Optical Computing Essay

Jainam Shah Kalol Institute Of Technology, Kalol, Gujarat, India. jainam_8888@yahoo.co.in Abstract—Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern recognition, etc). Optical digital computers are still some years away, however a number of devices that can ultimately lead to real optical computers have already been manufactured, including optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections, and optical memory. The most likely near-term optical computer will really be a hybrid composed of traditional architectural design along with some portions that can perform some functional operations in optical mode. Computing applications as a consequence of faster processing speed, as well as better connectivity and higher bandwidth. II. NEED FOR OPTICAL COMPUTING The pressing need for optical technology stems from the fact that today’s computers are limited by the time response of electronic circuits. A solid transmission medium limits both the speed and volume of signals, as well as building up heat that damages components. One of the theoretical limits on how fast a computer can function is given by Einstein’s principle that signal cannot propagate faster than speed of light. So to make computers faster, their components must be smaller and there by decrease the distance between them. This has resulted in the development of very large scale integration (VLSI) technology, with smaller device dimensions and greater complexity. The smallest dimensions of VLSI nowadays are about 0.08mm. Despite the incredible progress in the development and refinement of the basic technologies over the past decade, there is growing concern that these technologies may not be capable of solving the computing problems of even the current millennium. The speed of computers was achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to a very small micron-size scale, but they are limited not only by the speed of electrons in matter but also by the increasing density of interconnections necessary to link the electronic gates on microchips. The optical computer comes as a solution of miniaturization problem. Optical data processing can perform several operations in parallel much faster and easier than electrons. This parallelism helps in staggering computational power. For example a calculation that takes a conventional electronic computer more than 11 years to complete could be performed by an optical computer in a single hour. Any way we can realize that in an optical computer, electrons are rep laced by photons, the subatomic bits of electromagnetic radiation that make up light. I. INTRODUCTION With the growth of computing technology the need of high performance computers (HPC) has significantly increased. Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern recognition etc.) Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980’s.But the work tapered off due to materials limitations that prevented opt chips from getting small enough and cheap enough beyond laboratory curiosities. Now, optical computers are back with advances in self-assembled conducting organic polymers that promise super-tiny of all optical chips. Optical computing technology is, in general, developing in two directions. One approach is to build computers that have the same architecture as present day computers but using optics that is Electro optical hybrids. Another approach is to generate a completely new kind of computer, which can perform all functional operations in optical mode. In recent years, a number of devices that can ultimately lead us to real optical computers have already been manufactured. These include optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections and optical memory. Current trends in optical computing emphasize communications, for example the use of free space optical interconnects as a potential solution to remove ‘Bottlenecks’ experienced in electronic architectures. Optical technology is one of the most promising, and may eventually lead to new III. SOME KEY OPTICAL COMPONENTS FOR COMPUTING The major breakthroughs on optical computing have been centered on the development of micro-optic devices for data input. A. VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) VCSEL (pronounced ‘vixel’) is a semiconductor vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode that emits light in a cylindrical beam vertically from the surface of a fabricated wafer, and offers significant advantages when compared to the edge-emitting lasers currently used in the majority of fiber optic communications devices. The principle involved in the operation of a VCSEL is very similar to those of regular lasers. Fig. 2. Optical Interconnection Of Circuit Boards Using Vcsel And Photodiode VCSEL convert the electrical signal to optical signal when the light beams are passed through a pair of lenses and micromirrors. Micromirrors are used to direct the light beams and this light rays is passed through a polymer waveguide which serves as the path for transmitting data instead of copper wires in electronic computers. Then these optical beams are again passed through a pair of lenses and sent to a photodiode. This photodiode convert the optical signal back to the electrical signal. B. SLM (Spatial Light Modulators) SLM play an important role in several technical areas where the control of light on a pixel-by-pixel basis is a key element, such as optical processing and displays. 1) SLM For Display Purposes Fig. 1. Two semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer There are two special semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer where all the action takes place. But rather than reflective ends, in a VCSEL there are several layers of partially reflective mirrors above and below the active layer. Layers of semiconductors with differing compositions create these mirrors, and each mirror reflects a narrow range of wavelengths back in to the cavity in order to cause light emission at just one wavelength. For display purposes the desire is to have as many pixels as possible in as small and cheap a device as possible. For such purposes designing silicon chips for use as spatial light modulators has been effective. The basic idea is to have a set of memory cells laid out on a regular grid. These cells are electrically connected to metal mirrors, such that the voltage on the mirror depends on the value stored in the memory cell. A layer of optically active liquid crystal is sandwiched between this array of mirrors and a piece of glass with a conductive coating. The voltage between individual mirrors and the front electrode affects the optical activity of liquid crystal in that neighborhood. Hence by being able to individually program the memory locations one can set up a pattern of optical activity in the liquid crystal layer. C. Smart Pixel Technology Smart pixel technology is a relatively new approach to integrating electronic circuitry and optoelectronic devices in a common framework. The purpose is to leverage the advantages of each individual technology and provide improved performance for specific applications. Here, the electronic circuitry provides complex functionality and programmability while the optoelectronic devices provide high-speed switching and compatibility with existing optical media. Arrays of these smart pixels leverage the parallelism of optics for interconnections as well as computation. A smart pixel device, a light emitting diode under the control of a field effect transistor can now be made entirely out of organic materials on the same substrate for the first time. In general, the benefit of organic over conventional semiconductor electronics is that they should lead to cheaper, lighter, circuitry that can be printed rather than etched. D. WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) Wavelength division multipl exing is a method of sending many different wavelengths down the same optical fiber. Using this technology, modern networks in which individual lasers can transmit at 10 gigabits per second through the same fiber at the same time. which interact with light and modulate its properties. Several of the optical components require efficient-nonlinear materials for their operations. What in fact restrains the widespread use of all optical devices is the in efficiency of currently available nonlinear materials, which require large amount of energy for responding or switching. Organic materials have many features that make them desirable for use in optical devices such as 1) High nonlinearities 2) Flexibility of molecular design 3) Damage resistance to optical radiations Some organic materials belonging to the classes of phthalocyanines and polydiacetylenes are promising for optical thin films and wave guides. These compounds exhibit strong electronic transitions in the visible region and have high chemical and thermal stability up to 400 degree Celsius. Polydiacetylenes are among the most widely investigated class of polymers for nonlinear optical applications. Their subpicosecond time response to laser signals makes them candidates for high-speed optoelectronics and information processing. To make thin polymer film for electro-optic applications, NASA scientists dissolve a monomer (the building block of a polymer) in an organic solvent. This solution is then put into a growth cell with a quartz window, shining a laser through the quartz can cause the polymer to deposit in specific pattern. V. ADVANCES IN PHOTONIC SWITCHES Logic gates are the building blocks of any digital system. An optical logic gate is a switch that controls one light beam by another; it is ON when the device transmits light and it is OFF when it blocks the light. Fig. 3. a. Wave length division multiplexing b. A WDM System WDM can transmit up to 32 wavelengths through a single fiber, but cannot meet the bandwidth requirements of the present day communication systems. So nowadays DWDM (Dense wavelength division multiplexing) is used. This can transmit up to 1000 wavelengths through a single fiber. That is by using this we can improve the bandwidth efficiency. IV. ROLE OF NLO IN OPTICAL COMPUTING The role of nonlinear materials in optical computing has become extremely significant. Non-linear materials are those, Fig. 4. Optical AND-logic gate To demonstrate the AND gate in the phthalocyanine film, two focused collinear laser beams are wave guided through a thin film of phthalocyanine. Nanosecond green pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used together with a red continuous wave (cw) He-Ne beam. At the output a narrow band filter was set to block the green beam and allow only the He-Ne beam. Then the transmitted beam was detected on an oscilloscope. It was found that the transmitted He-Ne cw beam was pulsating with a nanosecond duration and in synchronous with the input Nd:YAG nanosecond pulse. This demonstrated the characteristic table of an AND logic gate. A. Optical and Gate In an optical NAND gate the phthalocyanine film is replaced by a hollow fiber filled with polydiacetylene. Nd:YAG green picoseconds laser pulse was sent collinearly with red cw He-Ne laser onto one end of the fiber. At the other end of the fiber a lens was focusing the output on to the narrow slit of a monochromatic with its grating set for the red He-Ne laser. When both He-Ne laser and Nd:YAG laser are present there will be no output at the oscilloscope. If either one or none of the laser beams are present we get the output at the oscilloscope showing NAND function. faster read-out rates. This research is expected to lead to compact, high capacity, rapid-and random-access, and low power and low cost data storage devices necessary for future intelligent spacecraft. The SLMs are used in optical data storage applications. These devices are used to write data into the optical storage medium at high speed. Fig. 6. Optical Disk More conventional approaches to holographic storage use ion doped lithium niobate crystals to store pages of data. For audio recordings ,a 150MBminidisk with a 2.5- in diameter has been developed that uses special compression to shrink a standard CD’s640-MB storage capacity onto the smaller polymer substrate. It is rewritable and uses magnetic field modulation on optical material. The mini disc uses one of the two methods to write information on to an optical disk. With the mini disk a magnetic field placed behind the optical disk is modulated while the intensity of the writing laser is held constant. By switching the polarity of the magnetic field while the laser creates a state of flux in the optical material digital data can be recorded on a single layer. As with all optical storage media a read laser retrieves the data. A. Working The 780nm light emitted from AlGaAs/GaAs laser diodes is collimated by a lens and focused to a diameter of about 1micrometer on the disk. If the re is no pit where the light is incident, it is reflected at the Al mirror of the disk and returns to the lens, the depth of the pit is set at a value such that the difference between the path of the light reflected at a pit and the Fig. 5. Optical NAND-logic gate VI. OPTICAL MEMORY In optical computing two types of memory are discussed. One consists of arrays of one-bit-store elements and other is mass storage, which is implemented by optical disks or by holographic storage systems. This type of memory promises very high capacity and storage density. The primary benefits offered by holographic optical data storage over current storage technologies include significantly higher storage capacities and path of light reflected at a mirror is an integral multiple of halfwavelength consequently, if there is a pit where light is incident, the amount of reflected light decreases tremendously because the reflected lights are almost cancelled by interference. The incident and reflected beams pass through the quarter wave plate and all reflected light is introduced to the photodiode by the beam splitter because of the polarization rotation due to the quarter wave plate. By the photodiode the reflected light, which as a signal whether, a pit is on the disk or not is changed into an electrical signal. VII. APPLICATIONS 1) High speed communications: The rapid growth of internet, expanding at almost 15% per month, demands faster speeds and larger bandwidth than electronic circuits can provide. Terabits speeds are needed to accommodate the growth rate of internet since in optical computers data is transmitted at the speed of light which is of the order of 3.10*8 m/sec hence terabit speeds are attainable. 2) Optical crossbar interconnects are used in asynchronous transfer modes and Shared memory multiprocessor systems. 3) Process satellite data. VIII. MERITS 1) Optical computing is at least 1000 to 100000 times faster than today’s silicon machines. 2) Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized way to store data, with space requirements far lesser than today’s silicon chips. 3) Super fast searches through databases. 4) No short circuits, light beam can cross each other without interfering with each other’s data 5) Light beams can travel in parallel and no limit to number of packets that can travel in the photonic circuits. 6) Optical computer removes the bottleneck in the present day Communication system IX. DRAWBACKS 1) Today’s materials require much high power to work in consumer products, coming up with the right materials may take five years or more. 2) Optical computing using a coherent source is simple to compute and understand, but it has many drawbacks like any imperfections or dust on the optical components will create unwanted interference pattern due to scattering effects. Incoherent processing on the other hand cannot store phase information. X. SOME CURRENT RESEARCH High performance computing has gained momentum in recent years, with efforts to optimize all the resources of electronic computing and researcher brain power in order to increase computing throughput. Optical computing is a topic of current support in many places, with private companies as well as governments in several countries encouraging such research work. A group of researchers from the University of Southern California, jointly with a team from the University of California, los angles, have developed an organic polymer with a switching frequency of 60 GHz. This is three times faster than the current industry standard, lithium niobate crystal based device. Another group at brown university and the IBM, Alma den research center has used ultrafast laser pulses to build ultra fast data storage devices. This group was able to achieve ultra fast switching down to 100 picoseconds. In Japan , NEC has developed a method for interconnecting circuit boards optically using VCSEL arrays .Another researchers at NTT have designed an optical backplane with free-space optical interconnects using tunable beam deflectors and mirrors. The project achieved 1000 interconnections per printed circuit board; with a throughput ranging from 1 to 10 Tb/s. XI. FUTURE TRENDS The Ministry of Information Technology has initiated a photonic development program. Under this program some funded projects are continuing in fiber optic high-speed network systems. Research is going on for developing Fig.7. Use of optical devices in future New laser diodes, photo detectors, and nonlinear material studies for faster switches. Research efforts on an particle thin film or layer studies for display devices are also in progress. At the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, efforts are in progress to generate a white light source from a diode case based fiber amplifier system in order to provide WDM communication channels. XII. CONCLUSION Research in optical computing has opened up new possibilities in several fields related to high performance computing, high-speed communications. To design algorithms that execute applications faster, the specific properties of optics must be considered, such as their ability to exploit massive parallelism, and global interconnections. As optoelectronic and smart pixel devices mature, software development will have a major impact in the future and the ground rules for the computing may have to be rewritten. XIII. REFERENCES [1] [2] See for example: Chemical and Engineering ews, â€Å"Photonic Crystals. Assembled on Chip†, 79(47), 31 (2001). P. Boffi, D. Piccinin, M.C. Ubaldi, (Eds.), Infrared Holography for Optical Communications— echniques,MaterialsandDevices,SpringerTopics in Applied Physics: Vol 86, July 2002. Alain Goulet, Makoto Naruse, and Masatoshi Ishikawa, â€Å"Simple integration technique to realize parallel optical interconnects: implementation of a pluggable two-dimensional optical data link†, Applied Optics 41, 5538 (2002) Tushar Mahapatra, Sanjay Mishra, Oracle Parallel Processing, O’Reilly & Associates, Inc., Sebastopol, California, USA, 2000. S. J. van Enk, J. McKeever, H. J. Kimble, and J. Ye, â€Å"Cooling of a single atom in an optical trap inside a resonator,† Phys. Rev. A 64, 013407 (2001). A. Dodabalapur, Z. Bao, A. Makhija, J. G. Laquindanum, V. R. Raju, Y. Feng, H. E. Katz, and J. Rogers, â€Å"Organic smart pixels†, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73 , 142 (1998). Henning Sirringhaus, Nir Tessler, and Richard H. Friend, â€Å"Integrated Optoelectronic Devices Based on Conjugated Polymers†, Science 280, 1741 (1988).

