Entrepreneurial Marketing: The Critical Difference Essay

Introductions usually have three parts: presentation of the problem or the research inquiry purpose and focus of the current paper summary or overview of the writer’s position or arguments As you can see, a thoughtfully written introduction can provide a blueprint for the entire research paper. In the first part of the introduction, the presentation of the problem, or the research inquiry, state the problem or express it so that the question is implied. Then, sketch the background on the problem and review the literature on it to give your readers a context to show them how your research inquiry fits into the conversation currently ongoing in your subject area. You may tell why this problem has been a problem, why previous attempts have failed to solve it, or why you think this particular slant or angle to the problem is important. You can also mention what benefits are to be gained from solving this problem or exploring this topic from your perspective. In the second part of the introduction, state your purpose and focus. Here, you may even present your actual thesis. Sometimes your purpose statement can take the place of the thesis by letting your reader know your intentions. Some writers like to delay presenting their thesis, especially if their readers may not be ready to accept it. The third part, the summary or overview of the paper, briefly leads readers through the discussion, forecasting the main ideas and giving readers a blueprint for the paper. This example of a well-organized introduction provides such a blueprint. Example of an Introduction Entrepreneurial Marketing: The Critical Difference In an article in the Harvard Business Review, John A. Welsh and Jerry F. White remind us that â€Å"a small business is not a little big business.† An entrepreneur is not a multinational conglomerate but a profit-seeking individual. To survive, he must have a different outlook and must apply different principles to his endeavors than does the president of a large or even medium-sized corporation. Not only does the scale of small and big businesses differ but small businesses also suffer from what the Harvard Business Review article calls â€Å"resource poverty.† This is a problem and opportunity that requires an entirely different approach to marketing. Where large ad budgets are not necessary or feasible, where expensive ad production squanders limited capital, where every marketing dollar must do the work of two dollars, if not five dollars or even ten, where a person’s company, capital, and material well-being are all on the line—that is, where guerrilla marketing can save the day and secure the bottom line. (Levinson, 1984, p. 9) In this example, the first sentence gives us the general academic conversation that this article will join. Sentence 2 narrows the discussion slightly to the entrepreneur. Sentence 3 explains why the entrepreneur and the small business are different and suggests the research question: How does the entrepreneur with his business principles differ from the corporate CEO and â€Å"big business† principles? Sentence 4 again places the discussion here within the academic conversation about entrepreneurs and slants the subject to â€Å"resource poverty.† Sentence 5 suggests why this issue is significant and even hints that perhaps it hasn’t been covered sufficiently. The author is defining his â€Å"research space,† where his research will fit in the conversation. The last and longest sentence succinctly summarizes the areas covered in this article and presents the thesis statement â€Å". . . that is, where guerrilla marketing can save the day and secure the bottom line.† As an aside, notice that the title of our example has two parts. Readers use such academic titles to select articles and to get a quick sense of what an article is about. Academic titles can state the research question, summarize the thesis or purpose, or be written as a two-part title with a colon. As in this example, the first part of the title gives the context of the article,  the academic discussion, and the second part gives the slant of the article, this writer’s special research space in the conversation. By reviewing the introductions to research articles in the discipline in which you are writing your research paper, you can get an idea of what is considered the norm for that discipline. Study several of these before you begin your paper so that you know what may be expected. If you are unsure of the kind of introduction your paper needs, ask your teacher for more information. As an added note, the introduction is usually written in present tense. The Methods Section The methods section of your research paper should describe in detail what methodology and special materials, if any, you used to think through or perform your research. You should include any materials you used or designed for yourself, such as questionnaires or interview questions, to generate data or information for your research paper. You want to include any methodologies that are specific to your particular field of study, such as lab procedures for a lab experiment or data-gathering instruments for field research. If you are writing a literary research paper, you would want to use the methodologies scholars use to examine texts and place the author and the literary piece into its literary and historical context. If you are writing a business management research paper, you would want to use the methodologies that place your discussion in the context of business and economics. Next to your own critical review of the scholarship in your discipline, your teacher is the best source of what methodologies are used in it. Many writers of research begin with this section because it is often the easiest to write. This section is usually written in past tense. The Results Section How you present the results of your research depends on what kind of research  you did, your subject matter, and your readers’ expectations. Quantitative information, data that can be measured, can be presented systematically and economically in tables, charts, and graphs. Quantitative information includes quantities and comparisons of sets of data. If you are unfamiliar with the conventions, you may find it challenging to present quantitative findings. You may include some commentary to explain to your reader what your findings are and how to read them. The distinction between the results section and the discussion section is not always so clear-cut. Although many writers think you should simply present and report your findings on the data you have collected, others believe some evaluation and commentary on your data may be appropriate and even necessary here. You and your teacher can decide how strict you want to be in this decision. Qualitative information, which includes brief descriptions, explanations, or instructions, can also be presented in prose tables. This kind of descriptive or explanatory information, however, is often presented in essay-like prose or even lists. There are specific conventions for creating tables, charts, and graphs and organizing the information they contain. In general, you should use these only when you are sure they will enlighten your readers rather than confuse them. In the accompanying explanation and your discussion, always refer to the graphic by number and explain specifically what you are referring to. Give your graphic element a descriptive caption as well. The rule of thumb for presenting a graphic is first to introduce it by name, show it, and then interpret it. You can consult a textbook, such as Lannon’s Technical Writing for more information and guidance. The results section is usually written in past tense. The Discussion Section Your discussion section should generalize on what you have learned from your research. One way to generalize is to explain the consequences or meaning of  your results and then make your points that support and refer back to the statements you made in your introduction. Your discussion should be organized so that it relates directly to your thesis. You want to avoid introducing new ideas here or discussing tangential issues not directly related to the exploration and discovery of your thesis. This section, along with the introduction, is usually written in present tense. The Conclusions and Recommendations Section Some academic research assignments might end with the discussion and not need a separate conclusions and recommendations section. Often, in shorter assignments, your conclusion is just a paragraph or two added to the discussion section. In many of your research assignments, however, you will be asked to provide your conclusions and recommendations in your research paper. Conclusions unify your research results and discussion and elaborate on their significance to your thesis. Your conclusion ties your research to your thesis, binding together all the main ideas in your thinking and writing. By presenting the logical outcome of your research and thinking, your conclusion answers your research inquiry for you and your readers. Your conclusions should relate directly to the ideas presented in your introduction section and not present any new ideas. You may be asked to present your recommendations separately in your research assignment. If so, you will want to add some elements to your conclusion section. For example, you may be asked to recommend a course of action, make a prediction, propose a solution to a problem, offer a judgment, or speculate on the implications and consequences of your ideas. The conclusions and recommendations section is usually written in present tense.

