Zappos Essays

Zappos Essays Zappos Paper Zappos Paper Zappos, an online retailer, is proving that an unfamiliar approach to business can also help grow revenue. Zappos revenue grew from $1. 6 million in 2000 to $1. 64 billion in 2010. How can a company focused on happiness be successful? Zappos corporate culture and focus on customer satisfaction has made it both successful and a model for other companies. Zappos focus on stakeholder happiness contributed to its success. Tony Hseih in his book Delivering Happiness says, â€Å"It’s a brand about happiness, whether to customers or employees or even vendors† (Delivering Happiness) In 2000, entrepreneur Tony Hsieh became the company’s CEO. Hsieh was 26 at the time and surprisingly was not sold on the idea of an Internet shoe store. He told Inc. magazine, â€Å"It sounded like the poster child of bad internet ideas†¦ but I got sucked in. † (Delivering Happiness) After becoming CEO, Hsieh made an unconventional decision to keep Zappos going, proving his commitment by selling his own home to pay for a new warehouse. While the company was also struggling at first, his salary was set at $24. After the dot-com crash in 2002, Zappos was able to recover with sales of $32 million, but was still not profitable. In 2003, the company decided that in order to offer the best customer service, it had to control the whole value chain, from order fulfillment to delivery. In 2004 Zappos made the move to Vegas, in an effort to use the larger pool of experienced call center employees to its advantage. In 2007 the company generated its first profit after reaching $840 million in annual sales. Zappos also started to be recognized for its unique work environment and approach to customer service. Today because of social media everyone quickly gets to see the values and drivers behind a company. Marketers, managers, and all people in leadership positions need to change and adapt to this new world. When a company is able to deliver customers a certain â€Å"WOW† factor service, the company has reached an accomplishment and has gone above and beyond a customer’s expectations. As a consumer of many goods, it is more than fair to say that most would return to business when previous business has been fantastic. Zappos is an extremely successful company that has built its business on 10 core values. The â€Å"10 commandments† influence everything from hiring to merit raises and firing. The company hires to these core values and 50% of every employee’s annual review is based on them. These values may come across as simple, such as â€Å"delivering wow service† but when executed in the right way build a strong company with a phenomenal reputation. Zappos does not consider itself to be an average company, and therefore strives to deliver their customers service that is anything but average. In conjunction with these beliefs, Zappo’s first core value is to â€Å"deliver wow through service†. The extraordinary service is not just provided to the customers, but to their co-workers, vendors, and partners. This philosophy is strictly based on service, and does not correspond with anything through monetary value. The goal is to aim directly on the receiver’s emotions and build a strong relationship. Hsieh writes that â€Å" It’s important to act with integrity in your relationships, to be compassionate, friendly, loyal, and to make sure that you do the right thing and treat your relationships well (P. 176). Although Zappos may not offer their customer’s promotional codes, great service is always being promoted with anyone in contact with the company to ensure a positive experience. In this era of business, it is extremely crucial that companies are willing to adapt as the business world continues to change. Zappo’s second core value not only accepts that there is change but is to â€Å"embrace and drive change† but understands that â€Å"part of being in a growing company is that change is constant†. Not only does Zappo welcome the change, it does something more significant; it drives it. The CEO of Zappo has stated that â€Å"If changing our business model is what’s going to save us, then we need to embrace and drive change† (P. 100). As the world and business tends to evolve, now more rapidly then ever, the company is able to stay ahead by driving the change and evolving faster then the competition. Changing and service are not the only keys to success as the third core value is to â€Å"create fun and a little weirdness†. This is another driving force that Zappo possesses that differentiates itself from other companies. The company culture embraces fun and humor. Zappos strives to have a unique and memorable personality. There company culture is what makes it successful, and they believe that embracing their diversity and each person’s individuality will help with creativity. Through this culture a positive result has been the support of people to â€Å"think outside the box†. When you are combining weirdness and having a little fun at work, it is a win- win for everyone. Employees are more engaged in the work that they do, and the company as a whole becomes more innovative. Zappos is a risk taking organization where making mistakes is encouraged. You do not hear that too often, as we discussed in class mistakes are frown upon, at Apple the employees are sometimes beaten! At Zappos, call center workers are prompted to try new things to delight customers. Managers are asked to take their team members out of the office as a way to get them to think about their jobs differently and create stronger bonds. There main goal is to be adventurous, creative and open minded. To encourage learning, the Zappos lobby has several bookshelves fully stocked with top business and management book ranging from â€Å"Peak† to â€Å"Made to Stick† and â€Å"Good to Great†. These are made free to employees, and they are also encouraged to enroll in the classes the company offers to learn new skills. If an employee does not want to follow the 5th value of â€Å"Pursue Growth and Leaning† they will not be at Zappos very long. In order to build strong relationships with their employees the company stresses communication. Zappos is big on transparency and having employees say what they think. If a confidential talk is needed, they supply a full- time life coach who will listen to any complaints, career advice, family advice, or anything else that might be bothering an employee. Employees work together, play together, and have come to think of each other as members of an extended family. Zappos 7th value is to â€Å"build a positive team and family spirit†. Since most of our adult lives are spent working, they want a close group of people who can enjoy each other. After a lay off of 124 workers to cut expenses, Zappos began to look for other ways to watch expenses. It posted a â€Å"do more with less† attitude. After training sessions the company would have a â€Å"happy hour† to help new employees bond with existing employees. This would cost around $3,000. Today, the happy hour has become a $110 in house ice cream social, and has actually gotten more positive reviews from employees than the open bar. Zappos’ 9th value is to be passionate and determined, but not only about your job. Employees are encouraged to bring all outside passions into the workplace. For example, if someone was running a charity event and wanted to get the company involved, the company stresses to bring the