Hirschis Social Bond Theory in Criminology

Hirschis Social Bond Theory in Criminology Travis Hirschi had an enormous effect on the field of criminology. His influence was most certainly felt the most in the subject of control theory. Hirschi’s theories were always plainly stated in layman’s terms so everybody could clearly understand them. Hirschi’s first theory: Social Bonds and Delinquency, states that delinquency arises when social bonds are weak or absent. This theory challenged Merton’s strain theory and Sutherland’s differential association theory. The question that is asked by these two theories is why people are motivated to commit crimes. Merton’s stated that it was the blockage of goals that pushed individuals to commit crime. Sutherland’s theory said that youths are taken in by deviant culture and they learn and adopt criminal behavior from those around him. Hirshi, on the other hand took the path less taken. For Hirshi, the question that his theory sought to answer was: Why don’t people break the law? Hirschi wanted to identify the nature of the social controls that determine when crime occurs. Hirschi called these social controls, â€Å"Social Bonds† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011) Hirschi’s social bond theory stressed four control variables that gave reason as to why people don’t break the law, with each representing a major social bond. The bonds are: Attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment refers to the emotional closeness that adolescents have with adults, role models, and most importantly parents. â€Å"Affectional Identification,† meaning that the youth aspires to be more like their parents or role models plays a large part in this bond (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). If the adults in their life are crime free, the youth is more likely to follow the same straight and narrow path. There is also a sense that parents know what their children are doing and where they are. This bond strengthens every time that there is interaction between the two parties as the interaction is usually on a personal basis. As a result of these things, parents have a form of indirect control. The indirect control works because their attachme nt to their parents makes them psychologically present. The second bond is The Social Bond of Commitment. Commitment involves the adolescents place in conformity. The youth does not want to blow their chances of having a great and bright future by doing something that they shouldn’t do. This is the common ratio of cost and benefit that is seen in other criminological theories and throughout life. The question it begs is; does deviating from the social norms to achieve certain means outweigh the potentially great losses that are also on the table. In order for this to be an effective bond, individuals must know and connect the deviance and reward and make a decision based on their own outcomes. Strain theory also uses the cost and benefit ratio; however it states that having high aspirations is what leads to deviance (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). Hirschi again stated the opposite was true; â€Å"Legitimate aspirations gave a stake in conformity that tied the individual to the conventional social order† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The third social bond is The Social Bond of Involvement. Involvement is a way to prevent and deny access to criminal actions and deviant behavior through involvement in activities. If you are in school all day or at work, one would be much less likely to commit a crime. This bond theory is in its own way paying homage to the old saying, â€Å"idle hands are the devil’s workshop† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The fourth and final social bond is The Social Bond of Belief. People want approval of others, so their actions tend to reflect the societal norms that are seen to be approved actions. Belief is the extent that youths embrace the moral validity of the law and other norms. Conforming individuals obey the law because it is seen as a legitimate and respected request to them. Ronald Akers stated that â€Å"Individuals offend because they are socialized to embrace criminal cultural beliefs† (Lilly, C ullen, Ball, 2011). Where Hirschi stated that one does not need to learn to be a criminal because all humans are gratification-seeking beings and crime is easy to commit (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to bring light to the effects social bonds have on the likelihood to commit delinquent activities. Attachment Theories are based on the view that human beings have a large desire to be accepted by others. This is usually a good thing; however, it can also help a delinquent mindset to form. The formation of strong bonds between the adult figure(s) in an adolescents life helps put a stop to delinquent activities before they even occur. However, those with insecure attachment to parents have problems with emotional regulation and impulse control acting on immediate rewards at the expense of long-term goals (Lac, Crano, Berger, Alvaro, 2013). Attachment also applies to peers. Peer attachment was positively associated with self-esteem, self-control, and optimism, but these variables tended to be more strongly associated with parental attachment. However, inadequate bonding to a parental figure may present a risky shift to relying on peers engaged in activities outside of the norms of society (Lac, Crano, Berger, Alvaro, 2013). These associations among peers that go wrong lead to drug use and drinking and activities such as that. In a study eight questions were asked in order to estimate how many of his or friends smoked cigarettes, used smokeless tobacco, drank alcoholic beverages, got drunk, smoked marijuana, used crack cocaine, used powder cocaine, and used heroin. The results showed that 84 percent of the test groups friends uses or have tried these substances (De Li). Under the Commitment bond, there is an underlying assumption that there is not much more time left in the act, project or whatever an individual is attempting to accomplish when weighing the pros and cons of a deviant act conceived. This is why there really is a burden to make a decision and make the right one according to the circumstances. Involvement in school is also an important form of commitment because it also acts as a stake in conformity which helps root people into social conformity (Krohn Massey). People who do not hold strong beliefs in conventional values have nothing holding th em to the bond and are therefore more likely to commit deviant acts. If any one or more of the four social bonds are weakened or severed, the chances of delinquent behavior increases significantly (Krohn Massey). Even when Social Bonds fail, desistance is always an option for those who want to get back on the straight and narrow path. Desistance is the act of ceasing offending behavior. One ways that has been discovered to be effective is the development of an attachment bond to a wife or husband or getting a stable profession. Marriage is however found to be the best. Men who desisted from criminal activities were engaged in structured routines, they were socially bonded to wives, children and significant others. They learned to draw encouragement, resources, and social support from their relationships. The impact of social ties, life events, and socialization experiences was emphasized to desisting offenders in order for them to truly know what they will lose if they choose to of fend again (Doherty). In regards to marriage, those with low self-control have much more room to change with the help of a stable healthy marriage than those with high self-control. The monitoring factor that comes along with the marriage territory plays a large role in that (Doherty). The monitoring factor is such an important one especially when one is growing up due to the fact that it prevents delinquency and reduces the chance that individuals will deviate when there is no monitoring occurring. A study found that low monitoring produced delinquency, although it was indirectly through low self-control and aggression. This is due to the adolescent getting a pretty clear impression that the parents don’t really care about what their kid is up to. And the mindset that most people would likely draw from that is, â€Å"If they don’t care, then why should I?