PROBLEMS WITH THE PAROLE AND PROBATION SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES Research Paper

PROBLEMS WITH THE PAROLE AND PROBATION SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES - Research Paper Example This specific problem is one which can be attributed to the system with the probation programs because of the inability to meet the needs of those that are adjusting back into society. Problem within Probation Programs The criminal offender conduct is the main concept that is focused on with probation programs. Those who are working with criminals who have just been released from prison are focused on changing mannerisms and ensuring that the prisoner is able to work within society as a citizen. Getting steady employment, staying away from further crime and developing new habits within society are some of the associated concepts that are a part of probation programs. Supervising those individuals and working with counseling programs are also some of the attributes that are a part of probation programs. However, there is a noticeable re-entry crisis that occurs among criminals. The inability to change the focus out of the habits from past crimes and the inability to provide criminals with the ability to move into a completely correctional system are causing many criminals to go through probation periods then move back into the same crimes as in the past (Johnson et al, 2006). The problem with those who are in parole systems is one which is showing a high return rate that is not decreasing with the systems that are in place. In 2006, an average of 35% of all inmates returned to prison during or after the probation period. This was a result of parole violations, as opposed to new crimes that were committed. The state of California held the highest of parole violations, which was inclusive of two-thirds of inmates returning to prison because of the same violations. The problems with probation include the first problem of too many inmates being supervised with too little supervision. In 2006, 4 million offenders were placed into probation. The officers were primarily responsible for the movement back into society with other court orders that were associated with thi s. It was found that the restrictions with probation, such as not being able to find employment because of a criminal record, led to many being forced into breaking the probation rules to try to integrate into society (Lawrence, 2008). The parole systems, while known to assist with the integration back into society, are causing the reverse problem to occur. Those who are within the system and are going through parole are aware that there is difficulty in getting past probation systems and staying in society. There are many who have created the mentality that they will go back into prison during their probation period, adding in a psychological response to the known statistics and rates of those who are going in and out of the justice system. Those who are going back into prison work as an example of the difficulties within the probation and parole system, making the trend arise among those who are a part of the probation system and which are trying to work back into an integrated so ciety. The psychological responses, trends and the large amount of criminals that go back into prison add into the complexity of those who are going through the parole system (Johnson et al, 2006). Theories of Criminal Justice Practice There are several theories that apply to the criminal justice practice and the way in which individuals integrate into society. Historically, those who had committed a crime were only required to serve

Roll of Thunder Essay Example for Free

Roll of Thunder Essay Obviously the store-owner was used to not only treating blacks in this way, but in them putting up with it. However, Cassie was a high spirited young lady who, as yet, was not weighed down by the yoke of racism. The word recoiled also hints at what is to come; for it is Mr Barnett whose store is to be raided by T. J. and the Simms brother at the climax of the novel. While Cassie strives to elucidate the situation, Barnett is infuriated and shrieks whose little nigger is this! Cassie was angry and humiliated as everyone in the store turned and stared at her. Stacey appeared and held her hand. Cassie was thrilled to see her brother by her side, although when she yearned for help Stacey did not respond. Mr Barnett informed him to make sure she dont come back till yo mammy teach her what she is. He wanted Cassie to realize that she and other black people are second-class citizens; consequently deems that he has the power to treat them as he desires. Cassie was exasperated at the way Mr Barnett treats them in his store. The racial injustice makes her furious and she finds it difficult to control her tongue. Stacey angrily rushes outside with Cassie and orders her to shut up. He then crosses the street still irate to Cassies foolish act. While Cassie tries to figure out why Mr Barnett acted the way he did, she stumbles into Lillian Jean, Jeremys big sister. She tells her to apologize but Cassie exclaims that Lillian Jean had bumped into her. Subsequently, Cassie could not bother to have a quarrel with her as she had other things on her mind, so she says sorry. Lillian Jean doesnt find it adequate; she tells her to get down in the road then says maybe that way you wont be bumping into decent white folks with your little nasty self. This statement to Cassie discriminates and shows her how disgusting white racists the Simmss really are. Lillian Jeans father arrives, grabs Cassie by the arm and throws her into the middle of the street. He forces her to make an apology, but Cassie sprints directly for the wagon. Unexpectedly, Big Ma appears and stops her. She wrathfully urges her to apologize to Lillian Jean. Cassie was disorientated to why Big Ma didnt support her when she was in need for her help. Big Ma has a more complicated way of dealing with racism. However, she is an old woman and she had little choice. If Big Ma were to refuse, she knew that they would have to face the consequences, therefore she forced Cassie to act contritely. Crushed and heartbroken, she apologizes to Lillian Jean. Then turns round and runs into the back of the wagon. A day that began full of expectations went from bad to worse. Cassies silence on the return journey home is a reflection of the hurt and humiliation she had suffered. Cassies first real taste of racism had totally subdued this normally impulsive and lively nine-year-old. Cassie is an enthusiastic girl trapped in an inhumane and disgraceful racial system. Along with her brothers, Cassie is learning the hard way about racism prevalent in the deep south of the United States at that time. She cannot comprehend as to why people of her skin colour have to back down in the face of whites, even when they have done nothing wrong. This is even more incomprehensible as Big Ma is a very strong character who Cassie admires greatly. Apologising to Lillian Jean is mortification that the headstrong Cassie finds almost impossible to bear. She is not the sort of girl to forget what has happened and later in the novel, it is no surprise that she is able to avenge her current humiliation. There is a certain amount of irony in the name Strawberry which for Cassie left rather a bitter taste in the mouth. She has learnt from hard experience that things arent always what they seem. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Strategic Management Process: Airtel

