Cell phones How have they changed us socially? Essay

Filed under Fall 2013, Story Cycle 4, Features, Opinion, Showcase The short URL of the present article is: http://lhslance.org/bKUbA We live in a world where communication through modern technology is almost required. Everywhere people are texting, emailing, writing blogs and tweeting. It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone using a phone or the Internet to connect with others. Can you imagine not being able to check your Twitter, Facebook or messages for a week? We would feel lost. Of course the use of technology can be good. It provides us with faster, more efficient ways to communicate with others, but it can also harm our ability to communicate with people face to face. Many complain that our new digital skills impact our ability to write properly. We look old fashioned on paper. â€Å"i nede to ask a?† Read our ad policy â€Å"Cell phones have changed communication because now, instead of friends actually having a face to face conversation, they text each other. This is bad because intent become misinterpreted, which can lead to ‘drama’ and friendship problems. The use of cell phones has affected me because whenever I am in a situation, instead of trying to make a conversation I resort to my cell phone,† Junior Taylor Strahan said. How the message is sent can determine many additional factors as to how the message is interpreted by the receiver. All new information we learn is compared with the knowledge we already have. If it confirms what we already know, we will likely receive the new information accurately, though we may pay little attention to it. If it disputes our previous assumptions or interpretation of the situation, we may distort it in our mind so that it is made to fit our world view, or we may dismiss the information as deceptive, misguided, or simply wrong. For example, if two people are involved in an escalated conflict, and they each assume that the other is going to be aggressive and hostile, then any  ambiguous message will be interpreted as aggressive and hostile, even if it was not intended to be that way at all. Our expectations work as blinders or filters that distort what we see so that it fits our preconceived images of the world. According to pewinternet.org, â€Å"a bit more than a third (37%) of social network-using teens said they sent messages to friends every day through the social sites, a drop from the 42% of such teens who said they did so in February of 2008†. Face- to -face communication among children and teenagers is being squashed out by social networks. A phone call isn’t used to get in touch with someone anymore; Facebook and Twitter are the main tools of communication. The consequences of this are social awkwardness and even social anxiety when confronted with new people to meet in person. A study was done by pewinternet.org among teenagers on social networks, and the amount of communication among teenagers on social networks, and the amount of communication by social network has remained steady. Studies show that homework is interrupted and children become distracted when they receive notifications of a new chat messages, texts, or emails. â€Å"Good communication is important because when we are adults and applying for interviews, we won’t know how to have proper communication, which can result in not getting the job. Another thing is kids are so focused on social networking on our phones that we spend less time on school work which causes bad grades. In the future when applying for college, they won’t accept us because we have bad grades and that is due to cell phone use,† Strahan added. 7 Texting has, in many ways, made communication easier by helping people avoid long, unpleasant phone conversations and making a quick â€Å"Hello† much easier. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of teenagers text regularly, and one in three sends more than 100 texts per day. Clearly, texting is the preferred method of communication among young people, and that trend is moving upward toward adults, who are also texting much more frequently. Studies have shown that it makes it difficult for students who rely so heavily on technology to actually communicate to adults in person because they don’t quite develop all of the necessary skills to hold or even start a face-to-face conversation. However, these skills are a crucial tool in the workforce. If you want a high paying, stable job, or possibly even to be admitted to a university, you must have good face-to-face communication skills. If you lack these specific skills you most likely won’t even make it  throu gh the interview. â€Å"Teens are in the stage of their life where they’re learning so if you don’t learn to have good communication skills, then when you become an adult you will have a harder time asking for help, being proactive with things in your life,† said reading specialist Mrs. Tracey Cassidy. Students who are constantly texting with abbreviated forms of words have begun to speak with the same acronyms. The now everyday uses of â€Å"LOL† and â€Å"OMG† have become substitutions for actual emotional responses in conversations. This form of talking is often seen as flighty and uneducated. They’re not only speaking in abbreviated ways but they are also beginning to become distracted during conversations. While texting, it is easy to jump from topic to topic when an idea comes to mind. However, this is causing many students to become unfocused and sidetracked during face to face conversations. â€Å"I think that some cell phones have opened up communication for teens 100% because that’s how they communicate with their friends, parents, with their school work. I think it’s fantastic, and that’s what they really rely on, so it is good but some negatives are their communication skills are not as strong as they should be, like talking to other people,† Cassidy added. â€Å"When I was a teen we did not have cell phones or computers. I had a telephone in my room (which was a big deal) it was attached to the wall with a long cord and was then attached to a base so I couldn’t walk around the house and talk on the phone. I had to say in my room for privacy. Before I got my own phone I would use the phone in the kitchen, I would stretch the phone cord as far as I could and then go into a closet for privacy,† parent Barbara Dempster said. â€Å"Communication is a way for people to connect with each other and form relationship. It is also a way to gather information from others. I like the variety of ways that people can communicate and keep in touch with one another. I do feel that the importance of face- to- face communication has been impacted by the use of cell phone and texting vs. talking on the phone,† Dempster added. We have become a society that is completely dependent on our technology to communicate with others. It’ s almost impossible for us to maintain our social life without using some sort of modern-day technology to communicate. â€Å"In terms of communication, it is harder for teens to communicate face to  face with people with maybe teachers, because they’re so used to doing it via email. Sometimes it’s good, meaning if you don’t like a grade you have, you can email the teacher saying you have concerns about your grade. Where if you don’t have an email, you have to talk to your teacher about the grade you don’t like and you might be nervous and uncomfortable because it’s your teacher,† Cassidy said. â€Å"I would tell teens that there is a time and place for texting and there is a time when you need to have a conversation either face to face or over the telephone,† said Dempster. â€Å"Texting is great when you need to find out information quickly – Are you still coming over? Do you want a soda? Where are you?† Dempster believes other situations require face- to -face like, â€Å"When you are joking and it may be difficult for the oth er person to sense your humor or sarcasm, communication with a teacher or adult. When telling your parents you did something wrong,† Dempster said. According to Pew Research Center, â€Å"As technology continues to improve, the use of cell phones continues to change drastically. The increase over the last ten years has been incredible and the way we use our phones to stay connected and informed continues to change.† â€Å"The average American smartphone user spent nearly 30 minutes a day checking or updating social networks. The way we use cell phones has changed drastically over the last year. Once upon a time, we used cell phones to make calls while we were away from our homes. Recent studies show that we may be migrating away from our primary use of the phone to more of a texting and mobile web device.† Research from www.accuconference.com states that in 2012 †¢53% of adults own a smartphone. †¢42% of people have used their phone for entertainment when they are bored. †¢51% of users used their cell phone at least once to get information. †¢27% said they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phone. †¢29% turn off their phones to take a break from their digital life at night. This article is not to say that mobile phones should be banned due to their many negative aspects. It depends upon us whether we use this technology for our progress and prosperity or for our destruction. No doubt, mobile phone is the best innovation of this era but people should use it in a positive sense.

Video Vault Case

Introduction: The Video Vault was dominant is the location of major route connecting Westborough to the neighbour communities of Hopkinton and Upton with floor space at 750 square feet, the owners were innovative in displaying their roughly 10,000 units (or 8,000 titles) of inventory, 700 of which were in the DVD format. Peaslee and St. Angelo had 6,000 registered customers, with about half that number being active renters. In order to rent videos at the store, customers provided a credit card number or a $35 deposit, protecting the business against unreturned product or unpaid late fees. New releases, adult videos, and video games rented for $4 per day, catalogue titles rented for $3 per day. The average late fee was $2. 75. Total late fees in 2001 were $6,133. Supply chain performances In revenue sharing contract, the store shares the revenue from the customer with the studio through which it gets its inventory. The widespread use of revenue sharing fundamentally changed the economics of the industry. Under this, distributors sold the tape to the retailer at a much lower price- from $3 to $8 per tape- in return for a percentage of the rental revenue and a percentage of eventual used-tape sales to consumer. But as the same time there were some disadvantages that were came with revenue sharing contract. Store had to share data with the studio and also had to keep maximum and minimum inventory of inventory as per the contract which diluted the controllability of store owners. Since they opened their store, Peaslee and St. Angelo had seen the regular distribution channels and pricing change dramatically. In the past, the partners bought roughly 150 to 200 titles per year, one-third from established distributors that bought directly from studios, and the rest from â€Å"sideways selling†Ã¢â‚¬â€a practice of buying product from other video stores, retailers, or individual traders. The top tier A titles were roughly $70 from distributors and were shipped to stores prior to the video rental release date. Buying product from other avenues resulted in lower prices, but it could take weeks or months after the release date to obtain copies. During 2000 and 2001, however, the Video Vault bought 90% of its product directly from studios, with a few distributors acting as â€Å"fulfillment centers,† shipping product from studios without owning it

