Discretionary Use Of Police Authority

Police officers enjoy the much-envied monopoly of instruments of force. Only a state armed force has recognized legal rights to wage violence against the citizenry and employ all manner of force in the name of maintaining law and order. A look at a number of police actions leaves a doubt whether all might be provided for by the law. The police are permitted to use a certain level of force in enforcing the law and while making arrests and maintaining order.The force used in this case is supposed to be reasonable; this reasonableness is not measurable and is at the discretion of the police or to a large extent to the court of law. In their day to day activities, police follow scripted rules and guidelines, guided by the law and their professional ethics, but rarely is all that they do contained in the written codes. Majority of what they go through depends on their personal intuition and judgment of what is right.They are supposed to make a split judgment on the most appropriate decisi on in a certain situation, whereas such a provision may not be provided in the rules. The legality of such decisions sometimes is in question. It is not possible for the law to contain all the likely scenarios that the police can come across. The unpredictable nature of their work makes it hard to do that and it is only through effective training and a high level of discipline that proper judgment and sound decisions can be made; even in an extremely uncertain environment.This however is an ideal situation and most of the time police officers have been noted to go to the extreme ends and making unreasonable decisions that are inconsistent with the publics’ expectations. In carrying out their duties, the police sometimes seem to be following their own discreet codes, codes that cannot be fathomed by civilians. Their rules are paternalistic in nature and may not be in line with the spirit of democracy. This and more is what this paper hopes to look at. It will scrutinize the po lice use of discretionary authority and note whether sometimes this authority is extremely and unreasonably overstretched.Discretion can simply be referred to as that power or freedom accorded to individuals, or the police for that matter, to make judgment or decisions that they think are appropriate to a certain situation. It is the judgment of police on how to bridge the gap that exists between what the stipulations in the law contain and the challenges on the ground (Seumas M. , et al, 2006). The laws governing the police forces are not specific and should under no certain terms be specific. They leave gaps and spaces that can only be filled through individual intuition.Most of these laws are said to be ambiguous and clearly requiring the reasoning of a well trained police officer to enforce (M. L. Dantzker, 2005. ). While it is prudent to say that almost all state or public departments and agencies use discretionary powers, it is in the policing agencies that they are most often applied and with major consequences. It is the legislature that determines the nature of laws that exist in a certain region, but it is up to the people on the ground, who are the police officers, that determine how those legislations are to be enforced and in what manner.The law sometimes is strict on certain issues but it is up to the law enforcement agents in touch with the public to make it more flexible while at the same time making it less or more punitive depending on the situation. Question stands on whether such discretion cannot be abused. For example whereas the law categorically prohibits the arresting of individual on mere suspicion with no form of evidence, the police in most case will arrest people and claim it is on ‘reasonable grounds of suspicion’. This suspicion is based on subjective judgments of a person’s behavior at the moment.Some officers are trained to believe that if one moves away hastily after seeing the police, he or she is likely t o be guilty of something. This is what some would call ‘behaving in a suspicious manner’. This might not be true as there is no law against hastening ones pace upon coming across the police officers, but the forces discretionary powers allow them to hold such person and search him or her. â€Å"Reasonable suspicion† becomes an ambiguous term that is hard to define or quantify. It is not measurable and at the same time not disputable.Interestingly though, contrary to what one would expect, discretionary powers in the police force decrease as one goes up the ladder while increasing down the cadre and hierarchy. This is because the officers up in hierarchy rarely come face to face with the public. Theirs is mostly limited to the boardroom meetings, strategy laying and maybe dealing with the ever-inquisitive media. This is not to mean that they top chiefs do not possess discretionary powers. On the contrary they do, but it is the lower ranking officers that have more opportunities of exercising this authority due to their daily contacts with the pubic.This discretionary authority turns them into policy makers, only this time it is at the ground or street level. This is because the most important decisions are made at the point of contact or encounter. It is here that the police officers make the most vital decisions regarding the step to take after a wrong has been committed. Depending on the weight of the crime, the officer on the ground will know what action to take. He might decide to warn, book or jail depending on the gravity of the situation. This may not be what the law has provided for.It is these powers to make such discretions that raise tension and discontent from the public, as they lead to discriminate and disproportionate application of laws. The general characteristic of discretionary authority is that in one way or another it has to be applied selectively. The prejudices that are held by the society have also been imported into the police force and must in a way impede upon the judgment of the police officers especially when they are exercising their discretionary authority.To most people in today’s world, where vehicles are prevalently used as the single most preferred means of mobility. Peoples’ contact with the government is through the police. Interactions with the citizenry is most likely to be with the traffic police officers, and it is