Victims of Organizational Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Victims of Organizational Crime - Essay Example Organizational crime is examined and prosecuted by the federal and state administrations. For most individuals, organizational crime is not observed as a crime at all, for the reason of its non-violent nature. Violent crime has an instant and apparent effect on its victims that raises the consideration of the public, whereas organizational crime repeatedly goes unnoticed or is observed as a bending of the rules. Organizational crime; on the other hand, can have more of an impact than violent crimes. The victim of a violent crime can recuperate, where as the victim of organizational crime can have immeasurable impact that can destroy one's home, family, and even life. The genuine problem behind organizational crime is not defining organizational crime, but developing the suitable means to correct this type of crime. Organizational crimes offenders are much more likely to be employed steadily than conventional criminals and are slightly less likely to be unemployed than the general public. Organizational crimes offenders are better educated than either conventional criminals or the general public. Organizational crimes offenders are more likely to be male and white than conventional offenders. Organizational crimes offenders are generally older than either conventional criminals or the general public. Organizational crimes offenders are much better off financially than conventional criminals, but not as well off as the general public. Organizational crimes offenders are more likely to have a prior arrest than the general public, but less likely than conventional criminals. A victim of organizational crime should gather and save all documentation that directly relates to the losses. If an arrest is made and a conviction is attained, the judge will think requiring the offender to pay victim for restitution. Victims of organizational crimes experience varying level of emotional trauma. A victim of organizational crime may feel some or all of the following: 1) Annoyance, antipathy, and a sense of infidelity toward the criminal for taking advantage of one. 2) Aggravation with criminal justice experts. 3) Disgrace, humiliation, and guilt if one feels one contributed to one's victimization. (Weisburd, et. al. 2001) Some victims find it helpful to seek the services of a counseling professional, clergy member, or advocacy organization. Contact your victim/witness coordinator if you need help in locating such services. A number of states, including Washington, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Florida, and Oklahoma, have enacted Victims' Bills of Rights. These states have provided victims of crimes the right to be informed of state victim compensation programs, to be treated with dignity and compassion, to be provided with counseling and other forms of assistance by agencies established specifically to serve crime victims and to have certain procedural rights in the prosecution of the crime in which they were victimized, including the right to be notified of important developments in the case and to be heard on such questions as sentencing and parole. Although judges have long had the power to order organizational crime offenders to pay restitution to their victims, for a variety of

Summary the article The Power to see ourselves by Paul J. Brower

Summary the The Power to see ourselves by Paul J. Brower - Article Example The only thing professional managers can do to new managers is to help them trust in themselves and understand their own situation. Self-concept has an extensive impact on individual perception and abilities. The author has as well equated self-concept with a filter that screens and eliminates things that people do not want to hear or see and pass on those things that are favorable to individual’s public image. Self-concept also offers eccentric flavor to individual behavior. A part from its significance in understanding the general human behavior, self concept is exceptionally vital in explaining manager development, especially in the situation where the behavioral change is objective. Referring to Brower’s observation, professional behavioral change is in most cases used to explain individual change in self-concept. The term self-concept deals with immediate and immerses changes in managers’ behaviors. As stated by Brower, an individual behavioral change is in most cases influenced by one’s past experiences and age. As people grow, they achieve new experiences and learn new things that are incorporated in their perceptive mass. This change alters individual perception on emerging issues and happenings. As a result, Brower observes change in managers’ behavior as a constant process in their career development (Brower,

Incident Response Essay Example for Free

Incident Response Essay The emergency services (Police, Fire and Ambulance) have to respond to all emergency situations, but they have different roles and responsibilities and they have graded response policies. All emergencies are graded by the call handler according to the information from the caller and not by the way the incident is reported. If a caller dials 999 believing an incident is an emergency the call handler will assess the information and then decide whether it is top priority or if the incident does actually require an emergency response. Call handlers work under the supervision of team managers and incident managers. The standards of fire cover all fire services in the United Kingdom and were set originally in the 1930’s but were established in 1958 by the Home Office. They were more clearly defined and revised in 1974 and again in 1985. Fire risk assessment, until the current year, has been based upon this guidance, which consists of a prose description of the risk categories and a formula designed to determine a points rating or fire grading of premises. When the risk category of an area had been determined, the criteria set by the Home Office demanded that the fire service response to emergency calls, met minimum requirements in terms of speed and weight of attack. Grading of incidents by the Fire service is split into 5 categories: Category ‘A’ Built up areas in large cities containing large commercial and industrial premises or high rise property where there is a strong chance of fire spread. The recommended minimum first attendance was three pumps, two to attend within five minutes and one within eight minutes, to be achieved on at least 75% of occasions. Category ‘B’ Refers to large cities and towns with multi-storey buildings, including large areas of residential housing as well as industrial estates with high-risk occupants. The recommended minimum first attendance was two pumps, one to arrive within five minutes and the other within eight minutes, to be achieved on at least 75% of occasions. Category ‘C’ Refers to the outskirts of larger towns and the built-up areas of smaller towns and extensive areas of residential dwellings such as terraced houses  and semi-detached houses, blocks of flats as well as light industry/commercial properties. The recommended minimum first attendance was one pump within eight to ten minutes, to be achieved on at least 75% of occasions. Category ‘D’ Consisting of rural property, villages and farms and all areas that do not come under categories A-C. The recommended minimum first attendance was one pump within 20 minutes, to be achieved on 75% of occasions. Rural and remote is a separate category and has no pre-determined response time. The majority of Merseyside (91%) is classed as C or D risk. http://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/foi/Information%20Classes/Policies/item11547.pdf Grading of incidents by the police in England and wales are graded as ‘emergency ‘or ‘non-emergency’ in four grades. Grade 1 is the emergency response. An emergency contact will result in immediate police response. It involves circumstances where an incident is reported to the police which is currently taking place and there is a risk of danger to life, the use or immediate threat or use of violence or serious injury to a person or property. Criminal conduct will be dealt with as an emergency if the crime is going to be serious and is in progress, an offender has just been disturbed at the scene or the offender has been detained and there is a high risk that he is a threat to the general public. When the incident involves traffic collision it will be classed as an emergency if it involves or is likely to involve serious personal injury and also if the road is blocked due to the collision and if there is a dangerous or excessive build up of traffic. Also if the call handler who takes the call feels strongly that the incident should be classed as an emergency. The urban response time for this Grade is 10 minutes and the rural response time is 17 minutes. Grade 2 is classed as a Priority response. The call handler feels that the incident is important or urgent but does not need an emergency response. This could include incidents such as a concern for someone’s welfare, an offender has been detained but is not a threat to anyone, a road traffic accident that has injuries or has caused a serious obstruction, a witness may be lost or a person is suffering distress and is believed to be vulnerable. Resourses for a Grade 2 incident should be sent as soon as is safely possible and  within 15 minutes. Grade 3 is classed as a scheduled response. This is when the needs of the caller can be best achieved by scheduling a response. This could be when the response time is not critical when apprehending offenders or a better quality of policing can be given if it is dealt with by a scheduled response by a police officer or even by that person attending the police station. Incidents should be resolved to satisfaction level of caller as soon as possible and must be within 48 hours of first call. Grade 4 is classed as Resolution without deployment. This is used when an incident can be re solved through telephone advice, help desk, frequently asked questions or other appropriate agencies or services. The caller is advised of an agreed call-back time and to be as soon as possible and within 24 hours. Grading of incidents by the Ambulance Service are placed in three categories, this grading also applies to urgent calls from GPs and other health professionals, as well as calls from the general public. Category A is Priority. This is when an incident is considered to be immediately life-threatening examples are when a person is suffering with chest pains/cardiac arrest, unconscious/fainting or has breathing problems. The response time for a category A is within 8 minutes or less. Category B is where an incident is serious but not immediately life-threatening, examples are when someone has fallen or has serious bleeding, a sick person with no priority symptoms or overdose/poisoning. The response time for category B is within 14 minutes in urban areas and within 19 minutes in rural areas. Category C is when an incident is not serious or life-threatening, examples when someone has fallen over and assistance is required, and a sick person with a range of non-serious conditions such as d iarrhoea or someone with abdominal/back pains. In 2000 the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) became responsible for assessing the training and standards of all drivers who drive emergency response vehicles which are fitted with blue lights and sirens. When talking to other agencies the DSA drew up the Blue Light Users Working Party Expectations Document. This document contained a list of the expectations that drivers of emergency response vehicles should meet before being allowed  to drive these vehicles. This document was accepted by the three main emergency services (police, fire and ambulance). This document includes performance criteria and knowledge and consists of these three elements. All emergency drivers need to be over the age of 18 and in good health also must not have any motoring convictions against their name and this is checked every three years. Element one is the ability to assess the need for an emergency response. Element two is the ability to drive the vehicle safely to emergencies and element three is the ability to show the correct attitude when responding to emergencies. Police Service Drivers have to meet the standards set by the DSA but the police service also have their own driving centres. At the driving centres police are trained and graded according to National Training Standards, which is then approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The type of driver training depends on the job role of that police officer. Police drivers can be graded as Standard response drivers, advanced drivers or pursuit drivers. Advanced drivers and pursuit drivers have intense training and they use high powered vehicles and advanced techniques for responding quickly and safely to emergencies. Fire Service Drivers The fire service also has its own driver training centres where drivers are trained to the standards met by their Fire Authority. To drive an Emergency Fire Appliance drivers must hold a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Licence and have received the necessary training and assessments. Only then can they be allowed to drive when responding to emergency situations provided the vehicle is fitted with audible/visual warning devices. Ambulance Service Drivers need to hold C1 (medium sized vehicle) and D1 (minibus) licences and receive the appropriate training by the DSA. Although some Ambulance Services especially in London state that ambulance drivers must hold a LGV licence. Ambulance driver training and assessments are usually carried out by independent driver training centres and not the Ambulance Service. Drivers of emergency vehicles also have to understand that bad driving can cause accidents. Drivers of emergency vehicles are not above the law even when attending emergencies they have to show that whilst going to an emergency they drove with care and attention and did not drive in a dangerous way, if they were foun d to have driven dangerously then they can be prosecuted in the same way as a member of the general public can. Also if the driver is convicted of a  serious traffic offence they may be disqualified from driving both emergency and privately owned vehicles. To reduce the danger to themselves and the general public the drivers of emergency vehicles must use their sirens and blue flashing lights to warn other road users as well as pedestrians and cyclists that their vehicle is responding to an emergency. Flashing blue lights and sirens should only be used when attending emergencies although police drivers can use flashing blue lights and sirens when attempting to stop another driver. Drivers of emergency vehicles have to follow the same traffic laws as everyone else, but when using flashing blue lights and sirens they are exempt from a number of motoring rules which means they can go through a red traffic light, pass to the right of a keep left sign, drive on a motorway hard shoulder even against the direction of the traffic and not follow the speed