Effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System in NSW

‘Evaluate the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in NSW'The NSW criminal justice system relates to all areas associated with the law and law enforcement, including those who are incarcerated, on probation, or suspected of committing a criminal offence. In evaluating the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in NSW there are three issues which can be considered; alternatives to gaol, charge negotiation and the role of the courts.These issues promote or demote the effectiveness of the NSW criminal justice system, especially when evaluated in terms of equality, accessibility, resource efficiency, and the balance of rights for victims, offenders and society. These issues are also discussed widely in the media, which presents a different perspective for many of these issues, and provides the necessary pressure required to initiate law reform on these issues. One of the most important issues in the NSW criminal justice system is the availability of alternatives in punishment, aside from incarceration. Apart from criminal infringement notices, there are many more serious alternatives to a prison sentence, including home detention. Home detention, created under the Home Detention Act 1996 (NSW), is applicable for certain offenders, who have committed non-violent crimes and have been sentenced to less than 18 months imprisonment. Home detention is likely to be controversial for more serious offences such as murder or sexual assault, as there is possible high risk of reoffending. Community service orders are also available as a means of shaming and punishing offenders, while facilitating rehabilitation by requiring a period of amending their wrongs towards the community. Diversionary programs are used to divert certain offenders from reoffending, through rehabilitation. Over 150 offenders a year complete The Drug Courts diversionary program. According to the NSW Crime Bureau analysis of the effectiveness of the Drug court, they found that; 37% of criminals were less likely to be reconvicted for any offence, 65% were less likely to be reconvicted for offences against the person and 57% were less likely to be reconvicted for a drug offence. The use of these alternatives are effective in terms of the aforementioned criteria as it provides a sense of equality between different members of society tried for the same crimes, as they each have the capacity to be given the same diversionary program, as long as they satisfy the necessary criteria. The diversionary programs are very resource efficient as they typically cost less per day than the $205 necessary for the average prison inmate. It also provides a balance of rights for the victims and the offenders, as well as society as they are all benefiting from these programs. Charge negotiation, including plea bargaining, is where charges are either dropped, or reduced in return for an early guilty plea, as set out in the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999. There are many issues associated with charge negotiation, as shown through ‘True Plea on Justice', a Daily Telegraph article published on October 11th 2010, which details the plight of victims of crime, who are not told of the charge negotiation taking place, until they attend the trial. Under new guidelines from the state government, prosecutors must now complete a certificate detailing the consultation with victims and their families. This reform of current guidelines shows the inadequacies when regarding the balance of rights for victims, although this issues is being rectified. Charge negotiation is also effective when assessed for resource efficiency, as the cost of a sometimes lengthy trial is avoided. The role of the courts is imperative to having an effective legal system. The role of the courts is to ensure a fair trial ensues. Equality within the court system is a major concept, and is exemplified through the necessary impartiality of magistrates, judges and juries. Once again to ensure equity judges and magistrates are bound to follow precedent, or follow sentencing guidelines according to the Criminal Procedure Amendment (Sentencing Guidelines) Act 1998. Many of the crimes prosecuted are outlined in the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), which is accessible to all members of the public, under the rule of law. The courts attempt to use resources efficiently by using juries in all matters bar summary offences, and by requiring ‘leave to seek appeal' when appealing to the Supreme Court to ensure that court resources are not tied up in unsubstantiated appeals. The courts also provide a balance for victims, offenders and society, by providing necessary sentences the magistrate or judge feels is necessary to reflect the standards of society, ensure a fair outcome for victims and also to not be excessive to offenders. The criminal justice system in NSW is effective in the sense that it provides an equal, accessible and resource efficient system in which justice is achieved. It also provides an impartial field for offenders to be tried, and as such come to outcomes that benefit the victim and society as a whole. There have been recent developments to ensure this balance remains, as is the case of victims regarding charge negotiation, showing the development and thus effectiveness of the criminal justice system in reflecting societies beliefs and values.

