Quantitative Research Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Quantitative Research - Statistics Project Example There are many different research designs that can be used by individuals asking research questions in LIS contexts, all of which provide credible evidence for improving practice. Qualitative approaches have been used in library and information settings to assess patron perceptions about library services, to examine the effectiveness of information literacy strategies and to address a host of other questions related to library and information work. In addition, a number of qualitatively based textual approaches (such as critical theory and discourse analysis) have been used to assess policy documents and organizational discourses, the construction of classification systems, and other questions that require an exploration of textual forms of data. Increasingly, researchers are also using these approaches in conjunction with one another (i.e. a "mixed methods" approach) to give a more complete picture of the state of LIS practice; for example, a recent study of mature university studen ts used qualitative interviews with students in conjunction with a textual discourse analysis of campus texts, as well as a manipulation of quantitative census data, to provide a broad contextual picture of students' academic information behaviors. In order to focus this discussion on qualitative research, in particular, it is necessary to draw lines between these different paradigms and to then examine qualitative work in more detail. However, it is important to note that research paradigms are quite fluid, and that many researchers are now trying to expand beyond a single approach to obtain the best possible evidence. The nature of qualitative resea

Leadership legacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership legacy - Essay Example Because Jesus transforms, he should be our servant model. The book exposes the domains of the servant leader from a holistic perspective (heart, hands, head, and habits). As a leader, I would want to be remembered by the people in my church, at work, at home and in my community. Applying the four spheres of leadership, I will act in a manner that mimics the â€Å"transformational† leadership of Jesus Christ. I will highlight my points in the different paragraphs for better clarity (Blanchard & Hodges, 2005). In the book â€Å"Lead like Jesus†, Blanchard says that this is the most significant of all the four domains. According to Blanchard, it’s all about what motivates a leader (Blanchard & Hodges, 2005). As a servant leader, I will exhibit the Exalting God Only traits through confidence and leadership. My main motivation will be the urge to touch and transform the lives of the people I come across. I will be there not to serve myself, but the people I lead to their progression and not mine. Blanchard goes on to say that this is the place to start as a leader. This domain, mainly deals with a leader’s viewpoint, theories and beliefs about motivating and leading others. Since I intend to lead like Jesus, whose point of view was servant leadership, I too will conform to the same. As a leader, I will set the destination and course on how to get where my subjects ought to be. For this reason, as described by Blanchard is the visionary role of a leader. A leader has to plan for the future and how to get there (Blanchard & Hodges, 2005). While setting my visions, I will personally see to it that everything is done using the right set of protocols. All things done to get to our preferred â€Å"destination† will be focused on serving, and not my pleasure. I certainly will exhibit these two roles, as Jesus did an excellent job exemplifying both (Webb, 2007). The

Impact Of Training And Development On Employee Performance Commerce Essay

Impact Of Training And Development On Employee Performance Commerce Essay The Impact of Training and Development on Employee Performance based on Customer Satisfaction (A Case Study on Union Bank PLC Nigeria) BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Training in business organizations differs from one organization and industry to another. Organizations and their HR functions are changing everyday so training functions will have to run differently as organizations expect more evidence that they are contributing to organizational success (Sims 1998). According to Reynolds et al (2004:1) cited in Beardwell and Claydon (2007) training is defined as a set of activities which react to present needs and is focused on the instructor and contrast with learning as a process that focuses on developing individual and organizational potential and building capabilities for the future. Training is also the use of systematic and planned instruction activities to promote learning. It involves the use of formal processes to impart knowledge and help people to acquire the skills necessary for them to perform their jobs satisfactorily (Bass and Vaughan 1966) cited in Armstrong (1966). Training is becoming continuously vital throughout ones career because of technological advancements, overseas expansion and increased diversity (Maurer 2001). In addition, employees are expected to take responsibility for continually updating their skills (Garofano and Salas 2005; Warr and Birdi 1998). Training should be treated with extreme importance because the management of people determines organizational success. Employee performance will improve when managers and employees realize the value of training at work and take steps to implement such training in their organizations (Zaccarelli 1992). Training can also be useful to resolve problems when employees want to learn and when the job knowledge is lacking and inadequate. When these factors are not present, the other management solutions are more appropriate. If the staff members of an organization are not properly trained it will ultimately affect the organization and exceptional performance will not be achieved. For example- a bank that does not train a customer service officer efficiently will not know how to treat customers and the bank would lose the customer to other competitors. Therefore, organizations should invest in training and development because a trained staff will promote efficiency and save both the managers and employees time. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM All scientific research is brought on by a received problem which is why I have set out to research on this topic- The Impact of Training and Development on Employee Performance based on Customer Satisfaction (A Case Study on Union Bank PLC Nigeria).The Nigerian banking Industry still faces many big challenges today in the proper training of employees. Training is supposed to be done on a regular basis because of emerging technologies (new banking software), new customer service skills and general awareness about the banking industry such as fraud. Fraud in any form is a veritable threat to the well being of an organization and its implications on the general economy cannot be treated lightly. Therefore this dissertation will look into proper training and development of employees in delivering customer service and how their performance impacts the Nigerian Banking industry. AIM OF THE RESEARCH The aim of this research study is to investigate empirically the importance of training and development of workers in an organization. The study will look at the various activities in the industry that contribute to the development of employees and from there seek to analyze the impact of these activities on how they ensure customer satisfaction, their performance and the organization as a whole. OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH The objective of this study is to examine the impact of training and development on employee performance in the delivery of customer satisfaction with particular reference to Union Bank PLC Nigeria. The objectives are: To explore the relationship that exists between training and development and the performance of employees To determine how training and development increases job knowledge and skills of employees To determine whether training and development will improve the delivery of customer service To determine the positive influence of organizational training and development on improved customer service relationship LITERATURE REVIEW The world in which organizations, managers and human resource professionals operate today would be unrecognizable to their peers 35 years ago (Beardwell and Claydon 2007). Training activities remains a very large part of human resource development practices (Nordhaug 1989). The pace of innovation, development of technology, the turbulence of economic conditions and the professionalization of management and human resource management are just some areas where the escalating and seemingly impossible demands (Kanter, 1989) that face organization have had an enduring impact on the context in which they function today. In other words, the way organization develops people has changed over time. Approaches to learning have shifted as the practice and purpose of training and developing people have grown in importance, broaden in scope and become more sophisticated in method. (Reid, Barrington and Brown, 2004: 9 cited in Beardwell and Claydon 2007). According to Rock (2008), Training is one of the most important investments that you can make in your bank because it is an ongoing process and Staffs will be more knowledgeable and engaged in their jobs. Customers will appreciate these qualities, which would mean more business for banks. He is of the opinion that creating an environment of learning at our banks can make a difference, particularly when it comes to motivating and retaining staff. Latest studies have shown that organizations greatly invest in Human Resource Development interventions so as to keep their employees updated and skilled in order to attain job performance, job satisfaction and job involvement. These skills can be conveyed by providing the necessary technical/non-technical training (Rowold, 2008). According to Emelo (2010), training and development can be useful in an organization, mostly banks. He is of the opinion that training and development would help to provide a chance and broad platform for the development of human resources technical and behavioral skills in an organization. Also, he says it would help in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the  organization  further to achieve its long-term goal. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This section covers the research approach and the data collection that would be adopted by this work to attain its objectives. Several research methods could have been implemented to carry out this research, but the best suited and most appropriate method aimed at getting the best possible outcomes will be used. A primary qualitative research method which is questionnaire will be used in order to get the most relevant data to support correct analysis and outcomes. His research method will help can help gather information first hand from the respondents. Denzin and Lincoln (2005:3) cited in Merriam (2009) explained that qualitative research is a situated activity that locates the observer in the world. In order words, qualitative research is done in a natural setting which allows subjects answer questions the researcher asks. I have employed a case study approach to carry out this research. DATA COLLECTION METHOD A questionnaire will be employed to carry out this case study because I would have the flexibility to ask different respondents different questions while