limit. The Highway Code is a book of rules which all drivers have to abide by the Highway Code makes no special rules for the emergency services other than for members of the general public to listen for the sirens and look for the blue flashing lights and to let them pass safely but still taking notice of all traffic signs. During unsociable hours consideration is given to the use of sirens especially around residential areas, unless conditions are bad and they need to use their siren. Blue lights would only be used as they are visible to road users at night. When there is an advantage to a silent approach then driving is altered and speed reduced. Members of the Public service are often judged harshly from the public, when it comes down to the pursuing of stolen vehicles. Although the public services do a good job when they pursuing stolen vehicles or on their way to an emergency incident there have been cases where their have been incidents where it has affected the public services. Example At 11.20 on the 19th of May 2008, Haley Adamson a 16 year old school girl was struck by a police car going 70mph whilst she was crossing a road in a residential area in Newcastle which had a 30mph speed limit. Hayley died immediately from the impact of the police car. The police car was being driven in pursuit of a vehicle that had just been registered on the police number plate recognition system. At the time of the incident the driver Pc

Automobile Sector Analysis: Five Forces and SWOT

Automobile Sector Analysis: Five Forces and SWOT 1. Overview of the automobile sector Five forces analysis Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: High Competition between existing automobile companies is high. Although the automobile market was dominated by the three big auto manufacturers in US, Toyota and Honda in Japan, the situation is changed. With the growing demand in emerging market, the emerging competitors in China and India may drive an intensified price competition. However, the competition could also focus on the safety, warranty and financial services etc. Threat of New Entrants: Medium Although the entrant barrier is high for the automobile industry because the requirement of capital and technology, an increasing number of automobile manufacturers are emerging in China and Asia due to the economic expansion and growing demand. However, these automakers are in the development status and may not catch up the leading technology in Japan and US, so the threat from new entrants is medium. Threats of Substitutes: Low Customers could choose to switch to transportation means other than automobile such as bicycles, buses and subways. However, the automobile is still the favourite despite the relevant high cost than other mentioned transportation means because its flexibility, comfort and convenience. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low In automobile industry, the component supplier has little bargaining power because the manufacturer could switch to other suppliers easily. On the other hand, the components are generally low value and the suppliers find it difficult to bargain with automakers. Bargaining Power of Customers: High The competition in the automobile industry is intense as mentioned above. So the customers have many choices on the brands and models. Customers care about the quality, price, safety, comfort, appearance of the car. Recently, customers are also more and more concerned about the environmental effect of the automobile and the energy efficiency. So the customers get more and more bargaining power in automobile industry. 2. Toyota Motor Company 2.1 Overview of the company Company profile Toyota Motor Corp. is one of the largest and leading automobiles manufacturers in the globe. It operates in three main business segments; the two biggest are automobile and financial services whereas the third one is comprised by many smaller other divisions. It is spread worldwide as it has 50 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries and regions Toyota designs, manufactures and sales passenger cars of several types and utilities, trucks, tractors and material handling equipment, minivans and other car accessories. Its products can be divided into 2 main categories, conventional and hybrid vehicles. The company sells its products under Toyota, Lexus, Hino and Daihatsu brands The company is also engaged in the financial industry as it provides financing to its customers and dealers. It is also involved in housing, marine, e-commercial, ITS and biotechnological activities. Toyota sells its vehicles in more than 170 countries and regions worldwide. Toyotas primary markets are Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. It is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan and employed around 316,121 people as on March 31, 2008 Strategy Analysis Toyotas strategy can be summarised under three key principles; growth, efficiency and stability. These are the three priorities the companys management will pursue to achieve future sustainable growth and increase the economic value. Growth will be achieved through continuous investment mainly in hybrid vehicle segment to meat the increasing demand. Efficiency is mainly focused on cost management and further reduction in order for the company to be able to provide high quality products in affordable prices and maintain its competitive advantages. Stability will be ensured by maintaining a solid financial base. Within the economic downturn it is important for Toyota to maintain sufficient liquidity in order to continue to finance its investments in research and development of new technologies, which is an integral and essential part of the companys advantages. Peer Group As Toyota operates in the global market its competitors come from all around the world. Its major competitors are BMW AG, DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat S.p.A., Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., PSA Peugeot, Renault S.A., Volkswagen AG and many others SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong overall financial performance Strong reputation and quality Strong position is Asian market Research and development Production pipeline system and cost management Diversified product portfolio Financial services are still undeveloped Huge expenses on pensions and post-retirement benefits Opportunities Threats Increasing demand for hybrid and environmental-friendly cars Expansion in emerging Asian markets Financial and other non-auto division development New car models Global economic crisis Strong competition in automotive industry Yen and US dollar exchange rates Tight environmental regulations on carbon emissions Problems with specific components of sold cars. (Recent brake problem) 2.1. Key Financials Analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Sales 207,852.40 264,120.58 202,821.01 178,294.05 173,443.60 Operating Income -4,667.52 22,809.82 18,959.84 15,919.51 15,192.39 Net Income Available to Common -4,423.79 17,259.05 13,923.62 11,629.63 10,950.45 Total Assets 292,725.95 324,979.61 275,051.76 242,604.35 227,515.08 Total Liabilities 185,398.39 199,132.47 169,488.89 148,104.55 138,230.49 Common Equity 101,865.07 119,249.79 100,242.15 89,502.94 84,563.86 Net Cash Flow Operating Activities 14,724.7 26,357.6 27,783.5 22,136.2 22,144.6 * IMPORTANT First year to report losses * Stable increase in sales Decline in 2009 greatly affects income * Severe decrease in cash flow from operating activities, nearly 50% * Very big difference between sales and operating income points out severe cost expenses for the