Reward, Punishment, Prisoner’s Dilemma Essay

Reward and punishment are subcategories of operant conditioning. Rewards are meant to reinforce and increase behavior, while punishments decrease behavior. For example, if you want to potty train your dog, you would reward the dog every time it goes outside to pee by giving them a treat or petting them. On the other hand, if your dog pees indoors on the carpet, you would punish it by yelling or spanking them. Eventually, you will decrease the amount of reward little by little (by only feeding the dog treats every ten times the dog goes outside to pee), and the dog will be potty trained (conditioned). Johnny and Sam have been arrested by the police for robbing the bank and the police put them in separate jail cells. The officer makes an offer to each telling them they may choose to testify against their friend or remain silent. If one confesses and their friend remains silent, the person who confesses will be free while their friend will be sentenced 10 years in prison. If both stay silent, they will be sentenced 6 months in prison while if both confess, both will get five years in jail. The dilemma that the prisoners face is that whatever the other does, each is better off confessing then remaining silent. However, if both confess, the outcome is worse then if they both had remained silent. Pursuing for individual reward would logically lead to both prisoners betraying and getting sentenced a longer time in prison, but instead if the prisoners cooperated, they would both get less time in prison. Through experimenting with this in class, I came to a conclusion that factors such as gender affected the results. Males tended to be more self-interested and were dominated with betrayal while women tended to lean towards staying silent and not risking betraying their friends. The marshmallow experiment was a study done in which a marshmallow was offered to each child for 15 minutes in a room, alone. The child was told that if they could resist eating the marshmallow for 15 minutes, they would be rewarded with another. Most children (two-thirds) were unable to resist the temptation and ate the marshmallow before the 15 minutes was over, even when they knew they’d be treated with another one in just 15 more minutes. This experiment was related with future success– the ability to wait longer correlated with success, since being able to wait showed greater self control, and self control is vital to future success.

Similar Gothic Elements in the Work of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne

Similar Gothic Elements in the Work of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe are considered masters of American gothic fiction. They used similar gothic elements in their writing and used it to build up a sense of impending doom. Even today numerous readers enjoy, study, and discuss the gothic elements both utilized in their work. Gothic writing is a style that is concerned with the dark side of society, an evil that lies within the self. Poe and Hawthorne contributed stories which contained dark struggles between characters and society with its rules of order of the time. Gothic writing is fantasy meant to entertain despite the fact that it depicts the political and social problems happening at the time. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe used their writing to allow them and readers deal with the problems of society, their own lives, and their inner demons. Poe and Hawthorne’s works are still being interpreted by generations of readers on many different levels. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the most valiant and significant writers of fiction before the Civil War. He gained fame for publishing, The Scarlet Letter, and was praised for his literary style. The Scarlet Letter, allowed him to direct attention to issues he valued. Other stories like, â€Å"The Birthmark,† and, â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter,† provided a unique view of a how a male dominated society can harm its women. Author Henry James considered him a genius and the most significant writer of his time (Norton Anthology, â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne† 1272). Often Hawthorne’s jobs pulled him away from his writing but allowed him to support his family. Hawthorne skillfully used gothic elements in his writing to create a clear picture of some approaching death. Though he favored his poetry, Edgar Allan Poe was a master weaver of horror tales who influenced other writers such as T. S. Eliot and William Faulkner (Norton Anthology, â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† 1531). His lifetime of troubles may have shaped his stories of haunting and death. His reputation as one of the key writers of the macabre in the 18th century is due to selections of poetry and prose such as, â€Å"The Raven,† â€Å"The Purloined Letter,† â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado. † His story, â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue,† is considered to be the first modern detective story. Poe tried to make writing his sole means of work but found that was not possible so he spent time doing different jobs and even joining the military for a time, none of which worked out. He was prone to drinking and had health issues most of his life. For a time, he was an editor for different publications. However, after the death of his wife, Virginia, Poe’s weakness for drinking increased and partly contributed to his death. Hawthorne and Poe used gothic elements in their writing to build up the sense of impending doom. For example, â€Å"Some of Edgar Allan Poe’s work seems to follow a pattern: the indeterminate urban situations, the nightmare intensities, and above all, the confusions of consciousness as the protagonist’s madness destabilizes narrative and setting† (Lloyd-Smith, â€Å"Chapter Three† 30). Poe used these near death situations and a dreamlike feeling in his writing coupled with his morbid sense of humor to reverse the outlook of his readers. He combined in his poetry and prose ways to make his readers quiver unspeakably and tantalize them with psychological complexities. In the selections â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† and â€Å"The Murders at Rue Morgue,† he incorporates gothic elements of fantastic excess which invite and challenge interpretation (Lloyd-Smith, â€Å"Chapter Three† 32). To illustrate this, â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne similarly internalized and domesticated the Gothic to explore its insights into the psychology of everyday life, and its applicability to history† (Lloyd-Smith, â€Å"Chapter Three† 33). His tales are full of magical or fetish objects which are used to show a series of historical and personal meanings (Lloyd-Smith â€Å"Chapter Three† 33). Hawthorne used these elements to create a atmosphere of gothic strangeness that fascinate the reader due to the variety of meanings it contains such as the scarlet letter in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, â€Å" or the cryptic veil in â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil. In particular, â€Å"‘The Fall of the House of Usher,’ is justly the most famous of all Poe’s gothic horrors. For it is only within the context of this nightmare that one can explain why â€Å"Usher,† occupies such an important place in the 19th century development of the Gothic genr e. With great attention to economy of expression and unity of effect, this pattern would be revisited by countless other Gothic stylists† (Dougherty 6). This means that Poe used the fantasy of impending doom in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† to change it from being just an upper class dream, to a tale of horror which brought together some of the political situations in the nineteenth century such as those of race and class. Hawthorne and Poe successfully incorporated gothic elements in their writing which provides greater insight to the meaning and interpretation of their works. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe utilized specific literary elements to bring their stories to life for their readers. For instance, Poe uses imagery to transform â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† into a rebellion of inharmonious elements. The house has the same structure as a human head, with windows shaped like eyes, and as it begins to fall into disrepair so to do the humans inhabiting the home, Roderick and Madeline. They are no longer governed by reason and there is a shift to corruption, insanity, and irrational behavior (Bloom 32). This means that the disintegration of the home mirrors the impending death of those living in the home as well. Ultimately, the home crumbles and is swallowed into the waters of a small lake after Madeline and Roderick die. In addition, Nathaniel Hawthorne prolific use of â€Å"emblems in his writing alerts us that they are allegories and that the stories go beyond the regional, historic, pastoral and gothic boundaries which generate and define them† (Heim & Bloom 49). This means in â€Å"The Birthmark,† the birthmark itself actually symbolizes life as opposed to imperfection because when Aylmer removes it from his wife’s face, he achieves the perfection he is seeking, but at the cost of her life. Alas, it was too true! The fatal Hand gad grappled with the mystery of life, and was the bond by which an angelic spirit kept itself in union with a mortal frame. As the last crimson tint of the birth-mark—that sole token of human imperfection—faded from her cheek, the parting breath of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere, and her soul, lingering a mome nt, near her husband, took its heavenward flight† (Norton Anthology, â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne† 1331). In addition, the emblem he uses in The Scarlet Letter, suggests the reader should seek more meaning regarding what it really was and what it was telling the reader because it was about more than just about forbidden love. In â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter, the