Incidences of Sexual Harassment: Cases from Nortern Cyprus

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sexual harassment is not a new phenomenon. It has probably existed as long as both sexes have been in existence. Sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a variety of behaviors, including mild transgressions and annoyances to serious abuses, which also involves forced sexual activity (Boland, 2002). Males as harassers and females as victims are the most common types of sexual harassment (O’Donohue et al, 1998). Research on sexual harassment usually falls into two categories: (1) investigating the dimensions of sexual harassment, and (2) investigating the factors that influence an individual’s perception of sexual harassment (Tata, 1993, cited in LaRocca, 1999). These factors include severity of the behavior, context in which the behavior occurs i. e. , power differentials, and incidental attributes of the persons involved i. e. , physical attractiveness. Rubin and Borges (cited in LaRocca, 1999) found that about 70 % of the women they surveyed reported some form of sexual harassment while attending classes at a university, and that majority of these sexual harassment incidents went unreported. Sexual harassment has been acknowledged to be a widespread and recurring problem in employment as well as educational settings (LaRocca, 1999). Sexual harassment in schools is recognized as a public health problem detrimental to students’ psychosomatic health (Gadin, 2002, cited in Witkowski, 2005). Awareness of harassment in an organization gives rise to psychological distress among individuals who have not been directly victimized (Schneider, 2001, cited in Witkowska, 2005). Studies have usually examined harassment and abuse in isolation rather than in the context of the total academic experience (Carr et al, 2006). Financial loss is a major consequence of sexual harassment to organizations (Worsfold and McCann, 2000), and it is more expensive to ignore the problem of sexual harassment than to provide training to the employees and employers, or students as the case may be. Sexual harassment has negative repercussions on the individual, the organization, and the community in general (O’Donohue, Downs, and Yeater, 1998). Headaches, backaches, nausea, weight loss or gain, sleep disturbance, neck pain, tiredness and psychological reactions, such as depression, anxiety, fear, anger, shame, guilt, helplessness, isolation, lowered self-esteem, lowered self-confidence, and nervousness are common for both working women and female college students who fall prey to sexual harassment (American Association of University Women, 2002). College students are known to have forfeited work, research, education comfort and even future career, due to sexual harassment (American Association of University Women, 2002). Thacker (1996), further states that formal education is an important factor in an individual’s career and personal development, and so stunting or obstructing a person’s educational accomplishment can have severe consequences. Formerly, sexual harassment has been seen largely as an instance of regular males’ sex pursuit of women in the workplace or classroom. However, researchers have begun to turn from studying sexual harassment as a problem between individuals, to a problem of organizational climate (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). Thus, this study hopes to shed light on the nature of the organizational climate of E. M. U. This is because studying the perception of students on their understanding of what construes sexual behavior will provide an avenue for E. M. U to create and implement sexual harassment policies that will provide a sexual harassment-free studying environment for students. It also creates a foundation for further research. Schools may be considered as workplaces for students, just as they are for adult employees (Witkowska and Menckel, 2005). The school is an arena for students’ first contact with working life, and a place where they spend a large proportion of their time. 1. 1 Rationale for the Study In the course of carrying out a study on the incidences of sexual harassment of trainees in the tourism and hospitality industry of North Cyprus, the researcher found out that there was no clear cut definition of what sexual harassment means to these students. It is essential that we reformulate our focus to identify what sexual harassment means for students of E. M. U. The study hopes to provide data and theoretical evidence on the context in which E. M. U students perceive sexual harassment. To be successful in today’s competitive organizational environment, it is important for the administration of Eastern Mediterranean University to realize the significance of a sexual harassment-free school environment. It is also important to understand how students feel about the issue. Without a clear-cut definition of what constitutes sexual harassment, it will be difficult for the university to identify and deal with it. Because of the increase in incidences of sexual harassment in higher learning institutions (American Association of University Women, 2006), the negative psychological effects it has on students, e. g. , anxiety, tension, irritability, depression, headaches, lower morale, and the costs of lawsuit settlements increasing all over the world, it is with a pro-active view that this research looks at the perspective of sexual harassment by students in E. MU. Previous studies have contended that the best way to reduce sexual harassment is through prevention (Newman, 2000, cited in Wanthanee et al, 2006). Most of the studies that have examined sexual harassment have been conducted in the United States and other Western countries, thus; the findings from these studies may not be applicable in North Cyprus, given the difference in values and culture between countries. Social-sexual behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment in some countries may be perceived as acceptable in another (Hardman and Heidelberg, 1996, cited in Limpaphayom et al, 2006). Organizations need to establish effective sexual harassment policies and procedures, interventions and training programs to combat the problem (Newman, 2000, cited in Witowska, 2005). However, without a commonly accepted, behavioral –based definition of what constitutes sexual harassment, the degree to which the problem exists cannot be accurately assessed, an understanding of complaints and reactions cannot be reached, and organizations cannot accurately address the problem through policies or training (Nielson, 1996). More research is needed in terms of the effect of gender difference on sexual harassment perceptions and reactions. Current literature based on the United States sample shows no clear consensus whether males and females agree on what behaviors constitute sexual harassment. Perceived gender difference on sexual harassment perceptions in other countries or cultures remain largely unexplored (Wanthanee et al, 2006). 1. 2 Aims of the Study Despite recent interest in sexual harassment in schools around the globe, research in North Cyprus and other European countries remains limited. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate the perception of male and female students of E. M. U in North Cyprus on sexual harassment. Thereby, the study aims to examine whether the sexual harassment construct varies across two specific genders, comparing male and female samples as to what behaviors may be perceived as sexual harassment. The present study builds on previous exploratory studies on sexual harassment and attempts to add to the development of a commonly accepted, behavioral based definition of a hostile work or school environment by identifying specific behaviors perceived by students to create a hostile school environment. Therefore, the aims of this study are: 1. To identify specific sexual behaviors perceived by students as contributing to the creation of differing levels of a hostile work environment. 2. Identify how these perceptions vary across selected demographic factors. 3. Identify how these perceptions are formed. 4. Provide recommendations to E. M. U. concerning the development and implementation of sexual harassment policies and procedures. 1. 4 Scope Of The Study The study will discuss the definition, theories and effects of sexual harassment, with emphasis on perceived differences of male and female gender. It will also give details of the classifications and categories of sexual harassment, with in-depth review of past research on the topic. Further, the study will focus on students who are registered full time in E. M. U. Based on the findings of the study and previous research, results will be analyzed and concluded. 1. 5 Outline of the Thesis The thesis has four chapters will comprise of 5 Chapters. Chapter One gives a background of the entire study, outlining a brief background of the topic, and stating the aims and objectives of the study. It also states the rationale as to why the subject of sexual harassment was chosen for the study. Chapter Two presents a review of the literature. It discusses what previous researches have concluded about the definition, classification, effects and incidences of sexual harassment, placing emphasis on the perceived differences of males and females on sexual harassment. It will also give information about Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus, where the sample will be taken. Chapter Three gives detailed information about how the data set for the study are collected. Data for the study were collected through survey of the students, with questions asked based on the 5 categories of sexual harassment. Thus, the research will use quantitative methodology, using target sampling method to collect primary data. Chapter Four presents the findings. This section presents a detailed report on the perception of the respondents on the context of sexual harassment, supported by the researcher’s conclusions based on past literature and research. Respondents are categorized based on how they report their perceptions, experiences, and how they feel about it. Chapter Five presents a discussion of the findings, limitations faced in collecting data, and the conclusion. In this final chapter, suggestions are proffered to the University administration on how to educate students on issues and policies of sexual harassment. Finally, future research areas are proposed. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2. 1 Defining Sexual Harassment The definition of sexual harassment adopted by the European Commission in 1991 refers to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women or men at work. This includes unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct (Witkowska, 2005). According to Dziech et al (1990), sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a variety of behaviors that include mild transgressions, serious abuses, and can involve forced sexual activity. EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) in the United States, defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting an individual, or where such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering unreasonably with the individual’s work performance, or creates an offensive, hostile or intimidating working environment. (US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1992, cited in Limpaphayom et al, 2006). One chief difficulty in defining sexual harassment is that people with different demographic and/or social backgrounds have different perceptions of what sexual harassment consists of (Foulis and McCabe, 1997, cited in Lin, 2004). Inconsistencies and disagreements on what actually constitutes a hostile working environment and the degree to which sexual harassment is present in the workplace may be the result of two important factors: first, sampling differences found in previous research, and second, lack of a commonly accepted, behavioral based definition of sexual harassment (Nielson, 1996). In November 1993, the Supreme court handed down a decision in Harris versus Forklift Systems Inc, that no longer required complainants to prove that a hostile or abusive environment caused them psychological injury- the complainant needed to simply show that the defendant’s behavior was either physically threatening or humiliating or unreasonably interfered with his or her work (Reynolds, 1994, cited in Nielson, 1996). Based on the above decision, it is clear that there is still no accepted definition of sexual harassment. Individual interpretation is inherent in the identification of a hostile work environment. Behavior that is considered harassing by one individual may not be harassment to someone else, and the reason for these differences in perceptions remain unclear. Sexual harassment seems to be in the eyes of the person being harassed, and it is left to the courts to decide what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable behavior. Although the researcher realizes that it is difficult to define the exact boundaries of sexual harassment, for the purpose of this study, sexual harassment is defined as unacceptable conduct of a sexual nature, or other conduct based on sex that interferes with a student’s right to a supportive, respectful and safe learning environment in school, or that affects a student’s dignity in a negative way. This definition includes both the quid pro quo and hostile work environment types of harassment listed by the European Commission, which captures a broad range of behaviors so as to better describe the nature of sexual harassment in school. Also, because schools are mainly educational institutions, it is necessary to evaluate standards of school behavior related to sexual harassment in a broader learning context than is the case for working adults. 2. 2 Theories of Sexual Harassment. 1. Sociobiology- This perspective argues that males are biologically programmed to be sexual aggressors and that sexual behavior in the workplace is an aspect of biological inheritance (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). Proponents of this theory agree that though sexual behavior in the workplace is inappropriate, it is however, unavoidable, and argue that acting in accordance with one’s biological impulses should not be considered offensive or illegal ( Murrey, 2000). 