Malcolm Baldrige and the Evolution of Total Quality Management Essay

Quality and productivity can be considered mutually inclusive. An organization that aims for quality will eventually results to better productivity in the concept of services, goods being produced, personnel and human resources development, not to mention capital gain, increase in competitiveness, and increase in investment opportunities. Though it may be a good concept, a governing body should be present to determine the necessary criteria and set for definitive standards to follow. In the United States, the two governing body in quality standard award are the Ron Brown Award and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Malcolm Baldrige, a U. S. Secretary of Commerce during the era of the Reagan Administration, is the one responsible for organizing a conference on productivity in the White House. Apparently, he initiated the conception and blueprint in 1987 of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award: which focuses on quality. The award, through the National Quality Improvement Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-107), gives emphasis on quality services being given by different sectors such as education, health care, business, and non-profit organizations (Marion p. 1). These quality services are based on the practices of the Total Quality Management System (TQM) principles and contain seven criteria to determine the awardees: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Market and Customer Focus; Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management, Focus on Workforce, Process Management, and Results. These criteria are considered significant to U. S. competitiveness in terms of improving the capabilities, practices, and results of an organization; sharing and facilitating the most excellent practice among the different sectors; and to serve as a working tool guide for planning and managing. Most of these criteria are taken from the principles and techniques in quality management developed by Philip Crosby, W. Demings, Armand Feigenbaum, and Joseph Juran. Moreover, the award aims to promote significant level of quality consciousness; to be able to distinguish the achievements of U. S. companies in the context of quality; and to make available to the public the thriving strategies on quality. The process of selecting the winner involves an assessment of the written examination submitted by the applicant, a site visit on the company (provided that the company achieved a high score), and a final evaluation. Since the Malcolm Award is based on the principle of Total Quality Management, the system have evolved or developed in terms of the factors in performance measurement that includes the following: operating or in service measures, employee relationship, satisfaction of customers, and performance on financial aspects. For instance, based on the data of the 12 Companies that submitted their respective pertinent data for evaluation, on an annual basis product reliability increased by around 11. 3 %; the time of processing the order is reduced annually by 12% on the six companies; product errors and defects decreased by 10. 3% on the seven companies; and around five companies have reduced cost by 9%. This created a savings of around $1 Million to $115 Million. Aside from the improvement on the factors on performance measurement, indicators of employee relationship also improved. Employee satisfaction improved by 1. 4%, employee turnover (voluntary request for separation) decreased by around 6%, health and safety measures improved by 1. 8%, and the accumulated total-quality suggestions made by the employees increased by 16. 6%. The total customer satisfaction also increased by 2. 5% with complaints coming from the customer being reduced by 11. 6% and retention of customers also improved by 1%. Market share is increased by 13. 7% and the return of assets by 1. 3% (Shetty p. 4-6). Thus, Total Quality Management had eventually improved in terms of quality, customer satisfaction, and reduction in cost. Furthermore, the Total Quality Management System had an affirmative impact on all of the significant areas of concerns: improvement in product reliability, increased in customer satisfaction and responsiveness, and reduction in cost. Apparently related to these are the increase in job satisfaction, improvement of health and safety measures, and reduction in employee turnover. This improvement and reduction on specific areas will eventually yield to increase in the market share, profitability, and quality. The result of such will also produced a certain degree of competitive advantage, which is eventually acquired as a result of committing to quality. A firm competitive position will give the company a unique place in the market wherein the consumers are willing to pay for the product, and the established quality will become difficult to surmount by the competing companies. Another factor to consider in achieving a competitive advantage is through the reduction of cost by improving quality. Reducing cost is synonymous to reduction of the in-process work inventory, handling of materials, capitals on equipment and maintenance, thus reducing claims on liability. The reduced costs will in-turn lead to a higher profit margin, increase in the sales, and lower prices of the product. Therefore, cost and quality are the most important factors to achieve a competitive advantage and these can be realized through the implementation of Total Quality Management System. The implementation of the Total Quality Management depends on the need and the nature of the business. Companies that adopted a TQM, and subsequently succeeded on all areas described above still have to continue on developing the system. It is considered a continuous process and development. Different sectors of the industry such as in the health care, manufacturing, services, and small businesses are becoming more aware of the positive impact of adopting TQM, and the aspiration of being recognized as one of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awardees set forth the scene to a strong commitment towards excellence in management quality and company performance. The Award started at 1988 and after 20 years, around 79 companies are recognized. The impact of adopting the criteria of Malcolm Baldrige through the implementation of TQM had significantly produced quality and productivity to several companies such as: The ADAC Laboratories, Custom Research Inc. , Dana Commercial Credit Corp. , and Trident Position Manufacturing Inc. (Malcolm Baldrige recipients of 1996). Of these four, Trident and Custom Research belongs to the small business category, ADAC in the manufacturing sector, and Dana Commercial on services. The ADAC Laboratories, founded in 1970, have its product line in the design, manufacturing, marketing, and support intended for customers belonging in the health care sector such as in radiation therapy, information system in health care, and nuclear medicines. These services and products are sold to universities, hospitals, and clinics worldwide. The impact of adopting the criteria of Malcolm Baldrige has significantly improved the company’s market share (12% in 1990 to 50% in 1996), and customer satisfaction (no. 1 ranking). Before, the company was only focused on short-term financial goals, and not totally oriented towards attaining a quality firm for investors and customer’s satisfaction, and employee development. Determined to over-turn the current situation, the company adopted the criteria of Malcolm Baldrige. In 1994, ADAC applied for the Malcolm Baldrige getting up to the 2nd level (site visit). The site visit consequently gave the company a feedback assessment with around 148 areas of concerns that needs improvement. The company then utilized the feedback report as an external resource to eliminate the gaps. The management team attended the Center for Quality of Management, a consortium of experts in the field of Total Quality Management. The intensive two-day training made all employees understands the four relevant thoughts: shared learning, total involvement, focus on customer, and continuous development. Consequently, the turn-around of the company to focus on customer satisfaction had lead to a strong rate of retention with 94% as compared to the previous 50%; market share increased by 50% as compared to 12% six years ago; and the revenue per worker increased by around 75% (Marion p. 1). The results by adopting the criteria verified the kind of quality management the company had developed with emphasis on quality and excellence. Dana Commercial Credit Corporation, a subsidiary of Dana Corp. , provides financing and leasing services to a wide range of businesses and specific markets. Located at different offices such as in Canada, United Kingdom, and Ohio; the company have activities that includes management of assets services, combined-venture leasing consortium, and leasing of equipment for manufacturers and dealers. The company decided to apply for the Malcolm Baldrige Award for two compelling reasons: after receiving the Dana Quality Leadership award, the company intended to benchmark it alongside the Malcolm Baldrige; and the challenge of pursuing the Baldrige award will provide a significant â€Å"push† towards a fast improvement in quality for the company. Making through the process of the Baldrige criteria eventually created a strong culture with emphasis on service quality and customer satisfaction. In return, the morale of the employees is high as well as the profit. Custom Research Inc. is one of the small firms that received the Baldrige Award that clearly shows that no matter what the size of the company, better quality management can also be achieved just like those of multinational companies. Established in 1974 by Jeff Pope and Corson, CRI caters big companies in designing and conducting projects that can provide relevant information to make effective decisions in business. The main office is located at Minneapolis with several offices in Ridgewood and San Francisco, and New Jersey. In 1998, the company had reduced its client from 138 to 67, primarily to provide better service as well as establish partnership with their biggest clients. From 1992 to 1994, the company had applied for an assessment to Baldrige and reached the site visit level three times. After receiving the Minnesota Award for Quality in 1995, CRI decided to re-apply again for the Baldrige since the award was patterned to it. Winning the state award had helped the company achieving its goal to be awarded by Baldrige in 1996. Since the employees are less, all took part during the application and assessment process wherein each employee knows the whole process, the criteria, and how it is should be implemented in their respective field of work. Thus, the Baldrige Award had greatly influenced all employees towards achieving quality and productivity creating a positive atmosphere to the company. In return, the employees are all motivated that results to better business opportunities and results. Trident Precision Manufacturing Inc. is a private company that manufactures various components of sheet metal (precision), customized products, and assemblies (electromechanical). With its lone manufacturing plant in New York, the Company developed processes and tooling to manufacture and assemble components intended for the different sectors of the industry such as in equipment used in office, banks, health care, and even defense. Trident began to exploit the criteria of Baldrige in their quest for quality in 1989. The criteria had served as an open window to know the areas of weaknesses and strength of the company. April Lusk, Trident’s administrator for quality, emphasized that the biggest significant asset of the Baldrige Quality Award process was the feedback report, which stands for an unbiased assessment of a company’s strength and weaknesses. Trident then utilized those feedback reports to narrow the gaps and eventually achieved better results: due to a strong focus in customer satisfaction, the company has been able to maintain its position as the main supplier to chief customers even though it reduced their supplier percentage to 65%; the focus on employee involvement also played a major role achieving a 100% employee participation on departmental occupation team, around 95% of the improvement on processes have been established, the recognitions and rewards for the employees increased, employee turnover decreased, and the company have invested 4. 6% of the payroll towards education and training (Marion p. 1). The continuous improvement of the employee, their commitment to the internal and external clientele, and the eventual â€Å"control† of their processes have made Trident to stand out and establish a dedication towards excellence and quality. More so, Trident’s strong affirmation towards an environment that is family oriented, continuous effort for improvement, and teamwork are the main factors the Baldrige Award considered. Responsibilities are shared, suggestions considered and implemented so as to create an environment where the employees are satisfied and their morale is high, resulting to a stronger and a healthier business. The background discussed on the four companies clearly illustrated the impact of implementing the principles of Total Quality Management System through the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards. These companies aspired to achieve the Baldrige Award and the results improved the company’s overall quality and productivity program, as well as their business status and competitiveness. By analyzing the stories behind each success of a company towards achieving the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards, several key pointers should be emphasize such as the following: Leadership also plays an important role towards attaining quality. Top management should exert effort in terms of leadership and support since the adherence to quality usually accompanies changes in the company’s operating systems or philosophy. Clear goals should be determined as well as a positive atmosphere or culture to encourage the employees to attain such goals. The presence of a highly motivated staff or employees also has significant contributions towards attaining quality. Quality depends on the employee’s efficiency, and subsequently to the employees work motivation. It also encompasses all the aspect of human resources such as employee training and recruitment program, job descriptions, and rewarding as well as empowering employees. Employee involvement are considered an important aspect, and also the encouragement of a corporate vision towards quality-related improvement activities and programs may require several major adjustments or changes the way the employees are being managed (Shetty p. 6) Another factor that is significant is the aim for a total customer satisfaction. Realizing this vision will create an effort towards improving quality. Exceptional external and internal systems are necessary to supervise customer satisfaction through the use of surveys, evaluation of services and products, and investigation of complaints (Reiman p.11) Analysis of information is also critical since this will serve as a basis on making corporate decisions and adjustments. Efficient and complete data gathering serves as a powerful tool for the company since these will reflect the strengths, weaknesses, goals, quality, and service standards, to name a few. Suppliers also have a significant role in the pursuit of quality. Usually, successful companies develop long-lasting relationships with suppliers having a vision for quality. The company relatively engages the suppliers to become an integral part of the firm’s TQM. Consultations, trainings, and continuing contracts are some of the ways the company engages the suppliers on its TQM program. Thus, the suppliers become a partner in administering quality efforts, which in turn have major effects on how the suppliers are conventionally managed. The commitment to quality is a boundless process; therefore, a continuous program for improvement and development should be implemented. The results on the companies that implemented the Total Quality Management System in pursuit of achieving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards proved to be a success. The end-results created better customers satisfaction, high morale of employees, reduced cost, decreased on employee turn-over, good competitive advantage, improved health and safety measures, better production processes, increased in market share and profits, quality and productivity. The Malcolm Baldrige Award provides a vast range of quality concerns. The feedbacks made by the Award committee can be use by the company to narrow the relevant gaps, which are based on the findings. The award served as an effective guide with respect on streamlining the business and management practices. The criteria set forth by Baldrige, based on the principles of Total Quality Management, provided the significant standards of excellence to achieve quality and productivity.The award served as an effective catalyst to strengthen and improve the company’s competitiveness. Works Cited Shetty, Y. K. â€Å"The Quest for Quality Excellence: Lessons from the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award†. Sam Advanced Management Journal. 22 March 1993: 1-14 Harmon, Marion. www. qualitydigest. com. Jan. 1997. Retrieved April 23, 2009. http://www. qualitydigest. com/jan97/baldrige. html Reiman, Curt W. â€Å"Winning Strategies for the Malcolm Baldrige Award,† Journal of Quality Management, July 1990, pp. 9-25.