Bread Mold Experiment Lab Report

Title: Bread Mold Lab Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to test the effect of water on bread mold growth. Hypothesis: I hypothesized bread mold would grow faster if the bread was exposed to water. Materials: BreadPlastic cupWaterRubber bandPlastic wrapLightScaleSeizers Procedures: Day 1.Cut two pieces of bread 1 by 1Place the beard in two separate cupsPut 11 drops of water on one of the pieces of breadCover cups with plastic wrapPut rubber bands around each cupPlace cups on scale to weigh themDay 2. Observe the mold or any changes to the breadReweigh bread to see the difference in weightRecord your dataDispose of the bread and/or of the moldData: Both pieces of bread were stale. There was no bread mold on ether pieces of bread. The bread stayed the same size. No change in the color of the bread. Weight of bread before and after a week: Before one week: 5. 5 grams After one week: 5. 5 grams Dry bread: 5. 5 grams Moist bread: 6. 0 grams Questions: 1. What does your data show about the effect of your Variable on Rhizopus growth?The data from my experiment show that 11 drops of water does not help the growth of bread mold. Â  2. Were you surprised by the results of your experiment?Yes, I was surprised because I thought water would accelerate the growth of bread mold. Â  3. What part of designing and carrying out an experiment did you find difficult?This was not that hard of an experiment, I did not find one part to be more difficult than the any of the other parts. Â  4. If you were to do further research into bread mold growth, which of the other variables would you be interested in testing.I would be interested in air as a variable because I think it affected my research on water and bread mold. Â  Conclusion: The data does not support my hypothesis on water making bread mold grow faster. I don’t think this was a good experiment because we put the bread in an airtight cup by covering the top with plastic wrap and putting a rubber band around it. If this was useable data it would show the 11 drops of water was not near enough water to make bread mold grow any faster.

Genetically Engineered Potato

NAME:  SHIZA ALI CLASS:  BS III TOPIC:  GENETICALLY MODIFIED POTATOESGENETI CALLY ENGINEERED POTATO A genetically designed potato could be a potato that has had its genes changed, exploitation recombinant DNA technology. Objectives of modification contain presenting pest-fighting, amendment the number of some chemicals fashioned by the plant, and to avoid staining of the potatoes. Multiplicities changed to reap a good variety of starches could also be accepted for industrial usage merely, not for diet. THE PROCESS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING:  Genetic engineering is wide employed in scientific research. Mouse models ar designed for medical specialty studies, bacterium are designed to supply medications like internal secretion, and crops are designed for agriculture. All of those product of gene-splicing were created exploitation identical basic steps: 1. Distinguishing an attribute of interest. 2. Uninflected that genetic attribute. 3. Inserting that attribute into the order of a desired organism. 4. Growing the designed organism. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has quite recently given the thumbs up for ranchers to begin industrially growing a few distinctive hereditarily changed potatoes. The potatoes, which come in Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, and Atlantic Varieties, have been built to create less of a fixing that can transform into a growth causing operator when seared. The potatoes additionally oppose wounding, a typical event in gathering and transport which can lessen their esteem or considerably render them unsellable.The new assortments, which have been named â€Å"natural† potatoes, were created by Idaho based biotech organization JR Simplot. The potatoes are joining another age of GM substances that are intended to profit both the ranchers and the shoppers, instead of simply the cultivators as herbicide or pesticide-safe assortments would. A few GM apple assortments, for example, were as of late made which take more time to dark colored when cut, in spite of the fact that these â€Å"Cold apples† presently can't seem to get the endorsement.To achieve the upgraded attribute, Simplot analyst added charming characteristics to the tubers that are ordinarily found in other created and wild potatoes. The characteristics encode a system that results in deceased age of amino destructive (the building square of proteins) called Asparagine. Regardless of the way that Asparagine is found in various foods, it's conveyed in high obsessions in a couple of groupings of potatoes. Exactly when warmed to high temperatures, for example in the midst of singing or warming, it can shape a manufactured called Acrylamide f the right sugar particles are accessible. French fries and potato chips have been found to contain particularly a lot of acrylamide when differentiated and diverse sustenance. Lab examinations found that the inborn potatoes delivered between 50 to 70% less Acrylamide when fricasseed than non-designed assortments, however by and large the levels of different supplements were unaffected. In spite of the fact that it's realized that acrylamide is a poisonous concoction, the advantages of these potatoes to shoppers are murky at this stage.Since the Innate assortments were made by including qualities from different potatoes, instead of various creatures, Simplot is cheerful that shoppers will be all the more inviting of the yields. In any case, sensibly it's impossible that this will influence hostile to GMO supporters, and some have just whined that the innovation has not been enough controlled and hence endorsement ought not to have been conceded this early. One gathering has additionally squeezed McDonald's to not utilize the potatoes, regardless of the way that Simplot has been a noteworthy provider of solidified French fries to the chain since the 1960s.