Environmental Regulations Essay

Today’s society demands its industries to be more sensitive to the needs of the environment. With the increasing preference for raw materials and resources, the questions of sustainability and efficiency come into the picture as many producers seek to maximize the way these resources are used. Like any other resource, galvanized steel has undergone numerous changes that had made it both environmentally green and adaptive to the needs of society. In the end, by both catering to needs of nature and harnessing new ways to improve, industries can maximize cost effective exhaustion of raw materials and create a consensus for adaptability. Understanding the Development and Need Since the industrial revolution, steel has been considered an important commodity among states and many industries. It is the primary component in creating structures and developing new mechanisms that can help man. Seeing this, it has helped man traverse the century creating new advancement in different areas such as automobiles, construction, household appliance, etc. However, with the rapidly increasing exhaustion of man in its natural resources, there is a call for an increase in sustainability and efficiency in using and tapping resources such as steel. As time progressed, it has also given man time to generate and perfect the creation of new steels that are both stronger and effective than their predecessors. An example of this is galvanized steel. Though to generate other resources often create many adverse effects in the environment, it can be argued that galvanized steel is considered ‘green’ because of using natural methods and tapping into one element that is considered environmental friendly; zinc (International Zinc Association, 2008). Helping Reduce the Cost of Consumption and Production With today’s increasing and developing technology, man continuously finds ways to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of how things are done. This also applies in galvanized steel industry as many look into ways of reducing the possible cost brought about by corrosion and other risk factors associated in the process. One example of this development is the creation of the Life-Cycle Cost Calculator (LCC) to actively determine what anti-corrosion system best suites you in the long run (Galvanizing Cost, 2008). Under this system, it helps calculate the maintenance and total cost that can be incurred given several economic conditions such as inflation and interest rates. Seeing this, the LCC is just one of the ways that the galvanized steel industry has been committed in creating effective and efficient ways of building. By using active data and interpreting it accordingly to the needs of a specific industry, they can maximize the capability of the steel while at the same time reducing the risk of corrosion and further exhaustion. This in turn can generate better allocation of galvanized steel in areas that need it most. Understanding what Zinc is Since the primary component of galvanized steel is Zinc, it is essential for individuals to decipher the importance of such element to fully understand why it is considered to be ‘green’ in both application and in its creation. One important thing to understand about this element is that Zinc is an earth element that can be recycled over and over without worrying about losing its physical or chemical properties (International Zinc Association, 2008). At the same time, this element remains to be abundant as it is considered to be the 27th most common element on the earth. Another important idea to point out is that in determining the level of reserves looks into the amount of information scientists have gathered in a specific place and using a particular technology. â€Å"The term ‘reserves’ denotes only what has been mapped and measured today and what can be exploited using current technology† (International Zinc Association, 2008, p. 1). With these, such resource is highly sustainable in the environment because of its ability to both its protection and enabling social progress. Zinc’s Impact The presence of Zinc remains to be an important component for both man and the environment. Many scientists have argued that this element remains to be an essential component for life in many species and organisms. That is why this element should be taken adequately to fully sustain our needs. â€Å"When uptake is too low, deficiency occurs and adverse effects can be observed† (International Zinc Association, 2008, p. 1). On the other hand, too much exposure on this can lead to toxicity and poisoning. With the right amount, zinc can help improve health and wellness of man and the environment. In particular, Zinc has properties that is significant in man’s health and can cater improvements in growth, fertility, immune system and vision (International Zinc Association, 2008). Likewise, if one shall study a person’s anatomy, Zinc is present in different areas of the body particularly in organs, tissues, and bones. To gain the proper amount of Zinc, man can get it in various food forms such as meat, poultry, fish and seafood (International Zinc Association, 20098). That is why having a balanced diet can generate the sufficient amount of zinc that can lead to wellness and improvement. If not given proper attention, the lack of Zinc in the person’s body can generate several risk factors. â€Å"Zinc deficiency is responsible for approximately 16% of lower respiratory tract infections, 18% of malaria and 10% of diarrhoeal disease† (International Zinc Association, 2008, p. 1). Likewise, this is also applicable in agriculture particularly in soil and crops. Without the proper nourishment of zinc, it reduces the number of production during harvest and at the same time lowers its overall quality. Fostering Responsible Extraction and Mining Like any other element, Zinc must be extracted in the earth and refined to create new products in the process. This has been evident in the 18th century as man sought to improve and develop new mechanisms that can help them move forward. However, during the middle of the 20th century, there has been a consensus to help reduce the risk factors associated with exposure to Zinc emotions in the environment (International Zinc Association, 2008). This has led to numerous changes in how refinement is administered as it became environmental friendly and adaptable to the needs of the current trends. One important indicator that is used by scientists to actively determine the level of Zinc emissions was measured in the Greenland snow. â€Å"The minute amounts of zinc deposited at this remote location are an indicator of both natural zinc cycling and anthropogenic zinc emissions to air in Europe and North America, and reflect the trend in zinc emissions to air observed throughout the northern hemisphere† (International Zinc Association, 2008, p. 1). One important result of this study showed that there has been a reduction of zinc emissions in the environment and continues to decrease in the years to come. This change can be attributed to the recent developments in both extraction and technology. With the help of new instruments and mechanisms, better facilitation and exhaustion is now possible with the minimal risk factors associated in the process such as fugitive emissions. â€Å"Fugitive emissions originate from sources such as outdoor stockpiles, handling or transfer operations, vehicle traffic as well as leakages from buildings and roofs, from maintenance operations and breakdown of plants† (International Zinc Association, 2008, p. 1). These new innovative and sustainable ideas has led to better creation of products such as galvanized steel and lowered the effect of corrosion Commitment in the Environment The decline of emissions brought about by Zinc extraction and refinement can be attributed to the commitment of both many states and organizations that are committed in protecting the environment. Under this area, they create new standards and protocols that can help set the guidelines and effective ways to exhaust such resources in the natural environment without compromising quality and risks associated in the process. By having these mandates, better administration can be made and administered. Likewise, such commitment can be attributed to the capability of these institutions to monitor and implement regulations. For example, the passing of the EU Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction Strategy on Zinc has given international organizations such as the EU to reinforce and implement better management of Zinc extraction from exhaustion to refinement (International Zinc Association, 2008). Conclusion To conclude, man’s commitment in environmental protection and sustainability has allowed us to find ways and means to develop better methods in enhancing exhaustion of natural resources such as galvanized steel. At the same time, we had the commitment to create institutions, mandates, protocols, and guidelines to actively reinforce the idea of protecting the environment. In the end, galvanized steel and its primary component Zinc has constantly sought to be ‘green’ because of the industry’s ability to abide and advocate standards towards efficiency and protection against risk factors. As these industries face the challenges of the 21st century, we can see a further commitment towards finding new tools and technologies that can create a better ‘green’ idea. Reference Galvanizing Cost (2008) Life-Cycle Cost Calculator. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from, http://www. galvanizingcost. com/ International Zinc Association (2008) Environmental Regulations. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from, http://www. zincworld. org/environmental%20_regulations. html International Zinc Association (2008) Zinc a sustainable resource. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from, http://www. zincworld. org/sustainable_resource. html International Zinc Association (2008) Zinc Emissions. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from, http://www. zincworld. org/emissions. html International Zinc Association (2008) Zinc: Essential for Human Health. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from, http://www. zincworld. org/zinc_health. html International Zinc Association (2008) Zinc: Essential for Man and the Environment. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from, http://www. zincworld. org/zinc_essential. html