† (Gault-Sherman, 2012). That mindset is related the attachment bond. They strive to be like their parents a nd copying is the greatest form of flattery. When delinquents turn to crime, it is usually because that they feel that there is no other way to fulfill their needs at the current time. However, deep down it is due to the way that their parents raised them, their attachments to people, their involvement in extra activities, things that they’ve committed or not committed time to and their own personal set of beliefs that they hold dear to themselves. In the Attachment theory, the outcome of the adolescent is largely affected by how their parents raised them, and how the other important adult role models in their life treated them. Say for example that every day when a little boy came home from school, he is bullied by his father, neglected by his mother, picked on by his siblings and treated horribly by all. This is not going to have a positive effect on that little boy at all. This behavior will instill in him a warped sense of what’s ok due to affectional identification (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The little boy may go to school the next day and bully another kid to make himself feel better, to feel like he is following in his father’s footsteps. This may seem like a easily fixed issue, but in reality, it most certainly is not. There is a high chance the boy all grown up will engage in delinquent behavior, even if he is not arrested. He will most likely beat and or bully his kids or wives and treat people terribly. When the delinquent actions aren’t confined to just the home, even more problems can arise which can lead the individual down an even steeper downward spiral. That is why it is such an important responsibility that the parents have to raise their children with love, attention, and compassion in order to help prevent even more delinquency being brought into the world. As individuals go through school, cheating is a huge aspect that they must try to avoid. It is such an easy action to perform, as it requires just a turn of the head during a test, or clicking send on an email full of test answers. Many people don’t even regard it as a delinquent act. Cheating is such a large obstacle because it directly relates to the social bond of commitment. Students spend at the minimum twelve years of their lives in school not including college. That’s a large portion of their life. If cheating makes it an easier twelve years for them, they may embrace that particular delinquent behavior in order to make the long journey ahead a little bit easier. Most individual’s mindset is that it isn’t fair if others can cheat and succeed, and they shouldn’t, which again begs the question of why don’t people commit crimes and or delinquent acts? All students, whether they cheat or not, have goals, dreams, careers to look forward to, and their futures at stake while going through school. This path with a destination deters some from cheating because they don’t want to risk losing all that they have worked so hard for just so they have an easier time on a test or don’t have to write their own original paper. Others on the other hand, do not particularly care about this tradeoff and decide to cheat anyway. This may be because they weighed the options, and they found cheating to be the best course of action and worth taking the risk to do so, or the individuals reasoning could be that they just don’t have any higher aspirations or goals. Whatever the case may be, parents, teachers, the community, and even officers of the law should do all in their power to emphasize the importance of being honest throughout school, and the impact that cheating and deviating could have on them if they were to lose sight of all that they had committed themselves to completing. This emphasis on commitment will help form more well-rounded individuals who are better adapted to function in society than those that choose to take the easy way out. The social bond of involvement plays a vital role in preventing del inquency in the modern world as well. When individuals have nothing to do, often they go looking for something. What they find may not be the best thing to do and in turn may have a very counter-productive effect on their life. Examples include joining gangs, underage drinking and smoking, partaking in the use of narcotics, stealing and the list goes on. Parents and schools often attempt to enroll their children and students into extracurricular activities in order to keep them occupied and out of the reach and influence that many unsavory activities can have on young and developing minds. The social bond of involvement and commitment are often connected because individuals often commit a large portion of their idle time to these activities and don’t want to risk being unable to participate in them again because they’ve committed a deviant act. In any case, involvement in healthy activities is very important in the fight to keep kids on the straight and narrow due to i ts ability to occupy their free time with productive activities instead of others that may lead them down a path towards delinquency. The more the importance of involvement is stressed, the better the chances that more and more individuals will keep away from crime. The final social bond that Hirschi brought light to is the social bond of belief. Belief is a strange and funny thing because some have a lot of it, while others have seemingly none. Those who don’t hold strong beliefs in the norms of society are not really bound by the bond of belief. When people believe that rules that are in place are actually there for a reason, they become bound to belief. This is usually a good thing, assuming that the rules in place are for the betterment of society as a whole and not just for the few. It’s also about respect in a way. Individuals who are taught to respect legitimate laws, people, and other such things are much less likely to deviate from them than one who is not tau ght to respect, but to instead rebel. Belief must be instilled from a young age during the same time the attachment bond starts to form. If parents believe that laws and other such things are legitimate, then their children will most likely recognize that and adopt the same into their behavior. Those whose parents have weak bonds with their children will have a much more difficult if not nonexistent time trying to instill these values and beliefs. It should be noted that belief can be completely abandoned in an instant and should be treated with the utmost fragility. The more parents, role models, and significant figures put emphasis on and utilize belief during the youth’s more impressionable years, the more likely it will be that the youth does not partake in deviant activities. Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory has certainly accomplished what it set out to explain. The reason why people don’t commit crime is because of their attachments to other significant people in their lives, their commitment to finishing what they started and not losing their progress, their involvement in healthy non deviant behavior, and lastly the belief that laws and constraints are put into place for a good and legitimate reason. Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory has much strength in its favor and very few weaknesses. One of the weaknesses is that when adolescents are involved in a lot of delinquent activities outside of their home, the bond they have with their parents weakens. This is because Hirschi didn’t take into consideration that bonds change over time, and that strong bonds of attachment and involvement can take place among peers even when parental bonds are strong. One of the two bonds is bound to overcome the other. Another weakness that Hirschiâ€℠¢s theory has is that it is â€Å"based on the assumption that humans are naturally self-interested and thus need no special motivation to break the law† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). This is not a good assumption at all because not all people are similarly motivated. The strengths of Hirschi’s theory are their simplicity and that the actual applications of the bonds do lead to less delinquency occurring among youths. The practice of instilling these bonds in the youth of today is very important to the future to come. Everybody must do their part in the fight against delinquency. Works Cited De Li, S. (n.d.). the impacts of self-control social bonds on juvenile delinquency in a national sample of midadolescents. Deviant Behavior, pp. 351-373. Doherty, E. E. (n.d.). Self-control, social bonds, and desistance: A test of life-course interdependence. Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Jornal, XLIV(4), pp. 807-833. Gault-Sherman, M. (2012, February). Its a Two-Way Street: The Bidirectional Relationship Between Parenting and Delinquency. Journal of Youth Adolescence, LXXII(2), 121-145. Krohn, M. D., Massey, J. L. (n.d.). Social Control and Delinquent Behavior: An Examination of the Elements of the Social Bond. The Sociological Quarterly, XXI(4), pp. 529-544. Lac, A., Crano, W. D., Berger, D. E., Alvaro, E. M. (2013, August). Attachment theory and theory of planned behavior: An integrative model predicting underage drinking. Developmental Psychology, XLIX(8), 1579-1590. doi:10.1037/a0030728 Lilly, J. R., Cullen, F. T., Ball, R. A. (2011). Criminological Theory. Thousand Oaks, California, United States of America: SAGE Publications.

Computer Fraud – an Analysis on Oracle Corp vs. Sap Ag

Information system has been playing a grave essential role in daily business activities. Over the past decade, the detection rate of computer crimes concerning information system attacks has risen sharply. According to Kunz and Wilson (2004), reported computer crimes have been septupled from 2000 to 2003 and leads to inestimable economic loss. Therefore, themes on information security, especially the prevention of computer fraud, have attracted increasingly attentions (Romney and Steinbart, 2009). However, it seems that perpetrators can always find new techniques to theft invaluable business secrets stored, processed or protected by those information systems. Moreover, some abuse techniques have been used in economic espionage, which causes a yearly loss of $250 billion (ibid). Oracle Corp vs. SAP AG could be one of the relating cases occurred in the recent 2007 and is not yet closed till present. This essay will firstly introduce the Case. Then by using Fraud Triangle, analyze the reason of SAP’s commitment of computer fraud and data theft. Finally, suggestions on how to improve the security of company’s information system will be addressed with some reflections of the Case. It has been reported that the world’s software giant SAP AG was sued by its largest competitor, Oracle Corporation, for computer fraud and data theft in March 2007 (Anon, 2010). In the Complaint, Oracle Corporation (2007) stated that in November 2006, unusual heavy download activities were spotted on Customer Connection, a website Oracle used to serve its customers. The uncovered access originated from an IP address in one of SAP’s braches with log-in IDs of PeopleSoft and J. D. Edwards customers. It is discovered later that TomorrowNow and SAP TN, two SAP subsidiaries, committed a series of unauthorized access to Oracle’s customer service system and more than 10,000 illegal download activities. Mass of important materials, including copyrighted software codes and confidential documents was theft. In this way, SAP was capable of establishing a service library for PeopleSoft and J. D. Edwards products, and launched a marketing campaign to snatch Oracle’s customers. The fraud resulted in Oracle’s 120 copyrights infringed and posed the threats of losing 358 customers (Kawamoto, 2007). On 24 November 2010, the U. S. Federal District Court for Northern California announced that Oracle won the Case with SAP liable for $1. 3 billion compensation. As Slappendel (2010) points out, this is the largest amount ever awarded in copyright infringement cases. The core reason may lies that the verdict is based upon the fair market value of the licenses for utilizing those resources instead of Oracle’s profit loss. After the verdict, SAP’s stock price has been falling significantly and TomorrowNow had to be shut down (Anon, 2011; Team, 2010). Although SAP accepted the liability and apologized for its inappropriate behavior, the company has been arguing that the penalty was contrary to the reality of the damage caused by the fraud (Margan, 2011). It is also reported that SAP has filed motions to the Court and therefore SAP’s computer fraud case does not seem to end at present. The action of data theft has brought unnecessary troubles to both SAP and Oracle. In order to prevent computer fraud effectively, it is essential to fully examine the reason of SAP’s behavior. Fraud Triangle will be used as an analysis tool. It is estimated by Romney and Steinbart (2009) that Fraud Triangle consists of the three normal conditions for fraud to occur: pressures, opportunities and rationalizations. Figure 1 shown below is a brief summary of Fraud Triangle in the Case. 5. Homely meals in software industry FIGURE 1 FRAUD TRIANGLE OF SAP Pressure Opportunity Rationalization 2. Oracle’s insufficient security management 4. Theft by other companies (i. e. Siebel Systems) before 1. Financial – fierce competition in the market 3. Few evidence – may not be spotted Firstly, SAP is probably under the severe pressure of maintaining the top one throne