Communication letter of advise for a couple Research Paper

Communication letter of advise for a couple - Research Paper Example such as divorce that are mostly attributed to failure on the part of the couple to communicate openly, with an estimate of 60% divorce among married couple in the United State (Gulley & Almonte, 2009). Marriage is a special thing shared between two people that truly love each and are ready to spend the rest of their lives with the person. I write this letter, hoping that you are fully aware of what is awaiting both you. Marriage is meant to last forever and in order for that to happen, you need to commit to each other and dedicate fully as well as be ready to face challenges ahead. My aim of writing the letter is to give you some good advice about communication in your relationship. Â   Am a student, just finished an interpersonal communication course, that will be my referring point throughout this letter. It is my hope that you take the advice and use it every day in your relationship. Love is sweet and exciting but without effective communication, it is bound to fail (Miller, 2011). For the survival of any relationship, there exist several guides to help facilitate and in the same way, illustrate on what to do and what to avoid in certain situations. Good communication that e ncourages free and open communication is very important, as couples are able to share information with easy in a friendly manner, in return enabling partners to get along well (Gulley & Almonte, 2009). At any given time, the first rule of good communication in relationship is communication is a two-sided coin that requires both effective talking and excellent listening. According to Taibbi (2012), the author of lasting marriage demonstrates that great communication makes great marriage. Understanding your partner properly as well as yourself, help in daily interactions that build the relationship. Learn the principles of interpersonal communication because it is informative as it guides and offer skills to deal with problems in the relationship. During communication especially when

Real estate study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Real estate study - Coursework Example The tenant has defaulted on this quarters rent (due on 25 March 2015) as well as defaulting on its service charge and insurance contributions which were also reserved as rent. Tenant default is defined as the breach of agreement of the tenancy contract (The Law Commission, 2006). Spotted Dice Limited has breached the agreement with Lansbury Towers when the former defaulted with the rent payment, service charge, and insurance contributions. It is very important that the Landlord will carefully consider the action needed. In order for this to happen, the landlord should assess whether the default made by the tenant is just temporary or the tenant wants to terminate the lease (Green 2012). Without commencing any court proceedings, there are different remedies available to the management of Lansbury Towers where the tenant Spotted Dice Limited is in default such as forfeiture, levying distress, recovery as a debt, recovery from third parties, negotiations, surrender and reduction of rent (Cass 2013). Most of the lease contract contains a clause that will entitle the landlord to forfeit the lease in case of default. This remedy is considered one of the fastest, simplest and cheapest which will only require locks and notice to the premise (Cass 2013). â€Å"The right of landlord to forfeit arises: However, under Section 146 of the Law of Property Act of 1925, the landlord’s right to forfeit in respect to tenant’s default and breach of contract will not be enforceable unless a notice containing the following is served on the tenant: The Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) provides the new process for landlords of commercial premises such as Lansbury Towers to recover tenant’s default by taking control of tenant’s goods. There should be no residential element and CRAR requires lease of commercial premises and recovery for principal rent for it to apply. This remedy is very handy as it only requires transparency of process through a notice given

Speeches with the Power of Pesuasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Speeches with the Power of Pesuasion - Essay Example The paper tells that in the past, we have had a number of great speeches that have persuaded many people into doing something or buying something. In addition to that, other speeches assisted in negotiation plus conflict resolution. In life, without such people with great power of persuasion, the world could be elsewhere. Any negotiator in any conflict has to be a skilled person if resolution is going to be achieved. Many a times, we have heard cases of poor negotiators entering into bad agreements that cost businesses to collapse. When one is faced with someone who is doing something that one does not like, persuasion can be a very important tool in such scenario. In as much as power is considered to be or coercion, persuasion can also be vital too as evidence from the statement ‘power of persuasion.’Social-interest theorists liken persuasion as a form of exerting social influence on someone or about something. It is usually influence that investigates the reason why hu mans change. Inducing any form of change in an individual’s attitude is what is commonly referred to as persuasion, but inducing a change of belief is what is referred as propaganda or education depending on how one looks at it. Rhodes in his book uses the term ‘influence’ in a manner similar to how one he uses the word ‘power’ in an attempt to bring change. From Rhodes perspective, it is vital in identifying what is supposed to be change by the power of persuasion.... Many a times, we have heard cases of poor negotiators entering into bad agreements that cost businesses to collapse (Levine 7). When one is faced with someone who is doing something that one does not like, persuasion can be a very important tool in such scenario (Levine 10). In as much as power is considered to be or coercion, persuasion can also be vital too as evidence from the statement ‘power of persuasion.’ Â   Social-interest theorists liken persuasion as a form of exerting social influence on someone or about something. It is usually influence that investigates the reason why humans change. Inducing any form of change in an individual’s attitude is what is commonly referred to as persuasion, but inducing a change of belief is what is referred as propaganda or education depending on how one looks at it. Rhodes in his book uses the term ‘influence’ in a manner similar to how one he uses the word ‘power’ in an attempt to bring change . From Rhodes perspective, it is vital in identifying what is supposed to be change by the power of persuasion (Levine 15). Scholars in socio-influence sometimes include the term persuasion in the concept inducements that tends to better fit in my definition of coercive power or exchange power, rather than persuasive power. Sometimes efforts aimed towards behavioral change can be left out. In other cases, the writer seems to be concerned with efforts that change attitude and not on efforts that change behaviors. There are very many useful researches on persuasion that can be located in social-influence literature, but here, my use of persuasion may be quite different (Levine 16). In this paper, I use the word persuasion to refer to a

Thermodynamic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Thermodynamic - Essay Example Global standards create an introduction of products to a broad range of countries (Mattli et.al, 30). The creation of the international norms is initiated through responding to the need of the industry and the stakeholders such as consumer group. The standards are developed by the experts who are from different part of the globe who form the large panel of technical’s who meet to discuss and negotiate the standards. . After draft has been created, it is shared with ISO’s members who are asked for the comment and vote on it. When consensus has been arrived on the proposed becomes the international standard, if not it is returned to the technical committee for advanced editing (Henson, 70). In the designing of the products for global consumption there are some units that the producers should consider in their production, the units have much significant and their roles are: ensuring that readings from an instrument units are constant with other measurements; determining the accuracy of the instrument readings; establishing of the dependability of the instrument i.e. that it can be trusted (Henson,

Why I Am Attending College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Why I Am Attending College - Essay Example Jealousy was my little dark black secret as I watched my friends have the financial support to attend college. My mother is a college educated woman but she did not pressure any of her children to go to college. Sure, she would casually mention going to college, in passing, but when I was a senior in high school she did not encourage me to attend. I guess she thought I would figure it out on my own someday. I remember her saying, â€Å"If you go into the medical field as I did you will never be out of work.† This went in one ear and out the other. I did not take what she said to heart or give it much thought. I felt that filler jobs just ended up on my lap; due to being in the right place at the right time and because I was young and fairly attractive. Now that I am turning 40 and I am a parent; that has changed. My pilgrimage to attain a higher education is to provide a stable life for my son, be a positive role model, and to aspire to find something in life; that can only be found by expanding my education. Having a stable career and not just a job is a very important step in my life. A stable career will enable me to provide a good home and be able to afford a college education for my son. The right stable career is able to point you toward financial freedom and it gives you an opportunity to be in demand in the job marketplace. There are many career choices where hardworking employees will always be in demand; healthcare workers, accountants, and morticians are examples of some of these. My immediate family is in the healthcare field. My mother and father are lab technicians, my sister is a certified nursing assistant, and my brother is an x-ray technician. It seems natural that I would eventually choose this career path.