Corporate Governance in Australia After Hih Essay

In the light of various corporate scandals, regulatory bodies and corporate governance were placed under pressure by shareholders and stakeholders to form a tighter grip in governing corporation’s conduct. The obligations, roles and responsibilities of company’s stewards are under scrutiny of Corporations Act, listing rules, country’s code of corporate governance, ethics as well as social standards. At the same time, advocates of market forces as a replacement to regulations and legislation continue to pursue for market deregulation and liberalisation based on the believe that government intervention will only distort resources allocation and hinder market growth. The collapse of Australian company HIH Insurance Ltd (HIH) in 2001 was analysed in terms of its conduct and compliance to the Corporations Act, listing rules as well as code of corporate governance as released by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Corporate Governance Council (CGC). Reforms in regulations and the Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations 2007 by ASX CGC were used to recommend best practices in corporate governance that should have taken place in HIH. Lastly, the effect of globalization and challenges to good corporate governance resulting from globalization were discussed from the perspective of national government, regulatory bodies as well as the corporation itself. Justice Neville Owen, The Royal Commissioner in the HIH Royal Commission Report described corporate governance as the framework of rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations, and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Corporate Governance Council added that corporate governance relates to and influences how the objectives of the company are set and achieved, how risk is monitored and assessed, and how performance is optimized (The HIH Royal Commission, 2003; ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2007). The meaning of corporate governance has evolved over time but, in the strictest sense, is linked to the legislation that allows its existence. The law sets forth a company’s rights and responsibilities but this can differ from country to country. However, it is generally accepted that corporate governance extends beyond the law to include a consideration of best practices and business ethics (Birt, Chalmers, Beal, Brooks, Byrne, & Oliver, 2008). The structure of corporate governance as put forth by Farrar (2005) and represented in the figure below illustrates the relationship within the corporate governance structure: Figure: The structure of corporate governance (Farrar, 2005). The issues surrounding the rights and responsibilities of corporations are complex and ever changing as financial markets become more global, corporations become larger and more powerful, and society’s perception of the corporate role changes. A school of thoughts advocates for market forces to be the regulator of the financial market. The neo? liberals assume that factor markets work efficiently without government intervention if property rights and competition are guaranteed. They considered government interventions as less efficient than market? based solutions and stresses that government interventions hamper private sector development and that government should concentrate on improving the enabling of business environment through deregulation (Emeseh, Ako, Okonmah, Obokoh, & Ogechukwu, 2010). Neo-liberalism challenges the conventional structuralist orthodoxy of government intervention by highlighting the negative effects of â€Å"financial repression† on economic growth and development. They refer financial repression to be the set of government legal restrictions preventing financial intermediaries in the economy from functioning at their full capacity. The distortion of domestic financial markets through rules and legislation is claimed to have negative impact on economic growth. In essence, corporations should be relied on in the main to self? regulate in the critical aspect of business activities. Neo-liberalism has prompted many countries to implement liberalisation and deregulation of their financial markets on the recommendations of the World Bank and IMF (Emeseh, Ako, Okonmah, Obokoh, & Ogechukwu, 2010). The significant role of market forces in contributing to good corporate governance and strong corporate performance has for some time been emphasised in economic literature on the corporation and corporate law. In fact, advocates consider the influence of market forces to be an effective substitute for formal legal regulation (duPlessis, McConvill, & Bagaric, 2005). However, through-out the last two decades, legislation reforms and corporate governance has also grown rapidly, particularly since the collapse of Enron Corporation in 2001 and the subsequent financial problems of other companies in various countries. As financial scandals continue to emerge, there will be continued attention placed on corporate governance issues, especially relating to transparency and disclosure, control and accountability, and the most appropriate form of board structure that may be capable of preventing such scandals occurring in future (Mallin, 2007). In pursuance of good corporate governance, an area of interest would be how directors’ conduct and decisions should be in the best interest of the company, its shareholders and other relevant stakeholders. In this context, the agency theory is a very suitable framework that can describe the problems associated with the principal-agent relationship caused by separation of ownership and control between shareholders (the principal) and directors (the agent) in corporations. Information asymmetry, moral hazard, difference in attitude towards risk and difference in interest between shareholders versus directors are common agency problems that would usually be at the expense of shareholders (Mallin, 2007; Rahman, & Salim, 2010). For example, directors may have a wider range of economic and social needs (such as to maximize compensation, security, status and to boost their own reputation), while shareholders are interested only in maximizing return on investments. Furthermore, as directors are usually contracted to the company on short term basis, they may be eager for short-run payoffs within their contract term, whereas shareholders’ interest would be based on long-term success. Australian companies have a unitary board structure and the regulatory framework for corporate governance and directors’ duties is governed by (i) Statute (notably the Corporations Act), (ii) Common law rules (for example, cases relating to directors’ duties), (iii) The company’s constitution, and (iv) Guidelines issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) (Dibbs Barker Gosling Lawyers, 2003). ASIC plays a vital role in enforcing and regulating company and financial services laws to protect Australian consumers, investors and creditors. It acts as Australia’s corporate regulator and administers various legislations including the Corporations Act 2001, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, etc. (Australian Securities ; Investments Commission, 2010a). By the Corporations Act, general duties imposed on directors and officers of companies are stated as (i) the duty to exercise their powers and duties with the care and diligence that a reasonable person would have which includes taking steps to ensure they are properly informed about the financial position of the company and ensuring the company doesn’t trade if it is insolvent, (ii) the duty to exercise their powers and duties in good faith in the best interests of the company and for a proper purpose, (iii) the duty not to improperly use their position to gain an advantage for themselves or someone else, or to cause detriment to the company, and (iv) the duty not to improperly use information obtained through their position to gain an advantage for themselves or someone else, or to cause detriment to the company (Australian Securities ; Investments Commission, 2010b). Beyond their legal duties and obligations, directors are also expected to meet commercial expectations in th e interest of stakeholders, which include, but are not limited to, shareholders. These commercial expectations essentially require directors to drive the bottom line and provide appropriate shareholder returns. Taking it a step further, many directors of today are challenged to embrace triple bottom line reporting and consider the economic, social and environmental ramifications of their corporate activities (Lucy, 2006). While the scope and laws governing the conduct of directors are wide and many, intentional and unintentional breach has shocked the financial market and public numerously. Till today, HIH Insurance Ltd (HIH) that went into liquidation in early 2001 is well remembered by almost every Australian as a collapse caused by mismanagement of the company, and various board members were brought to court on charges including giving misleading information with the intention of deceiving other board members and the company’s auditor. As one of Australia’s largest insurers, the company ran into debts of over AUD$5 billion and subsequent to the collapse, the government carried out an expensive exercise to underwrite many of the failed policies (Mallin, 2007). According to the HIH Royal Commission Report on the failure of HIH, it was concluded that investigators did not find fraud or embezzlement to be behind the collapse. The failure was more the result of attempts to paper over the cracks caused by over-priced acquisitions (notably FAI Insurance Ltd) and too much corporate extravagance based on a misconception that the ‘money’ was there in the business. The primary reason for the huge loses was that adequate provision had not been made for insurance claims and past claims on policies had not been properly priced. HIH was mismanaged in the area of its core business activity (Bailey, 2003). In chorus, the HIH Royal Commission report fundamentally states that the main reasons for the failure of HIH was poor management and greed characterised by (i) a lack of attention to detail and skills, (ii) a lack of accountability for performance, and (iii) a lack of integrity in the company’s internal processes and systems (Nicholson, 2008). Justice Neville Owen further commented in the report on what was the essence of good corporate governance: â€Å"The governance of a public company should be about stewardship. Those in control have a duty to act in the best interests of the company. They must use the company’s resources productively. They must understand that those resources are not personal property. The last years of HIH were marked by poor leadership and inept management. Indeed, an attitude of apparent indifference to, or deliberate disregard of, the company’s underlying problems pervades the affairs of the group. † (The HIH Royal Commission, 2003). The above comment can be loosely translated to say that the directors of HIH have failed their duties. Notably, in April 2005, Mr Ray Williams, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HIH, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ jail with a non-parole period of two years and nine months. Mr William’s sentencing follows ASIC’s successful civil penalty proceedings on the three criminal charges which Mr. William pleaded guilty to. The three criminal charges were (i) that he was reckless and failed to properly exercise his powers and discharge his duties for a proper purpose as a director of HIH Insurance Limited when, on 19 October 2000, he signed a letter that was misleading, (ii) that he authorised the issue of a prospectus by HIH on 26 October 1998 that contained a material omission, and (iii) that he made or authorised a statement in the 1998-99 Annual Report, which he knew to be misleading, that overstated the operating profit before abnormal items and income tax by $92. 4 million (Australian Securities & Investments Commission, 2005a). ASIC’s HIH investigation also led to criminal prosecutions of 9 other former senior executives, including directors of FAI, HIH and associated entities on 31 Corporations and Crimes Act charges. Of high public interest was Mr Rodney Adler, a former director of HIH and the majority owner of FAI was sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ jail, with a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years, on four charges arising from his conduct as a director of the HIH group of companies in 2000. ASIC’s chairman, Mr Jeffrey Lucy, in his public statement said, â€Å"Mr Adler was in a position of trust as a director of HIH but he put his own financial interests before the interests of HIH shareholders† (Australian Securities & Investments Commission, 2005b). Mr Adler was sentenced after pleading guilty to four criminal charges: (i) two counts of disseminating information on 19 and 20 June respectively, knowing it was false in a material particular and which was likely to induce the purchase by other persons of shares in HIH contrary to s999 Corporations Act 2001, (ii) one count of obtaining money by false or misleading statements, contrary to s178BB Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), and (iii) one count of being intentionally dishonest and failing to discharge his duties as a director of HIH in good faith and in the best interests of that company contrary to s184(1)(b) Corporations Act 2001 (Australian Securities & Investments Commission, 2005b). HIH’s disastrous business ventures in U. K. , U. S. , acquisition of FAI Insurance Ltd. nd the Allianz joint venture were identified as what ultimately brought HIH down. These instances of poor decision-making were caused by and reflect a poor corporate governance culture. Corporate governance issues identified included (i) an over-dominant CEO whose decisions were never questioned, (ii) an ineffective chairman who failed his responsibility to oversee the functioning of the board, (iii) an ineffective board who failed to grasp the concept of conflicts of interest, and was unable to monitor and does not question management performance, (iv) inappropriate conduct in remuneration setting and performance measurement (mostly made by Mr. Williams who, although not a member of the committee, attended all meetings by invitation), (v) an ineffective audit committee who showed no concern with risk management and internal control, and (vi) compromised auditor independence (the auditing company was Arthur Andersen and HIH’s board had three former Andersens partners – one of them was the chair of the board yet continued receiving fees under a consultancy agreement. Andersens also derived significant fees from non-audit work which gave rise to a conflict of interest with their audit obligations) (Lipton, 2003). Subsequent to HIH’s collapse, The Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Act 2004 (commonly known as ‘CLERP 9’) came into force on 1 July 2004. CLERP 9 incorporated a number of recommendations made in the HIH Royal Commission Report. Reforms were made relating to (i) disclosure of directors’ remuneration, (ii) financial reporting, (iii) au ditors independence, (iv) continuous disclosure, and (v) enhanced penalty provisions. CLERP 9 also deals with accounting standards, expensing of options, compliance controls, and encouragement of greater shareholder participation at meeting – all of which represents a significant development in the corporate law framework (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, 2005; Alcoc, & Bicego, 2003). Prior to CLERP 9 coming into force, advocates of corporate governance were delighted with Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX) release of the â€Å"ASX Corporate Governance Council’s (CGC) Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations† in March 2003. ASX CGC adopted the same ‘principles based’ approach as taken in the UK Combined Code which governs entities listed on the London Stock Exchange. ASX listed entities are at liberty not to comply with the recommendations, but if they do not, they must explain why not. The Guidelines were built on the belief that one size does not fit all companies. The Guidelines contained 10 ‘essential’ Corporate Governance Principles (Principles) and 28 Best Practice Recommendations (Recommendations) which was later revised in August 2007 as â€Å"Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations† (Guidelines) comprising of 8 Principles and 26 Recommendations (Farrell, Harding, ; Spilsbury, 2003). The Guidelines also reflect ASX CGC’s emphasis in continuous disclosure by listed companies. Each Principle has a ‘Guide to reporting’ about the Recommendations at the end of the ‘chapter’ discussing what should be disclosed and where. Under ASX Listing Rule 4. 10. 3, companies are required to provide a statement in their annual report, disclosing the extent to which they have followed the Recommendations in the reporting period. Where companies have not followed all the Recommendations, they must identify the Recommendations that have not been followed and give reasons for not following them – the â€Å"if not, why not† approach (ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2007). In relation to HIH’s case, a number of the Guidelines’ Principles provide fairly extensive coverage of corporate governance issues identified in HIH earlier. Principle 1 highlights the need for companies to establish and disclose the respective roles and responsibilities of the board and management. In the 2007 edition, the Guidelines added the Recommendation 1. 2 for companies to disclose the process for evaluating the performance of senior executives (ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2007). This Principle serves to provide disclosure in relation to HIH’s situation of an over-dominant CEO and ineffective chairman and board. Where HIH was highlighted to have a board that was ineffective and failed its duties, Principle 2 states that companies need to structure the board to add value with an effective composition, size and commitment to adequately discharge its responsibilities and duties. Recommendations in the principle placed importance in having a majority of the board and the chairman being independent directors to ensure independence in board decisions and prevent conflict of interest. Recommendation 2. 4 suggests that companies should establish a nomination committee to ensure appropriate selection and appointment practices in the company. This Recommendation also provides resolution in relation to HIH’s case whereby the board was mostly made up of directors hired by Mr. William, including the former Andersen partners. In the 2007 edition, the Guidelines added the Recommendation 2. 5 for companies to disclose the process for evaluating the performance of the board, its committees and individual directors (previously this was part of Principle 8 in the 2003 edition, titled â€Å"encourage enhance performance†). This Recommendation helps to ensure directors are given access to continuing education to update and enhance their skills and knowledge that are necessary in performing their duties (ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2007). Principle 3 discusses how companies should promote ethical and responsible decision-making. Beyond legal obligations, directors are expected to make decisions that satisfy not only the company’s shareholders but other stakeholders as well (this principal includes amalgamation from Principle 10 of the 2003 edition Guidelines which was to â€Å"recognize the legitimate interests of stakeholders†). To achieve this, Recommendation 3. 1 encourages companies to establish and disclose their code of conduct pertaining to integrity practices, legal practices and handling of unethical practices. Aligned with this, Recommendation 3. 2 promotes the establishment and disclosure of company’s policy concerning trading in company securities by directors, senior executives and employees (ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2007). Relating to Principle 3 and Principle 7 titled â€Å"recognize and manage risk†, HIH has been considerably questioned of its various business decisions, mostly of which contributed to huge loses and ultimately the company’s insolvency. Criticized decisions made by the company are many, and on top of the list include (i) the acquisition of FAI Insurance (majority-owned by Mr. Adler who later became a member of HIH’s board of directors) for A$300 million which FAI was later estimated to be worth just A$100 million, (ii) re-entering the California market in 1998 and failure to take the difficult decision to exit the market when it proved unprofitable, and (iii) the decision to enter a sector (insurance and re-insurance of film-financing) that has proved problematic for many market participants in London (Cagan, 2001). The lack of risk management within HIH was apparent and Mr. Adler’s unethical conduct was evident with his imprisonment. In view of the importance of risk management, Recommendation 7. 1 urges companies to establish policies for the over sight and management of material business risks (that is financial risks and non-financial risks) and disclose a summary of those policies while Recommendation 7. 2 call for the board to require management to design and implement risk management and internal control system to manage the company’s material business risks and report to it on whether those risks are being managed effectively.