them that are likely to make decisions based on their own judgments. This most likely emanates from the fact that most of the traffic offenses committed by motorists are but of small consequence, they are minor and one can escape with a verbal warning.The traffic laws prohibit over speeding or any other reckless driving that might be injurious or inconveniencing to other motorists. The patrol officers are always on the look out for such characters and can flag down any motorist they suspect is under the influence of alcohol. Police here use their discret ionary authority in making the kind of decision to be taken upon a motorist who commits such an offense. A traffic offense that is not serious would carry a number of penalties ranging from citing, booking or ticketing in accordance with the dominant traffic policy.Most people would like the law enforcement officers make lenient decisions in regard to such minor offenses and make hard stances on the major crimes such as kidnappings and bank robberies. More police discretionary powers should be extended towards passing lenient judgments on traffic offences rather than creating friction on their relationship with the motorists (Peak, K. J. , 2006). Most police agents have strict laws and policies in relation to traffic rules and tend to have punitive attitudes towards these offenses.Most traffic officers end up citing motorists rather than letting them go off with verbal warnings. This is the ethical and professional dilemma facing most police officers, their discretionary authority n ot withstanding, even where the law is very clear on traffic offenses and the nature of penalties imposed. This how the law is, it is supposed to be comprehensive and touching on almost everything. However, the scarce resources allocated may not cater for this. The meager financial resources cannot facilitate the strict following of the law to the letter.If all the provisions of the law are strictly adhered to, the courts would be clogged with cases and jails would be overcrowded. It is hence important that the police officers use their discretionary powers to sort these people out (Seumas M. , et al, 2006). As mentioned before, due to the subjective nature of the police duties, selective application of discretionary powers is probable and very common. Racial, religious, gender and ethnic profiling becomes real. For the traffic police officers, it is very likely to let of an elderly person off with over speeding than with a teenager or a middle age.This is because it is not common t o see aged people over speeding; the officers will tend to believe that there has to be a reason for such an action. The provisions of the law on over speeding not withstanding, most police officers are bound to make the same decision. A study of police application of discretionary powers also would reveal that it all depends on the behaviors and attitude of the subject under consideration. For those who are very confrontational and rude when addressed by police officers over their mistakes, they might not enjoy any leniency.Those who are orderly and remorseful of their actions are likely to receive a lighter treatment. Police discretionary powers are likely to be applied favorably mostly when the subject displays a sign of respect. These powers may also be extended to the unpopular laws in the society. Police would shun taking action against offenders of some minor offences. This is if there has been a public uproar against such laws. They would not want to be dragged into a row, a nd hence opt to turn a blind away to such offenders.There are exceptions however to this; no matter how unpopular some of these laws might be, discretionary powers might have applied harshly. The issue of police discretionary powers is dogged with controversy. There are those who claim that these powers are okay as they give the police an opportunity to apply their own judgment in meting out justice rather than waiting for the strenuous and elaborate process of the law. It gives the law a human face and gives the police a chance to act with compassion. The police sometimes are faced with situations where if they strictly adhere to the laws, catastrophes might happen.A police arresting a driver for over speeding might result to a implication if for example such a driver was rushing a patient to hospital. It is important that discretionary powers be extended to allow police officers make decisions that are appropriate to a specific situation at hand rather than blanket application of the law just because the stipulations state so. This leniency in the discretionary powers is also a kind of public relations. As afore mentioned, contact of the public and the police in today’s world is mostly limited to the traffic.Most people’s attitudes and perceptions of the police might to a great extent be shaped by this limited interaction. Any harshness towards motorists may be interpreted to mean that the police are all harsh and inconsiderate. The law contains a mesh of provisions that cannot all be applied, as most likely they would turn the citizens into slaves of rules. Discretionary powers are hence important to sort these laws out and enable the police to make the best decisions possible at that instance depending on the prevailing circumstances (John Blackler, Seumas Miller, 2005).However, opposition to discretion emanates to the discriminate application of justice. As said before, it is a highly subjective practice that embodies the incorporation of pe rsonal and emotional values. Issues such as racism, ethnics and other discrimination based on creed, socio-economic statues and gender will come into play. Personal prejudices might have an upper hand when a police officer is making the decision in regard to who will get what punishment, who will get a booking and who is to be released. A motorist may get away with over speeding, or driving under the influence just because he or she looks innocent or is remorseful.Police have been known to apply leniency to people who look remorseful after giving them a stern warning and arresting those that they think are disrespectful and self-righteous. This however should not be a criterion to be used while deciding who is to booked and who is to be let go. The law is clear on this and should be applied non-selectively. Allowing the use of discretionary powers by