2. Patriarchy- This perspective holds that men have social, political and economic power over women, and women are defined by the system as sexual in nature (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). In some cultures, women are confined to the home as wives and mothers and female children are not formally educated. In other cultures (such as that of the researcher of the present survey, in Nigeria), women are not confined to the home, but, stereotypes about appropriate male and female behavior assign women a subordinate sexualized identity. Proponents of this theory believe that social structure must change before harassment can be eliminated. This can be done if both men and women are taught about the nature of stereotyping, and there are no links between power and sexuality (Barth and Raymon, 1995). 3. Culture- This perspective maintains that men and women are socialized into different cultures, different beliefs, values and ways of communication (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). Proponents here believe that traditionally, the workplace has been a male culture where men joke and tease each other, and talk about women in a not too respectful manner, so, women who want to enter this scene should not expect men to change their culture in a minute; however men must learn to work along with women in the workplace (Taylor, J. K, 1999). Another argument here is that, suggesting that comments about sex are more offensive to women than men is stereotyping and it is gender discrimination, so the culture of the workplace should be a culture of respect towards all persons. 4. Discourse-The discursive perspective holds that communication creates and shapes social reality, so that communicative practices create assumptions about the nature of the world, which influence our opinions and behavior (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. tml). This means that feelings and emotions are defined and taught so that people who harass and people who are harassed come to feel these behaviors are normal. Until recently, incidences of sexual harassment were not seen as inappropriate, but instead seen as normal in men’s conduct towards women (Wood, J, 1994). 2. 3 Classification of Sexual Harassment Hadjifotou (1983) classified sexual harassment into 5 categories: 1. Sexual remarks, jokes, catcalls, whistling and teasing, or pe rsonal remarks about parts of the body, particularly legs, breast and hair. These forms of harassment are the hardest to identify and tackle. 2. Suggestive look and gestures, staring and leering. Such unwanted behavior is threatening because there is no immediate escape at work. Ignoring this behavior carries the risk of the harasser increasing his actions; acknowledging the harasser’s interest may be taken as acceptance; and complaining may be difficult if the harasser has power over the woman’s job. For example, a lady narrated how her boss will stand with his hands in his pockets as if rubbing his genitals. (Farley, p. 116, cited in Hadjifotu, 1983). . Persistent demands for dates and sexual favors either from a supervisor or co-worker. Direct questions and comments of the sort cannot be easily ignored. Two scenarios may result from this: rejection or avoidance of the harasser may fuel the myth that women ‘like to play hard to get’, and/or it may be difficult to persuade the harasser that his attentions are unwanted. An example is given of a woman whose boss visited her at odd hours during her night shift, asking her to have an affair with him, a night out, an afternoon, or just half an hour. (Night Nurse p. 4, cited in Hadjifotou, 1983). 4. Touching, pinching, caressing and hugging. A familiar excuse for this type of behavior is that it demonstrates friendship, but when the action is unwanted and repeated, it cannot be mistaken for genuine concern for a person’s well-being. (Kitchen Helper, p. 67, cited in Hadjifotou, 1983. ) 5. Violent sexual assault, rape or attempted rape. Such cases account for a very small proportion of sexual harassment at work. Fitzgerald et al (1988), using Till’s (1980) study on sexual harassment of college women, identified how sexual harassment progresses. This study describes 5 categories of sexual harassment which are all similar to that of Hadjifotou (1983) above to describe the 5 levels of sexual harassment: 1 -gender harassment: generalized sexist remarks and behavior. 2 -seductive behavior: inappropriate and offensive, but essentially sanction-free, sexual advances. 3 -sexual bribery: solicitation of sex activity or other sex linked behavior by promise of rewards. 4 -sexual coercion: coercion of sex activity by threat of punishment. 5 -sexual assault: gross sexual imposition Fitzgerald et al (1988) believe that gender harassment is perceived as the east serious behavior of sexual harassment, while sexual assault is perceived as the most serious of all the behaviors of sexual harassment. This means that the 5 levels of sexual harassment that have been identified is on a 1 to 5 scale where 1 is equal to less severe and 5 is equal to most severe. However, it is believed that gender harassment often leads to eventual sexual assault. Pattinson (1991) states that though sexual harassment does not just involve having sexual intercourse, it is more often than not the prime motivation. 2. 4 Effects Of Sexual Harassment on University Students It is difficult to assess the actual extent of the effects of sexual harassment as a whole. Though many studies indicate the issue to be widespread and take a serious toll on the victim, critics say that many studies get response only from people who have experienced sexual harassment, and such experiences might be exaggerated (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). In schools however, many scholars complain that sexual harassment remains an unspoken secret, with teachers and administrators refusing to admit the problem exists in their schools, thereby, not accepting their legal and ethical responsibilities to deal with it. Dziech and Weiner, 1990). A 2002 study of students in the 8th to 11th grade, undertaken by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), revealed that 83% of girls have been sexually harassed and 28% of boys have been sexually harassed, by teachers and colleagues, (AAUW, 2002). Also in the association’s study, it was reported that 62% of fe male college students and 61% of male college students have been sexually harassed in their universities, with 80% of the reported harassments being peer-to-peer (AAUW, 2006). Headaches, backaches, nausea, weight loss or gain, sleep disturbance, neck pain, tiredness and psychological reactions, such as depression, anxiety, fear, anger, shame, guilt, helplessness, isolation, lowered self-esteem, lowered self-confidence, and nervousness are common for university students who fall prey to sexual harassment (AAUW, 2002). College students are known to have forfeited work, research, education comfort and even future career, due to sexual harassment (AAUW, 2002). Thacker, (1996) argues that formal education is an important factor in an individual’s career and personal development, and so stunting or obstructing a person’s educational accomplishment can have severe consequences. Further negative effects include lower morale, decreased job satisfaction, and poor time-keeping (Stanford and Gardiner, 1993). Previous researches have shown that over a period of time, even low level frequent sexual harassment can lead to significant negative consequences for student victims. (Schneider et al, 1997). According to Hadjifotou (1983), common effects on the college victims are: – Decreased work or school performance, and increased absenteeism. – Loss of job or career, which in turn leads to loss of income. – Having to drop courses, change academic plans. – Defamation of character and reputation. – Loss of reference and/or recommendations. In addition to the above, a survey of 903 female students conducted by Fitzgerald et al in 1988 (cited in Lin, 2006), at a University in the US Midwest, reported that victims of sexual harassment did not report their experiences because of 3 reasons: 1. They felt they might not be believed. 2. They did not want to cause trouble or be labeled as trouble makers. 3. They rather dealt with the problem themselves or, they had not perceived it as serious enough to be reported. 2. 5 Effects of Sexual Harassment on the Organization and the Community Sexual harassment is a widespread and continuing problem in workplaces and schools that cuts through occupational and professional categories, age groups, educational backgrounds, racial and ethnic groups and affects everybody (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). On October 6, 1991, Anita Hill, a University Law Professor, notified the United States Judiciary Commission that she had been repeatedly harassed by Judge Clarence Thomas, a Washington DC Circuit Judge nominated to sit on the US Supreme court by President Bush. This incidence, Anita reported, occurred a decade earlier when they both worked at the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Barton and Eichelberger, 1994). The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported a $1 million settlement of a class action lawsuit against Grace Culinary Systems, Inc. and Townsend Culinary, Inc. lleging egregious sexual harassment of 22 Hispanic women at a food processing plant in Laurel, Maryland. The suit charged the companies with routinely subjecting the female workers, all recent immigrants from Central America who spoke limited English, to unwanted groping and explicit requests for sexual favors by male managers and co-workers over several years (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment /generalinfo. html). The governor of Osaka was ordered to pay $ 107,000 to a university student in Japan's largest sexual harassment verdict, a ruling described as revolutionary in the size of the award and one that is expected to lead to more court cases. Japan has seen a growing number of lawsuits since a revised labor law prohibiting sexual harassment and sex discrimination took effect last April. In July, a court awarded $87,000 to a woman who said she was harassed and forced into a sexual relationship by a piano teacher while she was a university student (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). WR Grace & Co agreed to a $1 million settlement in a sexual harassment suit. Managers at a food processing facility in Maryland were charged by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the harassment of 22 female workers from Central America. The violations included the demanding of oral sex, touching of the women and exposing themselves to the women. According to commission officials, two pregnant women who refused the men's advances were fired (www. de2. psu. edu/harssment/generalinfo. html). As is seen in the examples above, financial loss is a major consequence of sexual harassment to organizations (Worsfold and McCann, 2000), and it is more expensive to ignore the problem of sexual harassment than to provide training to the employees and employers. Government officials are not left out in the criticisms and lawsuits levied against them on sexual harassment matters. In a 1990 survey of employees of the US Defense Department (Barton and Eichelberger, 1994), 64 percent of the findings in the military reported that they had endured sexual harassment while in service. Also surveyed are the cases of at least a dozen Senior Naval Officers who had been reassigned or demoted over charges of them harassing female Officers at a Las Vegas convention in the summer of 1991 (Barton and Eichelberger, 1994). O’Donohue et al (1998), summarize some of the effects of sexual harassment on the organizations as follows: -Decreased productivity: when sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, the individuals involved will be psychologically affected and may not perform as well as they ought. -Increased absenteeism of staff: staff that experience sexual harassment behaviors in the workplace tend to make excuses for not showing up for work. Increased healthcare costs and sick pay costs: in organizations where sexual harassment behaviors are prevalent, staff will incur more healthcare and sick pay costs during post harassment treatment. -Decreased ethical standards and discipline in the organization: organizations that condone sexual harassment behaviors and do not do anything about it will find a decrease in their ethical standards and discipline because employees will act in anyway they like knowing there will be no consequences. This is also bad for victims as they will feel no one cares about their predicament. Legal costs if complainants take issue to court: when victims file lawsuits against organizations, costs are incurred in settling the complainants or paying for the services of attorneys. 2. 6 Effects of Sexual Harassment on the Individual Rubenstein (1992) identifies anxiety, tension, irritability, depression, headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue and deterioration of personal relationships as stress related consequences of sexual harassment. Further negative effects on the individual include lower morale, decreased job satisfaction, and poor time-keeping (Stanford and Gardiner, 1993). Previous researches have shown that over a period of time, even low level frequent sexual harassment can lead to significant negative consequences for the victim (Schneider et al, 1997). 2. 