company. As this differences is constantly increasing it is not far from the truth to say that Toyota is gradually loosing its competitive advantages in cost efficiency against its competitors. * General trend in key financial s shows a steady and permanent increase until 2008 and a sharp decline in 2009, due to severe problems of economic recession and its great impact on automobiles industry. This trend applies for almost all financial s, pointing out that the companys performance as a whole followed a movement like this. 2.3. Multiples analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Price To Earnings -22.43 9.19 14.74 15.25 11.23 Price To Book 0.97 1.32 2.04 1.97 1.44 Price To Cash Flow 7.41 4.83 7.83 7.80 5.87 Price To Sales 0.5 0.7 0.8 1.0 0.7 * Multiples follow companys general trend, namely increase until 2007 and then decreasing sharply * Consistent with overall picture of company, multiple analysis show the economic downturn of the entity from 2007 onwards * Point to mention: negative P/E ratio. Markets expectation about company looks really slim. The economic crisis, alongside with its severe problems generating income and its recently damaged reputation, create really unfortunate future prospects for Toyota. The negative P/E ratio and specifically its magnitude (-22) implies that nobody is neither willing to pay to buy the companys share nor expecting any profit generation. * Very sharp decline as well; 31.62 units is something extremely noticeable. If we focus on decline itself, it shows an extremely quick unfavorable turn of the market towards the company. 2.4. Companys performance 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Profitability Return on Equity -3.98 14.49 14.68 14.00 13.60 Operating Profit Margin -2.25 8.64 9.35 8.93 8.76 Asset Utilization Total Assets Turnover 0.71 0.81 0.74 0.73 0.76 Net Sales % Working Capital 28.93 180.70 1412.62 29.78 15.30 Gearing EBITDA / Interest Expense 20.94 86.19 77.33 153.70 146.20 Long Term Debt/ Common Equit 62.63 50.40 52.92 53.41 55.44 Valuation Investment Earnings Per Share -1.41 5.43 4.34 3.57 3.32 Dividend Yield Close 3.21 2.82 1.59 1.40 1.63 Liquidity Quick Ratio 0.81 0.77 0.76 0.81 0.87 Current Ratio 1.07 1.01 1.00 1.07 1.15 * Negative profitability in 2009 * Fluctuating sales/working capital as a result of fluctuation if investments (working capital) * Gearing increase in 2009 at the same time with high decrease of interest cover * Stable and quite low liquidity 2.5. Cash Flow analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Cash Flow Operating Activities 14,724.7 26,357.6 27,783.5 22,136.2 22,144.6 Cash Flow Investing Activities (12,265.3) (34,254.0) (32,727.4) (29,704.4) (28,591.6) Cash Flow Financing Activities 6,967.4 6,242.7 7,565.6 7,716.8 3,917.0 Effect of exchange rates -1,294.04 -749.27 218.18 604.94 232.09 Net Cash Flow 8,132.86 -2,402.99 2,839.91 753.58 -2,297.85 * Severe decrease in cash flow from operating activities, nearly 50% which vividly affects its operating income * Extreme decrease in investing activities around 70%, probably caused by cash shortage and policy change. The company issued a new project with main goal to improve profits and cover operating expenses and as a result we see a large negative impact in new investments. * Financing activities exhibit a stationary trend over the past few years indicating the stable financial policy of the entity. * Adverse effects of exchange rates during the last two years indicating the risk the company runs because of the Yens depreciation to the U.S dollar and the Euro. 2.6. Stock Performance The companys share performance seems to move according to the index, with the trend to over perform it constantly. We can see the decline of the shares price, which started right before the end of 2008, following the global economic recession. At the turning point, which is in the beginning of 2009, we observe a relatively high trading volume, probably indicating the forthcoming upward movement. It is also really significant to point out the extreme high trading volume observed during the first months of 2010, followed by a new decline of the shares price. This reflects the problems that Toyota is facing nowadays. There is a considerable lack of trust from the market towards the company which is mainly caused by its severely damaged reputation and loss of quality. 3. Ford Motor Company 3.1 Overview of the company A . Company profile The group operates in two segments: Automotive and Financial Services. For the automotive segment which consists of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo has a main operating activity in manufacturing, sale and service of component for cars and trucks. The Financial services segment is included of financing, insurance and leasing regarding to cars, trucks, industrial equipment, construction equipment and other activities. The company has operation in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia- Pacific. B. Strategy Analysis  · One Ford The Company has initiated the new strategy called â€Å"One Ford† which has detail as follow: o ONE TEAM focuses the significant of team work in order to reach the automotive leadership. The measurement is satisfactory of business partners, employees, investors, and related companies. o ONE PLAN: The four-step plan has been established which composed of: balance between cost structure and revenue; develop new product follow customer preference; develop balance sheet status and finance the plan; and cooperation around the world to leverage companys resources. o ONE GOAL: That is â€Å"to create an exciting and viable company with profitable growth for all†. Ford has started the restructuring business process before the economic crisis which the Company has reduced the excess capacity, closed some unprofitable plants and lower excess workforce. In addition, Ford has improved the product line in term of higher quality, more safety, use less energy and more economic. * Affordable Fuel Economy: Focusing on deliver fuel efficiency engine to the market. For example, the 2010 Ford Fusion is now Americas most fuel efficient midsize sedan for both the hybrid and conventional gasoline models. * Electrification strategy: plan to bring pure batteryelectric vehicles, next-generation hybrids and a plug-in hybrid to market quickly and more affordably over the next four years. * Safety leadership: Ford got totaling 16 models picked from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety which more than other brands. * EcoBoostâ„ ¢ Engine: delivers significant gains in fuel economy along with a great performance drive feel. C. Peer Group Fords peer group is Daimler AG, Fiat Spa ¸ Honda Motor Company Limited, Motors Liquidation Company, Nissan Motor Company Limited, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG. D. Fords SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses l Wide geographic Operate throughout the world and has a strong market in North America, Europe and Asia. Sales of each region of 2008 are 49%, 39% and 12% respectively. The well diversified market of ford reduces the risk of economic problem in specific area. l Brand royalty Ford has renowned reputation about quality and also owns other renowned brands such as Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. l Quality car Ford owns totaling 16 models of car that rated as safety car by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety l Product Recall Experienced many recalled products due to the quality of defective cruise control switch which may cause fire. Even though there is no fire cases reported but the Companys reputation is negative affected. l Negative operating result l Low gross margin GSKs long-term debt increased by 115.5% in 2008, which may lead to problems such as heavy interest payment, risk of having too little working capital and even increasing possibilities of bankruptcy. l Too much long-term debt This may lead to problems such as heavy interest payment, risk of having too little working capital and even increasing possibilities of bankruptcy. Opportunities Threats l Expanding market in emerging market Ford has a plan to expand its sale in the emerging market which has great buying power in the future. l Eco-friendly engine Ford has high reputation in the eco-friendly engine such as hybrid engine which has very promising market. l Fuel efficiency Ford found another opportunity in the market for fuel-efficient in small and middle car. l High competition Due to new competitor, lower demand and excess capacity. l Economic crisis Economic crisis and regression in USA where is the main market of Ford caused severe effect to the Company. 