Community Work Service for Adult Offenders

The focus is on Community work service as an alternative sentencing. Community work service allows the offender to contribute to the community. This type of work can be considered a win-win situation, because the offenders provide the service and the community benefits from their work. There are all kinds of work activities for offenders. The points that are going to be addressed are: community work service, probation officers, taxpayers, overcrowding and the benefits each party gains. It can be concluded that community work service is here to stay. Hence, it can be seen as a second chance to repair the damage done by making right out of wrong. Community service is when someone performs an action which benefits his or her community. However, community work service can be a form of alternative sentencing. The offender is ordered by a court or probation officer to perform community work service as part of a sanction. Through community service, offenders are offered the chance to â€Å"give back† to the community by providing a service that enriches the lives of others. The offenders are placed into unpaid community service positions with non-profit or tax supported community agencies† (Cook county, 2006). The probation officer carefully monitors the offender’s progress by checking with the agency, ensuring that the offenders is regularly reporting to complete the hours, as well as monitoring the offenders' attitude and quality of work. The probation officer is also responsible for reporting any negative incidents to the court in an effort the hold the offender accountable. Community service is a form of restorative justice, which involves victim, offender, and community. Criminal justice is asset of institutions and procedures for determining which people deserve to be sanctioned because of their wrongdoing and what kind of sanctions they deserve to receive† (Clear, 2003). Community work service allows sentences to more closely fit the circumstances of certain offences, and ensures that adult offenders are held accountable to the community for their actions. Hence, alternative sentencing is, applied to offenders whose absence of prior criminal history or general characteristics indicates that they can be trusted not to abuse their greater freedom. Community work service is punishment that takes away an offenders time and energy† (Schmalleger, 2009). Restorative justice is the concept that any crime, regardless of size or severity, hurts the community. Instead of merely paying a fine or spending time in jail, the offender is able to repair some of the damage done by participating in community service. â€Å"There is a need to understand who or what is being restored, including the core values of healing, moral learning, community participation, community caring, respectful dialogue, forgiveness, responsibility, apology, and making amends† (Sieh, 2006). The work assignment gives both the community and workers a chance to benefit from the experience. All offenders participating in the program are supervised by personnel at the sponsoring agency and by probation officers. â€Å"within the community justice frame work, the need to establish enduring partnerships with citizenry, other agencies, and local interest groups is critical to the success of probation† (Sieh, 2006). There are all kinds of work activities for offenders. Examples of work placements include: * Agencies offering services to senior citizens or the handicapped * Hospitals * Highway cleanup Parks maintenance * Skilled labor (carpentry) * Landscaping * Painting During probation, offenders must stay out of trouble and meet various other requirements. Probation officers, who are called community supervision officers in some States, supervise people who have been placed on probation. â€Å"Probation officers supervise offenders on probation or parole through personal contact with the offenders and their families† (Schmalleger, 2009). Instead of requiring offenders to meet officers in their offices, many officers meet offenders in their homes and at their places of employment or therapy. Some offenders are required to wear an electronic device so that probation officers can monitor their location and movements. â€Å"Probation supervision has three main elements: resource mediation, surveillance, and enforcement† (Schmalleger, 2009). Probation officers may arrange for offenders to get substance abuse rehabilitation or job training. Probation officers usually work with either adults or juveniles exclusively. Only in small, usually rural, jurisdictions do probation officers counsel both adults and juveniles. Probation officers must be ware that they will not always be effective in helping probationers, making it necessary to find outside resources for the probationer to succeed† (Sieh, 2006). Probation officers also spend much of their time working for the courts. They investigate the backgrounds of the accused, write presentence reports, and recommend sentences. They review sentencing recommendations with offenders and their families before submitting them to the court. Probation officers may be required to testify in court as to their findings and recommendations. They also attend hearings to update the court on offenders’ efforts at rehabilitation and compliance with the terms of their sentences. The number of cases a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist handles at one time depends on the needs of offenders and the risks they pose. Higher risk offenders and those who need more counseling usually command more of the officer’s time and resources. Caseload size also varies by agency jurisdiction. Consequently, â€Å"officers may handle from 20 to more than 100 active cases at a time† (Sieh, 2006). Probationers perceive probation officers as agents who will assist them, while, judges are viewed as agents whose main purpose is to punish offenders for wrongdoing† (Sieh, 2006). When an offender is placed on community supervision by the court, he/she signs a â€Å"contract† whereby he/she agrees to abide by certain conditions. These conditions usually include: * Report to the probation officer * Do not commit any new crime * Do not use alcohol and / or drugs or enter bars * Do not leave the County or State * Perform community work service Pay restitution, fine, court fees and probation fees if ordered * Permit the supervisor to visit him/her at the home or elsewhere By having the offender do community work service the offender will realize that not only do most crimes have a direct victim, but, the community is a victim as well. Having an offender provide services to the community rather than going to jail is beneficial to the tax payers. The tax payers don’t have to worry about another person going to prison where it might be overcrowded. Because overcrowded prisons have been a major problem in our society. In 2006, 8 of the nation’s 25 largest jails were operating at over 100 percent of their rated capacity† (Schmalleger, 2009). Having community work service as an alternative helps ease things down between the taxpayers and the justice system when it comes to the question, who has to pay to keep the offender in prison. Overcrowding puts prisoners at significant risk. People living in crowded conditions are more likely to get sick, stay sick, and pass diseases on to others. They are more likely to experience mental health problems, particularly stress-related mental illnesses. They are more likely to develop aggression and frustration. (Schmalleger, 2009). Being forced into crowded conditions with other prisoners results in riots, abuse, and assault. The prison system struggles to keep up with disciplinary problems when it has minimal staff and outdated facilities. This often results in brutal abuse at the hands of guards and other prison personnel. Overcrowding also limits access to resources. This includes health care for prisoners. Prisoners have died due to lack of health access because a nurse or doctor is not available and it’s considered ‘unsafe’ to transfer a prisoner for medical care. Considering that rates of hepatitis, HIV, and numerous other chronic conditions are high in prisons, lack of access to routine health care is a serious issue† Schmalleger, 2009). Lack of access to medications or irregular access to medications puts prisoners with chronic illnesses at extreme risk. â€Å" If extreme enough, overcrowding can lead to a court order that necessitates early release of certain prisoners in order to bring jails into compliance with the Constitution† (Schmalleger, 2009).

Cultural Self-Analysis Essay

I identify with a White Northern European background mixed with some Native American and Irish, I think. I identify as White since my family doesn’t identify with any other culture than this. Personally I am sad that I do not know truly what culture I descend from because my family is so mixed up and uneducated. I feel I have lost a lot in that. My family is very Christian, Southern Baptist to be more precise. No other religious values were considered or taught to us because, if â€Å"you didn’t obey the good book then you were going to Hell† is the sort of thinking my family has. I consider myself to be of the Catholic faith, which really pisses my family off. I have taken several religious classes since I have started college and I have drawn the conclusion that no matter what religious sect you are in as long as you are a good person and treat others the way you want to be treated, then you will be okay. I am female. Females are supposed to be girly and take care of the household. But if you do not get out and help the men too, then you are considered lazy. There is an undercurrent of sexism within the family. Marriage is male-female only and children are not to be raised out of wedlock although that last one has loosened with the changing times. Adoption is okay. Childrearing used to be a mix of corporal punishment and grounding, but since the great-grandparents have passed the parents have become looser. Where it used to be figure things out on your own, even if you are in over your head, now everyone pulls together and takes the lost ones in to help out. I am 37. I try to stay within my age group, but I find that have a mixed group of friends, age wise. I respect my elders and parents, but they do  drive me crazy with their stale values and beliefs. I hold my tongue a lot and there is a lot of eye rolling, but I love them and I know they will always be there for me. And sometimes I can get them to come around to my way of thinking. I was raised in south eastern Kentucky until I was 12 then I moved to the big state of Ohio. I was raised by my grandparents there. It helped me get away from the small town minded people and ways of south eastern Kentucky, which I think help me become more aware of the different people and cultures out there, but then I found myself back here when I turned 19 to help my mother take care of my two brothers and two sisters. I am the oldest of five children and I have always taken care of my brothers and sisters. Even when I went to live with my grandparents, I bought school clothes, supplies, and Christmas gifts for them because my mom couldn’t afford it. So, I have felt like I have been an adult my whole life. Music wise I like rock, but I will listen to anything except the rap of today. I say the rap of today because the rap I listened to in the eighties and early nineties was not the same. Clothing wise, I wear what I like and what is comfortable. I don’t usually keep up with the times because most of that stuff isn’t made for full figured ladies like me. No dresses or girly stuff for me. I do not wear makeup, which my husband doesn’t mind, which I think is why I look younger than I am. My family claims to be Republican, but they don’t understand they are truly Democrats. I always say you can’t be poor and a Republican. They have issue with the changing laws allowing gays to marry and adopt and all. They are also pro-life and there is no changing their minds about that, even if there was an extenuating circumstance like the girl being raped, still to them it is wrong. I am a full Democratic myself, but I vote for who I think will do the best job, and I believe that people should be free to choose how they want to life and should have access to basic rights. I also believe that wealth needs to be spread more evenly among all persons of a nation. I think that the United States needs to adopt more of the systems of other countries so that everyone is taken care of. I don’t think I belong to any particular group. It basically is my husband, my son, and I against the world. I teach my son to be kind to everyone and never stop learning or growing, to be the best him he can be.