in the software market. During the last decade, competition between Oracle and SAP has greatly increased and the rivalry has developed into a feud. Particularly in 2004, Oracle began a series of acquisitions, aiming at increasing the share of enterprise applications market, where SAP owned the leadership (PeopleSoft, 2011). After realizing the seriousness, SAP fighted back by offering special discounts to woo customers, and thus a cruel price battle initiated. However, the strategy did not seem to rescue much, SAP’s market share remains downward sloping (Team, 2010). Currently, Oracle and SAP are vying for the third-party enterprise software support and maintenance market. The enormous pressure of winning may contribute to the commitment of computer fraud, especially for spying the business secrets of the largest competitor. The following two external conditions may possibly be linked to SAP’s unwise actions: Oracle’s insufficient security management and an opportunity to conceal the fraud. Oracle has provided the Customer Connection as a supplementary of its service to the customers. However, the semi-open system, which stores countless precious information, does not appear to be equipped with superior security management techniques. A huge defect exists that allows easy access to resources supposed to be protected from outsiders. In terms of the flaw, Oracle may be partially liable of its loss. Even though Oracle’s detection of abnormal access is relatively sensitive, it could not take a step ahead of the crime. Besides, Oracle’s dependence on service website offers the probability to conceal fraud, since comparably less evidence would be left for detection. With technology improvement, computer fraud may become far more difficult to spot in the future (The National Fraud Center, Inc. , 2000). Moreover, the experience of being a casualty of computer crimes might have lifted SAP’s rationalization of being a perpetrator. It is recorded that in 1999, SAP filed a lawsuit against Siebel Systems and claimed of being a victim of the so-called White Collar Crime (Kawamoto, 2007). Additionally, it may be reasonable to recognize the fact that most people in software industries regard the occurrence of computer fraud as homely meals, because almost all businesses in this market have grabbed some most advanced computer techniques, together with some abuse techniques obviously. As a result, SAP’s fraud behavior may not be that severe in the eyes of the decision makers. Hence, accelerate the germination of computer crimes. After fully assessment of why SAP may err, suggestions on how to improve the security of enterprise’s information system will be addressed with reflections of the Case. In the perspective of prevention, several control methods could be considered to raise the security capability of the enterprise’s information systems. First of all, persuade or enforce all employees, even the customers, to use strong password to access to company’s database or service websites (Standler, 2007). Requirement of password changes at regular time intervals would be necessary to prevent some former employees of customers’ company from entering the system, which may exactly Oracle needs. Secondly, restrict physical and remote access to system resources unless the both the log-in ID and IP address are authorized (Backhouse and Dhillon, 1995). Thirdly, safeguard and double encrypt all data and programs. For example, materials on the Customer Connection could be double encrypted so that without further encoding, the downloaded materials would remain useless for non-employees or non-customers. Besides, techniques such as anti-virus software and firewall could to some extent protect the system from worms and viruses attack. Although using the above prevention method could avoid some dispensable loss, perpetrators penetrate everywhere (Romney and Steinbart, 2009). Therefore, an efficient detection system should be ready for any possible incidences. The establishment of a fraud hotline is recommended, which contains the employment of computer security officers, consultants and forensic specialists. The control system will be engaged in monitoring all malicious actions and reporting back as soon as possible. In the Case, Oracle took advantage of its superior detection system and made SAP’s fraud evidence traceable and suppressible (Oracle Corporation, 2007). Despite prevention and detection, there are other preparations could be made ahead of the arrival of any disasters with the intention of reducing the loss caused by computer fraud (Kunz and Wilson, 2004). These routines mainly concern insurance application, recovery plans constitution, material back-up within the whole information system. Furthermore, timely crime reporting to the government crime center and effectively legislative tool using might be helpful for retrieving fairly compensations from perpetrators, as it has been done by Oracle Corporation in the Case. Some ERP market analysts even suspect that the Lawsuit could be a sort of Oracle’s strategy to decrease the competition in the third-party enterprise software maintenance and support market. Whatever the original purpose is, Oracle has achieved benefit from winning the Lawsuit for the current period. To conclude, SAP’s situation has satisfied all of the three conditions presented in Fraud Triangle, some of which heavily depend on industrial environment as well as the design of Oracle’s information system. Thus, objectively, SAP may not liable for all the censure, though it really has been occupied in illicit competition using computer fraud. Oracle could be considered partially responsible for its loss and the sentenced $1. 3 billion seems somewhat too cruel for SAP to bear. Although some experts may argue that the breach of intellectual property is unforgivable culpable negligence, it looks possible for the Court to adjust the amount of penalty towards a more realistic number. Since the next round hearings will not start until July 2011, all the outcomes remain unpredictable (Margan, 2011). It is undeniable that, however, computer fraud could bring about huge losses for the entire society, especially when it is used in economic espionage. In the speeding advancing information century, nearly all of the impossible could be made possible. Consequently, it seems that only the creation of a healthy competition environment, emphasis on business ethics and proper education may aid in bringing down the upward climbing computer crime rate. REFERENCE Anon. (2007) SAP-We Will Aggressively Defend Against Oracle‘s Claims [online]. Ziff Davis Media, United Press International. Available at: [30 April 2011] Anon. (2010) Oracle Awarded $1. 