Comprtive nlysis of Mrketing Communictions strtegies nd mix for the Case Study

Comprtive nlysis of Mrketing Communictions strtegies nd mix for the Col drinks in the UK - Case Study Example From this paper it is clear that  the totÐ °l UK beverÐ °ge mÐ °rket is both lÐ °rge Ð °nd competitive. BrÐ °nds of soft drinks compete not only Ð °gÐ °inst eÐ °ch other but Ð °lso Ð °gÐ °inst other types of beverÐ °ges including coffee, milk, Ð °lcoholic beverÐ °ges, sports drinks, bottled wÐ °ter, Ð °nd vegetÐ °ble juices. The beverÐ °ge industry produces Ð °nnuÐ °lly close to 53 billion gÐ °llons, with soft drinks tÐ °king up the lÐ °rgest cÐ °tegory Ð °t 15.3 billion gÐ °llons for Ð ° 29% shÐ °re. The typicÐ °l Ð mericÐ °n consumes Ð °bout 55 gÐ °llons of soft drinks Ð °nnuÐ °lly (Ð °bout 19 ounces per dÐ °y), in compÐ °rison to 22 gÐ °llons of beer, 22 gÐ °llons of milk, Ð °nd 17 gÐ °llons of coffee.This essay highlights that CocÐ °- ColÐ ° brÐ °nds dominÐ °te the soft drink mÐ °rket with 43.7% shÐ °re Ð °nd Pepsi brÐ °nds follow with 31.6% shÐ °re. The two compÐ °nies thus creÐ °te Ð ° duopoly, controlling Ð ° vÐ °st 7 5.3% of the soft drink mÐ °rket. The third rÐ °nked compÐ °ny, CÐ °dbury Schweppes PLC, which owns 7-Up, Dr Pepper, Ð °nd UK interests for RoyÐ °l Crown ColÐ °, hÐ °s Ð ° mÐ °rket shÐ °re of 15.6%, less thÐ °n hÐ °lf thÐ °t of Pepsi. The fourth-rÐ °nked, Toronto-bÐ °sed Cott CorporÐ °tion, which produces Ð ° number of privÐ °te lÐ °bel drinks including WÐ °l-MÐ °rt's SÐ °m's Choice, is even fÐ °rther in the distÐ °nce with Ð ° 3.8% shÐ °re. Ð ll other compÐ °nies Ð °nd privÐ °te lÐ °bels, including the Double- ColÐ ° Co., Ð °re left to fight over the remÐ °ining 5.3% of the totÐ °l mÐ °rket.  CocÐ °- ColÐ °, Pepsi-ColÐ °, Ð °nd CÐ °dbury Schweppes own Ð °ll of the top-10 brÐ °nds.... The beverge industry produces nnully close to 53 billion gllons, with soft drinks tking up the lrgest ctegory t 15.3 billion gllons for 29% shre. The typicl mericn consumes bout 55 gllons of soft drinks nnully (bout 19 ounces per dy), in comprison to 22 gllons of beer, 22 gllons of milk, nd 17 gllons of coffee (Bentley 2002). ccording to Beverge Digest (2002) dt, Coc- Col brnds dominte the soft drink mrket with 43.7% shre nd Pepsi brnds follow with 31.6% shre. The two compnies thus crete duopoly, controlling vst 75.3% of the soft drink mrket. The third rnked compny, Cdbury Schweppes PLC, which owns 7-Up, Dr Pepper, nd UK interests for Royl Crown Col, hs mrket shre of 15.6%, less thn hlf tht of Pepsi. The fourth-rnked, Toronto-bsed Cott Corportion, which produces number of privte lbel drinks including Wl-Mrt's Sm's Choice, is even frther in the distnce with 3.8% shre. ll other compnies nd privte lbels, including the Double- Col Co., re left to fight over the remining 5.3% of the totl mrket. Coc- Col, Pepsi-Col, nd Cdbury Schweppes own ll of the top-10 brnds (Beverge Digest 2002). Double- Col is noticebly bsent, either s compny of brnd, from either of the most recent top-10 lists. In 1997, however, the Double- Col Co. ws rnked ninth (Beverge Digest 1998). fter Coc- Col, Pepsi-Col, nd Royl Crown Col, Double- Col hs the distinction of being the fourth-lrgest col brnd in the U.S (Beverge World 2001). Reserch methods This study is guided by three bsic reserch questions: RQ1: How does Double-Col's historicl evolution mong other soft drink brnds influence the compny's bility to compete in the current competitive environment RQ2: Wht is the mening of Double- Col brnds to consumers, nd wht role do the brnds ply in their lives RQ3:

Lazard US Mid Cap Equity Portfolio Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Lazard US Mid Cap Equity Portfolio - Case Study Example These kind of invest in stocks of companies with solid financial base are return patterns Income equity funds: invest in a mix of bonds and dividend paying stocks as they also target current income and capital growth Balanced funds: have long term objectives and emphasize on capital growth, and current income. Invest in bonds, stocks, and short term securities, and always ensure the right hedging against huge fluctuations in short term investment options. Bond funds: designed to meet the current income requirements of shareholder, and they invest primarily in corporate and government bonds and T-bills Money market funds: invest in securities such as commercial papers, T-bills, certificates of deposit and other stable but monetary related securities. These are currency related investments and no guarantees are made on such funds. Target date funds: These include retirement and pension funds as they are the major types in this category with the date of maturity of the fund known. These kinds of funds are made for strictly long term investments. Lazard US Mid Cap Equity Portfolio Background LZMIX, ticker for the Lazard US mid cap portfolio for institutional shares, is a fund under the hazard investment fund. The fund is a balanced fund for institutional investors that were created in 1997 for this primary reason. The fund as at the 4/30/2012, the net assets of Lazard mid cap Equity portfolio was approximately values at $105.7 million, including $58.2 million worth of shares held institutionally. Recent performance The fund has a yield rate of 0.28% with no loadings applicable to the investment. Expenses incurred in transactions are given at the rate of 0.92%. Morningstar rates the management fee as average level, showing it in line with industry charges. LZMIX turnover is quoted at 83%, while the minimum investment an investment can make is $100000. The fund performance ranges as other in the institutional investment portfolio; weighted against the Russell midcap index is just 0.57 point shy in the period of it has traded. However, in the short run, the observation is not as quite. The funds 5 year valuation gives a negative posting making against its benchmark. The one year measure is also a less value compared to the Russell index. There company funds performance is more of a cycle with high peaks and low troughs, just as the options it invests in. The year to date (2012 to date) gives a strong index value, but not the month- end value, that oscillates back to the negative, showing signs of high volatility in the investment options and maybe weakness in the fund management. Mutual Fund The Lazard US Mid cap equity portfolio is one of the funds in the Hazardnet group that hope to generate strong returns and outshine peers in the market of institutional investment and set the benchmark for the complete market cycle. The fund has a bottom-up loom to stock selection, as is shown by all portfolios held by HazardNet. They conduct the fundamental analysis before investing, with emphasis on sustainability of returns. This is ensured by though analysis of the accounting employed by the companies and the historical statistics of benefits offered, that is, high P/E, dividend yield and stability of stock. Quantitative research is done to ensure that the target company’

Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and the Civil Right Struggle of the Essay

Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and the Civil Right Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Martin Luther King Junior was brought up in a Christian background while Malcolm X was a Muslim this shaped how they addressed challenges that they faced in their struggles. For example, while Martin Luther always advocated for nonviolent solutions to the struggles that faced them to an extent that even when he was physically abused he opted not to revenge, Malcolm X believed in Muslim teachings and his famous phrase ‘by all means possible’ which advocated for physical violence towards the oppressors. Malcolm X believed that violence was the only way that the movement would win it cause and therefore advocated for physical battles whether the opponents were violent or not violent. A good example of this difference between the two individuals can be seen during the famous March on Washington on August 26, 1983, where more than 20, 000 people attended; in the march, he called for people from all races to unite and end violence and hatred. Malcolm X was very critical of this march and he argued that Martin Luther was wrong on calling for uniting of all races since that would destroy both the blacks and the whites; instead, Malcolm argued that blacks should be more concerned with helping each other instead. Both mean although using different approaches and coming from different social and economic classes had some similarities; some of them are explained in this paragraph. One of the similarities between the two individuals is that it is they both fought for the rights of the oppressed people in the world, for instance, they were both against the involvement of United States in the war in Vietnam in a bid to help French forces capture the country for colonization. Another similarity is that both individuals were assassinated at the same age, although Malcolm X was older than Martin Luther was, he was assassinated by the members of the nation of Islam when he was giving a speech; he was 39 years old.