Vendor-specific Objective Evidence

Hemo-Tech Case Presentation Outline * 1 Myles Intro: Facts: * 1 Issues: Multiple Element Arrangement * How should revenue be allocated to each deliverable? * What sales price should be allocated to each deliverable? * How are deliverables defined? * 25-4 â€Å"A vendor shall evaluate all deliverables in an arrangement to determine whether they represent separate units of accounting. That evaluation shall be performed at the inception of the arrangement and as each item in the arrangement is delivered. * 25-5 â€Å"In an arrangement with multiple deliverables, the delivered item or items shall be considered a separate unit of accounting if both of the following criteria are met: * a. The delivered item or items have value to the customer on a standalone basis. The item or items have value on a standalone basis if they are sold separately by any vendor or the customer could resell the delivered item(s) on a standalone basis. In the context of a customer's ability to resell the delive red item(s), this criterion does not require the existence of an observable market for the deliverable(s). b. Subparagraph superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2009-13 * c. If the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item, delivery or performance of the undelivered item or items is considered probable and substantially in the control of the vendor * 25-6 â€Å"A delivered item or items that do not qualify as a separate unit of accounting within the arrangement shall be combined with the other applicable undelivered item(s) within the arrangement.The allocation of arrangement consideration and the recognition of revenue then shall be determined for those combined deliverables as a single unit of accounting. † * * warranty, update machines * 2 Sandra Alternatives: * Company’s selling price to a different customer * A different company’s selling price of the same product * Selling price of a similar product’s prof it margin, applied to the total costs of product * Proportional based on costs * 3 4 Troy Jessie Literature: Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements: ASC 605-25 * Vendor-specific objective evidence:   ASC 605-25-30-6A * 30-6A Vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price is limited to either of the following: * a. The price charged for a deliverable when it is sold separately ( annually, supplies-$3,000 per box, monitor and test-$600,000 annually) * b. For a deliverable not yet being sold separately, the price established by management having the relevant authority (it must be probable that the price, once established, will not change before the separate introduction of the deliverable into the marketplace). Third-party evidence: ASC 605-25-30-6B * Third-party evidence of selling price is the price of the vendor’s or any competitor's largely interchangeable products or services in standalone sales to similarly situated customers. * screen and report services-$730,00 0 median price * Estimated selling price: ASC 605-25-30-6C * The vendor’s best estimate of selling price shall be consistent with the objective of determining vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price for the deliverable; that is, the price at which the vendor would transact if the deliverable were sold by the vendor regularly on a standalone basis.The vendor shall consider market conditions as well as entity-specific factors when estimating the selling price. * equipment * 5 6 Kelly Crystal Recommendations * IFRS: IAS 18? Type: Revenue Recognition Subject: Accounting for multiple-element revenue transactions under U. S. GAAP   (specifically identifying deliverables and determining selling price) and exploring the sources of IFRS guidance for such transactions

Business insurance and how it affact on the taxes Essay

Business insurance and how it affact on the taxes - Essay Example The tax on insurance premium does not in reality have an effect on the individual policy holder in drastic ways. The more flourishing an insurance cover provider is, the higher their taxation on the insurance premium. Both IRS publication 334 (small business tax guide) and IRS publication 535(business expenses) are readily available in the internet and are a perfect resource for many business owners. Certain types of enterprises should be cautious, and make sure they get skilled tax assistance when they are preparing their income and when they are listing their premium deductions. This is as a result of the tax avoidance schemes which have been caught by IRS over the years. These unscrupulous people have made taxation in businesses exceedingly difficult no for everyone i.e. even for the fair tax payers. There is two common set of laws that are usually applied during the deduction of premiums. One of these laws is that insurance premiums have to be to the advantage of the enterprise and should be intended for a business purpose. The other is that, insurance covers benefitting groups e.g. managers, employees and owners alike and identifying the enterprise, are good. Those premiums that are paid for the advantage of one, normally the owner of the business are bad. There are a number of commonly accepted premium deductions. One of these is credit insurance. Credit insurance is used to cover losses from bad debts for business in order for it to continue running its activities. Another one is group hospitalization and employees’ medical insurance. This one also includes the long term care insurance. Liability insurance is also another one. It helps to protect the business from any losses which would arise from the liabilities within the business. Malpractice insurance also accepts premium deduction. This insurance covers one on personal liabilities for professional

The wife of President James Madison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The wife of President James Madison - Essay Example We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Unknown to her, she was invoking the Preamble when she honored the soldiers after each battle won since is it an action of common defense. Isn’t it an act of promoting general welfare when she mobilized the society who contributed their own funds to reestablish Washington, the seat of the government, when it was destroyed by the enemies? In effect she was demonstrating domestic tranquility when she tried to unite political parties by throwing parties bringing together two opposing political parties; introducing social etiquette and protocol included. In renovating the White House she wanted every Americans to take pride of it; because to her, the White Ho use is the representation of authority, and a common defense. When she installed dignity to women’s position at a time when gender equality reigns, she is practically framing the constitutional rights of women of equality. Gender equality later on became part of the Constitutional Amendment. I believe Dolley Madison had every right to be called the â€Å"last founders† because she put into practice the idealism prescribed in the Constitution long before it was penned into law. She created symbolic ties that brought the government.

Assignment #1 Making a Decision Using the Decision - Making Model Essay

Assignment #1 Making a Decision Using the Decision - Making Model - Essay Example I decided to go back to school to gain skills that would propel me further in my career. I saw graduate school as a beckoning opportunity through which I would be able to specialize in areas of my own choosing that improve my job performance and perhaps, result in promotions at the workplace. I enrolled for twelve units during the summer without considering the toll that these classes would have on my time, work and social life. The number of units I am taking this semester requires me to delegate most of my time to studies. I want to get good grades at the end of the semester, which means that I have to find time within my busy schedule to go through my class work. To do this, I have to utilize every free minute that I have to my books. All the time I get goes to my school work, and I have often found myself depressed and procrastinating whether my decision to take the masters program at this time was the right one. My school work has completely taken over my life. Currently, my life rotates around school and work. I no longer have the time to interact or socialize with my friends. Although I interact with a few of the friends I made in my class, we do not get the time to socialize outside the school compound. When we meet at the university, we interact for a few minutes before heading our separate ways. Being the social person that I am, I am always left feeling lonely. Lack of a primary component in my life makes it rather difficult to make up for my previously vibrant social life. As a result of this, I am often depressed as I do not have any friends to share my problems with. My personality as a lifelong learner is what drove me back to school. I have an insatiable desire to gain knowledge and challenge my academic abilities. Since I was young, I considered by unquenchable thirst for books to be a pursuit towards developing my mind. In

FTIR Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FTIR - Lab Report Example Different bonds in the molecule of these compounds give respective frequencies which are referred to as the wavenumber (Skoog 2007). As the technique developed, it is also now used for quantitative determinations. This experiment aims to provide knowledge in the use of FTIR in qualitative and quantitative applications. Quantitative determination of the xylene isomers is done through linear regression of the peak responses at the respective bands of the xylene isomers. In the experiment, a Perkin Elmer Spectrum One FT-IR Spectrometer was used. Qualitative analysis was done on the first part, and a quantitative test was conducted for the second part where the concentration of an unknown was determined using the known concentrations of m-xylene and p-xylene standards. Qualitative Determination. For the qualitative test, five different materials were scanned; namely polystyrene, polyethylene, polyacetate, cyclohexane and acetone. A background spectrum was first done on the FTIR spectrometer with range from 4000 – 500 cm-1, then the polystyrene was scanned once, then four scans, then sixteen scans. The effect of the number of scans was determined from this step. Five scans each of polyethylene and polyacetate films were done. The parameter was then changed to 4000 – 450 cm-1, then a NaCl liquid cell was placed in the steel frame. Background measurement was again conducted then the cell was filled with cyclohexane. The spectrum of cyclohexane was measured five times. The cell was then cleaned by pushing the liquid out using a syringe and collecting it on a paper towel. The cell was then rinsed with acetone and dried until there was no more detectable contaminant in the spectra. Acetone was then placed in the cell, and its spectra measured five times. Quantitative Determination. Solutions of m-xylene and p-xylene were prepared using cyclohexane as diluent at concentration levels ranging from 0 –