police officers is jut but breeding ground for corruption and bribery. Police officers are likely to take in bribes from criminals or petty offenders so that they may look the other way and apply discretionary powers.It may also lead to a breeding ground for more hardened offenders. A motorist who has escaped once with an over speeding offense may make it a habit of repeating the same mistake and preying on officer’s leniency. People might not be vigilant enough in regard to the petty offenses because there will be a likelihood of them getting away with such mistakes. A high number of people would be in favor of controlling the use of police discretionary authority, mostly as it is likely to be abused by police officers.This emanates from the image that most people have of the police; an image imparted through their interactions with the police, who most of the time are found to hostile and unreasonable. The police are not trained in psychiatry and should not base an individual’s guilt on ones behavior, remorse or lack of it thereof. It should be left to the court or tribunals to pass a verdict. If t he law states that a certain offense is finable then be it and this fine should be applied across the board and not selectively. The police are governed and bound by the law and all its comprehensive principles.The law is dynamic but it is also very clear on many issues. It is predictable and outcomes in many cases are certain. The same case should apply to the police force; their decisions should be predictable and consistent. The police force is in the executive arm of the government, its function is to implement the laws passed by the legislature, allowing it to make decision regarding the law is superseding the authority and can be a recipe for chaos. Unlimited use of police discretionary powers can to a greater extent be said to be undermining democracy.Laws under the tenets of democracy are a preserve of the legislature which is just but a of group of individuals representing the citizenry, who are democratically elected. The police represent the executive and in most cases wi ll be furthering the sitting government’s interests. They do not consult before passing the extra judicial pronouncements. The public has no room to scrutinize these decisions. Had there been an opportunity to review some of these discretionary powers, the system could work out efficiently (John Kleinig, 1996).However, as much as the public may wish to demonize the use of discretionary authority by the police, they are more than necessary. The law, despite being broad, is not comprehensive; it does not provide solutions to all the possible case scenarios likely to be faced by the police. Discretionary powers by the police come into play to bridge the gap between what the stipulations contain and what the situation on the ground is. The bone of contention is the likelihood of these powers being abused and applied selectively to favor a certain group of individuals over others. There is no provision in the law on how these powers are to be utilized.They are mainly subjective an d depend on a specific officer’s personality and orientation towards many issues in life. It would also depend on the nature of the mood of an officer at the time of the incident. It is unpredictable and lacks in consistency. It is apparent though that these discretionary powers cannot be done away with completely, effort hence should be geared towards curtailing them to a level that is acceptable to the public. Police should be well trained to ensure that their use of discretionary authority does not deviate from the law and is not applied discriminately. References John Kleinig, 1996. The ethics of policing. Cambridge University Press. John Blackler, Seumas Miller, 2005. Ethical issues in policing. Ash gate publishing Ltd. Seumas Miller, John Blackler, Andrew Alexandra, 2006. Police ethics. Waterside Press. Peak, K.J., 2006. Policing America: Methods, Issues, and Challenges. 5th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. M.L. Dantzker, 2005.Understanding today’s Police. Criminal Justice Press.

Chemistry- Pennium Lab Report Essays

Chemistry- Pennium Lab Report Essays Chemistry- Pennium Lab Report Paper Chemistry- Pennium Lab Report Paper The relative abundance of the pre 1 982 pennies was 50 percent, and the relative abundance of the post 1982 pennies was 50 percent. The atomic mass of Pentium that was calculated using these isotopes was 2. 795 grams. A possible source of error could have been that the scales may have not given the correct mass due to various possible technological issues. This would have affected the accuracy of the data, as well as the calculated atomic mass. The initial hypothesis as supported because the atomic mass, 2. 795 grams, is in fact the average of the average mass of the pre 1 982 pennies (3. 090 grams) and the post 1982 pennies (2. 501 grams). This relates to what we learned in class about how the atomic masses of elements are calculated: by multiplying the relative abundance of the isotope to the mass of the isotope, then add all these values up. In this lab, the pre 1982 pennies were one isotope of Pentium, and the post 1982 pennies were another isotope of Pentium. The mass of the pre 1982 pennies as different from that of the post 1982 pennies because after 1982, pennies were made with more zinc instead of copper, and zinc has a lower density than copper. This would have caused the post 1982 pennies to be lighter than the pre 1982 pennies. Additional Research: From 1793-1837, the penny was made of pure copper. Then, a combination of copper, zinc, and nickel was used to manufacture pennies (95 percent copper, 5 percent zinc and in). From 1857 onwards, the penny was made of 88 percent copper, and 12 percent nickel. This gave it a whitish color rather than a bronze color. However, the penny reappeared with its bronze color with the 95 percent copper, 5 percent tin and zinc combination. In 1962, zinc was removed from the penny, and it was made of 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. In 1 982, the composition of the penny was changed to 97. 5 percent zinc and 2. 5 percent copper. This happened because it cost more than one cent to make a penny after the price of copper rose. Zinc was cheaper than copper, so the United States made the penny mostly out of zinc to save money.

