The Effects Of Performing Local Pwht And Considerations

CHAPTER 1 Literature and Previous Work Introduction and Related Research There is a common practice to perform post weld heat treatment when performing alterations or repairs to pressure vessels that have been stress relived prior to being commissioned. This research paper is the study of the consequences of performing local PWHT and considerations that need to be taken when determining what type of stress relieving is to be performed to meet code requirements. Post weld heat treatment is an effective way to minimize weld residual stresses in pressure vessels and piping equipment. PWHT is a required for carbon steels above a code defined thickness threshold and other lo-allow steels to mitigate the propensity for crack initiation and ultimately, brittle fracture, and is often employed to mitigate stress corrosion cracking due to environmental conditions. Performing local PWHT following component repairs or alterations is often more practical and cost effective than heat treating an entire vessel or a large portion of the pressure boundary. Spot or bul ls eye configurations are often employed in industry to perform PWHT following local weld repairs to regions of the pressure boundary. Both the ASME Boiler and Pressure vessel code and the National Board inspection code permit the use of local PWHT around nozzles or other pressure boundary repairs or alterations. Additionally, welding research council bulletin 452 offers detailed guidance relating to local PWHT and

Revision For Final Paper On Technology - 1295 Words

Revision for final paper Technology grows by leaps and bounds every day but there are people that refuse to use it or embrace it. It has become a part of everyday life, from using a microwave to heat a bowl of oatmeal to using a cell phone to see where a friend is. Some people are afraid of technology because it is either too difficult to understand, they fear that they won’t be able to keep up with the growing changes and advancements, or there is a fear of an invasion of privacy. Technology seems to change faster than most can keep pace with even simple tasks like writing letters has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Twenty years ago, the postal system was the most common way for people to communicate through writing.†¦show more content†¦However, people still fear technology and yet it has become easier to use. The cause of this fear may come from past negative experiences with technology or computers and can influence other parts of their lives and have reluctant behavior towards all other technology assisted issues in society. When the experience in using technology is low, skills usually are also low and the willingness to learn even more or become a better user is low. People like this can develop negative attitudes towards technology and the behavior they can exhibit can be sometimes called technophobic. Fear of change, fear of time commitment, fear of appearing incompetent, fear of techno lingo, fear of techno failure, fear of not knowing where to start, fear of being married to bad choices, fear of having to move backward to go forward, fear of rejection or reprisals, are all parts of technophobia. According to research by T.I. Mitzner, et. al. (2012, p. 1717) discovered that adults disliked technology because of increase mental effort in using technology, like a computer, or having to carry around a cell phone. This same research showed that these devices can be an inconvenience and cause disruptions in daily life. Frustration and anxiety are known to be part of the computer user’s life; almost all users at some point feel themselves frustrated. Frustration causes

Knowledge Essay Example For Students

Knowledge Essay Instructions:- Read the following questions carefully and make your choice. Introduction to Marketing Research True/False Questions 1. Boeing commissioned Harris Interactive, Inc. to conduct a study to determine the aircraft preferences of fliers. Boeing did this because they understood the importance of continuously monitoring the dynamic marketplace and understanding the needs and priorities of Boeing customers. -TRUE 2. Informative capitalizes on the need for â€Å"recent† marketing research by providing clients with data on a weekly basis. FALSE 3. Toyota conducted a secret market research project code-named Genesis which led to the development of the Scion line of cars. FALSE 4. The Scion line of cars was advertised through traditional channels such as network television and magazines. -TRUE 5. Quick-Track ® is a syndicated market research project conducted quarterly to track key consumer behavioral and attitudinal measures for all major fast food and pizza chains in i ndividual markets. -FALSE 6. Marketing research is the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, dissemination, and use of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems (and opportunities) in marketing. TRUE 7. Marketing research is classified into two areas—problem identification and problem solving research. -FALSE 8. Sales analysis research is a type of problem solving research. -FALSE 9. Once a problem or opportunity has been identified, market potential research is undertaken to arrive at a solution. TRUE 10. Problem identification research provides information about the marketing environment and helps diagnose a problem. -TRUE 11. The findings of problem solving research are used in making decisions that will solve specific marketing problems. -TRUE 12. In the Kellogg’s example given in your text, as a result of problem-solving research, Kellogg’s found out that it was not being creative in introducing new products to meet the needs of the adult market. -FALSE 13. The task of marketing research is to assess the information needs and provide management with relevant, accurate, reliable, cheap, and current information. TRUE 14. Marketing management decisions are complicated by interactions between the uncontrollable marketing variables and the uncontrollable environmental factors. -TRUE 15. Marketing researchers are becoming more involved in decision making, whereas marketing managers are not becoming more involved with research. -FALSE 16. Effective competitive intelligence is a continuous process involving the legal and ethical collection of information, analysis that avoids unwelcome conclusions, and controlled dissemination of actionable intelligence to decision makers. FALSE 7. It is best to do marketing research even if the resources are not available to conduct a quality project. TRUE 18. If a firm lacks the resources to implement the findings arising from marketing research, spending the resources to conduct the research may not be warranted. -TRUE 19. Marketing research suppliers can be classified as internal or external. TRUE 20. Field service organizations are limited service suppliers that specialize in interviewing or specialize in collecting data through the mail or though personal or telephone interviewing. TRUE 21. Analytical services include designing and pre-testing questionnaires, determining the best means of collecting data, designing sampling plans, and conducting statistical analysis of quantitative data. TRUE 22. Coding and data entry services are full service companies whose primary service offering is their expertise in converting completed surveys or interviews into a usable database for conducting statistical analysis. FALSE 23. Branded marketing research products and services are specialized problem identification, data collection and analysis procedures developed to address specific types of marketing research problems. These procedures are patented, given brand names, and marketed like any other branded products. TRUE 24. Operational supervisor, project manager, research director, analyst, and statistician/data processing specialist are all positions in the marketing research field. FALSE 25. More information can be obtained from MIS than from ad hoc marketing research projects, but MIS is limited in the amount and nature of information it provides and the way this information can be used by the decision maker. TRUE 26. DSS differs from MIS in that the DSS is more rigidly structured than the MIS. TRUE 27. When conducting international research, the environment prevailing in the countries, cultural units, or international markets that are being researched, influences the way the six steps of the marketing research process should be performed. TRUE 28. International marketing research is much simpler to conduct than domestic research. FALSE 29. Companies that base their business on the Web do not have international marketing problems . FALSE 30. International marketing research is expected to grow at a faster rate than domestic research. TRUE 1. Most marketing research is conducted for clients representing commercial firms. TRUE 32. Ethical issues arise when the interests of the stakeholders are in conflict and when one or more of the stakeholders are lacking in their responsibilities. TRUE 33. Marketing research has often been described as having three stakeholders. FALSE SUBMITTED BY : vibhav kumar gupta PGDM II nd SEMESTER Section a

Pop Music and Boy Bands free essay sample

The themes of pop music also help to make the music accessible, as the songs are often about common experiences that most people will have at some point in their lives: having a romantic interest in someone, falling in love, breaking up, and other experiences associated with love. A pop song that uses this theme is You and l by Lady Gaga. 3. What is disco? What are the characteristics Of this music? A musical genre that developed in the sass was disco. Although disco began outside of mainstream America, it ended up crossing over into mainstream pop music.Mixing soaring vocals with a beat that encouraged dancing, disco became the dance music of the decade. 4. What was the British Invasion? Which famous group was a part of this movement? What impact did the group have on pop music? Another feature of the popular music of the sass was the so-called British invasion. We will write a custom essay sample on Pop Music and Boy Bands or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some of the British bands of the time were modeled on the successful American bands, particularly in the areas of producing recordings and touring to promote the recordings. In the sass, some of these British groups became influential in North America as well.The biggest group of the British Invasion was, of course, the Beetles. While the Beetles sometimes sang about social issues, they also had songs with catchy lyrics and melodies. This would be the centerpiece of pop music through the next several decades. 5. What is a boy band? What are some characteristics of a boy band? These boy bands, such as New Kids on the Block, Boozy II Men, Backstreet Boys, and N Sync, featured between three and six young adult males who typically sang, but did not play instruments. The boy bands of the 1 sass were often created by record companies or talent agencies, and they often had a commercial orientation.A boy bands image was often one of the most important elements of the group, perhaps even more so than the music itself. Almost all aspects of the groups image were carefully controlled, from their dress to even the stereotypes that the group members fit into, such as the bad boy, the baby, and the nice boy. Performances by the boy bands often featured highly choreographed dance routines. Today, the trend of boy bands has continued in groups like the Jonas Brothers. Critical Thinking Questions 1 . Some of the music in the sass was used to protest social and political issues. Is music still used as a form of protest? Why or why not? -Yes because music is still a good way to protest. Lost of people listen to it and if the artist is popular his or her fans will follow suit. 2. One of the changes in the music industry during the twentieth century was the increasing centralization of music. Has music become too commercial? Why or why not? Do you think that artists are creating music for money or for other reasons today? -Yes because that is all you ever hear now. Think more and more artists today are creating music just for the money.

