Mass Media and Violent Behavior among Adolescents Essay Example for Free

Mass Media and Violent Behavior among Adolescents Essay Violent scenes have become extremely commonplace among different forms of mass media that is available to the public. However, the rise of many heinous crimes committed by individuals who have been reported to patronize different mass media which contain excessive violence have made many behavioral psychologists and other researchers to see if there is a direct relationship between the extensive exposure of violence in different types of mass media and the development of violent behavior among adolescents. This paper aims to provide relevant information that while there is a direct relationship between the exposure of violent scenes in mass media and the development of violent behavior among adolescents, there are a number of other factors which need to be present in order for exposure to violent scenes in mass media to cause an adolescent to exemplify violent behavioral patterns. The paper would present a brief overview of the growth of popularity of violent scenes in different types of mass media. It would then provide factual incidences which have caused behavioral psychologists and other researchers to search for the relationship of increased exposure to violence in mass media and the development of violent behavior among adolescents as well as the different factors that an adolescent must already possess in order for such a direct relationship to occur. Violence as Entertainment Since the ancient times, violence has proven to be a popular form of entertainment in almost every culture in the world. These violent forms of entertainment range from viewing animals engaging in combat with each other, to various forms of entertainment where two individuals would need to physically compete and defeat the other in order to be claimed as the winner. Over the centuries, violence has remained a popular form of entertainment to the masses. It is presently used in computer video games, movies and television (Felson 1996). Crimes Linked to Violent Forms of Mass Media Recently, there has been a rise of a number of various heinous crimes committed by various individuals who have been noted to have become frequently exposed to various kinds of mass media which have been known to contain excessively graphic violent scenes. In 1993, two 11-year old boys where charged for the murder of a two-year old toddler named James Bulger by beating the young toddler to death along a railway track. This resulted to a number of various journalists to speculate that the violent nature of the crime and the violent behavior inert of these young boys were a result of them watching Child’s Play III, a horror film which was released during this time (Holland 2001). Perhaps the most popular case where behavioral psychologists and other researchers have theorized that violent scenes from different types of mass media leads to violent behavior, especially among adolescents, was on April 20, 1999. On this day, two teenagers who have been known to be fans of various violent video games and films which have been eventually discovered in the rooms of the two teenagers who had committed the crime before killing themselves with self-inflicted gunshots (Roy 2002). This was led to a number of research studies to be conducted in relation to the influence of violent scenes found in different forms of mass media and the development of violent behavior, particularly among the youth. The results of these research studies were then published in numerous peer-viewed journals and newspapers in order to make the public aware of the direct relationship between heavy exposures to violent scenes found in different forms of media have caused many adolescent to exemplify and exhibit violent forms of behavior towards each other (Gauntlett 2001). Contention to the Study Over the past few years, many research studies have been published which actually contend the belief that extreme exposure of violent scenes in different forms of mass media to have a direct influence to the development of violent behavior among adolescents. While these research studies do not disregard exposure to violent scenes in mass media can induce the development of violent behavior among adolescents, research studies have stipulated that there are other factors that contribute to this. One is the exposure of the adolescents to other acts of violence that have not been viewed through mass media. An adolescent, according to these research studies, can also develop violent acts of behavior by being exposed to various acts of violence that occur within the community the adolescent belongs. Among these are exposure to domestic violence and gang violence, which commonly occur within communities which have a low income socio-economic status (Jipguep Sanders-Phillips 2003). Another is the presence of psychological distress. Adolescents who have been diagnosed or exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression brought about by acts of alienation and other forms of victimization brought about by their peers and other individuals would also induce violent behavior to be exhibited by these adolescents. This was the case of the two Columbine High School shooters who have been subjected to alienation and acts of bullying from their fellow classmates (Jipguep Sanders-Phillips 2003; Roy 2002). Conclusion Aggression and other forms of violent behavior may be triggered by violent scenes found in different types of mass media adolescents are able to access today. However, it has been determined that an adolescent must possess other characteristics and traits for violent scenes from mass-media to trigger violence among adolescents. Some of these include and adolescent’s exposure to acts of violence at home or within his or her community as well as oppressive acts towards these adolescents by their peers. It is for this reason that researchers and medical professionals are now able to explain why exposure to violent scenes in mass media does not affect all adolescents in terms of triggering violence. References Felson, R. B. (1996). Mass media effects on violent behavior. Annual review of sociology, 22, 103-28. Gauntlett, D. (2001). The worrying influence of ‘media effects’ studies. In M. Barker (Ed. ), Ill effects: the media/violence debate (pp. 47-62). New York: Routledge. Holland, P. (2001). Living for libido; or ‘child’s play IV’: the imagery of childhood and the call for censorship. In M. Barker (Ed. ), Ill effects: the media/violence debate (pp. 78- 86). New York: Routledge. Jipguep, M. C. Sanders-Phillips, K. (2003). The context of violence for children of color: violence in the community and in the media. The journal of Negro education, 72(4), 379-95. Roy, J. M. (2002). Love to hate: America’s obsession with hatred and violence. New York: Columbia University Press.