Impact of technology automobile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Impact of technology automobile - Research Paper Example Most of the automobiles are dependent on petrol or diesel to run. This ground breaking technology is a blessing to the human race as it is capable of covering long distances within minutes (Abernathy, 1976). The intention of this research work is to cover all the major aspects of the automobile industry from its inception till date. How has this technology facilitated human beings and in what ways transactional activities have been affected? Discussion of positive and negative impacts of this technology will be illustrated along with its role in the society. Advantages and disadvantages of automobile industry and societal horizon will be demonstrated. The role of political invasion, economic side and massive usage will be critically examined so that all the essential parts would be covered. Environmental changes that have taken place due to this technology and its impact of people’s health remains the essence of this research work which will be scrutinized. In the last alterna tives to this technology along with the conclusion will be exemplified to present a clear picture about its impacts. Inception and Progress Historically it is reported that the first automobile was designed in the year 1672 for the Chinese Emperor, which neither had seating arrangement for the driver nor for the passenger. Emperor alone had to drive it. Another mechanical automobile was built in the year 1769 which was a stream powered tricycle created by Nicolas Cugnot. He built furthermore two tractors for the French Army to have a competitive edge in wars. His technology was dependent on the supply of water and steam that is why it could not sustain for long (White, 1971). (Abernathy, 1976) demonstrates that many innovational steps were taken in the preceding years by the different inventors but a promising automobile was yet to come. A French inventor Gustave Trouve presented his three wheeled revolutionary tricycle in the International Exposition of Electricity which was powere d by electricity. This was a big step taken at that time and got huge applause from the fellow inventors. Karl Benz- a German engineer is however considered as the father of the modern automobile technology. Benz designed his first engine in 1878 and got its patent in the year 1879. He produced his first Motor wagon in 1885. He brought his automobile technology into the consumer market in 1886 under the flagship of his company; Benz & Cie. After the inception of Benz technology in the market, rapid changes were seen in the industry and many French and German engineers came up with the innovatory automobile production. Companies like DMG and Ford emerged afterwards and gain huge acceptance and accomplishment in the market. Previously automobile technology was dependent upon steam, water and electricity but in the later years this was shifted to gas, petrol and diesel. In the later years focus came into designing of the exterior and interior of the cars came so that it would appear fi ne-looking. Comfortable seats and other technological specifications were uploaded making them eminent and impressive (White, 1971). Automobile industry is a big success in the technological world and the engine designing has been improved a lot. It has been more than a century since the inception of the first modern engine and till date massive advancements

Materials for a Business Jet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Materials for a Business Jet - Essay Example In the paper, a comparison of the related costs of using the five different aircraft materials is shown. When using CFRP, there are also savings of assembling manpower. There will also be savings due to the reduced weight of using composite materials like CFRP and Kevlar.Maintenance cost of a material is determined by several variables. These include the density, ultimate tensile strength, tensile yield strength, durability (fatigue) and fracture toughness properties listed. In a comparison of the related costs of using the five different aircraft materials is shown, the properties of the five materials studied here are displayed. The aluminum alloys have properties which are specific to the number of the series they belong to. The alloy series is categorized by the metal that is the major alloying element. For instance, the 5xxx series aluminum alloys contain magnesium as the major alloying element. The 5xxx series alloys have moderate to high strength and good corrosion resistance. They are not heated treatable. Mechanical properties and strength are less desirable than in the 2xxx and 7xxx series. The 7xxx series aluminum alloys have zinc as the major alloying element. These alloys have the greatest strength of the heat-treated alloys. The 7xxx series alloys also have good heat-treating qualities. In a paper, the particular conditions and tempers used to obtain the material property values are as follows: For aluminum 7475, the T61 temper was used. For aluminum 5052, the H34 condition properties were used. For aluminum 2124, used T351 condition/temper. Kevlar K49 used for density, shear strength and modulus, and yield strength. For density and ultimate tensile strength, used Dupont Kevlar 49 Aramid fiber. For CFRP, data is for Type P-VSB-32 (Union Carbide) carbon fibers. Aluminum alloy 7475 has lower impurity limits than 7075. Aluminum 7475 is used for aircraft structures because of its good fracture toughness.

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking - Essay Example Performing a critical analysis is not usually easy for an individual because of the abundance and ambiguous status of the facts pertinent to the scenarios that are to be analyzed. Some cases require further scrutiny to uncover unknown details, which are really important thus initial skepticism and open-mindedness are often required in developing good critical thinking. (Bloom's Taxonomy Internet) Take for example a certain job regarding work relation in a specific office. A certain piece of valuable went missing and the whole work community in the office is already chattering blaming a shy and timid employee as the thief who stole the missing valuable. Employing critical thinking would not let someone to hastily judge that employee because of his social diffidence. Instead of inappropriate judgment, analyze first the case at hand and evaluate the details pertinent to it to find clues and information leading to the solution. Failure to practice critical thinking will only lead to inac curate and often wrong conclusion thus neglecting the purpose of the human logical capabilities. Proper judgment requires the critical thinking and analysis of the available information and specific details. It is very important that one must first utilize his or her brain before jumping to any hasty judgment to avoid mistakes and further aggravation of the problem already at hand. Thus, solution and accurate knowledge can only be attained by having critical analysis of the facts leading to the plausible conclusion. Several factors of education explain a person's pattern of learning. The aspects of philosophy of thinking and learning which merely refers to the thought provoking a person to have a yearning for learning usually helps an educator determine the progress of his student with regards to what he is teaching and what his student is able to grasp for learning.(King 3) The following paragraphs shall discuss the mentioned factors of education and shall clarify some points of consideration concerning the principles of learning involved in education. (King 4) Learning involves the utilization of reality. What does the context of reality actually mean Reality as defined refers to the facts that are present in the society. These so-called facts support the existence of several things in the environment. Through the utilization of the realties in educating a person, an educator is supposed to help the student reject the impractical and visionary aspects of learning. Through this matter of teaching, a student is able to see the importance of what is obviously seen and not what is simply imaginary. Gaining knowledge through this way would naturally help a person understand his being and his environment as well based on constructed foundation of belief. Naturally, learning in a perennial way gives an individual the most important knowledge he has to learn from life. His experiences are generated to become sources of practical understanding, which in turn would help him cope up with life's challenges due to the fact that he has learned to face h e said obstacles through his experiential learning. (King 5) One's ability to value what he learns follows the process of learning. His capability of applying the knowledge he has gained is the turning point of his learning and the fact

Challenging customers in the marketplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Challenging customers in the marketplace - Essay Example Such customers also take more time of the shopkeepers as compared to other customers. Companies need to satisfy challenging customers in order to achieve success. Customer satisfaction results in improving the business (Fornell, Mithas, Morgeson, & Krishnan, 2006). Customers can be challenging for different reasons. Some of the most common reasons include language difference, aggressive mindset, lack of proper communication skills, inability to make quick decisions, and impatient and hostile nature. Past experiences, stresses, and different perceptions are those factors, which make most of the customers challenging. Every customer has a different set of experiences, which he/she uses while deciding to buy any specific product. Some customers have some concerns, which they communicate to the shopkeepers or customer service representatives while buying the products. Such customers are challenging customers and shopkeepers find it difficult to deal with such customers. Shopkeepers can deal with challenging customers by listening to them properly, asking questions, showing concerns towards the needs of the customers. Harris (2003) states, â€Å"Although challenging customers may be difficult to interact with, the reality is that they are still ou r customers and our goal is to provide them with excellent customer service† (p.

There are four topics, so you can choose from them Essay

There are four topics, so you can choose from them - Essay Example Better so, than live to be disgraced and looked askance at† (Book III). Achilles on the other hand participates for the glory that this war is going to bring him, even if it means his death. The motivation of Hector is selfless, while the motivation of Achilles is selfish. Hector holds the position of a traditional hero with the Trojans and is their undisputed leader looked upon with respect. â€Å"When Hector heard this he was glad, and went about among the Trojan ranks holding his spear by the middle to keep them back, and they all sat down at his bidding†. (Book III). On the contrary Achilles is a feared warrior in his camp, but at loggerheads with Greek kings Agamemnon, who want his presence on the battlefield as a motivation for the Greek army, which can be seen from this speech of Achilles to Agamemnon â€Å" You are steeped in insolence and lust of gain. With what heart can any of the Achaeans do your bidding, either on foray or in open fighting? I came not warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me. I have no quarrel with them. They have not raided my cattle nor my horses, nor cut down my harvests on the rich plains of Phthia; for between me and them there is a great space, both mountain and sounding sea†. (Book 1). Throughout the book Homer paints Achilles in a near godly fashion. The human ingredient of fear is absent in Achilles and this makes his acts of bravery and valiance beyond the means of a mere human. On the other hand Hector is seen in the as a human with all its failings including fear. Event in life cause fear, but how fear is conquered even at the pain of death makes a human a hero. The scene of the killing of Hector by Achilles brings this out to the forefront. Hector alone outside the walls of Troy runs away from Achilles demonstrating the human characteristic of fear. He however overcomes it to come