idea forward. In order for a company to stay on top, they have to realize there is always room for improvement. The 10th value â€Å"be humble† is key to what keeps Zappos at the top of the game. â€Å"Even though a ton of companies come to us to learn about how we do things, we always say, these are some things that we’re doing that are working, but what you guys doing? We always recognize there’s more to do† (Zappos Website) The key to having a positive work environment depends on hiring the right people. Zappos is looking for people with a sense of humor who can work hard and play hard. They take a different approach to interviewing, asking cartoon questions and other different questions to find out a persons true personality. Potential employees also go through both cultural and technical interviews to make sure they will fit with the company. When hired, they attend a five week training program. After the training program, all employees are offered $2,000 to $3,000 payment to leave the company and quit! Paying new hires to leave may seem like a waste of money, but to Zappos it makes simple sense. This is a way to them to weed out the people who are only there for a paycheck. For them, building culture is more about the money. Without question, Hsieh’s number one message in his book is that top notch customer service is a core competency and a big part of Zappos business model and success. Many companies still believe that customer service is more of a cost than a gain. The cost of acquiring a new customer is often so high that concentrating on your current customer is far more rewarding. Zappos does not outsource its call center operations, and they employee representatives with a high Emotional Intelligence. Employees have free reign in their decision making and are expected to spend as much time as they need on any customers. They help customers shop, (even on competitor’s websites) and will do anything it takes to make the shopping experience memorable. Zappos believes that great customer experiences encourage customers to use the online store again. Word of mouth marketing is the best way to reach new customers. The company has over 75 percent of purchases made by repeat customers. This shows that the mission to â€Å"provide the best customer service possible† is working well for the company. Each year a culture book is published. Inside the pages of this book, all stakeholders within the Zappos circle of influence are invited to give candid feedback on their experience. Hsieh insists that associates contribute honestly to this new process. In his email to stakeholders to write in this book, he requests their responses in this way: â€Å"Remember there are no wrong answers. We want to know what the Zappos culture means to you specifically at this point in time, and we expect different responses from different people. † The responses from every genre of stakeholder are a verification of the core values alive and well in the foundation of this company. Whether it’s selling shoes online or managing the next mission to Mars, having a clear understanding of your stakeholders is probably the biggest differentiator project leaders can bring to the table. Zappos is an excellent example that demonstrates that providing superior value to stakeholders above and beyond what is expected can make the difference between a great and a mediocre outcome. The strength of Zappos beliefs were put test on May 21, 2010. A computer glitch caused a flaw in the website, putting the price of every product on the site to be reset to $49. 50. Within six hours of discovering the error, Zappos employees had fixed the glitch. When the glitch was fixed, Zappos surprisingly announced that they would honor every transaction. This decision cost Zappos over $1. 6 million. To me, this served as another example of how Zappos stayed true to its culture and core values and deliver a â€Å"WOW through customer service. Delivering Happiness is further proof that the workplace doesn’t have to be hostile and ruthless in order for companies to succeed. Zappos has been able to build a successful brand because it created and developed a culture that was focused on treating customers and coworkers well. Tony Hsieh realized early on that in the competitive market of shoe retailing, he must make his employees happy in order to thrive. A happy employee is better equipped to provide great service to customers.

How to Get an Internship in College When You Don’t Know Anybody

How to Get an Internship in College When You Don’t Know Anybody You know the drill. Good things happen to people who know people. That’s how internships and jobs are landed- personal connections. But what if you don’t know anyone? How are you supposed to get that internship, let alone a job? Here are four proactive and creative things that you can do to beat the odds.Brand YourselfIt’s never too early to craft a unique personal brand. That’s the kind of thing that really sings to recruiters, plus it shows a fluency with valuable social media platforms. Use your favorite apps to create a platform and an atmosphere around yourself and your particular skills and interests. And use web software and blog sites to showcase your best accomplishments online. Think of it as an online portfolio, no matter what your field.And keep it professional. Double-check your e-presence with the help of a site like Reppler.com. Then get involved in any important discussions in your chosen field.Be SpecificWhen you’re working on your resume and cover letter, do yourself a favor and make them as targeted specifically to the job or internship you want as possible. Try printing out both the job description and your resume and then go through both with a highlighter. You want as many keywords to overlap as possible. If you don’t have many, go back through and retool your resume. Then draft a customized cover letter for that particular position. It shows your thoroughness and also your level of investment- before you even get an interview.Go to the OfficeYour college or university has a career office for a reason. Use it. Career advisors are trained to help with general job search strategies, and can be an invaluable resource, but there are also career advisors there who have specific knowledge of the field you’re trying to break into. Go and pick their brains. Have them run a fine-toothed comb over your materials. Ask them for strategic advice. You never know what they could turn up, including companie s searching for candidates just like you!Go Above and BeyondThe rest is up to your professionalism and charm. Read up on the company before the interview. Practice your answers to typical sample questions. Get a good night’s sleep, dress appropriately, always be 10Â  minutes early. Shake hands with everyone. Make eye contact. Stay on your toes. Be personable and warm while making them see how qualified you are. Then write a thoughtful follow-up thank you email and address it to your interviewers by name.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Case Study - Essay Example 3. Testing for carrier or affected individuals with Tay-Sachs disease; blood screening for hexosaminidase-A (Hex-A) mutation in suspected individual that either have family history or are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent is used to identify carriers. Blood test is performed antenatal using chronic villus sampling and amniocentesis or after birth. 