The Charlotte Riots and the Killing of Keith Scott

The Charlotte Riots and the Killing of Keith Scott Deadly riots broke out in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September 2016. What had been peaceful protests over the police killing of an African American man named Keith Lamont Scott turned into a melee involving both demonstrators and the authorities. The spread of gunfire, vandalism, and smoke bombs during the riots led the North Carolina governor to declare a state of emergency. In the end, neither the city of Charlotte nor the people caught up in the protests were left unscathed. The 2016 Charlotte Riots The Charlotte riots took place in 2016 after a black man named Keith Lamont Scott was killed by police on Sept. 20. Officers said he had a gun, but Scott’s family denied he was armed and suggested he’d been framed. The riots ended by the morning of Sept. 23, but they had resulted in property damage, injuries, and more than a few dozen arrests. Tragically, one man, Justin Carr, died during the violence that broke out in Charlotte after Scott’s killing.The district attorney ultimately decided not to file charges against the officer who shot Scott because evidence suggested the slain man had been armed and did not follow commands. The Killing of Keith Lamont Scott The Charlotte riots took place just one day after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer fatally shot married father of seven Keith Lamont Scott. The 43-year-old man had parked his car in the lot of the Village at College Downs apartment complex, where police had arrived to serve an arrest warrant to a different individual. The officers said they saw Scott with marijuana and that he’d gotten in and out of his car with a handgun. When they told him to drop his weapon, he ignored their commands, making him an â€Å"imminent threat,† according to the authorities. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Vinson, who is African American, fired his weapon, wounding Scott. First aid was performed, but Scott did not survive. His wife, Rakeyia Scott, had witnessed his killing and maintained that he was holding a book in his hand, not a gun. Given the history of police shooting unarmed black men, supporters of Scott believed his wife’s account. However, the authorities attempted to verify their version of what happened by stating that they had recovered Scott’s loaded gun from the scene and that he had been wearing an ankle holster. They also said that no book was ever found. Protestors march up Trade St. September 21, 2016 in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.   Sean Rayford / Getty Images The disparities between law enforcement’s account of events and Rakeyia Scott’s led protesters to take to the streets. The fact that his family suggested that the authorities had planted the gun at the scene only led to more skepticism about the officers involved in Scotts shooting. Several people were harmed during the demonstrations over his death. Riots Break Out in Charlotte Just hours after Scott’s killing, demonstrators poured into the streets. They held the trademark â€Å"Black Lives Matter† signs often spotted in the wake of deadly police shootings of African Americans. The grassroots Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement gained momentum after Mike Brown’s killing in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. The movement raises awareness about the fact that African Americans are disproportionately killed by the police. Protesters affiliated with BLM and other groups chanted â€Å"no justice, no peace!† as they marched through downtown Charlotte. Some members of the public reportedly began to pelt the police officers on the scene with water bottles and rocks. The officers responded by firing tear gas. During the unrest, police, news reporters, and civilians all sustained injuries. Arrests were made when some crowd members didn’t disperse, blocked the lanes of Interstate 85, vandalized vehicles and buildings, robbed an ATM and various shops, and set fires. A civilian named Justin Carr, 21,  lost his life in the violence, and a fellow civilian, Rayquan Borum, was arrested for shooting him and sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2019. Altogether, 44 people were arrested for various crimes in the days following the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott. Police officers face off with protesters on the I-85 (Interstate 85) during protests in the early hours of September 21, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.   Sean Rayford / Getty Images When North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in Charlotte after the first night of violence, the North Carolina National Guard and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol arrived in the city to quash the rebellion. In addition, Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts instituted a curfew preventing civilians from being on the streets between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.  With extra law enforcement patrolling the streets and a curfew, the protests had calmed down considerably on the night of September 22. The mayor extended the curfew one more night, but by September 23, Charlotte businesses were already up and running again. Reaction to the Violence The riots made international headlines and everyone from then-presidential candidate Donald Trump to black activists commented on them. â€Å"Our country looks bad to the world, especially when we are supposed to the world’s leader,† Trump said. â€Å"How can we lead when we can’t even control our own cities? We honor and recognize the right of all Americans to peacefully assemble, protest, and demonstrate, but there is no right to engage in violent disruption or to threaten the public safety and peace.† The North Carolina NAACP issued a similar message, decrying violence and calling on Scott supporters to use their First Amendment rights to call for redress of wrongs,† the group said. â€Å"We understand efforts that undermine the legitimate calls for justice with unjust, random or purposeless acts of violence.   Police stand outside of a vandalized storefront September 21, 2016 in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.   Sean Rayford / Getty Images Nation of Islam leader B.J. Murphy had a different response to the riots. He called for an economic boycott of Charlotte, a city with a history of police shootings involving black men. In 2013, former college football player Jonathan Farrell, an African American, was fatally shot by Charlotte police after seeking help following a car crash. A jury deadlocked on whether to find the white policeman who killed Farrell guilty. Later, charges against the officer were dropped. In light of police violence against blacks, B.J. Murphy argued that black money shouldn’t matter in Charlotte if black lives don’t.   Restoring the Public’s Trust After the riots, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department attempted to rebuild the public’s trust in its officers. It produced DNA results tying Keith Lamont Scott’s prints to the gun at the scene and turned up evidence indicating that he’d purchased the weapon. The department did this, in part, to offset claims by Scott’s family that he’d been framed in death, but this evidence failed to put an end to the disputes between the family and the police department. Video of the encounter taken by police dashcams and Rakeyia Scott’s cell phone did not end the dispute either because it did not include the actual shooting. The footage also lacked a clear image of what Scott had in his hands when police fired their shots, so the debates about his conduct that fateful day continued. The authorities said he was a threat, while his widow said he walked toward police calmly with his hands at his sides. Residents gather for a vigil and march to protest the death of Keith Scott September 21, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Scott, who was black, was shot and killed at an apartment complex near UNC Charlotte by police officers, who say they warned Scott to drop a gun he was allegedly holding.   Brian Blanco / Getty Images Two months after Scott’s killing, Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray said that no charges would be filed against Brentley Vinson, the officer who fired the fatal shot. Murray reasoned that the evidence indicated that Scott had been armed at the time of his killing. His .380 semiautomatic handgun, according to police, had fallen to the ground after he was shot. The district attorney concluded that Scott didn’t aim his weapon at officers, but he didn’t obey their orders to drop it either. Scotts family expressed disappointment in the district attorney’s findings but asked the public to keep the peace. Sources Gordon, Michael. â€Å"Charlotte protests, riots are the backdrop in the murder trial of Rayquan Borum.† Charlotte Observer, 7 February 2019.Maxwell, Tanya and Melanie Eversley. â€Å"N.C. Gov. declares state of emergency following violent Charlotte protests.† USA Today, 21 September 2016.â€Å"Jury deadlocked in North Carolina officer shooting trial; mistrial declared.† CBS News, 21 August 2015.â€Å"State of emergency in Charlotte amid 2nd night of violent protests.† CBS News, 21 September 2016.