Advertising Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Advertising Management - Essay Example A SWOT analysis shows an impressive record of performance of the Octopus card in Hong Kong and the present proposal is to only change the brand name into Shenzhen Octopus and duplicate the advertising strategies adopted originally for the Octopus Hong Kong card though more advertising principles still justify the same strategies. Lessons learned in the past have also been duly taken into account in formulating the strategies for the proposed launch. The strengths and opportunities outweigh the weaknesses and threats for the new proposal. Shenzhen is in China bordering Hongkong and Hongkong has all the logistic advantage in doing business in Shenzhen more than in any other part of China. China sequel to embracing consumer economy is estimated to have a credit market which would surpass the U.S. market in its size by 2020 due to urbanization and creation of wealth. The number of cards issued by the Chinese Banks numbering 200 million at present is expected to touch 800 million by 2020. But the fact remains Chinese still prefer cash or debit cards rather than spend on credit (Madden, 2010). In view of above information, Octopus card is not new to Shenzhen though it is not as popular as it is in it its parent location Hongkong or for that matter, Oyster cards in London or others elsewhere. Chinese consumers are conservative in their outlook unlike Hong-kongers who share British culture. Since Octopus card is popular in Hong Kong, the company just has to duplicate its existing advertising strategies. Now SWOT analysis of Octopus card’s market itself will be useful for duplicating in Shenzhen where it has been already in use though it has now been proposed to change the brand as Shenzhen Octopus for which an awareness campaign is necessary. As seen above, 9 million cards are in use through which 7 million transactions are done daily which would amount to US 2.2 billion (HK $ 17.2 million) per year in Hong Kong

Financial Accounting Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Financial Accounting Concepts - Essay Example As the paper declares after analyzing and comparing the Working Capital of both the companies, the result clearly indicates that L.L. Sams Company’s current condition is much superior to that of Garcia Career Services. Hence, the bank’s decision should be to give loan to L.L. Sams Company as this company seems to be the most appropriate for the loan and has the greatest assurance that its liabilities can be paid out of the current assets. This essay discusses that in an assessment of the overall liquidity of the current assets, the current trend of sales in an important factor. Since it takes sales to convert inventory into receivables or cash, an up trend of sales indicates that the conversion of inventories into more liquid assets will be easier to achieve than what sales remain constant. Declining sales, on the other hand, will retard the conversion of inventories into cash. When we measure the net income earned by a business we are measuring its economic performance— its success or failure as a business enterprise. Decision making processes of loan allocation requires a great variety of data processing, a wide range of reliability, and relevance to the decision at hand. The information used includes data on general economic conditions and on industry trends, as well as data on intangibles such as the character and motivation of the management group.

Peer Review Feedback Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Peer Review Feedback - Essay Example It drew my attention to the article. The opening line, â€Å"I can remember the hunger I felt to obtain and share information as a child†, delivers the punch that is carried through in the opening paragraph. Another feature of your article is the detailed account of your various stages of transition presented in the work. Finally, I must say that you use simple words that make it easy to read and understand your work. Weaknesses The punch of the opening paragraphs is not felt in the later stages of the work. This reduces the attractiveness and readability of the work. There are two aspects here that I would like to point. The first is the style of writing makes the work appear disjointed. The flow is lacking. For example, you end one paragraph with â€Å"during this time, I obtained my son’s medical chart and reviewed it alone, and with health care professionals, while again using self taught research skills.† The next paragraph starts with â€Å"massage therapy career path, seemingly unrelated to the field of journalism, was full of more opportunities to collect information via research and interviewing†. There is lack of transition here. My last impression on weaknesses in the work is the lack of vivre le joi or the joy of living. You are dealing with a part of your life. I am sure you will agree that no life is worth without the essence of joy in it. It is not necessary to merely present the transition of your life as a set of data in research paper. Suggestions I do not feel I hold the privilege of making any suggestions for improving this work. Nevertheless, if may suggest there are three areas that I would address. The first aspect is reducing the size of the sentences. You use simple words, but the size of the sentences is large. The combination of simple words and simple sentences would make understanding of this work easy. I return to my criticism of the work for my next two suggestions. Use transition sentences between para graphs to help continuity in your work. The last suggestion lies in spicing up the work, such that you do convey joy in the life you led so far, and carry the hope that it goes further into your life. PORTFOLIO INTRODUCTION – MARTA IZER I have limited experience in doing a peer review. Therefore, I do not believe that I have much to contribute to your portfolio introduction. In my opinion it is a lovely piece of work. I just loved it. In case my observations help to make this portfolio introduction of yours even better, I believe I am the fortunate one. Any contribution of mine to this work of yours would be superfluous, without repeating that it is a good piece of writing. Strengths Your portfolio introduction has been constructed well, and written in a manner that makes for pleasant reading. Going through the contents has only made me relive my childhood and the transitions that have occurred in my life. You have written in such a style that the reader will be left with a t inge of nostalgia of the years gone by. Another strength in your piece of writing is the simple language that you have used. Simple words constructed into simple sentences have made the reading of this piece of writing easy to read and easy to assimilate. The flow in your writing style is another strength. There is no abrupt change in the direction o your flow of information. One paragraph melds into the other, and so there is no sense of jarring in the reading of the work. Weaknesses Since I like the piece of work it has been difficult for me to identify