Corporate Criminals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate Criminals - Essay Example The problem is that the justice system is terribly unfair from the beginning. The reason people get upset about corporate executives is because they are always associated with lots of money. This makes the American public angry because someone without money cannot have the same privilege as someone who is wealthy. According to Cray, these corporate executives have partnerships with the department of Justice that says they will not be prosecuted as long as they say who started the process inside the corporation. This creates a very sneaky way for executives to side step their own issues. It is important to note that some corporate executives are prosecuted more than others. As an example, Martha Stewart went to jail for her insider training deals. She was a celebrity and many people took issue with her because she was wealthy and white. She served her time, helped the female inmates by writing a book for them and came out of it unscathed by most peoples standards. However, somewhere in the soul of Martha she had to deal with people physically hurting her and she had to deal with being behind bars for a period of time. She spent the time and saw what it was like and perhaps has learned her lesson. This is supposedly what our justice system is supposed to do and in my opinion, it does not matter how long a person spends in prison; it matters that they learn from their

The impacts of both secondary education and bank credit rates on per Coursework

The impacts of both secondary education and bank credit rates on per capital gross domestic product - Coursework Example The study tells that gross domestic product measures a country’s total productivity level. It is defined as the total cost of economic outputs and consists of government expenditure, investments, net export, and consumption. Per capita gross domestic product, a derivative of real gross domestic product is on the other hand a product of population. Consumption in an economy is a factor of people’s disposable income. Similarly, available resources determine the level of a country’s export and hence its net export. Investments, which can be attained through public or private sectors also depends of capital through savings and loans while government expenditures includes spending from central and local governments. Commercial banks and other financial institutions therefore play an important role in economic development through availing investment capital in the form of loans. Provision of financial support also boosts the level of disposable income at a time and as a result boosts consumption. Banks lending capacity however depends on their credit rates that dictate availability of loans as well as loan interest rates. Financial crisis into low credit rates would therefore translate to lower circulation of money and a consequently strained economy through low consumption, investment and export levels. Education has also been identified as an integral factor of economic growth. Researchers and scholars argue that the level of income in jobs is significantly determined by a person’s academic qualifications.... Similarly, educated individuals are relatively more informed and tend to budget their incomes into savings and investments. These observations qualify secondary education, which is a step into colleges and universities, as an important factor to improving per capital gross domestic product (Bloom et al, 2005, p. 16). Research into determining existence and significance of relationships between variables such as per capita gross domestic product and its factors can be undertaken through regression analysis. Linear regression also determines degree of impacts of each explanatory variable in a model and is based on assumptions of linearity, homoscedasticity, and normality of variables (Newbold, Carlson & Thorne, 2010, p. 428; Ryan, 2011, p. 407, 408). This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between per capita gross domestic product and two dependent variables, rate of enrolment in secondary schools and credit rates of financial institutions. The paper will answer two research q uestions, ‘Is there a significant relationship between per capital gross domestic product and two dependent variables, secondary education enrolment and bank rates?’ and ‘Which of the two variables has higher effects on per capita gross domestic product?’ The paper will test the following sets of hypothesis, H 0: ?i=0; There is no significant relationship H 1: not all are zero; there is a significant relationship Using analytical approach, the effects of the two independent variables on per capita gross domestic product will be analysed. The paper will also test on the validity of statistical assumptions of regression analysis. Methods Participants in the project were selected nations whose economic data were

The state of Social Security in the United States Term Paper

The state of Social Security in the United States - Term Paper Example The increasing numbers of baby boomers and the recessive trends in the economy have been the major concern of the young people who are the main contributors to the social security funds of the state. The role of the state therefore, has become crucial, while incorporating the new developments in the societal changes of the time in their social policy so that state benefit can reach every one. Social security is primarily insurance programs for the old age, survivors and widows of earning members, disability sector, unemployed and the people who need state benefits to survive with dignity. Popularly known as OASDI or Old- Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, its major funding for the same comes from taxpayers who have to pay contribution under Federal Insurance Contribution Act or FICA. The tax deposits is transferred to trust funds dedicated under different programs like old age and survivors insurance fund, federal disability insurance trust fund etc. When the revenues exceed ex penditure, the excess fund is invested in government ‘bonds’ that is non marketable and is often used by government as deficit spending. In recent times, it has come under huge controversy mainly due to myriad reasons like increasing number of baby boomers who have retired, the rising numbers of unemployed who are unable to contribute etc. and therefore the burden of contribution to social security fund has increasingly been borne by the current contributors. They feel that the fund might not be able to sustain their old age needs. The changing demographic equation and the old has necessitated reforms within the social security programs of United States so that new mechanisms can provide equity in state benefits to the various segment of concerned population. The following recommendations are designed to evolve innovative input into the state policy matter vis-a-vis social security. It is envisaged that new mechanisms would facilitate for effective and long term sustain able social security programs. 1. Introduce tax benefits and retirement age Coile and Grubber (2000) believe that retirement age should be redefined in terms of years that could maximize social security wealth. Indeed, the retirement age needs to become the personal choice of the working population so that they are able to significantly increase their post retirement benefits. It is found that the tax benefits vis-a-vis age becomes a major incentive for the working population, especially for higher age group who increasingly pay lower taxes. Hence, innovative tax schemes should be introduced so that younger people would be attracted to contribute more towards social security fund. The baby boomers have become major beneficiaries of social security funds. The increasing number of baby boomers has significantly impacted the labor market and reduced productivity vis-a-vis accrued income to expenditure. The baby boomers and retirees who are in good health must be encouraged to become pr oductive through self employment. This would help lessen the burden on the young working population. Social security number should become mandatory for all citizens so that social security umbrella could be extended to the legitimate citizens of America. It is also recommended that the immigrant population should be required to pay extra for their spouse and children until the time they become eligible for permanent citizenship. 2. Investment of SS fund for

Violent Games Essay Example for Free

Violent Games Essay In the process of media reform and editing, is it appropriate to limit video games? Nonthreatening things like games should not be banned by our fears, but we should look at the facts. Violent video games should not be banned for their content because no means of art or communication should be banned. Our first amendment is our sacred rite of passage that should be upheld with all of our power. We can benefit from these works of art like we can from a song or picture because of their substantial meaning and portrayal of our own lives. These video games are not even truly bad for your health, they can actually improve it. As Mr. Jacob Sullum said, â€Å"Depictions of violence, unlike obscenity, have played a longstanding and celebrated role in expression properly consumed by minors, from Greek myths to the Bible to Star Wars and Harry Potter. Violent tendencies are an issue in the young mind, and certain people would say that seeing these violent images in video games triggers these feelings and makes their children become irrational. Zackary Morzaini stated in his study that â€Å"violent video games trigger the same response as violent passages in the bible. † So why ban these images. It is up to the individual to react to these violent messages. The vast majority of gamers does not emulate the â€Å"homie-G† of grand theft auto, but instead understand the social norms in video games are Peterson 2 not the social norms of real life. The game merely implies violence. For example, Call of Duty is a demonstration of warfare not unlike chess and battleship has for years. â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. † That is these United States’ Bill of Right’s first amendment, and never shall it be silenced. Our forefathers made this law so no form of media would ever be banished by harsh critics. Our arts shall be protected and regarded in the highest degree, and video games shall be no exception. With their version of interactive storytelling they are no less valuable than movies or music. Art can never be banned under America because we provide our people with the freedom they deserve. What is a little blood between friends? Cooperative and multiplayer games have recently been added in huge numbers to classic games such as the Call of Duty franchise and the Dead Space franchise. These games are violent to the extreme—specifically Dead Space. In these games you have to cut off limbs and kill anyone opposing you so you and your teammates may succeed. In a study co-written by David Ewoldsen he states that â€Å"We think that cooperating with another human overrides the effects of playing a violent videogame. This means that even violence is counteracted by jolly cooperation. This is not only a way to spend time with friends shooting zombies, but also a time for families to come together. Games like Super Mario and Wii Sports are great examples of fun games from ages 8-80. This allows us to Peterson 3 come together, so rather than sitting and playing Monopoly for fifteen hours straight, you can just pop in Wii Sports and start playing virtual tennis. The responsibility of handling violent images does not go into the hands of Electronic Arts (EA), but some of the responsibility falls on the parents. When children play games they might not be ready for the graphic images presented, but our friends at the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) give us ratings to represent these and sometimes children will pick up a game because it’s fun. They do not however, check that it is rated for players seventeen and up and that a ten year old should not have to see those things just yet. Parents do actually do monitor some of these things according to a study for the article Video Games Unplugged, but some is not enough. It is up to the parent to judge whether or not their child is ready for a graphic game, not EA’s. Critics of video game violence say that games are not mandated enough. They also say that violence is too prevalent in them and it is too easy for children to get their hands on them. So, to stop this, we must put more restrictions on video games. Video games are not lawless. ESRB not only rates these games, but requires you to be a certain age to purchase these games depending on their rating. For example, Call of Duty Black Ops Two was rated M for Mature, so you must be 17 or older to purchase the game. Violence was another issue they claim, but these works of art are no different than others. When the movie Zero Dark Thirty came out, the media’s first reaction was not â€Å"This movie is an awful Peterson 4 influence to our children†, but instead gave it praise. Violence has always been important to our culture, from gladiators to Dexter, and video games have the same effect. Art is divinity. Art is beauty. Art is alive. Music and pictures have always entertained us and should never be banned. Video games are a form of storytelling, a way to see beautiful things and witness the greatest sagas. Video games should not be banned because they contribute so much to us and are beautiful in their own right. Violence in video games is no different that violence in 300, but violence in video games have to fight for their rights. We should all support the rights of our arts and support video games. Peterson 5 Works Cited Computer games unplugged. Computer Graphics World Feb. -Mar. 2012: 2. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Sullum, Jacob. The terminator vs. the constitution: Californias video game law does violence to the First Amendment. Reason Feb. 2011: 60. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Johnson, Ted. VP urges game study: Biden: violence link should be probed. Daily Variety 25 Jan. 2013: 7+. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Sanders, Laura. Gamers crave sense of control: feeling competent matters more than violence, blood. Science News 14 Feb. 2009: 14. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