Western Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Western Art History - Essay Example On the end view there is reflection on the mirror on the wall behind picture of the king and queen, the paradox is clear as it can be interpreted that the artist is trying to portray the royal couple, however in in-depth view it is seen that the kings daughter was the main focus. This painting by Diego Velazquez is one of the best painting works analyzed in the western paintings because of its complexity and confusing aspects that complicates its ease of understanding. Some of the enigmatic aspects of the painting that raise more questions about the painting include; the undetermined connection between the subjects in the picture and the viewers and the question on the picture being real or just mere illusions (Kleiner 317-326). The relationship that exist between the first view of the picture and the subjects on the picture is clear and can be easily analyzed, the main subject in the painting the king’s eldest daughter Infanta Margaret Theresa is at the center of the portrait and on her side are her maids surrounding her giving out clearly the picture of her being the maid of honor (Kleiner 330-337). Behind the daughters picture on the reflective mirror is the picture of the king and the queen who confusingly appear to be left out of the picture but again seem main subjects of focus. There is provision for vision beyond the front studio with the door that is on the back wall of the painting that confuses whether the character is headed to the studio front or headed away from the studio. I agree and support the argument that the painting is a classical master piece, Diego’s painting gives confusing interpretation that makes understanding of the idea communicated in the picture complex. The artist uses techniques in painting like the use of light and the picture on the reflective mirror to bring out the technique of picture within picture these inclusions of art work makes the picture one of the

Production of computers of various brands Essay

Production of computers of various brands - Essay Example Relevance to lifestyle of customer –the brands to be produced by Global Ventures Plc will be relevant to the lifestyle of various customers .there will be computers specifically designed and with can only be afforded for high class groups, middle class, low class and research purposes. Therefore various demands of the customers will be made thereby ensuring customers satisfaction. Economies of scale Unprocessed raw materials required in the production of computers are cheap and readily available from within the local markets and several foreign countries. In addition, the component parts required, major equipments, accessory equipments are less expensive and are readily available. Furthermore there is available specialized labor and efficient machinery which will reduce marginal costs when the capacity of productivity will increase. Competition Although the company does not have enough to tremendously expand production within a short time, there will be less competition for th e products that the company will produce. This is because the computer we intend to develop will have unique characters and quality of which none of our potential competitor has. Therefore because of uniqueness of our product there will be less competition even though the company will not utilize the whole market as it’s expected because the capital it has cannot allow for such quick expansion. Â  Consumable Computers have a recurring sales value and therefore they will needs to be replaced when they develop functional problems or spare parts have to be bought to replace the parts that have become non-functional. This therefore will establish a long term sales and a customer base with same products. Customers would therefore come back again and again to buy more as they use up what... From this paper it is clear that South Korea has a higher Gross Domestic Product and higher purchasing power with high potential for future economic growth that is vital to the growth and development of our company. Mass market south Korea will provide market to the computers and other accessories manufactured in bulk by our company while niche market will provide market to the products and services provided by the company which target specific market needs, as well as production quality, price range, and the demographics. In addition South Korea has a high number of government contracts and big corporate orders. This will further expand our market share for our products and also improve company sales and thereby increasing the profit accrued. Because of well developed infrastructure in South Korea, there is great ease with which our company will develop mass retail outlets and this will ensure easier accessibility to our products by customers hence increase in sale recorded. Proximi ty of ports (air and sea) in South Korea will reduce transport costs and also it will ensure easier export of the product to the market through the air and sea routes. In addition, the socio-cultural practices in South Korea have a less influence on consumers. Contractual procedures are friendly to attract investors. Since our products are at the beginning of the product lifecycle, their demand in south Korea would be less sensitive to recession because there will be no substitutes with the same qualities and usability.