5. Function of lysosomes; they produce enzyme Hexosaminidase-A (Hex-A) that prevents buildup of fatty materials called GM2 ganglioside in the cells brain and nerves. This further averts malfunctioning of nerves and brain cells (Americo, Filho, & Shapiro, 2010). 6. Role of Hexosaminidase-A enzyme; this enzyme is responsible for abasement of GM2 ganglioside and many other biological molecules that have terminal N-acetyl hexosamins in both the brain cells and nervous cells. Deficiency of enzyme hexosaminidase A causes Tay-Sachs disease due to increased buildup of toxic GM2 ganglioside a fatty substance that destroys brain cells and nerves. This results in motor difficulties and other signs and symptoms. 7. Diagnosis of Tay-Sachs disease; blood test is analyzed for enzyme assay or biochemical examination that reveals the levels of hexosaminidase- A in an individual. Affected individuals have less -hexosaminidase A blood and other cells than non-carriers. 8. Management; Tay-Sachs disease has no cure; only management is to relieve symptoms. Prevent airway and lung problems; relieve dysphagia and medication for fits, muscle stiffness and eye problems (Chamoles, Blanco, Gaggioli, & Casentini, 2002). Chamoles, N. A., Blanco, M., Gaggioli, D., & Casentini, C. (2002). Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases: Enzymatic diagnosis in dried blood spots on filter paper: Retrospective diagnoses in newborn-screening cards. Clinica Chimica Acta, 318(1-2), 133–137. doi:10.1016/S0009-8981(02)00002-5 Ohno, K., Saito, S., Sugawara, K., & Sakuraba, H. (2008). Structural

Testing anti-bacterial agents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Testing anti-bacterial agents - Essay Example Firstly, the infected cell may be exposed to different types of quinolone antibacterial. Secondly, McCoy cell monolayers should inoculate with 103 (IFU) OF C. trachomatis then incubated with or without ofloxacin. Result: The main results of testing anti-bacterial agents will show in this paragraph. The effects of four types of antibacterial (Ofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Enoxacin, and Norfloxacin) in McCoy cell are different. The results may refer to the different abilities for each antibacterial to penetrate the eukaryotic cell. Moreover, the infected cell may not increase the time of incubation after the removal of anti-bacterial agents creating a little different between MIC and MLC for each antibacterial agent. On the other hand, Ofloxacin antibacterial agent may act contrary to some enzymes that are important for the survival of non-replicating intracellular chlamydia. As such, Ofloxacin has a responsibility of treating the determined and calm infection. Conclusion: This study deriv es and presents four important points. Firstly, quinolone antibacterial agent acts quickly against chlamydia. Secondly, Ofloxacin considers suitable antimicrobial agent against chlamydia infection. Thirdly, humans can achieve and maintain 1mg/l of Ofloxacin in serum. Therefore, the clinical experiment against chlamydia infection will be of interest. Finally, Ofloxacin may give us a tool to show the importance of DNA metabolism in non-replicating intracellular chlamydia organized by topoisomerases.

Unanimous Versus Non Unanimous Jury Verdicts Law Essay

Unanimous Versus Non Unanimous Jury Verdicts Law Essay In the United States, 48 states require unanimous criminal jury verdicts. A unanimous jury verdict indicates that all jurors came to a common decision in the criminal proceedings. Louisiana and Oregon are the only two states that allow non-unanimity jury verdicts. Louisiana statue allows juries to convict felony suspects by votes of 10 to 2 and allows such non-unanimous verdicts in felony cases where the punishment is imprisonment with hard labor. The only punishment that requires a unanimous 12 juror vote verdict is the death penalty. The Oregon State Constitution allows for non-unanimous guilty verdicts to be returned when 10 of 12 jurors agree on guilt, except in cases of first degree murder, where unanimity is required. Within the last year, two major cases; Miller v. Louisiana (2005) and Bowen v. Oregon (2007) have been decided in controversy. This has re-established the question of Louisiana and Oregons constitutionality and fairness in respect to the defendants Sixth Amendment rights. In May 2009 Corey C-Murder Miller was convicted of 2nd degree murder by a 10 to 2 jury decision and in August sentenced to a mandatory life imprisonment with no possibility of parole in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In Millers case, initially three jurors believed he was not guilty but one changed her vote (C.J. Lin, 2009). Ms. Jacob was the deciding vote and stated in a newspaper interview that, she does not feel that the prosecutors proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt. But she said she voted once to convict Miller just to end deliberations because of the brutal pressure applied by some jurors on another juror who thought the rapper was innocent (C.J. Lin, 2009). Louisiana declined to rehear the case on the groun ds brought by the NAACP President. In October 2009, the United State Supreme Court announced they would not hear the case of an Oregon man Scott Davis Bowen sentenced to 17 years, who was convicted of sexual abuse, sodomy and rape of his 15-year old stepdaughter by a split jury, which put an end to the issue of non-unanimity to the higher state court until another case is brought forward (Green, 2009). History of Jury Trials The Supreme Court originally held that the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial indicated a right to trial that was based on Englands common law when the Constitution was adopted in 1787. Therefore, juries had to be composed of twelve persons and that the verdict had to be unanimous. When the Fourteenth Amendment was established the Supreme Court extended the right to trial by jury to defendants in state courts. The number of jurors was re-examined and it was held that twelve came to be the number of jurors by historical accident, and that six jurors would be sufficient but anything less than six would deprive the defendant the right of a fair and impartial jury. On the basis of history and precedent the Sixth Amendment mandates unanimity in federal jury trials, however, but the Supreme Court has ruled that the Fourteenth Amendments Due Process Clause requires states to provide jury trials for serious crimes but the Fourteenth Amendment does not incorporate all the elements of a jur y trial within the meaning of the Sixth Amendment in which jury unanimity is not required. Statement of Problem This research paper will examine the constitutionality and impartiality of Oregon and Louisianas statues on Non-Unanimous Jury Verdicts. Criminal convictions based on non-unanimous verdicts are at risk of increasing and providing harsher punishment that is given without reconsideration. The thoroughness of jury deliberation is questionable because of the lack of interest in being a juror to a time consuming case, as well as the decrease in hung juries in the states court system which eliminates the chances of retrials to introduce newly found evidence or to re-examine original evidence. Unanimity ensures the value of each individual juror and preserves the jurys independence from the courts influences as well as affirms the reasonable doubt standard. Research