Virgils like a Roman leader. Aeneid Essay Example for Free

Virgils like a Roman leader. Aeneid Essay Virgils Aeneid Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Virgil’s was the son of Publius Vergilius Maro and Magia Polla. Virgil’s father was a miniature freeholder in Andes. Virgil’s father was a farmer who practised bee-keeping and forestry, and he progressively accrued enough competence to enable him give superior education to their only son, Virgil’s. Virgils went to school at Cremona which was neighboring town and later he went to Milan which was the capital city of the province. At the age of 17 years Virgil’s went to Rome where he studied philosophy and oratory under the preeminent masters of the era. This paper seeks to explain the occurrences that took place during Augustan age. Augustan age had a remarkable impact to the Aeneid because Aeneid is a clear-cut approval of Augustus’ personal consolidation of authority after countless years of atrocious civil war. The foremost part of his approach was the use of auctoritas and exploitation of pietas, two ideals were well-regarded in Roman society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a heated debate concerning the stance of Virgil’s in the Augustan era. Some people propose that the Virgil’s epic about Augustus’ ancestors as misinformation directed by Augustus’ political device. Other people identify creepy influence in Virgil’s artistic work where they argue that Virgil’s had an intention of undermining the new political order. The Aeneid is a public epic, adoration and veneration of Rome and its citizens. Virgil had an optimistic and spiritualized and inspiring notion of Rome, which he saw as sacred and majestic, predestined by providence to rule the humanity. Virgil’s saw a golden era of humanity rising during Augustus’s reign, the golden era was brought by the gods. The Aeneid was ordained to exalt this new-fangled, structured society and to elevate its merits and superior distinctiveness by their representation in Aeneas. Aeneas was an epic champion w ho would represent the classic Roman. Aeneas had the most reputable characteristics of an ideal Roman leader, which included Roman sense of responsibility and duty. He also had excellent personal attributes and qualities. According to Virgil’s these features would enable Aeneas to build adorable Rome (McCrorie, 356).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were a series of civil wars before Augustan reign which led to large financial and human losses. The state became unified under Augustan reign. Peace and order was restored, and the government took active interest in various diverse schemes of social and economic life thus Rome regained its happiness and prosperity. The Augustan reign brought peace and order through development of imperial government. Unfortunately, the Romans abandoned most liberty that they had accustomed in earlier periods. This had a serious impact in the minds of many citizens including Virgil’s. In the Aeneid, Virgil describes the new-fangled approach under which Romans lived. In his epic Aeneid, Virgil treats the most significant features of imperial and republican Rome as distinct, entangled whole. This notion was interpreted that the splendor of one government resembled the brilliance of the other government. This argument weakened the conviction that Augustus’s empire was a new and unfamiliar political unit. In addition, Virgil revealed in many aspects that the imperial period was intended to be a fresh golden period for Rome. It was only the Augustan age that all Roman citizen’s noblest ambitions and wishes could be accomplished (Bloom, 284). http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-010.html.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aeneas the hero of Aeneid had the most adorable features of a Roman leader. Augustus was a descendant of Aeneas. In Aeneid the implication of the association between Augustus and Aeneas was very clear. It can be noed that Augustus shares a lot of his ancestor Aeneas superior qualities. People gained a lot of confidence with Augustan reign and could never think of condemning Augustus’s new government. Aeneas underwent various hardship incidents during his ruling period. However, Aeneas consoled himself by keeping in mind the predestined future of the empire. The notion of the predestined future of the empire strengthened him to dedicate his ambitions of establishing new Rome. This approach set an example to the Roman people. The personal sacrifices that Aeneas made taught people that their personal and complaints and doubts about imperial government were of less significant as compared to the needs of the society. People submerged th eir personal grievances for the welfare of all individuals. In Aeneid, Romans came to learn that it was only through a solid and centralized government t that they would be able to be peaceful and united (Retrieved from http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-010.html).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Romans would also be encouraged if they came to learn that Aeneid gods and goddesses were deeply concerned with the Rome’s future. People became convinced by the Virgil’s argument in Aeneid epic since various parts were all about unending series of successes. These epics aimed at demonstrated the success path to convince the public that Rome and its domain had enduringly won celestial favor. The epics convinced many educated class people in Rome such that they abandoned their opposition to Augustus’s new government and became used to their emperor’s regime. The Aeneid became a customary school text. Every generation in Rome passed through Virgil’s epic poem whereby they developed a selfless allegiance to the Roman imperial government. Aeneid became a literary masterpiece as well as the strongest intellectual barricade in the Roman kingdom. Augustan age was very significant to the Aeneid since it set up a solid foundation that enabled the empire to be organized (Retrieved from http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-010.html).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maecenas, Augustus’ chief consultant secured several potential poets in his era. Augustus had acknowledged a powerful machine for his propaganda in these young poets. These writers had a distinct and powerful influence through their writing through the attitude of the public. During the writing of the Aeneid, Vigil had to consider the desires of his patrons. It reveals the momentous effect that Augustan auctoritas in the Virgil’s occupation, as the poet makes an unswerving suggestion to the ultimate accomplishment of his patron. Virgil used to judge against the performance of the celebrated hero to those of Augustus. Virgil’s Aeneid clearly reveal the auctoritas as he narrates the glorious history of Rome under Augustan regime. â€Å"Look there, focus your eyes now on our people, your own Romans: Caesar and all of Iulus’ lineage under the great tree of the heavens. And this man, a man you’ve heard promised so often, Caesar Augustus: a God’s own son who will settle a Golden Age once more on Latium’s meadows, ruled by Saturn before. He’ll open the empire to India, Africa, lands lying beyond the ecliptic, beyond the sun’s annual journey†¦ (Virgil, 1995, Bk. VI- ll. 788-796)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This consequence of Augustan auctoritas on Virgil’s Aeneid delegates the inclination in the Augustan period of literacy in favor of Augustan regime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, it is clear that the Roman leaders used to glorify themselves and create superior history and reinforced these principles to the legends of their forefathers. Thorough scrutiny of Golden age works such as Aeneid reveals the outcome of Augustan auctoritas. Augustus made a purposeful and flourishing attempt to swing the focus of Roman writing to the indefatigable support of his imperial misinformation. This substantiation highlights the cognizant, persistent pressure Augustus asserted, using his supremacy to control the Romans and to generate an age of writing in his own representation. References Bloom, Harold. Virgils Aeneid. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Print. McCrorie, Edward. The Aeneid. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1995. Print. Patron Augustus—Client Rome. Patron Augustus—Client Rome. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 June 2014. http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-010.html. Source document