Debate about the true market value of Telstra shares and about the Essay

Debate about the true market value of Telstra shares and about the financial management of the company - Essay Example Aside from the aforementioned services, it is also involved in the provision of cable distribution and management of business information technology or telecommunication services. The company also provides wholesale services to other carriers, carriage service providers, and Internet service providers (Telstra Corporation Limited 1). The company has made its IPO (initial public offering) in 1991. Currently, the company is under joint public/private ownership, with the Australian government holding 51.8% of its share as of the mid-2005 (Telstra 1). The privatization of Telstra has begun in the late 1990’s by the coalition government. However, full privatization which would mean divesting all the government’s shares had been blocked until the 14th of September 2005. The true value of the company’s stock is currently under hot speculation from the different industry players. Experts assert that the company’s stock is overvalued as some financial information were revealed to the government, the company’s largest stakeholder yet remained concealed to the remaining 1.6 million shareholders. The company had allegedly borrowed US$500 million from its reserves to cover its dividend payout in 2005 and another US$2.5 billion for its dividend obligations in 2006. It was also reported that the company needs a minimum of US$3 billion cash outlay in order to rehabilitate its faulty lines. This investment is necessary as Telstra Limited Corporation had not been making investments to maintain its lines (Haynes 20-21). This information significantly affected the value of the telecommunication giant as investors become wary of the true performance of the company and its future directions. During the first week of September, the market value of its stocks plunged to its lowest in two years. Stock prices further dipped reaching $4.00. After its IPO in 1997, Telstra Corporation Limited has become a profitable investment in security, giving healthy

Impact of Movies in Generating Social Awareness

Impact of Movies in Generating Social Awareness INTRODUCTION Movies are rollercoaster ride that have the tremendous power to entertain and to teach. They can be a powerful tool to bring about effective social change true or false? It seems intuitive and logical that a well made film- especially one with a compelling narrative and well-crafted outreach plan would serve as a catalyst to change minds, encourage viewers to change entrenched behaviors, and start inform or reenergize social movements (Diana Barrett and Sheila Leddy, Assessing Creative Medias Social Impact, Fledging Fund, Dec08). But another group of people believe that it can be surprisingly difficult to make a firm connection between the power of a film and social change so the social impact of movies needs to be better understood and documented although it is important to note that not all films are intended to be agents of social change, nor should they be. Some are simply lovely moving stories whose primary purpose is to entertain and share a compelling story. Researchers also believe that even if movies do not intend to contribute to the formation of values, they most assuredly do. By virtue of its interactive nature and arousing content, movies are influencing our values and expectation of reality, regardless of our willingness to be influenced. Although the learning is unintentional, it is just as effective as intentional learning and influences our thoughts and behavior. The impulse to celebrate the impact of movies is understandable-all that glamour, glitzy visibility and cultural panache (G. Kendrick MacDowell, Yes, movies affect us, but). Movies can be seen as a source of diversion in peoples everyday lives. They are loved by one and all, irrespective of gender and age. It cannot be out rightly denied that movies influence us and affect our behavior in some way or another. The impact can be either good or bad. The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between films and coordinated outreach efforts as change agents. i.e. whether an individual would actually change his opinion after seeing a movie. If yes, then movies are a very powerful medium to fight against the perils of the society. RESEARCH AVAILABLE Early studies on impact of movies on people In 1920s movie exploded as mainstream entertainment as there were no radio or TV set during that period. A lot of researchers believed that movies had impact on attitude and behaviours of people and they launched a series of studies focusing on effect of films. There were 13 studies conducted primarily by Edgar Dale. He studied film content and categorized them into 10 groups. An observation which came out was more than 75% fall into crime, love and sex categories. Interestingly same kind of trend can also probably been seen today. Edgar Dale used census, survey, questionnaires, case studies and personal interviews in his study. It was observed movies caused attitude, emotions, behavioural change in people who were the part of the study. Herbert Blumer conducted questionnaires and interviews with people to study how watching movies affected their behaviour. Most of the people who were studied believed that they had been influenced by movies in some way (A brief History of Media Effects Research). In one of the study, Andrew Butler of Washington University decided to simulate a classroom where films were used as a teaching tool. The accurate version of an historical event was taught to the students and they were also made to watch a movie associated with that event. The movie that was shown contained both accurate and inaccurate information about the historical incidents they depicted. The idea was to see which method led to the most accurate comprehension of the events: teaching or watching a movie. The results were really interesting, when the information in the film and the reading were contradictory that is, when the film was inaccurate the students were more likely to recall the films distorted version and were very confident in their memories, even though they were wrong (Herbert, Wray, I Learned It at the Movies, Scientific American Mind). In the last ten years, however, outreach strategies, have become a central component of movies, spurred by a new generation of producers (Whiteman, David , The evolving impact of documentary film: sacrifice and the rise of issue-centered outreach (1)). Thus at the societal level, movies are assumed to play a role in transmitting, maintaining, and reinforcing the societal and cultural consensus. They cultivate images of society by interpreting the world in terms of what is what is important what is right' and what is related to what else. In other words, movies generally show a view of reality (Kane, Harrison D., Taub, Gordon E., Hayes, B. Grant, Interactive Media and Its Contribution to the Construction and Destruction of Values and Character). Films affect perceptions that people hold about the world at large and its inhabitants in particular. Even though some people may like to disregard cinema as only a frivolous means of entertainment and nothing beyond that, one cannot ignore the fact that there have been film makers who have managed to lift veil on a hidden plight. It might be about an injustice to a minority, or the courageous story of change by a single individual, but either way it raises awareness about the issue at hand (Robert Oakes, Movies Promoting Social Change). One of the most popular papers on this topic considers the following factors to be important