Questions Are unanimous jury verdicts a violation of criminal defendants Sixth Amendment rights? What are the effects of Louisiana and Oregons statues on the conviction rate of violent crimes (Murder, Forcible Rape and Armed Robbery)? What impact do Louisiana and Oregon statues have on clearance rate compared to the surrounding states? For the purpose of this research, the following terms have been defined for a clearer understanding of the authors points and suggestions. Key Terms Sixth Amendment: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense (Constitution, 1791). Fourteenth Amendment: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protections of laws (Constitution, 1868). Unanimous: of one mind; in complete agreement; agreed (Unanimous, 2010). Non-Unanimous: unable to reach an agreement with majority and minority groups. Murder: the unlawful killing and intentional killing of a human being; in some instances the killing of another while in the commission or attempted commission of another crime (Falcone, 2005). Forcible Rape: The aggravated form of rape, where sexual intercourse with a female is gained by the use of force or threatened use of force, generally with a weapon of some sort (Falcone, 2005). Armed Robbery: the direct taking of property (including money) from a person (victim) through force, threat or intimidation, Armed robbery involves the use of a gun or other weapon which can do bodily harm (Falcone, 2005). Clearance: Any instance where a known Uniform Crime Report violation is cleared to the satisfaction of the police or other law enforcement agency (Falcone, 2005). Literature Review Supreme Court Decisions Williams v. Florida 1970 Question: Did a trial by jury of less than 12 persons violate the Sixth Amendment? The Court held that the 12-man jury requirement cannot be regarded as an indispensable component of the Sixth Amendment (Williams v. Florida, 1970). The Court found that the purpose of the jury trial was to prevent oppression by the Government (Williams v. Florida, 1970), and that the performance of this role was not dependent on the particular number of people on the jury. The Court concluded that the fact that the jury at common law was composed of precisely 12 is a historical accident, unnecessary to affect the purposes of the jury system and wholly without significance except to mystics (Williams v. Florida, 1970). Decision: 6 votes for Florida, 2 votes against Apodaca v. Oregon 1972 Question: Is a defendants right to trial by jury in a criminal case in a state court (as protected by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments) violated if the accused is convicted by a less-than-unanimous jury? The Court held that the most important function of the jury is to provide commonsense judgment (Apodaca v. Oregon, 1972) in evaluating the respective arguments of accused and accuser. Requiring unanimity would not necessarily contribute to this function (Apodaca v. Oregon, 1972). Decision: 5 votes for Oregon, 4 votes against Johnson v. Louisiana 1972 Question: Do less-than-unanimous jury verdicts in certain cases violate the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment? The Court held that less-than-unanimous convictions did not violate the reasonable doubt standard embodied in the Fourteenth Amendments Due Process Clause. Justice White argued, that a minority opposing conviction does not prevent the other jurors from reaching their decisions beyond a reasonable doubt (Johnson v. Louisiana, 1972). Furthermore, the presence of dissenting jurors does not indicate that the state failed to uphold this standard. Finally, allowing less-than-unanimous decisions in certain cases serves a rational state purpose, not offensive to the Constitution (Johnson v. Louisiana, 1972). Decision: 5 votes for Louisiana, 4 votes against In Favor of Unanimity Oregons Measure 72 to Bring Balance to the Jury Process in Murder Cases Measure 72 does not give new right to victims rather it allows Oregonians to give up their right to be convicted by unanimous juries. Measure 72 is dangerous to the minority communities in Oregon, where innocent defendants would otherwise be saved from conviction by a twelfth juror. This measure is expensive to the state of Oregon and may lead to the early release of criminals. The overcrowded jails will continue to increase with criminals because of the elimination of bail and restricting options like work release and home detention (Oregon, 1999). Bowen v. Oregon Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Oregon Court of Appeals In the case of Scott David Bowen v. State of Oregon (2007), those in favor of the Petitioner Bowen, believes unanimity promotes robust jury deliberations. When unanimity is required, juries are opted to utilize their time more efficiently before coming to a verdict. When unanimity is not required jurors tend to end their deliberations soon after the required majority was reached. Robust deliberations provide an opportunity for those in the minority to persuade their fellow jurors to change their opinions. It allows nonconformist to point out the fine distinction that leads to a consensus that the defendant is not guilty, or that a lesser included charge is more appropriate, after a thorough consideration of the evidence (Scott David Bowen v. State of Oregon: On Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Oregon Court of Appeals, 2009). The National State Courts provided questionnaires from approximately 3,500 jurors of information on the jurys first ballots and final verdicts. Over 10 percent of the cases, jurors who favored a minority position at the same time of the first ballot were able to convince the majority jurors to adopt the minoritys favored verdict. The felony juries in those cases in which only one or two jurors were the minority on the first ballot, only 2.9% ended with a hung jury. In the 83%, if the cases in which hung juries did occur, the minority position was initially supported by at least three jurors (Scott David Bowen v. State of Oregon: On Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Oregon Court of Appeals, 2009). Preserving the Value of Unanimous Criminal Jury Verdicts in Anti-Deadlock Instructions Hung juries are a very important element to the jury system especially in states such as Louisiana and Oregon who do not require an unanimous verdict. A hung jury is a social and monetary cost to the court system, to the affected parties and, on a larger scale, to the community. The partiality for unanimous jury exists in need of avoiding coercing jurors to comply with a verdict with which they do not agree. If there is no unity the trial will end without a verdict. If the judge pushes the jurors too hard to come to an agreement, any resulting verdict must be reversed. The unanimity requirement is an important part of the jury process: 1. It empowers each jurors vote with individual meaning. Each juror has a voice, the discussions are often more vigorous and in-depth, and the results usually represents the voice of each person in the room (BoveIII, 2008). 