Elizabeth Bathory :: essays papers

Elizabeth Bathory In order to improve her complexion and also to maintain her failing grasp on her youth and vitality, she slaughtered six hundred innocent young women from her tiny mountain principality... The noble Bà ¡thory family stemmed from the Hun Gutkeled clan which held power in broad areas of east central Europe (in those places now known as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania), and had emerged to assume a role of relative eminence by the first half of the 13th century. Abandoning their tribal roots, they assumed the name of one of their estates (Bà ¡tor meaning 'valiant') as a family name. Their power rose to reach a zenith by the mid 16th century, but declined and faded to die out completely by 1658. Great kings, princes, members of the judiciary, as well as holders of ecclesiastical and civil posts were among the ranks of the Bà ¡thorys. Adopting an exalted name did not alter some basic familial preferences among lesser lights however, and in order to consolidate more tenuous clingings to influence there was considerable intermarriage amongst the Bà ¡thory family, with some of the usual problems of this practice produced as a result. Unfortunately, beyond the 'usual problems' some extraordinary difficulties arose (namely hideous psychoses) and several "evil geniuses" appeared, the notorious and sadistic Erzsà ©bet the most prominent of them. Truly, she was evil enough to be recognized as one of the original "vampires" who later inspired Bram Stoker to write the legend of Dracula -- but unlike Stoker's story, she was real. Unusual for one of her social status, she was a fit and active child. Raised as Magyar royalty, as a young maid she was quite beautiful; delicate in her features, slender of build, tall for the time, but her personality did not attain the same measure of fortuitous development. In her own opinion her most outstanding feature was her often commented upon gloriously creamy complexion. Although others were not really so equally impressed with the quality of her rather ordinary skin, they offered copious praise if they knew what was good for them, as Erzsà ©bet did not accept unenthusiastic half-measures of adulation; and she was vindictive. She was only 15 when she was 'married off' for political gain and position to a rough soldier of (nevertheless) aristocratic stock and manner. By reason of the marriage, she became the lady of the Castle of Csejthe, his home, situated deep in the Carpathian mountains of what is now central Romania, but which then was known only as Transylvania.

Doubt: Catholic Church and Father Flynn

Decision making without concrete evidence can lead to faulty actions Leaders need to make decisions on the basis of substantiated evidence. Decisions made under other circumstances can cause the observer to doubt the legitimacy of the leader’s decision. In the play Doubt: A Parable, by John Patrick Shanley, Sister Aloysius’ mischievous mind is always looking for ways to over analyse the actions of Father Flynn. She is almost diabolical in her actions to have him removed from the school. Father Flynn, on the other hand, appears only interested in doing what is best for Donald Muller. Unfortunately, his well-intentioned actions make him vulnerable to the suspicious Sister Aloysius. Sister Aloysius’ certainty that innocent actions are harmful causes her to unfairly judge Father Flynn. Sister Aloysius unfairly judges Father Flynn's sermons and suspects his motives. At this point Sister Aloysius has only suspicions that Father Flynn could be in Doubt or knows someone that is. While speaking to Sister James, Sister Aloysius indicates her concerns about Father Flynn’s and indicates that by saying â€Å"Well, sermons come from somewhere, don't they? Is Father Flynn in Doubt, is he concerned that someone else is in Doubt? (Shanley 14). Sister Aloysius does not have any substantiated evidence of Father Flynn, as she only has her suspicions. One of her major character flaw is that she harbors a deep mistrust in her students, fellow sergman and society itself. So far, all she knew at that point was that Father Flynn grabbed a boy’s wrists, and that he was talking about Doubt in one of his sermons. Father Flynn said later on in the book that his sermons are not true stories because lies make for a better sermon. â€Å"I'm sorry, I'm not forthright, but I must be careful not to create something. I can only say I am confused, perhaps needless, about matters in St. Nicolas School,† Sister Aloysius remarks. (15) You can tell by this quote that she has some negative thoughts about the incident with Donald Muller, as she assumes that Father Flynn is having inappropriate behaviour toward Donald Muller. She is trying rephrasing it so it is less obvious of her concerns and assumptions. Sister Aloysius negatively judges Father Flynn's interest in promoting a closer relationship between the Church and the community because she feels it is an inappropriate way to interact with the students and community. But we’re not members of their family. We’re different†¦.. And they think were different. The working class people of this parish trust us to be different† (30) Sister Aloysius remarks. Sister Aloysius believes that because they are a Catholic school, they must stay true to their vows that the school believes in. She believes that the rules are in place f or a reason, and to be true to God, she must obey the oath that she took to become a Sister. Anything that challenges the operation of the school, and is out of line, she would not stand for. Therefore, she did not believe in the recommendation of changing the way things were already being run. The traditions of the Roman Catholic Church form the back bone of the rules and standards that Sister Aloysius is supporting. Father Flynn is a strong believer in the proposition that the Church should be more lenient and fun with the students, as it creates a better community of people. He