garden itself became a source of poison despite its incredible beauty because the flowers that made it beautiful could kill anyone who comes close to them. Moreover, â€Å"Hawthorne’s tales are critiques of the nature and efficacy of conflicting values with which moral problems can be met† (Heim & Bloom 53). This means that because of his Puritan heritage, Hawthorne used his writing to explore the exchange of and the difficulty between situations dealing with desires and imagination. He looked at the moral problems and the limitations where desires and actions connect and struggle. In The Scarlet Letter, the circumstance is set for the struggle of forbidden sexual intercourse between Minister Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. Poe and Hawthorne contributed stories which contained struggles between characters and the society and its rules of order of the time. For example, Hawthorne’s tales are often constructed to suggest that they are narratives veiled by something in the structure of the narrative itself† (Heim & Bloom 68). This means that Hawthorne’s selections describe people who are torn between their own wishes and the differing demands of society and its rules of right and wrong. They test one’s limits and the possibilities of sin and virtue with a great anxi ety for righteousness. Hawthorne had an intimate understanding of the elements that makeup and set apart the human condition. To illustrate, for Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"reason seems a masquerade, adopted only when convenient as in his analysis of his own poem, â€Å"The Raven,† that refuses submission to its rule. He claimed the existence of a Higher Reason, accessible by intuition and introspection and Poe’s fiction plays around this theme showing how his narrators attempt to contain their irrational experiences, drives, and desires within the rational framework†(Lloyd-Smith, â€Å"Chapter Five† 68). Poe believed reason was useful on his terms and the irrational could be controlled to a certain degree. This is why he is considered the father of the short story. In addition, Poe’s prose, â€Å"continually confronts the material of the real body; or the corpse. Death is perpetually confronted, but the doorway opens only to the horror of this intransigent ‘real’† such as in, â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart, which begins with the narrator explaining his reason for committing murder (Lloyd-Smith, â€Å"Chapter Five† 69). â€Å"He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever† (290 Poe). Also, characters in Poe’s stories seem to be awaiting death and cheat it long enough to be able to convey their last message before meeting some horrifying end. His narrators also began by explaining the reason for their misdeeds or misfortunes to the reader as a preface to the actual story. Hawthorne and Poe also used their writing to allow them to deal with the problems of society, their own lives, and their inner demons. To illustrate, â€Å"The Gothic world Hawthorne created in his fiction—with it’s his gloomy settings, concern with death, and explorations of the demonic—is central to his moral and thematic purposes as it allowed him a broad realm through which he could tell the dark truths about the world as he perceived it† (Lloyd-Smith, â€Å"Chapter Five† 71). This means that the gothic elements he used in this writing allowed him to tell about social injustices he felt strongly about. Some such issues were slavery and the degradation of women in a male dominated society. For example, â€Å"Poe's works are associated with death and horror, and he finds a place among the gothic writers. In fact, Poe's use of death as a central motif finds service only in his pursuit of the â€Å"effect† which Poe suggests should be the motivation behind the creation and development of any short story†Ã‚  (Pahl 8). The use of death as a central theme in his writing was helpful only if they produced a physical effect on the reader. Poe felt this gothic element should be the driving force behind any short story that is to be developed and worthy of reading. In addition, â€Å"Poe strived to achieve an emotional effect of either melancholy or terror when he chose the unanticipated and undeserved death of young maidens–soul mates either as wives or sisters–as the subject most likely to inspire this gothic effect† (Pahl 10). Poe often chose to portray women in his works as weak, sickly and almost deserving of some ghastly demise. The characters were usually young and whose roles were that of sisters or wives in the selections. Finally, Hawthorne and Poe both had a fascination with death and the supernatural, which they included in their writing. These gothic elements coupled with the lessons about life, death, morality, sin and virtue in a male dominated world make their writing major sources of study and discussion even today. Readers can choose to focus on Poe’s specific situations set up to produce a reaction or Hawthorne’s ability to draw attention to details and setting. Clearly these two gothic fiction writers helped establish the American short story with a dark twist. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. â€Å"Thematic Analysis of â€Å"The Haunted Palace†. â€Å"Bloom’s Major Poets: Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 1999): 32-35. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Laredo Community College Library, Laredo, TX. 06 June 2009 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=lfh&AN=16466202&site=ehost-live Dougherty, Stephen. â€Å"Foucault in the House of Usher: Some Historical Permutations in Poe's Gothic. † Papers on Language & Literature 37. 1 (n. d. ): 3. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Laredo Community College Library, Laredo, TX. 0 June 2009 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=lfh&AN=4316178&site=ehost-live Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym et al. Vol. B. New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 2007. 1272-1495. Heims, Neil, and Harold Bloom.. â€Å"An Introduction to Some Elements of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Fiction. † Bloom's BioCritiques: Nathaniel Hawthorne (Jan. 2003 ): 49-78. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Laredo Community College Library, Laredo, TX. 24 June 2009 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. spx? direct=true=lfh=16305750=ehost-live Lloyd-Smith, Allan. â€Å"Chapter Five: Major Themes in American Gothic. † 65-132. Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd – Books, 2004. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Laredo Community College Library, Laredo, TX. 24 June 2009 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true=lfh=23674509=ehost-live   Lloyd-Smith, Allan. â€Å"Chapter Three: How to Read American Gothic. † 25-35. Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd — Books, 2004. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Laredo Community College Library, Laredo, TX. 25 June 2009 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true=lfh=23674507=ehost-live Pahl, Dennis. Architects of the Abyss The Indeterminate Fictions of Poe, Hawthorne and Melville. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1989. Poe, Edgar A. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym et al. Vol. B. New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 2007. 1528-1626. Poe, Edgar A. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart. † The Portable Poe. Ed. Philip Van Doren Stern. New