Parenthetical referencing Essay Example for Free

Parenthetical referencing Essay Strategic Organisation Module Module Syllabus Learner experience This module focuses on organisational design, development and performance as a strategic response to the modern business environment. You will be introduced to the concepts underlying new forms of organisation designed to enhance competitive position and improve performance and growth. In particular, strategic organisation is explained in the context of the special demands and opportunities presented by the global economy and advances in technology. Additionally, this module includes introductory information on academic integrity, citing, referencing, and participating in discussions that will aide you throughout your programme. Module aims and objectives The aims of the module are to develop knowledge and understanding about organising and managing in contemporary conditions of society and industry. Specifically, the module focuses on management and organisational performance through the relationship among strategy, organisation, and organisational environment. The module also addresses foundational topics for student success throughout the academic programme. This module is the first in your master’s programme. There are some items that will be found within the online classroom which may be new to you as an online student such as Module Aims, Learning Outcomes, Discussion Questions, and Hand-in Assignments. Throughout the first two weeks of this module there are additional explanations and preparatory information provided to assist in guiding you through the instruction. There is a transition in week three that begins the module content specifically related to Strategic Organisation. In addition, if at any time you have questions during the class, please contact your instructor. Aims The specific aims of this module are to ensure that students can: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Manage the academic requirements of online learning successfully; Appreciate the nature and role of management in modern organisations; Understand why organisation is integral to the effective performance of organisations; Model organisation performance, taking account of the relationships between corporate strategy and features of the organisation such as people, structure, routines, and culture. Learning outcomes By the end of the module the student will be able to: †¢ Participate in and contribute to an academic community through on-line discussion and assessments; whilst applying writing style conventions and academic integrity to academic writing; Analyse and evaluate scholarly resources and writing for logic and supporting evidence; Understand the nature and purpose of business organisation; Identify the dynamics that shape organisational form, conduct, and performance in contemporary environments; Analyse the factors that make organisation a key strategic element in business performance; Assess the importance of organisation in the implementation of corporate and business strategy; Evaluate alternative strategies for managing people and processes in organisations. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The learning outcomes listed above will be measured through your completion of the weekly assignments, either Discussion Questions or Hand-in Assignment, in the module. Learning strategies You will be studying this module through a combination of self-study and online interactions. The self-study materials introduce the full range of topics that need to be covered, although some additional detail will arise through discussion and collaboration between students and instructors. One of the strengths of an online learning program such as this is the high level of student interaction, where students are encouraged to share their own experiences online for the benefit of the others. Each week of the module has detailed learning objectives, indicating the topics and level of competence that you should achieve on completion of that part. Assignments include discussion questions, hand-in assignment exercises, and a longer project. Weekly Notes Each week’s theme is made up of several topics. Beginning in Week 3, these are introduced and explained in turn in the recorded lecture, which is also available as printed text. You can listen to the lecture as many times as you want and download it to your computer or other devices. Recommended reading We have indicated the pages in your textbooks that you should read with each topic in the weekly theme. Occasionally, we have also recommended journal articles that are available in the online library for you to study. We advise that you begin each week by reading the indicated materials in full, as this will provide you with a broad understanding of the subject matter required to complete the assignments and discussions successfully. Online interactions You will have regular online interaction with other students and the instructor in order to help consolidate your understanding of theoretical concepts and to develop your skills through discussion and exercises. The content of these online contact sessions will relate to the materials covered for each week and will include Discussion Questions set by the module instructors and Hand-in Assignment questions, both of which will be assessed. Text and software The required texts for the Strategic Organisation module are provided in the weekly Readings folder as module content. Textbooks Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Journal articles 1. Simon, H. , 1995. Organizations and markets. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 5 (3), pp. 273–294. 2. Yasuf, Y. , Gunasekaran, A. , Abthrope, M. 2004. Enterprise information systems project implementation: A case study of ERP in Rolls-Royce. International Journal of Production Economics, 87 (3), pp. 251-266. 3. Gibbons, R. 1998. Incentives in organizations. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 12 (4), pp. 115–132. 4. Nadler, D. , Tushman, M. , 1999. The organization of the future: strategic imperatives and core competencies for the 21st century. Organizational Dynamics, 28 (1), pp. 45– 60. You will be able to access these online in the Liverpool University Library at http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/index. htm. You will need an audio player, such as Windows Media Player, if you want to listen to the recorded version of the lecture. (The text version is also provided for use if you do not have an audio player. ) Overview of module work †¢ Students are required in all weeks(Weeks 1–10) to submit: o Individual Discussion Question answers (DQI) o 3–5 meaningful Discussion Question Follow-on postings (DQF) in response to fellow student submissions †¢ Hand-in Assignments (HA) in weeks 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9 †¢ A project proposal in Week 7, an outline in Week 8, and a completed Module Project (MP) in Week 10 Discussion Questions (Initial responses are 28 percent of total module grade; Follow-on Participation is 25 percent of total module grade) Weeks 1 and 2 Discussion Questions Your first Discussion Questions in Week 1 and Week 2 of the module are introductory in nature covering foundational material designed to assist you in the online learning environment. Use these Discussions to establish relationships with your peers and master the required citing and referencing guidelines that apply throughout the module. A typical answer should have about 500 words, but it is the quality of the answer that matters, not the number of words. Just as in the below guidelines for Weeks 3 through 10 Discussions, you are required to participate with follow-on postings to your peers’ answers, making 3–5 significant Discussion Question follow-up postings in addition to your initial response. Week 1 Discussion Question explanation The Discussion Question in Week 1 of the module will be focused on content from your specific masters-programme as it relates to a current strategic issue in your field of study or professional area. This material will enable you to gain a holistic understanding of the programmme and how this particular module is relative to the overall programme goal. Week 2 Discussion Question explanation The Discussion Question for Week 2 of the module will focus on content related to academic integrity as it is relative to your masters programme and your professional experience. This question will assist in the transition from Week 1 and 2 foundational materials to the Strategic Organisation module material upcoming in Week 3. Weeks 3 through 10 Discussion Questions Beginning in Week 3, your Discussion Questions will focus on concepts related to Strategic Organisation. A typical answer should have about 500 words, but it is the quality of the answer that matters, not the number of words. To ensure your success throughout this module and the Masters programme it is essential to complete and thoroughly respond to each Discussion Question. Answers will be submitted to the weekly Discussions folder Turnitin Links, and also posted in the module Discussion Board. You must submit your initial response to the Discussion Question(s) by the end of Day 3 (Saturday). Following the 3 out of 7 days rule, you are required to participate with follow-on postings to your peers’ answers, making 3–5 significant Discussion Question follow-up postings in addition to your initial response for each Discussion Question by the end of Day 7 (Wednesday). Your total Discussion Board participation must occur on at least 3 individual days during each week. Follow-up postings should be significant contributions to the Discussion. You may wish to respond to your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Ask a probing question. Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting. Offer and support an opinion or suggestion. Validate an idea with your own experience. Expand on the ideas in your colleague’s posting. Hand-in Assignments (19 percent of total module grade). You must submit your answer to the Hand-in Assignment (HA) for five of the ten weeks by the end of day 7 (Wednesday). A typical answer should have between 500 and 1,000 words, but it is once again the quality of the answer that matters, not the number of words. Answers will be submitted to the weekly Assignments folder, but are not to be posted in the module Discussion Board. For both the DQ and the HA, satisfactory answers will demonstrate clear understanding of the topics and issues related to the assignment. Good answers will be able to explain the reasons in more depth. Excellent answers will be able to raise appropriate critical questions. Weak answers will demonstrate only a partial grasp of what is important in the context of the assignment. Instructors will provide feedback about these assignments in their weekly feedback to students. The following table provides an example weekly flow of activities. Example Weekly Activities Days 1 -2 Thursday Friday Review the Weekly Information and Learning Resources Day 3 Saturday Initial DQ Response Due  Days 4 -6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Add Follow-up Postings Work on Hand-in Assignment (if applicable) Day 7 Wednesday †¢ Total of 3-5 Follow-up Postings should have been posted by this Day †¢ Hand-in Assignment Due Final Projects End of module assessment: 1500–2000 word assignment (28 percent of total module grade). The purpose of the Final Project is to apply the concepts and techniques of the module to the analysis of real-world situations or problems. Students are expected to use diverse sources of information and to carry out an original analysis rather than summarise or rehash existing work. You will submit an individual project (IP) in Weeks 7 and 8. The IPs are components of the Final. Project intended to help you plan your work and give you the benefit of your instructor’s feedback before your Final Project is due in Week 10. In Week 7, you will submit a Project Proposal, which will convey the resources you will use for your research and the organization you are proposing for your project. In Week 8, you will submit an Annotated Outline of your research sources. In Week 10, you will address the comments from your instructor and submit your Final Project. More details on each stage of the project are found in the weekly areas. Assessment The table below outlines the mandatory contribution in each category and the range of grades scales that applies to each component. Component DQ Initial Response DQ Participation Hand-in Assignment Wk 1 X Wk 2 X Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 X X X X Wk7 X Wk8 X Wk9 X Wk10 X Component Weight 28% (2. 8% per DQ) 25% (2. 5% per DQ) 19% (3. 8% per Assignment) 28% (Wks 7, 8: 7%) (Wk10: 14% X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Final Project X X X For general information on assessment and grading, please consult the Student Handbook section pertaining to Grading at http://success. ohecampus. com/index. php? mod=dcpact=navigationindexnavigationid=3691. Syllabus by Week Week 1 Participating in the global classroom Topics †¢ †¢ Describe a strategic issue and its global impact on an organisation Contribute to an academic community through online Discussion. Workload Self-study for Week 1: o Complete Account Registration †¢ How to register for your University of Liverpool network account (PDF) o o Read, sign, and submit the Academic Honesty Declaration Read the following resources: †¢ Master’s study cycle handout (PDF) †¢ Sample online discussion interaction (PDF) Discussion Question: o Post your initial response both to the Discussion folder and to the Turnitin link provided by Saturday (Day 3) o DQ1 is due on Saturday (Day 3) o Review responses by other students and make 3 5 meaningful posts o Required Participation (minimum 3 out of 7 days in addition to the initial Discussion Question response) Week 2 Outlining arguments for scholarly discourse Topics †¢ †¢ Analyse the principles of academic integrity Construct logical arguments and academic writing skills Workload Self-study for Week 2: o o o Turnitin tutorial presentation How to read a Turnitin originality report (PDF) About the draft Turnitin link in your first module (PDF) The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Guide to referencing and developing a bibliography [Online]. Available from: http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/referencing/referencing. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Study support: what you need to know about plagiarism [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/study/plagiarism. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). The University of Liverpool (n.d. ) Plagiarism, collusion, and fabrication of data [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/students/student-administration-centre/policiesprocedures/plagiarism-collusion. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Plagiarism, collusion, and the fabrication of data: guidelines for staff and students [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/tqsd/pol_strat_cop/plagiarism_collusion_fabrication_staff_student_g uidelines_20. pdf (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ) Safe practices [Online]. Available from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/589/03/ (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Logical argument and outlining For this weeks Hand-in Assignment, you must develop an outline for a logical scholarly argument related to Strategic Organisation. These resources from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) will help with this assignment. You should search the Purdue OWL site for additional information on scholarly writing as you need it. †¢ †¢ Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ). Types of outlines and samples [Online]. Available from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/544/03/ (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ). Developing strong thesis statements [Online]. Available from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/588/01 (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Looking ahead: citation and reference styles A citation and reference style is one means for colleagues in a discipline to ‘speak the same language’ when presenting discoveries and analyses. Moreover, it is a method for distinguishing your original contributions to the field from the contributions of others. Each Liverpool programme uses a specific citation and reference style. Begin familiarising yourself with the style for your programme, Harvard Referencing style, so that you may apply it to your Discussion and Hand-in Assignments starting with this week. †¢ The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Guide to referencing and developing a bibliography [Online]. Available from: http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/referencing/referencing. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). To explore topics related to Harvard referencing download the provided PDF. Supplemental Resources Citing and referencing Following is a supplemental resource students may wish to purchase or access to help them with the citing and referencing style required in their programme of study. The text below includes several topics related to academic writing, citing and referencing. It focuses on Harvard referencing, with brief mentions of OSCOLA, APA, MLA, and MHRA referencing. †¢ Pears, R. Shields, G. (2008) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide. (7th ed. ). Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Pear Tree Books. OR †¢ Pears, R. Shields, G. (2010) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide. (8th ed. ). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Additional information on Turnitin †¢ Key questions students ask about Turnitin http://turnitin. com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Answers_to_Questions_ Students_Ask. pdf Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments by Day 7 of Week 2 Hand-in Assignment: o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignment to the weekly Assignments folder Reminder: In Week 2, the initial Discussion Question response is due on Saturday. Your 3-5 significant discussion question follow-up postings and are due by the end of Day 7 of Week 2 (midnight Wednesday, your time zone). Week 3 The nature and purpose of business organisation Topics †¢ The purpose of business organisation †¢ Structural, processual, and boundary-crossing elements †¢ Types of business organisations †¢ Motivation and coordination †¢ Organisation as an alternative to the market †¢ Characteristics of scholarly writing and academic originality †¢ Resource validity for inclusion in university work †¢ Reference list for articles which uses a citation style Workload Self-study for Week 3: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes Read the following pages in your textbook: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. (Ch. 1 3-6, 6-9, 15-17, 9-14, 17-23). Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth (Chapter 3, pp. 88–103). One of your main tasks for this week is to become familiar with the online library and how to search its holdings. The following Web site is to the home page for the library for online students. Make sure to bookmark this page or add it to your Favorites for easy access during your programme. †¢ The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Library homepage [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Peer review Peer-reviewed resources have met the highest academic standard. Use the following resource to familiarise yourself with the differences between types of resources. †¢ ProQuest (2004) Scholarly journals, trade publications, and popular magazines [Online]. Available from http://uppermerionhslibrary. wikispaces. com/file/view/peervsscholarly. pdf/31480977/peer vsscholarly. pdf (Accessed: 15 June 2010). †¢ The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Library homepage [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus (Accessed: 15 June 2010). The Web site also contains detailed tutorials on how to use and navigate the online library. †¢ Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ) Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing [Online]. Available from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/563/01/ (Accessed: 15 June 2010) Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ) Paraphrase: Write it in your own words [Online]. Available from:http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/563/02/ (Accessed: 15 June 2010). †¢ Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarising One of those characteristics is the way the author uses citing, referencing, quoting and paraphrasing in the article. The resources below offer clarification on quoting, paraphrasing and summarising so that you may identify them more readily as you read an article. †¢ †¢ Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ) Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing [Online]. Available from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/563/01/ (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Purdue Online Writing Lab (n. d. ) Paraphrase: Write it in your own words [Online]. Available from: http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/563/02/ (Accessed: 15 June 2010). Supplemental Resources Roberts, J. (2004) The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for Performance and Growth (Chapter 3, pp. 74-88). Oxford: Oxford University Press Roberts, J. (2004) The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for Performance and Growth (Chapter 3, pp. 103-115). Oxford: Oxford University Press Roberts, J. (2004) The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for Performance and Growth (Chapter 3, pp. 75). Oxford: Oxford University Press The following University of Liverpool online library resources will help you to become more familiar with the online library and how to search its holdings: †¢ The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Library guidelines [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/help/guidelines. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). The University of Liverpool (n. d. ) Library help and advice [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/help/help. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). The University of Liverpool (n. d.) Tips for searching the library [Online]. Available from http://www. liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/help/search. htm (Accessed: 15 June 2010). †¢ †¢ †¢ The University of Liverpool library exercises. These exercises will help you review how to do basic library tasks. http://liv. ac. uk/library/ohecampus/ILM/Part%208%20%20Library%20Exercises. pdf#zoom=85statusbar=0navpanes=0 Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments by Day 7 of Week 3 Reminder: In Week 3, the initial Discussion Question response is due on Saturday. Your 3-5 significant discussion question follow-up postings and are due by the end of Day 7 of Week 3 (midnight Wednesday, your time zone). Week 4 Strategic organisation to meet new challenges Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The need for strategic reorganisation Hypercompetition in the global business environment The impact of new technologies on organisation Implications of the knowledge-based economy Organisation as a strategic act Workload Self-study for Week 4: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the following pages in your textbooks: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 2, pp. 25–43, 45-52). Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth (Chapter 1, pp. 1–30). Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments Hand-in Assignment: o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignment to the weekly Assignments folder Week 5 Integration as a strategic response Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The need for integration in the business organisation Difficulties of integration and the cost of failure Creating dynamic capability through integration Managing the process of integration The role of team working. Workload Self-study for Week 5: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the journal article, available in the on-line library and linked to under Weekly Readings: Yasuf, Y. , Gunasekaran, A. Abthorpe, M. , 2004. Enterprise information systems project implementation: A case study of ERP in Rolls-Royce. International Journal of Production Economics, 87 (3), pp. 251-266. o Read the following pages in your textbook: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 4, pp. 79-108). Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and  make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments Hand-in Assignment: o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignment to the weekly Assignments folder Week 6 - Strategic control and motivation Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Motivating people in organisations Strategies for control Theories and concepts of reward Performance measurement and indicators Incentives and reward policies Workload Self-study for Week 6: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the journal article, available in the on-line library and linked to under Weekly Readings: Gibbons, R. (1998) ‘Incentives in organizations’, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 12 (4), pp. 115–132. o Read the following pages in your textbooks: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 1, pp. 17-18; Chapter 5, pp. 111-135; Chapter 6, pp. 137-154; Chapter 7, 156-174). Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth (Chapter 4, pp. 161-176 required; Chapter 4, pp. 118-176 supplementary). Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments Hand-in Assignment: o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignment to the weekly Assignments folder Week 7 Strategic organisation for innovation and growth Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The need for new forms of organisation Acquisition-based growth strategy Encouraging and exploiting innovation Organising effective research and development Monitoring and incentivising innovation Workload Self-study for Week 7: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the journal article, available in the on-line library and linked to under Weekly Readings: Nadler, D. A. , Tushman, M. L. (1999) ‘The organization of the future: Strategic imperatives and core competencies for the 21st century’, Organizational Dynamics, 28 (1), pp. 45–60. o Read the following pages in your textbooks: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 16, pp. 377–387). Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth (Chapter 6, pp. 245–280). Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments Individual Project: o Prepare and hand in a proposal including the nature of the project, the sources of information on the cases to be analysed and the most important concepts and techniques to be applied o Submit your proposal to the weekly Assignments folder Week 8 Strategic organisation for performance Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Restructuring for increased strategic responsiveness Strategic organisation of the value chain Benefits and costs of diversification Internal organisation for performance measures The importance of complementarity Workload Self-study for Week 8: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the following pages in your textbooks: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 3, pp. 59–77). Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth (Chapter 5, pp. 191–241). Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments Individual Project: o Prepare an annotated outline of the Project Report indicating the gist of each section in the report along with a list of references on the cases studied and the concepts and techniques applied. o Submit your outline to the weekly Assignments folder Week 9 Network forms of organisation Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The benefits and problems of outsourcing The importance of strategic alliances Strategic advantages of virtual organisations Managing virtual organisations Transnational organisation in the global economy Workload Self-study for Week 9: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the journal article: Simon, H. (1995) Organizations and Markets Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 5 (3), pp. 273-294 o Read the following pages in your textbook: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 8, pp. 179–193; Chapter 9, 196-219; Chapter 10, 222-237; Chapter 11, 240-271). Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an additional 3–5 meaningful comments Hand-in Assignment: o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignments to the weekly Assignments folder Week 10 Managing organisational change Topics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Strategic drivers of organisational change Different approaches to organisational change Managing the process of planned change Issues in implementing strategic reorganisation Overcoming resistance to change Workload Self-study for Week 10: o Read or listen to the Lecture Notes o Read the following pages in your textbook: Child, J. (2005) Organization: contemporary principles and practice (Chapter 12, pp. 277–306). Roberts, J. (2004) The modern firm: organizational design for performance and growth (Chapter 7, pp. 281–287). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Discussion Question: o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board o Review responses by other students and make an.