7 Gender Differences In Sexual Harassment Sensitivity Gender has been a dominant aspect of sexual harassment research and has been shown to be a predictor of sexual harassment sensitivity (Crow et al, 1995). Research by Crow et al also suggests that males and females, do, in fact, differ in sensitivity to harassment. Major differences were found in the reaction to harassment of a non-sexual nature where women were more likely than men to perceive a given incident as harassment. As human beings, we grow up to be aware of who we are through being exposed to particular interpretations of what it is to be human- in this case, either male or female, masculine or feminine (Linstead et al, 2005). Traditionally, sexual harassment sensitivity has been looked at in terms of social-sexual behaviors based on gender (Crow et al, 1995). The traditional view from research is that gender has a significant impact on sex-role behaviors and sexual behaviors. It has become apparent that men and women automatically have different orientations towards sexually-related behaviors, which in turn results in different perceptions to sexual harassment (Reilly et al, 1986, cited in Crow et al, 1995). Tangri et al in their 1982 study (cited in Lin, 2006), state that females are more sexually attractive and so are more socially disadvantaged than their male counterparts. Therefore, Lin (2006) argues that females are more vulnerable to harassment than the males. Males as harassers and females as victims is the most common type of sexual harassment (O’Donohue et al, 1998). Men seem to be more tolerant of sexual harassment than women and tend to rate hypothetical scenarios and specific social behaviors as less harassing than women (Gutek, 1985 cited in Crow et al, 1995). Women are assumed to resent sexual overtures at work and tend to react more negatively to sexual harassment scenarios than men. Gender differences occur because men and women weigh information about the victim and the harasser differently (Carr et al, 1999). Men tend to be more influenced by incidental behaviors of the victim. For example, Pryor and Day, in their 1988 research (cited in Carr et al, 1999), found that men were more influenced than women by the information of how the victim dressed, thereby, attributing more blame to the victim than the harasser. Researchers of past surveys have had difficulty in defining sexual harassment and have attempted to identify behaviors that constitute sexual harassment by respondents of their survey (Worsfold and McCann, 2000). However, the most commonly reported forms of sexual harassment are gender related derogatory remarks, suggestive looks, and sexual comments ( Stanford and Gardiner, 1983). CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 1. Introduction This chapter outlines the research method, research design, and the research sample. The research method gives detailed information about the type of research that was utilized for this study and gives reasons why it was used. It also gives information on the kind of data that will be collected and which sources will be used. The research design gives information on the survey instrument used for the study, explaining the questions and their source. The research sample provides the reader with the population used for this survey and the reason why it was used for this study. 2. Research Methodology This research is an inquiry into the perceived differences on sexual harassment between male and female students of EMU, examining the size of the gender difference within specific behavioral categories in an attempt to identify those behaviors that produce the largest difference and provide accurate information about the actual size of the gender difference. Thus, this study uses the quantitative approach to test the hypotheses. The aim for using this method is to determine whether the predictive generalizations of the hypotheses hold true. The researcher uses questionnaires to collect data, and remains objectively separated from the subject matter of the research. 3. Survey A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires were chosen for this research because this research involves a large sample, thereby making data entry and tabulation easier to analyze. Also, questionnaire surveys are familiar to most people, and generally do not make people apprehensive in answering questions. In addition, the researcher’s own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer questions in a certain manner, reducing bias, and also are less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys, as the respondent is free to complete the questionnaire on his/her own time-table. 3. 1 Questionnaire Design This survey is designed to provide information distinguishing between reactions to both pervasiveness and severity of particular behaviors, as well as to provide information distinguishing between reactions to gender harassment, seductive behavior and sexual imposition. The questionnaire design used for this research was adopted from Nielson (1996). Nielson (1996) examined the perception of sexual harassment, focusing on the female office professional’s perspective. Self administered questionnaires will be given to respondents with assurance that data will only be used for this thesis research and not for any other purpose. The items of the survey instrument will be prepared in English and then translated into Turkish by using the back translation method. There will be a pilot study of students who will be given questionnaires to complete, so that the researcher could confirm if the questionnaire was well understood by the respondents. After confirming the questions were understood, the researcher will hand out the questionnaires to students in various classrooms after taking permission from the University administration. Questionnaires returned by the espondents will be analyzed using Windows SPSS 0. 8 and used according to the respective objectives and occasions. 300 questionnaires will be distributed. Demographic explanations for differing perceptions of sexual harassment will be tested based on the following research and proposed hypothesis. Based on the assumption that females are inclined to find social sexual behavior (dating and flirting) as more severe than boys, this study proposes that: H1- F emale students will perceive potentially harassing behavior as more severe than male students. Research found that men were more influenced than women by the information of how the victim dressed, thereby, attributing more blame to the victim than the harasser. Based on this information, the study proposes that: H2- male students will judge the victim more harshly than female students. Research shows that a person’s previous experience with regard to sexual harassment influences gender difference in perceptions of sexual harassment (Blakely et al, 1992, cited in Nielson, 1996). This means that if one has experienced sexual harassment behaviors, he/she will be more conscious and less tolerant of behavior considered as harassment. Based on this, this study proposes that: H3- students who respond to having been sexually harassed will perceive potentially harassing behavior as more severe than those who respond to not having been sexually harassed. Previous research shows that studies investigating sexual harassment has tended to exclude behaviors which are perceived to have a low potential to harass and have also provided respondents with limited responses. In attempting to deal with these issues, this survey utilized in this study is designed to measure students’ perceptions of a wide range of actual workplace behaviors which create varying levels of a hostile work environment. Within this variety of behaviors, both severity and frequency of the behavior will be manipulated. Therefore, the continuum to be used for this study is as follows: 1. Likely to consider it a compliment 2. Socially acceptable behavior 3. Annoying, but not likely to affect my studies 4. Disturbing to the point of affecting my studies, but no formal complaint 5. Basis for formal complaint, but not a lawsuit. 6. Basis for a lawsuit. The use of response options beyond formal complaint is to enhance the identification of behaviors that create a hostile work environment. Though such behaviors are typically not reported, they may have an adverse effect on the victim’s productivity, moral absenteeism and turnover. 3. 2 Survey Items. 1. Comment: â€Å"your hair looks nice† 2. Comment: â€Å"have you lost weight? † 3. Comment: â€Å" you have nice legs† 4. Comment: â€Å"your skirt is very short† 5. Comment: â€Å"your neckline is very low’ 6. Comment: â€Å"your clothes fit like a glove† . Comment: â€Å"you have an attractive build† 8. Opposite sex touches your hands 9. Opposite sex touches your arms/shoulder 10. Opposite sex asking for a date 11. Opposite sex touches your back 12. Opposite sex telling off-color jokes 13. Student forced into sex in school 14. Opposite sex asking for sexual f avors 15. Opposite sex touches your breasts 16. Hugs with caresses from opposite sex 17. Opposite sex touches your buttock 18. Opposite sex describing sexual abilities 19. Opposite sex staring, persistently 20. Observing peers having sex in the school environment 21. Peers discussing sexually related stories 22. magazines with pictures of people scantily clothed 23. Opposite sex touches your face 4. Research Sample The questionnaire survey will focus on students of E. M. U. in North Cyprus, who are registered as full time students. Purposive sampling is a sampling method in which elements are chosen based on purpose of the study. Purposive sampling may involve studying the entire population of some limited group (example, sociology faculty at Bilkent University) or a subset of a population (example, EMU faculty who has won a Nobel Prizes). As with other non-probability sampling methods, purposive sampling does not produce a sample that is representative of a larger population, but it can be exactly what is needed in some cases – study of organization, community, or some other clearly defined and relatively limited group. In this study, purposive sampling method was used, as the researcher decided to focus on students whose profiles are given above to get the specific information for the research. Table 3. 1 Questionnaire This questionnaire survey aims to investigate the perception of male and female students of EMU on sexual harassment. The researcher wishes to find out from you, whether the sexual harassment construct varies across two specific genders, comparing male and female samples as to what behaviors may be perceived as sexual harassment. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, be assured that whatever you say or write is strictly confidential and cannot be traced back to you, as you are not requested to write your name or any other personal information. Please answer the questions honestly and sincerely, as it is important for the output of this research. 1. What is your gender? a. Male b. Female 2. What age group are you? a. 16-20 b. 20-24 c. 25-28 3. What is your educational level at EMU? a. Year 1 b. Year 2 c. Year 3 d. Year 4 e. Graduate student. 4. What is your nationality? 5. For each of the scenarios depicted below, how would you rate such behavior? (In reference to the school environment). Kindly mark ‘X’ in boxes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 (as applicable to you). Where; 1= Likely to consider it a compliment. 2= Socially acceptable behavior. 3= Annoying, but not likely to affect my studies. = Disturbing to the point of affecting my studies, but no formal complaint 5= Basis for formal complaint, but not a lawsuit. 6= Basis for a lawsuit. 1 2 3 4 56 1. Comment: â€Å"your hair looks nice† 2. Comment: â€Å"have you lost weight? † 3. Comment: â€Å" you have nice legs† 4. comment: â€Å"your skirt is very short† 5. Comment: â€Å"your neckline is very low’ 6. Comment: â€Å"your clothes fit like a glove† 7. Comment: â€Å"you have an attractive build† 8. Opposite sex touches your hands 9. Opposite sex touches your arms/shoulders 10. Opposite sex asking for a date 11. Opposite sex touches your back 12. Opposite sex telling off-color jokes 13. Student forced into sex in school 14. Opposite sex asking for sexual favors 15. Opposite sex touches your breasts 16. Hugs with caresses from opposite sex 17. Opposite sex touches your buttocks 18. Opposite sex describes sexual abilities 19. Opposite sex staring, persistently 20. Observing peers having sex in the school environment 21. magazines with pictures of people scantily clothed 22. Peers discussing sexually related stories 23. Opposite sex touches your face 6. Please define what sexual harassment means to you——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————†”————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————â €”——————————————————————- Thank you very much for taking time out to help me in my research. For more information, or if you have problems filling out the questions, or if there’s anything you wish to talk about/discuss, please contact me: E-mail: [email  protected] com. Reference: AAUW (2002) â€Å"Hostile Hallways: Bullying, Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in School†, Research by Harris Interactive: American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, 11 11 Sixteenth street, Washington D. C. ISBN: 1-879922-28-2. AAUW (2006) â€Å"Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus†, National Conference for College Women Student Leaders’ Summit on Sexual harassment, American Association of University Women, Washington D. C. , 20036. Anderson, J and Poole, M. (1994), ‘Assignment & Thesis Writing', John Wiley and sons, New York. Pp24-30. Barth, A. J. , and Raymon, P. 1995), ‘The Naive misuse of power: Non-conscious Sources of Sexual Harassment, Journal of Social Issues, 51 (1) pp 85-95. Barton, L. , Eichelberger, J. (1994) Ã¢â‚¬Ë œSexual Harassment: Assessing the need for corporate policies in the workplace. Volume 7, Number 1, pp 24-28, MCB Press, 095 3-3230. Boland, M. L. (2002), Sexual harassment: Your Guide to Legal Action, Naperville, Illinois, Sphinx Publishing, 2002. Fitzgerald, L. F. , Shullman, S. L. , Bailey, N. , Richards, M. , Swecker, J. , Gold, Y. , Ormerod, M. , and Weitzman, J. (1988), ‘The Incidence and Dimensions of Sexual Harassment in Academia and the Workplace’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 32, 152-175. Hadjifotiou, N. (1983), ‘Women and Harassment at Work’, Pluto Press Limited, Australia and London. Lin, Y. H. (2006), ‘The incidence of Sexual Harassment of students while undergoing practicum training experience in the Taiwanese hospitality industry: Individuals reaction and relationships to perpetrators’, Journal of Tourism Management, 27, 51-68. O’Donohue, W. , Downs, K. , and Yeater, E. A. (1998), â€Å"Sexual harassment: A review of the literature†, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 3 (2), 111-128. Pahlavan, N. (2006), ‘Investigation of sources of funds in Restaurants in T. R. N. C. ‘ Masters thesis, september 2006, gazimagusa, North Cyprus. pp30-44. Reyner, C. , Sheehan, M. and Barker, M. (1999), â€Å"Theoretical approaches to the study of Bullying at Work†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 20, No. ? , pp11-15. Rubenstein, M. (1992), ‘Preventing and Remedying Sexual harassment at work: A Resource Manual, Eclipse, London. Schneider, K. T. , Swan, S. , and Fitzgerald, L. F. (1997), ‘Job related and Psychological effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Empirical Evidence from 2 Origins’, Journal of applied Psychology, Volume 82, Number 3, pp 401-410. Stanford, J. , and Gardiner, J. (1993), ‘Sexual Harassment: how it happens and how to beat it’, The Industrial Society, London. Taylor, J. K. 1999), ‘What to do when you don’t want to call the Cops’, New York: NY University books, p 8. Thacker, R. A. (1996), â€Å"A Descriptive Study of Situational and Individual Influences upon Individual’s Responses to Sexual Harassment†, Human Relations, 49 (8), 1105-1122. Thomas, M. (2005), â€Å"Bullying among support staff in a higher education institution†, Journal of Health Education, Vol. 105, No. 4. pp 273-288. Worsfold, P. , and McCann, C. (2000), â€Å"Supervised Work Experience and Sexual Harassment†, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Volume 12, Number 4, pp 249-255. Woods, J. (1994), ‘Saying it makes it so: The Discursive Construction of