Local Government In The Malaysian Context Information Technology Essay

Local Government In The Malaysian Context Information Technology Essay Customer satisfaction is a key issue for all organizations in both public and private sectors. This is a highly important challenge as service standards today relies on excellent service quality delivery and high customer satisfaction levels. All employees have a role in determining the degree of satisfaction experienced by their customers. In the public sector, due to increased levels of information dissemination, governments are expected to be more sensitive to the demands and needs of the peoples and societies they serve. Many public sector organisations are undergoing reforms in order to provide better, faster and even wider range of services to the people. The customer has a prominent place in these reforms. In recent history, much has been written on the subject of customer satisfaction, but comparatively little regarding customer satisfaction in the public sector. This is despite the issue of customer satisfaction in public services has been growing in importance, particularly in Malaysia due to the perception of deteriorating levels of satisfaction as perceived by most quarters of the public. In the past ten years with the explosive growth of broadband internet penetration levels in the country, public agencies have been increasingly placed in the spotlight for their shortcomings as larger segments of the public are made aware of the lack of satisfaction encountered by others. In most countries including Malaysia, local government has the most direct impact on the resources in the economy as they are most involved in the implementation of national and state government policies. The range of activities involving the local government sector is primarily labour intensive. There are therefore a number of reasons for the need of this research particularly in the Malaysian environment. Firstly, local government has a monopoly on the provision of most of their services, and do not have forces of competition and profit driving efficiency and effectiveness in meeting customers needs (Caruana, Ramaseshan, Ewing 1998). Members of the public who are unhappy with the local authority administering their premises or property are not able to change to another local authority or opt out of receiving services from that authority (and thus not paying taxes due) without moving to another area administered by another local authority. Secondly, demand for government services is on an increasing uptrend due to increased expectations by the people. More and more people expect the government to assist them in resolving various issues encountered. Such issues includes the provision or maintenance (or lack of provision or maintenance) of infrastructure and services. Thirdly , due to increasing pressure on governments as a service provider for an increasing range of services, local government has to set up and maintain competence in many aspects of performance. An instance of this can be seen with the advent of information technology (IT). Many local authorities responded by setting up an IT department which was put in charge of computerising operations. Hence local government organisations will be perceived to be competent, knowledgeable, courteous and reliable if and when their employees possess competencies to allow effective execution of their prescribed duties. This study will be undertaken with the objective of investigating the impact of employee competencies as perceived by customer satisfaction in the services provided by Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar (MBAS) or Alor Setar City Council. Additionally, this study will also evaluate the relationship between employee competencies and perceived customer satisfaction. It is important to undertake this research at this time particularly at MBAS because it is now in transition to move towards a new stage of increased employee competencies in the new era of internet-enabled services. 1.1 Local government in the Malaysian Context Local authorities in Malaysia are governed primarily by various national and state legislative provisions. At the national level, the Local Government Act of 1976 is the primary legislation that specifies the functions and responsibilities of local government bodies in Peninsular Malaysia. These functions and responsibilities not only include mandatory functions but also discretionary functions too. These functions include solid waste management, street maintenance and activities pertaining to public health. Examples of discretionary functions include development and infrastructure functions like providing amenities, recreational parks, housing and regulating certain aspects of commercial activities such as licensing. According to a report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2001), provisions of the Local Government Act 1976 grants local authorities in Malaysia the following roles in their respective jurisdictions or areas: Local planning authority Licensing authority Manage to impose certain kinds of taxes Take in charge housing, building and commercial construction (markets, hawker stalls and many others) Manage to perform urban planning, landscaping and management functions Manage public transport systems Manage to plan and provide public utilities. Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2001). http://www.unescap.org/huset/lgstudy/country/malaysia/malaysia.html As can be see above, local authorities in Malaysia have a wide range of functions and responsibilities which has significant impact in the environment which they operate in. It is highly important for available competencies to be studied and further developed in order to improve the delivery of services to the people (their customers). The fact that the Malaysian government is aggressively pursuing economic growth can be seen with the introduction of the New Economic Model (NEM) initiative and 10th Malaysia Plan by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recently. As part of these initiatives, local authorities will play important roles in the further development of the country. As of July 2010, there are 147 local authorities in Malaysia as summarized in Table . Table Local Authorities in Malaysia Local Authorities Total City Councils 12 Municipal Councils 39 District Councils 96 Total 147 Source: Ministry of Housing and Local Government. http://jkt.kpkt.gov.my/en/main.php?Content=vertsectionsSubVertSectionID=59VertSectionID=43CurLocation=43IID= 1.2 The Background of Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar (MBAS) MBAS is one of the local authorities in Peninsular Malaysia. At its inception in 1735, MBAS was established as a sanitation board when the city was founded by Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Muazzam Shah. The city of Alor Setar and the local authority body which oversaw it has grown in size and functions since then. MBAS is the local authority entrusted with providing services for the governance and development of Alor Setar. It is the only local authority in the state of Kedah with city council status which was awarded by the federal government on 31 December 2003. This upgrade of status came after Alor Setar officially became a city on 22 August 2002. From the Population, Household Living Quarters Malaysia 2009 publication by the Department of Statistics, we find that the district of Kota Setar (which includes Alor Setar) has a population of 429,900 people. Source: 1. Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar. http://www.mbas.gov.my/web/guest/background 2. Department of Statistic, Malaysia. http://www.statistics.gov.my/ccount12/click.php?id=294 According to the Local Government Department of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, a city council should meet the following criteria: Area under jurisdiction includes the administrative centre of the state Population above 500,000 Fiscally sustainable with annual revenues exceeding RM100 million capable of sustaining a balanced budget Provision of high level of services Sustainable development with an emphasis on tackling urban issues like squatters, illegal factory operation, security, housing for low-income groups and environmental conservation Achieves stable city classification under Malaysia Urban Indicator Network System (MURNInet) Availability of industrial centres, financial institutions, cultural centres, sports and recreational facilities and educational institutions Complete infrastructure provision and public utilities inclusive of public transportation facilities, traffic management system, efficient road network and ICT services, public areas which are disabled-friendly; and Recognition as a city either at national or international level in certain areas Source: Ministry of Housing and Local Government. http://jkt.kpkt.gov.my/en/main.php?Content=vertsectionsSubVertSectionID=65VertSectionID=43CurLocation=43IID=Page=1 The current mayor of Alor Setar is Dato Khazali Din. He has been in office since 1 December 2008. Besides the mayor, there are also 14 local councillors who are appointed by the State Government under provisions in the Local Government Act 1976 to administer MBAS. It employs approximately 250 employees ranked from Head of Departments to labourers. There are nine major departments and divisions in MBAS as follows: Treasury Development planning Engineering Assessment and Property management Management services Municipal services and Health Community development Law Buildings Source: Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar. http://www.mbas.gov.my/web/guest/jabatandanbahagian The main objectives of MBAS are as follows: Provide a comfortable living for the community of Alor Setar city from the aspects of services, planning and development; Transform the employees of MBAS to an efficient, clean, trustworthy and disciplined workforce; Increase and diversify the sources of revenue so that MBAS will become a financially strong institution; Management system which is of quality, dynamic and innovative; and Develop a caring society environment among the workforce through the provision of welfare, health and safety schemes Source: Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar. http://www.mbas.gov.my/web/guest/objective Throughout its 275 years of existence from a sanitation board up to the current incarnation as a city council, MBAS has been contributing a strategic role in the delivery of local government services in Alor Setar. Its official mission statement is to provide the highest level of services based on the latest technology. The primary functions of MBAS as a local authority includes development and operational functions such as solid waste management, cleaning of public areas and amenities, traffic system design and street maintenance, landscaping and beautification works, provision of shared public facilities and amenities like sports and recreation areas and infrastructure works. The most important secondary function of MBAS is to regulate business and commercial activities by means of licensing provisions. An example of the usage of these regulatory powers can be seen in the recent controversy regarding sports betting. While the federal government had approved a sports betting license to Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd, the state governments led by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had declined to issue licenses for premises to be used for sports betting activities. This was done by instructing the various local authorities in PR-controlled states not to issue premise and other business licenses for sports betting activities to Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd. This effectively ensured that Ascot Sports will not be able to operate sports betting activities in those states. Source: The Star, June 2010 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nationfile=/2010/6/7/nation/20100607155524 Other secondary functions of MBAS include the promotion of commercial and tourism activities and health and safety regulations of the community. This is done through the provision of infrastructure like roads and public facilities like parks, recreational areas, museums and the like. In terms of health and safety regulations, a commonly seen example would be the enforcement of laws against aedes mosquito breeding areas and building inspections and renovation regulations to ensure that such work is done within acceptable limits and meets minimum safety standards. 1.3 Background of the study There are many opinions with regards to the issue on how to manage service quality and delivery. In terms of service-based businesses, while the basis is similar to that of manufacturing-based businesses, the challenges posed are quite different. This is mainly due to the different attributes of both businesses. In manufacturing businesses, typically a product is made to certain specifications. The outcome of the process to create and manufacture a particular product should produce very little variation. This contrasts with service businesses whereby the outcome of services provided by the business can be significantly different due to the interaction between the business and its customers in the process. There are variations in expectation, expertise and material inputs from one customer to the next. Because of this, the outcomes of the process as perceived by customers can vary significantly even when businesses try to control for as many variables as possible. In terms of the public sector and civil service in Malaysia, the government has set up a number of agencies and undertook various measures to improve performance and service quality delivery. Some of these agencies and measures along with a brief history are mentioned below. One of the earliest attempts in post-independence Malaya to formalise and standardise training procedures for Public Services Department (PSD) employees is the setting up of the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN). It was set up in September 1959 as the Staff Training Centre in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. The centre provided training in administrative areas such as financial, land, office management and local government administration. The Staff Training Centre became INTAN in June 1972 and now has a mission to develop human resources in the public sector though the provision of quality training programmes. Source: National Institute of Public Administration, Malaysia. http://www.intanbk.intan.my/i-portal/en/about-intan/intan-in-brief.html The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) was initially created as the Development Administrative Unit (DAU) in 1966. The DAU was created based on a report by Prof. John D. Montgomery dan Milton J. Esma in Development Administrative in Malaysia which called for steps to improve professionalism in the public service by providing training and conducting educational programmes for all levels of the civil service. DAU was responsible to spearhead improvements in the civil service. In 1972, DAU was merged with the Implementation, Coordination and Evaluation Unit (ICEU) to form the Implementation, Coordination and Development Administration Unit (ICDAU). MAMPU was set up in 1977 as a new agency which took over the responsibilities of modernising and human resources planning from the ICDAU. Source: 1. Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit, Prime Ministers Department. http://www.mampu.gov.my/mampu/sejarah1 2. Implementation Coordination Unit, Prime Ministers Department. http://www.icu.gov.my/icuV9/pg/indexV9.php?pg=prof The Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) under the Prime Ministers Department was mooted by former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. It started operations on 2 August 1971 and is the leading organisation in Malaysia for the management and monitoring of public complaints regarding government departments and agencies (Suddle, 2009). Source: Suddle, 2009. Report on Study Tour of PUBLIC COMPLAINTS BUREAU MALAYSIA. http://www.asianombudsman.com/ORC/RETAreports/FTO_report.pdf Probably the most well known effort by the government to improve the civil service by reducing instances of corruption would be the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which was mooted by former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi which officially commenced operations on 1 January 2009. The history of MACC began as an agency when the National Bureau of Investigation was set up in 1973 to consolidate corruption and other special cases which were being handled by different teams in the police, Prime Ministers Department and the Law Ministry. The name was then changed to the Anti-Corruption Agency in 1982 to reflect its role as the main agency in Malaysia in the fight against corruption. Source: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. http://www.sprm.gov.my/ To improve civil service performance, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in January 2005 had suggested various means on reinventing the civil service in Malaysian. According to him, to safeguard the image of civil service, public sector employees must be creative, inventive, fluid, consultative and free of corrupt practices. He addressed this issue to 3000 decision makers in public sector, ministers and chief executive officers of government-linked companies in order to have a free flow of ideas between top-level officers and their subordinates for the betterment of the service. He said civil servant must be able to think out of the box and make strategic adjustments so that they could act speedily when faced with adversity. On free flow of ideas within the service, department heads must be willing to acknowledge good suggestions which were given by their subordinates. Civil servants should be encouraged to provide feedback on approaches undertaken and these responses mu st be taken seriously by decision makers who should also institute changes whenever necessary. Source: The Star, January 2005 In February 2005, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reminded the civil service to increase emphasis on integrity, accountability and high work ethics in its efforts to improve efficiency in serving the people and the business community to safeguard the image of the public sector in order to enjoy the support and confidence of the people. Source: The Star, February 2005 The Special Taskforce to Facilitate Business (PEMUDAH) was established on 7 February 2007 under the Prime Ministers Department. Mooted by former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the terms of reference for the objectives and operations of PEMUDAH is as follows: To review the status of the public services delivery system in terms of processes, procedures, legislation and human resource towards introducing improvements; To study best practices in the private sector that can be adopted by the public sector; To coordinate programs across public sector agencies towards enhancing Malaysias competitiveness; To monitor the implementation of policies, strategies and procedures aimed towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the public delivery system; and To take appropriate action in addressing issues raised during Cabinet meetings regarding the public delivery system. Source: PEMUDAH Secretariat Office, Ministry of International Trade and Industry. http://www.pemudah.gov.my/297 On 13 April 2007, the government introduced the concept of One Stop Centre (OSC) for local government agencies under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. According to Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, the OSC was set up based on the concept of No Wrong Door whereby it will be a single point of entry which allows customers to obtain various services from multiple agencies using an integrated method. OSC will coordinate all stages from documentation submission until a decision is reached and provided to the customer. Source: The Office of Chief Secretary to the Government. About One Stop Centre. http://www.pmo.gov.my/ksn/?frontpage/speech/detail/1470 Within half a year of assuming office, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had mooted and established the Performance Management Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) on 16 September 2009. A unit under the Prime Ministers Department, its main role and objective is to oversee the implementation and assess the progress of the government transformation programme (GTP) and to facilitate and support the delivery of both National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) and Ministry Key Result Areas (MKRAs) of the various ministries and government agencies. Source: Performance Management Delivery Unit, Prime Ministers Department. http://www.transformation.gov.my/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=205Itemid=144lang=en On 1 January 2010, the MBAS Complaints Portal was launched as an online application to allow the public to lodge complaints to the local authority. The portal accepts submissions both online and though Short Message Service (SMS). The public can then follow up on complaints lodged though the portal. The portal also provides a forum for the council to receive feedback from the public. Source: MBAS Complaints Portal. About Complaints Portal. http://aduan.mbas.gov.my:2000/aduan/news.php 1.4 Research Problem Many business organisations these days would no doubt agree that the environments in which they do their businesses is becoming more and more complex and more challenging to understand due to rapid pace of change. There have been many studies which concluded that no business can be successful without taking the needs of their customers into serious consideration. There are several factors which have played significant roles which has changed the impact customers have on businesses. One of them would be the rise of consumerism in the 20th century. Rapid economic expansion due to the agricultural and industrial revolutions along with explosive population growth has rapidly increased the number of consumers in the market. Prior to this, only a small percentage of the population had sufficient disposable incomes to make an impact outside of their local societies. Due to rapid economic growth, more and more people earned enough to start having significant levels of disposable income which could be used for discretionary purchases. New inventions and improvements allowed businesses to transport goods faster and cheaper allowing more people to have increasing choices in the goods and services available to them. The services industry started being recognised as an arm of the economy in its own right and in more advanced economies, is more important t han manufacturing and trading industries. Customers now have more choices and could demand more from businesses. Any business which does not respond adequately to the rapidly changing business environments may face overwhelming challenges and can even go out of business. As a local authority and a government body, while it is very difficult for MBAS to go out of business per se, it is still a service organisation that provides multiple services to the people. MBAS cannot deny the expectations of its customers because their customers are taxpayers and voters. As a government body, it receives all income from public sources (i.e. taxpayers) and if they are not happy, they will show their displeasure during elections and effect changes through the government. We can thus surmise that employees in service organisations play an important role in ensuring that customers have a positive first impression. If customers are not provided with a level of service which they expect, this will lead to dissatisfaction and as a consequence, the number of complaints will increase. According to MBAS Public Relations Section, the authority receives on average 29 complaints per day sent by the public through various channels namely the MBAS Complains Portal, telephone, m ail and fax. In order to reduce dissatisfaction with its services and thus the number of complaints, it is necessary for MBAS to increase the quality of services it provides. It is highly important for them to plan, coordinate and then implement a comprehensive program to promote and disseminate the mindset of service quality excellence among employees in the organisation. It is imperative for MBAS to improve its services because its customers (the public) expect to interact with competent employees who are able to display high levels of professionalism and provide equally high levels of service quality whether in terms of explanation or physical services provided. Local authorities play an important role in the growth of both in the state they are located in and their own jurisdiction. You can go to virtually any part of Alor Setar and the name of the local authority administrating the city can be clearly seen. This has an effect of ensuring that services (or in contrast, the lack of services) provided by MBAS is always in the public eye. For example, a pedestrian bridge along Jalan Alor Setar-Sungai Petani at Batu 3, Tandop which has been in a state of disrepair for some time caused a scare when a large metal piece measuring 3 x 24 metres and a banner celebrating the Sultans recent birthdaye road isrepair for some time caused a scare when piecen of S is always in the public eye. t services or fell on the road underneath the bridge. While no vehicles or people were hurt in the incident, there has been several earlier incidents of smaller pieces of metal falling off the bridge. A road user claimed that he had informed MBAS about the earlier inc idents but thus far no action has been taken. A few questions had arose from the incident namely why the local authority did not take any action upon receiving complains about the bridge earlier? While there may be a lack of allocation at this time to repair the bridge, perhaps if MBAS had more competent staff, perhaps any loose metal pieces could have been removed and the bridge temporarily closed while awaiting allocation to fully repair the bridge. This would have helped to ensure no untoward incident happens. http://www.sinarharian.com.my/bterkini/4941.asp Landscaping and beautification activities of public areas and amenities are one of the local authorities primary functions. It was reported recently that the Taman PKNK football field has not been properly maintained for several months. This had made the field unusable due to the tall grass which has now became homes to poisonous snakes and other animals. According to the news report, MBAS follows a schedule whereby grass will be cut on fields located in residential areas every 21 days. The questions that are being asked is what had caused the oversight in maintaining the field? The oversight was not noticed by the council despite multiple 21 days cycles having passed. Could it be due to incompetence of MBAS employees that lead to the oversight in providing the required service? Employees should be more innovative and creative in overcoming obstacles faced when providing such services. http://www.sinarharian.com.my/utr/content/story5181294.asp The attitudes and procedures of MBAS once again came into question when a conflict occurred between the council and Chinese associations over what was felt as a new requirement to pay two different license fees for mahjong activities. The council had issued a letter on 7 July 2010 requesting payment for licensing fee but the associations had already paid a licensing fee to the Kota Setar district office for their mahjong activities. According to them, that is the only license they have always paid to conduct their activities. It was later clarified by Alor Setar Mayor Datuk Khazali Din that the license paid to the district office was to conduct mahjong activities but a separate license for the premises was also required to be paid to the council but was not enforced earlier. The questions raised in this incident relates to why if there were indeed such rules, it was not informed or explained to the Chinese associations earlier to prevent the misunderstanding from occurring in the fir st place. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/18/nation/6689157sec=nation As the mahjong activities has been going on for some time, the point now is that the attitude of the council and lack of tack in approaching the matter had caused the disruption of legitimate activities of other people. The approach used to approach the Chinese associations regarding the licensing issue reveals the inflexibility of the council. MBAS could have used more gentle approaches when approaching the associations and prevent the misunderstanding from occurring in the first place like giving them a suitable grace period rather than threatening immediate fines and legal action for non-compliance with its demands. MBAS will be categorised as a quality service provider if its employees have initiative, accountability, motivation and work as a team to accomplish their tasks or projects. Perhaps if the council had employees with the correct competencies in place, the various incidents mentioned above would not have happened? MBAS has to provide sufficient skills, ability, and the correct knowledge and resources to their employees and place them at the right positions. At the same time, the council should also adopt new forms of work organisation such as work teams, management delayering, job sharing, reengineering and downsizing redundant employees. In this context, MBAS should not only improve business performance but must also focus itself on making the necessary management changes related to combination of factors such as employee competencies, new computing and communications technologies and measure the productivity of service staff and knowledge workers. There is precious little studies in the past to measure perceived service quality in MBAS. As a service provider, MBAS is expected to be more competent and innovative. Given the situation that the council now finds itself in, service quality will be an undoubtedly interesting area to study. 1.5 Research Objectives The objective of this study is to determine if service quality at MBAS is driven by employee competencies. To be more specific, we want to: Identify employee competencies which is important for MBAS to improve customer satisfaction; Examine customer satisfaction as perceived by the public at MBAS; and Investigate the relationship of employee competencies in relation to perceived customer satisfaction in MBAS. 1.6 Research Question This study was motivated by our determination to answer the following questions: What are the competencies that employees at MBAS should have? What is customer satisfaction as perceived by the public? What are the relationships between employee competencies and perceived customer satisfaction? 1.7 Definition of Terms Local Government Employee A worker who is employed to provide services to a company on a regular basic in exchange for compensation and who does not provide these services as part of an independent or self-employed business. Competencies A cluster of related knowledge, skills and attitudes that affects a major part of role or responsibility that correlates with performance on the job, that can be against well accepted standards, and that can be improved via training (Competencies Workgroup, September 2002). Service Service can be defined as any primary com