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing Introduction In 1971, in Seattle’s Pike Place Market two teachers and a writer opened the first Starbucks retail shop, as a roaster and retailer of bean and ground coffee, tea and spices (Roos, 2010). Today, with over 20,000 stores across the world, from Monaco to Colombia and many in between, Starbucks is a name that stands for innovation beyond its industry and constant growth (Chen, 2014). From ethical sourcing initiatives to the employee stock options and health benefits, Starbucks is a unique company, in a continuous evolution across the world (Hincha-Ownby, 2013). The company is a global marketing phenomenon, reinventing its operations to suit their growth ambitions, but remaining true to the passion of serving coffee in a friendly atmosphere (Thompson Arsel, 2004). Starbucks has been a pioneer in the coffee house industry in many geographical regions, having virtually introduced this concept to various countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Otmazgin, 2008). In addition to this, the company is continuously reinventing itself in European countries where the coffee house culture is more sophisticated (Patterson, Scott, Uncles, 2010). It is mandatory to analyse their strategy for market entry mode selection, as their success suggests they have found the golden middle between adopting distinct tactics and allowing local influences to shape their product, whilst keeping their core business values intact. In addition to using secondary sources to analyse the global expansion of Starbucks, this paper also outlines how the global marketing strategy of the company compromises between standardisation and adaptation to local target audiences’ preferences (Alderman, 2012). From the product-price-place-promotion marketing mix adaptation tactics to the use of loyalty card that reward loyal customers and the encouragement to share Starbucks moments via social media, the company continuously seeks the view of their customers through crowd-sourcing and creating a sense of community (Misener, 2014). However, similarly to their entry mode selection, the coffee house giant manages to preserve their core values in all the regions where it operates. Entry mode of Starbucks Globalisation and technology as the two core macro environmental elements of the 21st century business settings have imposed and aided companies’ international expansion strategies and tactics (Daft, 2010). As such, success beyond the national borders of a corporation is not only an indicator of success, it has ultimately become necessary for survival in a competitive market (Zahra, Ireland, Hitt, 2000). Whether through Joint Ventures (JVs), Exports, Franchises, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), take overs or any other strategies, everyone, from SMEs to large corporations is jumping on the bandwagon of international expansion (Kim Hwang, 1992). However, beyond the need to expand internationally, companies need to carefully evaluate all factors influencing the decision regarding the area of expansion and the entry mode of the company in the new region. A timeline of the geographical evolution of Starbucks over the last decade (Figure 1) shows that the company aims to increase their global presence, becoming the coffee shop of choice of all the coffee aficionados (Starbucks, 2014). Figure 1 Geographical expansion of Starbucks. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) Root (1994) defines the entry mode as a strategic decision making process in which the company’s products, technology, human skills and all other resources are evaluated in relation to the country of destination where the organisation is planning to extend its operations. In addition to this, the characteristics of the market that a company intends to penetrate are also taken into account for the purpose of selecting the most suitable entry mode (Canabal White III, 2008). The capital and human investment of a corporation towards expansion in new geographical areas is ultimately decided in correlation with profitability potential for the organisation. The factors influencing the entry mode of a corporation in new markets were divided by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) into three categories: firm specific factors, country specific factors and market specific factors. Although their categorisation of factors is valid in the strategic management of internationalisation of firms, it can be argued that market specific factors can be integrated in the country specific factors and another category called industry specific factors can be added to the mix. Figure 2 below presents a new theoretical framework developed by the author of this paper, which presents the changes enumerated, underlining the importance of trends and particularities of the overall industry in which a company operates. Figure 2 Factors influencing Selection of Entry Mode. Authors own, inspired by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) Although not exhaustive, the list of elements presented above indicates the variety of elements involved in the selection of markets where Starbucks can extend its chain of stores and the best strategy to ensure success in the new region. According to Root (1994) and Koch (2001) the factors influencing the entry mode selection can also be divided into external and internal factors. Political, economic and socio cultural dimensions of a foreign country are crucial external elements that determine the profitability of marketing the products offered by a company (Koch, 2001). Starbucks is marketing a social product beyond its coffee offerings, having positioned itself in the industry as a company that offers a great environment where people can enjoy ethically sourced beverages and snacks (Schultz, 2011). As such, it is crucial to evaluate the socio-cultural environment of a target foreign country and the marketability of such an offering within that particular geographical area. The key to success lies within the ability to match the product offerings of a company with the demands of the local foreign market, without compromising the firm’s business model. Partnerships with local firms through a joint venture or penetrating the market through licensing or franchising offer a company low risk solutions (Yoshino Rangan, 1995). However, when Starbucks decides to licence or franchise their product offerings, the extent to which they can monitor the quality of the products or operations of coffee shops that trade under their company name is significantly lower than in the case of joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiaries. Joint ventures are often necessary due to political reasons, as is the case with some Middle Eastern countries that demand part ownership of local companies or residents within a foreign business (Terblanche, 2009). In addition to this, sharing the risk and costs with a partner in a local region can be advantageous for the company that extends their operations in a foreign market, due to lower capital investments (Root, 1994). However, there are disadvantages to be taken into account when opting for a joint venture, as sharing the technology with a potential competitor in the industry can lead to a conflict of interests and a potential loss of competitive advantage (Doz Hamel, 1998). Although wholly-owned subsidiaries eliminate the risks associated with all other entry modes, offering exclusivity over the profits and technology control, a company runs the risk of misunderstanding the cultural aspects of the country of destination and decreases its chances of succeeding in a new market (Makino Delios, 1996). Successful companies, such as Starbucks, are able to determine the best mix of entry modes specific to the regions where the expansion is taking place in order to become global leaders. The table below (Figure 3) shows that the company’s internationalisation strategy allows flexibility depending on country specific factors in the countries of destination. Figure 3 Starbucks Entry Mode Type and Partners in each region. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) In May 1998, Starbucks expanded its operations into the first European country, the UK, as part of a long-term internationalisation strategy (Bintliff, 2009). The company acquired sixty-five Seattle Coffee Company stores, a company founded and managed by two Americans (Scott and Ally Svenson) with a similar coffee culture as the American giant Starbucks (Simmons, 2012). The cultural gap between the US and UK attitude to coffee shops and the resistance of British consumers to American products was taken into account by Starbucks, who waited one year before they completely rebranded the existing Seattle Coffee Company stores, therefore allowing the consumers to adapt to the concept and products of Starbucks prior to the rebranding. At present, Starbucks has 549 company operated stores in the UK, with an additional 125 licensed and 57 franchised stores across the country, making it one of the industry leaders in the country (Campbell, 2014). In October 1998, Starbucks extended its operations in New Zealand, through licensing its store concept to Restaurant Brands New Zealand, an authorised licensee of KFC and Pizza Hut brands at the time (Morrison, 2013). Due to its enthusiasm of bringing the Starbucks experience to consumers in the country, Restaurant Brands New Zealand was the ideal partner for Starbucks in positioning itself in the Asia Pacific market in an incipient stage of the coffee industry in this geographical region. The relatively low popularity of the coffee shop industry at the time in the region was a risk that could have deterred the success of a wholly owned market entry (Field, 2011). The leading position and market knowledge of the partner firm that Starbucks licensed its store concept to ensured the minimal risk and lead to the success that the brand is enjoying in New Zealand presently, operating 22 stores in the country, with a $25.1 million sales annually (Morrison, 2013). Global Marketing Strategy Although globalisation has allowed large multinationals to expand across the globe increasing their popularity and profits, this phenomenon has been widely criticised and Starbucks was also the victim of anti-consumerism and anti-globalisation movements (Klein, 2009). The growth experience by the company and its current world dominance has generated many negative discourses, primarily criticising Starbucks’ ascendancy at the expense of local coffee shops. As a multinational brand that aspires to be a recognised global leader, Starbucks’ marketing strategy requires a degree of standardisation. To start with, the company hardly advertises in the traditional sense via TV, radio and print adverts, â€Å"instead relying on their ubiquitous cafà ©s to do the talking† (Kiley, 2006, p. 56). In addition to this, the company has developed and perfected their social media marketing strategy, using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms for competitions and promotional offers for their customers (Moth, 2013). It can be argued that Starbucks’ success in the social media sphere is also highly dependent on the anti-Starbucks movement, as this generates increased coverage of the brand name, allowing the company to counteract the accusations and promote their ethical behaviour even more (Holden, 2012). The involvement of consumers in product development and range (i.e.: new drink flavours) as well as the encouragements to share personal experiences are now an integral part of Starbucks’ international marketing strategy (Shayon, 2013). The company often prides itself on the fact that it creates a community sense amongst individuals from distinct countries through the recognisable brand name Starbucks (Batchelor Krister, 2012). The company uses social media to encourage its consumers to create a sense of belonging to a community and rewards its loyal customers through My Starbucks Reward, using polls to ensure a maximum potential of crowd sourcing (Schoultz, 2013). Through this, the company demonstrates loyalty on its own part to its customers, focusing on transforming their consumers in brand ambassadors, rather than investing time and large budget shares in aggressive marketing tactics aimed at accumulating large shares of new consumers. Levitt (1983) sustains that standardisation of a marketing programme needs to have a positive impact on the performance of the organisation. Being able to maintain a consistency across the marketing strategy and tactics in operations that span across the globe can have a positive impact on a company’s financial performance, as the budget for developing the marketing program is significantly lower (Samiee Roth, 1992). However, the cultural differences between different geographical markets make it difficult to distinguish the profitability and impact on performance of standardised marketing plans (Porter, 2011). Studies suggest that, irrespective of general traits of global marketing for brand recognition purposes, multinational corporations need to take into account any cultural aspects of the countries where their subsidiaries are. As such, Starbucks adapts their food and beverage offerings in their cafà ©s in order to suit their customers’ taste (Bussing-Burks, 2009). Below (Figure 4) is a list of products that are exclusively available in specific geographical areas as evidence of adaptation tactics used by the company. Figure 4 Country Specific products. Adapted from Misener (2014) In China, Starbucks has adapted their product offerings in order to be able to introduce the coffee shops in a market which was loyal to a long-lasting tradition of tea. Despite the concerns expressed by many in regards to the potential success of an American coffee-house chain in a country where other multinational food and beverage brands like Dunkin Donuts and Burger King have failed, Starbucks opened 500 stores across China (Fellner, 2008). The company licensed its brand name to Mei Da