3.2. Key Financial Analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Scaling Factor : 1,000,000 USD Currency: USD 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Net Sales or Revenues 146,277.00 172,455.00 160,123.00 177,089.00 171,652.00 Operating Income 3,518.00 8,031.00 -8,167.00 7,010.00 10,681.00 Earnings Before Interest And Taxes (EBIT) -4,885.00 6,792.00 -6,689.00 9,354.00 11,669.00 Interest Expense On Debt 9,682.00 10,927.00 8,783.00 7,643.00 7,071.00 Net Income Available to Common -14,681.00 -2,764.00 -12,615.00 2,441.00 3,634.00 Total Assets 215,773.00 276,459.00 275,337.00 264,891.00 294,447.00 ST Debt Current Portion of LT Debt 63,972.00 61,052.00 62,456.00 59,904.00 66,433.00 Long Term Debt 90,716.00 107,478.00 109,593.00 94,428.00 106,540.00 Total Liabilities 231,889.00 269,410.00 277,643.00 250,812.00 277,525.00 Common Equity -17,311.00 5,628.00 -3,465.00 12,957.00 16,045.00  · Net sales decreased from 2007 about 15% as the economic crisis in the State which is the main market of Ford. The Company has had substantial losses from operation since 2006.  · Ford has high outstanding of long-term loan which may causes liquidity deficiency or bankruptcy if the Company still has continuously loss in the future.  · As a result of net losses from operation since 2006, Ford has had negative shareholders equity since then. 3.3. Multiples Analysis MONTHLY HISTORICAL MARKET PRICES Y2008 Y2007 Y2006 Y2005 Y2004 January 6.64 8.13 8.58 13.17 14.54 February 6.53 7.91 7.97 12.65 13.75 March 5.72 7.89 7.96 11.33 13.57 April 8.26 8.04 6.95 9.11 15.36 May 6.80 8.34 7.16 9.98 14.85 June 4.81 9.42 6.93 10.24 15.65 July 4.80 8.51 6.67 10.74 14.72 August 4.46 7.81 8.37 9.97 14.11 September 5.20 8.49 8.09 9.86 14.05 October 2.19 8.87 8.28 8.32 13.03 November 2.69 7.51 8.13 8.13 14.18 December 2.29 6.73 7.51 7.72 14.64 . 5 Year 5 Year VALUATION Y2008 Y2007 Y2006 Y2005 Y2004 Y2003 Growth Rate Average P/E Ratio (High) -1.36 -6.93 -1.41 12.94 9.63 34.66 -1.04 2.57 P/E Ratio (Low) -0.16 -4.75 -0.90 6.64 7.01 13.16 -1.01 P/E Ratio (Close) -0.35 -4.81 -1.12 6.77 8.13 32.00 -1.01 1.73 Price/Sales 0.04 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.18 0.18 -0.80 0.10 Price/Book Value -0.32 2.62 -4.14 1.14 1.74 2.62 -3.94 0.21 Price/Cash Flow 0.44 1.24 1.76 0.70 1.11 1.35 -0.67 1.05 Price/Working Capital 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.16 7.78 TARenderChart.png * P/E ratio turned to be negative since net losses from operation since 2006 and also the market price has continuously decreased from 8.58 in the beginning of 2006 to 2.29 at the end of 2008. * P/B ratio had negative value in 2008 from the negative book value of Ford. 3.4. Companys performance Worldscope Currency: USD PROFITABILITY RATIOS 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Return On Invested Capital 0.25 1.92 1.95 2.95 3.32 Operating Profit Margin 2.43 2.94 3.12 5.02 6.54 ASSETS UTILIZATION RATIOS Asset Turnover 0.63 0.60 0.59 0.59 0.58 Net Sales Pct Working Capital 10.62 6.21 5.68 11.06 41.64 LEVERAGE RATIOS EBITDA / Interest Expense -0.50 0.62 -0.76 1.22 1.65 LT Debt Pct Common Equity -76.88 233.49 316.38 1,268.12 1,229.66 LIQUIDITY RATIOS Quick Ratio 1.05 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.03 Current Ratio 1.21 1.25 1.30 1.25 1.19  · Profitability ratios do not show the good performance as Ford has had net loss from operation since 2006.  · Leverage ratios also go in the same trends as a result of negative equity and high outstanding balance of long-term loan.  · Liquidity ratios present that Ford still can generate cash to supply its working capital but if consider to the long-term debts Ford may cannot provide enough cash to support its debt payment since these ratios are still in the low range compared with its debt outstanding amount. 3.5. Cash flow analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Scaling Factor : 1,000,000 USD Currency: USD 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Net Cash Flow From Operating Activities -179.00 17,074.00 9,609.00 21,674.00 22,591.00 Net Cash Flow From Investing Activities 3,143.00 6,457.00 24,862.00 -7,462.00 8,567.00 Long Term Borrowings 42,163.00 33,113.00 58,258.00 24,559.00 22,223.00 Inc(Dec) In ST Borrowings -5,120.00 919.00 -5,825.00 -8,591.00 4,937.00 Reduction In Long Term Debt 46,299.00 39,431.00 36,601.00 36,080.00 36,021.00 Net Cash Flow From Financing Activities -9,104.00 -5,242.00 15,273.00 -20,651.00 -14,226.00  · The Company cannot generated sufficient cash from operation and had negative net cash flow from operation. Moreover the Company had to pay interest expenses for loans and had high net cash paid for financing activity. 3.6. Stock market performance  · Ford shares have been traded lower than SP500 since 2001 until 2010. Especially since 2006 that the operating results had continuous substantial losses. 4. Honda Motor Company Limited 4.1. Introduction Honda Motor is one of leading automobile manufacturers in the world. The company develops, manufactures and markets automobiles, motorcycles and power products. The company also provides financing services to the dealer and customer for the sale of products. Honda has global operations in areas including North, South and Central America, Asia, Middle East, and Europe with its headquarter at Tokyo in Japan. Strategy analysis Honda Motor has three strategies. They are â€Å"Staying Close to Customers†, â€Å"glocalization† and â€Å"five region strategy†. Staying close to customers mean the maintenance of the qualities of a small company, Provide value product with flexibility and efficiency as a small company does and maintain global reach and technology advantage as a large company does is the drive to the future growth of Honda. Glocalization means the effort to launch subsidiaries in regions that could best meet the demand of local customers and expand the subsidiaries as the local demand increases. Five region strategy requires the operations focus on five areas the world. They are North America, South America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Oceania and Japan. The management decisions are served to suit the situation in different areas. The advanced RD capacity equips the Honda to provide flexible products to adjust the need of these regions. Business activities The company operates through four business segments: the automobile business, motorcycle business, financial services, and power products. The automobiles business division manufactures passenger cars, multi-wagons, minivans, port utility vehicle, sports coupe and mini