Toward Gangs). It is not only the poverty-stricken environment or the broken homes that deprive individuals of a sense of belonging, desperate to join gangs. The study shows that joining gangs also has to do with the genetics of a person (Boys May Feel a Genetic Pull Toward Gangs). Previous research has linked low-activity MAOA variants to a wide range of antisocial, even violent, behavior, but our study confirms that these variants can predict gang membership, the studys lead author, Kevin M. Beaver, a biosocial criminologist at Florida State Universitys College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said in a university news release. Moreover, we found that variants of this gene could distinguish gang members who we re markedly more likely to behave violently and use weapons from members who were less likely to do either(Boys May Feel a Genetic Pull Toward Gangs). The MAOA gene is believed to affect levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin that are related to mood and behavior, according to the study. Previous research found that the warrior gene is more prevalent in cultures that are typified by warfare and aggression. Strain Theory When someone is unable to gain wealth, power, status, or possessions by legitimate means(Carrigan, 276), due to the frustration felt at being blocked by the system, the individual violates the accepted code of conduct and to resort to illegitimate or illegal means(Carrigan, 277). Strain theory emphasizes the relationship in society between the goals that constitute status and the conventions or does of conduct that regulate the manner in which those aspirations may be pursued(Carrigan, 276). General Strain Theory identifies three major sources of strain: the failure to achieve positively valued goals, the loss of positively valued stimuli, and the presentation of negative stimuli. The first type of strain includes three subtypes: the failure to achieve aspirations or ideal goals, the failure to achieve expectations, and the failure to be treated in a just / fair manner(Broidy and Agnew). It also considers types of strain other than goal blockage, such as the loss of positive stimuli like friends and romantic partners, and the presentation of negative stimuli like excessive demands and verbal, sexual or physical abuse(Broidy and Agnew). The delinquent accepts societys norms that place an importance on the ownership of certain things, but social inequalities, such as poverty, prevent their attainment, therefore turning to crime(Carrigan, 277). Sampson and Wilson (1995) proposed an integrated social disorganization-strain theory in which strain factors are viewed as causing the deterioration of social controls, which are hypothesized to have the more direct effect on crime(DeFronzo). They argue that the forms of social disorganization that promote crime most likely include disrupted, dysfunctional, and/or structurally impaired households; ethnic, racial, and class discrimination and hostility; and the development of deviant subcultures, although they specified that such subcultures are not entirely distinct from the conventional-dominant culture but rather deviant in the sense of fostering at least the tolerance of certain nonconformist behaviors(DeFronzo). Sampson and Wilson concluded that strain factors such as economically generated frustrations or the lack of access to legitimate opportunities tend to create forms of social disorganization. For example, limited economic resources might be expected to result in stresswhi ch, in turn, increases the likelihood of excessive use of alcohol or other drugsand unprotected sexual intercourse outside of marriage often resulting in children being raised in one-parent households(DeFronzo). The Hippie Movement could be one of the examples of gang-like rebellion against mainstream society, although it influenced the culture later on(Carrigan, 300). The revolt of the 1960s was led, disproportionately, by advantaged, well-educated young people who began the first phase of their protest in universitiesWhen faulty and administrations resisted their demands for change, they resorted to protest and sometimes violence to achieve their goals(Carrigan, 300). Clothing styles were changed as an increasing number of people defied convention by opting for casual dress on all occasions, including topless bathing suits; language took on a new coarseness, as four-letter words became the style and symbol of liberation; drug use reached epidemic proportion, as a way of defying legal restraints(Carrigan, 301). It is said that, The social structure itself is the source of the pressure that forces a person into nonconformist or criminal conduct(Carrigan, 276). In a similar way, different strains gang members experience push them into the situation where they would rather commit crimes together than facing their previous struggles(Hayden, 216-217). Conclusion: The formation of gangs hasnt intensified or surfaced until the past few decades(Hayden, 3). It has caused the death of innocent people, and ruined the future for several gang members that initially joined for the sense of belonging, outside of their dysfunctional families and failed relationships. Those who have been bold, allowed themselves to befriend the gang members and have learned more about them as people, have fortunately survived (Castro). They have also been able to turn some lives around, and help them realize gang violence is preventable (Hayden, Foreword). We must put effort into peacemaking, so that our country would become more civilized and be rid of unnecessary violence. Mike Davis from Planet of Slums emphasized that, What is clear is that the contemporary mega-slum poses unique problems of imperial order and social control that conventional geopolitics has barely begun to register. If the aim of the war on terrorism; is to pursue the erstwhile enemy into his sociol ogical and cultural labyrinth, then the poor peripheries of developing cities will be the permanent battlefields of the twenty-first century(Hayden, Preface).