What Is Peace Journalism Media Essay

What Is Peace Journalism Media Essay How could the media contribute to peace building? Most of the peace settlements even with the Oslo peace Accords in the Middle East, the Dayton Accords which ended the Bosnian War took place as far away from the media as possible. It is known to the related partied of the world situations that media is usually seen as a threat. On that perspective this study will measure the importance of Peace Journalism as new concept of journalism and its acceptance to the audience as one of the tools for world peace. Peace is always related with conflict as its nature, so this study will find the attitude of audience to Peace Journalism. Key-Words: Peace Journalism, War Journalism, Conflict resolutions, audiences of media. Introduction: When some journalists and researchers like David Loyn, Philips argued against peace journalism then Jack Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick argued in favour of it. They tried to find the real distinctions, debated over right or wrong points of peace journalism. Academic writers and scholars also commented on the topic. Some thought it was critical, some thought its not critical enough and some thought its better than war journalism as journalism. This study will find the reality and necessity of peace journalism in the contemporary civilised world when the planet earth is facing undeclared world war with different battle fields and the manipulation of media publicity with propaganda. Background: Peace journalism follows a long history of news publication originating in non-sectarian Christian peace movements and societies of the early 19th century, which published periodicals. Sectarian organizations also created publications focused on peace as part of their proselytizing in the 19th century, as did utopian communities of the period. From the 20th century, a prominent example of sectarian journalism focused on peace was  Dorothy Days  Catholic Worker. Besides being an element in the histories of  pacifism  and the  social movement  press, peace journalism is a set of  journalism practices that emerged in the 1970s. Norwegian sociologist, peace researcher and practitioner  Johan Galtung  proposed the idea of peace journalism for journalists to follow to show how a value bias towards violence can be avoided when covering war and conflict.  Christian organisations such as The  World Council of Churches  and The  World Association for Christian Communication  also practice peace journalism. Professor Johan Galtung, a professor on Peace Studies and director of the TRANSCEND network, started using the term, Peace Journalism in the 1970s. Conflict and Peace Forums, a think-tank developed Galtungs original ideas in a series of international conferences from 1997-99, and in publications: The Peace Journalism Option (1998); What Are Journalists For? (1999), and, Using Conflict Analysis in Reporting (2000). Former BBC journalists Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick adopted the Phrase Peace Journalism and they became scholars and educator in peace journalism. What is peace journalism? As Lynch and McGoldrick describe the word peace journalism is misunderstood as advocating peace. They agree that the phrase Peace Journalism would not appeal to all. They also tried to make a definition which was Peace Journalism is when editors and reporters make choices- of what stories to report and about how to report them- that create opportunities for society at large to consider and value non-violent responses to conflict. (Lynch and McGoldrick, 2005) Today, journalists often write and report from a third-person perspective and it seems like they just report the facts. If journalists compete not to distort any report to publish the facts as they are, while maintaining awareness of the reporting impact, then it may fall in step with the ideals of peace journalism. But journalism is not only reporting. In a feature or article a journalist could express every truth of fact even from a first-person position. Characteristics of Peace Journalism Lynch and McGoldrick versioned that journalists would not do just for the idea and practice but they should know the differences between Peace and War Journalism and how they could avoid from engaging the war journalism as always its character is propaganda. Understanding peace is very important. Without knowledge no journalist could engage with the mission. The first condition to seek peace is conflicting situation. In my understanding, if the situation is peaceful from beginning then no advocacy on peace is needed. Because there is already peace there. They need development journalism rather peace. So within a conflicting situation if the question of peace arises then the journalist does their mission with their understanding first. Then as part of peace journalism they need to measure the conflicting stories and the role of disputed parties. For a greater knowledge, Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick prescribed 17 tips for better peace journalism. They described what to avoid and what to accept. Whos benefit? Some western journalists advocate through their reporting to justify the aggression by the super powers on any sovereign (?) country and nation, destructions on their assets and killing their citizens for the greater interest of world peace (?).Any destruction and mass killing is treated as collateral damage. For their own survival media often overlook the reality. Reporters must continue with embedment (a big joke on neutral journalism) otherwise they could easily end up dead. There is no peace journalism without a conflicting situation or a war or damages against any civilisation. So any conflicting situation is a pre-requisite for peace journalism if any media desires that. And it always depends on the choices by the editor or authority of the media not to the reporter. But peace is made neither by culture alone, nor by politics and economics alone.  Ã‚  It is made by all three, synergistically.  Ã‚  The formula for peace is always equality, equity, and mutual respect.  Ã‚  We have to learn to celebrate not only the peace elements in our own culture but also in others. (Galtung, 2003). Peace is always for the benefit of the people and they are the audience. Peace is act of non-violence with creativity which was described by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick as followers from the life of three greatest personalities of human race: Mohammed laid down his cloak in the Kaba at Mecca to forestall violence in a quarrel over who had the right to carry a sacred black stone. It meant everyone could lift a corner of the cloak with the stone placed in the middle. Christ intervened to prevent the stoning of an adulteress by saying, let him who is without sin cast the first stone. The Buddha intervened to prevent a war breaking out over water. She reminded the parties that the water was worth very little. Whereas the lives of their warriors were beyond price. Peace to be peace, must give something to every one. If it is for one party/person and against another, it cannot be peace. (Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, 2000) Objectivity and Discontents Objectivity and peace journalism totally depends on the authority of media. A freelance could cry on social media for peace and pro-fare objectives but people always use to depend on the main media of the world. But the freelance cannot change anything through his crying. David Loyn criticised peace journalism not only as his believe but also attacked it as meaningless, worst and misleading journalism. He wrote reporting wars in the way of encouraging peacemaker rather than warriors are the most dangerous part of peace journalism as it became as a new orthodoxy. How does objectivity work in practice? Anyone who has ever interviewed two observers of the same incident knows that there is no perfect account. Each reporter takes a view from somewhere. When a Russian armoured infantry company arrived in Kosovo out of the blue in 1999, after the NATO bombing campaign but before NATO ground troops, and seized the airport in a sneak raid, a British and a Russian journalist would have covered the same event completely differently. There could be no agreed narrative- but both would use the tool of objectivity to tell the story in their own terms, and in the terms understood by their viewers, listeners or readers. Here this study only could observe the debate between the scholars in favour or against peace journalism. It is also seems quite dangerous to determine the right or wrong of the both sides. Both Lynch and Loyn argued on the theory rather than practicality of the circumstances of journalism of this time. Media has become more visible, readable, and audible than ever in human history. Beside the reality its importance also realised by the powers who are doing everything against peace. In every country where there is a government that has their own interest at heart rather than the peoples. Either the supporter of peace or war loves to use media as their propaganda mechanism. So that they invisibly control over the media authority thus they control the reporting. Direct conflict or war reporting is not possible without an embed or attachment situation which ultimately paralyses the life of a true journalism. Media authority also dont want to take any risk on the life of a journalist where there is a greater chance to assassinate the reporter even in a friendly fire scenario for his truth. These types of practice are already taking place. It is a fact that to continue with a huge establishment no media authority would take any risk to stand against the powers of the world. Only a few but they are also backed by some other powers. There is no neutrality. Peace journalism creates some questions. Why peace and for whom? When does the topic of peace arise? How could we define peace as a peace not as a trick? Critical peace journalism There are some other types of journalism which are also not branded as peace journalism but their actions ultimately goes to the benefit for peace journalism. Noam Chomsky and Robert Fisk are two of them. This study found both of them as critical peace journalists. But they are not recognised as peace journalist at all. This study will evaluate their recent published articles on the