staying within the focus of my research aim. According to Kumar (2005), a questionnaire is a written list of questions whereby respondents record their answers. The answers gotten from the respondents will enable me to understand how certain practices within the organization are employed Questionnaires could be used to acquire data from a large portion of a group. DATA COLLECTION The research and questionnaire will be conducted in Union Bank PLC which is an old generation bank in Nigeria that just started embracing the use of technology. The study reviews the experience of the organizations training and development of the new technologies and being able to satisfy customers more effectively. The sampling strategy that would be used for this research will be the simple random sampling. Agner (2008) describes simple random sampling as the kind of sampling in which every possible sample of size which means every combination of  items from the number in the population is equally likely to be part of the sample.   The sampling frame will focus on the employees who have worked in the bank for over two years and people that have been customers for that long as well. The questionnaires will be closed ended questions focusing on factors within the literature in context. DATA ANALYSIS METHOD The research would make use of a parametric test and will be carefully conducted so as to avoid misinterpretation. The T-test would be used in the analysis of the data because it would help me compare the means of two groups which are the employees and customers. T-test assess whether the means of two groups are statistically different from each other. The research method employed in this exercise is the scientific method as it identifies and defines the problem. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY Reliability of an instrument refers to the degree to which an instrument consistently measures what it intends to measure. Therefore, a data is reliable if it gives the same result when administered by a different researcher at any given time so if the response of the respondents are consistent, the data is considered reliable. On the other hand, validity means the extent to which an account accurately represents the social phenomena to which it refers (Hammersley 1990: 57 cited in Siverman 2005). This means the degree to which a measuring instrument measures what it is designed to measure. Validity is important because of its role in determining the importance of training and development in the Nigerian banking industry and the questionnaire to be used in this research work has been structured with questions which are relevant to achieve the aims of this research. POTENTIAL RISK The potential is not often reached as returns from questionnaires are usually low which is why a surplus of questionnaires will be used and hopefully enough would be retrieved which would still enable me to run the SPSS. However return rates can be considerably improved if the questionnaire is delivered and responded to on time. LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH The limitations of this study would be majorly resources in the forms of money and time, seeing as there shall be cost incurred in the process of the research. While the time constraint comes into play as the research takes place during 2009-2010 which happens to be my one year degree masters program, hence the workload would be combined with the project. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS On the issue of ethics, the participants who will be taking part in the questionnaire will not feel uncomfortable in any way and the information gotten will be treated with confidentiality and anonymity. Cooper and Schindler (2008:34) cited in Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009) define ethics as the norms or standards of behaviour that guide moral choices about our behaviour and our relationships with others. In order words, ethics helps us make moral choices about ourselves and the people around us. Information from banks are very critical, so the major issue would be to be able to protect all the information acquired from questionnaires and use it only for the dissertation. TIME TABLE ACTIVITY MAY  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  JUNE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JUL  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AUG SEPT WEEK 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 Introduction   * Literature review   * Research methodology   * Presentation and findings   * Questionnaires survey   * Discussion of Themes Analyze data   * Recommendation and conclusion *   Print and Bind * Submission * Saunders et al (2009)

Catcher in the Rye - Holden Caulfield as a Modern Day Odysseus Essay

Catcher in the Rye - Holden Caulfield as a Modern Day Odysseus Years ago, a man named Homer wrote The Odyssey. It told about King Odysseus of Ithaca's mystical and perilous adventure home after the Trojan War. An odyssey can simply be defined as an adventure. Holden Caulfield, the main character in Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, had an odyssey of his own. On his adventure in New York City, Holden encountered many tests and learning experiences. To begin with, was the encounter with Maurice and Sunny. On his return to the hotel from Ernie's, Holden met Maurice, the elevator operator. He asked Holden if he was, "Innarested in a little tail t'night?" (Salinger 152). Holden had been lonely all night, so he quickly and without thinking answered yes. He went back to his room to get ready. Here is Holden's first test. He is sixteen and he is about to lose his virginity to a prostitute. He greeted her at the door, and she questioned his age. They had a small conversation, and all of a sudden she just took off her dress. He told her...