Socrates Trial and Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Socrates Trial and Death - Essay Example In this paper, investigation will be done on some events leading to his trial and death. The discussion will be based on a martyr and an anti-democratic interpretation. The dialog on apology starts on a rather ironical manner. It is not an apology in the real sense but a conversation between Socrates and the jury during his trial. He had been blamed of not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, in addition to invention of new deities and corruption of the youths of Athens. In this scenario, he sacrifices himself to be tried for the sake of the State of Athens, which he believes is rotten with bad practices of worshiped unworthy gods. In his trial, he pays less respect to the formalities of a court, and goes to an extent of proclaiming that since he is inexperienced with the law courts, he will speak in a manner accustomed to him. He promises to speak with total honesty and directness. In an attempt to prove his innocence, he claims that he is the wisest man, after which he recognizes his ignorance and corrects himself by stating that he knows nothing. He is ready to take any verdict, believing that it will seal his fate as the person who tri ed to question and correct the seemingly wise men. The youths consider him a hero who deserves nothing else but the authority to continue with his role of correcting the state. His accusers, Meletus and the other people he embarrassed, treated him with hatred and anger. They are determined to see him silenced forever. In his dialog with Meletus, he tries to embarrass him. Socrates feels very important and likens himself to a gadfly which stings the lazy horse, the Athenian state. His death would be a sacrifice just like a martyr who dies to save the rest of the humankind. He threatens the state that in case it sentences him to death; it will fall into a deep sleep. The death penalty seals his fate, despite his request to pay a fine instead. Just like a martyr, he fearlessly agrees

Outlines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Outlines - Essay Example Terrorists have been very successful at brainwashing young people through the Internet. This must be stopped. Terrorists take advantage of shifting alliances. They look for weaknesses and exploit them. In order to tackle terrorism, we have to work together. We have to isolate regimes that support terrorism and work hard to come up with common policies that allow us to stay united. All businesses require excellent human resources programs if they wish to be profitable and successful. In order for these programs to work well there must high morales. One thing is for sure: the quality of a food companys products and services and its reputation reflect the type of management it has and the morale of employees. In order to create high morale, the following steps should be taken at this company: The training process introduces employees to the company and in some ways sets the tone for the rest of their work term. Make sure they know from the beginning that they are valued and important to the company. Show them how to do things properly. Without respect people feel worthless and sullen. They want to be seen to be human beings. That mean treat people well and give them something to look forward to. Something they can work towards. Otherwise they will not be productive Communication is key. In order to solve morale problems, managers have to communicate with employees. They have to let employees know what is expected of them and what the future holds. If this doesn’t happen then employees will feel left out in the cold and

Analysis Essay - Legalizing Marijuana Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis - Legalizing Marijuana - Essay Example legalizing cannabis for medicinal in addition to general purposes would prove a benefit to society, evidence which is well-known throughout the scientific, political and public arena but this collective knowledge has yet to be acted upon. Illegal substances most frequently linked with drug-related fatalities include opiates such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates. Alcohol, particularly when used in combination with harder drugs, is also linked with drug-related deaths. Marijuana has been widely known to be a gateway drug for harder substances. Heroin and other drugs that are injected into the bloodstream are often associated with the deadly disease HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV causes AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Besides being spread from the use of shared, contaminated syringes, AIDS is also contracted by sexual contact, from transfusions by contaminated blood and in the prenatal stages from mother to baby. Procedures involved in the preparation and injection of drugs present various opportunities for the transmission of HIV and hepatitis. (Normand, Vlahov & Moses, 1995). Supporters of legalization invoke the theories of John Stuart Mill, who espoused that adult citizens should have the right to make their own choices regarding whether or not to participate in harmful activity as long as it does no harm to others, a theory that has been largely ignored in the decisions regarding alcohol and tobacco, but not cannabis. (â€Å"How to Stop The Drug Wars,† 2005) Eleven states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal use, Rhode Island the most recent joining California, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Washington and, Vermont and Maine. The prohibition of marijuana makes little sense and disallowing the medicinal use to cancer patients living every day with agonizing pain and glaucoma patients who depend on marijuana to see better, for example, should be unthinkable in a civilized society. The

Discuss the idea of good and evil in the poem of John Milton and Essay

Discuss the idea of good and evil in the poem of John Milton and Alexander Pope - Essay Example Pope’s essays on man can be considered to have not as much radical potential as Milton’s epic; however, the importance of this lies in its understanding of the Augustan age’s ideas of good and evil. This paper shall argue that the ideas that are discussed in these works derive from a transitional phase in English history and look at them during the course of it. In Book 1of Paradise Lost, Milton introduces a list of the fallen angels and presents their leader, Satan. The book shows the fallen angels lying in Hell, in council. There is a description of the various pagan gods that Milton considers evil in the book and they are referred to in the same breath as the fallen angels. In the midst of this scene, one finds that the figure of Satan is presented not just as a devil but also as a revolutionary who has rebelled against God. His standing at the head of the group of devils, inciting a continuing war against the Christian god is in the vein of a revolutionary wa ging war against a tyrant. This can be seen in the following lines- For who can think submission? War then, war Open or understood, must be resolved! (Milton 22) It is in such instances that Milton’s project to â€Å"justify the ways of God to men† (4) fails and the fissures in such a project are made visible. Satan is however, also not considered as a figure that one must seek to emulate as he seeks to corrupt innocent beings in order to satisfy his own need for power. This can be seen in his desire to change the course of God’s plan for Adam and Eve. One can thus say that the ideas of good and evil are problematized in the work of Milton. Both are not seen as separate watertight categories but overlapping ones that often overlap. While this may not always be a conscious decision on the part of the writer, the subtextual tension between these two categories plays itself out for the ambivalence to be created. Many consider this to be tensions that Milton himself faced following the Restoration in England. Having once been a supporter of a republic, Milton later supported monarchy and this ambivalence in his own mind can be seen in the way he reacts to the challenges of portraying the character of Satan. In his sonnets, Milton engages with ideas of good and evil that are much less political, in a certain sense. For instance, in the first sonnet, he talks of how he as a poet is a servant of the Muse of the Nightingale and the idea of love- Whether the Muse, or Love call thee his mate, Both them I serve, and of their train am I (Milton). The role of a poet is thus, like the nightingale, to serve love and to love is what is to be considered good. This makes the idea of evil the opposite of love, or hate. The idea of serving an omniscient and omnipotent master as good can also be seen in the seventh sonnet where he says, It shall be still in strictest measure even To that same lot however mean or high, Toward which time leads me and the will of heaven. All is, if I have grace to use it so, As ever in my great taskmaster's eye (Milton). To obey the will of God is what he considers to be virtue or goodness, in this sonnet and this is similar to the philosophy of life that he expounds in Paradise Lost. Pope too, in his work Essays on Man, talks of the need to obey God. For him, questioning the word of God as

International Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Business - Research Paper Example The first branch was opened at Miami. Burger King adopted a tradition of quick service which attracted many Burger King made a business strategy with clear goals and objectives that saw it expand rapidly and made more profits than initially following the reduction in the overall sales and profits of the business. They wanted to have a new look, and virtually changed how everything was being run. The plan included strategic analysis of the business environment, identification of the business threats and the opportunities available in the market, extensive advertisements, quality control checkup and good customer relations including introduction of arrange of new food products in the market with even better tastes (Penrose, 1995). Burger King has a number of fast food products that in cooperated different prices. This made more sales to be realized as the customers could find what they were willing to pay for. In addition to this, Burger King prepares its hamburgers with a different me thod from other competitors by introducing the method of flame broiling a part from the usual frying method. This availability of different ways of food preparation captures customers of both methods (Kor, 2003). This popularized Burger King among the lovers of hamburgers leading to a popular theme of you can get it the way you want it. Today, Burger King is one of the leading food restaurants in the whole world. It boasts of around 12,000 outlets in fifty states in the United States of America. A number of these restaurants are located in the USA and is reported to account for nearly two thirds of the restaurants. Its presence is also felt in over 74 countries in the world, bringing to a total of approximately 400,000 employees all over the world. In addition to this, Burger King has a strategy to expand its total operating branches all over the world by between 3-4 percent every year. More profit from the Burger King businesses’ are realized from Canada and US, indicating w here sales are done as compared to the other outlets. For instance, the total value of units sold in the year 2009 from Canada and US was USD 2.54 billion. This trend of Burger King concentrating most of the restaurant branches in the US should change in order to avoid unpredicted threats. For example, if the US laws on taxation change so that business entities are over tax or the purchasing power parity of the US may become low leading to low customer demand which may see prices of food products falling below the equilibrium. Currently there are property rights in the USA but the future is uncertain for any country in the world. Change in politics may also play another factor that may lead to losses when a business concentrates its branches in one country. In addition a strong competitor may emerge in the US backed by powerful sources that can see Burger King run out of their money in the US. Therefore it can be recommended for Burger Kings to look beyond the US market by opening m ore branches in other countries like China, India, Japan other fast coming economies that has seen their economy grow faster than for the US. Burger King continues being successful perhaps in relation to their long time existence in the market characterized by a number of experiences gained in the last fifty years being brought over board. Burger King is a well known brand by millions of consumers to be an entity that always provide exceptional services to its customers besides quality

Final essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final - Essay Example Having a permit to carry loaded guns to these places is beside the point. Amusement and leisure parks are intended for family bonding time where young children are present. â€Å"National parks are rare treasures. They offer havens of solitude and sanctuary. They are not meant to be places for the next shootout at the OK Corral,† Ms. Ditmer had emphasized in her article. It exposes young children to unnecessary danger. I am sure every one of us has a little kid we know, a son, a daughter, a niece or a nephew or even a grandkid who is exposed to this mindless danger. What if an untoward accident will happen and hit one of these innocent children who had come to expect enjoyment there? It would be a real heartbreaker no matter whose kid it is, right? Ms. Ditmer is also accurate and perfectly correct in her assumption that carrying guns will inevitably lead to their use, eventually. It simply defies logic how our Congress can make dangerous situations even worse by being blind and deaf to the opinion of the majority of citizens who oppose guns. This situation can be compared to smoking in public places where there are people who are adversely affected. While people have the right to bear arms (for whatever they want to do with all those guns), our politicians must consider the greater majority who hate guns. There must be designated places where guns are allowed but certainly not in amusement parks where there are children around. People have the right to feel safe too and guns in public places are not a very reassuring sight to anyone. Ms. Ditmer reiterated her strong opposition by stating, â€Å"That’s not reassuring to those of us law-abiding citizens who view guns as possible disasters.† Guns can go off accidentally, for example, and hit someone unintentionally. Ms. Ditmer also knows whereof she speaks by citing FBI statistics showing only 1.65 cases per 100,000 as against 462 cases in other places. What more will it take for people to heed this appeal