for a movie to make an impact: Quality of the movie The movie should have a compelling narrative that can not only engage the viewers but also illustrate complex problems in a lucid manner. Ability of the film to create awareness about an issue- Awareness is the first step to any kind of social change. Care should be taken to see whether the film could reach people beyond those who already knew and cared about the issue illustrated in the movie. Public engagement This implies not only being aware of the issue to taking action on it. To evaluate a films success in this regard one can look at participation in response to facilitated dialogues, blogs, activity on various social networking sites and participation level in various Actions campaigns that are organized around that issue. The ultimate objective is the social change. It is a long and complex process, however, in some cases there are key indicators of success. These can be in the form of legislative or policy changes or a shift in public dialogue or how issues are framed and discussed. A lot of film makers are making full use of the social power of the internet to drive their social campaigns. Not only are viewers being encouraged to visit and discuss the movie on online forums after having viewed it ,but, a lot of filmmakers are also using websites to create a community before the film has been released. This is slowly becoming a critical strategy to deepen the reach and impact of films. Engaging a pre release audience increases their investment in the film and logically increases the likelihood that they will see the film and take some action. The film makers are expanding their digital reach to the likes of Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Twitter to draw in new and diverse audiences who generally may not have been interested in a movie of that particular genre or issue. (Diana Barrett and Sheila Leddy, Assessing Creative Medias Social Impact, Fledging Fund, Dec08) RESEARCH GAP The current research available is mainly based on the movies being an effective teaching tool but little research is available on role of movies and their influence on values of an individual to generate social awareness. The little research that is available is based on impact of Hollywood movies (English) which become rather irrelevant as majority of people in India primarily watch Bollywood movies. We came across no article that measures the change in social behaviour of people vis-Ã  -vis a Bollywood movie. This is a research gap which we would like to address by trying to analyze the effect certain Hindi movies had on changing the perception of masses pertaining to particular social issues. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The purpose of the paper is to understand and analyze the extent to which movies influence peoples perception about various social issues. Contributions of factors such as the movie characteristics, movie success in making a movie an effective instrument for generating social awareness will also be analyzed. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS Hypothesis 1: Movies have a favorable impact in generating social awareness. Hypothesis 2: Box office success of a movie is the most effective factor in generating social awareness. The variables and the metrics for measurement can be listed as: Concept Variable Instruments Respondents attributes Age Gender Questionnaire (closed questions) Movie Characteristics Storyline Questionnaire Interviews (Rating Scale Likert Scale) Popularity of director Questionnaire Interviews (Rating Scale Likert Scale) Popularity of the star cast Questionnaire Interviews (Rating Scale Likert Scale) Promotion Done Questionnaire Interviews (Rating Scale) Success of the movie Critical Acclaim Secondary Data Box Office Success Secondary Data Awards Won Secondary Data Action Pre- Post Questionnaire Impact Pre- Post Questionnaire Media publicity Secondary data Pre- Post Questionnaire to gauge the level of participation (Rating Scale) MODEL The model links the movie characteristics and success of the movies to the overall social awareness generated. Respondents attributes consisting of gender acts as the mediator for this model. The constructs decided for the research are: Movie Characteristics: This construct consists of variables such as the storyline of the movie, popularity of the director star cast and the promotion done for the movie Success of the Movie: This construct consists of variables such as critical acclaim, the movies box office success and the various awards won by the movie Social Awareness Generated: This construct consists of certain variables such as the action taken, the impact generated and the media publicity generated due to the movie Respondents age and gender are taken as the mediator to analyze whether they have any influence on the success of the movie and consequently the impact generated by it. Both primary and secondary data will be used to measure the various variables used in this research. For the primary data, an online questionnaire will be given to people across different age groups. We plan to survey as many people as possible who are regular movie watchers, regular readers of newspapers, magazines and people who watch television are exposed to the internet. We will also go through relevant articles and journals from EBSCO and other web sources to carry out a literature review, which would consist of the secondary data. The issues we would be addressing are patriotism, religious tolerance and women empowerment. We would take 2 movies per issue and study the impact they had. The movies chosen would be differentiated on the basis of the variables we define. Movie Characteristics Success of the Movie Social Awareness Generated The variables will be measured with the help of the survey floated to the respondents. The variables will be measured with the help of : Primary data gathered through a survey floated to the respondents Secondary data in the form of online research and literature review The variables will be measured with the help of : Primary data gathered through a survey floated to the respondents Secondary data in the form of online research and literature review Model Parameters Movie Characteristics: This parameter consist the characteristics of the movie, various components which define the movie Storyline This component indicates how well the issue has been depicted through the movies script. The film should have a compelling narrative that can not only engage the viewers but also illustrate complex problems in a lucid manner. Popularity of the Director Star Cast The popularity of the director has a major impact on the pre release success and ratings a movie. The more the popularity and fame of the director and the star cast the more will be people talk about it. Promotion Done This component will incorporate the promotional activities undertaken before the release of the movie. The pre-release promotion and publicity of the movie plays a significant role in the revenue generated. Through our research we will try to analyze how these variables impact the success of a movie and the social awareness generated by it. Success of the Movie: Different people have different criteria while measuring the success of a movie. For some it is the revenue generated by the movie, for others it comprises of the number of awards the movie has won. The various components which represent a movies success are listed below. Critical Acclaim Movies are often judged by the reviews from the critics. Many people go to watch a movie only if it has a good critical rating. Word of mouth is usually perceived as more credible and trustworthy, and it is