The Rapid Growth and Development of South Korea

The rapid growth and development in the newly industrialising economies (NIE†s) in recent decades has been nothing short of spectacular. Now among the world†s most dynamic industrialised economies, the NIE†s of Singapore, Taiwan Hong Kong, and South Korea which will be the focus, stand as perhaps the best examples of successful economic development. The economic development of South Korea, which has been among the most rapid in the world is typical of the ‘miracle† that is the NIEs. Korea has come far since the days it was ‘a nation of hungry rice farmers†, by pursuing an industrialisation-led development commitment since 1961, which has since produced annual GDP growth of 8.4% per annum, second only to China. The success of South Korea, has been identified by a number of factors including the shift away from import substitution strategies towards export orientated industrialisation, and the effective managing of the economy and authoritarian rule adopted by the government in order to accelerate the pace of capital accumulation, technical progress and structural change to produce economic growth beyond what could possibly occur in a free market economy. NIEs, South Korea, are now recognised as ‘export machines† boasting some of the highest trade/GDP ratios in the world. International economic relations began in 1964 with the recognition of these limitation of the domestic market and the ineffectiveness of pursuing substitution industrialisation strategies. As part of its new strategy for export expansion the South Korean government introduced new measures which included the devaluation of the won, which improved the competitiveness of its exports and introduced incentives designed to channel resources into export-orientated industries. Exporters were also supported by direct cash payments, permission to retain foreign exchange earnings for the purchase of imports, and the exemption from virtually all import controls and tariffs. The government in consultation with firms, set up export targets for industries as well as individual firms. These targets appeared to have influenced firm behaviour and supporting this claim was from between 1961 and 1973 the volume of exports increased at an annual rate of 35% and today continues to consistently rank in the top twenty trading nations. Over the last 30 years the share of manufactures in total exports has increased from 12% to 95%. Furthermore the manufactures exported have themselves changed with more advanced products, led by electronics dominating the list of major exports and hence the importance of the Samsung and Lucky Goldstar to the Korean economy. The direction of trade has also changed somewhat, where South Korean exports went largely to the USA and imports came from Japan, Asian countries excluding Japan are now South Korea†s major trading partners. The importance of China is also becoming of increasing significance. South Korea†s economic success as noted can also be contributed to the high levels of savings and investment. South Korean†s save about 35% of GNP and thus sustainable economic growth has been driven by capital stock accumulation and expanded productive capacity. Indeed some figures show up to 60% of economic expansion in South Korea is a result of capital accumulation and increase infrastructure. Undoubtedly one of the most important rationalisations for economic success is effective government intervention. Selective government intervention has promoted the development of new industries, many of which have become internationally competitive and also supported and advanced the growth of the private sector. The main aim of the government in South Korea has been to ensure that the behaviour of individual business accorded with the long term interest of the business class as a whole, and while applying authoritarian rule recognising when it was time to allow the market to operate on its own. Apart from the macroeconomic management, government in the NIEs have also sought to accelerate the pace of capital accumulation, technical progress and structural change beyond what would have resulted from â€Å"laissez-faire.† All NIEs pursued trade policies, supporting industrial deepening and the development of national firms with selective incentives to promote exports. In South Korea for example, the government gave Chaebols preferential access to bank loans, relying on them to develop heavy and chemical industries capable of competing internationally. Indeed four decades of industrial development in South Korea have been marked by what have been marked as ‘incestuous ties† between big business and government. In recent times government has been hostile to the conglomerates but the appointment of Mr Kim Suk Won to the ruling party has reopened an old wound over the role of big business and politics in South Korea. The role of the Chaebols in the Korean economy was a substantial reason for Korea†s success over the last 40 years. The Chaebols are the large multi-company family owned business