Communism and Joseph McCarthy essays

Communism and Joseph McCarthy essays Senator Joseph McCarthy's actions during the Cold War with the Soviet Union led to a change in American life, and thus it changed the future. Joe McCarthy had a very strong presence, this played an important role in his political life. McCarthy was able to manipulate the media into supporting him and his cause. His tactics of basing his campaign upon the fear people had of Communists was highly effective. McCarthy's accusations against the government of allowing subversive activities and individuals to proceed with their actions against America was highly effective because of the common Communist fear in that particular era. McCarthy's campaign against the Communists in America affected many aspects of American life, and to this day, it has indirect effects on our contemporary society. His continuous campaign to stop Communist beliefs brought about reforms in many aspects of American life; this has made him the subject of a debate of politics and morality that continues even today ( O'Brien, Pg. 107 ). Perhaps McCarthy recklessly attacked innocent people in the midst of it all to grasp some popularity, but what was clear at the time was that he was a moral crusader against the Communists, although, through the whole course of his campaign he failed to produce any names of Communist officials, he capitalized on the hysteria that Americans had because of the Korean War, and encroachments from China and East European countries were imminent. His influences affected many aspects of everyday life, from education to laws established, and even the questioning of basic structural government agencies such as the US Army. Eventually, after the televising of one of his hearings, it was clear that he was reckless in his accusations, and his popular support suffered a major blow. Senator Joseph McCarthy had a great influence on American history because his anti-Communist campaign, along with the hysteria surrounding Communist threats undermined the...

9 Steps to Complete an Extended Essay that Meets All the Demands

9 Steps to Complete an Extended Essay that Meets All the Demands 9 Steps to Complete an Extended Essay that Meets All the Demands At the end of studying, every undergraduate student should write a definite number of academic papers of various origin. Amongst them is an extended essay. One of the most remarkable requirements for this assignment is its length, which makes 4,000 words. It counts towards your future IB Diploma. Accordingly, you cannot skip this assignment if you wish to obtain it. When a student composes an extended essay, he or she should conduct an independent in-depth research or investigation. The length of this academic assignment is terrifying. Nonetheless, it’s not that bad as you might think. Firstly, you should realize that this is a simple essay. It is just larger than commonly. Secondly, you are free to select the topic you wish. This is solely your choice. Therefore, you will not be forced to write on boring or too complicated topics. Remember your previous experience and compose this essay just as many others who have already dealt with. 1. Choose a Topic Correctly Depending on the discipline, you should choose a topic, which would be interesting to you. You have a huge advantage. You select the main theme on your own. See not to miss it! Choose something you enjoy. While making the final decision on your topic, be picky and careful. Your topic is supposed to be interesting but not overused. It should not be too broad or too narrow. Find the middle ground. The too vast theme will involve many sub-questions that might be too difficult to cover. If choosing a too narrow topic, you might get stuck with lack of information and utterly problematic terms of evidence to analyze. 2. Learn All the Demands It goes beyond all doubts that you are obliged to follow strict rules. The violation of any demand will cost you essential grades. Consequently, you should learn and memorize all demands to fulfill them correctly. 3. Prefer the Right Advisor It’s important to choose a suitable advisor. It would be perfect if you find a person who shares your ideas and interests. If you have a lot in common, your academic supervisor will provide you with reasonable solutions to your main issue. Moreover, the right advisor will be constantly encouraging you showing the best way of reasoning, planning, and fulfilling your research. 4. Mind the Outline You ought to be absolutely sure that your essay has a clear structure and flow. It should include the typical major sections – introduction, main body, and conclusion. Every section will require some special attention and heaps of energy. The best way to tackle these sections is to craft a proper outline. Your outline is expected to contain every part of writing. In such a way, you will have a visualization of your steps. You will know how and when to undertake this or that stage. Some students recommend creating a temporary outline because there may take place some changes during the writing process. 5. Express Your Originality Undoubtedly, you should illustrate the fullness of your creativity. You should have something original to say. Your style is restricted to the definite extent. Nonetheless, it’s compromise-free. Your supervisor will expect from you an authentic work. Therefore, everything is in your hands. 6. Write a Temporary Thesis It’s recommended to create a temporary thesis, just like an outline. This is a very long essay, which requires lots of time and efforts. You may dramatically change your final opinion on the researched question at the end of the writing. Therefore, it would be wise to create the thesis statement for a definite period of time. Afterward, you can easily adjust it. 7. Write the Rough Draft It’s essential to begin with a draft. It shouldn’t be perfect. Write it roughly to see the big picture and change it in the correct way afterward. Thus, you will avoid lots of mistakes. 8. Add All Necessary Elements After you write the main parts, add the title page, abstract, contents page, and cited works. Mind that they should be added and written in strict accordance with the assigned format. Afterward, revise your research. Find all errors and drawbacks. Eliminate them or replace. This is when you’ll be done with this complicated extended assignment. At you can buy extended essay online on any topic. Your extended essay will be written from scratch by academic experts.

Describe both the general and specific social conditions that existed Essay

Describe both the general and specific social conditions that existed for Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia, in the 1830s - Essay Example It is also important to consider whether or not the actions of Nat Turner were warranted or not. The aforementioned issues are what would be succinctly discussed in this paper. It was actually the horrors of the American slavery during the nineteenth century that triggered the rebellion of Nat Turner and his cohorts. It was the anguish that was caused by the alarming increase in the death of African Americans and the annihilation of slave families that triggered the actions of Nat Turner and his followers into conducting what could be described as a rather violent revolt. However, Nat Turner was regarded as a religious fanatic and this could also have precipitated his violent actions in the revolt against the white slave owners. It was due to Nat Turner’s religious zealousness that he was not apologetic in his confession when he was tried in a court in Southampton County (Oates 176-178). killing of his master and his family was unwarranted in any way. The manner at which Nat Turner conducted his rebellion gives one the impression that he was violent in nature. Nat Turner and his accomplices slaughtered defenseless women, children and babies during the revolt (Oates 101-104). It was due to Nat Turner’s rather careless approach to the issue of slavery that thwarted the abolishment of slavery in the South and made the movement to abolish slavery to lose its grounds in the South. It was after Nat Turner’s revolt that white legislatures from the South imposed austere laws on slaves in the South. It was due to the violent nature of Nat Turner’s led rebellion that it is described as one of the most bloody revolt in the history of the United States of America, a situation that led to the death of about seventy whites and over two hundred blacks. One would be forced to ask, what did Nat Turner gain from this rebellion? If the blacks he sought to free wer e actually massacred more than the white oppressors as the case may be (Oates). Thus, the legacy of Nat

Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Groups and Teams - Essay Example well as respective roles and leaders, there was no one who took into account the need to monitor the progress of performance of the project on a regular basis. This included ensuring that members were well informed in meetings and attend, as required. Due to the lack of consensus in assigning tasks, as well as respective roles and leaders, there was no one who took into account the need to monitor the progress of performance of the project on a regular basis. This included ensuring that members were well informed in meetings and attend, as required. According to Tuckmans five stages of group development, conflict occurs as the second stage after the orientation phase in ordinary groups. Compare the two groups in respect to the conflict process that took place in each using the Tuckmans as a framework. As noted by Borkman (1996), Team A’s conflict existed both at the beginning and at the end of the project. The conflict at the beginning of the project allegedly emerged as a result of the Too Nice Syndrome, especially when roles and responsibilities were not appropriately established. In addition, the presumption that All Talk would lead the members also caused eventual conflict when he eventually left the group and the rest of the members had to conceptualize another project in lieu of that which was suggested by All Talk. This is consistent with Tuckman’s stages of group development which asserted that â€Å"although conflicts may or may not surface as group issues, they do exist. Questions will arise about who is going to be responsible for what, what the rules are, what the reward system is, and what criteria for evaluation are. These reflect conflicts over leadership, structure, power, and authority† (5 Stages of Group Development, n.d., p. 1). Likewise, towards the end of the project it was pointed out that the inability of the three isolates to contribute to the project would eventually render them kicked-out. As such, some form of conflict in verbal

Pros and Cons of Large Universities Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Large Universities Essay University, as stated in The Oxford Dictionary, is an educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning. Like any other institution, it may be categorized as either good or bad depending on its level of excellence, how well it prepares its students for the working environment, etc. These defining factors and other essential components, determine whether a certain university is a worthy place to go to school. Thus, based on these defining features, it can be said that Florida State is an exceptional institution to attend college. As previously mentioned, Florida State University is a wonderful place to attend college, as it is considered one of the best research universities in Florida. For instance, unlike some universities, it provides students with the facilities to experiment in the laboratory and gain firsthand experiences in analyzing and understanding their field of interest. That is, it grants students the opportunity to apply what they learn in class to real life situations, thus enabling a greater understanding of their field of interest. It also enables them to think independently and critically rather than solely memorizing the information taught to them. In addition to the above, FSU consists of many libraries such as Dirac, and Strozier, which conveniently house an extensive collection of books and research papers. These libraries are the homes of many tutors and professors who are there specifically to help students in reinforcing the subject matter learned. These tutoring sessions are free of charge, and allows for personalized attention outside of the classroom. Furthermore, Florida State also provides its pupils with an opportunity to study abroad for one semester. This program is advantageous as it gives students the ability to interact with new cultures and assess their way of life. It helps them to become well rounded individuals capable of looking beyond the surface, and also allows for personal, intellectual and spiritual development. Last but not least, FSU is a great school because it provides a communal environment whereby people of different cultures can interact and share their ideals, values, and beliefs. It allows them to actively participate in activities that encourage a relationship between people of different ethnicities, and engages students to utilize the knowledge they obtain to make informed judgments. Nevertheless, like any other institution, Florida State University has its disadvantages. One such disadvantage would be the sizes of the classroom. For instance, many classes range from a student body of 200-300. This can prove disadvantageous because there is less student-teacher interaction and fewer opportunities for students to grasp the information being taught. Also, the out-of-state tuition for students, who are not residents of Florida, may prove to be very costly. Lastly, some professors have little regard for their students’ progression and are focused solely on their area of research. In conclusion, despite these disadvantages, Florida State is a great place to attend college because it is one of the best research universities in Florida. Additionally, it strives to educate its pupils to become well rounded individuals-capable of asserting themselves beyond their field of interest, as well as provides them with many opportunities to grow both spiritually and mentally.