Early Childhood Essay

Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program should provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process. Kindergarten for children is very important. Most parents and children are excited about this stage in life for their child, as well as children might be a scared or nervous. Kindergartens are still mastering new physical skills. They are more able to move their body the way they wants to and, most likely, can run like the wind. Throughout the year kindergarten children will show a number of new physical skills, some are more important than others to help make her kindergarten year a highly successful learning experience. Kindergarten is the year to get used to the routine of school, and the idea of being accountable to a new authority figure and to make new friends, but it’s a crucial year to build the foundation for learning. Kindergarten learns differently, some may learn hands on, or visual. Kindergarten are at the most important stage in life so it is up to the educators to make a difference that can help them in the long so they are able to reach the next grade level as well as overcome any milestones that they may reach throughout their education. First, the classroom is loving, kind, caring, sharing, and motherly to all the children just like my own. The way I envision my classroom is that as you walk in the door you see art and picture of children playing and eating and doing different thing that supports the area such as dramatic play would be children in doctor jackets or something in that nature. The classroom has warm colors around it for each season. Each area of the classroom would be label with such as blocks would be block area, art, dramatic play, water area, science, literacy, etc. The children cubbies are label with their name and picture so they are able to recognize themselves. The library has age appropriate books for the children. The classroom should off the children art and learning. If there is a theme in the classroom the room will represent that specific theme. Each child is at a table that is color coded that will identify each table as a group, each table seats about 3-4 students depending on the class size. Each child has a portfolio so children are able to see their progress throughout the year. The classroom is based on play and material and the children have a teacher child relationship. While planning the curriculum I will provide free play that will allow children their individually time to choose an area of involvement (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). An effective curriculum children should be active and engaged, the goals are clear and shared by all, evidence based, the valued content is learned through investigation, play, and focused, intentional teaching (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences and is comprehensive and most important benefit the needs of the children (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Curriculum should be planned around the developmental needs of the children in my classroom (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Curriculum will builds upon what children already know and are able to do to enable them to connect new concepts and skills. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) urges that as a teacher my curriculum is thoughtfully planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, comprehensive and likely to promote positive outcome for all children (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). While planning the curriculum I will provide free play that will allow children their individually time to choose an area of involvement (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The experiences should be developed to help the young children in the classroom to help improve their skills in problem solving, thinking, reasoning, and creating (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The National Association for the Education of Young Children states that high quality, developmentally appropriate programs should be available for all children. A separate statement of the NAEYC divides the concept of appropriateness into two aspects: age appropriateness and individual appropriateness. Philosophies that reflect how I envision my classroom and curriculum are Friedrich Froebel. Friedrich Froebel was a German educator of the nineteenth century who developed an Idealist philosophy of early childhood education. He established kindergarten and education for four and five-year-old children. Kindergarten is now a part of education worldwide. Friedrich Froebel was born in the small town of Oberwiessbach, Germany in 1782. His mother died when he was a baby (Froebel, 2011). His father remarried, but Froebel never liked his stepmother. His feeling of rejection and isolation remained with him for life. This had a strong effect on his theory of early childhood education. He believed the kindergarten teacher should be loving, kind and motherly (Froebel, 2011). Froebel studied at the University of Jena for a short time. In 1805, while studying architecture in Frankfurt, he was persuaded to become a teacher by the model school at Frankfurt. Friedrich Froebel changed the way we think about early childhood education. He designed balls, wooden blocks, tiles, sticks and rings to demonstrate that children learn by playing. Known around the world as the Froebel Gifts , these objects were an important part of his Kindergarten (Froebel, 2011). Froebel also included in his kindergarten philosophy the study and nuture of plants in a garden for stimulating children’s interest in nature. He felt it was important for children to grow up in harmony with nature. The Froebel Gifts have been widely imitated and adapted by educators and toys makers. Because of Froebel my classroom will have the right material to that I am able to teach my children with the right material so they can play and learn at the same time. He felt that the teacher should be loving caring and motherly and I feel that I am that way in the classroom as well. â€Å"Treat peoples how you want to be treated† and that’s how I feel as a teacher. Treat other children how I would want my children to be treated. Having that motherly character can also make it easier for a child to be more comfortable in the classroom especially if it the first time being away from the parents. Being that Froebel knew what it was like losing his mother and not liking his stepmother he knew what it was like to feel neglect and isolated so he incorporated that in with teaching and realized that no child should ever feel that way. Froebel’s kindergarten used free play, games, songs, stories, and crafts to stimulate imagination while developing physical and motor skill. In most classrooms free play is welcomed as well as games, stories, songs, and craft that will encourage children motor skills as well as solving problems. The kindergarten program was designed to meet children’s needs for physical activity, sensory awareness, creative expression, exploration of ideas and concepts, the pleasure of singing, and the experience of living among others. His educational approach was for â€Å"self-activity,† the idea that allowed the child to be led by his own interests and to freely explore them. Children are more independent and they want to explore new things on their own. Children become aware of numbers early in life, because of daily experience involve various use of numbers. Math is more than learning about numbers and how to add, subtract multiply and divide (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics suggests 10 curriculum standards. The standards provide a guide in mathematics curriculum planning ; content standard are numbers and operation, algebra, geometry, measurements, and data analysis and probability. The process standards are problem solving reasoning and proof, communication, connection and representation (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The standard gives an overview of math content and process for prekindergarten through the second grade(Eliason, Jenkins 2012). While teaching math to the children I will also incorporate promotes such as blocks, legos, cheerios, etc so that the children are able to see what they are doing visually . At the end of the year children will be able to understands one-to-one correspondence, sorts and classifies objects according to common characteristics, recognize and create patterns. (e.g. red, blue, red, blue or boy, girl, boy, girl), understand simple bar graphs and interpret how they help us gather information, count to 100, identify and print numbers 1-20, identify and draw basic shapes such as rectangle, square, circle and triangle. Reading is a communicative art that involves recognizing and understanding words(Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Children cannot read with understanding and comprehension something they don’t have the background knowledge about. Learning to read takes time, patience, desire, and readiness (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Kindergarten is a year of discovery in reading and literacy. Child will learn to recognize simple words in print, including his own name and those of his classmates. Letter-sound correspondence, phonemic awareness, sight words recognition, rhyming and words families and concepts about print are the areas in which your child will expand his knowledge this year. By the end of the year some kindergartners will even be reading a little bit. Kindergarten science explores topics that are meaningful to students and can be applied to everyday life. Children will learn about good health habits, including nutrition and an introduction to dental hygiene. Children will spend time learning the process of inquiry as we learn about the five senses. Children will be able to collect information , observation, and data record information while exploring science projects. We will observe outside, take field trips, walks, and be able to talk about what we see. We will explore cause and effect. Science will be integrated into everyday activities including cooking projects Fine Arts are any art form. For example, painting, sculpture, architecture, drawing, or engraving that is considered to have purely aesthetic value (Encarta, 2004). The arts can open the minds of students in ways mere reading and writing will never be able to accomplish. Teaching through arts helps students experience concepts rather than simply discussing or reading it or have it read to them. This approach is consistent with educational theories that highlight the importance of reaching multiple learning styles or intelligences (Jacobs, 1999, p. 2). By working through the arts, instead of about the arts, the students’ educational experience will be achieved in a different way than just teaching the standard style of learning. Education of art helps students develop creativity, self-expression, analytical skills, discipline, cross-cultural understandings, and a heightened appreciation for the arts† and that â€Å"students who develop artistic expression and creative problem solving skills are more like to succeed in school. An activity that I would teach would be fine art such would be painting. Friedrich Froebel, the father of kindergarten, believed that young children should be involved in both making their own art and enjoying the art of others. Children will have a sheet of paper and would be able to pick two different colors out of four. I would allow them to chose if they want to finger paint, or use a paint brush. Once children have made their decision they would be able to self express.. Washington state standard for Art is through dance, music, theatre, and visual arts provide detailed recommendations and guidance for K–12 arts education. These documents include: Washington State K–12 Arts Learning Standards (one document encompassing all four arts disciplines—dance, music, theatre, and visual arts). Another activity would be science. We would see how long it takes an ice cube to melt. The Washington State K-12 Science Standards is a detailed document describing what all students are expected to know and be able to do at each level of our educational system in the area of science. The purpose of these standards is to provide strong support for students, parents, teachers, and the broader community by guiding the alignment of the school curriculum, instruction, and assessment at local and state levels. To accomplish this purpose it is essential to use this document in the following ways: Those responsible for curriculum alignment should refer to this document in selecting or developing instructional materials that enable students to acquire core conceptual knowledge and abilities in science. Those responsible for assessment alignment at the local and state levels should refer to this document in selecting and/or developing assessment tools and rubrics that measure student achievement of the core content in these standards. Those responsible for instructional alignment should refer to this document in designing classroom instruction and professional development of teachers to ensure that achieving these core content standards is a priority. It is also important to point out what the standards. In conclusion early childhood program should provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process. References. â€Å"Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – Biography, Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy, The Kindergarten Curriculum, Diffusion of the Kindergarten. † Education Encyclopedia. StateUniversity. com. < http://education. stateuniversity. com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852. html > 21 Dec. 2010. Froebel. (2011, April 04). † Education Encyclopedia. StateUniversity. com. < http://education. stateuniversity. com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852. html > 21 Dec. 2010. Eliason, C. F. , Jenkins, L. (2012). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (9th ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Cluff, D. (2005, October 6). The Importance of Fine Arts in the Classroom. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://ezinearticles. com/? The-Importance-of-Fine-Arts-in-the-Classroom&id=80061.