Technology Within local business Essay Example for Free

Technology Within local business Essay 1. To investigate the degree to which businesses in your local area rely on the use of information technology. 2. To identify how these businesses make use of information technology. 3. To select how these businesses in you locality and investigate how much it has invested in information technology and how this investment has enhanced its day-to-day operations INTRODUCTION Information Technology is the use of computers when storing, arranging and distribution of information or data. The impact of information technology has been felt all over the world and in all areas of life. Over the past twenty plus years it has changed the world we live in and redesigned the way we work and play. IT has defiantly made a dramatic impact in the business world. Businesses use IT for a number of different uses in the workplace. 61% of businesses researched by a website, used a computer, 61% use a fax machine, 50% use e-mail while only a small percentage use online services and the internet. Businesses use IT to store and speed up the handling of information. IT also opens up new communication techniques for businesses like the Internet, e-mail and fax. IT offers a chance to advertise to a massive audience and access to large amounts of information. Manufacturing businesses benefit from computer packages like Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). Businesses need to keep up with the growing demands of customers. IT has helped businesses operate in a faster, more efficient and an overall more organized way. IT allows even smaller businesses compete in the larger market. It opens up a whole world of customers for businesses and a whole new way of designing and making the products. The banking and finance industry has seen radical knew changes since the introduction of information technology. Banks can now store information on computer databases instead of using the old primitive filing systems that were vast and slow. Now with computers, data can be called up on screen in seconds. It also allows for more information to be collected and stored. The flexibility of this filing system is also greatly enhanced as information can be changed or added with ease. The information can also be shared with other bank branches very easily through the use of the Internet, e-mail and fax etc. The speed of which bank transactions take place has been increase with the use of Hole In The Wall machines. This new speed has resulted in a cut down in the number of bank branches. Initial investment of IT equipment is enough to put some business owners off the idea all together but once its up and operational the maintenance and running costs are quite low. From a basic personal computer ranging from i 500 and fax machines, computer networks and intranets costing thousands it is understandable why small businesses are hesitant to invest in such hardware. The running costs are low, with only the electrical bills to pay. Some Internet charges may apply, these would be set around i 10 i 50 per month and a domain address would be very low, around i 20 per month. Repair costs can be high as IT specialists can charge as high as i 40 per hour for a callout, and an extra fee for parts and extra labour needed. IT doesnt come cheap but it may benefit a business financially in the long run because of greater efficiency and communication. The purpose of this piece of coursework is to examine ways in which information technology has impacted on the Business world. With this in mind I have three specific aims, which I must fulfill. 1. I must investigate the degree to which businesses in my local area rely on the use of information technology. To complete this I must select a number of businesses, send them a questionnaire and record the findings. I wish to find out details like how many PCs the business has, how many staff uses information technology everyday and how they are trained. 2. I must identify how these businesses make use of information technology. To complete this I must draw up a suitable questionnaire and analyze the findings. I wish to find the different types of information technology that the business has and what advantages they have gained from using it. 3. I must select a business in my locality and investigate how much it has invested in information technology and how this investment has enhanced its day-to-day operations. To complete this I will make an appointment with contact person in Bank Of Ireland, and conduct an interview writing up my findings. I wish to find out things like what types of information technology the Bank of Ireland has, how much it has invested, how much staff uses IT, how the staff are trained and what advantages and disadvantages the Bank of Ireland has found while using the information technology. I am looking forward to completing this coursework for a number of reasons. I am interested in IT and it will be interesting finding out how IT also benefits those in the business world as those in the social. It will introduce me into the world of e-commerce and IT in business more and it will be enjoyable to do. I will take time to plan my work carefully however even at this early stage I realize that I may come across some problems. Some companies may not reply to my questionnaires correctly or at all. To overcome this I will send out a lot of questionnaires to lots of businesses to increase chances of getting a reply. It may be difficult to find information regarding IT and business. I will overcome this by using the Internet, library and textbooks to get vast amounts of information. I have to avoid leading questions in my questionnaire; I will have to include some open-ended questions to get a more accurate response.