frogs :: essays research papers

Frogs are usually small animals that have smooth, moist skin, bulging eyes, and external eardrums behind the eyes; the adults lack a tail. Frogs have long hind legs, and most species can take long leaps. Many species also have webbed feet, making them excellent swimmers. Most frogs, especially males, are quite vocal. As the frog forces air through the voice box, or larynx, the vocal cords vibrate to make calls distinctive of its species. A much louder sound is produced by the males of species that possess vocal sacs, which swell enormously when the frog calls to attract a mate. The frog's tongue is attached at the front of the mouth instead of at the rear, and it is covered with a sticky substance, making it an efficient trap. Like most amphibians, most frogs pass through a free-living fishlike larval stage before undergoing true metamorphosis into adult frogs. Many of these frogs lay their eggs in water, although some lay their eggs on vegetation above the water, in wet places on land, or even on the back of one of the parents. The breeding season varies according to species and geographic region but often coincides with heavy spring or summer rains. Tadpoles have gills and a tail, and most feed on algae and other vegetation, although a few are carnivorous and may even feed on their siblings. As tadpoles mature, the tail is absorbed, lungs develop, the gills disappear, legs appear, and the adult frog form is established. Some frogs, especially in the tropics, do not go through a larval phase; these frogs lay eggs, usually in damp places out of water, that hatch directly into froglets. Behavior Frogs live in a variety of habitats, but most prefer moist regions. Although they are air breathers, frogs can stay underwater for long periods, and they can breathe through the skin. Tree frogs are adapted for tree living; other frogs are permanently aquatic; still others spend most of their lives in underground burrows, coming up only to feed or breed.

Library system Essay

Chapter I Introduction The world of Information Technology transformed and made the life of human beings easier through the innovation of different machines and software applications. Faster and reliable sources have been offered by search engines which are all over the web. But even though this is the case, many schools and universities are still requiring their students to use library materials in their researches and school works. From the statement of purpose, the compute’rized library system: meeting information needs of the people of Saint Michael College of Caraga, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. Our proposed system, the Saint Michael College of Caraga Library Management System, is a system wherein there is no need of manual library transactions. This will carry out different processes such as searching books, keep records of the books, borrowing of books and return of books. Hence, at present, Saint Michael College of Caraga is maintaining the School Library in a manual basis. Handling bulky records in a manual method is very difficult. And the process of updating could not be done easily and  accurately. Likewise, a manual procedure of handling bulky record is very slow and is prone to manual errors. Consequently, it is proposed that Saint Michael College of Caraga shall maintain an electronic data base management system (DBMS) for the purpose of maintaining the records of the School Library for easy, fast and accurate processing and maintenance of these records that will enhance management decisions and for the improvement of its services to all the stakeholders of Saint Michael College of Caraga. Library is regarded as the brain of any institute; many institutes understand the importance of the library to the growth of the institute and their esteem users (students). Library Management System of Saint Michael College of Caraga supports the general requirement of the library like acquisition, cataloguing, circulation that offers many flexible and convenient features, allowing librarians and library users to maximize time and efficiency. Library System gives the all detailed information about students, staff and books. It will track on the how many books available in library and books issued to the students. It shows popular book among the students. It will provide book lost in library. It keeps the record of the suppliers and book binders. It generates MIS reports for management. Our software is customizable for any library requirement. In this chapter we take opportunity to consider changes in the library services, not in terms of minor, short term change in equilibrium of the sort just noted above, but in longer term. There has been continuing concern about the future of the libraries. Given the extent to which the provision used and the libraries are influenced by the social environment, and given possibilities by the use of new information technology; it would be unreasonable to expect libraries to remain static. But if not, what would be the nature of the change? The issue is not whether there is a change but what will be the change. If we are to make a claim to understand the nature of library services, the surely we ought to have notions, some forecasts, about how library system might change. Purpose and Description In setting up a library, one aspect that should be considered, what are the resources the library has and what are the ways to provide a better service to the students? Well, one of the easiest ways is having a system to  organize all the transactions in the library. A library system is software that will handle basic and systematic organization of function in the library. The system would provide basic set of features to add/update student’s information, add/update books information, search for books and manage check-in/check-out processes. In this application we can maintain the records of students and books and enable to determine how many books are issued and likewise determine the available books in the library. The proposed library system will greatly improve the efficiency of the school library. This study has the following hypothesis: The profiles of the respondents taken are their names, Student ID Number, Year and Course, and Title and Author of the Book Borrowed. The manual system is very time consuming, inconvenient when it comes to recording, organizing and retrieving borrower’s record in the log book. There are few solutions but many a times, we â€Å"making them works† by finding â€Å"ways to work around† system inadequacies. Moreover we have limited staff resources, these â€Å"work around† waste time, effort, and skills that should be spent on user services. solutions do not keep up with the technological changes and hence prove to be time wasters. Library Management system is a small footprint software suitable for personal /individual Libraries. You can store the information about the books and other material and control the movement of the same. Silent Features †¢ Control the movement of books and other material and avoid losing the same. †¢ Search if you have a specific book in your collection based on t he title, author etc. †¢ Print the spine labels for the book. †¢ Find what a specific person has borrowed from you. Objectives The main objective of the application is to automate the existing system of manually maintain the records of the Book Issue, Book Return from the student, Stock Maintenance, and Book Search to be computerized. And to develop a database which stores user details and book details, give reliable search facility for the user, create an easy to understand user friendly environment. So the Book Issue, Return, Searching will be faster. This  application can be used by any Library to automate the process of manually maintaining the records related to the subject of maintaining the stock and Book Issues. The general objective of this study is to design and develop a library system that will serve as a proposal to help librarians save time with the automation of its daily operation. Specific Objectives: To computerize records keeping of books; To allow librarians to retrieve complete information of the book and its borrowers. To check the availability of the books and penalties. To search, issue and return of books. It can only be utilized by the librarian Scope and Limitation The study only focuses on the Information Technology Library Management System of Saint Michael College of Caraga. Without computers, as some libraries are, all of them are dependent on paper work. When compared to computerized systems, data backup and data retrieval systems are inefficient and labor intensive. Users of a paper based system become almost wholly reliant on the librarians, for all levels of service, whether they are enquiries about existing books, inter-library loans, or the availability of books. There is additionally no real involvement of a user in the entire process. The transactions that the system accommodates are the attendance of every student that enter the library, book registration and deletion, updating book information and searching thesis references, Borrowing of books, and keeping the record of transaction. Review of Related Literature This chapter contains the relevant outline of literatures related to the study of Library system. This study composed of programming languages, Database and Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is used in the system. This system would be used by members who may be students or professors of that University to check the availability of the books and borrow the books using automated device, and by the librarian to update the databases. The purpose of this document is to analyze and elaborate on the high-level needs and  features of the Library Management System. It focuses on the capabilities and facilities provided by a Library. The details of what all are the needs of the Library Management System and if it fulfils these needs are detailed in the use-case and supplementary specifications. Automated book monitoring system helps to reduce the effect of entering the wrong quantity and the amount of staff time devoted to repetitive activities. Related Studies According to ACRL (1994) suggested that institution should be prepared to utilized new technologies for accessing information as they are developed. This is why operating the library operations is quite a welcome idea. According to Jeff Kaplan (05/08/2007 A new generation of automated network management software and services is helping in-house staff address this challenge. These let network professionals establish regular patch-management procedures to safeguard against escalating security threats; and create system monitoring routines to identify load imbalances, which could cause service disruptions or performance problems. They also discover, inventory and track assets to make sure that hardware and software licenses are up-to-date and that problems can be resolved faster. According to Voustin Sweere (Aug.2001) Nowadays every book keeping system used in practice is automated. Most book keeping software an integrated information system are based on database. In this paper, we develop a conceptual book keeping model which is not based on manual techniques, but which is applicable in database environment. Technical Background In this chapter, it provides an overview of all the overall system design, features and functionalities. The system is design to implement a computerize library management system in Saint Michael College of Caraga. This system consists of one user, the administrator. The administrator can  access the system by having first the login security which they have to input his/her user name and password. Once the inputted username and password did not match, the required/registered information it displays â€Å"Invalid Username and Password†. If the username and password match the registered information, the next form will display depending on the role of the administrator.