Institutional Racism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Institutional Racism - Essay Example This paper illustrates that in 2004, statistics indicated that per capita income for Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics in the USA are $25,203, $16035, and $14,106 respectively. Similarly, the 2005 unemployment rate for Whites, African Americans and Hispanics was 4%, 8.5%, and 4.5% respectively. Those covered by private health insurance for Whites, African Americans and Hispanics for the same period were 71.4%, 53.9%, and 41.7% respectively. The education sector also suffers from institutional racism. Education continues to gain value in modern society and parents would like their children to get the best possible quality of education. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of international students seeking further education in foreign continents such as America and Europe. Education in these continents is perceived to be of higher quality. These students are presented with unique opportunities for international exposure even as they greatly contribute to the ec onomic growth of the host countries. At the same time, international students are faced with a myriad of challenges beyond their control and sometimes they have to endure until the end of their studies. Institutional racism refers to patterns in the society whereby adverse, unfavorable or oppressive conditions are applied towards certain identifiable groups based on their race, ethnicity and skin color. As an international student from the United Arab Emirates and studying at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the author encountered institutionalized racism in various forms, to the detriment of international students. They have incidences for instance where black and other colored students are physically abused by their white counterparts on campus. A recent episode of open campus racism occurred when some students believed to belong to a fraternity threw a party in commemoration of Martin Luther King’s birth and black students were mocked. Nonblack students donned loose -fitting basketball shirts, flashed signs of gangs and drunk from hollowed-out watermelons to send a message of mockery to their black counterparts. Although the entire student fraternity received the incident with disbelief, outrage, and contempt, it showed how deep racism is institutionalized in the education system.

The pedagogic theories as for the basic essence of achieving Research Paper

The pedagogic theories as for the basic essence of achieving sustainability of education - Research Paper Example Pedagogy is the professional and preparatory mode of delivering teaching to educators and through proper instructions. There are several theories concerning the interpretation of pedagogy in educative circles. Various theorists have detailed cohesive reports on the efficiency of pedagogies in attaining the overall mandate of ensuring successful teaching practices. Some of the included theorists are Paulo Freire, Peter McLaren, Joseph Jacotot and Benjamin Bloom, among others. Some of the methods to be discussed are effective in teaching students and the gaining of new knowledge. However, some of them are not ordinary teaching methods and they incorporate different strategies to enhance learning. There has been a confrontational relation between paradigm and pedagogy. Two categories of paradigm enhance the affiliation: zero-paradigm and critical paradigm. Basically, the ‘zero’ paradigm describes conventional teaching approaches while ‘critical’ paradigm descri bes the sanctioning loom to pedagogy. These paradigms are important in the learning process, but the critical paradigm is the key paradigm. This is because it empowers education to learners. Therefore, pedagogical theories work at empowering the literacy level of learners through the assistance of the educators, formal and informal. They have also presented dominant cultures of education and also encompass initiatives of promoting learning technologies in support of pedagogy. This paper discusses four theories to assist in explanation and approval of these facts.... There has been a confrontational relation between paradigm and pedagogy. Two categories of paradigm enhance the affiliation: zero-paradigm and critical paradigm. The ‘zero’ describes conventional teaching approaches while ‘critical’ describes the sanctioning loom to pedagogy. The critical paradigm is the key paradigm in empowering education to learners. Informed by educators such as Dewey and Freire, the critical paradigm recognizes participation as a necessary condition for empowering education (Mulcahy, 2010, p 60). Some of the theories discussed below will assist in developing personal pedagogic creed. I have engaged in making my own pedagogy creed that invokes the ideas of some theorists, whose contributing information describes my idealistic creed as discussed below. Theory 1 Paulo discusses his theory of ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ addressing contagious issues to learners a little deprived of freedom. It follows the Marxist theoretic analy sis of education. The oppressed in this context are psychologically or mentally suppressed. They include individuals physically challenged or in good physique condition but undermined a specific aspect of their life. The theory discusses the psychological point of view of the oppressed learners. He asserts that the theory contains two phases. The oppressed through their practices reveal out the world they survive in as brought out in the first stage of transformation. The second stage changes the pedagogy of the oppressed to pedagogy of all men. This process liberates the permanency of the pedagogy. Dominance of culture is the most reflected action being confronted by the said pedagogy of the oppressed.

Teaching Without Joy and Learning Without Hope by Gandhi Essay Example for Free

Teaching Without Joy and Learning Without Hope by Gandhi Essay I would like to begin my sharing with this paragraph that I read from the book of Dr. Jesus Palma, on Curriculum Development System: â€Å"The teacher performs two very important functions in the educative process. One function is that of â€Å"character formation† which is caused out through modelling, counselling and the application of behaviour management or discipline. The second function of the teacher is that of â€Å"instruction† which consists of a set of experiences and resources that the teacher and learners utilize to achieve the learning objectives. The two aspects of instruction are â€Å"teaching† and â€Å"learning†. TEACHING is the responsibility of the teacher, a professional adult person trained for the job. It involves the intelligent arrangement of the environment and resources of learning that will evoke the right kind of response from the learners, a group of young maturing individuals under the care of the teacher. LEARNING is done by the learners by using optimally the learning resources and undergoing the planned learning experiences. The common concern of the teacher and the learners is that curricular requirements are met and standards of achievement attained so that learners develop according to the profile of the â€Å"IDEAL GRADUATE†. † Yes, indeed, learning is the top priority in our educational system and teaching or what the teacher does is important only insofar as it advances the intended learning outcomes to have an ideal graduates! I see teaching as a process of â€Å"helping† the learners learn or a process of â€Å"facilitating† learning. The word â€Å"help† and â€Å"facilitate† I think can only be possible with JOY. If learning is the top priority the teacher must not hold back on this so that he/she may able to show HOPE in learning. As I am reflecting, every day I am looking forward to feel the passion and joy to act in this profession though many times I feel it is tough and not easy. I believe that â€Å"teaching without joy† may lead towards â€Å"learning without hope†. Allow me to share with you the following daily reminders of joy and hope for a teacher to avoid these blunders and to keep the joy in teaching and so to advocate hope in learning 1.  Harness the virtue of patience inside me: it helps, however, it is much great indeed if I am showing by example how to hold my students with arms of love (hold my temper I guess ? ); 2. Be creative to use different options and utilize every â€Å"tool† (strategy and methodology) that I have. It is really a great help for the students to see from their teacher the effort of being creative, because in creativity there is joy; 3. Be wise not to teach everything that I know, never stops learning from as many sources as possible and not to bother learning what is unimportant to teach wisdom beyond knowledge; 4.  Seek always for serenity: I will not allow students to dictate my own mood or my stress level, as much as possible I will choose to stay calm and cool; 5. Learn to listen: we can also learn from our student’s point of view and actions. I am not in the classroom just to give my lecture but I am with them as their guide who willingly partakes in a give and take relationship of love and friendship; 6. Persevere: never give up on my students, continue to motivate, encourage them to turn their dreams into reality and make them realize that a goal is worth pursuing until it is reached; 7.  Be gracious in speech: thinking, â€Å"what was the last word I’ve said to my students? † of course it is important to express gratitude for their lives rather than irritation with their faults; 8. Doing what is best: with all sincerity, it is important also to ask God what He desires for my students and then I will line up my teaching efforts accordingly; 9. Radiate Sunshine: I will always remember that every class is a blessing and I shall not forget to light up the classroom with a sincere smile. I will teach with a happy heart; At the end of the day I think it is good to have, 0. A moment of reflection of what had happened in the whole day. If I find myself tired and empty, I will try to restore in me the joy. If I have lost enthusiasm for teaching, I will go back again with my mission statement, I will ask God to renew my vision and courage and recapture the essential meaning of â€Å"Why I became a teacher? † definitely, I am not a perfect teacher bu t I know in my heart I am trying to find my own purpose and meaning as I spend my time in the classroom each day of my life. In all humility, I am accepting this profession as my ministry more of as a job. I am praying that the Master of all Knowledge, the Almighty will give me strength to pursue and enlighten my whole being and so to desire always to give my best and passion in teaching. Teaching is just like a service, Gandhi said: â€Å"Service which rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy†.