How Bombardier deal their transportation business around the globe

How Bombardier deal their transportation business around the globe Bombardier is a famous transportation company dealing their transportation business around the globe. Currently company is running business more than 60 countries on five continents (Bombardier, 2010). Aerospace and Rail transportation is main interest in transportation industry. In this company, large number of world class products design, manufacture, sell and support in these two sector of transportation. This includes commercial and business aircrafts, also rail transportation equipment, systems and services. Bombardier headquarters is situated in Montreal, Quà ©bec, Canada. This company is established by young mechanic name Joseph-Armand Bombardier (Born: 1907) who invented his first snow vehicle in his age 15. He was motivated to make peoples life easy way to travel in snow covered roads of rural Quà ©bec. Joseph introduced his first commercial launch of the seven passenger B7 snowmobile in 1937. Bombardier established a company called LAuto-Neige Bombardier Limità ©e to manufacture the 12-passenger B12 snowmobile. Later he also launched a series of other snow going vehicles which were used for ambulance, freight transport, postal mail delivery and school transportation services. Joseph was all time live with his dream of inventing something special which would be personal snowmobile. His continuous try made a unique industry which is called snowmobiling. He introduced his world renowned Ski-Doo. Only with the snowmobiles success, Joseph died in 1964 and left a profitable company. Analyse the international business environment and the development of global organisations Globalisation In normal sense the Globalisation means globalise something to enjoy common faculty of society around the member countries of the world. The questions will arise what type of faculty should be utilised or enjoyed in global circumstances. According to Rothenberg (2003), Globalisation is the acceleration and intensification of interaction and integration among the people, companies and governments of different nations. In 1971, Bombardier purchased majority of shares of Austrian company named Lohner-Werke. As a leadership in North American rail transportation, Bombardier signed a $1 billion US contract to supply 825 subway cars to the New York City Transit Authority. As a globalised company Bombardier expanded largely in European rail equipment and services market and acquired a 45% interest in the Belgian manufacturer BN Constructions Ferroviaires et Mà ©talliques S.A. (Bombardier, 2010 cited at http://www.bombardier.com/en/corporate/about-us/history?docID=0901260d8001dffa). The term globalisation began to be used more commonly in the 1980s reflecting technological advances that made it easier and quicker to complete international transactions-both trade and financial flows. It refers to an extension beyond national borders of the same market forces that have operated for centuries at all levels of human economic activity village markets, urban industries, or financial centres. The term Globalisation is not a single phenomenon but also is a concept of various socio-economical forces. Giddens (1990) given vast definition of globalisation: the intensification of world-wide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa. These social relations might be for economical, technological, cultural etc. International Trade The main characteristic of globalisation is the removal of tariff barriers from world trade. For welcoming international trade in developed country, greater imports offer consumers a large variety of goods at competitive price, while in a same time strong incentives for domestic industries to remain competitive. In developing countries, exports are potentiality of earning foreign currency through exports. In this case, exports initiate new economic era of development which also stimulate job opportunity as various industries sell beyond their borders. Moreover, this trade deepen competitiveness in the market of workers and country get competitive advantage of open market. By this process workers get efficiency from one industry and get capability for selling their labours in anywhere in the world. Say as an example of old worker of textile industry in Italy can move to any suitable place in the world where they can get good wages of their labour and have chance to work as a superviso r or one level up in the developing country where textile industry moved for outsourcing. Current international trade generate dynamism and flexibility, as steady imports flow help to offset adverse domestic supply shocks. Open market economy of a country attract foreign investment, which would give the economy more dynamicity than before by huge employment opportunity for the local workforce and give them opportunity to become a skill labour by scope of using new technologies. Some protectionist group against the Globalisation undertakes policy not to welcoming Globalisation. They try to restrict international trade because they believe international trade make the local market monopolised by the multi-national company. They raise tariffs prices of imported goods and restrict the imported products for encouraging local production. IMF experts say this initiative of restriction of international trade harm consumers of which may be poor. Protectionism saying they want to save the local labour and products from the international import products. They want to save the industry and labour which might not be profitable in view of profit based capitalism. Protectionists are well organised and their organisations in different countries are well connected with each other. IMF saying their activity reduces the flow of variety of goods in local market and generating inefficiency of labour and production system. In article on Globalisation: A brief overview, IMF experts are saying expanded International trade is a main part of Globalisation by which developing countries can be benefited. Ernesto Zedillo, the former president of Mexico, has observed that, In every case where a poor nation has significantly overcome its poverty, this has been achieved while engaging in production for export markets and opening itself to the influx of foreign goods, investment, and technology.  After fallen of Soviet block, many developing countries open their market for international trade in late 1980s. As a result, some protectionist countries were facing poor economic performance and various economic crises. In the 1990s many former soviet bloc countries of East Europe joined into the international trading system and developing In the 1990s, many former Eastern bloc countries integrated into the global trading system and developing Asia-one of the most closed regions to trade in 1980-progressively dismant led barriers to trade. Overall, while the average tariff rate applied by developing countries is higher than that applied by advanced countries, it has declined significantly over the last several decades. Benefits of globalisation When tariff barrier abolished from the international trade to smooth flow of products, capital and technology from one country to another, following are the indicators by which world market benefited and according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) website how goods, capital and people, have become more globalised: The value of trade (goods and services) as a percentage of worlds GDP increased from 42.1 in 1980 to 62.1 in 2007. Foreign direct investment (FDI) increased from 6.5% of world GDP in 1980 to 31.8% in 2006. The stock of international claims (primarily bank loans), as a percentage of world GDP, increased from roughly 10% in 1980 to 48% in 2006 (BIS, 2006). The number of minutes spent on cross-border telephone calls, on a per-capita basis, increased from 7.3 in 1991 to 28.8 in 2006 (IMF and International Telecommunications Union data cited on http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2008/053008.htm#P35_4963) The number of foreign workers has increased from 78 million people (2.4% of the world population) in 1965 to 191 million people (3.0% of the world population) in 2005. Challenges of Globalisation Strategies Strategy is originated in the Greek word strategos, which is understood as The art of the general. The concept of strategy first applied in the field military wing of a state, later formulated in the business management (Ludviga et. al. 2010). The strategic theory in business management started to develop when Porter (1980) described Competitive Positioning. Resource based view (RBV) is a strategic resources tool on fundamental basis for a competitive advantage of a firm lies primarily in the application of the bundle of valuable resources at the firms disposal (Wernerfelt, B. 1984). RBV is primarily proposed by Penrose and later developed by Werhefelt, Hamel and Prahalad (1990). Barney (1991) contributed one year later and treated as father of RBV on the firm. Maxoney and Sanchez (2004) suggested that strategic theory depend on the market and history and cannot be universal or timeless. The researcher modifies and develops or changes the theories with the changes of social factors and development (Ludviga and Chirjevskis, 2010). Kim and Mauborgne (1997) suggested that in globalisation competitive advantage is no longer applicable and competition is counterproductive here. In Blue Ocean Strategy, Kim and Mauborgne (2005) proposed value innovation instead of competitive advantage. To describe Service-Dominant logic (S-D logic), Robert Lusch and Stephen Vargo (2004) described by their own way, in globalisation world economy connected without any barrier and it holds more turbulent with increased impact of ethics and businesses are responsible into the society, also new relation and interaction between the producer and the consumer which emerged value added collaborative process of co-creation. It describes a new understanding of purpose and nature of an organisation, market and society; the knowledge and skills should be applied for the benefit of other parties and value is determined only by the beneficiary (customer). Analyse appropriate organisational structures It is important to point out the organisations structure and the relationship between it and an organisations size, strategy, technology, environment and culture. Miller (1989) discussed deeply the necessity of assembling of strategy and structure. Burns and Stalker (1961) identified the flexibility of organisational environment and described when the structure of an organisation coincides with the rate of change within its environments then it is achieved maximum performance. To discuss about the importance of culture in relation to organisational design and structure, Handy (1990, 1993) has discussed it needs for new organisational forms. Pascale, Milleman and Gioja (2000), Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001) discussed and came to consideration that structure has a key role in the all-important human dimension of an organisation. Senge (1994) identified that though managers main role is the design of organisational structures, even it is often neglected responsibility in an organisation. Furthermore organisational design is not well understood in traditional management education and also does not include the development of the principles of corporate design (McMaster, 1996). Organisational structures are the appropriate frame of interaction between roles in an organisation and its different phase which described by Mullins (1993), Salaman (2001). They also said that in order to achieve the organisational goals and direct activities of different parts, it should be allocate work and responsibilities in a framework. This framework giving managers clear direction to work plan, organise, direct, control and monitoring the activities of the organisation (Mullins, 1993, Mabey, Salaman 2001). This view is based on the principles of classical and scientific management and it called as traditional view. Pascale, Milleman and Gioja (2000) taken non-traditional approach which described that the role of architects and principles that provide i) structural integrity (sound building), ii) functionality (space appropriate for its intended use), and iii) aesthetic appeal. Using these principles, an architect can work with the customer in order to create a structure that is an integral and facilitating aspect of the life of the people who move in and around it. This model is treaded as good model to consider organisation design principles. In an organisation, structures are sets of relations between the roles. Fararo (1997) and Sà ¸rensen (1978) studied in mathematical sociology about such structures is the so-called vertical differentiation or authority structures of organisations, usually considered to be a hierarchy structures. Mono-dimensional organisational structure in work considers a multiplicity of structured aspects: authority, communication, delegation, responsibility, control, power etc. Sleznick (1948), Morgenstern (1951) and Giddens (1984) done foundational work on social and organisation theory and summarised as that organisations do not exhibit one single structural dimension, but they are instead multi-structured objects. In particular, we view organisational structure as hiding at least three relevant dimensions which called: power, coordination and control. Chief ExecutiveThus the basic structure of many large organisations in the 20th century was founded on linear, segmented, hierarchical design principles as typified by Figure 1. The larger the organisation the larger the structure and the more sub divisions. It was an approach to organisation design that reflected the classical scientific worldview as did the early management theorists. Research Development Personnel Manufacturing Finance Sales Product A Product B Product C Area X Area Y Area Z Figure 1.1. Traditional Organisation Chart/Structure (adapted from Weinshall, 1971, in Handy, 1993) In mid-20th century there was trend to create huge corporate structures in different businesses like Hanson Trust, Trafalgar House, Unilever, and GKN in the UK and General Electric in the USA (Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001). After Second World War some country nationalise the public utilities, where bureaucracies were major problem. National Health Service of the UK nationalise in 1948 in this process. In the last decades of the 20th century, there had significant changes of trend for large and larger structures and it was over. Ashkenas et. al. (1995) found almost every organisation experimented with some kind of structural change process. Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001) described that some less traditional forms of organisation structure began to emerge as evidenced by the de-structured forms. Old mechanistic systems are everywhere breaking down (Handy, 1990). Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001) talk of the emergence of a new paradigm for organisational form which seeks to replace the rigidity and cumbersome nature of the traditional form. Ashkenas et. al. (1995) report on a change in design principles that amounts to a major shift. Ashkenas et. al. (1995) summarised the success factors of both the old and newer approaches as described as follows: OLD SUCCESS FACTORS NEW SUCCESS FACTORS Size Speed Role clarity Flexibility Specialisation Integration Control innovation By the press release in Jan 29, 2004, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bombardier Inc., Mr. Paul Tellier announced following declaration of the structural changes of Bombardier. Press Release as follows: The position of President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Transportation was split into two distinct position. Mr. Paul handed over his COO post to Mr. Wolfgang Toelsner as because Mr. Toelsner is recognised as one of the most respected leader in the rail industry. He has been responsible for Bombardiers Locomotives and Freight Division in Europe since 2001. Under the new structure, eight (8) of the ten (10) operational divisions will report to the Chief Operating Officer: North America, Total Transit Systems, Light Rail Vehicles (LRV), Locomotives and Freight, Propulsion and Control, Rail Control Solutions, Bogies, and the London Underground Projects. The industrial division previously responsible for the manufacturing network in Europe and is being disbanded. The various manufacturing facilities will become part of the respective product divisions, allowing each division to have direct responsibility not only for marketing, sales and engineering, but also for production. This means, for example, that the plants producing mainline products will be integrated into the Mainline Division, the ones producing light rail vehicles will become part of the LRV Division. The Mainline Division will be expanded to include the Metros Division as well as the Carbodies Division. The products manufactured by these two units are produced in the same facilities. The Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Wolfgang Toelsner; the expanded Mainline Division President, Mr. Olof Persson; and the Services Division President, Mr. Rik Dobbelaere, will report to the President. All Bombarider Transportation group staff functions will continue to report to the President . Mr. Tellier continues to chair the recently constituted Management Committee. (Euronext, 2010). This new organisational re-structuring process has been improved project management, accountability as well as customer service, reduced overhead and duplication, and simplified the organisational structure. Bombardier Transportation currently employs some 28,600 staff at 42 major production and service locations around the world. Several of these host more than one production/service facility under separate management. Three plants in China are joint ventures with only a 25% Bombardier share and, due to that, limited influence. There are around 40 generally smaller sites of the Services and the Total Transit Systems divisions (most of them Though Bombardier Transportation is Canada based Transportation Company, but it expanding his technology, financial investment and resources all over the world and became a globalised company in the globe. Europe is the purchasing capable continent for rail travelling so it is the largest market in the world for rail. Bombardier Transportations main focus is in Europe. Bombardier is employed around 21,550 employees in this region. Approximately 5,150 employees work in North and Central America and in a same time 1,900 employees are working for the company in Australia/Asia and other parts of the world (Bombardier, 2010 cited at www.bombardier.com/files/en/docs/BT_SustainabilityReport_EN.pdf). Now we can say it is not company for a particular country it makes its identify for global society and technology, experiences of human resources, financial investment and its products also moving one place to another. That is why we can easily say this company became globalised company in the w orld or it is also influencing for globalisation in a same time. In response to market realities and to remain competitive the company carried out a restructuring program in 2004/05. This resulted in a reduction of the workforce by 7,600 worldwide and the closure of seven facilities. The sites affected by closure were the production plants in Amadora, Portugal, Ammendorf, Germany, Kalmar, Sweden, Pratteln, Switzerland, Derby Pride Park, Doncaster, and Wakefield, UK. Effectiveness and Efficiency of Existing Bombardier Strategy Operation Bombardier now globalised its operation both its transportation and aerospace divisions. According to Fortunes Global 500 companies, Bombardier was rated 448 (CNN, 2010). Currently Bombardier Aerospace (BA) has two main business activities Aircraft manufacture and Services. Within Aircraft manufacture, there are the sectors of business aircraft such as the Learjet range and commercial aircraft such as the CRJ Series operated by carriers worldwide. Services include such activities as parts logistics, leasing style operations, training, and sales of pre-owned (second hand) aircraft. This division is now a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative aviation products and is a provider of related services. BAs aircraft portfolio includes a comprehensive line of business aircraft, commercial aircraft including regional jets, turboprops and single-aisle mainline jets and amphibious aircraft. BA also provides aftermarket services as well as fractional ownership and flight enti tlement programmes (Knowmore.org, 2010) Train is the eco-friendly transport as because 70% of emitted CO2 would be avoided when every passenger-km shifted road to rail transport. Bombardier Transportation thinks rail is the most sustainable mode of transit (Bombardier.com, 2010). One of the attractive strategy of Bombardier is corporate responsibility for maximising environmental benefits by rail travel. That is why Bombardier put in its strategy a new and modern concept of engineering and operating design and philosophy called sustainable mobility (Bombardier, 2010). Following are the key business goals for sustainability: To being profitable business organisation, Bombardier is delivering safe and competitive products to their customers. By anyhow Bombardier optimising environmental performance of their vehicles. To best of their ability, Bombardier industrial activities confirmed unspoiled environment to the new generations. Bombardier all time confirms healthy and safe working places for employees in the society. Bombardier transferring best practices and knowledge, especially in less industrialised countries. (Bombardier, 2010 About Us) As a first vehicle manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation signed in the International Association of Public Transports (UITP) Sustainability Charter in 2003. As part of Bombardier commitment to the charter, at the end of 2006 Bombardier first Sustainability Report describing the progress Bombardier are making towards environmental and social responsibility. In September 2009, Bombardier Transportation jointly taken a venture of Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd. has been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) to supply 80 ZEFIRO 380 very high speed trains (1,120 cars) for countrys rapidly growing high speed rail network. The contract including 20 eight-car trainsets and 60 sixteen-car trainsets, is valued at an estimated  £2.5 billion. Bombardiers share of the contract is estimated at  £1.25 billion. The first train is scheduled for delivery in 2012 with final deliveries expected in 2014 (Bombardier, 2009). This contract is the integral part of an evolving high speed rail capability in China which is developing more than 6000 km of new high speed lines to create one of the most advanced high speed rail networks in the world. The trains, with maximum operating speeds of 380 kph, are based on Bombardiers next-generation ZEFIRO high speed rail technology and powered by a highly energy efficient BOMBARDIER MITRA C propulsion and control system. The mission Statement of Bombardier is to be the worlds leading manufacturer of planes and trains. Bombardier is committed to providing superior value and service to our customers and sustained profitability to their shareholders by investing in their people and products (Bombardier, 2010). Bombardier lead market through innovative quality, extraordinary product safety measurement, efficiency and performance. Its mission, core values and leadership attributes are the building bricks of making good governance. This governance starts with their mission and to deliver best class value products for their customers and profits for shareholders. Bombardier core values guide the action to fulfil this mission: Integrity Commitment to excellence Customer orientation Shareholder focus Bombardier leadership attributes remind all employees what it means to be our best: Putting people first. Working together. Having a passion for winning. Having a drive for results. As part of its stewardship role, the Board advises management on significant business issues and assumes the following responsibilities: Approves corporate strategy Monitors financial matters and internal controls through its Audit Committee Oversees pension fund matters through its Finance and Risk Management Committee Monitors environmental, occupational health and safety matters through its Human Resources and Compensation Committee. Assesses and oversees the succession plan of the President and Chief Executive Officer and senior executives through its Human Resources and Compensation Committee. Monitors corporate governance issues through its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. The two areas in which Bombardier conducts business are both greatly affected by macro (PESTLE) factors. It is also felt that the business focus has narrowed and is limiting the growth of the organisation. As a global organisation, Bombardier is mindful of this, and as such has implemented several key initiatives: Risk Management: Now a days company size makes a company relatively riskfull for exist sustainably. It is due to fast-paced world and nowadays risks can also materialise more rapidly than ever. It is called Risk Management. In May 2007, Bombardier Board created the Finance and Risk Management Committee to making risk management a central focus of the company. Every year, the Corporate Audit Service and Risk Assessment (CASRA) team thoroughly assesses our major risks. Senior management and the Audit Committee review the results and develop an annual action plan to address these risks. The Boards Finance and Risk Management Committee captures and follows up on risk mitigation, including social and environmental risks as future carbon costs. Occupational health, safety and environmental risks are mitigated through management systems and compliance audits, Supply chain risks are reduced through their supply chain management practices, including the Bombardier supplier code of conduct. Cultural aspects: Bombardier rail contract with Chinese company publicly criticised over its controversial deal to supply railway cars to the Qinghai-Tibet railway. A campaigner of Free Tibet commented on the contract and said Bombardiers  £1.25 billion contract has broken its own Ethical Code, by investing in a high risk project, which will contribute to what the Dalai Lama has described as cultural genocide. Another Free Tiber Campaigner Mr. Tenzin Metok Sither said, The railway is a political project, designed to facilitate the move of millions of Chinese settlers into Tibet, enable increased militarisation along the border with India and Pakistan, and allow China easily to transport Tibers natural resources to Chinas east coast. It is not designed to benefit Tibetans. Bombardier is now a willing participant in this destruction, with its technology enabling an abusive regime to extend its control over Tibet. (Mediacentre.blog.co.uk 2010). The Dalai Lama stated that, Some kind of cultural genocide is taking places in general, a railway link is very useful in order to develop, but not when politically motivated to bring about demographic change, (Associated Press, 2005). This contract will definitely influences culture of Chinese people as because by this project China is getting going to capable to achieve the fastest railway network in the world. Impact of technological advancement and Financial Resource: Bombardiers ZEFIRO high speed technology is the culmination of the companys long standing reputation in this market segment. Developed for speeds between 250 and 380 km/h, ZEFIRO offers the highest levels of comfort and capacity, low operating costs and diverse application options for different countries and railway networks. Bombardier is currently delivering the worlds first ZEFIRO trains to the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR). These trainsets feature Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) sleeper cars capable of speeds up to 250 km/h. Bombardier also have won another contract to supply the MOR with 80 ZEFIRO 380 very high speed trains. Bombardier was the first company in Europe to develop and apply an aluminium carbody concept for the high speed segment. It was pioneered in the 90s and has been optimised to meet the latest high standards for crash safety in accordance with TSI 2002. Bombardier Transportation has been developing high speed and very high speed trains by working closely w ith Aerospace Division of the company as Aerospace Division expertise in acoustic and aerodynamic behaviour with reliability management. Bombardier Transportation earned  £4,234 million before interest and taxes in 2005/06 financial year. The majority of turnover was generated from the sales of rolling stock (including mainline and metro vehicles, trams and locomotives) followed by services such as maintenance and delivery of spare parts. The business with European transportation companies who remain Bombardiers most important customers generated 72% of turnover. Strategic Alternatives of Bombardier