Inustry Competitor Analysis-Casino Hotel

Executive Summary The center of our industry and competitor analysis research is MGM Mirage, the second largest casino hotel operator in the world with $7. 2 billion in revenues in 2008. The only company that surpasses MGM Mirage by revenue and scale is Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. with $10. 8 billion in revenues in 2008. Other competitors that should be considered are Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd with respectively $1. 7 and almost $1 billion in revenues in 2008. Our group focused on researching the degree of threat and the likely future competitive moves that Harrah’s Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands Corp. nd Wynn Resorts Ltd will undertake in short (next 3-6 months) and long term (next 1-3 years). In order to be able to consider the competitors’ degree of threat and future moves we completed a pair-wise two-step competitor analysis that included research and comparison of market commonality, competitive asymmetry, resource similarity, intentions, bel iefs, relative resource differences, past moves, and counter moves for all abovementioned competitors versus MGM Mirage. After the completion of our research, we concluded that presently, MGM Mirage is in a direct competition with only one of its competitors-Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. The other two competitors, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd, do not represent a direct threat to MGM at the moment; however, their strategic moves should not be overlooked, because of their similar product offerings, geographic expansion plans and targeted consumer base. In order for MGM Mirage to be ahead of its competition, the company should focus not only on geographic expansion in US, but also on international expansion including through cooperative arrangements with other industry players, improved operational efficiency to minimize costs and technological advancement to maximize revenue. Focal Firm MGM Mirage, the focus of our research, is one of the leading companies in the casino hotels industry. The firm emerged from the consolidation between MGM Grand and Mirage Resorts in 2000. Some of its most recognized brands are MGM Grand, Luxor, Bellagio, and The Mirage. The company became the largest by revenue within its category after acquiring Mandalay Resort Group for $7. 9 billion in 2005, however was surpassed by Harrah’s after the acquisition of Caesars. The firm owns 16 properties in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, and Macau, China. MGM acts mainly as a holding company and the majority of its operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiaries1. MGM’s strategy is to develop and maintain its competitive advantage through strong portfolio of resorts; â€Å"in-house† resorts operations to ensure outstanding customer service and to allow for maximum revenue and profit generation; execution of sustainable growth strategy; and leverage of brand name and management assets1. The time line of our research study is 2008-2011. The company owns, invests, and manages resorts in different market segments and it focuses on premier resort ownership in each geographic market. The largest segment is Nevada; however, the company is looking as well for new markets with growth potential. Some of the risks associated with the current strategy are linked to limitations in geographic diversifications-all major resorts are concentrated in Las Vegas and some of MGM’s largest competitors operate in the same geographic area. MGM’s revenue for 2008 was $7. 2 billion. Competitors The world’s largest competitor in the casino hotel industry Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. founded in 1937 in Reno, NV. The company owns, operates, and manages over 50 casinos in US and UK in different industry sectors. Its operations include casino hotels, riverboat casinos, Indian casinos etc. This firm, as well as other major competitors in the industry, expands primarily through mergers and acquisitions. A recent example of this strategic behavior was Harrah’s acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, which made the company the largest one in the world by revenue, followed by MGM Mirage. In 2008, two private firms – Apollo Advisors and TPG Capital, acquired Harrah’s. Since the beginning of 2009, the company has had some major difficulties with revenue generation. The firm’s facilities boast more than 3 million sq. ft. of casino space and 39,000 hotel rooms and suites. The company obtains more than 70% of its revenues from gambling. Its US properties are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Harrah's also owns and operates the World Series of Poker tournament and brand, and manages casinos on Indian reservations. Globally, the firm owns or manages casinos in UK, Egypt, South Africa, and Macau, China. The company’s revenue for 2007 was $10. 8 billion. Las Vegas Sands Corp. founded in 1988 is another well known company that operates in casino hotels and development niche. It is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of its well known brands are The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, The Palazzo Resort–Hotel–Casinos, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and Venetian Macao Limited, a developer of multiple casino hotel resort properties in Macao, China. The company is expanding further with the opening of Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2009. The firm’s revenue for 2008 was $1. 7billion. Wynn Resorts Ltd was formed in 2002 by a former Mirage Resorts chairman and CEO Stephen Wynn. The company has two casinos in Las Vegas-â€Å"Wynn Las Vegas† and â€Å"Encore at Wynn Las Vegas†; one in Macau, China and another one, scheduled for completion in 2010, in Macau, China. Wynn Resorts’ revenue for 2008 was a little less than $1 billion. Industry predictions for future attractiveness and implications for MGM Mirage; Research question The casino hotel industry is sensitive to changes in the consumers’ disposable income; domestic and international travel volume; proximity to consumer base; as well as government regulations. The total gross revenue from gambling was $90. 9 billion in US in 2006-an increase of 7. 7% in comparison with the previous year. In 2009, the Casino Hotels industry is estimated to generate $42,324 million in revenue. The competition in the industry is very high and will probably continue to increase. Around 95% of casino visitors are local2. The casino hotel industry is in its mature life cycle stage. The industry shows signs of slow revenue growth. Lower profits triggered consolidations in the mid 2000’s amongst the major industry players- Harrah's merged with Caesars and MGM merged with Mandalay. These two players account for a third of the total industry revenue. Due to the saturation in the domestic market, some of the large industry operators are expanding internationally, mainly to UK and China, which further increases the competition in these countries. The downturn in the economy will most likely lead to continuous slow growth in the near future. The industry structure has shown that with high barriers to entry, moderate rivalry that is limited to 4-5 main competitors, and limited bargaining power of buyers, near-term profitability should be obtainable. There are growing negative social, political, and economic forces that will additionally impact the growth aspects of the industry. Approximately 70% of industry growth is related to these external forces, while 30% of industry growth is related to changes in industry structure. The negative consequences of the external driving forces outweigh the positive consequences of the industry structure. MGM Mirage accounts for approximately 14% of the total market capitalization of the industry and 15% of the total industry revenues and it will most likely follow the industry trends during the next one to three years. Therefore, the casino hotel industry appears unattractive for MGM Mirage. Keeping in mind these industry and competitor characteristics our group focused on researching the degree of threat and the likely future competitive moves that Harrah’s Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands Corp. nd Wynn Resorts Ltd will undertake in short (next 3-6 months) and long term (next 1-3 years). Pair-Wise Two-Step Competitor Analysis Model A pair-wise two-step competitor analysis model was utilized in order to understand and analyze MGM Mirage and its competitors’ future moves. The model consists of researching and evaluating the following aspects of rivals comp ared to the focal firm: market commonality, competitive asymmetry, resource similarity, intentions, beliefs, relative resource differences, past moves, and viable counter moves. The model provides a comprehensive understanding of the focal firm, the focal firm’s competitors, the rivals intentions, and facilities the extrapolation of feasible strategies for the focal firm (See Figure 1) 3. The first step of the model is to identify the degree of threat a competitor poses to the focal firm by defining the competitors and evaluating the focal firm and each one of the competitors as a pair in terms of market commonality, competitive asymmetry, and resource similarity. Competitors are identified as â€Å"firms operating in the same industry offering similar products and targeting similar customers†4. Competitors in this evaluation are limited to Casino Hotels, NAICS code 72112, which are classified by the US Census Bureau as an â€Å"industry that consists of establishments primarily engaged in providing short-term lodging in hotel facilities with a casino on the premises. The casino on premises includes table wagering games and may include other gambling activities, such as slot machines and sports betting†. Market commonality is defined as â€Å"the degree of presence that a competitor manifests in the markets its overlaps with the focal firm (multi-market competition)†5. Throughout this analysis, geographic regions as well as product types or offerings percentage contribution to gross revenue are utilized to analyze market commonality. Resource similarity is defined as â€Å"the extent to which a given competitor possesses strategic endowments comparable in terms of both the type and the amount to those of the focal firm (value chain)†6. The primary resources utilized to contrast organizations engaged in the Casino Hotels industry are financial strength, image, brand, product offerings, number of years in operation, number of casinos, and expansion plans. Identifying resource similarity of competitors is crucial because firms with analogous resources tend to implement comparable strategies, possess similar strengths, and suffer from similar weaknesses. The final phase of the first step in the competitor analysis model is to explore competitive asymmetry, which defines â€Å"What are the differences in market share across markets? Who has more market power? Where? †7 Competitive asymmetry helps to rank the degree of threat of competitor to the focal firm. The second step of the model consists of deriving competitor’s future moves and strategy from the information compiled in step one and their beliefs, intentions, and past strategic moves. Competitor’s beliefs consist of beliefs about their organization’s position in the market, the industry prospective, the focal firm, and the organization’s mission. Competitor’s beliefs provide a window into their intentions. The second phase is to infer competitor’s intentions such as primary objective, target market, attitude towards risk, and ownership objectives. The model used to analyze MGM Mirage’s competitors focused on debt to determine attitude towards risk, expansion focus to determine target market, and brand image to determine ownership intent. In order to reinforce the inferences made about a competitor beliefs and intentions, a timeline of the competitors past strategic actions are analyzed. Past actions of a competitor consist of changes in pricing model, product mix, promotions, and target market. In addition to the competitor’s past actions, the duration, frequency, and reason for past actions require additional analysis. Implementing the pair-wise two-step competitor analysis model provides estimations about a rivals future moves, when the moves will occur, how a rival will respond to the focal firm’s strategic moves, and what types of strategic moves to which the competitor is vulnerable. Understanding the focal firm’s competitors and their competitor’s future strategies and responses can be used to provide the focal firm with an edge in creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Methodology The group first looked to identify our research objectives, which primarily consisted of identifying the competitors to MGM Mirage who operate Hotel Casinos, analyzing the competitors using the pair-wise two-step model of competitive advantage to predict future strategies that would create a competitive advantage for the focal firm. Secondary research was conducted to determine the extent of research on consumer attitudes towards gaming, consumer demand for gaming, gaming consumer demographics, gaming statistics, and information pertaining to competitors of MGM Mirage who operate Hotel Casinos. A plethora of information was available on these topics from individual publications to industry overviews, and even more recently a casino hotel study, which helped to lay the foundation. Secondary research helped to focus the research questions and to provide general information about U. S. gaming consumers. The U. S. Census Bureau provided information and classification codes to help narrow down the research and potential competitors. Secondary data consisting of annual reports, public filings, news articles, business publications, analyst projections, and industry associations provided a magnitude of statistics and information. Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. Overview Harrah’s Entertainment is the world’s largest casino operator. The firm has long history and operates more than 50 casino hotel and golf facilities around the world. It went public in 1971. In 2008 the firm went private after its acquisition by Apollo Advisors and TPG Capital. It has more than 85000 employees and it focuses on first class facilities, services, operational efficiency, and technology leadership. Intentions Harrah’s intention is to be the number one or two casino operator in almost every major market in the US. The company is living up to their intention. There are only two major domestic markets where the company is noticeably absent Colorado and Detroit. In 2008, Harrah’s purchased Casino Windsor and rebranded it as Caesars Windsor. Although Windsor, Canada is across the river from Detroit, the company does not consider it to be part of the Detroit market. Harrah’s vision statement states the company strives for â€Å"each of our brands to be the overwhelming first choice for casino entertainment of its targeted customers†8. This statement suggests the company is committed to the entire brand portfolio and that brands are not used to merely fill the gap between price points. The statement also suggests the company is not satisfied with being the first choice but strives to be the overwhelming first choice. Harrah’s intentions are focused on the company being the best in the industry. Beliefs Harrah’s believes that their â€Å"differentiated and highly efficient business model provides competitive advantage†9. The company describes their strategy as a circular flow chart in which a strong brand portfolio builds customer loyalty which the company uses their decision science capabilities to further improve their brand portfolio thereby repeating the process. Harrah’s believes this business model will lead to same store gaming revenue growth and cross-market play. Harrah’s also believes their recent cost cutting initiative will provide tremendous operating leverage once revenue growth returns. The majority of the cost cuts have been in labor and benefits followed by marketing. Since Harrah’s was taken private, the company has substantially improved productivity. The company believes similar operational excellence will repeat itself in their recent cost cutting initiative. Past moves, countermoves, and timing Harrah’s has almost never been a first-mover to a new market. The firm did not enter Las Vegas until 1980, about 43 years after opening their first casino in Reno, Nevada. Even then, Harrah’s did not enter the market on its own. The firm gained a Las Vegas property when the company was acquired by Holiday Inns, which already owned a property in Las Vegas. In a similar sequence, Harrah’s entered also late to Atlantic City and was nudged into the market by their parent company, Holiday Inns. It was actually MGM Mirage that first proposed to build a property in Atlantic City in 1979. Despite having blueprints, the MGM Mirage property was never built, which opened the door for Harrah’s to enter Atlantic City a year later with a Holiday Inns project. In 1992, Holiday Corporation spun off their casino business from their hotel business and it wasn’t until 1995 that the casino segment was renamed Harrah’s Entertainment. Again, Harrah’s was a second-mover in another market. This time it was the international market. Harrah’s opened their first international property in New Zealand, almost a full year after MGM Mirage purchased their first international property in nearby Australia. More recently, Harrah’s has continued to take a conservative approach to international development with their wait-and-see attitude with regards to Macau, China and Singapore, the two regions driving international efforts at other casino operators. Harrah’s has even followed quickly behind MGM Mirage in acquisitions. In June 2004, MGM Mirage announced the purchase of Mandalay Bay for $7. 9billion. Not to be outdone, a month later, Harrah’s announced the purchase of Caesars Entertainment $9. 4billlion. The past actions of Harrah’s suggest the company will not be the first into new a market. Relative resource position As the largest and most diverse casino operator, Harrah’s has greater resources relative to MGM Mirage. Based on total assets, Harrah’s is nearly a third larger than MGM Mirage. Harrah’s operates 56 properties in 6 countries where as MGM Mirage operates 20 properties, all but the company’s Macau property are located in the US. Despite being larger in total size, the size of each of Harrah’s properties is considerably smaller than each of MGM Mirage’s properties. 10(See Figure 2) Harrah’s also has the industry’s leading customer loyalty program alled Total Rewards. Total Rewards allows players to earn cash, comps, and other benefits for playing at the company’s casinos. There are over 40 million members in the program and the company tracks approximately 80% of all gambling. Approximately 45% of all tracked play is cross-market play (guests who visit more than one Harrah’s property)11. The company considers the Total Rewards program â€Å"the engine† to generate same store gaming revenue growth and cross-market play through superior marketing and technological capabilities12 . The information in their customer database allows Harrah’s to profit by allowing them to monitor the play of all members and to focus marketing efforts on the highest return uses. Total Rewards benefits Harrah’s by driving revenue, optimizing costs, and maximizing profitability. Predictions Short-term In the short-term, Harrah’s actions will be determined by their financial position. Currently, Harrah’s has a large debt overhang, which will reduce the amount of further debt the company is willing and able to take on. Harrah’s is not expected to make big capital spending projects however; the company will remain focused on their intention of being the number one or two casino operator in almost every major market in the US (See figure 4). Harrah’s is predicted to increase non-gaming revenue by utilizing information gleaned from their Total Rewards program. As mentioned earlier, the Total Rewards program is one of the company’s largest relative resource advantages. In terms of product mix, Harrah’s has one of the lowest percentages of non-casino revenue to gross revenue of the four major casino operators. When further analyzing non-casino revenue, one will notice that Harrah’s has the lowest percentages of Entertainment, Retail, & Other revenue to gross revenue. The firm can use the Total Rewards Program to increase the non casino revenue mix. Its members will use their cards at stores, restaurants, and events in a manner similar to how they scan their cards while gambling. Harrah’s can encourage them to start scanning their cards at places other than the slot machine or the blackjack tables by providing discounts on purchases. Harrah’s could also count retail points in a method similar to the metrics used for gambling points like time spent gambling, amount wagered, etc. This information would show which restaurants, shops, or events are truly desirable to their customers and it could be mined from the Total Rewards database. Since the majority of Harrah’s customers are local, this strategy would not be a national strategy it should be tailored to specific properties (See Figure 3). Additionally, Harrah’s will seek a partner to continue construction on their Margaritaville property in Biloxi, Mississippi. The property is a $700 million project, which already includes the singer-songwriter and Mississippi native, Jimmy Buffett, as a partner13. Plans for the project were first announced in 2007 and a year later, the company announced construction will be delayed citing a poor economic environment. The primary reason for the desire for an additional partner is due to mounting financial costs but a partner should also provide experience in property construction and development, an area where Harrah’s is relatively inexperienced due to their focus on growth through acquisitions. Harrah’s should continue construction on the property because the economies of Gulf Coast region have held up relatively well due to higher reliance on the energy industry, which has benefitted from rising energy prices in the past year or so and is predicted to do well in the near future. Harrah’s has reaffirmed their commitment to the project and has received interest from prospective partners. Moreover, Harrah’s should continue with its regional expansion as legislation and financing permits. The past actions of the industry indicate that casino operators enter a state immediately after legislation allows slot machines and video table games like poker and blackjack. Once casino operators establish a presence in new markets, they strongly lobby for expansion of operations, which is typically successful in permitting full casino operations including table games. This sequence has recently repeated itself in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Indiana. It is predicted the next states will be Ohio, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Harrah’s already has a presence in Ohio when they purchased a bankrupt, horse-racetrack outside of Cleveland earlier this year. Since a bill was just passed in Ohio to allow slots, we believe Harrah’s will start to add slot machines to their new property outside of Cleveland. In repetition of the usual sequence, legislation was recently proposed to allow four full-service casinos in Ohio. This domestic expansion strategy will not risk cannibalizing sales from their other properties because the typical Harrah’s customer is local and the company does not have any properties east of Indiana except for Atlantic City and outside of Philadelphia. Long-term In contrast to short-term strategies based on domestic projects, Harrah’s is predicted to focus on international efforts in the long-term. During the past four years (2004-2008), the US casino and gaming sector experienced compound annual growth of 3. 7%, which includes a growth rate of -1. 3% in 2008 and is on pace for a decline of 8. 4% for 200914. Estimates of future growth are not very optimistic either. Growth is not anticipated to occur until 2011 at which time, it is expected to be gradual. Over the next 5 years (2010-2014), the domestic industry is estimated to grow at an annual rate of 4. %15. On the other hand, international growth has been much greater and is anticipated to continue. During the same year period (2004-2008), the international casino and segment industry experienced a compound annual growth rate of 7. 