Alliances of Ww1 Essay

war. The alliances were one of the long-term effects of world war one. All alliances started secretly before world war one but what made it significant is when it was clear after Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia declared war on Germany and Austria and the domino effect started, which in the end led to world war one. However, all these alliances in world war one were intended for defense against the expanding Germany army. While, in world war two the alliances were not used for defense†¦ Militarism- The military grew in competing countries. The contest between Germany and Britain at sea between Germany, France, Russia Alliance System- where big countries stayed together incase of a war. The triple alliance and leaders of big alliances acted reckless towards others. Imperialism- Ruling over a country. European countries ruled smaller countries, and competed with each other. Colonies became known as Imperialism. France and Britain had many colonies in Africa and Asia. Germany†¦ involved. The war drew in all the world's great economic powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Although Italy had also been a member of the Triple Alliance alongside Germany and Austria-Hungary, it did not join the Central Powers, as Austria-Hungary had taken the offensive against the terms of the alliance. These alliances were both reorganized and expanded as more nations entered the war: Italy, Japan and the United States†¦ Events Leading to WW1 World War 1 was the start of changing times in the early 1900 's. This was a time for countries to draw a line in the sand and make a mark as to who would be the new world order. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was an heir to the country of Austria. Once Ferdinand became ruler, he proposed some policies that didn 't pass over well with the other leaders within Austria. One policy would aim at becoming 16 states rather than have Austria fade into the background of Hungary 's government†¦ by Gavril Principe, a Bosnian Serb citizen of Austria-Hungary and member of the Black Hand. The retaliation by Austria-Hungary against Serbia activated a series of alliances that set off a chain reaction of war declarations. Within a month, much of Europe was in a state of open warfare. The war was propagated by two major alliances. The Entente Powers initially consisted of France, the United Kingdom, Russia and their associated empires and dependencies. Numerous other states joined these allies†¦ IMPACTS OF WW1 ON AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY Almost a century has passed but Australia still identifies strongly with the Anzac ‘legend' that emerged during the First World War. Entering the war as a small outpost of the British Empire, no one would have anticipated the courage and tenacity displayed by the Australian troops or the extent to which their war efforts would become the foundation of our national identity. While it lacked large numbers of troops to contribute to the British war effort,†¦ World War 1 (WW1) World War One, the first of two wars which shook the very foundations of the earth. The war was as long as it was brutal, consisting of the world’s greatest powers vied against one another in a brutal, slow conflict. In this war there were the Central and Allied powers, which fought one another for both heroic and selfish reasons. All the while trying to maintain their land and nobilities from being threatened by the other side. The war had many various reasons for beginning,†¦ weapons.† â€Å" Alliances also contributed to the war because when they signed an alliance with another county they gave each other their help if they needed it. Then Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. Germany declared war on France two days later; they went through Belgium, which was neutral. Great Britain declared war on Germany after France was attacked. Then Austria-Hungary declared war on England and WW1 began†(www.historyonthenet.com). â€Å"The countries that were involved in WW1 that were Central†¦ Impact of WW1 on Russia Social and economic: The war proved an economic disaster for Russia, the direct cost of war rose from 1,500 million roubles in 1914 to 14,500 million in 1918. And this was an expense of the rural or industrial workforce, thus production slumped and in any case in time of war the country needed to be producing more, not less to feed and supply its armies Military problems: Although the Russian government managed to mobilise around 15 million men between 14-17, mainly†¦ Although the alliance between the UK and the USA had been established for many centuries, especially in the shared cause in WW1, it wasn’t until 1944 that the term ‘special relationship’ was used to describe Anglo-American relations. Winston Churchill said in 1944 that â€Å"unless Britain and the United States are joined in a special relationship, another destructive war will come to pass† , this was the foundation of the term ‘special relationship’. After the American Declaration of Independence in†¦

The Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Death Penalty - Essay Example There are many other countries that also adhere to the death penalty, though their practices of administering the death penalty differ from the United States, as well as what constitutes a death-worthy crime. Approximately twenty-five nations throughout the world believe in and practice the death penalty. Those that do not uphold any form of the death penalty find the actions to inhumane and lacking in ethic. Most of these nations, as well as the states in the United States that do not practice the death penalty, prefer to imprison their more hardened criminals for a lengthy amount of time with sentences that usually exceed life. I believe that the death penalty is not serving the purpose that it should. People are still committing violent crimes despite its existence. Furthermore, with the amount of exonerated deaths due to inconsistencies in the criminal justice system, the death penalty is proving to be more harmful than beneficial. Not only is the death penalty condoning the acti ons of those on death row, but it is bringing about the deaths of innocent people, which is yet another flaw in the death penalty.