Strategic Management Process: Airtel Industry: Telecom The Indian telecommunications industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, with about 19 million additions a month. The industry has witnessed consistent growth during the last year on the back of rollout of newer circles by operators, successful auction of third-generation (3G) and broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum, network rollout in semi-rural areas and increased focus on the value added services (VAS) market. there have been several new entrants in the markets lately. This has led to ever lowering tariffs and a decrease in the revenue of existing players. Fresh acquisition of customers is no longer a guarantee to increase in revenue. Consequently, in addition to the lower calling rates, the operators have been forced to provide a host of value added and auxiliary services. To retain its leadership position, Airtel is already leading the way in areas of mobile commerce, banking etc. As the Indian telecom industry enters its third phase, growth in the markets is bound to mirror the growth in the economy. This provides valuable pointers to the next driver of growth the rural India where mobile penetration levels still remain an abysmal 15%. Airtel has been looking to expand and learn in the rural/low income market segment. Airtel has already ventured into providing mobile financial services, mobile money transfers to customers in rural areas, further leveraging its existing base of cellular subscribers. Vision and Mission Vision By 2015, Airtel will be the most loved brand, enriching the lives of millions. Mission We will meet the  mobile  communication  needs of our  customer through   error-free service delivery Innovative Product and Service Cost efficiency Unified messaging solution Objectives/Goals To undertake transformational projects that have a positive impact on society and contribute to the nation building process To diversify into new businesses in agriculture, financial services and retail business with world class partners To lay the foundation for building a conglomerate for future. Environment Analysis Porters Five Forces (Cellular Services) 1. Threat of new entrants MEDIUM TRAI has been following a liberal regulatory regime to encourage greater competition with better quality and affordable prices The government presently allows FDI of 76% in the sector, encouraging foreign players to enter the Indian market. Heavy capex requirements and strict licensing policy hinders entry 2. Bargaining Power of buyers VERY HIGH Lack of product differentiation- There are short term gains that one player may have from innovation/ first mover advantage into a new value added service Extremely low switching costs in moving from 1 service provider to another Multiple service providers- very wide variety of choice for the customers. Competitive landscape implies consistently better offers and deals for customers. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers VERY LOW Airtel outsources most of its operations. Since contracts are allocated to the highest bidder, Airtel only looks at getting the best deal. This mechanism provides Airtel with a high degree of flexibility. For eg. Network outsourcing/maintenance partners: Ericsson(15 circles), Siemens(7 circles), Huawei., IT system partner: IBM, Tower maintenance and other infrastructure: Bharti Infratel and Indus towers. 4. Pressure from substitutes HIGH The communications space is very dynamic with new technology (3G and 4G) and products flooding the market. Mobile services are competing with products such as, Wired-lines ,CDMA, Video telephony, Tata/ Reliance- Walky phones, Internet telephony- Skype, google, fring etc, VSAT phones.Additionally, data services on cellular phones have become an essential product feature. On this front, mobile services face a significant threat from local ISPs, broadband service, leased lines, Blackberry and iPad. 5. Current Rivalry MEDIUM-HIGH Airtel is the current market leader in the mobile service (GSM) sector with 31% market share. Vodafone, BSNL, Idea are its major competitors. Competitive Advantage Airtel has the following competitive advantages: Strategic alliances: Acquisitions and JVs Airtel has been entering into various JVs and acquisitions to increase its footprint as well as global presence. The firm has stake in JT mobiles, Sky Cell etc. With the acquisition of Zain and other players, Airtel has used this strategy effectively to become a global player Outsourcing: Airtel has a clear outsourcing strategy. It outsources all its functions except marketing, sales and finance; this has helped the firm focus on its core competencies. Further due to its market leadership position and volume of its operations, there are multiple bidders; which has ensured high quality service/products for Airtel Supplier Relationships Airtel has strong relationships with its suppliers. It relies on Bharti Infratel for towers, IBM for IT systems etc. It is able to sustain its innovative business model ,by focusing on relationship management with vendors International Presence Airtels global presence and deep pockets are a source of competitive advantage for the firm. Value Chain Analysis The traditional mobile industry value chain basically involved the mobile operator, service provider, device manufacturer and the customer. However the mobile services industry is rapidly evolving with value added services, data services etc. gaining significance. These are a very profitable revenue stream for the service provider. For example in the value added services segment, the network operator keeps about 60% of revenue, the technology/software developer retains about 25%, while the content provider gets about 20% of the revenue from value added services (Source: IMRB Research). With M-Commerce contents becoming increasingly important in the value chain, it is seen that the operator share in the value chain has been declining. Airtel has been tying up with entertainment providers, FMCGs, insurance companies to maintain a share in the value chain. From a strategy perspective, this should be one of the focus areas for Airtel. Business Level Strategy Airtel cellular service follows a cost leadership strategy. The market focus is broad- with the firm catering to 137 million customers as of FY10. Further, since differentiation is very short lived and immediately imitated by competitors; firms attempt to maintain a cost advantage over their competitors. Airtel has maintained its cost leadership by reducing its operational costs and its unique business model- which outsources all major functions except, sales, marketing and finance. Differentiation is also attempted with the help of value added services. While there are several player in the market, including the new entrants, Bharti-Airtel, Rcom and BSNL are the only players to gain a differential advantage on the account of existing infrastructural capability. Differentiation Focused differentiation Cost leadership- AIRTEL CELLULAR Focused Cost Integrated Competitive Scope Narrow Broad Source of competitive advantage Differentiation Cost Corporate Level Strategy Bharti Airtel has been divided into distinct business units, as follows: The Mobile Services division is probably the most valuable division of Bharti Airtel. Airtel offers GSM mobile services in all the 23-telecom circles of India and is the largest mobile service provider in the country, based on the number of customers. It provides numerous value added services such as mobile apps, hello tunes, m-commerce, wireless internet etc. The Airtel Telemedia Services division provides high speed broadband internet and related services. It also provides landline service in 93 cities across India. It also launched its DTH services in 2008 and is present in more than 150 cities now. The Enterprise Services division provides a diverse portfolio of services to large Enterprise and Carrier customers. This division is further divided into two unite: Carrier business unit and Corporate business unit. The Corporate Business Unit provides end to end telecom solutions to Indias large corporate. It specializes in providing customized solutions to address the unique requirements of different industry verticals. The Carrier Business Unit provides long distance wholesale voice and data services to carrier customers as well as to other business units of Airtel. It is present in significant capacity in the International arena as well. Differentiation Focused differentiation Cost leadership- AIRTEL CELLULAR Focused Cost Integrated Competitive Scope Narrow Broad Source of competitive advantage Differentiation Cost The Digital TV Services provides customers with a unique TV viewing experience with a wide variety of channels and programmes and with the on-demand content on Airtel Live. The international business group deals with all of Airtels operations outside India and South Asia. Bharti Airtel has comparatively low levels of diversification, and it follows a Dominant Business strategy. The second quarter financials of Airtel show that its mobile services division had a gross revenue of Rs. 8099 crore, which is roughly 82% of its total revenue of Rs. 9846 crore. Thus its mobile services division is its dominant business. The reasons for Airtel to diversify are purely based on value creation. As all its divisions focus mainly on telecommunication and related technologies, the transfer of core competencies becomes much easier and much more useful. Moreover sharing activities and resources, especially technological knowledge, is very helpful and creates a positive synergy for Airtel. It also gives Airtel to increase its market power by engaging in multipoint competition with competitors such as Tata. Further it provides efficient internal capital allocation opportunities to airtel, as the retained earnings from its hugely profitable Mobile services can be put to good use in other divisions. Value creation through diversification Airtel seeks to create value through diversification by moving across businesses that share both operational and corporate relatedness. With this approach, it expects to achieve high resource sharing and consequently, significant cost reduction. It looks at operational relatedness since a number of its businesses operate across similar technologies and thus the platform for a given product can be used directly for extending the service from a completely new product. As an example, the cables for a telephone connection provided by Airtel can be used to provide broadband service to the customer without any significant change in infrastructure. The skills required from the technicians are also not very different and thus economies of scale are quite possible. The same logic can be extended to exploring the corporate relatedness. All the diversified businesses require similar managerial and technical expertise as can be seen in the example provided above. In pursuing this strategy, Airtel will have to be conscious of the fact that it can lead to diseconomies of scope. This can arise primarily from the very factor which Airtel is banking on similarity across its businesses. A wrong move in any one of the businesses can spill over to its other business and cause repercussions even in the short term. This is the very reason that the organization cannot afford to go easy on any of its domains and needs to keep up to speed in all its businesses. International Strategy Today Bharti Airtel operates in 19 countries throughout the world. Apart from being the largest cellular service provider in India, it is the fifth largest telecom operator in the world. It has about 207.8 million subscribers worldwide 152.5 million in India, 50.3 million are in Africa. This has helped Airtel to increase its global market share and revenues significantly. International Business Level Strategy We will view this in further detail using Porters Determinants of National Advantage model: It is worth noticing here that after the Indian subcontinent, Airtels main region of operation is Africa. It is possible that the company found it attractive to enter Africa because due to its economic conditions, countries there would be lacking in necessary factors of production. Domestic companies in Africa would be lacking in technological resources, human resources, and capital necessary in the telecommunications sector. On the other hand, there is no lack of such resources in India. This is one of the major reasons why Airtel chose to expand there. Although the demand for services provided by Airtel is increasing at a rapid pace in India, there is still a lot of competition and the demand is smoothing out slowly. To further increase its revenues and market share Airtel has to expand to other nations as well. Due to the lack of existence of bare minimum infrastructure in Africa and the slow but steady increase in its economic well being, the demand conditions over there should be very high. The related and supporting industries are also very competitive and there are a lot of players in the telecommunication sector, like Vodafone, BSNL and Reliance. International Corporate Level Strategy The business of Airtel has been divided into two units based on geography. Need for cost responsiveness There are three basic international corporate level strategies availaible to any firm: Need for local responsiveness Airtel has always made it a point to focus on the needs of customers and provide solutions to customers according to their requirements. For example, the mobile services that they offer vary even among the different states of India according to customers preferences. Similarly, the kind of services, offers, plans and value addition that they offer in India is very different than what they offer in other nations. For Airtel, need to address local responsiveness has always been of the utmost importance. On the other hand, the need for global integration is not very high. The two business groups, as shown above, are distinct from each other. Due to the lack of proximity of the locations where Airtel operates, and other strategic factors, it is best for Airtel to have low levels of global integration. Keeping the above points in mind, it is clear that Airtel follows a multidomestic strategy. Organizational Structure Bharti Airtel follows an integrated structure responsible for all aspects of its telecom business in India. Significant reorganization took place in October 2006 in line with the vision of making Airtel, the most admired brand in India by 2010. As quoted by their president, it is their endeavor to build an integrated business, leading to higher synergies efficiencies and creating an organization that has a truly national character in every aspect of business operations. The present structure marks the transition of Airtel towards a customer focused organization while building sustainability scalability to seamlessly manage 100 million customers and beyond. The new organization has been designed to enable strong corporate governance whilst ensuring operational freedom, through functional matrix reporting relationships. Actual Structure Bharti Airtel is structured into four strategic business units Mobile services, Broadband Telephone (BT) services, Enterprise services and DTH services. The mobile business provides mobile fixed wireless services using GSM technology across 23 telecom circles. The BT business provides broadband telephone services in 94 cities. The Enterprise services provide end-to-end telecom solutions to corporate customers and national and international long distance services to carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand. The top level management of Airtel across its four divisions is as shown in the following figure. In the case of Airtel, a matrix organization structure introduces, or at least recognizes, the real life complexity of a business environment. Geography, function, technology, business unit and technology (among others) are the important factors that are recognized in the matrix organizations structure. However, the above mentioned structure also introduces a higher level of internal complexity and some additional people management challenges, so there must be significant advantages that are seen by the organization that outweigh the matrix people management challenges. Matrix organization structures were initially introduced in complex projects such as the airspace industry to cope with complex projects. Since then a number of organizations, often prompted by large strategy consultancies, have adopted or altered the matrix organization structure to help deal with internal and external complexity. In the following figure, a sample matrix organizational structure is shown. In the case of Airtel, the project manager refers to the managers of the different services provided by Airtel across its divisions. It is clear that this allows for sharing of resources across the various projects. At its simplest the matrix organization structure just reflects this external complexity in the internal structure. Airtel is a brand that is aiming for a global presence and realizes that geography is important but so are function, customer grouping, product and technology. Basically, a matrix organization structure is an acknowledgment of the notion that since it is improbable to specify the weightage of importance that can be attributed to these factors, there is a need to allow a structure that is flexible and permits balancing and prioritizing on a daily basis between the various divisions. Thus there is a conscious trade-off for clarity in return for more flexibility. An important issue to consider here is that while the organization structure itself is a good fit for Airtel, a lot of emphasis needs to be laid on the successful coordination of the people and their skill sets within the organization. Advantages As a synopsis, the advantages reaped by Airtel as a result of its organizational structure include: Improved resource accessibility across the old functional and geographic silos. Effective coordination on shared technologies across the organization (extended to a global level) Decentralization of management decisions Improved access to a diverse range of skills and perspectives. increased communication and coordination across the business Flexible as per the needs of global or regional customers Structural Issues Dual reporting structures run a risk of initiating power struggles. Dual lines of authority in the matrix often create power struggles between the vertical and lateral forces as each tries to secure member loyalty and budget rupees. Teams may develop groupitis, the matrix depends on team functioning, there may be an overdependence on group decision-making even where it is unnecessary. This can slow down projects and further be a point of frustration for people managers. It is a widely acknowledged fact that the matrix structure increases administrative overhead, it also ideally suits the progressive development of new ideas into projects. However, when a slump hits, one common tendency is to discard the matrix in favor of more traditional approaches. The matrix can become a scapegoat for inefficiencies. Decision strangulation matrix organizational structures legitimize multiple information flows throughout the organization, creating the danger that too much information will be processed before a decision will be made. Some project managers may feel compelled to check with everyone on every project decision. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is a set of mechanisms used to manage their relationship among stakeholders and to determine and control the strategic direction and performance of organisations. An organisation is owned by its shareholders but is managed by the ownership (Principal Agent Issues). Many a times the decisions taken by the management may not be in the best interests of the shareholders and thus Agency costs arise. To ensure that such a scenario does not arise it is essential for the firm to have strong corporate governance tools. Bharti  Airtel limited firmly believes in the principles of Corporate Governance and is committed to conduct its business in a manner, which will ensure sustainable, capital-efficient and long-term growth thereby maximising value for its shareholders, customers, employees and society at large. Companys policies are in line with Corporate Governance guidelines prescribed under Listing Agreement/s with Stock Exchanges and the Company ensures that various disclosures requirements are complied in letter and spirit for effective Corporate Governance. As proof of the excellence of Bharti Airtel in the Corporate Governance it has been Rated Level 1 by CRISIL which is the highest Governance and Value Creation rating (GVC). One way to ensure strong corporate governance is by having independent directors on the board of Directors. Their sole purpose is to ensure that the decisions taken by the management are in the best interests of the shareholders. In order to ensure that this corporate governance tool is a sound check, Airtel has ensured the following: The board has 2 executive members and 14 non executive members. 50% of the members of the board are independent directors which is a good sign of corporate governance. The board meets regularly outside the presence of management. The chairman of the board is not the CEO or a former CEO of the firm. Else it may impair the ability and willingness of independent board members to express opinions contrary to those of management. Independent board members have a primary or leading board member in cases where the chairman is not independent. Board members are not closely aligned with a firm supplier, customer, share-option plan or pension advisor. This may lead to a conflict of interest scenario. Another suitable means of aligning the interests of the shareholders with that of the management is by means of changing the structure of executive compensation. Having parameters such as stock options as part of the pay will ensure that management will take decisions that benefit both the stockholders as well as themselves indirectly. This a strategy that is used extensively at Airtel particularly as far as the top management compensation goes. Other Corporate Governance Initiatives taken by Airtel are Shareholders Board of Directors Audit Committee Managing Director HR/ Remuneration Management Operations ESOP Compensation Investor Grievance Corporate Governance Mechanisms at Airtel Audit Committee Six members, two-third of which is independent directors. At least four times a year. (Max time gap 4 months) The Committee Chairman shall attend the Annual General Meeting. To ensure that the financial statements are true and accurate and provide sufficient information. Recommending to the Board, the appointment, re-appointment and, if required, the replacement or removal of the statutory auditor and the fixation of their audit fees. Human Resource (HR)/ Remuneration Committee Six non-executive directors, out of which four members including the chairman are independent directors. Attraction and Retention strategies for employees. Employees Development Strategies. Compensation All Human Resources related issue. ESOP Compensation Committee Constituted in accordance with SEBI Guidelines, 1999. Six members of whom four are independent and all are non-executive Formulate ESOP plans and decide on future grants. Formulate terms and conditions Employee Stock Option Schemes of the Company Investor Grievance Committee Constituted in accordance with Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement. Four members of whom three members including the Chairman, are non-executive directors Ensure speedy disposal of various requests received from shareholders from time to time (within 7-10 days from the date of receipt of complaint). Redressal of shareholders and investor complaints/ grievances. Monthly meeting The above detailed initiatives clearly point towards the importance that Airtel gives to Corporate Governance and this is further reaffirmed by Level 1 rating for GVC by CRISIL again in 2006. Organizational Controls They guide the use of strategy, indicate how to compare actual results with expected results and suggest corrective measures when the difference is unacceptable. It is an important part of the organisational structure and its key to a firms plans to exploit its core competencies. The organisational controls can be broadly classified as Strategic control: It is used to determine the fit between what a firm might possibly do on the basis of opportunities in the environment and what it can do on the basis of its core competencies and competitive advantages. In other words, the process of evaluating strategy, is practiced both after the strategy is formulated and after it is implemented Financial controls: They are used to measure the performance of the firm against set thresholds and analyse the reasons for being unable to meet them if the case by. Such controls generally include measures like Return on Investment (RoI), Return on Assets (RoA). Management control: It focuses on the accomplishment of the objectives of the various sub strategies comprising the master strategy and the accomplishment of the objectives of the intermediate plans. Operational control: It is concerned individual and group performance as compared with the individual and group role prescriptions required by organizational plans. Each of these types of control is not a separate and distinct entity and, in fact, may be indistinguishable from others. Moreover, similar measurement techniques may be used for each type of control. While both Financial and strategic controls are important the extent of importance accorded to each is determined by the firm strategy. Airtel which is following a cost leadership strategy focuses more on financial controls more than strategic ones. However a firm should not get too carried away along just one set of controls as that would hurt the long term sustainability. So if a firm focuses just on strategic controls while giving a cold shoulder to financial ones, it may soon face a scenario wherein it will run out of cash. The organizational control to a very large extent is determined by the Organisation Structure. Recommendations Considering the heavy fragmentation of the Indian mobile market, we propose the following recommendations so as to ensure that Airtel continues to be the market leader in this domain. As the above figure suggests, there has been a heavy influx of new players in this arena of late which has seen the market share of Airtel fall from above 50 % to about 30 % in half a decade. This means that Airtel should look at hereto untapped markets specially in developing countries with low penetration. Thus following the Multi Domestic strategy more aggressively is crucial to continued success Moreover the ARPU (Average Revenue per User) in India is pretty low. Thus more acquisitions like that of Zain telecom (ARPU of $55 vs Bharti ARPU $7) makes sense. There is no point in proliferating the number of subscribers if Airtel cannot charge them at competitive prices Since the competition in India has intensified, most players are engaging a price war which can be deleterious to the companys short term prospects. Herein Airtel should leverage its strong network and brand equity and not engage in a price war and try in move towards an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy. The urban market penetration is about 95 % and hence the only way of expanding revenues from this stream is by introducing quality VAS (Value Added Services). These give high margin services and are going to be in much greater demand as the smart phone market swells. Entry and quality innovations into this niche domain (presently) would give it a big first movers advantage. Forging strategic alliances with mobile phone manufacturers specially those of high end handsets will be a great way to tap the premium segment. This segment often has very high usage and contributes significantly to the revenue stream. By locking them in with Airtel at the point of purchase itself, Airtel guarantees itself a long customer lifetime value. Also given the economic spurt, many such players have expressed their keen interest to enter the Indian markets.

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 154 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 154 The little Love-god lying once asleep Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand, Whilst many nymphs that vow'd chaste life to keep Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand The fairest votary took up that fire Which many legions of true hearts had warm'd, And so the General of hot desire Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarm'd. This brand she quenched in a cool well by, Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual, Growing a bath and healthful remedy For men diseas'd. But, I, my mistress' thrall, Came there for cure; and this by that I prove: Love's fire heats water, water cools not love. This sonnet appears to be another version of 153 rather than one of a series. These two sonnets, two renderings of the same ides, could either prove or disprove Shakespeare's authorship. Only twice did Shakespeare rewrite any of his sonnets, both 138 and 144 appear slightly modified in _The Passionate Pilgrim_. These are evidence of Shakespeare's rewritings, but the only problem is if one is out to prove the authorship on these grounds, over-revision remains a factor; that is, Shakespeare rewrote the two sonnets changing only a few words and not the entire sonnet. These seem to be the problems with citing Shakespeaare as their author, but equally disproving him as the author. If I were to argue for Shakespeare's authorship, I would correlate "the help of bath" with being an allusion to "The Wife of Bath's Tale" in Chaucer's _Canterbury Tales_. Shakespeare used Chaucer as a source in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ (from "The Kinght's Tale" and "The Miller's Tale"), _Troilus and Cressida_ (from _Troilus and Criseyde) and _The Two Noble Kinsmen_ (from "The Knight's Tale"). Seeing that Shakespeare used Chaucer as a reference in the past for help, I suppose "the help of bath" could be a tribut to Chaucer and thus a possible source or allusion. But this does remain on unsubstantial grounds due to the possibility of it simply meaning a water-filled basin.

Walker Percys The Moviegoer Essay -- Walker Percy Moviegoer Essays

Walker Percy's The Moviegoer Walker Percy is the author of The Moviegoer, which is written about a young man named John Binkerson Bolling otherwise known as Binx. He is the main character who grows up in New Orleans. He is a moviegoer who is on a search but the object of his search is not clear. The people he encounters help him along the way, especially his stepbrother Lonnie and an African American man. The Moviegoer takes place during Mardi Gras when Binx discovers that something more is needed in his life. The story begins with Binx receiving a letter from his Aunt Emily saying that they need to have a talk. This talk is about his cousin Kate who Aunt Emily is worried about. She has been â€Å"moping around the house† ever since her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s death and Aunt Emily wants Binx to cheer her up (28). She wants him to treat Kate as he did before and joke around with her to make her laugh and smile. She has been staying inside and has not interacted with people in a while. On Binx’s way to his aunt’s house, â€Å"the idea of a search occurs to† him (13). â€Å"The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life. To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be onto something† (13). But what exactly is Binx onto? Binx doesn’t know and doesn’t reveal the purpose of his search because he fears â€Å"exposing (his) own ignorance† (14). Is this search about God? Binx â€Å"hesitates to answer, since all other Americans have settled the matter for themselves and to give such an answer would amount to setting himself a goal which everyone else has reached – and therefore raising a question in which no one has the slightest interest. For, as everyone knows, the polls report that 98% of Americans believe in God and the remaining 2% are atheists and agnostics – which leaves not a single percentage point for a seeker† (13, 14). Binx’s search continues through his attraction to the movies that â€Å"are onto the search, but throw him further from the truth. The search always ends in despair† (13). The movies are a way for him to fill the emptiness in his life. They give him incite into others lives and into his own life. â€Å"Before I see a movie it is necessary for me to learn about something about the theater or the people who operate it, to touch base before going inside† (74). This helps him learn more about how others live and lear... ... wants with his life. He does not need to be as religious as Lonnie but he has choices. Lonnie is willing to fast even though he is very sick and this gives Binx faith that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Even on Lonnie’s deathbed, he is content. After his â€Å"half-brother Lonnie Smith died of a massive virus infection which was never positively identified,† he is asked what will happen to Lonnie (237). The children ask Binx, â€Å"When Our Lord raises us up on the last day, will Lonnie still be in a wheelchair or will he be like us?† and he responds with, â€Å"he’ll be like you† (240). This he may not act in a religious way but at least he does not deny the Lord. So even though he is not all religious, he has taken the faith of Lonnie and directed it into his life. Lonnie’s belief in the long run affects Binx and helps him so many times in his search. He started as a moviegoer, living his life through the movies and now he realizes he can live his life through his actions. He was inspired by one he knew very well and by others everyday actions. He was inspired for the better and hopefully his new profession and wife will fill the void that he’s been feeling for so long.

Free Rose for Emily Essays: The Death of Miss Emily Grierson :: A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner

The Death of Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Rose for Emily     The death of Miss Emily Grierson, was it "A Mystery", was this woman so mysterious that everybody in the community had to come visit her at death.   The men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old manservant - a combined gardener and cook - had seen in at least ten years (Faulkner 55).   The house was described as being a big squarish house that was slowly decaying.   It reminded the town of the seventies and was said to be "an eyesore among eyesores" (55).   The voice of the town identifies Emily as a "tradition a duty, and a care".   The men and women of the town act differently to Miss Emily.   A sort of hereditary obligation that triggers a memory.   In 1894 when Colonel Sartoris had remitted her taxes, but generations change within the story, and their values differ.   So the next generation, feeling no hereditary obligation attempts to collect these reportedly remitted taxes.   The encounter between the next generation with its more modern ideas and the aged Miss Emily gives the first visual details of the inside of the house and of her. Inside was a dusty, dank desolate realm dominated by the presence of the crayon portrait of her father. Miss Emily was described as a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head.   Her skeleton was small and spare: perhaps that was why what would have been merely plumpness in another was obesity in her.   She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue.   Her eyes lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough (55).   In the confrontation between the generations when she speaks defiantly to community representatives, her taxes remain uncollected, and she triumphs.   This conquest of the modern generation reminds the narrator of an earlier battle when she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell. You're directed toward the battle language - "vanquished, horse and foot" and in recalling the early images of Miss Emily in her 30's.

Critique of “Against Gay Marriage” Essay

In his essay â€Å"Against Gay Marriage,† William Bennett, a great spokesman for conservatives and former Secretary of education under President Reagan, maintains his conservative stance that allowing same-sex couples to marry would have a harmful and lasting effect on our society’s intrinsic values and, in his view, would stretch the â€Å"fragile† institution of marriage beyond recognition (409). Bennett, as the title indicates, presents a powerful argument â€Å"Against Gay Marriage.† He argues that allowing gay marriage would change the meaning of marriage, the ideal of marriage as being an â€Å"honorable estate,† and would have a large role in molding sexuality (409). One does not have to agree with Bennett to appreciate the strength and honesty of his mind. Still, although he raises thoughtful objections to same-sex marriage, his claims overall read more like an outline, lacking specifics and expert opinions, referring to one organized, caref ul study, and committing a number of logical fallacies that muddy and diminish the effectiveness of his argument. Throughout his essay, Bennett makes many underlying assumptions about same sex couples and the legalization of homosexual marriage. From the beginning, Bennett states that even entertaining such a debate â€Å"would be pointless,† were it not for the â€Å"confused time† we find ourselves in (409). Bennett does concede, however, that arguments made by homosexual advocates such as Andrew Sullivan are â€Å"intelligent† ones, and even â€Å"conservative,† and â€Å"politically shrewd† (409), when touching on the idea that allowing gay marriage would actually promote healthy long term relationships. Sullivan does an excellent job of arguing his point that legalization of gay marriage would in fact,  help promote healthy relationships and monogamous tendencies, which in his essay he states that the legalization of gay marriage would in fact also encourage homosexuals to â€Å"make a deeper commitment to one another and to society† (409). From here though, for William Bennett the views expressed in his editorial piece are clear cut, simple, and largely dismissive in their tone. Besides this claim, to Bennett there are no reasons in his mind why gay marriage should be legal. Bennett admits, though Sullivan’s argument is shrewd, Sullivan is not right. In fact, Bennett would insist and has an underlying assumption in his essay that gay marriages will weaken the institution of marriage even more and will not be truly monogamous and committed to each other because of the â€Å"openness† of gay relationships and that homosexuals have â€Å"less restrained sexual practices† (410). Bennett’s continuous assumptions that gays cannot be truly monogamous and committed shows that to him there exists no room for compromise on the matter, and weakens the strength of his argument. Bennett also throughout his essay makes many fallacious arguments for example, in his opening, Bennett makes a very strong assertion if not an outright overstatement, when he says that recognizing homosexual marriage would symbolize the potent change in the interpretation and characterization of marriage, and â€Å"would be the most radical step ever taken in the deconstruction of society’s most important institution† (409). Of course, Bennett is respected for his personal opinions, but the reader may wonder if any studies or expert opinions exist to support Bennett’s view, to which he has none. This yet again takes away from the strength of his argument because, unlike in Ryan Anderson’s â€Å"Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters and the Consequences of Redefining It† where claim after claim Anderson presents the reader with numerous statistics and expert testimony on why marriage should not be changed and the repercussions and â€Å"dangers† of gay marriage being legalized. Anderson presents the argument that marriage exists to bring a man and a woman together as husband and wife, to be father and mother to any children they create. Anderson states that marriage increases the chances that the man will be devoted to both the children that he helps produce, and to the woman with whom he does so. Anderson then backs this up with testimony from Maggie Gallagher, a popular social conservative  commentator, that joining sex, babies, and moms and dads, is the role of marriage and helps explain why the government rightly respects and addresses this feature of our social lives. In the next paragraph, Bennett wanting to suppress the movement toward the redefinition of marriage, cites the rather peculiar example of two brothers: â€Å"On what principled grounds could the advocates of same-sex marriage oppose the marriage of two consenting brothers?† (409). By citing two homosexual brothers, Bennett commits the â€Å"straw man† fallacy. That is, he reasons from an exceptional case that defies logic and, once recognized, does little for his argument. Who else has ever seen such an extreme example? Is this a real pair of brothers, or are they merely made up and cited for the sake of argument? Whether or not these brothers are fictitious is never stated, but as Andrew Sullivan puts it in his essay â€Å"For Gay Marriage†, the right to marry has been appropriately denied by the state to close family members and relatives because â€Å"familial emotional ties† are too powerful to permit a marriage contract to be entered freely by two independent adults (404). In this regard, Sullivan believes homosexuals do not fit into the same category. To believe that the realization of allowing same sex marriage would lead to the further breakdown of laws governing familial misconduct, such as incest or polygamy, is outlandish. It appears that one logical fallacy breeds another, as in the very next paragraph, Bennett co mmits what seems to be a glaring over-generalization. He states â€Å"Nor is this view arbitrary or idiosyncratic† (409), to say marriages, especially in today’s society, cannot be whimsical or happen by chance because that’s what has gone on for thousands of years or what the major religions state is ridiculous. Even though at one point marriage was seen as a way to increase survival chances and secure your livelihood, it is no longer viewed that way. We no longer live in the middle ages or the 1800’s. People today marry for love and their emotional bonds with people, and love’s intrinsic value is to be random and can happen to anyone. Nor should religious traditions dictate whether gay marriage should be legalized or not, as today there are numerous homosexuals in all branches of major religions; there are gay bishops and preachers, this shows that both religion and homosexuals can coexist and be beneficial to society. Bennett’s final strong claim about gay marriage is that the legalization of  same-sex marriage will lead to teens being confused about their sexuality, conservative parents will be denied their rights to instill their values about sexuality to their children, and that heterosexuals are better parents than their homosexual counterparts. Bennett makes many over generalizations about the impact the signals of legalizing gay marriage would send to teens. Bennett almost contradicts himself with the inclusion of the quote from Harvard professor E.L. Patullo, â€Å"a very substantial number of people are born with the potential to live either straight or gay lives† (410). Many people are born with the potential to lead gay or straight lives, it is a choice, and the legalization of gay marriage would not cause societal indifference, but would rather foster a welcoming environment for young gays to come out into rather than living in fear or shame because of the hate and reper cussions of being homosexual. Bennett also over generalizes the findings of an article about teenagers and adults being interviewed about being gay and bisexual. Fifty kids and dozens of parents and counselors does not speak for the whole population of a country, but also shows the weakness of Bennett’s argument as it shows the lack of actual education there is in much of the country on the subject of homosexuality. Bennett also makes assumptions about how conservative parents will lose the right to teach their kids their views on sexuality if same sex marriage were legalized. Just because gay marriage would be legal and the subject of homosexuality would be taught in school more does not mean at home parents could not teach their children their values. If parents did however, cause an uproar and keep their children from being exposed to certain views on homosexuality just because they didn’t want that to happen, they would be viewed as â€Å"intolerant bigots† (411). Finally Bennett makes a glaring assumption and overgeneralization stating that it is far better for a child to be raised by a heterosexual couple rather â€Å"than by, say, two homosexual males† (411). In the Film â€Å"Daddy & Papa† it shows four separate families, all homosexual males, and how they all care, love, and are just as capable of raising children as heterosexual couples. They want nothing more for their children than what any heterosexual couple would want for their kids, the best possible life. Bennett may believe that the legalization of gay marriage will destroy the  institution of marriage, but time after time homosexuals have proven they are just as capable of fulfilling the duties of marriage as heterosexuals, and it is a part of our society today. To have equality for all citizens, it is a right that will soon have to occur. Work Cited Sullivan, Andrew. â€Å"For Gay Marriage†. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 11 ed. Ed. Suzanne Phelps Chambers. Boston: Longman, 2011. 404-407. Print. Anderson, Ryan T. â€Å"Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It.† _The Heritage Foundation_. The Heritage Foundation, 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2014 _Daddy & Papa: A Documentary Film_. Prod. Johnny. Symons. Dir. Johnny. Symons. By Johnny. Symons. 2002.