entities which are both horizontally and vertically integrated. Examples include Samsung, Hyundai, Lucky Goldstar and Daewoo, which together account for over half the total output. The Chaebols have played a major role in the economic development of Korea. They were given preferential access to bank loans and were relied upon to develop the HCIs (as they had the resources and ability to compete in foreign markets). Indeed, the period of the HCIs drive marked the most rapid expansion of the Chaebols. The Chaebols engaged in fierce and even ruthless competition with one another on the many fronts of industry, with at least 4 or 5 competitors in each industry, which all contributed to the economic expansion of the economy. The government in South Korea, as well as other NIEs has supported a technology policy. By providing a favourable tax environment, government has indirectly encouraged business research and development expenditure. The Korean government for example grants a tax credit equal to 10% of capital expenditures. Current policies are aimed at achieving a 5% share of research and development expenditure in total GNP by 2001. The government has also aided fundamental technological development in advanced materials, advanced vehicle technology, bio materials and nuclear reactors. The role of the government in South Korea was also to provide these financial incentives to promote the development of particular industries. Interest Rates for example were kept generally low and stable in order to reduce the cost of investment. Designated industries received priority in allocation of bank credit, state investment funds and foreign exchange, The government in South Korea deliberately distorted prices and incentives as to improve the market outcome and accelerate economic growth. The government in South Korea also actively pursued competition policies. This intervention works both ways. In other words competition policy restricted the competition or promoted competition policy in the areas depending on the circumstances. In South Korea the government granted exemptions to conglomerates from laws governing monopolistic practices. Competition policy has been married with industry policy. In this the role of government has been limited with government policy interacting with the competitive strategies of private firms. Governments in the NIEs have been remarkably stable. This has had obvious benefits on the economy. There is no standard formula for government in the NIEs and there are differences between them across nations. Singapore for example has a paternalistic government whilst Hong Kong is essentially â€Å"laissez-faire† Stability is the only real link between governments of the NIEs. As the South Korean economy reached a more mature stage of economic growth problems regarding the structural change in the economy began to surface. The agricultural sector in South Korea for example is now only a third of its original size. Most notably there has been a marked shift to the tertiary sector. There has been obvious problems and challenges resulting from this. Most notably rapid growth has brought about labour shortages in key sectors such as electronics, heavy machinery and shipbuilding. Such shortage of labour in which employers have noone to fill vacancies made by expanded productive capacity will threaten South Korea†s booming exports, which is seen as the vehicle for growth in South Korea. The problem is further compounded by an increasing reluctance among school leavers to ‘dirty their hands† in industry and the inability and unwillingness to attract foreign labour. After growth and development in South Korea for so long was driven by government intervention one of the most important challenges facing the matured economy was for the government to relinquish much of its influence over the economy and to allow market forces to operate effectively. If South Korea is to continue to growing as a truly advanced industrialised nation then obviously the market mechanism will have to be let to operate freely. This will take time and cause and also cause relative social unrest. As the South Korean economy has reached a mature stage, it has recognised the old regulatory environment that led to high levels of inputs especially in manufacturing sectors but low levels of productivity must change. In manufacturing, Korea has massively invested in the best available technology but because of protectionism and poor corporate governance in banks and companies, it was not forced to adopt the best managerial practices. As a result labour and capital productivity are in most manufacturing sectors less that 50% of US levels and thus must be one of the challenges for future success of the Korean economy. Other challenges that Korea has had to face, continues to face, and must overcome are the consistent current account deficits (CADs) and foreign debt which may put a constraint on South Korea†s future economic performance. South Korea†s economy relies heavily on high exports and thus is susceptible to global fluctuations. Secondly there is a pressing need in South Korea to use imports more efficiently. Furthermore, the greatest of the challenges Korea has had to face to date was the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. Up to this point in time many economists looked favorably upon the economic fundamentals of Korea. However, due to excess short term debt over the long term debts, excess debt over equity and the generating of wealth through asset price bubbles, which was clearly unsustainable, these vulnerabilities only required a small shock which was initiated by the devaluation of the Thai baht in July 1997. As an advanced economy, South Korea now needs far more than simply hard work and determination to succeed in this new century, Companies in South Korea need to keep ahead of the profound social, economic and political transition. It is the inherent need for human capital that drives much of South Korea†s business and government spending. Many would agree that a well educated workforce is paramount to future success. In the future, South Korea will need to reform its financial sector, remove the burden of excessive business regulation, provide a more favourable environment for foreign investment and restructure its economy away from declining manufacturing and agricultural industries towards services and sophisticated manufacturing. The prospects for continued economic growth hinge on the success of the aforementioned drivers for economic growth. Deregulating services in addition to lowering barriers to imports, allowing FDI (which can reduce the risks of future financial crisis in the medium and long term) and improving corporate governance would be the key to restoring strong growth in Korea. This reduction would come mainly because fair competition with best practice together with more careful bankers and demanding shareholders would force Korean manufacturers to improve their return their return on investments. In an increasingly globalised economy higher productivity in manufacturing and low import barriers would allow domestic competition to increase due to lower prices. Opening the domestic market would not lead to an increase in the trade deficit or external debt as higher capital productivity would reduce the need to import capital. In overall terms, prospects for South Korea†s economy are favourable, but the high rate of success from the growth performance in the 1980†³s will be difficult to replicate. The next phase of the Asian miracle that will involve China emerging as the world†s largest economy within 10 years and the re-emerging Japanese economy will provide substantial benefits for the Korean economy. Some important strengths of the economy include: a well educated and motivated workforce, a growing level of R&D, continued rates of high savings, greater regional trade links and potential for domestic growth through increased infrastructure investment, housing and personal consumption. In summation, South Korea is an economy which initially through selective government intervention and now through domestic and international reforms, sped to economic might. Although there are many challenges in the longer term making South Korea†s future uncertain, (including the reunification with the ailing, unstable North) the fact South Korea has come so far argues well for the future. If South Korea can make the necessary changes to its economy to become a sustained industrialised nation then it will certainly take its place as an economic leader in the near future.

World Most Dangerous Gang: MS 13

Imagine a scared little boy wanting to be accepted by a gang. Scared to death, he walks up to a group of other boys from a rival gang, closes his eyes, and starts to shoot. When he opens his eyes he realizes that one of the rival gang members has been hit. Then imagine having to walk away, not run, because in this gang a member does not run away. All of this is just to be accepted into a very violent, dangerous gang. The Mara Salvatrucha gang, normally referred to as MS 13, has begun to make its mark across 42 states in the United States(Worlds Most), making it the most rapidly growing, dangerous gang n America.To understand MS 13’s power in this country, one has to consider its development as a major crime organization, its control over its members, and the power it holds. Mara Salvatrucha was organized in Los Angeles in the late 1980’s. In the 1980’s, El Salvador was engaged in a civil war. Men attacked as guerilla fighters, training and learning how to kill an yone for anything. To escape the civil war, these men migrated to the United States. At first, the gang’s primary purpose was to defend Salvadoran immigrants from being preyed upon by other street gangs. They banded together to form MS 13.Ernesto Miranda, co-founder of Mara Salvatrucha said, â€Å"In this country (El Salvador), we were taught to kill our own people, no matter if they were from your own blood. If your father was the enemy, you had to kill him. So the training we got during the war in our country served to make