Coffee Co. and entered a JV with Shanghai President Coffee Co. (Figure 3). Instead of trying to force the products that appealed to Americans and made the company successful in their mother land, Starbucks launched green-tea flavoured coffee drinks and relied less on takeaway orders due to their lack of popularity in China (Rein, 2012). More importantly, through charging premium prices for their beverages, instead of adopting the general strategy of under-pricing their products in the Asian market, Starbucks cups have become a status symbol in the urban areas of Beijing and Shanghai (Schiavenza, 2013). Unlike many of its competitors, Starbucks prefers investing the money that companies spend on advertising into the benefits and training of their staff members (Kessler, 2012). In line with this philosophy, the company became one of the very few to extend their full health policy to their part-time workers (Schultz Yang, 1997). This philosophy applies even in their overseas stores, and employees in China reported a high level of satisfaction with their job benefits, indicating that this is one of the core values of the company and even through licensing and JV, Starbucks ensures that the contentment of all employees under the Starbucks brand name is indistinguishable across the globe (Rein, 2012). The Chairman of the company, Howard Schulz, believes that the training and satisfaction levels of the Starbucks baristas represent one of the best marketing tactics. He discovered that the attitude and skills of Italian baristas in coffee shops from Rome is what created the atmosphere within a cafà © (Bussing-Burks, 2009). In addition to this, the leadership team that sits in the head offices of Starbucks have a weekly exercise of reading consumers’ feedback, keeping them in touch with the realities of the consumer experience, not allowing them to lose sight of the end user of the services and products of Starbucks (Gulati, Huffman, Neilson, 2002). Although Starbucks has ventured into markets where the coffee culture was in its incipient stages, like countries in the Asia-Pacific area, the most difficult task that the company has had to date is strengthening its market position in nations with a strong coffeehouse culture, like France or the UK (Rudarakanchana, 2013). Their marketing strategies require more creativity in these geographical areas, particularly because Starbucks is up against well established coffee houses that offer a more unique and tailored cultural experience to its customers. However, the company is not oblivious to this issue and Starbucks inaugurated a coffee shop in Amsterdam in 2012 with an avant-garde architecture and a stage for poetry reading (Alderman, 2012). Howard Schultz is planning on expanding the plans for introducing more concept stores across Europe, in order to increase the appeal of the coffee house for consumers beyond the young hip customer, who sees Starbucks as a product that stands for the American lifestyle. Conclusions The company that reinvented the way in which people enjoy their traditional cup of coffee, Starbucks has conquered the globe in less than half a century, since the first store opened. The pace of growth and geographical reach of Starbucks is an undeniable reality that has sparked debates over the past decades. Most of the elements that have contributed to this successful expansion and brand recognition can be associated with the entry mode selection, the marketing mix adaptability and promotional strategies used by the company. Starting with the successful collaborations with local companies in the countries of destination through JVs or licensing through to the slight alterations made to the menu to suit the taste of local consumers, the company displays an exquisite cultural awareness. American giants in the food and beverage industry like Dunkin Donuts or Burger King have attempted to penetrate Asian markets preserving their business model and menu offerings. They encountered resistance from the local consumers, as their culinary and beverage preferences were not met by the menu of the American companies. Whilst it is understandable that MNCs desire to preserve their business model and should avoid making big compromises for each geographical region where they extend, as this would incur additional operational costs for product development and marketing, organisations need to demonstrate a willingness to take into account the culture of the host country. Starbucks’ main philosophy revolves around the atmosphere they can create in their coffee shops and the manner in which the company values its employees, rather than their product offerings, therefore allowing the organisation to expand, adapt and yet, stay true to their core values. Carefully selecting its international partners whose values match the Starbucks passion for great customer focused services, Starbucks seeks the necessary help from well-established local retailers. Although the whole-ownership market entry mode guarantees immediate higher profitability, Starbucks’ focus is on creating long-lasting relationships with consumers in every geographical region, seeking and rewarding the loyalty of the brand’s customers. As such, JVs, licensing or partly-owned subsidiaries are the entry modes of choice for Starbucks in their pursuit to establish themselves as market leaders. The company is clearly not seeking short term goals through aggressive tactics, rather focusing on a well-established strategy that promotes a steady continuous growth, which has so far proved to be a successful approach to internationalisation. References Alderman, L. (2012, March 30). In Europe, Starbucks Adjusts to a Cafe Culture. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/starbucks-tailors-its-experience-to-fit-to-european-tastes.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 Batchelor, B., Krister, K. (2012). Starbucks: A case study examining power and culture. PRism, 9(2), 2-11. Bintliff, E. (2009, October 26). Rivals take the froth off Starbucks. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0bd45f7a-c253-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.html#axzz3G7F67u57 Bussing-Burks, M. (2009). Starbucks. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Campbell, P. (2014, April 25). Sales slide as Starbucks feels tax backlash: Coffee chain axes six shops after  £14m drop in business during the past year. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2612668/Sales-slide-Starbucks-feels-tax-backlash-Coffee-chain-axes-six-shops-14m-drop-business-past-year.html Canabal, A., White III, G. O. (2008). Entry mode research: Past and future. International Business Review, 17(3), 267-284. Chen, L. Y., Mujtaba, B. (2007). The choice of entry mode strategies and decisions for international market expansion. Journal of American Academy of Business, 10(2), 322-337. Chen, X. Y. (2014, February 11). Even with ~20,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has room to grow. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Market Realist: http://marketrealist.com/2014/02/even-with-20000-stores-worldwide-starbucks-has-room-to-grow/ Daft, R. L. (2010). Organization theory and design. Mason, OH: Cengage learning. Doz, Y., Hamel, G. (1998). Alliance advantage: The art of creating value through partnering. Boston: Harvard Business Press. Fellner, K. (2008). Wrestling with Starbucks: Conscience, Capital, Cappuccino. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press. Field, N. (2011, January 25). Kiwi snobs wont stop Starbucks domination. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from The New Zealand Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10701767 Gulati, R., Huffman, S., Neilson, G. (2002, July 17). The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Strategy + Business: http://www.strategy-business.com/article/20534?gko=582b3 Gulati, R., Huffman, S., Neilson, G. (2008, August 9). The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Strategy + Business: http://relationalcapitalgroup.com/downloads/TheBaristaPrinciple.pdf Hincha-Ownby, M. (2013, March 15). Starbucks and Aflac: Two of the worlds most ethical companies. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Mother Nature Network: http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/blogs/starbucks-and-aflac-two-of-the-worlds-most-ethical Holden, D. (2012, March 28). https://econsultancy.com/blog/62281-how-starbucks-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.nxy42nstvehisz. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from The Stranger: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/a-starbucks-boycott-backfires/Content?oid=13185250 Kessler, S. (2012, October 22). Inside Starbuckss $35 Million Mission to Make Brand Evangelists of its Front-Line Workers. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/3002023/inside-starbuckss-35-million-mission-make-brand-evangelists-its-front-line-workers Kiley, D. (2006, August 6). Best Global Brands. Business Week, pp. 54-66. Kim, C. W., Hwang, P. (1992). Global strategy and multinationals entry mode choice. Journal of International Business Studies, 23(1), 29-53. Klein, N. (2009). No logo. London: MacMillan. Koch, A. J. (2001). Factors influencing market and entry mode selection: developing the MEMS model. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 19(5), 351-361. Levitt, T. (1983). Globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, 61, 92-102. Makino, S., Delios, A. (1996). Local Knowledge Transfer and Performance: Implications for Alliance Formation in Asia. Journal of International Business Studies, 27(5), 905-927. Misener, J. (2014, October 9). 20 Starbucks Items You Can’t Get In The U.S. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from BuzzFeed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/starbucks-menu-in-other-countries#1pd9p38 Morrison, T. (2013, July 2). Ailing Starbucks stores to close ahead of possible sale. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from The National Business Review: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/restaurant-brands-closes-ailing-starbucks-stores-entertains-offers-ahead-sale-decision-bd-14 Moth, D. (2013, March 6). How Starbucks uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Econsultancy: https://econsultancy.com/blog/62281-how-starbucks-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.nxy42nstvehisz Otmazgin, N. K. (2008). Contesting soft power: Japanese popular culture in East and Southeast Asia. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 8 (1), 73-101. Patterson, P. G., Scott, J., Uncles, M. D. (2010). How the local competition defeated a global brand: the case of Starbucks. Australasian Marketing Journal , 41-47. Porter, M. E. (2011). Competitive advantage of nations: creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Simon and Schuster. Rein, S. (2012, October 2). Why Starbucks succeeds in China and others havent. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from USA Today: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-02-12/cnbc-starbucks-secrets-of-china-success/53040820/1 Roos, D. (2010, March 29). 10 Things You Dont Know About Starbucks (But Should!). Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Metal Floss: http://mentalfloss.com/article/24322/10-things-you-dont-know-about-starbucks-should Root, F. R. (1994). Entry Strategies for International Markets. San Francisco: Lexington Books. Rudarakanchana, N. (2013, October 31). Starbucks (SBUX) Coffee: Unpopular In Europe, Africa The Middle East In 2013, But That May Change. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/starbucks-sbux-coffee-unpopular-europe-africa-middle-east-2013-may-change-1449888 Samiee, S., Roth, K. (1992). The influence of global marketing standardization on performance. The Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 1-17. Schiavenza, M. (2013, September 6). Why Is Starbucks So Expensive in China? Retrieved October 13, 2014, from City Lab: http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/09/why-starbucks-so-expensive-china/6810/ Schoultz, M. (2013, June 15). Starbucks Marketing Makes Social Media a Difference Maker . Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Digital Spark Marketing: http://www.digitalsparkmarketing.com/creative-marketing/social-media/starbucks-marketing/ Schultz, H. (2011, January 5). Looking Forward to Starbucks Next Chapter. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Starbucks: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/looking-forward-to-starbucks-next-chapter/643?reply=37570 Schultz, H., Yang, D. J. (1997). Pour Your Heart Into It How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. New York: Hyperion. Shayon, S. (2013, April 1). My Starbucks Idea Turns 5, Sparking a Latte Innovations. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Brand Channel: http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/04/01/My-Starbucks-Idea-Turns-5-040113.aspx Simmons, J. (2012). The Starbucks Story: How the brand changed the world. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. Starbucks. (2014). Starbucks Company Timeline. Dover: Starbucks Coffee Company. Terblanche, P. (2009, June 15). Restrictions on Foreign Ownership of UAE Companies Reviewed. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from International Law Office: http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/Detail.aspx?g=ac282bd3-0ed6-4df9-a761-1a6ce7d001de Thompson, C. J., Arsel, Z. (2004). The Starbucks brandscape and consumers’(anticorporate) experiences of glocalization. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(3), 631-642. Yoshino, M. Y., Rangan, U. S. (1995). Strategic alliances: An entrepreneurial approach to globalization. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Zahra, S. A., Ireland, D., Hitt, M. A. (2000). nternational expansion by new venture firms: International diversity, mode of market entry, technological learning, and performance. Academy of Management journal, 43(5), 925-950.