assassination of Osama Bin Laden which brought their reactions to the audience and it carries the message of world peace in final. Robert Fisk: So now for a reality check. The world is not safer for Bin Ladens killing. It is safer because of the winds of freedom blowing through the Middle East. If the West treats the people of this region with justice rather than military firepower, then al-Qaida becomes even more irrelevant than it has been since the Arab revolutions. (Independent, 4/05/2011) Noam Chomsky: We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bushs compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic. There is also much media discussion of Washingtons anger that Pakistan didnt turn over bin Laden, though surely elements of the military and security forces were aware of his presence in Abbottabad. Less is said about Pakistani anger that the  U.S.  invaded their territory to carry out a political assassination. Anti-American fervour is already very high in Pakistan, and these events are likely to exacerbate it. The decision to dump the body at sea is already, predictably, provoking both anger and skepticism in much of the Muslim world. (guernicamag.com, 6/05/2011) The two above cases clearly indicated that both the articles warned the related parties about the situations from the perspective of audiences and its target against the conflict in favour of peace. The author of this study finds those as critical peace journalism which was not widely accepted e or circulated as peace journalism rather than criticism. The way the media present conflict and violence will be a major factor in determining the reaction: war, or peace. One assumption is readiness to identify the legitimate goals of the other. Most parties are carriers of mixed bags of goals, so the task is to provide an umbrella for all legitimate goals. Sufficient prominence of such possible outcomes in the media is a basic necessary, if not sufficient, condition. (Galtung, 2006) War Journalism -VS- Peace Journalism The common understanding on war journalism is that its violence oriented where the elits or power based forces use media as their propaganda mechanism. All the related parties want to see their possible victory in the war reporting. Also the national media have the same desire as their audience in a conflicting situation. In the same way Peace Journalism is based on conflict but peace oriented and reports should be truth oriented and reports mostly cover both parties in the conflict for a better solution or outcome avoiding a more disasturus situation. In a phrase, Peace Journalism is a broader, fairer and more accurate way of framing stories, drawing on the insights of conflict analysis and transformation. The Peace Journalism approach provides a new road map for tracing the connections between journalists, their sources, the stories they cover and the consequences of their reporting the ethics of journalistic intervention. It opens up a literacy of non-violence and creativity as applied to the practical job of everyday reporting. (Lynch and McGoldrick, 2001) As Lynch mentioned war journalism is Violence/war Oriented Propaganda-oriented Elite- oriented Victory- Oriented And peace Journalism itself is therefore Peace/conflict oriented Truth- oriented People- oriented Solution oriented Problems for reporting on a conflict situation is that when two nations start fighting each other, both sides automatically become involved in psycological warefare also. In that situation side wants to see their victory. Here is the success of war journalism. To capitalise on that position, super powers allow journalism with attachment just to control the media for propaganda. In a conflicting situation to overcome human disaster there is no alternative but peace reporting for a possible calm situation. But it may not possible all the time. Kathleen OToole of Stanford University news service quoted from James Schear, deputy assistant secretary of defence for peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs that for most of the parties in most of the conflicts, war is a safer bet than peace. James Schear told the campus audience and described it as a brutally depressing fact. Schear previously worked for the United Nations in Cambodia and Bosnia. War is often safer, he said, because it has a familiar pattern; it imposes order, stifles dissent, generates profits in Angola and other places, provides employment, provides a pathway to advance. (OToole, 1997) Role of social media for peace Social media plays a major role in the field of mass communication. That role could recognise as one of the event of journalism also. When journalists fail to publish any report to their respective media they are leaking the topic or report to the public through social media. Any member of the public could have the chance to publish any news in the social media as well. In terms of peace journalism there is a huge opportunity to serve the people targeting a peaceful environment avoiding any conflict or war situation. A Reporter could avail of the advantage of wider publicity of social media to reach the audience and to get a prompt response from the audience. Journalism of Social Media now is a reality. The web has changed everything. Anybody with a blog can be a reporter, with a mobile phone can be a camera man, and even on Facebook, Twitter or a thousand other platforms can be a news editor or at least a  curator. So its easy to see the power that lies in the future of social media. The future of social media in journalism will see the death of social media. That is, all media as we know it today will become social, and feature a social component to one extent or another. After all, much of the web experience, particularly in the way we consume content, is becoming  social and personalized. ( Lavrusik 2010) So its possible that traditional media could be merge with social media meaning the content of Peace Journalism would be different from now. Journalists would be more realistic and even free to serve their ideas for audience without any type of super-power pressure which could distort the news content. But still its difficult to know whether the audience would accept more peace journalism than war. Though it differs the mind of audiences is still more or less captured by violence. They love to play violent videogames, watch violent movies, documentaries even bloody sports they like more than anything. They like to see the victory over others, its a psycological matter but on that reason nobody could be definitive whether audience would accept peace journalism or not. Audience of Peace Journalism War may be pointless for mankind but peace never will be pointless. If peace journalism is a mission then it could not be a pointless topic. It is very hard to see how it could be a popular one and how to get journalists to view the topic as one of the most important requirements for mankind. Theoretically there is no alternative but peace journalism at this stage for the audience, but other researchers, academic and journalists argued on that point that its not possible to find a solution of conflicts worldwide but beyond the conventional duties of journalism. The mass media dont parrot militaristic arguments as bluntly as bloggers, but theres no great taste for peace there, either. I cant name a single major columnist who advocates massive military cuts. Nor a single one who has openly sided with the peace movement. The opinion elites have gradually allowed the concept of immediate withdrawal from Iraq on to the front page, without taking the radical step of turning the U.S. away from being a threatening bully on a global scale. (Chopra, 2005) Who cares? This moment the most circulated news of the planet of earth is the killing of unarmed Osama Bin Laden the famous leader of CIA created terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda. This killing news captures whole media attention. The Noble Lauriat on Peace US President Obamas popularity already increased with his successful killing mission of an unarmed terrorist (their creation). It is now very tough to define the reporting character whether those are reflecting peace journalism or propaganda journalism. Some people accept the killing as an act towards peace and some are totally reversed. For example journalist Robert Fisk is a successful media personality, who is continuously criticising the aggressions and imperialistic activities of superpowers. The view of this author is that Robert Fisks articles are the latest version of journalism and the ultimate target is to reduce conflict if the conflict creators realise the message of his articles. This type of article which was criticising the conflict makers might not be acceptable by the super powers or by some others audiences who like to watch thrill and war. Fisks articles always bring some messages which never in favour of War Lords or War super powers. So it is tough to measure the peace journalism without a definite standard to compare with anything. Conclusions: At this stage of the planet earth where the Homo sapiens are living for a consecutive period might enter in a dangerous band of time cycle. People are used to watch wars and conflicts through news media and movies. New generations love to see thrill and suspense with fighting. Even people are enjoying the latest video game of the assaasination of Osama Bin Laden. Huge people gather around any show on armaments in different countries of the planet. They love to see the heroes till the disaster falls into their own life. This is reality. But it varies with time and circumstances. Though peace journalism faced controversy from the beginning, its existance now also the reality of journalism. Peace Journalism basically exist on research, academic and theory rather than practical. Audience also like to see war journalism but like the idea of Peace Journalism for all mankind. But for Peace Journalism to become a reality it requires a complete shift in the thinking of the media machine, at t he moment there are few voices speaking out in favour of it. Only when that changes can there be any hope for Peace Journalism. For audiences to accept it all of our mainstream media sources must do it. Acknowledgement: This eassy has been read by Mr. Joseph Coffey my classmate and I acknowledged his extended cooperation to correct my mistakes.