3bn In SAP Data Theft Case [online] 24 November. BBC News. Available at: [28 April 2011] Anon. (2011) SAP Posts Sharp Profit Drop Due To Oracle Lawsuit [online] 26 January. Available at: [29 April 2011] Backhouse,J. and Dhillon,G. (1995) Managing Computer Crime – A Research Outlook [online]. Computer and Security: 14(1995) 645-651. A vailable at: [29 April 2011] Granick,J. S. (n. d. ) Faking It: Calculating Loss In Computer Crime Sentencing [online]. Available at: [1 May 2011] Kawamoto,D. (2007) Oracle Sues SAP On Spying Charges [online] 22 March. CNET News. Available at: [28 April 2011] Kunz,M and Wilson,P. (2004) Computer Crime And Computer Fraud [online]. Available at: [1 May 2011] Margan,T. P. (2011) Oracle, SAP Still Going At It Over TomorrowNow [online] 28 February. Available at: [29 April 2011] Niccolai,J. (2010) SAP: Court Lops $500M Off Oracle’s Potential Damages [online] November. IDG News. Available at: [1 May 2011] Oracle Corporation (2007) Oracle Vs. SAP Lawsuit Complaint [online]. Available at: [28 April 2011] Panorama Consulting Group. (2010) Clash Of The Titans: An Independent Comparison Of SAP Vs. Oracle [online]. Available at: [10 April 2011] PeopleSoft (2011) Oracle vs. SAP [online] 1 May. Available at: [1 May 2011] Romney,M. B. and Steinbart,P. J. 2009) Accounting Information Systems, 11th Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Shaw,E. et al. (n. d. ) The Insider Threat To Information Systems: The Psychology Of The Dangerous Insider [online]. Security Awareness Bulletin: No. 2-98. Available at: [29 April 2011] Slappendel,S. (2010) Oracle v. SAP: Highest Damages Awarded For A Copyright Infringement Lawsuit [online]. Available at: [28 April 2011] Standler,R. B. (2007) Tips For Avoiding Computer Crime [online] 25 November. Available at: [29 April 2011] Team,T. (2010) SAP-Oracle Lawsuit Could Weigh On SAP Market Share, Stock Price [online] 14 December. Available at: [29 April 2011] The National Fraud Center, Inc. (2000) The Growing Global Threat Of Economic And Cyber Crime [online] December. Available at: [1 May 2011] APPENDIX: A COPY OF THE NEWS REPORT Oracle awarded $1. 3bn in SAP data theft case 24 November 2010 Last updated at 07:32 GMT Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison testified during the case European software giant SAP has been ordered by a Californian court to pay US rival Oracle $1. 3bn (? 820m) after losing a data theft case. The case revolved around customer-support documents and software stolen by SAP's subsidiary TomorrowNow. Oracle alleged that the German company intended to use the data to poach the 358 customers involved, and demanded $1. 65bn compensation. SAP had claimed it owed only $40m, but the jury decided in Oracle's favour. SAP said it was disappointed with the jury's decision and would look to challenge the verdict. [We will] pursue all available options, including post-trial motions and appeal if necessary,† it said in a statement. It did, however, reiterate that it had made a mistake: â€Å"We regret the actions of TomorrowNow, we have accepted liability, and have been willing to fairly compensate Oracle†. ‘Big dreams' Oracle co-president Safra Catz expressed her satisfa ction with the verdict: â€Å"For more than three years, SAP stole thousands of copies of Oracle software and then resold that software and related services to Oracle's own customers. â€Å"The trial made it clear that SAP's most senior executives

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in New Zealand

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes are major health issues for Maori, Pacific and south Asian people. The impacts of these diseases are increasing hospital admissions and readmissions hence increasing with an aging population. (Kaitiaki Nursing, New Zealand, 2013, pg. 20). Diabetes mellitus has been well pronounced as a cardiovascular risk factor in New Zealand and people with diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to suffer from CVD hence is a leading cause of death in diabetic patients (ministry of health, 2011, pg. 2). Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a preventable and reversible condition giving rise to a range of serious complications associated with nerve and blood vessel damage that bring on blindness, limb amputations, kidney disease, and increased risk of infection (Powers, 2005). According to Diabetes New Zealand (2008), people with diabetes increases the risk of developing narrowed, thickened or completely occluded arteries (atherosclerosis) due to an elevated blood sugar level. Insulin resistant diabetes (type 2) or a complete absence of insulin (type 1) increases serum lipid levels as cells try to break down fats and protein to form energy. Lipids are released as the bio-product which then travels in blood increasing the risk for occlusion in blood vessels. Hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance and altered serum lipid levels are responsible for formation of coronary plaque and blood clot in vessels. This leads to health issues such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, hypertension myocardial infarction etc. (Lewis, 2012, 1388-1389). In New Zealand Maori, Pacific Islanders and South Asians are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, increasing chances of dying of cardiovascular diseases. Modifiable factors such as nutrition, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol consumption and body size influence the risk of getting affected by diabetes and CVD. According to Ministry of Health (2008) diabetes occurs earlier in Pacific and Maori peoples, about 10 years before Europeans which contributes to an increased risk of chronic health conditions and mortality rate. It is appraised that due to demographic trends and projected growth in obesity, the number of diabetes cases will increase and the increase will be greater within the Maori, Pacific, and south Asian populations (Ministry of Health, 2008d). 5% of adults in New Zealand meet the criteria for obesity due to lifestyle, unhealthy nutrition and increased physical inactivity (eg. 42% of Maori and 63. 7% of Pacific peoples meet the criteria for obesity). The New Zealand Medical Journal, 2006 states that Asian new Zealanders especially Indians show a very high percentage of diabetes and CVD which is similar to Maori people (A meratunga, Rasanathan, Tse, 2006). According to the Ministry of Health (2009), more Maori, South Asian and pacific people died from the year 1987- 2006 when compared to non-Maori. Obesity is primarily caused by poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles (Ministry of Health, 2008e). The New Zealand sport and physical activity surveys (conducted in 1997/98, 1998/99, and 2000/01) by Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) found that Pacific, Maori and south Asian children had higher levels of inactivity than other groups. Additionally, a healthy diet is a key determinant of health outcomes and is particularly important for the growth and development. With regards to ministry of health (2003), Maori, south Asian and more of pacific people in new Zealand tend to eat more unhealthy food as it came cheaper and children skipped breakfast due to lack of parental supervision. Smoking is seen to be another lifestyle adaptation amongst the New Zealand community and the leading risk factor for many forms of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. More Maori and Pacific individuals’ smoke (45 percent and 31 percent, respectively) compared with the total New Zealand population (20. percent) (Ministry of Health, 2008k). The Youth 2007 Survey found that twice as many Pacific students are regular smokers when compared to European students. Furthermore, level of economic resources available to the pacific and south asian people is another important social determinants of health. Asians generally do not show increased health issues statistically but south Asian particularly Indians are at a very high risk. Despite high levels of disease, Indi an New Zealanders are rarely presumed as a priority group in current diabetes strategies. For example, â€Å"Let’s Beat Diabetes Strategy† by Counties Manukau District Health Board fails to mention Indian people specifically but considers the general Asian population. Another possibility for the disproportionate effect on south Asian and pacific people could be higher levels of unemployment and lower income as a group (ministry of health, 2006). This is partly due to a lack of effective settlement strategies for migrant Asians and pacific people to New Zealand. Lack of employment and difficulties settling into the host community are associated with negative health effects and reduced accessibility to health care facility (Ameratunga, Rasanathan, Tse, 2006). The risk associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease can be reduced and these conditions only respond well if managed with appropriate care. Evidence proposes that many Pacific individuals are often ignorant of the government services offered to them (Koloto & Associates Ltd, 2007; Paterson, 2004). This demonstrates ineffective communication by health information services and providers. Primarily, nurses need to build a trusting therapeutic relationship via therapeutic communication techniques such as active listening, paraphrasing etc. It facilitates client autonomy, creates a non-judgmental environment and provides the professional with the holistic view of the client for better management. With reference to the case study by Counties Manukau DHB (Ministry of Health, 2011, pg. 6) the diabetic patient (Mr Cooper) found it difficult to follow instructions given by the doctor therefore his diabetes nurse helped him with all the information he needed. He verbalised ‘I learned a lot from the nurse. I learned how serious diabetes is and how it is not going to go away, but also how it is possible to live a normal life if you manage what you eat, etc. ’ This specifies that nurses are the closest health professionals who spends the most time with patients and so can work with the patients in partnership. In order to manage diabetes and CVD effectively (Ministry of health, 2011, pg. 2), it is very important for nurses to educate their patients about the risk factors and what needs to be done to improve early detection and management of diabetes and CVD. Adherence to therapies anticipated to control risk factors such as lipid levels or blood pressure for patients with type 2 diabetes is seen to reduce major cardiovascular complications and increase survival (Barrat, Butow, Caldwell, Davey & Travena, 2006,pg. 13-23) . One probable way to improve patients’ metabolic control is to help them understand the risks of the disease and the likely benefits of available therapy options. Research has shown that information on the potential benefits of improving modifiable risk factors may assist both health professionals and patients in making treatment decision. This may increase patients’ willingness to accept management strategies recommended by their doctors and nurses. In fact, nurses as health educators can use diverse formats (e. g. decision aids, brochures, verbal advice) increasing patients’ knowledge and understanding (Barrat, Butow, Caldwell, Davey & Travena, 2006, 13-23). However, as suggested by the New Zealand Guidelines Group (2003) nurses and other health professionals need to make use of an evidence-based practice in the management of diabetes as well as assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, despite CVD and diabetes assessments being developed, uptake is often low. A possible reason for this is that many Pacific and Maori people do not prioritise health and generally would not seek any help unless they have physical symptoms such as pain or discomfort. With reference to nursing council of New Zealand competency 3. 2 forming partnership with the client and raising awareness for example informing and referring Maori patients about management programmes such as â€Å"Get Checked† which provides free annual check-up for people with diabetes. This programme focuses on physical health, lifestyle and disease management. According to Robson and Harris (2007), Maori enrolment in get checked programme in 2006 was lower than non-Maori. This is a clear indicator of moari people’s lack of knowledge about services being provided. However, nurses as professionals should practice nursing in a very culturally safe manner by acknowledging patients values beliefs and attitude towards health care. For example Maori people believe in â€Å"kanohi te kanohi† meaning face to face communication therefore nurses need to have more in person communication (Reid & Robson, 2007). Nurses should also inform clients about initiatives for example â€Å"one heart many lives† which allows Maori and pacific men to get their hearts checked, improve awareness of heart disease and lifestyle habits. Furthermore, CVD assessment allows an early detection of the number of people being at risk of cardiovascular disease. The sooner it is detected the earlier these issues can be controlled as stated in the document published by the ministry of health (2011). The practice nurse is the key person to co-ordinate care for instance after reviewing a diabetic patient he or she may decide to refer the patient to the dietician. This way the patient is given an efficient holistic care with appropriate information (Kaitiaki Nursing, New Zealand, 2013, pg. 27) Nurses need to collaborate with the clients, agree on patient centered health goals such as promotion, prevention and early management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease by setting achievable and measurable goals. For example, ministry of health national health information Board launched a Shared Care Plan in 2011 which was in response to increasing number of deaths due to poor management of chronic illnesses. This programme aims to improve care of patients by increasing patient involvement (Kaitiaki Nursing, New Zealand, march, 2013, pg. 26). The New Zealand Cardiovascular Risk Chart shows that diabetic people who smoke are at much higher risk of developing CVD when compared to a non-diabetic and non-smoker (New Zealand guidelines Group, 2009). According to Solberg (2006) there is evidence that professional advice given by the health care provider helps patients to quit smoking. Nurses can effectively use the ABC tool provided by the ministry of health (2007) to help patients to quit smoking. Nurses need to inform clients about the advantages of being a non-smoker financially and health wise and provide alternative as to how nicotine replacement therapy helps minimise the urge to smoke. A practice nurse is responsible for most of patients’ assessments and health education, therefore nurses need to understand the standpoint of her patient and what does being healthy means to them. Establishing relationships and understanding their culture and customs. For example food plays a big role in pacific, Maori and south Asian culture. Family involvement in care plan is very important in shaping attitudes and activities as family plays an important role in their lives also explaining the effects of unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle. Nurses should use plain language and ensure the patient and their family understands what changes they need to make and why they need to make them. They should also make sure that the patient and family are fully informed about the care plan and any procedures being done to maximise care (Blakely, 2007). In conclusion it can be said that patients are fully dependant on nurses with regards to any health issues they have. Nurses are the first form of contact to patient in primary and secondary care setting who provides them with accurate information. It is very important for nurses to be aware of the fact that Maori, Pacific and South Asian New Zealander are more proned to diabetes and CVD therefore more emphasis should be given to them. During the assessment nurses should always consider patients socio-economic inequality, access to and quality of health care, and health risk factors such as tobacco, diet, and other lifestyle factors.