Sports Among Women Spectators In India Media Essay

Sports Among Women Spectators In India Media Essay Watching sport represents a predominant form of leisure behavior in todays society. Large numbers of people attend sporting events and think of themselves as sport fans. Traditionally, participation in sports as a spectator has been a male dominated activity. Women differ from men on various parameters such as physicality, psychographics, behavioral parameters, consumer behavior and consumption experiences. The differences between men and women on these parameters make it difficult for marketers to target them together as a unified segment. But, irrespective of the differences between men and women on various parameters, sports goods manufacturers and sports events marketers have pursued traditional male-oriented marketing policies. But in recent times due to a radical change in social and financial status of women, there has been an increased participation in and consumption of sports by women. This has caused marketers to add a female- oriented focus to their strategies. The recent introduction of female commentators in cricket to strategies to attract women in the latest IPL edition with attractive offers shows a definite change in the marketing strategies of media and marketing professionals. Also more and more women are turning to sports for recreational purpose. With the sports industry turning more to women consumers, it has become necessary for marketers to research womens consumption behavior and consumption experiences to come up with gender specific strategies. Hence, this study would be to understand how the Indian woman consumes sports and the level of involvement or motivation achieved set in the context of the Indian society. Literature Review Sports as a genre is present in everybodys life, be it in terms of participation or watching. Sports has the power to inspire, build communities, to make people cry, laugh. In the hands of an ingenious marketer sports has an almost enigmatic pull towards the target consumer. Traditionally, sports participation and consumption was viewed to be masculine or a part of male dominion. However, with increasing number of women who have found economic and social independence the domain of sports is no longer completely a male bastion. Increasingly women are breaking the stereotypes of passivity and are actively consuming and participating in sports. Major strides have been made over the past few years in providing participation opportunities for girls and women in sports. Media visibility has increased for a number of women players both internationally and nationally like Venus Williams, Anna Kounikova or Sania Mirza. The consumption of sports and leisure by men and women is dependent on a lot of factors such as prevalent societal norms, beliefs and attitudes. In the context of sports and leisure, what is associated with men and masculinity is valued over what is associated with women and femininity. Hence, it is important to explore the underlying societal norms to understand the consumption patterns. A post modernistic approach In a postmodern society, the prevalent ideology is that what is considered masculine or feminine will break down as the boundaries between masculinity and femininity continue to blur and the different forms of gender multiply. Activities that conventionally convey clear meanings, such as combat conveying masculinity and gracefulness conveying femininity, will no longer be obvious. A postmodern vision of these categories blurring into one should be liberating because it lessens the likelihood of gender being used as a way to categorize. In the context of sports and leisure, this suggests that gender is less likely to influence participation or consumption of sports previously marked as masculine or feminine. Analysing literature would help us to understand historical trends of sports and leisure participation by gender in various scenarios. Home Vs Workplace Women have been historically been associated with activities conducted at home such as gardening, sewing and cooking, due to recent advancements in technology the efforts required for the chores have reduced immensely but the modern society still views it as a womans job. Unskilled tasks such as cleaning, eating, cooking, sleeping, leisure and child rearing were performed at home, Men were connected with activities in the workplace and less connected with the ones at home. Home for men essentially was a place to recoup from a hard days work. A similar separation exists in sports and leisure today. ( McGinnis, Chun, and McQuillan, 2003) According to Hendersons review (1990), leisure for women tends to consist of activities which is near or at home because it can be infused with household chores and because few opportunities for leisure exist outside the home. According to another research by Kane, It was argued that women tend to define themselves in terms of human relationships, hence, they consume within the context of home and family. The complexity increases for a career woman as then the leisure is dependent on family environments, especially children. Women use home as a primary place and means for leisure. And in case a leisure opportunity comes along which is out of home, then it is sort of offered in such a way as to not hamper household responsibilities. In this case, leisure itself can be seen as constraining, as it reinforces gender appropriateness (Shaw 1994). While it appears that leisure opportunities certainly exist for women outside the home, the literature suggests that leisure for women is still largely perceived as a secondary concern. Opportunities for leisure exist, but only when other duties and other concerns have been addressed first. Expectations of a women and her role in society appear to transcend the opportunities outside the home. Men face the same constraint, but can define what is expected of them more so than women. Spectatorship and Leisure time It is a common point of contention that men and women both enjoy watching sports on television, but their preferences differ, as men tend to prefer more competitive and aggressive sports as compared to women. We find evidences of media reinforcement of the gendered consumption patterns, for example NBC positioned the Olympics with storylines resembling soap operas. Men have generally dominated the consumption of organised sports. But the Spectator Gender Gap is reducing with more women watching conventionally male sports such as Golf, football. However, research suggests that attempts by women to increase their sports consumption in a way threatens the male dominion as sports is viewed as a masculine domain where men are allowed to bond with one another. Women entering this domain are seen as upsetting this setting (McGinnis, Chun, and McQuillan, 2003). Leisure is another area where the gender gap exists, women in general experience a lesser amount of free time as compared to men as their part of their free time is generally spent doing housework or taking care of children. Men can experience larger blocks of free time without worrying about other commitments. Role of the Indian Media Women are traditionally not encouraged to indulge in sports. Sports are men oriented, where men play and women watch. It is clearly visible in the Indian media too, be it films or advertisements. For instance, in an advertisement of Clinic Plus shampoo, a coach of a boys cricket team in school discourages a girl to play with the team by fearing, when he says, Baal kharab ho jayege (your hair will get damaged if you will play cricket in sun). Another advertisement of Tata sky featuring Gul Panag and Aamir Khan, she has been portrayed as a woman for whom sports is a nuisance. During the cricket matches and sports world cups, time and again, many news channels have shown how women have to sacrifice watching their saas-bahu dramas and newspapers also write about falling TRPs of TV serial and how these matches are a jeremiad for women. Because in the family, their husbands, brothers and father are glued tothe sports channel and the power of attorney for the remote control is transferred t o men for those few days when the matches are held. In addition, Some of the commonly held beliefs associated with female fans and women sports are explored below- Women are not interested in sports fact or fiction In terms of viewership, over 2.2 crore women watched the 2003 World Cup in India alone. Female viewership comprised an astounding 46% of the total World Cup viewing population and TRPS for female viewership for India matches climbed to a phenomenal 9.8, significantly higher than the 3.9 registered during the Nat West Trophy final played at Lords in June 2002(ESPNSTAR, Interesting history of womens cricket in India).The Twenty20 World Cup had a strong, growing female audience for the sport and its not restricted to cricket alone. There is an overall 54 per cent increase in ratings for the three tennis grand slams-especially with regard to womens viewership where the growth has been significant. To reach out to this diverse market, most channels are developing a strong programming line-up that is a healthy mix of acquired and original content. (The financial express, Cashing in on sports). For the first time, a non-cricketing glamorous female host Mandira Bedi was brought in as a studio anchor. The experience was something which shocked cricket purists. But with a mix of elements for the purist as well as the novice and the fence sitters, Extraaa Innings combined academic cricket with mainstream entertainment like never before. This resulted in a whopping 50% increase in average rating of Indian matches and 37% increase in the rating of non-India matches, reached out to a record 78% of the Indian audiences in CS homes. More interestingly the female gross reach grew by an unprecedented 261%. Mandira Bedi became a celebrity and was soon a part of life even for women in conservative Indian households. Purists like Wisden, which condemned the experiment with women anchors during the ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo in September 2002, were forced to retreat. Women joined betting circles and housewives in Delhi and Ahmedabad formed clubs to enjoy the sport (ESPNSTAR, Interesting history of womens cricket in India). In terms of playing the sport, there has been significant increase in the number of professional sportswomen in variety of sports including Badminton, tennis, hockey, golf and athletics. The increase in the number of tournaments is a testament to that fact, recently an international basketball tournament the FIBA Asia Womens Championship was hosted by Chennai, Featuring the best players and top teams from across the continent, the tournament was a success. (Deccan Chronicle, India Wakes up to alternative sports) Female sports fans are different from male sports fans -fact or fiction? According to a research by Sargent, Zillmann, and Weaver, men and women enjoy distinctly different types of sports. Their findings revealed that males preferred watching combative sports on television whereas females were partial to stylistic sports. Sport socialization research examines the impact that environmental forces have on children and individuals from two different perspectives: socialization into sport and socialization through sport. This line of inquiry indicates that people are attracted to sport due to formal channels (i.e., parents, peers, coaches, mass media, teachers) and informal channels (i.e., school, church, and community-based programs), as researched by Kenyon McPherson . Media plays a primary role for introducing new teams and sport leagues to adults. According to a study by Bruce, Institutional, social, and familial contexts also shape viewers interpretations of sports broadcasts. He also found that women did not display strong loyalties to specific womens sports teams that are common with men and their favorite mens teams. This was attributed to the extensive sports information and media attention given to mens sports. In a study on cognitive development and socialization by James, in the initial development of team loyalty, it was found that children form preferences for sports teams early in life. Results of this study revealed and that the gender stereotype associating sports with males was prevalent among children and that fathers were the most influential socializing agent in introducing children to sports teams. In a study on experiences and effects of viewing televised sports, Gantz and Wenner found differences based on gender for 9 of the 15 motivation items examined; however, these differences were not dramatic. Most notable among their findings, women were more likely to watch televised sports for companionship and sharing the experience with family and friends whereas men watched to unwind and become wrapped up in the excitement and drama of the game. Men invested more time in reading, listening, watching, and talking about sports and they were more likely to experience emotional fluctuations from watching sports. Men also tend to display a fan behavior and identify more strongly as a fan according to Dietz-Uhler. However, an equal number of male and female college students considered themselves to be sport fans. Females reported being fans because they attended and watched sporting events with family and friends while males were more likely to consider themselves fans because they played sports and wanted to acquire sports information. Measuring Spectator Motives Various methods to research on sport spectators have been developed which utilizes a number of scales to assess the psychological motives related to attendance, media usage and interest at live sporting events. 1) One of the first methods was developed by Wann. He designed a comprehensive scale to measure eight factors observed to influence behavior; eustress, self-esteem, escape, entertainment, economic (gambling), aesthetic, group affiliation, and family. 2) Second method developed by Trail and James was the Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption (MSSC) to examine ten aspects of spectator behavior: achievement, acquisition of knowledge, aesthetics, drama, escape, family, physical attraction, physical skills of players, and social interaction. 3) Thirdly, McDonald, Milne and Hong (2002) utilized a scale to measure spectator and sport participant motives related to: risk-taking, stress reduction, aggression, affiliation, social facilitation, self-esteem, competition, achievement, skill mastery, aesthetics, value development, and self-actualization. Research Methodology Conceptual Framework or Problem Definition Till now through an extensive analysis of literature we have seen that men and women both consume sports in their own way and one cannot generalize the consumption pattern of women. The motivations and the level of involvement for women depend on a lot of factors. Research Gap : There is no study done in the Indian context to understand the women sports consumers, their stages of involvement and motivations to participate. Hence, this study is a step towards achieving an understanding of the same. Research Objective: The objective of the research is to understand the Woman sports consumer in terms of her involvement level and motivation to consume a particular sport. The study of motivation for predicting consumer behavior is very difficult as to understand the interrelation between motives and specific behavior. Also, to develop a list of consumer motives comprehensive enough to capture the wide variety of motivating forces that stimulate and shape behavior is challenging. To do the above, a framework could be constructed in the form of a social continuum which broadens the sport consumer motivation notion by using involvement as a motivational construct to distinguish between various levels. Factors like womans role in the society would also be a part of this construct. Hence, a study of the immediate environment becomes imperative for studying the consumption pattern. The level of involvement of women consumer of sports should form the basis of the framework of social continuum where the stages vary from viewership to acceptance to fan base to taking part or actively playing to encouraging others to play or advocacy. As shown below, Identification of critical factors which defines each of the stages could be looked at and the motives of each stage should also be looked at. According to each stage a corresponding set of behavior would be associated. Understanding different spectator motivations and involvement levels can be of significant benefit to the sport marketer looking to boost team revenues and gate receipts. Of particular interest are both the marketing manager understanding the specific motivations that drive a spectator or fan to consume a sport and the subsequent development of marketing communications based on these motivations. These effective marketing communication plans can often help build groups of diehard fans, thus expanding the customer base for a team. Spectator and fan motivation can also be used as an effective psychographic segmentation method that can result in more effective marketing campaigns. Sub Research Objective: Involvement Involvement could be defined as a state of interest, stimulation or motivation towards an object, a product or even an activity. As put by a study done by Mitchell, Involvement represents an internal state variable that reflects the amount of arousal, interest, or drive evoked by a particular stimuli or situation that mediates consumer behavior. Application of the involvement construct to examine sport spectators and sport fans would provide a fuller understanding of motives and what stimuli and situations direct behavior (e.g., attendance, purchase of team merchandise, media consumption) and attitudinal formation (e.g., preferences, commitment, loyalty). Some parameters of study for involvement would be Importance of product as perceived by the consumer Pleasure or enjoyment provided by the product Risk of making the wrong purchase or participating in the non enjoyable activity Self expression it represents the identification of the person with the purchase or participation Centrality to lifestyle, encompasses socializing and interactions Motivation Theories and studies have been done by researchers on how to assess the motives for consuming sports. These motives can be generally classified into the broad categories of study as Entertainment Stress and stimulation seeking Social Interaction Achievement seeking Approach to Analysis According to the sample defined above, the research would be conducted two phases: Phase 1: This would be in the form of exploratory research which would be used to develop a conceptual model for examining involvement stages and their corresponding motives. The purpose of this is to identify any potential parameters related to spectator motives or involvement framework which were missed. In-depth interview of 5 respondents approximately would be taken in each market segment. Phase 2: This is the validation phase where the qualitative study would be validated by quantitative so that the result of the first phase could be extrapolated to a larger population if required. Sampling Universe: The sampling universe could be defined as young women who are primarily college goers or into the first 2-3 years of job, who follow at least one sport, belonging to SEC A or SEC B. Details of Phase I Sample Size: 15-20 (Qualitative study) The sample size setting is done with a non-statistical approach where the selection is done anticipating subgroup analysis. The anticipation is that 4 meaningful clusters (market segments) would emerge and each cluster will contain approximately 5 respondents in average. SEC A SEC B College Goers Urban Semi Urban Working Women Semi Urban Urban This is for the qualitative part of the research. Sampling Procedure: Convenience Sampling (Non- probability sampling) Care would be taken to ensure that heterogeneity of the entire population can be effectively covered in the sample. Details of Phase II The phase II methodology would depend on the data collected in the first phase. Scope The study would help marketers understand the woman spectator motivations and stages of involvement in consuming sports in India, in turn, help in predicting behavior This would help marketers tap into the growing woman spectator base. Expected Contribution There has been no study on understanding women spectators in the Indian context done till date. This research would help both the academia and industry to understand an upcoming segment. Understanding different spectator motivations and involvement levels is important for a sport marketer to tap the women consumer segment which is increasingly becoming independent economically and socially. Understanding the involvement and motivations that drive a woman spectator to consume a sport in India would help marketers target this segment with crisp and relevant marketing communications. The involvement stages and motivations can also be used as an effective psychographic segmentation method for forming effective campaigns.