EMBA 560 Executive position week 3 discussion 3 Research Paper

EMBA 560 Executive position week 3 discussion 3 - Research Paper Example The truth is that all businesses will eventually have to face change, and it is a wise and prudent ship’s captain who knows when to cut loose change course. A company which once commanded industry leadership around the world recently declared bankruptcy largely as a result of failure to adapt strategies to the changing environment, or by adapting change too late. The company is Kodak, formerly the world’s leading name in photography equipment and services. Kodak made its business on film photography, and when the first digital camera was invented in 1975 and was first brought to Kodak, the management considered it â€Å"cute† but insignificant because it was filmless (Mui, 2012). The company executives failed to see that the new invention was potentially disruptive and that the company must grab the opportunity of becoming a first comer and laying stakes on the new technology. Had Kodak not stuck solely to film photography in which it had dominated, and made its shift early by buying the rights to the new invention, the company would have been at the forefront of digital photography and imaging at present, instead of filing for bankruptcy protection. The problem with Kodak and the many other businesses that failed due to a misspecification in their strategy is that they are unable to recognize significant environmental shifts and to adjust accordingly to the opportunities brought about by change. Mui, C 2012 â€Å"How Kodak Failed.† Forbes. 18 Jan 2012. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2012/01/18/how-kodak-failed/ 2. Consider the industry where you are currently employed (or the one you would choose to work in if currently unemployed). How does a firm in your industry create competitive advantage in the marketplace? The firms in our industry generally acquire competitive advantage in three ways: by coming up with new innovations; by improving services to the customers; or by lowering prices significantly. The firs t is the best way, where possible, because the medical devices industry is highly technology driven, and new technologies that help save and improve lives will always have strong first-comer advantages. The problem with this choice of competitive strategy is that it is capital intensive because of the extremely high investment in research and development that it requires. Companies which do not have the financial size and strength to weather long periods of product development from laboratory to market is not going to survive this type of an industry. The other firms which cannot quite undertake their own innovations will have to compete on the basis of customer service and/or low price. The giving of deep discounts on good quality products is never a good idea, because it does not properly reward the R&D proponent and may become a demotivator for the research and development of new products. In order to maintain the value of a good product even during tight competition, firms have turned to improved customer management. This is ideal because when the company establishes a long-term relationship with a client that has the prospect of repeated transactions, particularly for institutions and physicians and in the case of patients for the prospect of upgrades, then keeping detailed information on them will help the company target those products that will serve their specific purposes better. That is a value-enhancing service that the company can

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc - Essay Example In reality, management seeks to develop a balance between product diversity and production feasibility. As markets mature and competitive pressures increase, more emphasis is given to product diversity. A challenging problem is the prediction of acceptance rates and market-development cycles. However, this cannot be done precisely at the start. But as companies gain better models and data, more precise market adjustments become possible. "If NB2E was to be successful-approaching Tompkins' goal of 100% availability within 24 hours while reducing inventory levels-manufacturing cycle times had to be dramatically reduced. These changes required complete realignment of factory operations" (Bowen et al 2008, p. 11). This pressing strategy has two sides: on the one hand it will require additional financial spending and restructuring within the company, on the other hand it will help New Balance to respond effectively to increased market pressure. "Doing this would require us to reduce work in process significantly and get the line associates and supervisors to embrace that change. The real challenge would be to keep making shoes every day while this transformation was ongoing." (Bowen et al 2008, p. 11). Product strategy is usually couched in terms of product success. However, management must be realistic about product failures -- new-product failure must be part of overall company expectations. Of course, newproduct failures can be eliminated by going out of business. But staying in business implies that new products will be developed and some will fail. Companies must determine an acceptable failure rate for their new products. Low failure rates are not always complimentary statistics, since they may indicate a lack of innovative ability and risk-taking (Crawford 2006). The second pressing strategy is structuring of supply chain. Successive channel stages attempt to overcome any discrepancy between product assortment and market requirements. Customer requirements of one or two units are at variance with supplier requirements of mass production. "In terms of manufacturing cost, labor and overhead each accounted for roughly 25% of the total, while materials accounted for the remaining 50%." (Bowen et al 2008, p. 9).Channels are thus used to overcome barriers. These barriers include the separations of time and space between producers and markets, the costs of moving goods, the communications barriers between producers and users of products, and the separation of demand. In surmounting such barriers, middlemen serve two groups -- manufacturers and customers. Their economic justification stems from performance of their functions more effectively than others. "New Balance continued to forge closer partnerships with its suppliers" (Bowen et al 2008, p. 9) . In order to improve the situation, New Balance could develop a new line of products targeted at low class consumers. The idea is to develop a product line which meets daily needs of a beverage consumer but its manufacturing process is based on professional sport shows technology and materials. In product development, for example, screening, consumer reaction,