The Munich agreement and the Czechoslovakian invasion

The Munich agreement and the Czechoslovakian invasion The two main reasons for the beginning of the Second World War were: the Munich agreement (which was signed in 1938, between Germany, UK, France and Italy) and the invasion in Czechoslovakia (March 15 1939) by Hitler. Although, I think the most important cause for the beginning of world war two was the invasion in Czechoslovakia.A few years after marching in Rhineland, Hitler's next target was to get Sudetenland into German territory. Since Sudetenland was in Czechoslovakia, the first thing he did was to gather some Nazis there and get them to revolt against the Czech government.With the help of the Nazi followers in Austria, in 1938, Hitler invades it. After the invasion in Austria, Hitler manages to get France, UK and Italy to sign an agreement with him giving him Sudetenland. I think this is one of the most important cause for the beginning of the Second World War, but not the main one, because there are certain events that follow this one which precede world war twoAfter having S udetenland, and after invading Austria, Hitler decided that he wanted the whole of Czechoslovakia.First he threatened war on it.So, on March 15 1939, Hitler marched into Czechoslovakia and managed to occupy it. After this event, UK and France realized that Hitler's target was to conquer all Europe by force. This is probably the main event that caused the start of world war two, because after realizing Hitler wanted the whole Europe to be German, UK and France knew that the only way to stop him was to begin a new war.The conclusion for conquering Sudetenland and afterwards invading Czechoslovakia was world war two. Even though I think that the main event for the beginning of world war two was Hitler occupying the whole of...

Murder Mystery Comedy Plays

Murder Mystery Comedy Plays Audiences love a good gasp induced by a shocking murder mystery. They also cant get enough of laughter induced by wacky characters and slapstick hijinks. Combine both worlds and youve got a popular genre known as the murder mystery comedy. Of course, just because you have all of those ingredients doesnt mean the play will actually be suspenseful, mysterious, or even funny. When youve got a bunch of dead bodies on stage, the comedy is going to get quite dark, so it takes a special sort of playwright to properly entwine the macabre with the moronic. Here are a few murder mystery comedies that get it right! The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 Written by John Bishop, this farcical whodunnit does not take a Sherlock Holmes to reveal the villains. But it does create enough mayhem to leave you guessing about what will happen next. A snowstorm encroaches upon the estate of a wealthy philanthropist, a patron of the arts who has called together a famous songwriting team, an iconic director, a Broadway producer, and a pair of theater wannabes. They think that they are pitching the next musical extravaganza  when, in fact, they have been summoned in order to discover the Stagedoor Slasher, a madman (or madwoman) who killed three chorus girl dancers and just might kill again. Throw in some Nazi spies, cross-dressing psychopaths, and a bumbling police detective, and you have a murder-mystery-comedy with a vintage flair. The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is available at Dramatists Play Service. (And for those of you actors who cannot sing and/or dance, dont worry. Theres hardly any music and no choreography except for some hysterical fight sequences). The Bold, the Young, and the Murdered There must be something intrinsically amusing about actors dealing with creepy killers because its a popular theme found in comedic murder mysteries, including this one by Don Zolodis. Heres the brief synopsis provided by the publishers at Playscripts: The long-running soap opera The Bold and the Young is in its last days: its hunky hero has self-esteem issues, its villainous old man is more interested in soup, and its heroines are slightly psychopathic. The executive producer gives the squabbling cast an ultimatum: Complete one episode overnight or the show dies. But when the director ends up murdered, and other cast members start dropping like flies, it seems like his threat might actually come true. Can these misfits discover the murderer before the show is literally killed off? The script lends itself nicely to high school drama students and professional actors alike. Theres something liberating about letting go and pouring on that soap opera cheesiness. Mandate for Murder Pat Cook is the master of melodramatic comedies  and has the ability to crank out silly characters so fast, his computer keyboard must be smoking when hes done. (Tim Kelley woulds be proud!) Most Cook comedies are as funny as the playwright is prolific. Mandate for Murder, brought to you by Eldridge Plays, is no exception. And its a blast for community theaters to perform, especially around election time. When a political aide is stabbed to death and the murder weapon is a knife pulled from a birthday cake, the crime-solving characters have a lot of questions to ask. However, they arent the only ones. The audience gets to interrogate the suspects too, not only that- by the end of the evening, they get to vote in the election! The Murder Room This comedic gem by Jack Sharkey brings back a ton of high school memories. We spent just as much time working on the set, with all of its trap doors and secret entrances, as we did working on the lines. Like other zany mysteries, this one features a wide variety of characters (nearly all of them should be played with English accents). With all of its mix-ups and botched assassinations, by the end of the play the audience isnt sure if anyone has actually been killed off. It also pays homage to Sleuth in that characters who supposedly left the storyline come back into the play wearing a clever disguise. The 39 Steps Imaginatively adapted from a Hitchcock classic, the comic masterpiece The 39 Steps transcends the genre. Audiences rave about the non-stop comedy, the amazingly creative blocking, and the four versatile actors who play over one hundred characters. Directed by Maria Aitken and adapted for the stage by Peter Barlow, this farcical tribute to Hitchcock thrillers has been delighting audiences since 2005.