Effectiveness of Sports Psychology

Effectiveness of Sports Psychology With reference to published literature critically discuss the factors influencing the effectiveness of a sport psychologist Introduction Sport psychology has grown remarkably from its roots in the amorphous and poorly understood disciplines of athlete motivation and performance counselling 40 years ago (Dosil, 2005; Cox, 2005). Modern sport at every level of competition and in virtually every sporting activity has benefited from the application of psychological principles and mental training in the pursuit of maximum athletic performance, stress management, improved training attitude and every other aspect of sport where the mind, emotions and physical performance intersect. Sport psychology is unique amongst the applied psychology disciplines for a number of reasons. The phrase suggests that there are accepted common practices employed by sports psychologists and its is acknowledged as with any science, the baseline approaches to the education, training and certification of the sport psychologist are well understood across the world of sport and athletic competition. The feature of sports psychology practice that tends to differentiate it from other form of applied psychology is the general closeness of the relationships developed between an individual athlete and their psychologist. The common professional boundaries of professional detachment are different in sports environments where intense emotion and competitive desire are the fuel that both drives the athlete onwards and makes them vulnerable to psychological stresses. Many sport psychologists play a multi-dimensional role in the lives of their athlete clients trained professional psychologist, friend, sounding board, confidante and advisor are each possible and entirely ethical component to the relationships that may develop in practise (Watson, 2008, 1). This paper considers the question of effectiveness of the sports psychologist as considered within the following analytical and discussion framework. A detailed and properly academic analysis of why the science of sports psychology is effective in the context of competitive and recreational sport is beyond the scope of this paper. The discussion that is developed below is premised on the proposition that sports psychology is a proven and well accepted body of science that applied in accordance with its principles will generally benefit an athlete. All athletes in all sports, team and individualÂÂ   from cross country running to equestrienne events, in all age groups and genders are amenable to its benefits (Kornspan McCracken, 2003: 36: Donohue, 2001: 19). The important question in the present context is what factors, professional and personal render a sports psychologist successful in a particular application. Included in this discrete issue are a wide variety of potential eth ical considerations. The question requires that a preliminary working definition of sport psychologist be articulated; the definition as stated below also assists in defining the general areas of professional engagement within sport. The discussion will then engage two broad and interrelated questions: what steps sports psychologists take in any given assignment to achieve maximum effect with their athlete; where are the typical problem areas that require attention in the sports psychologist / athlete relationship? The emphasis of the discussion will be directed to Educational Sports Psychologists as this area of sport psychology provides the most immediate connections between athletic performance and the application of psychological principles. These questions also require consideration of the type of person who is more likely to succeed as a sports psychologist as with any professional activity where the subject is a human being, the delicate interface between the knowledge based psychological education that helps to comprise ones intellect and the often empathetic talent of dealing with people is important (Armstrong, 2001; Griffin, 2008:10). The paper draws upon the significant representative sampling of the authorities as appended to this paper in this regard. The paper concludes with some thoughts concerning the anticipated continued expansion of the sport psychologist role at all levels of sport. If these professionals have not already achieved such status in most sports, it is submitted that the progression observed in the relationship between athletes and sports psychologist will trace the progression from pop psychology to important training and coaching asset to an indispensible component of the training regimes and competitive performance of all serious athletes.ÂÂ   Sport Psychology definition and scope of the discipline The literal definition of sports psychology is a deceptively straightforward one. According to Cox (1998) and confirmed as accepted throughout the literature, sport psychology is a science in which the principles of psychology are applied in a sport or exercise setting (p.4). The definition does not depend on the presence of a professional relationship with elite or aspiring high performance athletes; the principles of sport psychology apply with necessary circumstantial modification to every level of athlete. In this paper, the term sport psychologist shall extend to any professional engaged in the psychology of sport or exercise (Douthitt Harvey, 1995: Griffin, 2008)). As a general proposition there are three different types of sport psychologists recognised in the field; a great deal of the work carried out by a sport psychologist may include work in more than one category in the case of a particular athlete or assignment. For the purposes of the discussions set out below, the boundaries between each sub discipline shall be regarded as relatively fixed. In the present discussion, it is assumed that each category member is a fully trained and accredited psychologist as defined by the relevant statue I their jurisdiction (British Psychological Society, 2009: American Psychological Society, 2009). The first category is the Clinical/Counselling Sport Psychologist (Cox, 2005).This person is trained in clinical or counselling psychology and is a licensed psychologist. These psychologists are trained to assist athletes to deal effectively with emotional and personality disorder issues that affect particular athletes. The range of prospective sport patients that this professional might assist is very broad; an example would include treating a female gymnast who suffers from bulimia or other eating disorder given the competitive pressures to perform at a specific weight. Treating a downhill skier of motorsports racer who has difficulties recovering from a particular crash or injury might be another. The second category is the grouping that includes the Educational Sport Psychologist (Cox, 2005; Kramer Moran, 2008). These psychologists come to sport with an extensive academic and practical background in university departments of physical education and sport specific training. The objective of an intervention or ongoing assistance provided by these individuals is to assist the athlete to develop a wide range of potential psychological skills for performance enhancement. Specific techniques such as various mental imagery sequences, self talk, the building of per performance or per competition routines are all included in the work carried out by the psychologists in this category (Morris Summers, 2004; Boyce King, 1993). These psychologists also provide services to athletes in a team environment. This particular definition also provides an important qualification concerning the general role of psychology in sport. Sport psychologists are not monopolists in this area. Many athletes have the benefit of psychological support as provided by a trainer, a position coach or a team manager (Kornspan Duve, 2006; Wilson Stephens, 2005). This element of sport psychology is very important but is excluded from consideration here. The final category is the Research Sport Psychologist. This group is comprised of scientists and scholars of sport psychologist. Theirs is an important support role to the entire discipline (Cox, 2005). Sport provides science with ongoing opportunities to gain access to athletes and teams in every sport from its preseason, in season and post season /off season periodization. The psychologists engage in ongoing research and experiments in the field. Applied sport psychology Applied sport and exercise psychology involves the extension of psychology theory and research into a specific field. While the particular athlete or team will inevitably attract the most attention in these applications, given that the pursuit of athletic excellence is a primary objective, the psychologist has a significant role to play in the education of any coaches, teammates, parents, fitness professionals, and athletic trainers about the psychological aspects of the specific sport or exercise activity. Applied sport and exercise psychologists seek to facilitate maximal involvement, performance, and enjoyment in any sport environment. The practice of applied sport and exercise psychology usually involves a combination of individual and group consulting or counseling depending on the style of the professional conducting the intervention and the needs of the client. The realty of amateur sport is that many athletes do not have the access or means to have a personal psychological consultant (Maclean Hamm, 2008: 352). Notwithstanding access questions, the principles that support a proper practitioner / athlete relationship are the same. Key Issues Sports psychologists face similar professional demands in areas such as continuing education and training. It is submitted that given the ceaseless commitment to athletic improvement, the development of new training techniques, nutritional and supplement approaches, physical monitoring, equipment trends and related factors places a substantial pressure on a sports psychologist to remain current in all aspects of their practice (Nesti, 2004). At its best articulation, sport psychology has a transformational power that elevates performance (Armstrong, 2001, 4). Experiential learning cycles are often at the heart of successful sport psychology practice, because sport performance typically provides immediate feedback as to the efficacy of the cycles developed for the athlete. Sport psychology encourages an intensely personalized approach to all facets of it application; a significant relationship exists between the personality of the practitioner and the effectiveness of the applications; the