0%. Recent performance has also been strong including growth of 6. 2% in 2008. Future international estimates include a compound annual growth rate of 5. 8% from 2008-201316. Harrah’s will focus internationally given the attractive growth opportunities. As the figures suggest, growth in the casino industry is anticipated to be in the international market. Harrah’s has relatively lower percentage of gross revenue derived from outside of the US, only 10%, versus their three largest competitors who average 48%. Harrah’s actions acknowledge a focus on international expansion. A month ago, Harrah’s hired Peter Murphy, an executive from Disney, to oversee strategy and development because of his international efforts at Disney. One of the first areas Murphy will be asked to expand will be Macau, China, which passed Las Vegas as the largest casino gambling region in 2007. Harrah’s is also predicted to partner with a casino operator that already holds a gaming license in Macau. Currently only six operators have gaming licenses in Macau including Las Vegas Sands, Wynn, Galaxy Entertainment, Melco Crown Entertainment, STDM, and a partnership between MGM Mirage and Chinese casino mogul, Pansy Ho. It is most likely that Harrah’s will partner with Melco Crown Entertainment (Melco). Melco is an Australian-based company that focuses on the mid-market customer like Harrah’s. Harrah’s first international expansion effort in 1996 was in nearby New Zealand. Despite not having a gaming license, Harrah’s already has a presence in Macau. The company owns a 5-star golf center, which includes a golf school led by Butch Harmon, the number one golf instructor in the US. Perhaps more importantly is the land Harrah’s owns in Macau, including the 175 acres of their golf center. The location of the land is also beneficial as it is adjacent to one of only two bridges into Macau from China. Earlier this year, Michael Chen, Harrah’s Asia president, said, â€Å"as the largest gaming operator in the world, we have an interest in the largest gaming market in the world†17. Harrah’s is also predicted to develop online gaming operations for the UK market. Harrah’s, along with MGM Mirage, are the two largest proponents to legalize online gambling. Earlier this year, Harrah’s established a subsidiary in Montreal to formulate an online gaming strategy. Mitch Garber, the former CEO of online gambling giant PartyGaming, was selected to lead the operation. Despite being headquartered in Montreal, Garber’s hometown, the UK market is the most probable future market. Also in the past couple of months, online gaming was approved in the UK. Harrah’s is familiar with the brick-and-mortar casino operations in the UK as well. In 2006, the company acquired the London Clubs International. Establishing online gambling operations in other countries may also provide inroads to the online gambling in the US. As mentioned earlier, Harrah’s is a strong proponent of legalizing online gambling and has been lobbying to have legislation introduced. Harrah’s lobbying efforts appear to have started to bear fruit based on the introduction of a bill that proposes that online gambling be legalized and regulated in the US by Representative Barney Frank18. Additionally, Harrah’s will acquire The Lodge Casino and Hotel outside of Denver. This move is consistent with Harrah’s intention to be the number one or two casino operator in almost every major market in the US. In 1991, casino gambling was legalized in Colorado. Harrah’s entered this market with two casinos in 1993 through Eagle Gaming, which Harrah’s owned 1/6th. In 1996, Harrah’s sold the Colorado properties due to limited growth and uncertainty about taxes. Except for Isle of Capri, a $33M market cap company, no major casino operator has operations in the Colorado market. Most large casino operators are hesitant to enter this market because bets are limited to $5. Harrah’s focus on slot machines and low-rollers will suggest that the company will reenter the market. Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) History Las Vegas Sands is a casino resort company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the world's leading casino based company with a market capitalization of 9. 72 billion as of August 2009. At one point in 2007, it had a market capitalization of $43. 7 billion, making its majority shareholder, Sheldon Adelson, one of the world's richest men. The company owns and operates The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino, and the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem(TM) in Eastern Pennsylvania. It also owns and operates The Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel and the Sands Macao in the People's Republic of China (PRC) Special Administrative Region of Macau. In addition, LVS owns the Four Seasons Hotel Macao and is also developing the Marina Bay Sands(TM) integrated resort in Singapore. Furthermore, LVS is developing the Cotai Strip(R), a master-planned evelopment of resort-casino properties in Macau. At completion, the Cotai Strip will feature approximately 21000 rooms from world-renowned hotel brands such as St. Regis, Sheraton, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, Raffles, Holiday Inn, and InterContinental. While the company's flagship property, The Venetian, is in Las Vegas, less than a third of LVS' total revenues came from Las Vegas by 2008. Macao gamin g industry revenues increased every year for a decade until 2007 and then fell in 2008. In January 2009, the revenues had dropped more than 30% from their levels in January 2008. Nevertheless, Las Vegas Sands’ three Macao properties generated 69. 6% of total revenues during 2008. After incurring a net loss of $164 million in 2008, LVS has set aside $3 billion in cash reserves as a cushion for its debt obligations. Perspectives The company's primary business objective is to provide a premium destination casino resort experience in order to drive superior returns on invested capital and to increase asset value. To achieve this objective, the company operates a â€Å"must-see† destination resort at a premier location in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. LVS captures premium room rates through a differentiated superior all-suites product. It drives hotel occupancy and casino utilization through the link to the Expo Center and the Congress Center. LVS caters to a higher-budget customer mix by offering a unique combination of assets and facilities. The firm leverages the casino resort's premium co-branding strategy to drive revenues and targets premium gaming customers. Culture of Las Vegas Sands (Big risks and big rewards) Experienced Las Vegas operators have historically been richly rewarded for taking big risks. For example, Adelson, LVS Chairman and CEO, constructed the $105 million Sands Expo & Convention Center in 1990-the largest privately owned building of its kind in the country. When it opened critics viewed it as a foolhardy expenditure for a gambling town that had a publicly funded convention center. With the $1. 5 billion Venetian, which opened in 1999 next door to the Sands convention center, Adelson raised the stakes, betting that his flourishing trade show business could fill an upscale megaresort. He lured convention goers to the Venetian with bigger rooms and more hotel amenities, charging top room rates. Adelson proved to be a big risk taker and a big winner. He eventually refinanced the property and paid down the expensive loans, making the 4,049-room Venetian that opened a 1,000-room hotel expansion in 2003, one of the most profitable casinos of all time. By making piles of money on hotel rooms, Adelson helped redefine a business that had focused on gambling revenue at the expense of other amenities. His success at the Venetian was imitated by competitors such as Mandalay Resort Group, now part of MGM Mirage, which opened a 1. -million-square-foot convention center in Mandalay Bay in 2003. The convention business, a big part of the Strip’s growth after 2001, has helped to maintain high room rates in Las Vegas during traditionally slower periods creating year-round demand. Las Vegas Sands was once the envy of Wall Street. In fall 2007, with seemingly unlimited growth prospects in Macau, which was the most lucrative gambling market in the world, the company’s share pric e reached $150. Shortly after that, the company market value plummeted more than 90 percent. Some industry analysts argue that LVS executives played a key role in the financial decline, pushing ahead efforts to dominate the Macau gambling market and stretching the company thin, even as indicators showed that credit was drying up and tourism was faltering. Operations in Asia (Recreating the Las Vegas Strip in Asia) Macau, a semi-autonomous province of China, began welcoming Western casino operators in 2002 in an effort to rise above its roots as a seedy gambling den and broaden the region’s appeal to Asian tourists with Las Vegas-style resorts. Las Vegas Sands was the first Western company to open a casino in Macau, in 2004. The early bet paid off. The company recouped its $240 million Sands Macau construction budget within a year of the opening. The casino, which has more than 600 table games yet fewer than 300 hotel rooms, primarily offered to Chinese gamblers for free, gained a foothold ahead of the resorts that followed. The company appears to be performing respectably in desperate times, including achieving 92 percent capacity at the Venetian and 95 percent at Palazzo, at rates of more than $200 a night in quarter three of 2004. The Venetian Macau attracted a record 6. 6 million visitors that quarter. As the lead architect in Macau, Las Vegas Sands, which beat out American competitors for rights to build one of two casino resorts to open in Singapore in the coming year, is well-positioned to compete for opportunities in places such as Japan and Taiwan, where observers argue that casinos are simply a matter of time. Trends LVS has large exposure to the Macao gaming market and the company will fight any new or potential competitor there. In 2008, 69. 6% of LVS's total revenues came from Macao. The Venetian Macao alone produced $1. 9 billion in revenues during 2008 while the company's Las Vegas properties produced only $1. 3 billion that year. The Macao gaming market is largely dependent on the Chinese market and economy. While Macao gaming industry revenues had increased every single year for nearly a decade up until 2007, gaming revenues for the region started to decrease in 2008. Industry revenues in January 2009 dropped by 30% in comparison with revenues gained in January 2008 as the global economic crisis affected Asian gamblers. LVS is committed to Macao market exposure with its â€Å"Cotai Strip† development in the works and if the market continues to worsen, Las Vegas Sands could see its bottom line affected accordingly (See Figure 5). Despite economic slowdown, LVS is expanding. The company is building new resort in Singapore, called Marina Bay Sands, and in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, called Sands Bethworks, despite the slumping casino industry that is causing companies like Riviera Holdings to default on their credit lines. Because LVS has already begun construction on these resorts, the company cannot cut the casinos funding even as it laid off over 11000 of its staff in 2008 to cut costs. As a result, the company has accumulated heavy debt. In March 2009, LVS had over $10 billion in debt from financing aggressive growth projects. The company has about $3 billion in cash to cushion upcoming debt obligations but LVS's expansion investments occurred at the beginning of a global recession, worsening the firm’s financial positions. At the end of 2008, LVS' assets were valued at $17. billion, over 38% higher than its $12. 