us one of the most violent gangs in the United States† (Domash). This is how MS 13 came about. The â€Å"MS† stands for Mara Salvatrucha. Mara is a word meaning â€Å"posse† and salvatruchas means â€Å"street- tough Salvadorans†. The number 13 represents the number of a street, belonging to a gang, located in southern California (Domash).The only way MS 13 could survive on new soil was to join together as a family and protect each other. The only allies they have are each other. MS 13 will do almost anything to keep safe. In the early days of their existence, MS 13 was once rivals with 18th Street Gang, a mostly variation of the â€Å"maras† gangs that appeared in Los Angeles in the 1980s. SWP-18 (Salvadorans with Pride), is another major rival, and a fatal target for many devoted MS-13 prospects seeking initiation into the gang. The Latin Kings have also shown rival behaviors towards MS-13, especially in Newark NJ. Rival gangs fear them. A rival gang member in L. A said â€Å"MS13 bout’ hurting people, they go rob and kill people for no reason†(MSNBC) Organized crime is a well thought-out process of crimes planned to be committed. This process of organized crime is type of violence that is associated with MS 13. MS13 commits crimes from murder, rape, beating, drive-by shootings, drug dealing, smuggling illegal immigrants, trafficking weapons, prostitution, and kidnapping. Oscar Alv arez, Honduran National Police Minister, states, â€Å"cutting people in pieces, raping women, killing people for fun.They might be youngsters, they might be poor. But these youngsters are monsters† (Domash). MS-13 often leaves behind dismembered corpses, complete with the decapitated head, at the scene of their murders. Often a grim note is attached to the body. (TerrorPlanet) In the history of MS 13, they cut off their victims fingers and decapitate them. Sometimes they will cut off victims’ genitals and feed them to the dogs to show no mercy. One MS 13 gang member admitted that when he was in Houston, he robbed and beat a child. Then while he was in Texas, he killed a man by stabbing him three times.This MS 13 member was asked if the crimes he committed would increase his rank within the gang. He answered, â€Å"The crazier you are known to be, the more respect the gang gives you† (Logan). MS 13 thinks the police and the community does not realize how dangero us they are ; this leads their gang to go to extreme violence to get their point across that no one messes with their gang. If someone is brave enough to mess with MS 13, they will show no mercy and will make the crime even more brutal. MS 13 is becoming more dangerous and more organized. It is working its way up to becoming the next Mafia.The rapidly growing numbers of MS 13 is a violent threat to the United States. Throughout the United States, MS 13 have been sighted in 42 states, ranging up to ten thousand members overall. Mara Salvatrucha is even all over the world. It already has members in five other countries. The estimated number of MS 13 gang members across the world adds up to more than 700,000 (Domash). Since there are so many MS 13 members in the world, one can recognize a MS 13 member by looking at their tattoos, symbols, gang colors, graffiti, and hand signs. MS 13 gang members mark their bodies with tattoos.The most common tattoos are the letters MS and the number 13 . They have certain symbols that they might have tattooed on themselves. For example, teardrops represent the shooting of a rival gang member. If a member has three dots in a shape of a triangle next to his thumb, it means the gang member has killed someone. By tattooing their bodies it shows how MS 13 is not ashamed of the violent acts they commit. (Domash) Hand signs and signals are also apart of MS 13. The main hand sign the gang has are called the â€Å"double horns†. This hand sign is similar to the same symbol commonly seen displayed by heavy metal usicians and their fans.Also, when one is about to go into battle, or a fight, they will lift up both sides on the shoulders of their shirts to indicate he or she is about to start. Whenever a gang member rubs one’s stomach in a circle motion, the member is about to shoot someone, and whenever one brushes off one’s shoulder; the member is about to stab his victim (World’s Most Dangerous Gang). This lets t he MS 13 members know what is about to happen in the fight. Fights also play a huge role in initiation. To be initiated into a violent gang like MS 13, one has to be violent or have something violent done to them.The three main initiations that MS have are â€Å"walk the line†, â€Å"jumped in†, and â€Å"sexed in†. Whenever they choose to â€Å"walk the line† to join, they must perform a violent act (â€Å"Worlds Most Dangerous Gang†). A boy’s mission is to walk up to a group of rival gang members on the street and shoot at least one of them. In being â€Å"walked in†, after one commits their violent act, one cannot run from it, but walk away (â€Å"Worlds Most†). Being â€Å"jumped in† requires the one getting initiated, to be surrounded by the five strongest