Harley Davidson Financial and Strategic Analysis Review

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley-Davidson) is one of the leading manufacturers of heavyweight motorcycles in the world. Harley-Davidson is the parent company of the group of companies including Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS). The company offers more than 30 models of touring and custom Harleys through a worldwide network of more than 1,600dealers,spreadacrosssixcontinents. Harley-Davidson provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs principally to its dealers and customers.SWOT AnalysisShare DataHarley-Davidson, Inc., Share Data Price (USD) as on 01-Aug-201241.67 EPS (USD)2.33 Book value per share (USD)10.50 Shares Outstanding (in million)234.92 Source : GlobalDataPerformance Chart Harley-Davidson, Inc., Performance Chart (2007 – 2011) Financial Performance The company reported revenues of (U.S. Dollars) USD 5,311.71 million during the fiscal year ended December 2011, an increase of 9.31% over 2010. The operati ng profit of the company was USD 829.97 million during the fiscal year 2011, an increase of 74.59% over 2010. The net profit of the company was USD 599.11 million during the fiscal year 2011, an increase of 308.83% over 2010.Source : GlobalDataHarley-Davidson, Inc. – SWOT AnalysisSWOT Analysis – Overview Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley-Davidson) designs, manufactures, and sells heavyweight motorcycles. The company markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. The company’s strong brand image, coupled with its wide range of products, helps it to be a front-runner in the industry. However, dependence on the domestic market and product issues are a few areas of concern to the company. Nonetheless, expansion in global markets, especially Asian markets, and launch of new models could ensure a strong future for the company. New emission standards for two wheelers and  the prevailing competition could negatively impact the companyâ€⠄¢s growth.Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Strengths Strength – Strong Brand Image Harley-Davidson owns one of the strongest brands in the world, which helps it attract and retain a loyal customer base. The company established a strong brand image with its motorcycles achieving iconic status and being ranked among the world’s most valuable brands. Harley-Davidson has been continuously ranked among the top 100 global brands in the world. The company holds 55.7% share in the US heavyweight market; and is ranked #1 or #2 in the heavyweight motorcycle market share in nine countries across Europe.Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles are known for their traditional styling, design simplicity, durability and quality. The company achieved industry recognition for its high quality, best design, robust performance and unflinching customer confidence, loyalty and trust of its products and services. The Harley-Davidson brand has significantly contributed to the success of the compa ny by building strong market recognition and a loyal customer base.Strength – Broad Product and Service Portfolio Harley-Davidson offers a broad array of products and services through its two business segments, namely, the Motorcycles & Related Products segment and the Financial Services segment. The company offers a variety of products in the motorcycle segment to cater to the various needs of its customer base. Harley-Davidson designs, manufactures and sells heavyweight touring, custom and performance motorcycles, besides a line of motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise and related services.Harley-Davidson is well known for its unique motorcycles. Its subsidiary, Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), manufactures five families of motorcycles, namely, Touring, Dyna, Softail, Sportster and V-Rod. These models are distinguished by their frame, engine, suspension, and other characteristics. The company shipped 233,117 motorcycles in the fiscal year ended December 20 11, comprising 39.5% Touring motorcycle units, 39.2% Custom motorcycle units, and 21.3% Sportster motorcycle units.Through Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS), the company offers a package of wholesale and retail financial services for its products, providing it a competitive edge in the motorcycles business in the US and Canada regions. HDFS financed 51% and 30.4% of the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles retailed by independent dealers in the US and Canada respectively in 2011. HDFS provides wholesale financial services to Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers, including floor plan and open account financing of motorcycles and motorcycle parts and accessories. These specific services provide a competitive edge to the company in capturing a higher market share and enhancing its bottom line.Strength – Focused Research and Development Activities Harley-Davidson has a strong research and development unit that facilitates innovation and attracts industry attention. Its Product D evelopment Center (PDC) undertakes the development of new and better quality products. The company spent $145.4m, $136.2m, $143.1m and $163.5m in the fiscal years ended December 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 respectively on research and development activities.Harley-Davidson’s continuous focus on R&D helped the company in launching innovative products such as Softail motorcycles with 1584 cc engine with new features such as new hand controls, a larger odometer, and an anti-lock braking system option. Continuous research and development activity enables the company to maintain a leading position in custom and touring motorcycle market and develop products for the performance segment. Focused R&D activities enable the company to offer innovative products and improve its operational performance.Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Weaknesses Weakness – Product Recalls/Issues Product recalls/issues not only affects the company’s current revenue, but could also affect its long -term performance by reducing customer confidence. In February 2012, Harley-Davidson launched a repair service campaign to fix faulty brakes in about 1,228 units of 12 models, including the Road King and the Electra Glide Ultra Classic.In October 2011, the company initiated a world-wide recall affecting over 308,000 units of its Touring, CVO Touring and Trike motorbikes. The company made this recall owing to a potentially  dangerous glitch with their braking systems, where in the problem with a switch on the bikes could cause the brake lights to stop working, or may even cause the rear brakes to fail. Such recalls would hamper Harley-Davidson’s brand image and have a significant impact on its product sales.

Required reaction paper combining two related internet stories Essay

Required reaction paper combining two related internet stories - Essay Example The news article presented many important highlights in history that all students must realize. First, Jews were very powerful economically and politically, they can be considered shakers of society. Second, Germans tried to be on a defensive stance during pre World War I because they were greatly suffering from a hyperinflation. The news report about Judea’s declaration of war on Germany emphasized one thing – that for many years, the Jews were already collaborating with one another to drive Jews in Germany back to Israel. Freedman’s speech about the Jews collaboration sent shivers to my spine because it seems that I missed out a very important fact about history. Judea’s declaration of war on Germany is not to be taken lightly as a simple event. Historians and political analysts should prevent such things from happening again because countries that retaliate can be uncontrollable. With the recent events happening in the Middle East today, world leaders s hould carefully plan their action because the last thing we need is another World War. The second document that I read was Freedman’s speech about the Jews role in two World Wars. It was shocking to hear the transcripts of his speech because people often think of the Jews as the underdog. Freedman’s speech revealed that Jews controlled almost any sector in society- banking, communications, media among many others.

Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion Essay - 1

Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion - Essay Example For women, the corset was worn to support the breasts and to develop a curved figure, narrowing the waist. In 1500s, the corset was introduced in France by Catherine de Medici. At that time, the corset was worn as an undergarment. It was a tight elongated bodice worn by Women of the French court in the 16th century (Davies, 1982). In this period, the women of the French court embraced the corset because it was considered as a necessary garment for the beauty of a female figure (Tortora and Eubank, 1989). It was worn with a farthingale in order to hold out the skirt and form a stiff cone. The corsets in this historical context also turned the upper part of a human torso into an inverted cone shape (V&A, 2015). The corset was also made of shoulder strap and had flaps at the waist. In order to form a good shape for the woman body, the corset flattened the bust. As a result, it pushed up the breasts. The corsets were made of layered fabric fastened with glue and tightly laced (Tortora and Eubank, 1989). A busk was used to stiffen the forefront of the bodice. It was made of wood, metal, whalebone, ivory or metal (V&A, 2015). The steel busk of the corset was spoon-shaped, and was wider at the bottom than at the top in order to exert pressure on the abdomen (Davies, 1982). This shape made the corset wearable and more restricting in order to tighten the waist. During the Victorian era, the busk was made of steel. As fashion changed, the corset also changed. In 1870s, the corset changed it shape, becoming longer so that it can cause the fashionable long and slender silhouette (Takeda and Spilker, 2010). The corsets also became more rigid in order to hide the layers of the underwear. They were heavily boned, and were cut from different pieces and toughened with leather. Whalebone was used because it was strong and flexible, achieving the shape of the corset and the body

Price Elasticity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Price Elasticity - Essay Example In this case, if goods A and B are complementary, they have to be purchased together for a consumer to reap their utility. Complementary goods have a negative cross elasticity of demand; this implies that the demand of good A increases when the price of good B is decreased, where goods A and B are complementary goods. Conversely, the demand for A is decreased when the price of B is increased. This basically means that when higher quantity of A is demanded due to price decline, the demand of B will equally increase since A cannot be used without B. substitute goods exhibit positive cross-price elasticity of demand. Suppose X and Y are substitute goods. When price of Y goes up, consumers will go for X at a cheaper price but with similar utility as Y The income elasticity of demand measures the degree of change in demand of a commodity in response to changes in consumer’s income level. Inferior goods are those goods that a person may consider using when they do not have enough money, for example a cheap car. With little income, the demand for cheap cars will go up. Once the income increases, people tend to prefer more expensive cars and hence the demand of cheap cars goes down. Normal goods have a normal demand curve. In this case, the demand of a normal god will increase as the level of income increases. Conversely, the demand of a normal commodity will decrease with the level of income (Tobin, 1987). Various aspects including the availability of substitute products or goods, necessity degree and the greater the elasticity of good demand mostly influence the price elasticity of goods demands. Generally, demand tends to be elastic when there is availability of substitute goods in the market (Landsburg, 2011). In this case, the greater the substitute products in the market would result to demand elasticity. The best example is the Coca-Cola and Pepsi situation where the market is always flooded with availability of substitute products thus making the demand

BFS 3430-09D, PRINCIPLES OF FIRE BEHAVIOR (BFS3430-09D) Essay

BFS 3430-09D, PRINCIPLES OF FIRE BEHAVIOR (BFS3430-09D) - Essay Example Fire research is conducted because the authorities of United States must be willing to analyze the impacts of the measures that are taken in order to handle any fire related situations. The fire researches are conducted in order to check the efficacy of fire department in reducing any threats of fire outbreak. In addition, the authorities are also interested to know and assess whether any further measures and advancements are required to cope the issue of fire outbreak or not. Fire researches are also there because the USFA wants to know the precautionary steps that are taken by people in order to construct any buildings. The buildings must be constructed by considering the risk of fire outbreak and there must be sufficient measures for safety of lives. Therefore, it is quite clear that fire research in the United States is conducted in order to gain awareness about the authenticity of present developments related to fire handling and to assess the effectiveness of fire department in resolving any fire related situation. The fire researches are also there to make the performance of fire department better. Walton, William D., Bryner, Nelson and Jason, Nora H. (Ed.) (2000). Fire Research Needs Workshop Proceedings. Gaithersburg: National Institute of Standards and Technology. Accessed on 20th June 2009 from

The Corporate Culture of Zappos Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

The Corporate Culture of Zappos - Assignment Example Considering the importance which Zappos gives the relationship between corporate culture and personal values, it is possible for the company to ask questions that measure the core value of an individual. While measuring an innate quality is difficult, it is easy to get a hint of what an individual perceives a situation (Nelson & Quick 541). This way, through the graduated rating scale, the company’s Human resource team can use the answers given t to evaluate the core values of the person. It is essential to mention that the interview focuses more on personality than technical capabilities. For this reason, the comparison between the core values of the organization and the individual perceptions of the applicant can tell their philosophies. Lack of a formal feedback might bring up issues in the organization. Formalities and bureaucracies have paramount importance as far as communication and consistency are concerned (Nelson & Quick 521). For instance, where an employee does not receive regular feedback, especially in writing, it is likely that any disciplinary action leveled against them will be treated as constructive discharge. As such, formal feedback is essential as it provides inspiration and a basis for employees to improve on their weaknesses as they judge themselves. To avoid such issues, the human resource group at Zappos should always issue a formal feedback. Over time, there are many signs that can be seen in an employee that fits into the corporate culture of Zappos. One of the signs of a character that fits the culture is the subordination of personal interest to organizational interest. Additionally, such an employee will be motivated and satisfied with their job. On the contrary, an employee that does not match the corporate culture of Zappos will be less concerned about organizational interests and will usually be a poor performer whose job is characterized by non-punctuality, and less formality.

U.S economiy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

U.S economiy - Term Paper Example Discussion Price instabilities have also been a common feature in the housing sector of the country as caused by such factors as poor government policies and the periodic boom and bust cycles in the economy. The current prevailing housing model therefore suffers over stretching by the need to address the raising instabilities within prices of the house facilities. The model is characterized of adverse shortages, which has passed on the effect even to the social rented housing facilities besides having implications to the private sector of housing market. The private sector therefore suffers shortage and fails to meet the ever-increasing housing needs for the surging population. In fact, according to a report on WSJ by Timiraos, the market of houses has seen a rise in the last years and this is currently witnessed by very high prices today (Timiraos, para 1). Over years, the governments in the international scene have been subjects of discussion in their role in intervening in the hou sing market with critical analysis of the same revealing different arguments. The supporters of the initiatives of government in policy to intervene in the housing market cite accompanying benefits while the critics question the authority and benefits resultant from such interventions. Concerns raised in the past have cited government’s intervention to lead to undesirable outcomes in the end as compared to the little benefits that are accrued to specific target groups/persons. Governments intervene in the housing market through different mechanisms, which include offering subsidies to the developers, injecting credit facilities into the market to support potential homebuyers to access the required amounts as well as through designing and implementation of government policies to address the issue. Besides the introduction of ‘temporal home purchase’ credit facilities within the economy, the government equally uses policy tools for asymmetric tax treatment of renta l houses as well as to owner occupied housing. However, the application of these different policy instruments has accompanying advantages as well as disadvantages in the overall outcome to the economy. Intervention in the US has often focused on lowering or operating the house prices in order to target the majority residents who are potential homeowners but due to financial constraints, they are not in a position. Many questions therefore arise on the implications and strategic necessity to have the government intervene in the housing sector. Questions revolve around the implications of the intervention in that government intervention would alter the free market price balance while on the other hand; intervention would reduce the risk of price crash in the housing market. Recession has the potential to decline the consumer wealth as well as negative equity in the sector (Dougherty, Timiraos and Shah, para 1). Moreover, the intervention by the government has the capacity to reduce th e price volatility of houses which if not addressed has the potential to lead to a price crash within the economy. The critics reasons that house price fall have no empirical justification to cause recession within the economy. This therefore refutes the position by the arguments of the supporter of government intervention to reduce the risks of price recession. According to the critics, government intervention would not lead to control of price volatility, which is likely

The Difference between Statutory and Common Law Offences Essay

The Difference between Statutory and Common Law Offences - Essay Example The essay "The Difference between Statutory and Common Law Offences" discusses the aspects of the difference between statutory and common law offenses. It has elaborated on how the latter has been created and how they can change. It has given a layman’s meaning to precedent and other legal terms important in the context of criminal and civil laws.Common law is the principles of law applied by the royal court's common practices and customs in England. Statutory laws, on the other hand, are laws governed by statute or acts of the legislature. The former is developed over a long period of time which derives its authorities solely from the usage and custom in England. The latter follows a public process or brought into effect when an Act of Parliament gives authority or approval for it to be made. In addition, it has recognized offenses such as abduction, arson, assault, bigamy, contempt of court, obstructing the course of justice, extortion, forgery, fraud, high treason, murder a nd much more. Furthermore, it has attributed greatly to statutory law. Therefore, this law is important in any legal system because it is made by people who are representatives of the people. Some first English law examples are Statute of Pardons 1504, Statute of Proclamations 1539. Today, they are more known as acts example Military Lands Act 1892 UK. In reiterating the above, common law crimes were created from what English society considered as morally wrong to their practices and customs.

The Reasons Why the US Congress Should Not Authorize an Attack on Syri Essay

The Reasons Why the US Congress Should Not Authorize an Attack on Syria - Essay Example As a part of this struggle, long established governments in Egypt, Yemen and Libya were overthrown with the help of public support and protest. The case of Libya and Syria however, is relatively different because both Libya as well as Syria witnessed a feared armed conflict between the government forces and the rebels. The Libyan government of Gadhafi was overthrown with the help from the strikes of UK under the umbrella of Nato wherein other European countries such as France also contributed to the strikes. The case of Syria however, is relatively different as, despite the fearsome battles between the government forces and the rebels, Bashar Al-Asad’s government is still intact and was largely successful in withstanding the challenge of the rebellion. The human rights violation, however, warrants the question of whether the US should invade Syria or not topple the government of Asad. This paper will argue that the US should not invade Syria. The issue of Syria is not as simple as it may seem as it involves many other international stakeholders with direct interests in Syria. Syria is home to Hezbollah, the militant group with an extremist ideology against Israel and US. Hezb has publically declared Israel as its enemy and even went on to win a limited war against Israel. (Curry) An invasion of Syria may result in a chain reaction of events in which global players may be involved and a new war may erupt between the superpowers of the world. With Israel living in the proximity of Syria, it may be extremely dangerous for the US to actually invade Syria. Besides, Syria has made some bold claims of invading the US or its allies and interests and the possible retaliation by Syria with the help of its allies may have been relatively costlier for the US in the long run. Over the period of time, US Government was unable to maintain a single stance on the issue of Syria and invading it. US President, as well as the Secretary of State, have changed their statements regarding the overall plan of US to topple Asad’s government.  

Elements of the Marketing Mix Essay Example for Free

Elements of the Marketing Mix Essay This case will study describe the elements of the marketing mix. These four elements include product, place, price and promotion. This paper will include a description of how an organization’s marketing strategy is affected by the four elements of the marketing mix. Another aspect that this paper will include is a description of how each element is implemented in the company. One more topic that this paper will describe is the organizations name and industry in which it exists. The marketing mix is defined as a mixture of several ideas and plans followed by a marketing representative to promote a particular product or brand. Several concepts and ideas are combined together to formulate final strategies helpful in making a brand popular amongst the masses to form the marketing mix (Marketing Mix Meaning and Its Elements, n.d.). The elements of the marketing mix are often called the four P’s of marketing (Perreault, Cannon, McCarthy, 2011). First, Product is defined as goods that are manufactured by organizations for the consumer. Products can be two types, tangible and intangible. A product in a market place is something which a seller sells to the buyers in exchange for money. Price is defined as the money which a buyer pays for a product. The price of a product is indirectly proportional to its availability in the market. If a product is not readily available then the price goes up (Marketing Mix Meaning and Its Elements, n.d.). Place refers to the location where the products are available and can be sold or purchased. Here one is exposed to a physical building, or store, or one can purchase items on the internet. Finally, the fourth element is promotion. Promotion refers to the various strategies and ideas implemented by the marketers to make the consumer aware of their product (Marketing Mix Meaning and Its Elements, n.d.). Today’s market is huge and there is an abundant variety of products available. Frito Lay is a multi-national  corporation that is predominantly in the salty snack business. Frito Lay aims its market strategy at both the mass market and target markets alike. This food driven company does have some strengths such as its renowned reliability, high quality control and markets its product as convenient fun foods. The products that Frito Lay generates have consumers in mind that particularly buy snack foods as a leisure item. Their packing and branding is targeting a consumer that wants to snack on the go or during lunch with a sandwich. With this in mind, the organizations marketing strategy uses all four of the marketing mix very well. Frito Lay sells a wide variety of chips form Ruffles to Lays, Cheetos to Doritos and Tostitos to Funyions. These products satisfy many customers’ needs for fun snacking. In the Product element, packaging is also very important when keeping the consumer satisfied. Bright colors are used to catch the eye when they design the bags that carry all of their brands. In the Place element, the product is highly visible in that one can purchase said items and every convenience store in the marketplace. Not only is the product in just about every UDS store but in vending machines and supermarkets. The channel of distribution is very important to deliver these products to the consumer and Frito Lay has an excellent distribution system in place. The third element, Promotion, targets new customers and retaining current customers. Many people have heard the phrase â€Å"no one can eat just one.† This catch phrase was designed for Lays potato chips and hasn’t been used in years, but just about everybody has heard that. That is advertising at its finest. The use of mass selling techniques has been advantageous to Frito Lay. The fourth â€Å"P† is Price and that obviously plays an important part in Frito’s model. Frito Lays strategy is to stay competitive with other salty snack manufacturers and their price points. Their target price is also directed at young adults and children. Each element in the marketing mix is used very well by Frito Lay. The products that this corporation sells to the consumer vary from salty snacks to cookies and even beef jerky. Frito Lay guarantees freshness for its product and delivers a price point that is competitive to just about any consumer. In the channels of distribution process it is important to get a food item to the retailer in a timely manner as the food item can spoil. The freshness guarantee that Frito Lay offers dictates that the salty snack has a shelf life of about a month for most products and the  products need to be removed from the shelves if they do not sell. Because of this model, the delivery system promotes efficiency when sold and distributed to each retailer. Promotions are huge with Frito Lay as they spend millions for point of sale coupons and retail discounts. Not only is there retail push for sales but Frito Lay spends millions on advertising. Advertising can be seen in standard commercials to big budget commercials during super bowl ads. These methods of communication are geared at mass selling and are very effective. Finally, the Price element is important to Frito Lay as the market price for materials goes up so does the price of their products. To circumvent these price hikes, Frito Lay will lower the content volume in the bag and not raise the price. In other instances, they will raise the price by ten cents and remove the price on the bag for a short period of time. The idea is to trick the consumer into believing the price is the same. In all the instances, Frito Lay has a business model that is very effective and has endured for many years. By understanding the similarities and differences between these elements one can understand how a corporation uses the marketing mix to their advantage. The four elements are critical to understand the very nature of the consumer and the retailer. This case study shows that it is important to understand the marketing mix business model as it pertains everyone and final user. References Marketing Mix Meaning and its Elements. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://managementstudyguide.com/marketing-mix.htm Perreault, W. D., Cannon, J. P., McCarthy, J. (2011). Basic Marketing. A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collectioon database.