Ghost Story of the New Jersey Devil :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories

The New Jersey Devil The urban legend I chose to write about for this assignment is the story of the Jersey Devil. The Jersey Devil is a creature that was, according to legend, born from a woman in southern New Jersey and it is supposed to have haunted the people of the surrounding area for at least 260 years. The Jersey Devil is known as a creature that mutilates livestock as well as other animals and is said to appear shortly before disasters occur. I was able to listen to two versions of the story surrounding the Jersey Devil while conducting research for this assignment. The first story teller is an 18 year old female from Rockaway, New Jersey. This town is a suburban community in northern New Jersey with the majority of residents belonging to the economic middle class. I collected this story during a trip to see my parents on April 1, 2006 at the story teller’s home. She told me the story shortly after dinner so it was nearly dark when she told me the story. The second story teller is a 15 year old female that is also from Rockaway, New Jersey. This story teller also told me the story of the Jersey Devil on April 1, 2006, and also delivered the story from her home during dinner. When the first story teller, the 18 year old female, began to tell me her version of the story of the Jersey Devil, she first said that she did not know much about the legend. She then explained to me that the Jersey Devil is an animal-like creature that lives in the Pine Barrens (the Pine Barrens is a sparsely populated, wooded area of southern New Jersey). He has been seen by many different people who have camped in the area, and he has killed several campers over many years. She finished her story by saying that he is very scary and that she has been afraid of the Jersey Devil for years. When I asked her where she heard this story, she told me that she could not remember but she did remember hearing about the story while she was in elementary school. The second story teller, the 15 year old female, also stated that she did not really know much about the Jersey Devil. She started by saying that he lives in the woods, and then corrected herself by saying that he lives in the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey.