Crop rotation

Agriculture, also called farming or husbandry, is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi, and other life forms for food, fiber, biofuel,drugs and other products used to sustain and enhance human life. [1] Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science.The history of agriculture dates back thousands of years, and its development has been driven and defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and technologies. However, all farming generally relies on techniques to expand and maintain the lands that are suitable for raising domesticated species. For plants, this usually requires some form ofirrigation, although there are methods of dryland farming; pastoral herding on rangeland is still the most common means of raising livestock.In the developed world, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monoculture has become the dominant system of modern farming, although there is growing support for sustainable agriculture (e. g. permaculture or organic agriculture). Until the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of the human population labored in agriculture. Pre-industrial agriculture was typicallysubsistence agriculture in which farmers raised most of their crops for their own consumption instead of for trade.A remarkable shift in agricultural practices has occurred over the past century in response to new technologies, and the development of world markets. This also led to technological improvements in agricultural techniques, such as the Haber-Bosch method for synthesizing ammonium nitratewhich made the traditional practice of recycling nutrients with crop rotation and animal manure less necessary. Historical Development of Crop Production Early man lived on wild game, leaves, roots, seeds, berries, and fruits.As the population increased, the food supply was not always sufficiently stable or plentiful to supply his needs. This probably led to the practice of crop production. Therefore, crop production began at least nine thousand (9000) years ago when domestication of plants became essential to supplement natural supplies in certain localities. The art of crop production is older than civilization, and its essential features have remained almost unchanged since the dawn of history. These features are: 1. Gathering and preservation of seeds of the desired crop plants 2.Destroying other kinds of vegetation growing on the land 3. Stirring the soil to form a seedbed 4. Planting when the season and weather are right as shown by past experience 5. Destroying weeds 6. Protecting the crop from natural enemies 7. Gathering, processing and storing the product Origin of Cultivated Crops All cultivated plants were domesticated from their wild species. However, the exact time and place of origin and the true ancestry of many crops are still as h ighly speculative as the origin of man. Man has domesticated some crop species that met his needs before the dawn of recorded history.Most of the domesticated crops were introduced into new areas far from their centre of origin by migrating human populations in prehistoric as well as in recorded times. As a result, both indigenous and introduced crops are grown everywhere in the world. Bikolandia – Rice, corn, coconut, abaca, rootcrops, copra, and banana CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS A new crop classification, the Indicative Crop Classification (ICC) has been developed for the 2010 round of agricultural censuses, and is given at the end of this appendix.The crop classification used in the 2000 agricultural census programme reflected various elements related to crops, including the growing cycle (temporary/permanent), crop species, crop variety (for example, hybrid/ordinary maize), season (for example, winter/spring wheat), land type (for example, wetland/dryland rice), crop use (fo r example, pumpkin for food/fodder), type of product (for example, fresh/dried beans), how the crop is processed (for example, industrial crops), and cultivation methods (for example, crops grown under protective cover).ICC has been developed based on the Central Product Classification (CPC) (UN, 2004a). CPC classifies goods and services into categories based on the nature of the product and industry of origin. Crop products are classified mainly according to the type of crop. CPC itself is based on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS), a classification of the World Customs Organization. CPC is also broadly compatible with ISIC, in that the industry of origin is related to ISIC. ICC is also consistent with the classification of commodities used in FAO’s on-line database, FAOSTAT.From a statistical point of view, the crop classification should be closely related to the product classification, and to some extent to the economic activity classification (IS IC). The crop classification refers to which crops are grown, whereas the product classification refers to the product(s) generated from that crop. Thus, â€Å"mustard† is an oilseed crop, whereas â€Å"mustard seed† is the oilseed product. There is not always a one-to-one correspondence between a crop and a product. The same crop may yield two products – for example, cotton may yield cotton fibre and cotton seed. Philippines – Crop production indexCrop production index (2004-2006 = 100) The latest value for Crop production index (2004-2006 = 100) in Philippines was 111. 00 as of 2009. Over the past 48 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between 113. 00 in 2008 and 29. 00 in 1961. Definition: Crop production index shows agricultural production for each year relative to the base period 2004-2006. It includes all crops except fodder crops. Regional and income group aggregates for the FAO's production indexes are calculated from the underlying values in international dollars, normalized to the base period 2004-2006.

Learning theorists Essay

In most cases, the more students use construction to understand new material-the more they use what they already know to help them understand and interpret the material-the more effectively they will store it in long-term-memory. Different people often construct different meanings from the same stimuli, in part because they each bring their own unique experiences and knowledge bases to the same situation. For example, when the â€Å"Rocky† passage on page 267 was used in an experiment with college students, physical education majors frequently interpreted it as a wrestling match, but music education majors (most of whom had little or no knowledge of wrestling) were more likely to think that it was about a prison break. Furthermore, people often interpret what they see and hear based on what they expect to see and hear. Prior knowledge and expectations are especially likely to influence learning when new information is ambiguous. As teachers, we will find our students constructing their own idiosyncratic meanings and interpretations for virtually all aspects of the classroom curriculum. For example, as the Rocky exercise illustrates, the activity of reading is often quite constructive in nature: Students combine the ideas that they read with their prior knowledge and then draw logical conclusions about what the text is trying to communicate. So, too, will we find constructive processes in subject areas like math, science, and social studies. When we want our students to interpret classroom subject matter in particular ways, we must be sure to communicate clearly and unambiguously, so that there is little room for misinterpretation. Retrieval isn’a always an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Sometimes we retrieve only certain parts of whatever information we are looking for in long-term memory. In such situations, we may construct our â€Å"memory† of an event by combining the tidbits we can retrieve with our general knowledge and assumptions about the world. Were you able to retrieve the missing letters from your long-term memory? If not, then you may have found yourself making reasonable guesses, using either your knowledge of how the words are pronounced or your knowledge of how words in the English language are typically spelled. For example, perhaps you used the I before e except after c rule for word 4; if so, then you reconstructed the correct spelling of retrieval. Perhaps you used your knowledge that ance is a common word ending. Unfortunately, if you used this knowledge for word 2, then you spelled existence incorrectly. Neither pronunciation nor typical English spelling patterns would have helped you with hors d’oeuvre, a term borrowed from French. When people fill in the gaps in what they’ve retrieved based on what seems â€Å"logical,† they often make mistakes-a form of forgetting called reconstruction error. Our own students sometimes will fall victim to reconstruction error, pulling together what they can recall in ways that we may hardly recognize. If important details are difficult to fill in logically, we must make sure our students learn them well enough that they can retrieve them directly from their long-term memories.

Gloak's Safe-Action Advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gloak's Safe-Action Advertisement - Essay Example The guy in the add looks like has military. Hes ex Drill Instructor at Marine Corp. He has military clothing on that civilian wear He narrates how a thug tried to kick upon the front door of house; while he was successful in opening the front door, what lied ahead of him became one of his worst night mares ever. The customer expresses his amazement at the tenacity with which a loaded Gloak protected him and his family. This is one of the many amazing stories that Gloak intends to collect through this promotional campaign. At the bottom center of the page, the Gloak spokes person asserts how she hears these remarkable stories every other day. The on-lookers are prompted to send in their stories of Gloak on Facebook page of Gloak and get a chance to appear in a Gloak ad. The paper will elaborate on the advertisement, its appearance, the target market that it is intended for, it’s branding through the advertisement, the ethos pathos and logos. It will critique the advertisement i n greater depth over its strengths and weaknesses. The Gloak ad speaks to consumers in various ways –both direct and in-direct. Through the given story, the ad speaks to the customer by telling him the gun will protect him no matter what the circumstances are. No matter how drastic the situation or how tough the encounter, Gloak will protect them.

Non-Conformity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Non-Conformity - Essay Example the people which conforms to certain predefined and subtle social control that directly correlates with the values and value system of the person and his environment. Thus, non conformity of human behavior and human interaction often provokes wide ranging ratifications for the society as a whole. The pros and con of non conformity can be described as follows. The non conformity can broadly be defined as behavior or actions that do not follow some predefined dictum of the society. The person displays unique characteristics and creativity in his or her actions that have significant impact on other people. The non conformist therefore, leads a life that is dramatically different and becomes a leader to a unique culture. While the normal human behavior tends to follow a rational approach, conforming to the wider welfare of the people, the non conformist is highly indigenous in his actions and thoughts and follows his instincts to blaze a new trail of innovation and path breaking ideas. Oprah Winfrey dared to follow her dreams and overcame adversities to show that a person can rise above the conformity of race and gender to become successful. Liberty of thought and actions are important part of non conformity. People who are non conformist like to experiment with radical ideas which could result in path breaking inventions or discoveries that could significantly impact human lives. Indeed, the development of society is based on the revolutionary ideas of the few which has significantly impacted the restructuring of social fabric in a more rationale manner. Mills has been very vocal on the issue of liberty of thought because he believed that it promotes the conception and inception of new ideas which are intrinsic part of development, which every society undergoes through the time. ‘No one can be a great thinker who does not recognize, that as a thinker it is his first duty to follow his intellect to whatever conclusions it may lead... we can expect no fresh start,

Intercultural Communication paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intercultural Communication paper - Essay Example When Bill uses the term "dear", he is not consciously being condescending, yet Margaret interprets it to have that meaning. Helen, older and more familiar with Bill's style easily accepts the term as a term of gender endearment. This example illustrates how communication changes over time and through generations because of the way we view our culture. In the case study, Helen was an effective communicator. As the receiver of Bill's messages she was able to interpret them and act on them accordingly. She was acting within her cultural context. Margaret was also effective in her communication. Though she misunderstood Bill's intentions, she was able to place the communication in the current cultural context and was direct about her feelings in reference to it. Bill was the least effective communicator. He has assumed the role of dominance and not accounted for cultural change. When he requests a cup of coffee, he is transmitting a message and an image. To Margaret, this was the image of a waitress or a servant. His true intentions, to get a cup of coffee, were masked by his inability to communicate across the culture and understand the differences. The message he transmitted was not a request for coffee, but a statement of "I'm in charge". Men's dominant position in the workplace has been challenged in recent decades. The recent Time magazine article that listed only males as the ten most powerful people in America has been challenged (Samovar, Porter, and Stefani, 51). The request for a cup of coffee and the use of the word "secretary" carry cultural meaning and have been altered in recent years. Asking an administrative assistant to do your shopping places the female in a subservient, or traditional wife, role. This has encountered resistance in the last decade as women have struggled for equality in pay and position. This equality will also have to extend to our understanding on communication. Intercultural Communication is About Change and Challenge The world is a rapidly changing landscape due to globalization, communication, and transportation (Samovar, Porter, and Stefani, 3). The words we use and the images we project will be interpreted based on current cultural trends. World views on pollution will affect the ways in which other cultures view industrial expansion. Within our own culture, the rise in political power of ethnic and minority populations has made many words obsolete or derogatory. It requires constant learning to assure that our speech and the images we project will be received with the message we intended to send. Problems of Being an Effective Intercultural Communicator Communicating with a different culture requires a depth of understanding of the culture that goes beyond the simple history of the people. It requires an understanding of our, "... social relations, concepts of the universe, and views of suffering..." (Samovar, Porter, and Stefani, 16). To communicate effectively we need to understand the cultural values that the people are made of. It also requires an understanding and tolerance for the individual. These requirements mean that there will be no absolute method of communication. It is forever shifting and is tailored to each individual person and event. These make the task ever changing and challenging. Works Cited Samovar,

Al-Nusrah Front Terrorist Group Profile Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Al-Nusrah Front Terrorist Group Profile - Thesis Example The paper will also analyze the American policies on homeland security, and relate the aspects of the policies to the design and structure of the Al-Nusrah Front. Terrorism is a serious global issue that is attracting great financial, political, war, economic, religious and social strategies. Usually, the groups characterize with competent military structures and strategies that enable them to fight military of sovereign states. Currently, largest terrorist groups have concentrated within the Middle East and Arabic speaking countries. The nature and organization of the groups has led to labeling of some as Islamic-oriented. In fact, the greatest terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusrah, ISIL and the Hamas have Islamism at the core of their ideologies. Most of the terrorist groups have been targeting Western countries, America in particular, and the allies. A case in point was the 9/11 event that made terror threat on Western countries a reality. It is for the escalation of terrorist activities targeted at America that the US government strengthened policies on Homeland security. The Al-Nusrah Front otherwise called Jabhat al-Nusra is among the renowned global terrorist groups after enlistment by Australia, United States, United Nations, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Russia. Analysis of the Al-Nusrah alongside US security policies is important in determining the efficiencies of the homeland security programs in tackling any threats from the group. The Al-Nusrah Front or Jabhat al-Nusra is a terrorist group based in Syria with extended operations to Lebanon. The group started forming late in 2011 and formalized its existence on January 23, 2012 through publication. The group pays allegiance to the Al-Qaeda of Iraq that saw its formation under the leadership of Abu M. al-Julani, who was an operative of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The purpose for the creation of the group was to

Causes of back injuries and methods of its preventing Essay

Causes of back injuries and methods of its preventing - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the significance of the impact of safe lifting has turned out to be not generally acknowledged in the globe. Many reasons have been explained in relation to work area safety. In this paper, we discuss a variable that has not been given the attention it deserves in the argument about safe lifting and health in places of work. The case of escalating back injuries has for the most part been overlooked in contingency plans by business organization. Many organizations with low levels of employee safety and health ultimately find themselves in a situation we call a â€Å"safety trap.† This state of affairs concerns both the employees and the employers. High levels of back injuries and poor lifting methods bring about higher rates of insurance premiums. If the premium rates are high, it is both the employers and employees who suffer in the long term. The employer suffers in that they are forced to incur extra costs by paying the high r ates for insurance premiums while the employees suffer in that they sometimes suffer negative life changing injuries which end up decapitating them for the rest of their lives. At present, the total cost of premiums being paid out by the business sums up to a massive $78,000. At the implementation of the project, we hope to reduce this by a whopping 70% and if possible wipe out the issue of high premiums being paid out. A sharp increase has been detected in back strain injuries and days lost due to these injuries which has also seen an increase in insurance premium costs. JIM’S CLEANING will make sure that probable back injury risk factors in its amenities are evaluated and restricted. This regular practice order is planned to tackle broadly the issues of; Evaluating back injury concerns, evaluating engineering measures, job practices, organizational measures, and

Group Development Intro and Conclusion only Assignment

Group Development Intro and Conclusion only - Assignment Example There are studies which support the concept that groups influence work behavior. A group is composed of individuals working together towards common goals by interacting with one another and utilizing appropriate resources. They need a certain period of time for common interests to be discussed, explained and internalized so that stability and efficiency would ensue. From the cohesiveness that a group develops, certain level of performance is achieved. Groups have to be planned not only in their formation but more so in their development for them to be productive and efficient. Each team undergoes varies stages of development depending on their size and objectives. The extent of cohesiveness that a team develops influences the level of performance of a group. High performing teams are influenced by factors such as mission, roles, leadership, communication, decision-making, systems/procedures, climate, rewards, and competence. It is learning how these teams evolve from a basic structure composed of individuals to a complex, performing team that makes theoretical applications of group development

The Silent Language Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Silent Language - Assignment Example In his book ‘, Edward T. Hall notes down the importance of mastering these skills for an American, who aspires to conduct successful business abroad (Cardon, 2008). This paper will, therefore, evaluate the important things that an American businessman needs to familiarize with while in a foreign land as addressed in The Silent Language in Overseas Business (Hall, 1960). Some things are acceptable in one culture, but may also be offensive in another culture. For instance, as Hall notes, an American will realize that a Latin American time might be quite spontaneous with their time, but when doing business with an Arab, he will realize that Arabs will tolerate interruptions in between. However, that will not lessen the seriousness of the business being conducted. With this in mind, an American should seek to understand the various cultural practices in a foreign state by acquainting himself or herself with the social, ethnic and economic dissimilarities of the people in that state. As Hall has stated, an understanding of various cultural differences will go a long way to make business transactions quite easier to conduct (Cardon, 2008). This includes an understanding of the communication in terms of time, space, material possessions, friendship patterns, and agreements. Hall makes it clear that people’s actions can act as a perfect means of conv ersing in one culture, while in others; it is words that do most of the expression (Hall, 1960). A person’s behavior communicates a lot and so are the attitudes and material possessions. Cultural interactions, according to Hall, can be explained in three levels; formal, informal, and technical. Formal forms include those instances when one does something inappropriately but is corrected and shown the right way. Informal involves learning the ways of a certain people by imitating them. Technical forms of learning, on their other hand, are similar to the experience of a teacher to a student (Hall, 19560).  

Social Environmental Essay Example for Free

Social Environmental Essay This paper expounds how human behavior is influenced by social and environmental events through complex interplay of biopsychosocial dimension. Human develops resilience that is constantly challenged by developmental conflict to find eventual survival strategies. II. Introduction a. Society cultural influence on human behavior is an exposure whose products result from interplay between three dimensions; the interaction regarding biological, psychological, and social perspective to life as a whole. b. Importance of bio-psychosocial dimensions in expounding on how human behavior is birthed and found on the fundamental principle of â€Å"cause and effect† analysis of societal control as a denominator to man behavioral exhibit. c. Life events are activities taking place in which man is inevitably a player and contributes greatly to the outcome of such events on the basis of behavioral character. We therefore, do find it so critical to analyze how this behavior is formed and the psychosocial dimensional influence on the formation. d. This paper shall step wisely touch the three basic dimensions with a view to identifying the key elements involved, the specific behavior exhibited and its impact of each in early and later life. e. This paper reveals the dimension and aim at analyzing some resilience or behavioral adaptation developed to live amidst many behavioral challenges. III. Biological Dimension a. This is the closest dimension where natural factors mix with the social environment to produce observable human behavior. i. The natural factors include ecological influence, genetic adaptability, and parental inheritance of an individual. ii. This biological dimension affects personal and cognitive development through complex impulses which interact with other biological systems to determine an individual’s reaction to social stimulus. b. During early life, body systems begin process of adaptive response to develop a competitive survival mode for the present and future exposure. It is a preparative stage of natural body system reaction to societal values and norms c. In later life, there is an existing involuntary response to ways of life in a way that disease develop when adapted response cannot interpret strange exposure IV. Psychological Dimension a. i. This dimension defines the characteristic of the mind and mental makeup resulting from societal life events on human behavior. ii. The key element here is the inter-subjectivity of humanistic approaches that focuses on fundamental issues of life in the society. b. It forms basis for cognitive behavior, involuntary response, behavioral and reasoning in response to convergence of cognitive and formal lessons exposed to in life. c. i. According to Erickson’s psychosocial developmental theory, early life involves negotiation of emotions with environmental culture and social events to balance eight psychosocial crises. The successful completion of negotiation produces â€Å"basic strength† or â€Å"basic virtual†. The challenges of fitting in productively – the crisis. ii. According to Erickosn’s and Freud’s, this is the stage of total self awareness, improvement and development. Negatively, there is showcase of behavioral â€Å"malignancies and maladaptation† in late life with that challenge of absolute zero tolerance to re-orientation. V. Sociology a. The social dimension domain refers to characteristics of human beings regarding their interaction through collective co-existence in society. i. Key elements here are behavioral response to ones input, expectation to family relationships, cultural orientation, institutional educations, societal norms, rules and regulations. ii. Aspects of behavior affected by social life events are numerous. It form the complex identity for age and overall life stages in education, marriage etc. b. Awareness of educational need in early life and behavioral conformation to this societal expectation. c. Awareness of several expectations in areas like marriage, and self guilt from perception of not belonging to societal identity, a feeling of rejection or being an outcast. VI. Coping and Resilience for Survival. a. Coping with perpetual influence of environmental events conflict in developing the eventual human behavior is required to build up survival strategies. b. Through outcome of negative and positive experiences with suitable rescue aid, the prevailing ones determine the ability of man to gain back any setback in development or formed the stability of overall behavioral display. c. In pursuit of survival, it is sufficed to theorize that human beings cope and maintain well-being through institutions with most acceptance of his developed behavior, be it spiritual or social support. VII. Conclusion a. The understanding of this three dimensional approach gives a holistic picture of intrinsic and extrinsic behaviors exhibited by man to exist. b. Human behavior is imprisoned by interplay of forces responding to natural, social and environmental events. There is yet no freedom for independent behavioral development if man must survive. VIII. Bibliography in APA format Erikson, Erik H. (1986). Childhood and Society. New York: Norton. Erikson, Erik H. (1979). Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: Int. Universities Press. Erikson, Erik H. (1968). Identity, Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton,. Kendra van W. (n. d. ). Eriksons Theory of Psychosocial Development. Available at: http://psychology. about. com/lr/psychosocial_development/5045/1/. 04/19/2009. Sheehy, Gail. (1976). Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life. New York: E. P. Dutton. Stevens, Richard. (1983). Erikson: An Introduction. New York: St. Martins. http://www. businessballs. com/maslow. htm

Apple Inc Market Analysis

Apple Inc Market Analysis According to Kotler Marketing is not like Euclidean geometry, a fixed system of concepts and axioms. Rather, marketing is one of the most dynamic fields within the management arena. The marketplace continuously throws out fresh challenges, and companies must respond. Therefore, it is not surprising that new marketing ideas keep surfacing to meet the new marketplace challenges. (Varadarajan, 2009) Product, price, promotion and place are factors that, within limits, are capable of being influenced or controlled. Marketing strategy can be viewed as reflecting a marketing mix of these four elements. (OShaughnessey, 1984). Market planning involves the logical sequence and a series of activities leading to the setting of marketing objectives and the formulation of plans for achieving them. Marketing tools are used in the realisation of market plans. This paper aims to critically evaluate how Apple Inc could use some of the main strategic marketing tools (Product Life Cycle, Ansoff Matrix, Boston Matrix etc) to develop and manage its products and product portfolios. Some of the advantages and limitations observed will also be discussed. 1.1: BACKGROUND OF APPLE INC Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the aim of providing user-friendly computers to a set of computer hobbyists (David, 2007; pg 2-3). The first computer they made had no keyboard or power supply and they were able to sell about 200 of such computers which they called Apple 1 (International directory of company history, 2001). Later that year, they began working on Apple II with the intention of reaching a greater market segment. Apple II was a success and made more than $1 million in annual sales. Apple II stored information on cassette tapes and that made them very slow. Apple improved on this memory problem in 1979 with Apple II+ and made 400% more sales than that of the previous year. (International directory of company history, 2001) Apple III was launched in 1980 to break into the office market dominated by IBM. However, the computer was released without adequate testing and many of its unit were defective. Production was stopped and the problem was fixed but Apple III was not as successful as Apple II in the market and it was discontinued in 1984. (International directory of company history, 2001) The company forged ahead despite the failure of Apple III and released more than 40 software programs. It became the first personal computer to reach $1 billion in annual sales in 1982. (International directory of company history, 2001) Steve Wozniak left Apple in 1983 and John Sculley was hired to be the Company president. Steve Jobs was eventually forced out of the company too. Apple turned down Microsofts appeal for the license of their Macintosh operating system. Microsoft went on to develop DOS operating system which soon became the international operating standard for more than 90% of all personal computers in the world. (David, 2007; pg 2-3) Apple experienced a lot of problems with poor management and failed products over the next couple of years and its financial losses reached a staggering $1 billion in 1997. Its share price fell from $70 in 1991 to $14 and its lost majority of its market share. (International directory of company history, 2001) Steve Jobs returned as the CEO of Apple in 1998 and began making efforts to right all the wrongs that had been made over the years. He instantly forged a relationship with Microsoft which included the release of Macintoshs version of Microsofts popular office software (David, 2007; pg 2-3). He went on to eliminate 15 of the companys 19 products (International directory of company history, 2001) as they were not making profits. He introduced the iMac, a sleek and colourful computer in 1998 (David, 2007; pg 2-3). The iMac was a great success and Apples annual sale for that year was $5.9 billion. They experienced continuous growth and their stock made a 140% increase to $99 by the end of 1999 (International directory of company history, 2001). The iPod was introduced in 2001 and over 100million units has been sold. The iTunes online store was launched in 2003. It is a platform where people can download music and pay for it and it has gone on to become the biggest online music store recording more than 4 billion downloads. In January 2006, the Mac book Pro was launched (Anonymous, 2008). In January, 2007, the iPhone and Apple TV were launched and Apple Computer Inc became Apple Inc to accommodate its wide range of products (Anonymous, 2008). 1.2: THE MARKETING MIX According to Professor Peter Doyle, the selection of the target market and design of the marketing mix are the two key decisions that determine the success of a firm in a new market (Baker, 2007). Marketing comprises of a number of elements and the relationship/interdependencies between these elements is referred to as the marketing mix (Cartwright, 2002). The marketing mix is made up of four basic components that can be combined in a number of ways to achieve different end results (Baker, 2007) and these are Product, Place, People and Promotion. Only the product will be discussed in details for the purpose of this paper. 1.2.1: PRODUCT A product has been defined as tangible in the past but we are at the age where that definition is no longer adequate as it does not completely capture the whole essence of a product. A product is defined as a combination of both tangible and intangible properties for the sole purpose of customer satisfaction (Baker, Marketing Strategy and Management, 2007). A product is more than just the food a customer eats at a restaurant; it includes all the services rendered such as convenience, speed, mobility etc (Cheverton, 2004). 1.3: THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE A typical product goes through different stages in its life time and this is referred to as the product life cycle. This is illustrated with the diagram below: INTRODUCTION: The introductory stage is crucial to the life of a product. It is advisable for companies to invest a lot of money into advertisement at this stage to ensure they are able to make sufficient impact upon entry into the market (Cartwright, 2002). The rate of growth and investment at this stage is inversely proportional (Cheverton, 2004). GROWTH: There is a change in marketing strategy at this stage and the cost on advertising reduces as the customers are aware of the brand (Assael, 1985; Pg 308) resulting in a lot of market growth. A lot of sales are usually generated at this stage due to customer awareness. It is usually very good to be the first company to pass through successful unchartered water. However, as soon the success become obvious, other companies will wish to enter the market (Cartwright, 2002). MATURITY: This is the most profitable stage. However, the product is capable of little or no further developments. An effective marketing mix is essential for survival at this stage as competition becomes stiff and competitors will do anything to survive in the market (Baker Hart, Product Strategy and Management, 1999; Pg 97 100). There are too many players in the market at this stage and it is imperative for organizations to come up with new products or improvement on existing products (Cartwright, 2002). DECLINE: With decline in sales, impending death is inevitable and the company can either re-design the product or totally withdraw it (Assael, 1985; Pg 308). 1.3.1: ANALYSIS OF THE IPHONE FAMILY USING THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything these were the words of Steve Jobs at the launch of the iPhone in January, 2007. Jobs had noticed an opportunity in the mobile handset market two years prior and set Apples Engineers in motion to develop the iPhone (Grossman, 2007) which was to save people the stress of carrying both an MP3 player and a phone and the cost of purchasing the two items. The iPhone marked Apples entrance into the mobile handset market. It combines the features of the iPod, smart phones and mobile computing into one device. The user interface is built around a new input technology called multi touch and the only physical button on the iPhone is the home key; every other feature is virtual (Honan, 2007). INTRODUCTION: The build-up to the introduction of the iPhone was second to none. It generated over 69 million hits on Google prior to its launch (Koeppel, 2007). The popularity translated to huge sales and Apple reported selling more than one million iPhones within the first quarter (Financial Statements, 2007). There were some mistakes with the marketing strategy for the iPhone and the obvious one was in the price slash just three months after its introduction (Vertygo Team, 2008). The early adopters were outraged but Steve Jobs made efforts to pacify them by offering $100 store credit that customers could use in purchasing at retail Apple stores or online (Mickalowski, Mickelson, Keltgen, 2008). GROWTH: Apple Inc introduced iPhone3G a little over a year after the first iPhone was launched. The iPhone 3G was compatible with 3G networks which translated into higher connection speed at half the price of the original iPhone, it promised better battery life and also included a built-in GPS (MacWorld, 2008). Iphone 3G was highly successful and Apple sold more than 11.6 million units of the handset (UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2008). The sale of the Iphone expanded beyond the US and the company had a target of reaching 70 countries before the end of 2008. However, the contract with ATT increased by more than 10% from the monthly charge of the previous model therefore, even though the iPhone3G was cheaper, customers will end up spending more over the two-year contract with ATT (MacWorld, 2008). June, 2009 marked the launch of yet another iPhone this time the iPhone3Gs. The features include: Hands free control, longer battery life. It also included the soft ware iPhone OS 3.0, a new software capable of a lot of functionalities such as copy and paste, MMS etc (Vertygo Team, 2008). It had larger memory capacities and was again cheaper than the previous model. The product was well accepted by the market and Apple sold more than 20 million units of the iPhone and witnessed a growth of 78% from the previous year sale (UNITED STATES SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2010). In June 2010, the company again introduced a new iPhone; the iPhone 4. This included such features as face time (ability for callers to see each other while making phone calls provided they are both using the iPhone4), 5 mega Pixel camera etc. Building on the success of the previous iPhones, the fourth generation of the iPhone recorded an instant success upon its launch. The company declared more than 93% growth in its iPhone net and unit sales for the year ended September, 2010. This success was attributed in part to the huge demand on the iPhone 4 (UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2009). ADVANTAGES OF THE PLC The PLC helps organizations plan and make allowance for the eventualities of products. The realisation that every product will die if not improved or modified in some ways, help organizations work hard at constantly improving their products. This fact is not lost on Apple Inc and the company strives to constantly improve on its products or add new features to its existing products. Apple Inc is probably the company that understands the importance of the product lifecycle the most and they usually replace their own product with a new product while its still in the growth stage (Average of a year after its launch). The strategy is commendable as it ensures that no competitor takes their position and their market share. DISADVANTAGES OF THE PLC A number of limitations were observed with the PLC and these are: It has no time limits associated with the stages. Thereby making it difficult to estimate exactly what stage a product is in its lifecycle. For instance, in the case of the Apple Inc, the iPhone 3Gs was still enjoying a lot of sales and the introduction of the iPhone4 could have been delayed for a couple of months more to milk the sales of the iPhone 3Gs to the maximum. It can cause a company to kill its own product prematurely because of the need to retain their position in the market. This could be seen in the case of the iPhone 3Gs; with the new iPhone 4, the decline of the iPhone 3Gs is imminent sooner rather than later. Even though every product will decline eventually, the PLC does not take the effect of technology into consideration. The lifecycle of the iPhone could be extended by constant introduction of new applications. Lastly, not every product goes through the stages in the life cycle as it is possible for products to go from introduction to decline etc. 1.4: RISK ANALYSIS USING THE ANSOFF MATRIX The Ansoff Matrix is a strategic marketing tool that proposes ways in which organisations seeking growth can come up with a strategy that encompasses risk analysis, directional policy, portfolio management etc (Lancaster Massingham, 1999); (CIM, 2003). The framework of this tool is shown below: The cells (Strategies) in the matrix are: MARKET PENETRATION: The market penetration strategy has the lowest risk involved and as such the easiest route to take. It involves expansion of sales in existing market and this can be achieved by expanding distribution channels, improving service performance, price slashes, increasing the frequency of usage etc (CIM, 2003); (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). The most important aim is for a company to increase their market share. MARKET DEVELOPMENT: This is a strategy of growth based on entering new markets (countries) and targeting new segments (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). PRODUCT DVELOPMENT: This strategy is based on developing new products for existing markets (Lancaster Massingham, 1999). DIVERSIFICATION: This is the most risky of all the strategies as it involves delving into a totally new market with a totally new product (WMG, 2010) 1.4.1: MANAGING APPLE INC PRODUCT PORTFOLIO USING THE ANSOFF MATRIX MARKET PENETRATION: Although Apple Inc is doing a fantastic job with this strategy; there is still ample room for growth and this can be achieved using the increase in product usage approach (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). Apple could increase the iPhone usage by targeting the older people (50 years and above). They currently do not find the iPhone appealing because it lacks a keypad and as such, it will be difficult to use. A solution is to come up with an iPhone that combines all the current features of an iPhone with a keypad; an iPhone that displays a keypad when slid up might be a good place to start. MARKET DEVELOPMENT: One of the strategies Apple Inc can adopt in increasing its growth is geographic expansion (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). There are still so many countries where the iPhone and iPad are not yet been sold. Acquiring more markets will translate to more sale and ultimately more market share. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: This involves line extensions, developing new products for existing markets, expanding product scope etc. (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). There is a huge problem usually encountered when using the Macintosh Computers to browse or download software as most vendors are not familiar with the operating system and this could be frustrating for users. It is important for Apple to bridge this technological gap by introducing a more compatible operating system and applications. DIVERSIFICATION: From Computers to MP3 players to iPhones to iPad; Apple Inc knows all about diversification and it has worked for them. Even though it is the most risky of all the growth strategies, if successful, the ROI (return on investment) could be huge. Apple recently entered the tablet market and they own 95% of the market share within just 6months of launching the iPad. ADVANTAGES OF THE ANSOFF MATRIX The Ansoff Matrix is very useful in coming up with a growth strategy for an Organization. Apple Inc explores all the possible growth opportunities and it has helped in their growth and expansion. It has also pointed out areas where there is still room for growth and expansion. LIMITATIONS OF THE ANSOFF MATRIX The limitation observed with the Ansoff Matrix is similar to those observed with the other tools. The tool is not exhaustive enough to be used alone in coming to a marketing decision and as such for effective use, it should be used with other tools such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis etc. 1.5: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS USING THE BCG MATRIX The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is a portfolio management tool that helps companies group their products based on the market growth and market share matrix (Kotler et al, 2008)as shown below: The matrix is divided into four segments namely: STARS: These are products with high market share in a high growth market. Their growth rate is rapid and hence, often requires a lot of investment. If market share is retained, they often grow into cash cows (Kotler et al, 2008). QUESTION MARKS: These are products with low market share in a high growth market. They are also referred to as problem children. They usually require a lot of money to maintain or increase their market share. A company usually has two options with such products; invest a lot of money to grow them into stars or just phase out the product (Doyle Stern, 2006). CASH COWS: These are products with high market share in a low growth market. They usually require low investments to maintain their market shares and as such, they usually generate the resources required to maintain other products that require a lot of investment (Kotler et al, 2008) (Doyle Stern, 2006). DOGS: These are products with low market share in a slow growth market and they are usually unprofitable (Doyle Stern, 2006). It is advisable to avoid or totally minimize the number of Dogs in a companys portfolio. 1.5.1: HOW APPLE INC COULD USE THE BCG TO MANAGE THEIR PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Apple has a range of products. The iPhone family and the iPad will be analysed using the BCG matrix. STARS iPhone 4 iPad QUESTION MARKS iPhone 3Gs IPOD Cash Cow FIGURE 1.5.1: Apple Inc BCG Matrix STARS: The iPhone 4 is currently the star product of the company as it experiences high market share in a high growth market (Mobile hand set market). The high market share it enjoys is largely due to the success of the previous models. It is very likely that the iPhone 4 will retain its market share for a while to come as there is currently no product in the market that combines all the features it has for the price it is available for. Another product of the Apple Inc that falls under this category is the iPad. Even though it was just introduced in April 2010, it has enjoyed a passive sale of 7.5 million units already (UNITED STATES SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2010) and the iPad accounted for 8% of the companys total net sales for 2010. According to Mintel reports, it owns more than 95% of the tablet market which shows that it enjoys high market share in a high growth market. QUESTION MARKS: The iPhone3Gs has lost a huge part of its market share to the iPhone4 and as therefore become a question mark (albeit in the early stages!). It will generate some cash for the company for a while to come mainly because of the reduction in its price. However, with the new iPhone 4 it is unlikely to grow into a star again and it is advisable for the company to phase it out eventually. CASH COWS: The iPod is the companys major cash cow. It has been around for a long time and enjoys huge market share. The growth in the market has reduced with a lot of gadgets that combine MP3 players with their other features. However, it requires little or no further advertisement as people are aware of it and will continue to buy it for a while to come. The resources generated from it can be used to fund other products in the portfolio. ADVANTAGES OF THE BCG MATRIX The major advantage of the BCG Matrix is that it helps companies determine their position in a market relative to their competitors. They can use the result from the analysis to determine what products to invest resources in and what products to phase out. For instance, knowing that the iPhone 3Gs has become a question mark will help the company focus more on the new iPhone4 and reduce the production and advertisement costs that would have been incurred on the iPhone3Gs. Also, the revenue realised from their cash cow (iPod) can be channelled to other products in their portfolio. LIMITATIONS OF THE BCG MATRIX However, there were some limitations observed with the tool. The matrix views each product in a portfolio as independent from each other. It is possible to have low market share in a high growth market (Question Mark) and still be profitable. This is seen in the case of the iPhone3. Even though it has lost its market leader position, it will serve more as a cash cow for the company for a while to come because it will continue to enjoy sales rather than instantly becoming a question mark. The matrix judges the performance of products using only growth rate and market share. This is not sufficient as there are a number of other factors that determine the success of a product in a market such as the marketing mix etc. A major determinant in the case of Apples iPhone is the ATT. Customers are not happy with the quality of their network and even though Apple is making profits on the phone; they could be making more if they were with a more preferred network. Therefore, the choice of network provider also impacts on the performance of their products. CONCLUSION The business environment has become highly competitive and it is imperative for any company entering the market to develop a strategic plan based on analysis of the market, customer needs etc. It is often a wise choice for an organization to have multiple growth strategies for their various products and product portfolios. Apple Inc Products and Product Portfolios have been analysed using the Product Lifecycle, Ansoff Matrix and BCG Matrix. Some advantages and limitations observed with the tools have been discussed and recommendations have been made in areas where there is still ample room for growth. There is no stand-alone or all sufficient marketing tool and the full potential of a tool can only be realised when used with one or two other tools. 2.0: THE MARKETING GAME The marketing game was about four companies vying for the number one position in a market that showed excellent room for growth and profit (word processing software). The aim of the game was to be the company that made the most profit after 5 financial years. As four companies were competing for the market shares and profits, it was important for each company to understand the market, the competitors and the market trends and use this understanding to come up with a strategy that will set them apart from the remaining three if they were to make profit and ultimately win the game. WORDSOFT3 Before any decision or strategy could be made, it was important to understand the different market segments and their unique needs and these are summarized below: THE MODERN STUDENTS: This segment consists majorly of college students who are not keen on the technicalities of the software but on the price. For this category, economy is the most crucial factor. THE HOME SCRIBBLERS: This segment consists of a mix of households who use the software for various purposes. This category of users prefers easy to use software and one which is not easily prone to errors. They are also a price-sensitive segment. THE HARRIED TYPISTS: As frequent (not necessarily expert) users of the software, members of this category want software that is easy to learn and use. Price is not a major factor for this category as they are usually not in the position to make purchasing decisions. THE PROFESSIONAL WRITERS: As professionals in their field, this segments primary concern is for software that can save them time and affords them special commands for advanced auditing and formatting capabilities. THE HIGH-TECH MANAGERS: Members of this segment are interested in the latest software and the number of capabilities they offer. They are motivated by social needs for status and esteem. Price is not of concern to this category of users. THE CONCERNED PARENTS: This category of users wants easy to use software that children can learn themselves. 2.1: YEAR 1 In the first year, WordSoft3 targeted the students and home scribblers and the product 10, 4, 3 was manufactured. The 4Ps of marketing (Price, Place, Promotion and Product) were employed in formulating the strategy for the first year. Emphasis was placed on Channel two since it was the channel students frequented more and as such fifteen salesmen were deployed to this channel against the five deployed to channel one. However, the retail price was erroneously set at  £136, which was higher than that for channel one.  £200,000 was spent on promotion and pioneering advertisement was used to raise general awareness about the software market. The Company did not fully utilize its budget and had money in excess at the end of the year. 30,000 units were requested however; only 20,716 units were sold out of the 24,000 units that were produced. Money was therefore lost on inventory transferred. Some of the decisions made paid off and Wordsoft3 made a profit in excess of  £500,000. However, this performance was dismal when compared to the performance of the other three companies and even though profit was made, the year ended on a sour note. 2.2: YEAR 2 The performance from the first year was analysed alongside the market research report and some errors made in the first year were highlighted as follows: Promotion is key in marketing and the amount spent on advertisement was insufficient. This affected the overall performance relative to the other companies. Sales performance was less than actual production hence, the company lost money for inventory transferred. The product was not achieving the desired result in the targeted segments and it was therefore important to re-assess the various segments and manufacture a more needed product. The price set for the channel two market was erroneously higher than that of channel one After careful analysis, it was necessary to re-strategise if Wordsoft3 was to become a Company to be reckoned with. The first step was to reassess the marketing mix (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) and determine what market segment to target and generally try and improve on the performance of the previous year. PRODUCT: It was obvious from the previous year performance that there was a need to manufacture a new product that will target a different segment of the market. It was decided that the typists and managers should be targeted since they made up 47% of the market and the new product 12, 6, 5 was manufactured to suit their needs. PRICE: The retail price was set at  £280 for Channel one since the majority of the target market shopped there and  £240 for channel two to attract students, home and parents. Even though the product was not produced to meet the specifications of the later group, it was decided that they will compromise on product if the price was right. PLACE: Fifteen more salesmen were employed and they were deployed on a ratio 20:15 to channels one and two respectively. PROMOTION: Advertisement will help inform potential customers and there was a chance they will become customers therefore, a loan of  £500,000 was taken from the bank and it was spent solely on advertisement. Indirect advertisement was employed. The decisions made paid off and Wordsoft3 made the most sales and performed well in more segments than anticipated. It sold all the units produced and it became the market leader in four out of the six segments owning more than 25% of the market share and it doubled the profit made in the first year. 2.3: YEAR 3 By the third year, the rudiments of the market had been understood and the decisions for the third year were easier to make. Slight modification was made to the product to be more suited to managers but not enough to deter the typists and writers from purchasing. In addition, the prices were increased slightly from that of the previous year. Thirteen more salesmen were employed and they were distributed evenly between the two channels to increase awareness for the product in both channels and their commission was increased to 8% which was more than the average been paid in the market. The percentage non-selling time was set at 20:25 for channels one and two respectively, thereby raising more awareness for the brand with personal marketing.  £43,000 was spent on sales promotion and  £550,000 was spent on advertisement and direct advertisement was employed to reinforce Wordsoft3 as a market leader. The retail price was set at  £289.77 for channel one and  £259.46 for channel tw o. At the end of the third year, Wordsoft3 made the most sales. It also went on to become the market leader in all the six segments, a feat that had not been achieved previously by any of the other companies. It owned more that 30% of the overall market share and made profit in excess of  £2,000,000. 2.4: YEAR 4 By the fourth year, Wordsoft3 had been able to carve a niche for itself as a reputable and trusted brand. The ease of learning was slightly increased and the product 13, 6, 6 was manufactured. As a result of the volume of sales of the previous year, it was imperative to employ more salesmen. Eight more salesmen were employed and they were shared at the ratio 30:26 to channels one and two respectively.  £500,000 was spent on indirect advertisement and  £14,000 was spent on sales promotion. Wordsoft3 maintained its lead at the end of the third year, selling more than 70,000 units. It made profits of over  £3million and owned more than 35% of the market share. 2.5: YEAR 5 For the fifth year, the price for the products was reduced to attract more consumers since the product has been in the market for a number of years and market research showed that it might be getting to its saturation stage in the product lifecycle. The price was therefore set at  £279.85 and  £250.36 for channels one and two respectively.  £500,000 was spent on advertisement and  £43,000 was spent on sales promotion. The game ended on a very happy note for Wordsoft3 and they totalled a cumulative profit of over  £10million and maintained the market leader position and market share of over 30%. LESSONS LEARNT In retrospect, the failure at the end of the first year was the launching pad for the success of Wordsoft3. It was evident that they needed to re-assess their strategy and determine whether it was strong enough to help them achieve their vision of being the market leader and the company with the most profit after the fifth financial year. They realised the need to better understand the market. The market research gave them the insight they needed to identify possible market opportunities and to focus their resources on it. More money could have been spent on advertisement in the first year. Marketing is all about taking risks

Quantum Cryptography Essay -- Codes Cryptography Symbols Essays

Quantum Cryptography Keeping secrets and passing information that is undetected has long been the goal of cryptographers. Codes have been written and then broken keeping cryptographers in constant search for the unbreakable code. Until recently, that goal seemed unreachable; however, a solution to the once impossible question seems to have surfaced. Quantum cryptography delves down into the world of very small particles, where there are entirely new ways of building ciphers. ("Arrives" 2) Quantum cryptography is a relatively recent discovery in the world of cryptography and is still being tested by the government for distance and practicality. Most recently, researchers at government-owned QinetiQ PLC and Ludwig-Maximilans-University demonstrated a nighttime key exchange using quantum cryptography over 23.4 km between the mountaintops at Zugspitze and Karwendelspitze in Germany (Bains 1). To understand how quantum cryptography works, one must first be familiar with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. According to Heisenberg, when one tries to measure a quantum particle (a very small particle), the particle is altered in such a way that your measurement cannot be completely accurate. The particle is disturbed and its appearance before the attempted measurement can no longer be determined. ("Arrives" 3). In quantum cryptography, there are four different particles. The particles are identified by their positions: – (horizontal); | (vertical); / (left diagonal); \ (right diagonal). The particles are measured by the receiver with a filter, and predictably, the vertical filter allows vertical particles through, the horizontal filter allows horizontal particles through, and so on. Here, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle thro... ...he key that Bob is using, Alice is free to read any message Bob sends; however, Bob will be at a loss to decipher anything that Alice sends his way. While it is virtually impossible to eavesdrop using quantum cryptography, the system is only as reliable as the sender and the recipient. Works Cited "Special Report: Quantum Cryptography Arrives." PC Magazine. 6 pages. 6 August 2002. Article A90181639 (Infotrac). Bains, Sunny. "Alice and Bob grow apart. (Quantum Cryptography)." Laser Focus World. 2 pages. May 2002. v. 38. i.5. Article A86506297 (Infotrac). "The end of the code war? Quantum cryptography; The uncertainty principle and codes. (Science and Technology)." The Economist (US). 3 pages. 23 June 2001. Article A75710312 (Infotrac). Peterson, Ivars. "Quantum Cheating." Science News. 2 pages. 14 June 1997. v.151i. 24. Article A19524070 (Infotrac).

Relationships and Interdependence in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut Essay

Relationships and Interdependence in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut While on the surface Kurt Vonnegut's works appear to singularly contain the pessimistic views of an aging, black humorist, his underlying meanings reveal a much more sympathetic and hopeful glimpse of humanity that lends itself to eventual societal improvement. As part of Vonnegut's strategy for enhanced communal welfare, the satirist details in the course of his works potential artificial family groups to connect the masses and alleviate the lonely. Through his science fiction tales of misinterpreted, downcast protagonists and outrageous observations of real life, Vonnegut shines a light on America's problems, proposing a widespread cooperation of common decency and interdependence as viable solutions. Whether or not such notions actually augment the quality of relations, Vonnegut's well-reasoned and starkly ironic scenarios entertain, challenge, and enliven his design for relational welfare through synthetic families. Throughout his works Vonnegut's development of artificial families and expression of common decency between characters helps illuminate his universal theme of societal interdependence in family groups and proves that life is only worth living when individuals support each other. Throughout his writings, Vonnegut illustrates man's necessity of family, whether hereditary or artificial, as a vital contribution to his survival and healthy intercourse with society. All relatives, be they naturally procured or synthetically acquired, possess the unique ability, and responsibility, to support, contribute t... ...te. Vol. 25. Detroit: Gale, 1973. 451. Vonnegut, Kurt. Bluebeard. New York: Delacorte Press, 1987. Vonnegut, Kurt. Breakfast of Champions. New York: Delacorte Press, 1973. Vonnegut, Kurt. Cat's Cradle. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1976. Vonnegut, Kurt. Deadeye Dick. New York: Delacorte Press/ Seymour Lawrence, 1982. Vonnegut, Kurt. Galapagos. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1985. Vonnegut, Kurt. Mother Night. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1963. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slapstick. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1976. Vonnegut, Kurt. The Sirens of Titan. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1959. Vonnegut, Kurt. Timequake. New York: G.P. Putnam's, 1997. Vit, Marek. Kurt Vonnegut Corner: Kurt Vonnegut Essay Collection. http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/4953/kv_essays.html Relationships and Interdependence in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut Essay Relationships and Interdependence in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut While on the surface Kurt Vonnegut's works appear to singularly contain the pessimistic views of an aging, black humorist, his underlying meanings reveal a much more sympathetic and hopeful glimpse of humanity that lends itself to eventual societal improvement. As part of Vonnegut's strategy for enhanced communal welfare, the satirist details in the course of his works potential artificial family groups to connect the masses and alleviate the lonely. Through his science fiction tales of misinterpreted, downcast protagonists and outrageous observations of real life, Vonnegut shines a light on America's problems, proposing a widespread cooperation of common decency and interdependence as viable solutions. Whether or not such notions actually augment the quality of relations, Vonnegut's well-reasoned and starkly ironic scenarios entertain, challenge, and enliven his design for relational welfare through synthetic families. Throughout his works Vonnegut's development of artificial families and expression of common decency between characters helps illuminate his universal theme of societal interdependence in family groups and proves that life is only worth living when individuals support each other. Throughout his writings, Vonnegut illustrates man's necessity of family, whether hereditary or artificial, as a vital contribution to his survival and healthy intercourse with society. All relatives, be they naturally procured or synthetically acquired, possess the unique ability, and responsibility, to support, contribute t... ...te. Vol. 25. Detroit: Gale, 1973. 451. Vonnegut, Kurt. Bluebeard. New York: Delacorte Press, 1987. Vonnegut, Kurt. Breakfast of Champions. New York: Delacorte Press, 1973. Vonnegut, Kurt. Cat's Cradle. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1976. Vonnegut, Kurt. Deadeye Dick. New York: Delacorte Press/ Seymour Lawrence, 1982. Vonnegut, Kurt. Galapagos. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1985. Vonnegut, Kurt. Mother Night. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1963. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slapstick. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1976. Vonnegut, Kurt. The Sirens of Titan. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1959. Vonnegut, Kurt. Timequake. New York: G.P. Putnam's, 1997. Vit, Marek. Kurt Vonnegut Corner: Kurt Vonnegut Essay Collection. http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/4953/kv_essays.html

Policy making in South Africa Essay

Introduction. Government exists in order to organise a society or nation into a manageable unit. It seeks to formulate laws for the purpose of instituting a fair, equitable and just society in which individual citizens expect to live safely being organised both to contribute to and to benefit from sound governing policy. Broadly speaking policy consists of three overhead functions which are: policy making, policy implementation and policy analysis and evaluation. The task of this assignment is to concentrate only on policy-making with particular reference to the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. The policy-making process has three main steps, namely policy initiation; policy formulation and policy approval. Policy making, is one of the six administrative enabling functions which should be done in an orderly manner. Firstly, the nature and place of policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa is explained and discussed by using definitions to explain the various terminologies in order to understand to concept of policy-making. Secondly, the first step of policy making process, namely, policy initiation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa, is discussed. Policy initiation has three steps, namely becoming aware of the problem, describing the problem and the collection of information regarding the elimination of the high crime rate. Thirdly, the second step of the policy making process namely, policy formulation with reference to the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa needs to be examined. Policy formulation has six steps, namely, liaison with interested parties, the processing of information, the setting of objectives, determining the priorities, considering the alternatives, the survey of financial resources. Fourthly, the final step of policy making is discussed, namely policy approval for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. A scientific approach is used in this assignment. Each step contains facts followed by an explanation of the facts, the application of the theory by using the elimination of high crime in South Africa as an example and lastly deductions are made at the end of each section. Sources that were used were taken from various books and via the internet. In order to understand the policy-making process the nature and place of policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa is to be discussed. 1.The nature and place of policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Policy-making is one of the six administrative enabling functions. In order to understand public policy-making it is necessary to define and explain the following concepts: administrative enabling function: public policy and policy making. 1.1.The meaning of administrative as an enabling function. Meiring (2001:48) explains that the â€Å"enabling functions can be divided into six main groups, for example, policy-making: the creation of structures and posts; financial provision; personnel provision; determining work procedures and determining control measures and standards. Meiring (2001:47) further states that â€Å"no activity can be carried out, no goal pursued or objective achieved without the continuous provision of indispensable and specific means†, for example resources. In order for service delivery to take effect, policies need to be instituted. Policies are the objectives of government and therefore it is necessary for the resources to have a continuous uninterrupted flow. Resources are the commodities used in the production of goods and services. In this case the  government supplies a service to the community and therefore needs the resources to fulfil this obligation. Resources referred to would be human and capital resources. Capital resources are, for example, buildings, vehicles and finance. The uses of auxiliary functions, for example, the usage of computers, are supportive in role and a necessity in order for the South African Police Service to be efficient and effective in the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 1.2. The meaning of public policy. The nature of policy is a multidimensional and there are various definitions of what public policy is. According to Fox, Schwella and Wissink (1991:27-28) the following basic fundamentals of public policy can be identified and are summarised below:Policy is developed by government role players, â€Å"although non-government role players may influence the policy formulation and development† and public policy is a â€Å"purposive or goal-orientated action rather than random or chance behaviour† (Fox, Schwella and Wissink: 1991:27). Hanekom (1987:7) further elaborates and describes policy-making as â€Å"the activity preceding the publication of a goal† and it is therefore a â€Å"formally articulated goal that the legislator intends pursuing with society.† Botes et al (1992:191) further describes public policy making as being the â€Å"systematic actions† which should be taken to achieve the goals of the relevant institution. Fox, Schwella and Wissink (1991:27-28) further state that public policy generally consists of a series of decisions taken jointly by politicians and/or officials rather than individual decisions. Public policy is a â€Å"future-orientated†, changing document which is aimed at the general welfare of the public (Fox, Schwella and Wissink: 1991:29). Thus, public policy is a systematic goal-orientated action that is developed by governmental bodies and officials in consultation with the public, which emerges in response to public demand. Public policy is a future-orientated document which not only shows the statement of intent by government but interprets the values of society. Therefore the policy for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa would be to enhance a safer and more  secure environment for its citizens. 1.3. The meaning of policy making. Cloete (1998:139) explains that for the â€Å"purpose of public administration the term policy-making should be used to refer to the functions performed to obtain policies. Functions are the smallest activity that a person can do in order to obtain the goals set out. So therefore, policy-making consists of the performance of a group of generic administrative process† which â€Å"must be undertaken in an orderly manner† (Cloete: 1998:139). Therefore the functions to eliminate South Africa of the high crime rate, for example, would be for a police constable to patrol the neighbourhood (visible policing). Chapter two is concerned with the first step of policy making, being policy initiation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.Policy initiation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) defines the word initiation as being derived from Latin and implies a beginning. â€Å"The related term, initiate means to begin or start a particular action, event, circumstance, or happening†. Therefore â€Å"initiation† in this context means the activation of the public making process. It is therefore necessary to do a methodical investigation when a problem arises so that an effective and efficient rational policy could be implemented. Such investigation requires three steps within policy initiation which consists of the following: becoming aware of the problem; describing the problem and collecting information for solving and or preventing the problem. The first step in policy initiation would be discussed, namely, becoming aware of the problem of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.1.Becoming aware of the problem of the high crime rate in South Africa. The recognition of a problem is reliant on the accessibility of information on the needs that move the citizen to gain the attention of the government, who in turn would decide to act or not to act. Meiring (2001:53) further explains that â€Å"by referring to â€Å"something† as a problem, the presumption is made that a value-judgement on a specific condition in a specific place and time, is seen by a person or group(s) of persons, as being unsatisfactory†. If the government is unaware of the problems affecting society various stakeholders or interest groups would take the initiative and make government aware of the problem. Usually within a democratic environment the politicians and officials attempt to find solutions to the problem affecting society. Meiring (2001:53) further explains that when government wants to implement change that the characteristic of the policy making is â€Å"dynamic† and that the â€Å"awareness of the problem refers to a threefold activity.† The threefold activity as explained by Meiring (2001:53) has the following implications in the policy initiation stage. Firstly it creates an awareness and refers to a â€Å"new field of action and the need to undertake a search for development possibilities to promote the â€Å"good life†Ã¢â‚¬  Meiring (2001:53). The second implication refers to the awareness of an â€Å"existing problem in the community and the need to undertake a search for a possible solution to solve the problem† Meiring (2001:53). The third implication refers to the â€Å"awareness of a potential problem and the need to undertake a search for a quantifiable solution to prevent the problem† Meiring (2001:53). The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) held a seminar in Pretoria on the 9th March 2007 following events in the past few months that have raised questions about a growing wave of public dissatisfaction with crime and government’s response to it. Examples that were mentioned were and â€Å"include statements in the media and parliament by the president and cabinet ministers, the aborted FNB media and letter-writing campaign, and increased media reports of vigilantism† (http://www.iss.co.za). The ISS seminar reviewed the â€Å"links between crime and perception, based on the latest  available quantitative data† (http://www.iss.co.za). The topic under discussion was: â€Å"Crime Trends and Public Perceptions: What the Latest Statistics Show† (http://www.iss.co.za). In brief and relating to the topic of this assignment one of the summations were that â€Å"crime and unemployment remained the only two out of the twenty-three critical areas in which government has constantly achieved less than a â€Å"pass mark† (http://www.iss.co.za). Further more the South African Police Service has various existing policies in place for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa, for example, the South African Police Service Act (No.68 of 1995); National crime prevention strategy and the implementation of the development of community policing policy (http://www.iss.co.za). Therefore it is apparent that the government is aware of the problem of the high crime rate and is attempting to deal with it. It is of utmost importance that the policy makers do not treat the symptoms, but the actual cause of the problem. Crime has multiple causes as it falls within the socio-economic environment. The social environment is â€Å"multifaceted and consists of a number of interrelated factors† (Van Der Waldt et al: 2002:168). Recent studies suggest that there is a link between poor economic condition (the high unemployment rate) and crime (Fox, Van Wyk and Fourie: 1998:179). The deduction is made that the policy-making process would always involve interactions between the citizens and the state institutions, for example political office bearers and officials, who have to perform the policy-making functions. It is due to the actions of the stakeholders, whether political and or civic, that the government becomes aware of the problem. The high crime rate is a socio-economic problem which has a complex and unified factors. The factors, for example are the high unemployment rate and poverty. Further more the deduction could be made that there are existing policies in place for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa but that the implementation of the policies are severely lacking. The second step in policy initiation would be discussed, namely, describing the problem for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.2.Describing the problem for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. In order to describe the problem correctly, the information needs to be obtained in an orderly manner and it must documented in a written format. Information is needed, as per Meiring (2001:54), â€Å"regarding the results that are desired, obstacles that are experienced and the limitations of the situation and thus of a solution†. Meiring (2001:55) further states that the â€Å"diagnosis and description of a problem is a cyclical process which requires continuous analysis and evaluation if the policy makers wish to take realistic decisions to meet the demands of a changing environment†. In order to seek a solution to the problem it is necessary to describe the nature and scope of the problem. As Meiring (2001:55) further states that by describing the problem it leads to an â€Å"observable presentation or description which could be seen as the image of the real situation†. Meiring (2001:55) further states that it is the effectiveness of how the â€Å"written description or presentation corresponds to the real problem that would depend on the abilities of the participants in the process as well as the quality of information that is available†. The method in obtaining and processing information is therefore linked to the â€Å"human factor and is influenced by the values and perceptions of those participating in these activities.