Issues of the Development of Brownfield Sites

Issues of the Development of Brownfield Sites Introduction: Brownfield land, or previously developed land (PDL), â€Å" is that which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure.† This is the definition given in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) Housing, by the British Government, however in the United States the definition has been notably tweaked over time. The US Environment Protection Agency in 1997 quoted brownfields as being â€Å" abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination.† This description was however updated in 2002 to become â€Å" real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or re-use of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.† The development of brownfield sites has been an area of great debate and discussion for many years. There are numerous issues surrounding their re-use from almost every viewpoint. Developers have historically been reluctant and unenthusiastic to make use of them for any new planned schemes for a variety of reasons. There can be great costs associated with the cleanup of a brownfield site depending on its previous employment. Further to this, legislation held every past and present owner of brownfield property completely responsible for any pollution or contamination to nearby people or property thereby presenting a large risk for potential developers. As time has passed by, non-built-up space available for construction of any type of buildings has diminished and therefore the Governments of most countries have made policies in a bid to control over-expansion and prevent urban sprawl. Clearly this has an impact on brownfield sites and their usage or potential regeneration. Another important area that warrants discussion is what has been termed as ‘sustainable development defined as, â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainable development has become an objective which Governments throughout the world strive for. It is the core principal underpinning planning and aims to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and in the future. Poor planning can lead to run-down town centres, unsafe and dilapidated housing, and the loss of countryside. (HMG, PPS 1 Delivering Sustainable Development, 2005) Governmental policies are often introduced, altered or even eradicated depending on the state of the economy. A recent example is the reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) carried out by the Government in the United Kingdom (UK) which was an attempt to try to limit the effects of recession by putting extra money in the pockets of consumers. Brownfield land can be affected in many ways by changes to existing economic policies and particularly planning legislation and guidelines, for example, they were brought very much more in to the spotlight with the establishment and enforcement of greenbelt land. This said, it is not just directly linked policies that can influence brownfields. The Government has five main economic goals and land use impacts on a number of these main goal areas particularly the protection of the environment, economic growth and unemployment. Research Question: The purpose of the project is to explore the issues surrounding brownfield sites for developers and the Government alike; including the incentives and support they offer, as well as restrictions they must adhere to or can receive. Further aims are to develop a deep understanding of land use focussing on brownfield land, the necessity for its redevelopment and consequences if it is left deserted and barren. The question itself centres on how the Government aims to encourage and drive new development towards brownfield sites or PDL, and whether the policies, legislation, and guidelines they introduce or modify are accomplishing this. Aims and Objectives: To investigate the current regulations, guidelines and policies regarding the re-use of brownfield or previously developed land. To understand whether these measures are strong enough to encourage the use of brownfield or previously developed land, and study their effectiveness. To discover whether the quantity of brownfield land being redeveloped has risen since these regulations and incentives have been in place. To examine the major issues and obstacles hindering the re-use of brownfield land. Research Methodology: This chapter describes the method of data collection and gives reasons why these methods were chosen. The research encompassed three different means of data collection. Documentation, journals and book research. A case study method of research. A question based interview with a property professional. Documents, books and journals from the Government, professional bodies, public libraries and the internet will be reviewed as data sources. These will offer official information on policies or guidelines as well as help to analyse the findings from case studies and the questionnaire. Documentation in this form will help to present reliable, certified and unbiased information on brownfield redevelopment in general and further helpful information. This information will include Government reports, policy statements on the environment and planning, incentive plans, consulting reports of sites carried out by professional bodies, as well as market research and statistics. Through studying this data the researcher will be able to gain an in depth understanding of the regulations surrounding brownfields and their redevelopment, but also more detailed knowledge and comprehension of the many aspects involved. A case study method of research, involving two large scale developments, was decided upon as a reflection of the redevelopment process of a brownfield site. These will give an insight from the beginning all through the various stages to the final new usage being carried out upon the site. It will be possible to measure the success of brownfield redevelopment, primarily it will be successful purely if there is a new use for the site rather than if no redevelopment occurred at all, and it lay derelict. Brownfield redevelopment is a complicated economic, social and environmental phenomenon requiring a close and in-depth study. Further to these studies a questionnaire interviews conducted with developers for property investment and development companies, to gain a developers viewpoint on the subject of brownfield redevelopment. Five professionals were contacted and asked for their opinions on the issue. The answers to important questions on the subject will help determine the current outlook on new development projects and whether professionals are still looking at greenfields. Literature Review: Definition of Brownfield Land/Sites Brownfield sites are found in former industrial, commercial and residential areas normally in cities, however many are also found in older suburbs or small towns. (Greenberg M et al, 2001) Often Brownfield sites can be traced through economic history and the evolution of industrial areas. The industrial revolution caused great heavy industrial development in certain areas across the UK; they located around transport links including rivers, the canal network and railways. As time passed, after the wars, deindustrialisation and industry decentralisation occurred and therefore the old factories and some housing became obsolete, leaving Brownfield sites often in central city zones. The Increased Importance of Brownfields For a long time Brownfield sites were not a major concern for Governments worldwide, they were just derelict or abandoned sites, eyesores, waiting for new owners and uses. â€Å"In the 1990s business and community leaders began to see the successful redevelopment of brownfields as a major policy issue.† (Gorman H S, 2003) Brownfield sites are increasingly important as space is not a multiplying entity; furthermore with planning controls now restricting certain land to remain as open space, land for new development opportunities is harder and harder to come by. Brownfields offer a great alternative development option to Greenbelt (or open space) development. As one of the Governments goals, protection of the environment implies the idea of trying to retain as much open space as possible, as well as preventing urban sprawl. Furthermore in its continued aim for sustainable development, open space is highly important, as well as ensuring new development schemes are energy efficient and as non-detrimental as possible to the environment. One of the central policies to endorse these objectives and impact on brownfield re-use is the introduction of green belts (or green belt land) around settlements where planning permission is extremely hard to gain for any proposed construction. The first official proposal to retain open spaces around developments and provide open space came as early as 1935 made by the Greater London Regional Planning Committee. Since then the codification of greenbelt land and its extension to areas other than London occurred in 1955, with the control policies still remaining valid today. (HMG 2001, PPG2 Green Belts) Green belts now cover approximately 1,556,000 hectares or about 12% of land in England. In PPG2 Green Belts the Government sets out guidelines on the re-use of buildings or sites on green belt land, but there are more strict controls and expansion or extension is almost impossible as it would conflict with the openness of the land. This said there is at a willingness to consider schemes on what is protected, heavily regulated land when all said and done. Overview of Governmental Intervention In the United States the Government there have what is called a ‘smart growth policy which is â€Å"centered on Brownfield redevelopment it directs legislation, dollars, and governments moral powers toward attracting developers and individual investors, non-profit organizations, and community groups to neighbourhoods with underutilized or abandoned properties rather than to pristine Greenfields.† (Greenberg M et al, 2001) As this highlights, by the use of legislation and cash incentives the Government can influence development towards Brownfield sites. The UK Government did not have the same style of strategy under one name like this ‘smart growth policy, but instead had many directives covered under areas such as planning, housing provision targets, fiscal incentives and sustainable development. They have since with the help of research and studies conducted from and by other organisations, designed a ‘national brownfield strategy. Government Targets Since the late 1990s the Government has endeavoured to reach the target set that 60% of new housing in the UK is to be built upon previously developed land. (HMG, PPS3, 2006) â€Å"With our new policies in place, we expect local planning authorities to be able to raise the national proportion of new homes to be built on previously developed land to 60 per cent over the next 10 years.† (John Prescott, House of Commons Debate, 23rd Feb 1998) After this aim was announced, there was great debate over whether it was achievable. It was, and continues to be a high target and therefore measures needed to be taken to ensure its fulfilment. In 1999 Friends of the Earth claimed that the goal was attainable but only if central Government provided more guidance and assistance to local planning authorities, particularly in the case of clean up policy for contaminated land. (Environmental Data Interactive Exchange, 1999) The Government has also set targets for the number of new homes, and al so their, and non-domestic buildings energy efficiency in a movement towards sustainable development. In 2007, Gordon Brown made housing a priority and promised 2 million new homes by 2016, and 3 million by 2020 with a further clause that homes built from 2016 onwards would be zero carbon. (HMG, 2007, Building A Greener Future: Policy Statement) At Budget 2008 strict targets for carbon emissions were set on non-domestic buildings when the Government announced its ambition that all new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon from 2019. (HMG, 2008) Measures to Influence Development towards Redevelopment of Brownfield or PDL At Budget 2001, the UK Government stated: â€Å"The Government wants to improve the confidence of owners and investors to bring contaminated land back into productive use and assist with the costs of doing so. Budget 2001 introduces a 150 per cent accelerated payable tax credit for owners and investors for the costs they incur in cleaning up contaminated sites. This is part of the Land Remediation Relief (LRR) incentive, contained within the Urban White Paper, November 2000, and introduced in 2001. These measures make the development of these sites more viable, helping to tackle the legacy of previous industrial uses and reduce the pressure to develop Greenfield sites.† The LRR introduced the 150 per cent tax incentive as well as bringing in the possibility for companies to elect that capital expenditure on qualifying land remediation expenditure is allowed as a deduction in computing its profits. Furthermore companies can opt to receive a payable tax credit in exchange for an y qualifying land remediation loss surrendered to the Exchequer the rate of the payable tax credit being 16 per cent of the loss surrendered. The credit is restricted however to the lesser of 16 per cent of the uplifted expenditure or 16 per cent of the companys unrelieved loss for the period. (HMG, Urban White Paper, 2000) It is fair to suggest that the Government is following up on the original policies made and the concerns expressed by Friends of The Earth. Primarily, the LRR has been updated and in doing so planning controls and incentives enhanced. There has also been action taken by the use of surveys and reports completed and recommendations made to the Government. ‘Tax incentives for development of brownfield land: a consultation is a document produced in March 2007, and illustrates the two fiscal, tax incentives the Government has introduced to promote brownfield regeneration. The document is ‘a consultation in which the Government proposes the removal of one of the tax breaks, but the enhancement of the other. The two forms of fiscal incentive offered are firstly an accelerated 150% tax credit which helps with costs incurred in the cleanup of the site. The second measure is landfill tax exemption, introduced in 1996 when landfill tax began. Landfill tax is a tax on the disposal of waste collected by landfill site operators, aimed to encourage waste producers to produce less waste. There are some exemptions, and the one particularly relevant to brownfield regeneration is that which relates to waste arising from the cleanup of contaminated land. It was intended to ensure that landfill tax does not act as a barrier to developing contaminated land. When the relief was introduced in 1996 there were few alternatives to dealing with contaminated land other than landfill, however as time has passed new technologies have emerged, making on site decontamination the preferred option. It is the Governments belief that on site decontamination is the better solution due to the high environmental impacts of landfill itself and its demand for space, the harm to the environment caused by the transportation of this waste, and the securing of recycling materials. These ‘costs to the environment as the Government explains are necessary to consider in the same way as PDL itself. Another area mentioned is that the regulatory environment has changed since 1996, and has altered how waste is handled and regulated considerably. Since October 2007 all waste has had to be treated before it is sent to landfill, and liquid waste has been banned from landfill sites. In 2005 the ‘Hazardous Waste Directive applied increased controls to hazardous waste resulting in the prices for it to be taken as landfill rising sharply, and the paper points out that landfill tax would now only be a small proportion of the overall costs of sending hazardous waste to landfill. Also in this document the Government expresses a desire to update and amend policies if necessary pointing out that all measures taken must be monitored and possibly altered to ensure maximum compliance and success. â€Å"The Government remains committed to these aims and to the continuation of the relief, but after 6 years of operation it is time to consider how the scope and take up of the relief can be improved to help it more efficiently deliver the objectives set out in 2001.