more readily accessible through social networks (Banerjee 1992; Brown and Reingen 1987; Murray 1991). Box Office Success This component refers to the box office revenue generated by a movie. This directly depends on the ticket sales and the number of people who come to watch the movie. Many people associate the success of a movie with the revenue generated by it. Awards Won The success of a movie also depends on the number of awards won by it. Movies like Ben Hur, Titanic and Lord of The Rings are considered to be one of the most successful movies and each of them won 11 awards at Oscars. Social Awareness Generated: The ultimate objective is the social change. It is a long and complex process, however, in some cases there are key indicators of success. These can be in the form of legislative or policy changes or a shift in public dialogue or how issues are framed and discussed. One needs to be clear about the kind of social issue that a movie addresses and accordingly set reasonable expectations in respect of impact generated. In this paper we intend to evaluate the social change in the society by the following three variables: Action- Under this we look at the short term effect i.e. in terms of the immediate actions taken by the respondents as result of the impact caused by the movie in question. Impact- This variable looks at a more long term effect caused by the movie in terms of changes in peoples perception, attitude and behavior towards a particular issue or cause. Media Publicity- The social awareness generated by the movie can be assessed by the publicity generated in the media about the issue addressed in the movie in terms of talk shows dedicated to it, stars who endorse the issue, forum dedicated for it on social networking sites and articles or papers published in the print media. In this research paper we intend to study these variables via pre-post questionnaire, where in we will try and gauge the change in the level of activity under all these variables before the respondents saw the movie and after they saw the movie. Literature Review Diana Barrett and Sheila Leddy in their paper Assessing Creative Medias Social Impact (Fledging Fund, Dec08) stated that while looking at a movie as having the potential for social impact it is important to move beyond the box office success and look at the overall impact generated. While one looks at the number for people who saw the film, whats more important is how many people understood the issue for which it was made. It is not reasonable to expect broad social change if there is little awareness of the fact that a problem exists. In some cases, just getting the audience to watch the film and better understand the issue is sufficient. Creating awareness is of prime importance while trying to bring a social change. According to this study the films promotion and outreach activities play an important role in not only increasing the size of the audience and sales but to use films as vehicles of social change. The core dimension of impact remains the quality of the film. This basically means that the film should have a compelling narrative that can not only engage the viewers but also illustrate complex problems in a lucid manner. For this measure researchers look at a lot of dimensions such as festival acceptance, theatrical success, online buzz, international and national DVD sales as well as traditional film reviews and awards. The next is the ability of the film to create awareness about an issue, as awareness is the first step to any kind of social change. Here the researchers have considered both the audience size as well as the diversity of the audience. It makes an attempt to see whether the film could reach people beyond those who already knew and cared about the issue illustrated in the movie. A regularly debated question is whether the presence of stars critical to the success of a movie? The industry is full of actors and actresses but it is the ones who are on the top of the pyramid who command the highest payments. There is a lot of academic literature on whether the presence of stars affects the performance of a movie, however, the results have been mixed. Direct and absolute causal relationship has not been established. Movies are complex creative goods that are the results of teams of creative people working together (Caves 2000). A popular star as a part of a movie is like a source of free advertising for the movie. He/she can help the film maker to garner valuable resources (in this case the audience) for him/her to be able to reach out to the masses to make the presence of his movie felt (Anita Elberse , The Power of Stars: Do Star Actors Drive the Success of Movies?). In the arena of new product development, word of mouth (WOM) plays significant roles because building consumer awareness is of vital importance, and consumers need information when deciding whether to purchase a product they do not know well (Mahajan, Muller, and Kerin 1984). Word of mouth is supposed to be more credible and trustworthy, and it is more readily accessible through social networks (Banerjee 1992; Brown and Reingen 1987; Murray 1991). A McKinsey Company study found that 67% of the sales of consumer goods are based on WOM (Taylor 2003). EXPECTED FINDINGS This research aims to analyze whether movies have a favorable impact in generating social awareness. The literature review shows that people are influence by movies and their behavior and thought process is shaped by what they see on celluloid. Through this paper we want to study how peoples thought process, perceptions, attitude and actions change if the movie is successful in generating awareness about a particular social cause. In addition to this we would also be studying the various factors that determine the success of a movie as contributors to the social impact generated by the movie. In this category our primary focus would lie on finding out whether box office success of a movie is the most effective factor in generating social awareness or not. This is because the box office result of the movie is the most widely known and acknowledge parameter to establish its success. LIKELY IMPLICATIONS Likely implications of this research is that if movies can be established as an instrument for creating social change, then they can be used effectively in the future for generating awareness about various social issues and mobilizing the masses for the same. Some of the benefits that are likely to arise as a result of this study are: Understand the extent to which the various determinants of success factor influence the social impact generated Influence and impact of the star cast, directive and narrative in facilitating the reach of the movie and the issue involved to the audiences in various strata of society Analyzing the sustainability of the awareness created among the people LIMITATIONS Limitations of this research study would be as follows: The respondents personal bias towards the movie or its related characteristics such as star cast et al. may distort the responses obtained There is scope for recency error to occur when respondents are asked to recollect details about the movie characteristics The sample taken for study is very small and may not be much diversified as compared to the actual population that watches movies FUTURE RESEARCH Further research may be carried out on a more extensive scale to determine exactly what factors influence the impact of a movie on the people and accordingly an appropriate mix of these factors can be designed to make a movie more effective. Specific research may be carried out to determine those issues where movies as a medium of social change are most effective.