vehicles. Hondas automobiles use gasoline engines of three, four or six-cylinder, diesel engines and gasoline-electric hybrid systems. Honda also offers alternative fuel-powered vehicles such as natural gas, ethanol, and fuel cell vehicles. In 2008, the company sold 3,925,000 units of automobiles. The motorcycle business produces a range of motorcycles, including scooters, electric-motor-assisted bicycles, sports bikes and large touring cycles. Hondas motorcycles use gasoline engines developed by Honda that are air or water cooled, two or four cycled, and single, two, four or six cylinder. In 2008, the company sold a total of 9,320,000 units of motorcycles. Honda offers a variety of financial services to its customers and dealers through its widespread finance subsidiaries. Hondas power products manufactures a variety of power products including power tillers, portable generators, general purpose engines, grass cutters, outboard engines, water pumps, snow throwers, power carriers, power sprayers, lawn mowers and lawn tractors (riding lawn mowers). Honda also manufactures the major components and parts used in its products, including engines, frames and transmissions. Peer Group The globalization of the Honda motor makes it face the global intense competition. The competitors include Ford Motor, Nissan Motor, Toyota Motor, Volkswagen etc.(in the automobile sector) and Yamaha Motor, Harley-Davidson etc.(in the motor vehicle industry). SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses l Global diversification The company operates a total of 397 subsidiaries, and 104 affiliates all over the world. l Leading market position and good brand image Honda is one of the largest vehicle and motorcycle manufacturers over the world with strong brand strength. l Strong Research and Development capacity The large investment in RD could equip Honda the capability to differentiate itself in the intense competitive market. l Declining Market Share in Sector Evident of decline in unit sales and lost of market shares in the automobile industry. l Low employee productivity Honda has a weak proportion on the number of employees and the revenues. Opportunities Threats l Growing demand in Asian market Honda has taken measures to occupy the huge potential Asian market. l Growing demand in hybrid electric vehicles The companys emphasis on hybrid technology innovation will capture market trends as an opportunity to enhance its market share. l Global competition The competition would result in price pressure and thus reduce the profitability. l Tightening emission regulations The emission standards will cause Honda to occur more costs in product development, testing and manufacturing process design. 4.2. Key Financials Analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Currency: JPY Scaling Factor : 1000000 JPY 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Sales 10,011,241.00 12,002,834.00 11,087,140.00 9,907,996.00 8,650,105.00 Operating Income 189,643.00 953,109.00 851,879.00 730,889.00 630,920.00 Net Income Available to Common 137,005.00 600,039.00 592,322.00 597,033.00 486,197.00 Total Assets 11,579,494.00 12,439,610.00 11,964,917.00 10,533,995.00 9,187,808.00 Total Liabilities 7,449,150.00 7,753,539.00 7,359,399.00 6,320,785.00 5,828,513.00 Common Equity 4,007,288.00 4,544,265.00 4,482,611.00 4,125,750.00 3,289,294.00 Net Cash Flow Operating Activities 383641 1126918 904525 576557 746624 l The operating income reduces dramatically, approximately 80% from the previous years result. This result is caused by the severe decline in the sales and the consequently increase in inventory cost. l Before 2009, all the s are in a healthy and steady upward trend. But in the fiscal year ended at 31st march 2009, the volumes all experienced a dramatic decline. They are caused by the sales plunge. l The declines trends are due to the economic recession caused by the financial crisis because the demand in Japan, US and Europe shrank. The automobile industry faces a severe challenge and most companies in the sector reported unsatisfactory results. 4.3. Multiple analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Price To Earnings 30.7 8.6 10.3 Price To Book 1.0 1.1 1.6 1.5 Price To Cash Flow 4.6 4.2 6.8 Price To Sales 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.6 l Although the P/E ratio increases significantly, its not a good sign. The increase in P/E ratio is not due to the high expectation of the investors and the fundamentals such as growth opportunities. Instead, the soaring P/E is the result of the plummeting earnings to common shareholders. l The price to book ratio and price to sales declined in 2008 and 2009, indicating the declining

Investigation Techniques Of A Homicide Essay -- essays research papers

Investigation Techniques of A Homicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The O. J. Simpson double murder trial is perhaps the most publicized case this decade. However, before the police can arrest Simpson and prosecute him, they must investigate. The investigation techniques LAPD used are used all over the world. CRIME SCENE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patrol officers received a disturbance call at Nicole Simpson's residence. They arrived on scene and discovered two bodies. They looked around to see if the suspect is anywhere around then they checked to determine the two subjects were dead. The officers immediately contacted the detectives on duty and supervisors and then secured the area to ensure no contamination to the scene. The officers' duties included making sure that no unauthorized people may enter the scene. They also have to protect all possible evidences left by the suspect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Simpson case, the officers did not do a very good job at securing the scene. They had allowed unauthorized officers the go through the scene, thus causing some contamination to the crime scene. This error had allowed the defense to attack the creditability of the police department. CAUSE AND TIME OF DEATH When the officers first arrived the scene, they saw two people lying in a pool of blood. The officers did not know if they were dead and if they were, how and when. After the medical examiner looked at the bodies and the wounds on the victims, he concluded that they were stabbed to death. The time of death was a bit harder to determine. Death caused some changes to the bodies. The investigator looked at the changes and was able to estimate a time of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the changes the examiners look for are: lost of body temperature, rigor mortis, and postmortem lividity. The body temperature will start to decrease after death. The body will also start to stiffen after death, this is call rigor mortis. Rigor mortis usually starts to set in two to four hours after death. Time of death can be estimated by the stiffness of the body. Another way to estimate the time of death is postmortem lividity. When the body ceased to function, gravity pulls the blood down and settled at the lowest points of the body. Postmortem lividity may appear on the body between half hour to four hours after death. The determination of t... ...ered more evidences to link Simpson to the murders. All the testimonies showed that Simpson had actually planned the crime. He even had an alibi which was shaky. Simpson also had a history of spousal abuse. All the evidences pointed unfavorably toward O. J. Simpson. The elements of the crime the police needed were established and Simpson was formally Charged. DNA There were no fingerprints at the crime scene. However, there were some blood which belonged to neither victims'. Thanks to modern technology, scientists can detect differences in people's DNA. DNA is the genetic fingerprint of a person. The principal of DNA identification is the same as fingerprints, no two persons can have the same composition. During the Simpson trial, the admissibility of DNA evidence was highly debated. The O. J. Simpson trial had ended for a year now. O. J. was cleared of murdering his former wife and her friend. The police is still investigating this case. The LAPD made some mistakes which allowed the defense to attack the creditability of the police. This showed the importance of protecting the crime scene. Other than these mistakes, the LAPD conducted a almost text book perfect investigation. t