guys in the gang, and they will start to beat the person for thirteen seconds, epresenting the 13 in MS 13.The last and final way one can enter the gang is to be â€Å"sexed in†. Females are usually the only ones who have to go through this to get initiated. This is when a girl is has sexual intercourse with a minimum of six members of the MS 13. The whole point of being initiated into MS 13 is to show how dedicated the joining member is and how far they will go for MS 13. Since the inductee is now a permanent member of the gang, they have three jobs that they have to fulfill: to recruit others, collect money, and to kill (â€Å"World’s Most Dangerous Gang†). As in every business, MS 13 has to earn a living somehow too.According to the interview between Lisa Ling and Jester, a former MS 13 member, told her that certain blocks in L. A. are owned by MS 13. Whatever businesses are located on the street, must pay a twenty five percent protection fee to MS 13. They also collect money from selling drugs and taxing the drug dealers who want to sell drugs on their territory. These are the drugs they sell: crystal meth, cocaine, heroin, rock, weed, and various pills. Jester said, â€Å"If you need any kind of pills, don’t go to the doctor. (â€Å"Worlds Most†)When Lisa Ling asked Jester, â€Å"What if they don’t pay? Jester responded, â€Å"They always pay. Sometimes you’ve got to get aggressive with them† (World’s Most). MS 13 knows that they can get however much money that they want because they are such a fierce gang. One of the worst things that a member can do when joining the gang is to try and get out. In MS 13 there is no way to leave the gang without getting killed unless the escapee goes to the hospital, jail, or death (Logan). If any runaway member ever goes to the police and betrays their clique, MS 13 will make ure that their life ends quickly.Once one becomes a part of the gang, one is in it for life and there is no turning back or getting out. MS 13 is spreading its violent tactics across the United States, and it is growing larger in numbers, build ing an empire of strength and power. Their crime organization development continues to grow stronger and wiser as time goes by, and their growing population of MS 13 members in the United States will increase the crime rates. Before Brenda Paz was murdered by her own gang, MS 13, she emphasized the importance and loyalty that MS 13 gang members have.She stated, â€Å"You live for God, you live for your mom, but you die for your gang† (World’s Most†). MS 13’s control in America has shown that it is a major crime organization that cannot be stopped. They have complete control over their members which makes MS 13 an army of violence. Whatever is said is done. There is no negotiating. What MS 13 says goes. While the nation focuses on terrorism, the issue of gang violence has taken a lower priority. But to many, the violent acts of MS13 are more of an everyday threat that is being overlooked.

Science Fair Project Ideas for Environmental Problems

Science Fair Project Ideas for Environmental Problems Are you interested in doing a science fair project that involves the environment, ecology, pollution, or other environmental issues? Here are some science fair project ideas that involve environmental science problems. Environmental Processes Does the pH of rain or other precipitation (snow) vary according to ​the  season?Is the pH of rain the same as the pH of soil?Can you use a plant to gauge the level of air pollution?Can you use plants to remove air pollutants?Can you use algae to remove water pollutants?How does soil composition change with depth?What organisms can you use as indicator organisms to alert you to a dangerous environmental condition in the environment?How can you simulate acid rain? Studying Environmental Damage What effect does the presence of phosphates have, if any, on the oxygen level of water in a pond?How does an oil spill affect marine life?How much lead is in your soil? How much mercury is in your soil?How much electronic pollution is there in your home? Can you find a way to measure it?How much copper can plants tolerate?How does the presence of soap or detergent in water affect plant growth? What about seed germination or propagation?How far away from an animal pen do you need to be for there to be no fecal bacteria contamination of the soil or water? Researching Solutions Can you use gray water (water that has been used for bathing or washing) to water your plants? Does it matter what type of soap you used for your cleaning? Are some plants more tolerant of gray water than others?Are carbon filters as effective with chlorinated or fluoridated water as they are with water that does not contain chlorine or fluoride?How can you minimize the volume taken up by trash?How much trash can be recycled or composted?How can you prevent soil erosion?What type of car antifreeze is most friendly to the environment?What type of de-icer is most friendly to the environment?Are there non-toxic methods that can be used to control mosquito populations?