2. Requiring unanimity reinforces the symbolic legitimacy that attaches to a jury of the defendants peers (BoveIII, 2008). Justice, Democracy and the Jury The trial process is perceived as being consistent with democratic ideals and expressions of the communitys voice. These general perceptions of the process are improved by the unanimity requirements impact on deliberations. Beyond the pursuit of justice, juries provide individuals with an opportunity to engage in participatory democracy to a greater extent than in other areas of civic life (Gobert, 1998). When Democracy is Not Self-Government: Toward a Defense of the Unanimity Rule for Criminal Juries Jury service requires people from all walks of life to gather together and decide the fate of another member of their own community. Unlike the decentralized legislative process or national electoral campaigns, jurors sit on the front line of their decision and debate with each other directly (Primus, 1997). Jury in Spector Murder case tells Judge it is Deadlocked Phil Spector was accused of killing actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. After deliberating for seven days, the jury indicated that it was deadlocked; noting that the split was 7 votes to 5 without revealing which side had the majority. The jury indicated the disagreement was on the meaning of reasonable doubt and confusion on how to weigh evidence and interpret the instructions for second-degree murder. In the end, the judge simply re-read most of the instructions, and removed the language he said misstated the law, and added additional instructions on what constitute reasonable doubt. After another week of deliberation, the judge declared a mistrial due to the deadlock. Jury indicated two holdouts prevented the convictions. The major problems with how the decision came about were: The jury is likely to put great emphasis on everything that the judge says or asks (Archibold, 2007). Altering the jury instructions which suggested to the jury that the court preferred some type of conviction in the case even if its on a different charge rather than a mistrial (Archibold, 2007). Not in Favor of Unanimity Oregons Measure 72 to Bring Balance to the Jury Process in Murder Cases The Oregonians concurred that the ability of the jury to acquit or convict a person for any crime except Murder or Aggravated Murder by a vote of 10 to 2 has worked well with their court system. Since the 1930s Oregonians have understood that one juror, who has discriminatory or pre-determined ideas, would never convict or acquit anyone regardless of the statue or evidence provided should not be allowed to determine justice. In relevance to this measure is the case of Andrew Whitaker, a 16 year old boy who admitted purposely murdering a 12 year old girl was luckily given the sentence of Second-Degree Manslaughter in order to avoid the case resulting in a hung jury. Whitaker served a 28 month sentence because one of the jurors refused to vote for murder because her son had been involved in a traffic accident involving a child (Oregon, 1999). Letting the Supermajority Rule: Non- unanimous jury verdicts in criminal trials The jury represents the people standing between a possibly oppressive government and the lonely, accused individual (Glasser, 1997). Statistics show that hung juries can lead to a mistrial in 5 to 12 percent of the more than 200,000 felony criminal jury trials that occur in the United States each year (Glasser, 1997). Reducing the frequency of hung juries without sacrificing justice should be a priority to increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system. Majority-rule juries render a verdict more quickly and tend to adopt a verdict-driven deliberation style, which jurors vote early and conduct discussion in an adversarial manner, rather evidence-driven style, in which jurors first discuss the evidence as one group and vote later. The majority-rule juries generally vote sooner than unanimity rules juries (Glasser, 1997). Why non-unanimous jury verdicts are Constitutional in criminal cases Schwartz state that unanimity in criminal jury verdicts are not worth preserving and would rather have majority verdicts given by jurors who are strongly encouraged to stick to their principles. The elimination of the unanimity rule would also eliminate the use of peremptory challenges. Both eliminations would create more fully deliberative juries because the jury would better represent a fair cross section of the community and more voices will be heard (Schwartz, 2009). Case Study Are Hung Juries a Problem Hannaford-Agor, Hans, Mott and Munsterman (2002) did a four year study under a grant from the National Institute of Justice, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) on juror deadlock. Methodology Broad-based survey of federal and state courts to document hung jury rates The project team selected four courts for an in-depth jurisdictional study on nearly 400 felony trials. Using surveys of judges, attorneys, and jurors, the NCSC examined case characteristics, interpersonal dynamics during jury deliberations, and juror demographics and attitudes and compared these traits in cases in which the jury reached a verdict to cases in which the jury deadlocked on one or more charges. A case study of 46 deadlocked cases from the in-depth jurisdictional study to develop classification of reasons for jury deadlock Data Collection Surveyors Responses Judges 90% Lawyers 88% Jurors 80% From approximately 100 non-capital felony jury trials in each of the sites between June 2000 and August 2001. The final dataset consisted of a total 382 cases, with which 13 percent of the cases hung on one or more charges. Findings The average hung jury rate was 6.2% only slightly higher than the 5.5% reported by Kalven and Zeisel in 1966, but with a great deal of variation ranging from 0.1% in Pierce County, Washington to 14.8% in Los Angeles County, California in which both states are immediately surrounding Oregon: a non-unanimous state. The proposal was to eliminate the requirement of all jurors to decide unanimously on a verdict reduces hung jury rates, but the limitation was the author ignored addressing why one or two individuals refused to comply with the majority. Twenty percent of jurors admitted that they did not begin to form an opinion about the evidence until they collaborated with the other jurors and one-quarter changed their minds about their first decision preferences because of deliberation. Conclusion The findings was juries that hung reported more trouble remembering the evidence and law, less thorough discussions of the evidence during deliberations, more conflict among the jurors and more domination by one or two jurors and a larger presence of unreasonable people on the jury. Hung jurors were also considerably less satisfied with the deliberation process than verdict jurors (Hannaford-Agor, Hans, Mott, Munsterman, 2002). Case Study- On the Frequency of Non-Unanimous Felony Verdicts in Oregon The Oregon Public Defense Services (OPDS) embark on the task to collect and analyze quantifiable data relating to the regularity of non-unanimous verdicts. Methodology Data was collected from the Oregon Judicial Information Network (OJIN) Calendar Year Felony jury trials that reached the verdict stage 2007 833 2008 588 Total 1421 Calendar Year Indigent Appeal Request 2007 320 2008 342 Total 662 (out of 1421) The 662 appeals represented 46.5% of all felony jury trials, which was divided into three groups and was classified by jury verdict form, the judgment and transcript recordation of the polling of the jury. Unanimous jury verdict Non-Unanimous jury verdict Unclear from records Findings 65.5% of all cases included a non-unanimous verdict on at least one count. 