makes a statement in the play that goes a little like this, â€Å"I think the message of the second Ecumenical Council was that the Church needs to take on a more familiar face. Reflect the local community. We should sing a song from the radio now and then. Take the kids out for ice cream. † (30) Father Flynn does not believe in following the rules of the Church to such a high extent that it is needed to emphasis every single rule. Unlike Sister Aloysius, he feels that having the school a more relaxed and fun environment results in creating a better learning strategy for the students. It also makes it a better environment for the teachers and student to be in because there is less stress. In result though, Sister Aloysius is against this proposition because she feels that she must abide by the rules and is more for the old school kind of method. Sister Aloysius unfairly doubts Father Flynn's explanation regarding the incident with Donald Muller because of her preconceived notions regarding his motives. â€Å"What happened in the rectory? † (32). Sister Aloysius questions. This quote states that she is clearly tired of dancing around the question, as at this point she has given up and just wants an explanation. She wants him to admit that he seduced the boy because she ‘knows’ that this is true due to her certainty. She does not believe his explanation that he was just talking to Donald in the rectory about keeping him on as an altar boy, even though he stole the wine. The needs for Father Flynn to tell her that she is right is important to her. This will put her at ease with the case and allow her to feel satisfied by her gain in authority and power. †There was alcohol on his breath when he returned from the meeting with you. † (33) Sister Aloysius remarks. She believes that Father Flynn is also guilty based on the fact that she assumes, he gave Donald Muller wine so he could seduce the boy. Believes that he did something to the boy, Sister Aloysius thinks that it is inappropriate and therefore, when he came back to class, he had his head on his desk and had alcohol on his breath. Sister James corroborates this remark by stating, â€Å"I did smell it on his breath† (33). This comment gives more certainty to Sister Aloysius and her beliefs. She does later on tell Sister Aloysius that she is going to bring Father Flynn down with or without Sister James’ help. This indicates how committed and certain she is to her stand on this critical issue. With the lack of supported evidence that Sister Aloysius has discovered concerning Father Flynn’s motives, it is unfair and unreasonable to be certain about her unquestionable justifications. She has closed her mind on all the other possibilities that could be, because of her singular mind set . If she doubts herself, she would feel unsteady and uncertain. Her hard-won knowledge would evaporate right before her and she would be vulnerable, a characteristic that she does not feel comfortable exploring†¦ just yet.

The key elements of Mattels Strategy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2161 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Mattel is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products in 150 countries. The companys main products include Barbie, Fisher-Price toys, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, American Girl dolls and books and items licensed by Sesame Street, Barney Friends and Ferrari. In 2000, Robert Eckert replaced Jill Barad as CEO of the company. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The key elements of Mattels Strategy" essay for you Create order Soon after, he came to realize the importance of creating a basic workforce management plan for the company. That would motivate the workforce and generate a more skilled and competitive workforce. He decided to set up a systematic succession strategy that would help the company to retain its original talent. Key elements of Mattels HRM strategy Mattels HRM strategy constitutes the following: Leadership development Succession planning Performance tracking Motivating the workforce Employee training CRITICAL EVALUATION OF HRM STRATEGY IN RELATION TO THEORIES Leadership development Leadership Development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. Robbins et al., (1996) In Mattel, ambitious initiatives were proposed to make the workforce more disciplined. The idea was to create tangible development programmes to generate a more skilled and competitive workforce. Succession planning By succession planning we mean the development of high potentials to effectively take over the current leadership when their time comes to exit their positions. Morgan Witzel (1999) Eckert wanted to set up a systematic succession strategy at Mattel that would enable the company to retain its home-grown talent. The new succession planning process encouraged executives in strategic positions to exchange the information with one another and among employees at different levels. There was a 360-degree feedback system that let employees know how well they were doing. Motivating the workforce Motivation is defined as a driving force that initiates and directs behaviour. In other words, motivation is a kind of internal energy which drives a person to do something in order to achieve something. Richard Romando, (2007) Getting the company on healthy footing is an essential step for any organization and so does for Mattel. Eckert realised the importance of motivating his workforce to get best possible results from them. For that he decided to carry out following actions. Internal promotion In Mattel, Eckert focussed on internal promotion. That is why 75% of open positions are filled internally to increase the internal promotion level. Employee opinion survey Many of talent development seminars are carried out at Mattel that serve as a platform for employees worldwide to exchange their ideas and advice and also encourage them to reach out. Employee training Training involves