How Is Conflict Presented in Bayonet Charg Essay

Conflict often has harmful effects, including causing death and destruction, so it is usually viewed negatively. However, conflict can also bring out positive traits in people, and the people involved in it may be respected. â€Å"Bayonet Charge† imagines a soldier’s experience in battle. â€Å"The Charge of The Light Brigade† recounts the story of the charge made by the Light Brigade in the Battle of Balaclava. Language One way conflicted is presented in â€Å"Bayonet Charge† is through the use of language. The language used, portrays the soldier and his actions/movements. Ted Hughes uses sibilance to portray the soldier’s actions as well as feelings. For example, â€Å"raw-seamed hot khaki, his sweat heavy Stumbling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The use of sibilance here mimics the squelching mud. The repetitive‘s’ sounds recreates an image of the soldier walking through mud. The word ‘khaki’ suggests that the person being described is a soldier as it is normally associated with the military uniforms. The word ‘heavy’ suggests that the soldier is uncomfortable and his movements are unnatural. The word ‘stumbling’ suggests that the soldier is disoriented and could also suggest that his movements are clumsy. Another way language is used to present conflict is through the use of similes. For example, â€Å"Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest†. The phrase ‘molten iron’ suggests a burning, abject terror at the heart of his being. On the other hand, â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† uses metaphors such as â€Å"Valley of Death† to present conflict. This phrase forebodes the charge as it makes it sound certain that the soldiers are going to die. It also suggests the commander has made a mistake as he has sent them into the ‘valley of death’. This makes the soldiers more courageous as they are marching into their own deaths. It also creates the allusion to psalm, where faith instils courage in the face of death. Another way language is used to present conflict is through the use of rhetorical questions. For example, â€Å"was there a man dismay’d?† The rhetorical question implies unequivocal bravery and shows the gallant nature of the men. It shows that they were used to obeying orders and leaving the thinking to their generals. Structure/Form The form and the structure of the poems also plays a part in getting the message across to the reader. â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† has a clear and powerful rhythm and rhyme scheme that suggest the energy of the battle. The Light Brigade’s determined gallop towards its destruction is emphasised, by repetition, from the first two lines of the first stanza of the poem: â€Å"Half a league, half a league,/ Half a league onward†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Once the order has been given, the fate of the men was sealed – they had no choice but to follow their terrible destiny to its conclusion. The weapons they faced are also repeated, sometimes with slight variations, for example, â€Å"Cannon to the right of them, / Cannon to the left of them,† to emphasise the danger faced by the cavalry and their great bravery. Repetition creates a sense of impatience to enter battle and bravery in the face of danger. Alfred Tennyson uses dactylic trimester to mimicking the stea dy galloping of their horses. The stresses also create a â€Å"falling rhythm† which symbolises the soldiers who will fall. The poet has written the poem in 6 irregular lined stanzas. This could be to show the unpredictability of war. The word â€Å"Cannons† has been used as an anaphora for three lines which emphasises the fact soldiers are surrounded and can’t escape. The sheer amount of cannons blocks their vision therefore suggesting they couldn’t anticipate the attack. The form of the poem is a narrative story. This is because the poet is describing the attack to his audience. â€Å"Bayonet Charge† uses onomatopoeia, alliteration and assonance and the senses to bring the images described to life. â€Å"Stumbling across†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is an awkward line to read, which evokes the sensation of running across a muddy field. The use of enjambment throughout the poem quickens the pace and emphasises urgency and unpredictability of war. The use of medial caesuras achieves a variety of effects, from reflecting the soldier’s tiredness to deliberately making the action feel like slow motion. The use of iambic pentameter in some lines helps the poems flow and recreates a heartbeat

Cyber crime Essay

The proliferation of the use of internet technology for some time now has seen the growth of crimes that are committed over the net which is also referred to as the cyberspace. These crimes are referred to as cyber-crime. Basically cyber-crime is part of electronic crime and it is a criminal activity that is executed through computer network (Balkin, 2007). Traditionally the term espouses such crimes as fraud, theft, forgery, blackmail, and other illicit activities that are done over the network. However as the use of computer networks have increased and more types of computer crimes have come up and the definition of the crimes has also become expounded. The web is a worldwide thing in which materials are posted and accessed from all corners of the world. This worldwide coverage of the net gives rise to a diversity of information that is found in the net and it follows that cyber-crimes are a worldwide crimes. The nature of the differences in cultures in the world for example give rise to a need make sure the net is an objective platform of information dissemination, be it religious, social, or political material. The growth of business over the internet; e-business has also brought in another type of cyber crime whereby people may defraud potential customers of their money by advertising goods, services or even jobs that are non existent. Other types of cyber crimes exist, and they shall be looked at in the following discussion. According to the USA’s Department of Justice, there have been very many cases of cyber-crime that are reported annually. This made the US government to join hands with the European council’s Convention against Cyber crime in 2006. Look more:Â  the issues concerning identity theft essay Types of cyber-crimes The crimes that are common in the cyber are fraud. Fraud is a dishonest misrepresentation of facts that is intended to cause loss for somebody else and benefit the fraud doer. This includes changing inputs in internet in unauthorized manner, altering or deleting data that is already stored in the net, altering existing system tools, manipulating bank systems so as to make unauthorized access to bank ATM’s (Shinder, 2002). Offensive content is another form of cyber