† (HMG, Tax incentives for development of brownfield land: a consultation, 2007) It is important that the necessity to potentially alter regulations, incentives or policies to guarantee the best results is acknowledged by the Government, as it shows a willingness to be proactive and manage the issue. Further to this report however the Government carried out its proposed changes to the existing LRR. In the 2008 ‘Pre-Budget Report there are some separations made between PDL itself, and alterations to the conditions of relief given. It is stated that legislation would be introduced in the ‘Finance Bill 2009 extending LRR to cover expenditure on remediating long term derelict land if the land has been derelict since 1st April 1998. Additionally the land will only qualify if the land was already derelict when acquired by the claimant, and moreover a list of qualifying expenditure is published. â€Å"The relief will be available on specified expenditure. The qualifying costs are expenditure on the removal of: post-tensioned concrete heavyweight construction; foundations of buildings or other structures or machinery bases; reinforced concrete pilecaps; reinforced concrete basements; or underground pipes or other apparatus for the supply of electricity, gas,water or telecommunication services or for drainage or sewerage.† (HMG, 2008, Pre-Budget Report) Towards a National Brownfield Strategy In September 2003, English Partnerships produced an advisory document to the deputy Prime Minister having been appointed as special adviser to the Government on brownfield issues. They intended to compose a comprehensive National Strategy for brownfield land. In their report, English Partnerships express a very significant detail that brownfield, or PDL, continues to be created, stimulated by economic and social factors and that a key challenge is to ensure the pace of reuse exceeds the pace of new creation of this land. Their concern is that it is an on-going issue and requires far more than just refocusing new schemes, but to address the subject of this newly created brownfield land. A further chief observation made is that PDL must be differentiated between. There are marked differences, some sites have no need for encouraging policies or legislation to be made for developers to appreciate a new use and realise the profit of carrying out their new planned schemes, these are described as ‘self resolving. There may be little to no time between when the site becomes obsolete, or unused, and then is regenerated in to something different or merely updated. This could be land currently in use, but which once redeveloped may have a higher value, and therefore more commercial value. These sites naturally therefore may be called ‘commercially attractive sites. Fairly evidently the report then distinguishes between ‘marginally viable and ‘non-viable sites, which are reasonably self explanatory, in that they lack attraction to developers due to clean up and preparation costs exceeding potential profits in the latter, or only offering a small profit in the former. Finally ‘non-development sites are explained as being suitable only for ‘soft or amenity use, with their values severely reduced and not necessarily related to the costs of bringing them back in to use. Here more than just the financial returns must be considered, the social costs and benefits are principal and are difficult for the private sector to take in to consideration, overall implying a clear role for the public sector, in more than just a policy making manner, but as a regenerator itself. (Towards A National Brownfield Strategy, English Partnerships, 2003) Government Response to English Partnerships The Government responded to the recommendations made by English Partnerships, with a number of policy creations and claim to be â€Å"successfully encouraging the re-use of more brownfield sites reducing pressure for development on greenfield land.† (HMG, Securing the Future Supply of Brownfield Land, 2008) English Partnerships made nine policy recommendations in their submission to the Government and all of nine of these were accepted in the Governments response, several of which were confirmed in the ‘Housing Green Paper Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable, 2007. This Green paper emphasised the necessity for local authorities â€Å"to prioritise brownfield land in their plans and to take stronger action to bring more brownfield land back in to use.† (Syms P, Land Remediation Yearbook, 2008) This document claims that around three quarters of new development takes place on brownfield land compared to less than 60% ten years ago in 1998. Furthermore a year on year reduction in derelict and/or vacant brownfield land is highly promising and hence the stock of this land is diminishing. This relates back to a concern raised by English Partnerships, about the continuing problem of PDL, its growth as land becomes naturally derelict or unused, and the necessity to address this. A Developers Considerations and Perspective: The prime concern for any private developer and their company is unashamedly profit maximisation, and the amount of time before that profit is realized. (Ratcliffe J, Stubbs M, 1996) The property development industry is risky which is why there are both high levels of profit and loss that can occur to developers. Risk carries great significance for the developer of any scheme, and can be the factor that decides whether to pursue the intended development or shelve the plans all together. The process of property development can be split in to a five stage process according to John Ratcliffe and Michael Stubbs, they write that from the initial idea to the disposal of the property at the end, the stages can be divided thus: Concept and initial consideration Site appraisal and feasibility study Detailed design and evaluation Contract and construction Marketing, management and disposal (Ratcliffe J, Stubbs M, Urban Planning and Real Estate Development, 1996) Developers and Brownfield Land Brownfield land varies greatly in its character in terms of size, location and the severity of contamination, while the constant and only common consideration for the developer is profit. The same point can be stressed about greenfield or greenbelt land too although realistically only in terms of size and physical characteristics, and not contamination severity. There are of course a number of other considerations; planning regulations and whether permission will be granted carry great importance, as the project may have to be altered due to planning constraints. The second stage of property development, ‘site appraisal and feasibility study as called by Ratcliffe and Stubbs, during which the developer must research the land thoroughly weighing up its credentials. At this stage the brownfield site or PDL may be rejected on the basis of infeasibility in the developers eyes. This rejection may lead to a different site needing to be considered and utilized, or a change in the scale or intended use of the proposal. When deliberating where to construct their new planned and profitable scheme, the obvious, most simple and least time consuming option, would be a greenfield site. There would have been no previous uses of the site, apart from perhaps agricultural, and highly unlikely a use that would have contaminated the site and thereby demand high clean up costs, or demolition of previous structures. Greenfield sites are very often on land of sole ownership making the task of purchasing the land far more straightforward, than having to trace and, or, consolidate ownership to bring together the parcel of land required and desired for the project. Case Studies: This chapter introduces the case studies of brownfield regeneration that has occurred and relating the projects to some of the measures taken by the Government to encourage development of brownfield sites or PDL. Norwich Riverside Re-development The Norwich Riverside development is a fine example of a successful project on contaminated brownfield land. It is a large site very near to the city centre, and was the largest and most significant site that had become available for redevelopment for years. Therefore it was highly important the best possible use was made of the opportunity. Historical Context The site was originally industrially used, it was close to both the railway and river providing good transport and supply links. As long ago as the early 20th Century the firm Boulten and Paul had located their ironmongers on the site, making many things from agricultural tools to aircraft during the war periods. By the mid 1980s however, owing to deindustrialisation, many of the industrial uses had declined or ceased operations and the majority of the site had become vacant and derelict. Other uses included the Harrington oil and gas works and timber yards were also present. Another user of the site was British Rail and their sidings were too left unused and derelict, leaving the site looking forlorn and unsightly. (David Simmonds Consultancy, 2004, Sargent P, A Place in History) The Site The site itself is large in size, 17 hectares or 42 acres, and is located south east of Norwich city centre on the banks of the river Wensum next to the railway station and Norwich City football club. Due to its previous heavy industrial use, it was highly contaminated and carried a tidal flood risk, therefore much work was necessary to rectify these issues. The site did not have good access either both by road, and for pedestrians and cyclists. The New Development The site was seen to provide an opportunity for major expansion of the city centre which was an aim of Norwich City Council (NCC) as their desire was to attract ‘shed style retailing and limit the shift to ‘out of town. The completed scheme today is mixed use offering residential, in the form of 224 housing units combining town houses and flats most of which with secure parking. There is also a 15% allocation of affordable housing. In terms of retail, there is a food superstore, Morrisons, and 7 other retail units; Boots the chemist, JD Sports, Argos, Mamas and Papas, JJB Sports and Going Places Travel. A further 2 units with service operations, Big Yellow Self Storage Company and STS Holburn Tyre Centre are also present. There are leisure facilities provisions as well with a 14 screen UCI multiplex cinema, a bowling alley (Hollywood Bowl), nightclubs (Square, Brannigans and Time), restaurants (Frankie and Benny, Nandos, Pizza Hut, Old Orleans), bars (Wetherspoons, Norweg ian Blue), and a health club (Fitness Exchange). A major swimming and recreation centre which was particularly important to the council that it be incorporated, as there was a need for this in a central location. (riversidecentrenorwich.co.uk) 1800 car parking spaces including a new six-storey park with 740 spaces provide sufficient car parking for both leisure development and rail users. The railway station itself has been remodelled to integrate in to the adjacent project. New access links with a new inner ring road, as well as pedestrian and cycle connections to the historic King street area. â€Å"Riverside now represents a new quarter that compliments the city centre in accordance with recent Government planning policy guidelines, in a location with existing public transport infrastructure improved by a new interchange for buses, taxis and cyclists.† (David Simmonds Consultancy, 2004) Redevelopment Issues There were a number of serious concerns and questions raised with the major scale redevelopment of Norwich Riverside, from infrastructure issues to planning necessities and development obligations. In 1994 the council first started work with local stakeholders and potential developers designing new planning guidelines for the regeneration of the site, but it was not until 1999 that the first phase of construction was completed. The council had originally assessed the development potential of the site in 1987 after the closure of Boulten and Paul, and their plans envisaged a fine-grain redevelopment of mixed use. Due to these problems with the site, it became well known within the countrys development industry as a difficult project with a significant commercial and investment risk which logically acted as a barrier to attracting backing. Part of the delay, and bearing a great significance to the research question of this project, was that the council were attempting to use the redevelopment of Riverside as a major part of regenerating the city centre and providing services that were previously lacking. Naturally this objective brought with it some major development obligations for the scheme to provide. One such target was to supply a new swimming pool and recreation centre as this was lacking in a city centre location. A very well designed centre was created by Richard Jackson intelligent engineering, and now has a value of  £5.7 million. (Richard Jackson plc, 2009) Further constraints were that the council wished to steer ‘shed style retailing in to this area of the city to rein in the increasing move to ‘out of town shopping becoming prevalent. (Norwich City Council, Riverside development) As is often the case with brownfield redevelopment the site was quite heavily contaminated, evidently this required cleaning up, which was achieved by the use of an innovative soil clean-up method called bio-remediation. Furthermore as mentioned previously, the site was at risk to flooding, and therefore the ground level had to be raised. These are both costly and time consuming processes to complete, over  £5 million was spent remediating the site. Another obstacle that can occur with brownfields and did indeed in this case was serial ownership and the difficulties involved of tracing all owners and forging agreement between them of the intended plans. The Boulten and Paul works were owned by Gazely Properties Ltd having purchased the works after its closure in the 1980s. The railway lands were owned by British Rail Property Board until its privatisation when they were transferred to Railtrack pre Network Rail. These two, Gazely Properties and Railtrack ultimately founded a joint development company on an equal partnership basis. The other land included in the site area was in the possession of NCC. The proposed plan itself for a mix of residential, leisure and ‘shed style retail was acceptable to most members of the local community, some residents rallied against this form of urbanisation due to the aesthetics of the retail not fitting in with the historical city. Despite their efforts however, the council stuck with the plans and agreed that it go ahead as planned with reference to the importance of the food store which would serve the south east of the city. When the site came to ascendancy as a hub