4 billion in liabilities. Macao's gaming laws and taxes are relatively new and have a few precedents, making them quite vulnerable to sudden change. China has a large and affluent middle class, but for many years travel and currency restrictions have made it difficult and undesirable for visitors to come to Macao. The Chinese government relaxed many of these restrictions in 2002 whe n it first granted gaming licenses and ended its state-run gaming monopoly. As a result, the Macao gaming market grew to generate over $928 million in revenues in January 2009. Predictions (short and long term) for Las Vegas Sands In the next 1- 2 years the expectation is that Las Vegans Sands will maximize the cash flow from its current operations in Las Vegas and Macau, including through the implementation of annualized cost savings. At the same time, the firm needs to complete on time and on budget the properties currently under development in Singapore and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in order to stay afloat. Long term Las Vegas Sands will keep increasing investments in Cotai Strip, the area that is rapidly transforming Macau into a world-class resort destination. The company could potentially expand in Japan, Thailand, and India as it looks for growth opportunities in the vibrant Asian region. Wynn Resorts, Limited (Ticker: WYNN) Wynn Resorts, a Nevada corporation, was formed in June 2002, is led by Chairman and CEO, Stephen A. Wynn, and is a leading developer, owner, and operator of destination casino resorts. Wynn Resorts owns and operates three casino resorts: â€Å"Wynn Las Vegas†, â€Å"Encore at Wynn Las Vegas†, and â€Å"Wynn Macau†. In addition to these three properties, Wynn is currently constructing Encore at Wynn Macau, an expansion of the Wynn Macau resort. During 2008, the casino resort business experienced difficulties due to a number of factors affecting consumers, including a slowdown in global economies, contracting credit markets, and reduced consumer spending. Steve Wynn is the preeminent designer, developer and operator of destination casino resorts and has developed brand name status. Wynn’s involvement with the casino resorts provides a distinct advantage over other gaming enterprises. All of the Wynn resorts are designed and built to provide a premium experience. The casinos are marketed as full-service luxury resorts and casinos in the leisure, convention, and tour and travel industries. The resorts are marketed directly to gaming customers using database marketing techniques, as well as traditional incentives. While there is significant competition in the Las Vegas and Macau markets, Wynn seeks to differentiate from other major resorts by concentrating in its fundamental elements of design, atmosphere, personal service, and luxury. Intentions / Beliefs of Wynn Resorts In relation to MGM Mirage, Wynn Resorts competes in similar geographic markets, primarily Las Vegas and Macau, with secondary markets in Atlantic City, Riverboats, etc. However, based upon Wynn’s detailed disclosures in its public financial statements, press releases, and transcripts from earnings calls, Wynn Resorts believes that it has a fundamental core competency in providing an atmosphere of the utmost luxury. Therefore, it may be possible that while Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage compete in the same geographic markets, the companies will compete for a slightly different customer base. Wynn Resorts has consistently targeted those customers with a very large net worth and require the most luxurious accommodations. In that regard, Wynn Resorts has found that it is not necessary to typically use comps and other forms of customer promotions to attract the wealthiest clients. The company attempts to portray itself as the top-tier casino-hotel, providing unmatched services for those individuals that demand the very best in customer service and quality. Therefore, it appears that Wynn’s intentions are to attract customers through the marketing of its luxurious hotel-casino properties, particularly in Macau. In Wynn’s 2008 annual report, expansion plans were described for the Macau geographic area. â€Å"We have commenced construction of Encore at Wynn Macau, a further expansion of Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn Macau will add a fully-integrated resort hotel to Wynn Macau, planned to include approximately 400 luxury suites and four villas along with restaurants, additional retail space and additional VIP gaming space. We expect Encore at Wynn Macau to open in 2010†19. In addition, Wynn Resorts has improved approximately 142 acres of land for use as a golf course in the Las Vegas area. However, no future improvements are planned due to the current economic environment. Based on these disclosures, MGM Mirage management can be certain that Wynn Resorts continues to belief that its best prospects for growth are in the Asian gaming market, evidenced by its expanding construction projects in the Macau region. Wynn Resorts also believes that future development opportunities in the Las Vegas area may present profitability. However, current economic conditions may not make these development projects profitable in the near-term. Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts expects that MGM Mirage’s CityCenter project, along with other Las Vegas expansion projects by industry competitors present significant competitive challenges in the near-term. Past moves, countermoves, and timing of Wynn Resorts Since its inception in 2002, Wynn Resorts has attempted to distinguish itself amongst the fierce competition in the casino industry by developing casinos that are â€Å"state-of-the-art†, cutting-edge, and luxurious. Wynn Resorts attempts to attract the wealthiest of customers that have a propensity to spend more of their disposable income on luxury items, specifically gambling-related activities. As a result, Wynn Resorts is not overly concerned with differentiating their products based upon price. Wynn Resorts is focused on product differentiation. This is evident by Wynn Resorts statement that â€Å"we are attempting to differentiate the Wynn products. However, at this time, we are uncertain how our customers will value the existing Wynn properties on a relative basis†20. Wynn Resorts is attempting to differentiate its casinos from one another not based upon price, but based upon qualitative factors such as the availability of restaurants, spa services, shopping boutiques, nightclubs, etc. Typically, competitors in the casino industry have limited strategy initiative options. These options include expanding to new domestic markets, expanding to new international markets, and providing additional services at pre-existing casino-hotels. During the past several years, Wynn Resorts has chosen to avoid providing additional services at pre-existing casino-hotels (i. . Wynn Las Vegas), but instead move forward with large expansion projects both domestically and internationally (Encore at Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau). Relative resource position of Wynn Resorts As of year-end 2007, Wynn Resorts held approximately 8% of the total market share in the Nevada region, as compared to 18% market share owned by MGM Mirage. As stated previously, Wynn Resorts currentl y has three casinos, two in Las Vegas, one in Macau) as compared to MGM Mirage’s twenty casinos. Recently, Wynn Resorts has been noncommittal in its disclosures regarding future expansion projects. Wynn Resorts is in a position of strength in terms of financial stability, as its financial statements display large amounts of current assets along with positive cash flows and manageable debt ratios. Wynn Resorts has a risk-averse attitude towards the growth of its balance sheet. The company is not highly leveraged and has over $1 billion in cash to assist in absorbing losses during the current recession. An additional source of competitive advantage for Wynn Resorts is the leadership of Stephen Wynn. Mr. Wynn has several decades of experience in the gaming industry, and has been instrumental in the construction of the Bellagio, the Mirage, and Wynn Las Vegas. Generally speaking, Steve Wynn is known as â€Å"The Man Who Helped Reinvent Las Vegas†. Mr. Wynn’s importance to the organization is paramount, and â€Å"The loss of Stephen A. Wynn would significantly harm Wynn’s business†21. When considering brand and image, Wynn Resorts has strong brand loyalty amongst customers in the â€Å"high roller† community, as well as strong brand recognition in Las Vegas and Macau. However, due to the lack of presence in other areas of the United States, Wynn Resorts is not currently leveraging the notoriety of its brand name and Steve Wynn’s reputation as an innovative leader in the industry. Predictions (short and long term) for Wynn Resorts Given the strong financial position of Wynn Resorts and their historically selective approach to casino expansion, Wynn Resorts will not expand the number of casinos in operation in the near term (12- 18 months). On November 2009, Wynn Resorts has stated to its shareholders that they would not focus efforts on expanding in the U. S. until the business environment improved. Instead, it is predicted that Wynn Resorts will instead make enhancements to their two existing casinos in the Las Vegas market. â€Å"In response to our evaluation of our Las Vegas operations and the reactions of our guests, we have and expect to continue to make enhancements and refinements to our resort,† the company said this week in its quarterly financial report in November 2009. The projected expansion in the casinos will enhance the availability of pools, food and beverage services, and nightlife offerings. MGM Mirage may respond to Wynn’s actions by also expanding upon its casino customer offerings. Furthermore, MGM Mirage should also avoid direct casino expansion during a depressed economic environment. Instead, MGM Mirage should strive for financial stability while attracting customers with non-gaming services and accommodations. Being that Las Vegas is a mature market with several strong competitors, MGM Mirage may consider its presence in other domestic regions in the Midwestern section of the United States. Over the next 18 – 48 months, however, Wynn Resorts will continue to engage in competition as it relates to worldwide casino expansion. By analyzing the growth in industry revenue, and the statistics described regarding market commonality, Wynn Resorts will most likely directly engage in a battle with Las Vegas Sands for market share position in the Macau region. Additionally, Wynn Resorts will continue its financially frugal decision-making patterns by purchasing racinos and undervalued real estate properties with the intention of capturing profits through capital appreciation. These types of purchases by Mr. Wynn and Wynn Resorts have been consistent with actions portrayed during the past three years. MGM Mirage may engage in the competition for casino expansion in the Macau region, but should be cautious in making full-scale investments into a casino market already fully dominated by Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. Instead, cooperative arrangements and joint ventures may be suitable alternatives (See Figure 6). Summary and Conclusions The casino hotel industry is sensitive to changes in the consumers’ disposable income, domestic and international travel volume; proximity to consumer base, as well as government regulations. The industry structure consists of high barriers to entry, moderate rivalry that is limited to 4-5 main competitors, limited bargaining power of buyers, allowing for the possibility of near-term profitability. The pair-wise model utilized provided a comprehensive understanding of the focal firm, the focal firm’s competitors, the rivals intentions, and facilities the extrapolation of feasible strategies for the focal firm. In order for MGM Mirage to create a competitive advantage, the company should focus on geographic expansion in US and on international expansion, through cooperative arrangements with other industry players, improved operational efficiency to minimize costs, and technological advancement to maximize revenue. In the short term, MGM Mirage may be able to extract profits from the market by creating a competitive advantage but long term the industry structure, negative social, political, and economic forces will negatively affect the growth aspects of the industry.