crime. Harmful contents of websites are considered as cases of cyber crime. Also distasteful or offensive the information carried in a cyber sites is not allowed. All materials that have the potential of inciting hate crimes in societies, materials that encourage political rebellion, or blasphemous material are not allowed also as they are basically offensive in significant manner. If these kinds of materials are found posted on the web their owners are accused of cyber crime. The reason for the restriction of these materials is that they lead to hostilities based on faith, race, etc that the modern world does not have a place for. Harassment is another type of crime that occurs over the net. It includes the circulation of derogatory comments, and obscenities that are directed at certain individuals that are based on their aspects of gender, religion, race, sexual orientation or national identity. This is mainly done through news groups, e mails with hate messages, and chat rooms. Another crime that is supported by the net is drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is done through the net in that the illegal substance sellers use encrypted e-mail and other available internet technologies. The substances themselves are delivered to the buyer after they make payments. This crime leads to more sales for the drug sellers since the trade is restricted in most countries and the intimidated users of the drugs resort to this option as a save haven. Cyber terrorism is another kind of cyber crime. This crime is the coercion or intimidation of organizations or the government to advance a certain persons political or social goals. This is done by launching attacks on their computer networks, and the information stored there using computer. This vice can be defined as an act of terrorism that is committed via the use of computer resources or cyberspace. It ranges from simple propaganda to the use of the internet to commit a serious terrorist attack (Blane, 2003). Hacking activities are classified as acts of cyber terrorism. This activity is the attacking of websites of families, individuals, and groups within a network, in order to collect information that is useful for criminal activities such as blackmailing, robberies, or ruining the activities of the web owners. A Canada case in 2000, which involved a Mafia boy who had committed 54 counts of illegal access to computers, is a classical case of cyber crime. The defendant also faced ten counts for mischievous data attacks on dell computer, yahoo, among other companies’ websites. There are many let downs in the fight against cyber crime. Many countries around the world lack systems and laws that are aimed at combating the crime. In extreme cases there are nations that condone or encourage some cyber crimes. In many of the countries the burden of fighting cyber-crime is left to corporations that are affected in one way or the other by the vice. Some of the countries have laws against the crime but the law is not implemented while others have proposals for the law but they have not made the law. Nigeria here serves as an example of such a country which has a good plan for fighting the crime only that the proposals have not been made into law. The bill addressing the crime is in the national assembly waiting to be discussed. If the bill were passed, cyber criminals would be prosecuted and duly punished. This go slow attitude is seen in many countries that don’t seem to realize the danger that cyber-crimes pose to the victims. In any case government agencies like the police force, and crime investigation departments are among the leading victims of cyber crimes. Also politicians get lots of cyberspace blackmail and hence they should be in the forefront of finding a solution to the problem. Again cyberspace crimes are an image destroying affair. For instance a cyber-criminal operating from a country A to injure a victim in country B destroys the overall image of their country and this may translate to less trust for his country in the eyes of other countries. The result of this may be economical loss of for the country that hosts the cyber-criminals as web based companies refrain from investing in the country (Yar, 2006). Protections against cyber-crimes The enactment of laws against cyber crime by the governments has been a move in the right direction. In US there are such laws as; Computer Abuse and Fraud Act that address issues of fraud that is related to computers, SPAM act that is intended to at controlling assaults of non solicited pornography. Other laws address extortion threats, identity theft, wire fraud, electronic communications privacy, and secrets of trade (Thomas, 2000). Legal frameworks that address each emergent form of cyber-crime should be made. The laws that are made should be implemented and avoid the situations from the past where some of the laws have not been put into practice. There should be cooperation with among the stakeholders concerned in the cyber-crime inclusive of all operators and technical solution providers in the sector. Such cooperation is a fast way to eliminating cyber criminals as their life in the community will be made difficult. The operators of cybercafes should not involve themselves with people who abuse the internet and commit the crimes. Public awareness on the crimes should be instituted. This campaign should inform the public about the dangers involved in the crimes. Awareness about cyber-crime should be created among members of the society so as to cut the number of cases that are likely to occur if the people are not aware. The structure of the Europe’s convention against cyber-crime is that nations who become signatories of it harmonize their national laws, improve their investigative capacity on the matter and cooperate with other nations in the fight against the crimes. If this convention is adopted internationally it is able to stop the problem to a great extent. This is due to the trans-border nature of the problem. Since the net is used and violated worldwide then a workable solution to the problem should be worldwide. If the convention is not adopted in all countries, and cyber-criminals continue to operate freely there still will be effects on those countries that have ratified the convention (Shinder, 2002). On top of all this, victims of cyber-crimes should report the cases to the authorities for actions to be taken. Cyber criminals should be named and shamed so that they may cease from the practice. Conclusion Cyber crimes are very prevalent in today’s world and all actions that is required should be done to curb them. The current actions taken against the crimes are not enough and more should be done to address the problem as it posses a grave danger to the entire population of the world as it has the potential to influence political, social and economical wellbeing of communities, individuals and institutions. Protection of the self’s interest can only be guaranteed through the concerted efforts of all stakeholders and nations in fighting the crime. References Balkin, J. (2007). Cybercrime: Digital Cops in a Networked Environment NYU Press Blane, J. (2003). Cybercrime and Cyberterrorism. Nova Publishers Shinder, D. (2002). Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook. Syngress Thomas, D. (2000). Cybercrime: Law Enforcement, Security and Surveillance in the Information Age. Routledge Yar, M. (2006). Cybercrime and Society: Crime and Punishment in the Information Age. SAGE http://www. usdoj. gov/criminal/cybercrime/ http://computerworld. co. ke/articles/2008/11/10/nigerian-govt-rated-low-curbing-cybercrime