† Meiring (2001:55)†The situation is further complicated by the perceivable/observable reality which changes with time and which in turn results not only in a change of needs or in problems, but also values†. Meiring (2001:55) For example a couple of years ago, domestic violence was perceived to be a private matter. Currently, due to various action groups, domestic violence is no longer a private issue but has become a national issue. In order to eliminate the high level of crime in South Africa the description  of the problem must be specific. So therefore, for example, the elimination of the high crime rate within the central business district of Johannesburg could be described as follows. The geographic scope would be large, covering the areas that fall within the central business district. More categories could be created, â€Å"for example the inner city and former black townships† (http://www.csvr.org.za). As per the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), the nature of the crimes could range from â€Å"housebreaking, street crime, property crime and violent crime† (http://www.csvr.org.za). Further more the nature of the crimes are different and vary depending on the area in question. Therefore it can be deduced that there are various occurrences which should be taken into account when describing the problem. The factual information; the values and perceptions of the participants or the values and perceptions between the officials and politicians. To complicate matters further, there may be different views held by the state and the citizens. For example, the citizens believe that the crime rate is on the increase and the state believes the opposite to be true. The policy-making process is a complex matter and the description of the problem must be accurately recorded. The third step in policy initiation would be discussed, namely, the collection of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 2.3.The collection of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. The collection of information is interwoven with the previously mentioned steps, namely, becoming aware of the problem and describing the problem. The policy-makers who take policy decisions must be served with adequate information systems. In order to deal with the problem, Meiring (2001:55) states it is of utmost importance that such problems are defined in â€Å"quantifiable terms.† The term quantifiable means that the collecting of information must be dealt with in  a scientific manner. Cloete (1998:139) declares that â€Å"it is the functions involved in obtaining information which should be performed systematically to deliver information with which the matter to be decided upon can be quantified and qualified†. Once an issue (problem) is recognised, various decisions need to be taken. While making decisions cognisance must be taken of both factual information and value judgements pertaining to the issue. Meiring (2001:56) explains that â€Å"factual information relates to the observable, measurable information that can be collected†. Meiring (2001:56) further explains that â€Å"values on the other hand relate to the inherent human feelings for what is, for example, valuable, wanted or ursu ed†. A middle ground must be found between factual information and the values of the people. It must also be kept in mind that there may not be a significant amount of information available and therefore the cost effectiveness of such an exercise must be scrutinised. Collecting information is also time-consuming. It goes without saying that during this stage there is interaction and communication with all the relevant role playersInformation could be gained through research and data gathering. Some of the information could be obtained from structured interviews with Station Commissioners at randomly selected police stations. The community and businesses may be approached with the same structural questionnaire. Various statistics may be gathered from other organizations, for example, CSVR to confirm whether the crime rate has decreased or increased or what the opinions are of the community. This information gathering would involve an analysis of the information which is time consuming and which may disclose differences in notions perceived as per example the notion of â€Å"crime† which is socially constructed. The deduction is made that on collection of information, not only is quantifiable data collected but perceptions and values as well. It is at the analysis of information that differences between factual data and values are shown. Chapter three is concerned with the policy formulation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.Policy formulation for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Policy formulation is the second step within policy making. Policy formulation consists of six steps which are: liaison with interested parties; processing information; setting of objectives; determining priorities; considering alternatives and the survey of financial resources. Anderson, (1984:93) defines policy formulation to â€Å"the crafting of proposed alternatives or options for handling a problem†. Meiring’s (2001:56) definition is more pertinent at defining formulation, which is, â€Å"the clear, precise and accurate wording of processed information so as to achieve a specific aim†. The information gained must be â€Å"classified, described and processed into the required proposals† (Meiring: 2001:56). Policy formulation must be a written description of the problem in order to make a choice on the â€Å"available alternatives to solve or prevent the problem (Meiring: 2001:56). The various actions which comprise policy formulation are often described as agenda setting. An agenda is usually a list of items to be dealt with within a meeting and are usually prioritised according to importance. Cloete and Wissink (2000:98) elucidate that it is â€Å"necessary to set a policy agenda because of the deluge of policy-related issues and problems that any government faces, normally with insufficient resources to address these problems effectively.† And therefore policy agenda setting is of the utmost importance to determine which policy problems should receive priority. It is imperative to mention that decision making is an important part of policy formulation as policy makers have to decide the best policy amongst the alternatives. Not only do policy-makers decide on facts they must also make decisions on values and still remain impartial. Policy formulation would give proposed alternatives to the problem of the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa and consists of various steps which are listed below. The first step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, liaison with interested parties for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.1.Liaison with interested parties for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. It is of utmost importance to liaise with key interested and relevant parties in order to â€Å"determine the public perceptions of a specific matter and to find the correct solutions† to these problems (Meiring: 2001:56). Interest groups are beneficial to policy makers because â€Å"they are committed to their cause† and are â€Å"willing to supply information and advice† (Craythorne: 1993:69). Various interested parties are identified by Kuye et al (2002:77) as non-governmental organisations, civilian-based organisations, research institutes, public officials, political parties, media, departmental and interdepartmental committees. The above list is not exhaustive. Meiring further states that the â€Å"factual information and non-quantifiable values can also be tested in such a liaison† (Meiring: 2001:57). The real needs of the citizens must be suitably identified and an acceptable solution agreed upon to eliminate the high crime level in South Africa. Craythorne (1993:69) cautions that interested groups are so zealous about their cause that they will supply information that is beneficial. It is of utmost importance for a compromise and a solution to take place so that the end result of the policy would be to promote the general welfare of all citizens. In June 2006, Business Against Crime signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the Industry Alignment Forum Aggravated Robberies Initiative. Nine parties indicated in principle support for the initiative, which are: Business Against Crime; Cash in Transit Forum; Casinos Association of South Africa; Consumer Goods Council of South Africa; Security Industry Alliance; South African Banking Risk Information Centre; South African Council of Shopping Centres; South African Property Owners Association and the South African Reserve Bank. (http://www.bac.org.za.). Business Against Crime acknowledges that the cooperation of government and its agencies are  critical to the success of this initiative and that they were pleased by the SAPS interest and support (http://www.bac.org.za.). The deduction that can be made is that democracy can be strengthened if everyone works in a coordinated manner to address the challenge of the high crime rate through effective liaisioning. The second step in policy formulation must be discussed, namely, the processing of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.2.The processing of information for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. The data is collected from various surveys and once compiled into various reports, the data becomes information. The information is compiled in various reports, agendas and memoranda forwarded to various commissions of enquiry; departmental and interdepartmental committees, selected committees and various caucuses and councils. One of the most important guidelines in drafting a policy is that it must be done in a rational manner. Hanekom et al (2001:27) explains that â€Å"rationality in decision-making, as in policy-making, pertains to the making of reasoned, careful selections from alternatives in order to achieve predetermined ends.† Hanekom et al (2001:27) quote common barriers to rationality, which are mentioned as follows. â€Å"The personal value preference of both politicians and administrators may influence their objectivity in deciding on policy matters† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27) and therefore the decisions become subjective. The â€Å"expenditure already approved for a specific project is not easily reversed† and is known as â€Å"sunken costs† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27) The third barrier to rationality is known as the â€Å"conflicting consequences† whereby â€Å"the anticipated consequence of a policy are often in conflict with the unanticipated consequences of that policy† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27). Lastly, since â€Å"policy-making is aimed at the future and the future is unknown, a certain amount of speculation is involved† and this is known as  the â€Å"expectations of the future† (Hanekom et al: 2001:27). The other guideline in drafting a policy is that a policy must be defendable which relates to accountability. The policy-makers should be accountable to all role players in that they should be able to explain and defend the proposed policy. Meiring, (2001:57) further suggests that policy should conform to the â€Å"will and wishes of the majority of the citizens†. For example, all the data gathered from the survey done in the Johannesburg city centre has been compiled into various reports agendas and memorandum. In order for further clarity and recommendations to take place a series of public hearings are organised and held. These public hearings are held to in â€Å"order to justify policy attention and it forms the focus for further clarification, formulation and restructuring before the importance of acting on it by the policy system is conveyed to the policy-makers†. (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:98)The deduction could be made that the process of information must be defendable and rational and that this process is cyclical in nature and in order for policy to succeed all relevant parties must be consulted. The third step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, the setting of objectives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.3.The setting of objectives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. In this step it becomes possible for policy-makers to identify objectives of the intended policy. The objectives would indicate what the intensions are; how to go about achieving the objectives and by what means the objective would be achieved. In other words, what resources and capital would be needed to achieve the intended policy?Cloete and Wissink (2000:117) explain that â€Å"objectives set forth specific aims†. In other words objectives are â€Å"measurable in quantifiable terms† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:117). The nature of objectives is normative as it states â€Å"what ought to be achieved by a particular policy and contains elements of forecasting† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:117). Cloete and Wissink (2000:117-118) elucidate that  objective setting is linked with forecasting â€Å"by a natural progression, and is concerned with a desired future†. It must be noted that policy is a â€Å"dynamic phenomenon† and â€Å"objectives, by themselves, are static† (Kuye et al: 2002:74). This statement implies that â€Å"policy containing broad guidelines of governmental action† must change according to the needs of the citizens, â€Å"whilst objectives remain static in terms of time†. (Kuye et al: 2002:74)Meiring (2001:58) states â€Å"that when an objective has been set and made known in the public sector it is normally said that the policy has been made. It is imperative that clear objectives are set out â€Å"in order that all persons involved will know exactly the target at which activities are aimed† (Meiring: 2001:58). Therefore to reiterate, clear unambiguous objectives need to be set. The objectives within policy-making would indicate what the intensions are; how to go about achieving the objectives and by what means the objective would be achieved in order that all persons involved know what activities are aimed at. For example, the specific objective to eliminate the high crime rate within the city of Johannesburg alone would be to increase the number of visible policing from four to six policemen per city block over a period of one year who would sign a roster at every business within their â€Å"beat†. The Police Service would work in co-ordination with Business Against Crime and the public by having regular meetings to inform and educate. Cameras could be installed at various strategic places within the central business district. Increased street lighting needs to be installed in residential areas. A Zero crime tolerance campaign could be launched that would emphasise the arrest of petty criminals. It could be deduced from this section that the setting and prioritising (which will be discussed within the next step) of objectives is a process called policy making. Clear objectives need