an expert working with learners to transfer to them certain areas of knowledge or skills to improve in their current jobs. John et al., (2008) Eckert wanted to reduce the throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks dynamic that was in place at MATTEL. His solution was to train and develop the companys people to make them competitive and properly skilled. MATTELS HRM STRATEGY CURRENT EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Below is the assessment of Mattels HRM strategy in relation with current external environment: Economic Factors Today people look for budget friendly toys that lend themselves to long-lasting play. Also changes in the growth of employment are also affecting demand. Therefore Mattel must keep a check on their price levels. Social Factors The expectations of consumers about the quality of toys are increasing day by day which requires continuous quality assurance by Mattel. Also there is a rising trend of computer games which helps Mattel to gain market share. Furthermore, Toys at Mattel also help children to learn social norms by teaching them certain kinds of play. Technological Factors The absence of quality of toys in market is an opportunity for Mattel to step into to gain more market share. Also, development of interactive software programs may help the company a lot as there is a high demand of variety of software programs. It has been noticed that the tiny magnets used in the manufacturing of toys may fall off the toys which are deadly if swallowed which is a kind of threat to Mattel. Cultural Factors Customer looks for product quality, safety, affordability and uniqueness of the product. However Mattel needs to create some common aspirations and fantasies for boys and girls to attract them towards toys market. Competitors There are various competitors of Mattel including Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Hasbro, Louis Marx and Milton Bradley. The ability to retain talent is particularly critical in the fiercely competitive toy industry. Market Forces Mattel is facing a high threat of both new entrants and its competitors. Changes in consumer sentiment also have a significant effect on demand. Competition in this industry is high and increasing. A changing market, shaped by the emergence of new competitors and the increased bargaining power of retailers like Wal-Mart, has made the industry particularly complicated. POTENTIAL ISSUES FACED BY AN ORGANIZATION After a thorough reading and analysis of the case study, I understand how important it is for a company to keep a balance between its organizational HRM strategy and divisional personalization. For that every company must look for a strategic balance between the company itself and its individual business units and so did Mattel. This helps the company to maintain a degree of personalisation among its units and at the same time helping them to carry out performance management, succession planning and tracking using certain guidelines. Following are the potential issues that the company face in balancing the organisational HRM Strategy with divisional personalization. Rigid Silo Mentality Lack of close-knit communities and strong group dynamics Disconnected subcultures Absence of One Vision/Goal Inefficient level of commitment to workforce development Lack of proper flow of information among employees at different level Lack of Creativity and innovation of tal ent Poor Communication Weak Team Spirit Lack of employee training Lack of Motivation in Employees CONCLUSION The overall analysis of Mattels HRM strategy shows that all of the top managers at Mattel tried to run the company in the best possible way in their respective time period. But somehow there had been some critical issues that were not handled accurately which led to the companys decline at some stage. However, Eckerts strategy to lead the company towards its unified goal by understanding the importance of workforce management along with other monetary concerns was successful to some extent. However its important for a company to focus on following key issues for long-term success. Employee Motivation should be considered as a major function of Management. Multi-tasking and employee shuffling within the organization is necessary for broad vision and proper understanding of the companys objective. Knowledge Management should be considered a key strategic resource when it comes to the competitiveness of a company. Management should be able to find ways of making product ion more cost-effective. Self-discipline and willingness to take risks must be given due importance. BIBLIOGRAPHY Stephen Robbins, Bruce Millet Terry Waters-Marsh (1996) The Leadership Development Handbook, 4th ed, published by Prentice Hall Morgan Witzel, (1999), UEBN Dictionary of Business and Management Richard Romando (2007) Define Motivation John Van Liew Morris (2008) A Study of Education and Training Departments in various corporations Amabile, T. (1996): Creativity in Context: Update to the Social Psychology of Creativity, Boulder, CO. Richard M.Steers, Lyman W, Porter (1975) Motivation and Work Behaviour Thad B.Green (1992): Performance and Motivation Strategies for todays Workforce. S. Cromwell J. Kolb (2004) An examination of work-environment support factors affecting transfer of supervisory skills training to the work place, Human Resource Development Quarterly. PART 2 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION Performance Management is a key to success for an organization. It should be strategic and integrated. It should link various aspects of the business, people management, and individuals and teams. It helps to establish a culture in which individuals and groups take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and of their own skills, behaviour and contributions. Cunneen, P. (2006). Each individual at Mattel had its own distinct culture, language and way of doing business. Instead of close-knit communities and strong group dynamics, there were disjointed subcultures. Therefore Eckert made certain changes to performance management to motivate employees and to redirect them towards a combined goal. DEFINITION Performance Management is a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance Armstrong et al., (2004) ORGANIZATIONAL EXAMPLE D S TOYS CO LTD- HONG KONG used following approaches to increase its organizational performance. Benchmarking: It used standard measurements for comparison to other organizations in order to gain standpoint on organizational performance. Business Process Reengineering: It helped them to increase performance by re-designing the organizations structures and processes. Continuous Improvement: They focussed on improving customer satisfaction through continuous improvements to processes by removing unnecessary activities. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGES MADE TO PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT BY ECKERT Here I am going to analyze the changes made to performance management by Eckert, with the help of performance management framework put forward by David Otley in 1987 that includes five sets of following issues: Key objectives of the organization Strategies and plans adopted by the organization Setting appropriate performance targets Rewards gained by achieving these performance targets Feedback that helps the organization to learn from its experience Objectives Eckerts main objectives to bring a change in performance management were One Mattel approach along with creating a leaner and more agile organization. Strategies and Plans Eckerts strategy was to create a basic workforce management and leadership development plan. Different coaching courses were held to develop interpersonal skills, emotional Intelligence and negotiation. For proper performance tracking, Eckert established pay rewards system in combination with the 360-degree feedback system. He also made serious training investments for team building, exchanging ideas and identifying rising stars within the company. Targets Making changes to performance management by Eckert, was basically targeted to generate a more skilled and competitive workforce along with the institutionalization of people development. The main purpose was the removal of disjointed subcultures by giving rise to workforce development and giving the employees a single approach to accomplish Mattels vision. Overall, I analyse that Eckerts basic targets were to: Plan where the business is heading and manage progress against plan. Respond faster to changing market. Reduce costs and improve productivity across business units. Analyze business information to understand what is driving trends. Rewards After making these changes to performance management, some of the basic rewards that Eckert gained were: Motivated Workforce Increased employee morale and overall productivity More disciplined workforce Reduced debt by $ 759 million The company generated $ 3.56 billion of cash between 2001 and 2005 More discerning employees who were able to make better predictions Disappearance of rigid silo mentality Feedback Regular monitoring and performance appraisals helped Eckert to make its workforce more motivated. Furthermore following up planned actions ensured the improvement in companys growth. Individual performance and development plans resulted in trained workers which were observed to be more disciplined and competitive. SUSTAINABILITY OF MATTELS APPROCH TO PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT It is easy to establish a system than to retain it. Therefore Eckert needs to develop a continuous approach as follows to help retain its performance management level Continuous skill development to train the employees in order to achieve companys goal. Maintaining True pay-for-performance culture so that each employee is rewarded for what they deserve. Recognizing gaps will enable the companys management to properly map out succession plans while employees develop attainable career paths. Making Professional development programs that are better aligned directly to achieving business level goals. Improve Performance by identifying the metrics that have the greatest impact on goal attainment so you can make the most informed strategic decisions. High confidence in bonus payment process Coaching classes for continuous employee retaining Continuous Improvement in interpersonal and communication skills Keeping the system alive is the greatest challenge for Ma ttel. This can be done by keeping the performance management system viable for future by evaluating PM system, aligning the system, delivering refresher training and through proper communication among different levels within Mattel. By promoting behaviours that are aligned with its values and culture. CONCLUSION Performance Management is considered as a critical business tool that plays an important role in translating business strategy into results. Success with performance management does not happen automatically, it requires work. Those individuals responsible for implementing and maintaining the performance management system must ensure that their management team understands the potential of effective performance management and is committed to success. Fischer, R.J. (1994). Overall analysis shows that Mattels workforce strategy is successful and workforce has become more disciplined. They have the skills and the know-how to make better predictions. Employees are benefiting from the new dynamic as it has opened up career advancement opportunities beyond their division. Eventually the company needs to sustain its growth by continuous follow up and improvement in its systematic approach with the changing times. Summarizing all above I must say that management at Mattel must highly focus o n encouraging and enabling effective and on-going performance discussions and coaching between managers and employees as this is the basis to any performance management initiative.