Free sample - Women Criminals with Mental Disorders. translation missing

Women Criminals with Mental Disorders. Women Criminals with Mental DisordersExecutive summary Positivistic approaches argue that criminal behavior is as a result of the interaction between biological, environmental as well as social factors. They propose that individuals are predisposed to crime by factors such as low education level, poverty, and membership to certain subcultures. Biological positivism proposes that caused by biological inferiority. Biological crime theories also argue that hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone determine criminal behaviors with low levels of estrogen in females being shown to reduce their sexual drives hence making them less likely to commit offences related to sex. Psychological theories of crime include: Psychoanalytic theory which argues that all human beings have the natural drives as well as urges for committing crime which are repressed in the unconscious mind. Freud, the proponent of this theory argues that people with unresolved social issues who are referred to as psychopaths in psychology, have absolutely no sens e of quilt, no subjective conscience, no sense of right or wrong, and no ability to empathize and therefore are likely to engage in crime due to their compromised conscience. Cognitive development theory as a psychological theory of crime argues that criminal behavior emanates from peoples’ perception of law and morality. Learning theory on the other hand argues that people learn criminal ways by associating those who engage in the vice. Neoclassical theory of crime argues that, factors such as insanity which reduces individual’s free will make the individual more likely to engage in crime. Postpartum psychosis and Postpartum exhaustion affect the mother to the extend that she carries out infanticide. Introduction Criminology is a behavioral science that focuses on the study of the nature, extend, causes as well as the control of criminal behavior. This paper discusses criminological theories and how they play in with women criminals. It focuses majorly on mental illnesses in women and how these illnesses predispose them to crime. Previous researchers have not linked such theories with criminal behavior in women and that’s why this subject is of interest to me. Research methodology To achieve the research objectives, both primary and secondary sources of information were made use of. Primary sources of data consisted of interviews carried out on professionals such as psychologists well versed with the subject. Secondary sources of information on the other hand consisted of library research targeting books and articles touching on the subject. Research findings and discussion. Sociological positivism as a school of thought proposes that people are predisposed to crime by societal factors such as low education level, poverty, and membership to certain subcultures (Seidman, 1996). Other proponents of this school of thought have suggested that overpopulation contributes very highly to increased crime in the society (Seidman, 1996). Theories of crime apply to both males and females. Biological theories of crime causation also popularly referred to as biological positivism are theories which argue that criminals are different from non-criminals and that crime is caused by biological inferiority (Seidman, 1996). According to this theory, the innate psychological make up produces certain physical as well as genetic traits which distinguish criminals from those who are not criminals. Hormonal abnormalities have also been linked with criminal behaviors. Researchers believe that hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone determine criminal behaviors. L ow levels of estrogen in women reduce their sexual drives hence make them less likely to commit offences related to sex (Cohn, 2007). Proponents of Positivistic approaches argue that criminal behavior is as a result of the interaction between biology and environmental as well as social factors (Morse, 1997). They believe that biology or genes can predispose a person to criminal behaviors. What determines if the person commits the criminal behavior or not is the environmental or social conditions the person is subjected to (Marina, 1996).   Psychological theories of crime argue that human differences make some people more predisposed to committing crime than others. These individual differences in behavior are caused by differences in personal characteristics as well as biological factors and social interactions among individuals. Psychoanalytic theory of crime was proposed by Sigmund Freud (Marina, 1996). This theory proposes that all human beings have the natural drives as well as urges for committing crime which are repressed in the unconscious mind (Marina, 1996). This shows that all human beings have an inherent capacity to commit crime. Human beings however develop inner controls to suppress this urge to commit crime as they get socialized in the society. Freud suggested that, faulty identification of children with their parents causes the development of criminal behavior in them. Freud believed that individuals with unresolved as well as deep – rooted social problems are referred to as psychopaths (Mea d, 1934). Such people have absolutely no sense of quilt, no subjective conscience, no sense of right or wrong, and no ability to empathize. These people are also known as sociopaths or antisocial personalities and are more likely to engage in crime due to their compromised conscience (Mead, 1934). Cognitive development theory is a theory that argues that criminal behavior emanates from peoples’ perception of law and morality (Mead, 1934). The proponent of this school of thought is Kohlberg, a developmental psychologist (Siegel, 2003). He proposed three levels of moral development. According to him, there are basically three levels of moral reasoning with each level having two stages. The first level of moral development occurs during middle childhood. This level is called the preconventional level. At this level, children stick to moral principles in an effort to avoid punishment by remaining obedient (Morse, 1997). The second level is termed as the conventional level and it occurs at the end of middle childhood (Cohn, 2007). At this stage, individual’s moral reasoning is pegged on the expectations that their family as well as significant others have for them (Siegel, 2003). The third stage of moral development occurs during early adulthood. At this stage, moral reasoning is no longer based on social conventions. At this stage, individuals act as change agents and strive to advance the existing social laws and order (McLennan, 1980). Failure by individuals to transit successfully from one level of moral development to another leads to moral fixation, a situation whereby, individual’s moral development is arrested. Such individuals end up engaging in criminal behaviors. This is true for men as it is for women (McLennan, 1980). Learning theory on the other hand is based on behavioral psychology principles. Behavioral psychology proponents argue that behavior is learned while its maintenance is ensured by factors such as rewards and consequences (McLennan, 1980). According to this theory therefore, people learn criminal ways by associating with people who engage in the vice. Neoclassical theory of crime argues that, though human beings exercise free will, factors such as insanity may reduce an individual’s capacity to exercise the same (Cohn, 2007). Postpartum psychosis, also referred to as postpartum blues, is simply a psychological depression that occurs to a large number of mothers after delivery (Moyer, 2001). Its estimated to occur in about 50% of all mothers after giving birth. This condition has been termed by mental health experts as a leading precipitator of infanticide. This condition attacks women some few months after pregnancy and may linker for over a year (Moyer, 2001). Its characterized by: sadness, fatigue, disturbed sleeping pattern, reduced libido, loss of appetite, anxiety, episodes of crying and irritability. Hormonal changes in women is known to be the leading cause of the condition. Postpartum exhaustion is slightly different from postpartum depression and its is caused by fatigue, sleep deprivation as well as hormonal changes in the bodes of women immediately after giving birth (Moyer, 2001). Prevalence of this condition is higher in women who give birth to children with severe colic as well as other cond itions which result to abnormal sleep schedules (Moyer, 2001). Baby or maternity blues is a condition that affects about 80% of women after giving birth. Its characterized by mild and transitory moodiness, tearfulness, irritability, hypochondriasis, sleeplessness, concentration impairment, feelings of isolation, and headache. This condition leads to inconsistence of mothers with childcare (Deflem, 2006). Such mothers focus on the negative aspects of childcare leading to poor coping strategies. This worsens the mother-infant relationship and in most cases leads to infanticide (Deflem, 2006). Conclusion This paper has discussed Positivistic approaches to criminal behavior which argue that the tendency to engage in crime is as a result of the interaction between biological, environmental as well as social factors. Factors which predispose people to crime according to this theory have been discussed and they have included: low education level, poverty, and membership to certain subcultures. Biological crime theories have also been discussed. They argue that hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone determine criminal behaviors with low levels of estrogen in females being shown to reduce their sexual drives hence making them less likely to commit offences related to sex. Psychological theories of crime have included: Psychoanalytic theory, Cognitive development theory, and Learning theory. Finally, Postpartum psychosis and Postpartum exhaustion have been seen to affect the mother to the extend that she carries out infanticide. References Cheng, E. (2007). â€Å"Independent Judicial Research in the Daubert Age†. Duke Law Journal, Vol. 56, Cohn,E. (2007). â€Å" changes in Scholarly Influence in Major International Criminology Journals†. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Vol. 40, Deflem, M. (2006). Sociological Theory and Criminological Research: Views from Europe and the United States. New York: Elsevier Marina, A. (1996). â€Å" criminal law and women: Giving the abused woman who kills a jury of her peers who appreciate trifles†. American Criminal Law Review, Vol. 33 McLennan, G. (1980). Crime and Society: Readings in History and Theory. New York: Routledge. Mead, H. (1934). Mind Self and Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Morse, S. (1997). â€Å"Immaturity and Irresponsibility†. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 88 Moyer, L. (2001). Criminological Theories: Traditional and Nontraditional Voices and Themes. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Seidman, D. (1996). â€Å"Juror Reactions to Attorneys at Trial†. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 87 Siegel, J. (2003). Criminology, 8th ed. London: Thomson-Wadsworth.