27 out of 833 felony jury trials in Oregon for 2007 resulted in a hung jury, yielding a hung jury rate of 3.2%. 15 out of the 588 felony jury trials Oregon for 2008 resulted in a hung jury, yielding a hung jury rate of 2.5%. Conclusion The data indicated that non-unanimous juries occur with great frequency in felony trials throughout the state. If we were to assume that all in the unknown cases, where polling was not conducted, and unanimity was the result, non-unanimity would still be present in over 40% of all felony jury verdicts. Oregon juries are frequently utilizing the non-unanimous option (Office of Public Defense Services, Apellate Divison, 2009). Too frequently, however, juries acquit deliberately guilty defendants, convict obviously guilty defendants of much lesser offenses, fail to deliberate sufficiently, or fail to reach a verdict in cases with overwhelming evidence. Methodology The data for this research were obtained through policy analysis such as precedent cases and constitutional laws from legal briefs. Quantitative data was constructed into charts to show arrest rates for murder, forcible rape and armed robbery in the year of 2007 and 2008. The charts also represent the clearance rate of those particular offenses and the percent change from 2007 to 2008. Additional states were included into the charts with Louisiana and Oregon to see if there is a difference in arrest rates and clearance rate in the immediately surrounding states. All quantitative data was collected from the Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report. Various case studies and professional opinions were collected through scholarly Criminal Justice and Law journal articles. The data begins from 1997 to 2009 because election time was approaching and this issue has been repeatedly trying to be amended to reverse the non-unanimity rule in Louisiana and Oregon. Data The following charts represent the arrest rates for violent crimes (Murder, Forcible Rape and Armed Robbery) in Louisiana and Oregon; non-unanimous states and the immediate four surrounding state that require unanimity. Each given number was computed to show the percentages. Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report Arrest Rates 2007 MURDER FORCIBLE RAPE ARMED ROBBERY TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Louisiana Non-Unanimous 242 (3.0%) 324 (4.0%) 1,119 (14.0%) 8,014 Mississippi Unanimous 83 (4.6%) 135 (7.5%) 545 (30.5%) 1,789 Arkansas Unanimous 60 (2.0%) 143 (4.9%) 416 (14.2%) 2,937 Texas Unanimous 759 (2.3%) 1,947 (5.8%) 7,593 (23.0%) 33,309 Oklahoma Unanimous 183 (3.2%) 319 (5.6%) 793 (14.0%) 5,665 Oregon Non-Unanimous 82 (1.67%) 294 (6.0%) 1,173 (23.8%) 4,938 Washington Unanimous 115 (1.5%) 770 (10.1%) 1,915 (25.1%) 7,616 Nevada Unanimous 151 (2.7%) 186 (3.3%) 1,739 (31.1%) 5,595 Idaho Unanimous 33 (2.3%) 114 (7.8%) 74 (5.1%) 1,457 California Unanimous 2,022 (1.6%) 2,141 (1.7%) 21,064 (17.0%) 124,293 *Includes arrest rates for all ages (18 and younger and 19 and older) *Percentages are rounded up to the next factor *Violent crimes are offenses of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Source: Adapted by United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigations, September 2009. Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report Arrest Rates 2008 MURDER FORCIBLE RAPE ARMED ROBBERY TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Louisiana Non-Unanimous 183 (2.0%) 238 (2.6%) 1,035 (11.2%) 9,236 Mississippi Unanimous 135 (6.9%) 165 (8.5%) 572 (29.4%) 1,946 Arkansas Unanimous 118 (2.5%) 194 (4.1%) 623 (13.1%) 4,749 Texas Unanimous 863 (2.5%) 2,034 (5.9%) 8,199 (23.9%) 34,235 Oklahoma Unanimous 160 (2.7%) 316 (5.3%) 831 (14.0%) 5,956 Oregon Non-Unanimous 95 (2.0%) 276 (5.7%) 1,187 (24.5%) 4,844 Washington Unanimous 104 (1.5%) 675 (9.7%) 1,637 (23.6%) 6,943 Nevada Unanimous 11 (.17%) 31 (.48%) 369 (56.2%) 6,516 Idaho Unanimous 14 (.98%) 102 (7.2%) 97 (6.8%) 1,425 California Unanimous 1,850(1.48%) 2,088 (1.67%) 22,391(17.9%) 125,235 *Includes arrest rates for all ages (18 and younger and 19 and older) *Percentages are rounded up to the next factor *Violent crimes are offenses of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Source: Adapted by United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigations, September 2009. The following charts represent the clearance rates for violent crimes (Murder, Forcible Rape and Armed Robbery) in Louisiana and Oregon; non-unanimous states and the immediate four surrounding state that require unanimity. Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report Clearance Rate 2007 MURDER FORCIBLE RAPE ARMED ROBBERY Louisiana Non-Unanimous 14.2 32.4 141.7 Mississippi Unanimous 7.1 35.6 98.2 Arkansas Unanimous 6.7 44.7 106.7 Texas Unanimous 5.9 35.3 162.2 Oklahoma Unanimous 6.1 43.1 93.2 Oregon Non-Unanimous 1.9 33.5 76.4 Washington Unanimous 2.7 40.6 93.6 Nevada Unanimous 7.5 42.7 270.2 Idaho Unanimous 3.3 38.5 15.5 California Unanimous 5.8 24.2 188.8 *Per 100,000 persons *Populations are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2007 Source: Adapted by United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigations, September 2009. Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report Clearance Rate 2008 MURDER FORCIBLE RAPE ARMED ROBBERY Oregon Non-Unanimous 2.2 30.5 69.7 Washington Unanimous 2.9 40.1 96.9 Nevada Unanimous 6.3 42.4 248.9 Idaho Unanimous 1.5 36.2 15.8 California Unanimous 5.8 24.2 188.8 Louisiana Non-Unanimous 11.9 27.9 135.9 Mississippi Unanimous 8.1 30.3 102.6 Arkansas Unanimous 5.7 44.8 95.8 Texas Unanimous 5.6 32.9 155.2 Oklahoma Unanimous 5.8 40.2 101.1 *Per 100,000 persons *Populations are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2007 Source: Adapted by United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigations, September 2009. Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report Percent Change from 2007 to 2008 Clearance Rate MURDER FORCIBLE RAPE ARMED ROBBERY Louisiana Non-Unanimous -15.6 -13.9 -4.1 Mississippi Unanimous +13.2 -15.0 +4.5 Arkansas Unanimous -15.8 +9.2 -10.2 Texas Unanimous -4.9 -6.7 -4.3 Oklahoma Unanimous -5.2 -6.6 +8.4 Oregon Non-Unanimous +11.1 -8.9 -8.8 Washington Unanimous +9.6 -1.3 +3.6 Nevada Unanimous -16.2 -.08 -7.9 Idaho Unanimous -53.8 -6.2 +1.8 California Unanimous -5.7 -1.8 -2.2 *Per 100,000 persons *Populations are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2007 Source: Adapted by United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigations, September 2009. Findings The following charts represent the averages of the data collected in percentages. Comparison of 2007 and 2008 Arrest and Clearance Rates **All averages were rounded to the nearest tenths. Arrest and Clearance in 2007 and 2008 were fairly even within each state with the exception of Idaho. Idaho is the only state that shows a true decrease in arrest from 2007 to 2008 with a trending increase in clearance. The Percent Change in Clearance Rate between 2007 and 2008 Idaho had a major decrease in clearance rate which is a unanimous state and Oregon a non-unanimous state had the least decrease in clearance rate Comparison of 2007 and 2008 Arrest and Clearance Rates **All averages were rounded to the nearest tenths. Louisiana and Arkansas has a small decrease in arrest rates from 2007 and 2008 but also has a decrease in clearance rate from 2007 to 2008. Overall there are no major differences from 2007 to 2008 in Arrest and Clearance. The Percent Change in Clearance Rate between 2007 and 2008 Majority of the states had a decrease in clearance from the year of 2007 to 2008 meaning more defendants were being convicted of criminal charges. Mississippi had a minor increase in defendants not being convicted from 2007 to 2008. Overall, Louisiana had the highest decrease, which shows approximately 20% difference versus the non-unanimity states. Conclusion In conclusion, the relationship between the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendme

Liberalism in Zambian Governance

Every country worldwide is ruled with certain rules and regulations which whether accepted or not by the preponderance, are still accepted as right. Thus, the aim of this essay is to elaborate on the various forms of liberalism, discuss on each of them, and explain while giving clear examples which one of them has been prominent in Zambia from 1991 to present day. It will begin by defining the main concepts; then the forms of liberalism shall be presented and discussed. Thereafter an analysis of which form of liberalism has been pursued by the Movement for Multiparty democracy and the Patriotic Front in the ruling of the country of Zambia shall follow. A conclusion will then be drawn from the main body. Liberalism has been explained or defined in many ways. It comes from the word liberal, which implies freedom. Therefore if incorporated in the aspect of human life, liberalism means an ideology that advocates for gradual reform in the different aspects of a human life, for instance, social, political and economic aspects. According to Doyle (1986:2), â€Å"liberal resembles a family portrait of principles and institutions, recognizable by certain characteristics, for example, individual freedom, political participation, private property, and equality of opportunity. † From generation to generation, different forms of liberalism have emerged due to various reasons. Classical liberalism is said to be perhaps the oldest form of liberalism, which according to historians, emerged in the 16th, and 17th century though became prominent in the late 19th century. Some of the major pioneers of this type of liberalism were John Locke, David Ricardo and Adam Smith. Classical liberalism hence is said to uphold a French ideology laissez-faire which literally means â€Å"to allow. † When applied to classical liberalism it advocates for non-state participation in the affairs of its citizens, (www. cambridge. org). To sum it up, classical liberalism advocates for â€Å"limited government, protection of personal freedoms, and free markets, they rely on rules of thumb derived from experience,† the Policy (2009:15). Classical liberalism has been criticized heavily that it only benefits the few elite. This led to the emergence of Social liberalism in the mid 19th century. The word in the center of social liberalism is â€Å"equity†. This is where each individual has equal opportunities in society and benefits equally from the economic activities of the state. There is common ownership of means of production and goods are produced not for private profit making but for the benefit of society. Thus, in summary, Social liberalism advocates for equal opportunity, for self realization by the citizens and improvement in social status of everyone with the state as the major player. It is said to be â€Å"committed to individualism but includes protecting individuals from acts of omission as well as commission,† the Policy (2009:16). Another type of liberalism is Political liberalism which focuses on the freedom of citizens in the participation of political activities without interference or hindrance by the state. This type of liberalism was mainly pioneered by John Harsanyi and John Rawls, (Policy, 2009). According to the Policy (2009:4), political liberalism emphasizes that â€Å"everyone has an equal opportunity to hold political office and to influence the decisions made in the political sphere. Green liberalism is liberalism with a notion of sustainable growth. It focuses on preserving the environment even in the midst of growth. Steinberg (2012:1) emphasizes that â€Å"green liberalism is the idea that market forces combined with individuals all doing their part can save the planet. † Though supported by many, this type of liberalism has be en criticized that it is not logical in that for development through liberalism to occur, nature or primary goods are involved hence their exhaustion is inevitable. Neo-liberalism, another form of liberalism, is regarded as a re-introduction of liberalism. Various proponents and scholars have alluded that Neo-liberalism was first coined by the German economists who were trying to compare it with classical liberalism. Boas and Gans-Morse (2009), clearly state that neo-liberalism is both in rejection of laissez-faire policies and emphasizes on humanistic values. Neo-liberalism supports free market trade, private capitalism and private property while it reproves government intervention or interference. This type of liberalism is likened to classical liberalism though it â€Å" goes even further than classical liberalism in that its ultimate goal is to create a world where political action is governed entirely by the free market, so that all decisions are unbiased and fair,† (www. ehow. com). The Neo-liberal policies were and still are widely advocated by International Monetary Fund and World Bank, (struggle. ws). The policies advocated by Neo-liberalism have been criticized in that there is usually unequal distribution of development within a country. Privatization measures are said to benefit the foreigners more than the local people. Even though the IMF and World Bank emphasize that these measures would help improve the welfare of the vast majority, it has been argued that privatisation is characterised with corruption, trade is controlled by the super powers which has seen to the market being populated with cheap imported goods and hence discouraging local producers. These policies are said to only benefit the few elite, (Simutanyi, 2009). Zambia is a landlocked country in the southern part of Africa which after being colonized by the British, gained its independence in 1964. After independence the country had its first president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, leader of the United National Independence Party who according to scholars saw to the rise of autocracy in the country. Thus the country was turned into a one-party state where the state controlled a major part of the economy. Some of the characteristics of Kaunda’s rule include â€Å"a system of terroristic police control; control of all means of effective mass communication, control of all means of effective armed combat,† (Phiri: 2001,2). Since the main aim of the government was to ensure equity, therefore it can be right to say that during that time, Zambia was under Social liberalism, (Simutanyi, 2006). Due to the many shortcomings of the UNIP government for instance the food riots, foreign debt, economic decline and social disintegration, the Multi-Party Movement for Democracy which was headed by Fredrick Chiluba took over leadership and adopted the Neo-liberal policies. There was â€Å"independent rational attitude, free expression and the promotion of private self-interest over general system,† (www. ambiastruggle. com). Sorabjee and Bourne (1996:27), stated