simple observation that not every psychologist can succeed in this area due to the limitations of their own personality is reinforced here. For even the most engaged and cutting edge practitioners, there are practical considerations to the discipline that are submitted as both constants and as overarching issues that never decline in their importance. These are discussed here under the general rubric of ethics; as the examples below illustrate, the boundaries between professional competence, the duty of care to the athlete, continuing education concerning best practices, and the maintenance of appropriate ethical standards in all matters involving an athlete or team are not always clear cut. It is important to appreciate that notwithstanding the unique demands of an individual sport or the immediacy that may be a part of the practitioner / athlete relationship, a psychologist remains bound by the statutory provisions and the ethical regulations of their jurisdiction. The various Codes of Conduct do not create separate regimes for the sports psychologist; the attention to the athlete relationship must be observed with the same care as patient relationships in clinical or therapeutic settings. It may be observed that in an elite sports team setting, where there is a large staff of professional sport persons that span a number of disciplines, only the team physician and the sport psychologist are liable to a standard of ethical conduct that extends beyond their contractual obligation to the team or the common law duties of care that might apply to a coach athlete or trainer athlete scenario (Nesti, 2004; Watson, 2008; Morris Summers, 2004). Ethical codes may be clearer c ut when the practitioners relationship is with a adult professional golfer or well paid footballer; the youth and overall potential for vulnerable persons to be working with a sports psychologist render the standard ethical duties very important in practice. One might conclude that given the acceptance of sport psychology as an important element of modern sport training and competition, that the more closely one could integrate physical and psychological, athletic training the more efficient the training over all and the more successful the athletic enterprise. Leaving aside the impossibility of installing combined coach / practitioners at every level of sport, a seeming next best option would be to ensure a close and centralised relationship between the athletic and psychological training programmes. There are clear advantages to such a coordinated approach. The training time required for each aspect would be optimized; the psychological training could be seamlessly integrated into every segment of the physical training routines. The trust implicit in the athlete / coach relationship could assist the athlete in overcoming any apprehension about what to them may be novel or disconcerting mental training approaches (Wright Erdal, 2008: 187). The disadvantages are equally stark and it is submitted that the maintenance of practitioner and coaching boundaries is important in several potential areas of difficulty. Where the coach and the psychologist are working very closely together in a team sport environment, there is the concern that the athlete may be apprehensive about confiding in the psychologist or making a complete commitment to a psychological training programme for fear of any mental / emotional weakness being revealed to the coach and thus compromising playing time or status on the team (Watson Clement, 2008, 3). The relationship between psychologist and athlete, like coach and athlete is inherently a power relationship; the knowledge that the practitioner applies to the psychological aspects of training create a dependency that must not be permitted to influence any other relationships that the athlete has.ÂÂ   As Nesti notes (2004), the task facing the practitioner is to simultaneously maintain openness to the athletes and coaches without abandoning or diluting their most personal and deeply held values. This makes considerable demands upon the psychologist working in a sports environment where the dominant values are those centred on self-preservation and material gain.(102) The ethics rubric takes on a further and more complex dimension when a team or sports organisation retains a sport psychologist to provide training. The ethical duties and their corresponding lines can become blurred. The following hypothetical will illustrate the issue. A sport psychologist is retained by a football team to help develop what the coach describes as mental toughness (Wann Polk, 2007).ÂÂ   The coach wants his players to be more aggressive, more truculent and more physical in their approach to the game Im tired of our guys getting pushed around. It may be readily appreciated that there is a thin almost indiscernible boundary between the coachs toughness and a training programme that may as easily promote rough, violent or anti-social attitudes amongst the players. The coach is determined to take newfound toughness instilled in the mental training regime to a new competitive level. The psychologist is now placed in a difficult position to train as the clubs retai ner requires, or to potentially assist in the promotion of emotional attitudes that are not necessarily in the individual athletes interest (Goldstein Iso-Ahola, 2006). The sports psychologist has an important preventative / restorative role in all aspects of athletic training. Burnout is a psychological problem at every level of competitive sport, youth leagues to the professional ranks. (Kalliath Beck, 2001; Matheson, Mathes Murray, 1997) The same fundamental trust relationship between practitioner and athlete that build mental power in sport must also be applied where appropriate to protect if an athlete is not emotionally suited to a particular type of training a practitioner has a positive ethical obligation to discontinue it, no matter who is paying for the services. Future Directions in Sport Psychology It is impossible to provide a definitive conclusion as to the future direction of sport psychology within the framework of this paper. However, two tentative propositions may be advanced. The first is a predicted even greater reliance by elite athletes on sport psychologists to provide them with support in training and competition. Every athlete in every sport seeks the proverbial edge, so often measured in millimeters or milliseconds. In an era of immense potential financial returns for sport success, a sports psychologist is a cost-effective training aid. The second prediction is connected to the development of the discipline itself. Competitive athletes are result driven; for society as a whole, there are fewer ways to empirically measure societal athletic or sport exercise success. The cost of health care as attributed to poor life style choices and sedentary attitudes may militate in favour of a public push to incorporate sports psychologists into the public health mainstream, on the same cost effectiveness rational as observed in elite sports. Works Cited American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2009) [online] Retrieved November 18, 2009 at: Armstrong, Scott. Are You a Transformational Coach? JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 72.3 (2001): 44 British Psychological Society Ethical Guidelines (2009) [online] Retrieved November 21, 2009 at: Boyce, B. Ann, and Valerie King Goal-Setting Strategies for Coaches JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 64.1 (1993): 65+. Questia. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. Cox, Richard H. Sport Psychology: Concepts and Applications (5th ed.) Toronto: McGraw Hill (2005) Donohue, Brad, et al. The Development and Initial Evaluation of Two Promising Mental Preparatory Methods in a Sample of Female Cross Country Runners. Journal of Sport Behavior 24.1 (2001): 19 Dosil, Joaquin, ed. The Sport Psychologists Handbook: A Guide for Sport-Specific Performance Enhancement Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley Sons, (2005) Douthitt, Vicki L., and Mark L. Harvey Exercise Counseling How Physical Educators Can Help JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 66.5 (1995): 31 Goldstein, Jay D., and Seppo E. Iso-Ahola Promoting Sportsmanship in Youth Sports: Perspectives from Sport Psychology; Sport Psychology Provides Crucial Insights for Improving Behavior in Sport. JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 77.7 (2006): 18 Griffin, Joy. Sport Psychology: Myths in Sport Education and Physical Education Sport Psychology Isnt Just for the Elites; It Can Benefit Everyone in Youth Sports and Physical Education. JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 79.8 (2008): 11 Kalliath, Thomas J., and Alexandra Beck Is the Path to Burnout and Turnover Paved by a Lack of Supervisory Support? A Structural Equations Test New Zealand Journal of Psychology 30.2 (2001): 72 Kornspan, Alan S., and Mary J. McCracken The Use of Psychology in Professional Baseball: The Pioneering Work of David F. Tracy. Nine 11.2 (2003): 36 Kornspan, Alan S., and Michael A. Duve A Niche and a Need: A Summary of the Need for Sport Psychology Consultants in Collegiate Sports. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 9.1 (2006): 19 Kremer, J., Moran, A. P. Pure Sport: Practical sport psychology. London: Routledge (2008) Maclean, Joanne, and Shannon Hamm Values and Sport Participation: Comparing Participant Groups, Age, and Gender. Journal of Sport Behavior 31.4 (2008): 352 Matheson, Hilary, Sharon Mathes, and Mimi Murray The Effect of Winning and Losing on Female Interactive and Coactive Team Cohesion Journal of Sport Behavior 20.3 (1997): 284 Morris, T., and Summers, J., eds. Sport psychology: theory, application and issues (2nd Ed.). Chichester: Wiley (2004) Nesti, Mark. Existential Psychology and Sport: Theory and Application. New York: Routledge, 2004 Wann, Daniel L., and Joshua Polk The Positive Relationship between Sport Team Identification and Belief in the Trustworthiness of Others North American Journal of Psychology 9.2 (2007): 251 Wilson, Marcia A., and Dawn E. Stephens Great Expectations: How Do Athletes of Different Expectancies Attribute Their Perception of Personal Athletic Performance? Journal of Sport Behavior 28.4 (2005): 392 Watson, Jack C and Damien Clement Ethical and Practical Issues Related to Multiple Role Relationships in Sport Psychology (2008) [online] Retrieved November 22, 2009 at: Wright, Perry B., and Kristi J. Erdal Sport Superstition as a Function of Skill Level and Task Difficulty Journal of Sport Behavior 31.2 (2008): 187