Criminal Justice System

Criminal Justice System Introduction Criminal justice system is a phrase used to express the interdependent components of the courts, police, and correctional facilities in the government. The term also describes the criminal justice agencies found within states in a federal government. As a whole the criminal justice system is thus made up of the three aforementioned interdependent components. Law-making has often been added by some as the forth criminal justice component, since all legitimate activity of the criminal justice system emanates from the law (Fuller, 2005). The understanding of this is important because if the process of criminal justice is unfair, a portion of the unfairness will for sure stem from the criminal law. The substantive law aspect reflects the what of the statute, in that laws are established to define certain behaviour as crime, and thus give punishment to those who violate the law (Bohm Walker, 2007). However in the recent times there have been calls for an overhaul of the criminal justice system. This stems from the diminishing public confidence in the system that has been accused of unfairness and inequity in performing its mandate. Hence a review of the criminal justice system is aimed at improving it to be fair, firm but compassionate, and colour-blind truly Fair and Effectiveness The effectiveness of the law can be evaluated based on the access and equality of the law, its enforceability, resource efficiency, protection of individual rights, and a means to establish a balance between the rights of the society and individuals. To act effectively, the criminal justice system must render equal treatment to everyone, regardless of their income, education, age, social status or ethnicity. If it is discovered that an individual has been discriminate against, then the criminal justice system is deemed to have failed if its task. Equality before should have effective adaptations in order to suit the changing values and attitudes of the society and individuals (Karmen, 2009). Another factor that can determine whether or not the criminal justice system is effective is delays in the system. Criminal justice often takes too long before finalizing cases. Years elapse between the date when the crime was committed, and the time when the offender is sentenced. Such delays in the criminal justice system can result in the victim suffering from continuous trauma because of the offender not being punished. Delay can also result in witnesses forgetting important information that is relevant to the case in question. A fair and effective criminal justice should not be expensive to mete upon everyone. The criminal justice system can be very costly. Numerous citizens cannot afford legal representation. In some cases courts have recognized the necessity for adequate legal representation. Hence attempts to redress inequalities of accessing the legal system have been done through Legal Aid. This offers cheap legal representation to individuals on a limited income. Nonetheless, not everyone is provided with the legal aid. In order for people to qualify for legal aid, they need to pass a test asserting their assets or level of income, and a merit test where matters are serious enough with a likelihood of winning (Fuller, 2005). In view of all this issues, the criminal justice system cannot be said to be wholly effective and fair. The Rule of Law Doubts have of late arisen on whether the criminal justice system abides by the principle of the rule of law. Arguments have been laid that misconceptions regarding criminal trails, and the power vested in organized crime, is the source of the degradation and corruption in the criminal justice system. This implies that the system is not performing on the principle of rule of law. Rather than serve the society by protecting the victims and convicting the guilty, the criminal justice system is dominated by indifferent court staff and judges, wily defence lawyers and defendants who bully witnesses. Hence the public confidence in the criminal justice system has been eroding with time. Another problem forming the opposite view stems from wrongful convictions. In Australia, a spate of wrongful convictions has resulted in certain jurisdictions sending their judges to undertake courses in avoiding wrongful convictions (Fairchild Dammer, 2000). Factors like overconfident eyewitnesses and bog us prosecution experts have been identified among the causes of misrepresented justice. There is also the aspect of lying jailhouse informants who invent confession frequently. Inept lawyers and overzealous prosecutors often jeopardize the accused right to trial. Another factor in wrongful convictions is the tendency especially in high profile cases, of the police, press and public figures seeking publicity, convicting the accused prior to trial. Comments on whether the criminal justice system stands by rule of law have been plentiful in debate. Some have suggested that the best approach to cut crime is social action, so that the criminal justice issue never comes up, because there are no crimes committed. An excellent example of that approach is through job creation. Of course the problem is that organized and disorganized or random crime will not be affected by the creation of jobs. Gangs that terrorize neighbourhoods have never been impressed by make-work and flower planting programs. Therefore the issue of the criminal justice system is not fully addressed. Crimes will continue to happen and the criminal justice system will still experience the problems therein Strengths One objective of the criminal justice system is to reduce crime. There is no doubt that a broad consensus is present that the basic structure of the criminal justice system should remain as a predominant feature in administering criminal justice in Australia. However a range of complementary or alternative approaches can also be utilized within the same framework. Crime reduction can be achieved via reactive means. This includes response to a call for service, arresting, obtaining a criminal conviction, and serving the sentence imposed by the court (Karmen, 2009). The criminal justice system can also employ proactive means like eliminating conditions that result in criminality. The former method of reducing crime is referred to as crime control, and accurately portrays the majority of criminal justice activity in Australia. The latter form of crime reduction is called crime prevention and is less emphasized in most countries. The quality goal of a criminal justice system that dominantly counts as its strength is doing justice. Doing justice has two related implications both of which are reflected in the blindfolded lady justice, Justitia, who holds a sword and scales and adorns several legal building and courthouses across the nation. It is thought that the sword represents the first meaning of justice, whose aim is to hold the guilty responsible for the harms and damages inflicted by them. If an offender is not penalized by his wrongdoings, then justice has not been achieved and therefore the criminal justice system has in itself failed (Reichel, 2004). This form of justice is termed corrective justice as is the case with punishment or corrections. The blindfold and scales are thought to represent fairness, which is the second meaning of justice. Such conception of justice assumes that every individual will be equally treated in the eyes of the law. That justice will be blind to income, social standing, and colour among other inequities in society. Hence justice would be absent in cases where any group is somehow singled out or left for differential treatment by the law. This form of justice is called procedural justice. The strength of the current criminal justice system draws stems from the way it incorporates both corrective justice and procedural justice. The procedures of the court call for every suspect to be considered innocent until proven guilty by an impartial court of law. Thus the system allows the offender to be subjected to a fair trial that should be devoid of unfair advantage or external interference. The necessary evidence is gathered and witnesses availed prior to the commencement of the trial. This ensures that cases are handled with due diligence, and that the victims or offenders are not disadvantaged by any hurried move by the court. In addition, judgment in the court is passed based on the collected facts or evidence, not on the whims of public opinion or emotions in the courtroom (Kappeler, Potter, 2004). Hence correctional justice ensures that both parties in a disputed are satisfied with the outcome of the case, since it incorporates a high degree of fairness. The role of procedural justice is to guarantee parties that the trial is free of just. The various components of the criminal justice system in the name of the name of the police, court and correction process, each plays its part. This ensures the provision of a fair process of arrest, hearing, and the correction procedure. Proponents of justice as an outcome seek to make the Australian criminal justice more punitive. This is aimed at achieving vengeance for victims of crime and retribution for society. Research shows that efforts like increased incarceration, long average sentences and more executions over the past years, have eroded the procedures that make the Australian criminal justice process fair. Weaknesses Wrongful convictions have seriously dominated the weakness of the criminal justice system. When individuals sit wrongly convicted for several years, major miscarriages of justice does occur. It is in such acts that innocent are convicted and the guilty are set free. Public opinion has also been counted among factors that have influenced the operations of the system (Crow Johnson, 2008). The courts are faced with a difficult balance to accomplish. While they are not controlled by public sentiment, the courts should also not lose the confidence of the population. A curious reluctance exists, especially among lawyers, in submitting the conceptual underpinnings of the criminal justice system to close examination or empirical information on its functioning. The establishment of a dichotomy between the legal and moral rights of the victims of crime and accused persons has always been a false venture. Most annalists make reference to the way politicians conduct media campaigns on law and order, and play or prey on the fears of the populace, for political gain. Hence politicians also employ this tactics in intimidating the fair outcome of a trial that they may be party or interested. The judge is threatened behind the scenes to make certain lines of action besides the rampant corruption present. The fairness and justice that is supposed to be exercised by the criminal justice system to make it effective, has been affected negatively by political interference (Beckett Sasson, 2003). The public often despair of the oversimplification of issues of criminal justice in the popular media. The press with its popularity just like politics is in nature adversarial. The media thrives on the conflicts established by the dichotomies. Thus it depicts itself as the arena where the conflict between good and evil is constructed righteously in the minds of men. Most conflicts highlighted by the media have been reframed in the public discussion of the same issues. Thus the media has in certain occasions influenced the outcome of a court decision. Nevertheless, it would be preferable if this were created other than via reiteration or iteration. Some scholars have argued that the criminal justice system lacks clear objectives and is devoid of uniformity. Essentially it is deficiency of the features of a system. Hence it is assumed sometimes that the public appears to be more punitive than what the current criminal justice system is. Among the weakness of the current criminal justice system emanate from the delays in conducting trials. Offenders spend several years in remand before their cases are handled. This does not assist the victim either, because there is continuous suffering of trauma as the criminal is being unpunished. Witness also end up losing vital information relevant to the case since it takes long from the time crime is committed to the period the is finally heard. The issue of bail over remand has also eroded public confidence in the system. The society has been living in fear as dangerous criminals are bailed out to come and carry out revenge after being arrested and on release. This has been taken in certain quarters as a form of lenience that encourages criminals to continue terrorizing the society. Judges have also accused of passing lenient sentences to convicted criminals (Pizzi, 2000). Such weaknesses in the criminal justice system has worked in degrading and diminishing the performance of this establishment in eyes of the public, which it is mandated to serve fairly and effectively. The Current Criminal Justice System With regard to the preceding discussions, the current criminal justice system faces the litmus test of being fair and effective. An examination of the law-making process and law makers in Australia reveals some important facts for understanding the processes of criminal justice. Law makers at both state and federal government are disproportionately white, male, and more than twenty years older than an average Australian. There is a lot of money involved in the political and criminal justice system. The current system is accused of bias based on gender, color and social status among other parameters. The issue of how white collar crime is handled under the system has been a source of heightened concern. The system has ignored the most harmful act against Australians, deeming it unfair as the perpetrators are not held accountable (Lab, 2007). Logically criminal justice activity would be unfair because police, courts and corrections carry out criminal law. Thus the criminal justice proc ess does not achieve desert, as a key component of fairness if the law is applied discriminately. There are cases where the police, courts and corrections enforce unfair law unintentionally, the term innocent bias is applied. Innocent bias to exist does not require dishonest court staff, bad police officers, or unethical correctional personnel. The fact is that even if all employees of the justice system were fair, just, equitable, unbiased, impartial, objective and dispassionate, the Australian criminal justice process would be unjust still due to innocent bias (Reichel, 2004). This is the most significant and dangerous form of unfairness, with widespread effects that cannot be rooted out easily, unlike most apparent forms like corruption, police brutality, bribery, and prosecutorial misconduct among others. Hence the criminal justice system as it stands currently cannot be assumed to be fair and effective. It should be understood that after the apparent threats to unfairness have been identified and dealt with, the issue of innocent bias will still remain to hound the effective ness and fairness of the system. Conclusion It is important to acknowledge that the opinion of the public generally suggests citizen agreement with criminal law. The acts recognized in law as serious crimes are still those that the populace tends to think are most serious. Because the police probe alleged crimes and are the primary point of entry for cases in the criminal justice system, innocent bias established in the criminal law in perpetuated in the activities of law enforcement. Therefore the disparities in the system such as based on race, class, gender can be minimized, but not dealt with permanently. The idea on innocent bias will always be interpreted by either side to soothe their line of argument in accusing criminal law. Hence for the system to be fair and effective, a remedy for innocent bias ought to be invented if possible.