Those who would give up freedoms for temporary security deserve Thesis

Those who would give up freedoms for temporary security deserve neither, civil right violations - Thesis Example After the civil rights movement people in America became more aware of their rights than ever and more willing to battle the government to protect these rights. Despite the advances made the 1960’s America currently faces many threats to the civil rights of its citizens in areas such as freedom of speech, illegal search and seizure and the rights to bear arms. Freedom of speech is sacred privileged given to every US citizens by the forefathers of this nation when they wrote the constitution of the United States of America. The first amendment of the constitution which is part of the bill of rights states â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or the press; or the right of the people to assemble and to petition the government for a redness of grievances† (Usconstitution, 2009). Despite the existence of such a powerful abiding law concerning freedom of speech violations to this constitutional right have occurred many times throughout America’s history. Music is a form of expression that allows artists to express their thought and feelings their loyal fans. Music unites people and provides musicians with the ability to send social messages that can change their environmental surroundings. In the 1990’s a new genre of music was born called Gangster Rap. This new form of rap utilized violent lyrics and sexually explicit material which many segments of our society did not like. In 1990 Missouri introduced a bill that forbids the sale of records containing lyrics that are violent, sexually explicit, or perverse (Nuxum, 2003). Some of the first artists that were affected by this complete violation of the freedom of speech privileges Americans enjoy were Two Live Crew, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube. Sometimes violations to the freedom of speech privileges occur in the most unlikely

Hometown Deli Competitive Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hometown Deli Competitive Analysis - Case Study Example However, with the threat of looming competition, it is important to analyze the market and determine the possible change in profitability. It is also important to identify a strategy that will be used to improve the business and make it viable in this time. The first aspect of Porter’s five force analysis is the supplier power, which is the importance of the supplier when serving more than one competitor (Porter, 2008). From the analysis of Hometown Deli, it can be determined that the previous owner built a network of suppliers. This means that the supplier is a powerful force in the industry. From the products of the deli, it is evident that there are many possible avenues for getting new suppliers, so the threat of supplier power is low. The best strategy to deal with the existing suppliers is to consolidate their services to guard from competition. This can be done by using one supplier and ensuring that long-term contracts are used with the supplier. The second aspect of P orter’s model is buyer power, and is probably the most important part of the analysis (Porter, 2008). From the history of the deli, it is evident that the previous owner built a network of customers, and the new owner has to find a strategy of retaining these customers. The information indicates that the deli has been a local hotspot for many years, and the best strategy to deal with the power of the buyer is to ensure that these customers do not move with the potential competition. This is done by ensuring that the customers retain their image of the company. In this case, Hometown Deli should provide promotional content aimed at retaining old customers, like using loyalty programs for old customers and introducing prices for returning customers. The other factor is the threat of new entrants, which is determined by the existing competition in the region, cost advantages, barriers to entry and access to distribution (Porter, 2008). In the case of Hometown Deli, there is a bi g threat from competition, mainly because there are low barrier to entry and the potential competition has bigger profits, which means that they have more access to promotional content. This means that the deli is faced with the biggest threat from competition, ad to deal with it, management should come up with a way of increasing their competitive presence. The best strategy for this is to find extra sources of finance and improve the technological presence in the region. If the deli improves the service offered to its customers, it would make it easier to retain customers to the deli. The deli should be brought up to date in terms of competitive presence in the region. The fourth factor is the threat of substitutes, which is the competition faced by a business from the possibility of clients using substitute products (Porter, 2008). In the case of Hometown Deli, the main substitute product is fast food restaurant products, which is not so much of a problem. This force can be addre ssed by consolidating the clients’ preference for the deli product. The last factor is the degree of rivalry, which refers to the competition that would be posed by a rival company. Increased competition can drive profits very low since the market is very concentrated. With the threat of only one rival, it is important to establish a strong identity; otherwise the market could become a monopoly, especially since the potential com