that when MMD was elected, there were major changes in the country such as â€Å"privatisation or liquidation of state enterprises, the relaxing of import controls and of investment regulations and barriers, removal of subsidies and other protections, and freer regime in agriculture and manufacturing. † These policies were â€Å"implemented lar gely at the insistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank,† House (1991:2). Since the economy was and still is mainly dependant on the mining sector, many mines were privatized so as they can be more productive and efficient. According to Simpere (2010:7) â€Å"under the influence of its lenders especially the World Bank and following the election of a new government in 1991, Zambia decided to dismantle and privatize its mines. † The mines were not the only state-owned enterprises privatized but many other companies, approximately two-hundred and sixty three (263) companies were taken over by foreigners. This happened between 1994 and 2004, which was predominantly during the reign of the MMD precisely Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa, (Simutanyi,2006). There was also the liberalization of foreign exchange and import. â€Å"Since late 1991, Zambia has fundamentally changed its trade and economic policy. The trade regime has been considerably liberalized and there has been substantial decentralization and deregulation in other spheres of economic activity,† (www. wto. com). The dominance of neo-liberal economic programs in Zambia promised fast and sustainable economic growth, where Adam Smith’s invisible hand comes in play that the majority of the poor would benefit, (Zambian Economist, 2007). Thus the MMD fully adopted the Neo-liberal policies and the government enacted economic and political liberalism in the country. The Patriotic Front led by President Michael Sata is the current party in government in Zambia. It was elected into power in 2011 during the tripartite elections held in Zambia. It is not clear whether the state under the current government is undertaking a neo-liberal type of governance or a socialist. Some spectators have argued that due to the move of the Patriotic Front to join the Socialist International, the country seems to be heading into the direction of a socialist state, (www. zambia. com). Even though this is so, the Patriotic Front government has corrected the misunderstanding that they shall continue to advocate for socio-economic liberalism spearheaded by neo-liberal policies as was stated in their manifesto, (m. lusakatimes. om). Nothing much has, in reality changed during the past twelve months of the Patriotic Front’s rule as compared to the twenty year rule of the MMD. Companies are still privatized, trade liberalism still exists, democracy still prevails and the existence of property rights exists as well. The country of Zambia still values the foreign investors and their relationship with other capitalist societies with whom they enjoy the benefits of trade liberalism. Therefore, neo-liberalism as proven above has been the dominant type of liberalism in Zambia from 1991 to present day. Even with the consequences of neo-liberalism such as increase in the poverty level, increased debt, uneven development, Zambia continues to boast of being one of the most liberalized states in Southern Africa. In conclusion, liberalism has been a major player in determining the role of the state in Zambia, hence among the many types of liberalism Neo-liberalism has been adopted by the country of Zambia to spear-head its development. What is not certain is, if it were not for the government being pressured by the IMF and the World Bank, would it have, on its own adopted the neo-liberal policies or it would have continued as a social state?

Essential Standardized Test Taking Tips for Parents

Standardized testing will be a significant part of your childs education typically beginning in 3rd grade.   These tests are crucial not only to you and your child, but also to the teachers, administrators, and school your child attends. The stakes can be extremely high for schools as they are given a grade based on how well students perform on these assessments.   In addition, many states utilize standardized test scores as a component of a teachers overall evaluation. Finally, many states have stakes tied to these assessments for students including grade promotion, graduation requirements, and the ability to receive their drivers license. These test-taking tips can be followed to assist your child to perform well on the test. Discussing the importance of these tests with your child will push them to do their best and following these tips can aid in their performance. Reassure your child that he or she does not have to answer all the questions correctly to pass. It is not expected that students answer every question correctly.   There is always room for error. Knowing that they do not have to be perfect will help eliminate some of the stress that comes with testing.Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blank. There is no penalty for guessing, and students can get partial credit on the open-ended items.   Teach them to eliminate ones that they know are wrong first because it gives them a higher chance of getting the correct answer if they are forced to guess.Remind your child that the test is important.   It sounds simple, but many parents fail to reiterate this. Most children will put forth their best effort when they know   it is important to their parents.Explain to your child the importance of using time wisely. If your child gets stuck on a question, encourage him or her to make the best guess o r place a mark in the test booklet by that item and go back to it after finishing that section of the test. Students must not spend too much time on a single question. Give your best attempt and move on.Ensure that your child gets a decent nights sleep and a good breakfast before taking the test. These are essential to how your child performs. You want them to be at their best. Failing to get a good nights rest or good breakfast can cause them to lose focus quickly.Make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your childs stress.   Do not argue with your child or bring up a touchy subject. Instead, try to do extra things that make them laugh, smile, and relax.Get your child to school on time the day of the test.   Give yourself extra time to get to school that morning. Getting them there late will not only throw off their routine, but it could also disrupt testing for other students.  Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and t o read the directions and each question carefully.   Encourage them to read every passage and every question at least two times. Teach them to slow down, trust their instincts, and give their best effort.Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early.   It is human nature to want to speed up when others around you are already finished. Teach your child to start strong, stay focused in the middle, and finish just as strong as you started. Many students hijack their scores because they lose focus on the bottom third of the test.Remind your child that it is okay to mark in the test booklet as a help in taking the test   (i.e. underlining key words) but to mark all answers as instructed on the answer sheet.   Teach them to stay within the circle and to erase any stray marks completely.