to be set and that objective setting is a statement of a desired future. The fourth step in policy formulation would then be discussed, namely, the establishment of priorities for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.4.Determining the priorities for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. No government is in a position to continuously satisfy all the needs of its citizens as there is a limited amount of resources to accomplish all the needs. The most important scarce resource is finance. There is a difference between actual needs and the expected needs. Meiring (2001:58) further states that â€Å"needs are not equal and often difficult to compare or weigh up against each other†. The objectives, as stated before must be clearly defined. Meiring (2001:58) further elaborates that the â€Å"network of objectives should also be ranked in a priority list, whereby it becomes clear which objectives are more important than others. When policy makers rank and prioritise their objectives two questions are asked, â€Å"what should be done and what can be done, to solve or eliminate a problem (Meiring: 2001:58)?Cloete and Wissink (2000:122) state that the more â€Å"complex and comprehensive a policy is in terms of societal needs or demands, the greater the danger of multiple and sometimes conflicting goals and objectives can become†. Therefore Cloete and Wissink (2000:122) suggest different tasks that need to be fulfilled. One suggestion would be â€Å"establish a system of relative values and trade-off’s among the objectives† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:122). In other words to â€Å"trade-off† one objective for another. The other task would be to â€Å"prioritise the objectives and then to optimise in sequence† (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:122). In practice this means that the selected objectives are not necessarily the best available objectives, but that the policy would satisfy t he larger section of society (Cloete and Wissink: 2000:122). For example to determine the priorities for the elimination of crime the final prioritised list would appear as follows:What should be done VSWhat can be doneEight policemen within one city block.Four policemen within a city block. Installation of cameras on every city block.Installation of cameras in problem areas only. Zero crime tolerance campaign.Only enough manpower to deal with serious crimeIt is extremely difficult to prioritise the objectives as the needs list is endless but the resource list is extremely scarce. The policy-maker needs to determine the actual needs from the expected needs which is very difficult to weigh up against. The fifth step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, the consideration of alternatives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.5.The consideration of alternatives for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. Once the real issue is recognised, the next step would be to recognise alternative solutions. Craythorne (1993:63) cautions that it is at this step that a â€Å"particular danger arises, of becoming entangled in a search after an infinite number of solutions in order to find the optimum or best solution†. Craythorne (1993:63) further states that â€Å"firm leadership is required during this phase of policy-making to ensure that only those solutions are identified which are practical, feasible and likely to solve the problem in the most satisfying way and within the means available†. In order to consider which alternative would be the best a list should be drawn up including â€Å"the determining of all available consequences and a comparative evaluation of each consequence†(Meiring: 2001:59). The word consequence has a two fold meaning, effect and side effect. The effect of the policy refers to the policy output. Policy output as per, Fox, Schwella and Wissink (1991:32) â€Å"involves the production of policies in the form of formal legislation, administrative rules and regulations, judicial interpretation† and so forth. The side effect of a policy refers to the impact that that particular policy would have on the environment or on other policies. There are certain criteria that a policy-maker could use that would assist in the choice between alternatives. Considering the page limits on this assignment the most important criteria only are mentioned. The first criteria would be effectiveness which is â€Å"often measured in terms of units of products or services.† (Van Niekerk, Jonker and Van Der Waldt: 2001: 96) The second choice would be efficiency which addresses the costs of services. Adequacy would be the next criteria and usually â€Å"refers to the extent to which any given level of effectiveness satisfies the needs, values or opportunities that give rise to a problem.† (Van Niekerk: Jonker: Van Der Waldt: 2001: 96) It is important that the solutions are identified which are practical, feasible and likely to solve the problem in the most satisfying way and within the means available as resources such as finance and human capital are scarce. The alternatives to the solution should be listed and cognisance should be taken that the policy would have an effect on the legislation, administrative rules and any other effect. The side effects refer to the impacts on other policies and the environment. The criteria that would help a policy-maker are effectiveness, efficiency, and adequacy. Effectiveness refers to â€Å"doing the right things right†; efficiency refers to maximum output with minimum input and adequacy refers the extent that the policy satisfies the needs, values and opportunities of the citizens. Criticism, has been levied as to whether the Community Policing Forums (CPF) are still effective in enhancing public safety and if it still includes the assistance of community in combating crime. In a paper entitled South Africa’s changing community policing policy by the Institute for Security Studies the inception of the CPF in 1996 with the promulgation of the National Crime Prevention Strategy with the â€Å"intention to establish broad partnership with the community to improve police services and reduce crime† (http://www.iss.co.za.) is discusses. The CPF’ were created by legislation and were given the right to exercise public functions in terms of that legislation. Since then various other legislation and interim regulations had the effect of either â€Å"directly avoiding or downgrading the issue of state support for the CPF’s and even specifically outlawing some current practises of the CPF that facilitate support for their activities†.  (http://www.iss.co.za.). The result is two fold. Firstly, policy-makers who were formulating the subsequent legislation never thought what the effect and side effect would have on the CPF. Therefore, to date the CPF is a policy that exists on paper alone which is inadequate, inefficient, and ineffective and fails to respond to the needs of all the citizens. Thus it can be deduced that policy has a direct effect and an indirect effect, the effect of other legislation on CPF negated the positive impact of CPF. Policy needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure relevance and effectiveness. The sixth step in policy formulation would be discussed, namely, the the survey of financial resources for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 3.6.The survey of financial resources for the eliminate the high crime rate in South Africa. â€Å"Budgeting is more than a set of procedures for controlling the volume of funds flowing to agencies and programs; it is also a means and a source of opportunities for shaping the direction and intensity of public policies and the scope of governmental activities† (Anderson:1984:179). Anderson (1984:182) further states that the budget is also a statement of policy and in reality conflicts over money are conflicts over policy. Public revenue needs to be raised to fund public services and new ways need to be found to increase the traditional sources of income. The four main sources of traditional income as per Van Der Waldt et al. (2002:9) are: income taxation, eg personal income tax; wealth taxation for example capital gains tax; consumption taxation for example value added tax and user charges, for example, consumer tariffs. Budget gives focus to specific issues of policy thus a particular ministry which received above inflation budget increases should render a better service year on year. For example the Minister of Finance granted the Ministry of Safety and Security a 43% increase between budget year 2003/04  and budget year 2006/07. One can deduce that finance supports policy. (The converse is all so true) Emphasis can be shifted from one program to another by shifting financial backing. Policy approval is the third and final step within the policy-making process for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. 4.Policy approval for the eliminate of the high crime rate in South AfricaPolicy approval is the final step in the policy-making process. Once policy makers have formulated a policy the policy is forwarded for consideration and authorisation of a policy. Meiring (2001:59) states that â€Å"policy is found in many forms, as well as various formats because policy making takes place on various levels and various participants play a co-operative role†. Public policy can be examined on four levels which are political, executive, departmental and operational policy. The policy on the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa would result in a specific policy and will have â€Å"political, executive, departmental and operational aspects†, which must be first determined â€Å".(Meiring: Personal Notes:9) Each aspect â€Å"must be formulated and approved, before a policy can be implemented† â€Å".(Meiring: Personal Notes:9) There would be an higher premium of value placed on the elimination of the high crime rate as it is a political policy. According to Meiring (Personal Notes:10) there is a specific procedure which is usually followed for the approval of policy. 4.1. The procedure for consideration and approval of the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa Bill. The specific procedure by Meiring (Personal Notes:10) is now recorded for the elimination of the high crime rate in South Africa. A public bill is introduced by the Minister of Safety and Security and is dealt with as follows:†¢Introduction and first reading where notice is given of the intention to submit a Bill on a specific subject on a specific day. On that day the measure is tabled and the short title is read, being The Elimination of the High Crime Rate†¢The second reading commences with the introduction of the policy formulated by the proposed Bill by the Minister of Safety and Security. The subjected is debated and alternative amendments are forwarded until the House accepts the policy. †¢The third phase is the Committee Stage. The Chairman of Committees, the deputy speaker, acts as chairman for the meeting where each section of the Bill is read and debated separately. In the committee stage, the contents of the Bill are thus discussed to ascertain whether the measure will succeed in carrying into effect the policy debated in the second reading. †¢Report stage. After the committee stage the speaker takes over as Chairman and the Chairman of Committees reports on the resolution of the Committee. †¢The third reading that follows seldom initiates further discussion and is executed to review the Bill in its entirety. †¢After approved by the House the Bill is referred to the President for signature. †¢After signature by the State President the Bill is published in the Government Gazette, after which date the Bill is an enforceable Act of Parliament. ConclusionGovernment exists to satisfy the needs of the community. In order to meet the needs and demands of the community, government has to develop policies to meet those needs and demands. Therefore the citizens expect service delivery which is linked to policy and policy implementation. Policy indicates what government intentions are. The policy-making process is a time consuming and complicated because of the structure of government. The policy-making is time and space bound and it takes place within a changing  environment. It is imperative that the citizens are consulted during the policy-making process so that policy is adequate, effective and efficient in addressing the needs of the citizen. Books Anderson, J.E. (1984). 3rd Edition. Public Policymaking: An Introduction. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. Botes, P.S.; Brynard, P.A.; Fourie, D.J.; Roux, N.L. (1992). Public Administration and Management: A Guide to Central, Regional and Municipal Administration and Management. Kagiso Publishers. Pretoria. Cloete, F.: Wissink,H.: (2000). Improving Public Policy. Van Schaik Publishers. Pretoria. Cloete, J.J.N.: (1998). 9th Revised Edition. South African Public Administration and Management. JL Van Schaik Publishers. Hatfield, Pretoria. Craythorne, D.L.: (1993): 3rd Edition: Municipal Administration: A Handbook. Juta & Co. Ltd. Kenwyn. Fox, W.: Schwella, H.; Wissink, H. (1991). Public Management. Juta & Company LTD. Kenwyn. Fox, W.: Van Wyk, B.; Fourie, M. (1998). Police Management in South Africa. Juta & Company LTD. Kenwyn. Hanekom, S.X.: (1987). Public Policy: Framework and Instrument for Action. Sigma Press. Pretoria. Hanekom, S.X.: Rowland, R.W.: Bain, E.G. (2001). Revised Edition. Key Aspects of Public Administration. Oxford University Press. Southern Africa, Cape Town. Kuye, J.O. et al. (2002). Critical Perspectives on Public Administration: Issues for Consideration. Heinemann Publishers (PTY)Ltd. SandownMeiring, M.H.: (2001): 2nd Revised Edition: Fundamental Public Administration: A Perspective on Development. School for Public Administration and Management. University of Port Elizabeth. Van Der Waldt, G. et al. (2002): Managing for Results in Governement. Heinemann Publishers PTY (Ltd). Sandown. Other media sourcesMeiring, M.H.: Personal Notes: Unit 2 Policy Making in the Public Sector: Part 1: The Steps in Policy Making. http://www.bac.org.za. (Accessed 12/5/2007)http://www.csvr.org.za. (Accessed 6/5/2007)http://www.iss.co.za. (Accessed 6/5/2007)http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiation (Accessed 26/4/2007)