Risk managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Risk managment - Essay Example This experience is of immense help to the management studies and the hospitality industry, particularly in these days of great emphasis on globalization and expanding service industry. From the days of human existence as food gatherers to the present day global enterprises, mankind faced risks. It is appropriate to say that risk and enterprise go hand in hand. Fortunately, the science of risk management has also been expanding based on the experiences on one hand, and the compelling laws that define an enterprise’s responsibility in the event of a disaster. Industrial revolution and expanding markets gave rise to increased use of machinery as well as laborers in the production processes, thus multiplying risks. The character and expanse of risks are changing from individuals to communities, from human beings to natural environment, from local areas to global spread and much more. From the relatively simple industrial accidents to the massive disasters such as the nuclear power plants at The Three Mile Islands and the Chernobyl plant, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the Exxon-Valdez/BP-Gulf of Mexico oil spills we have witnessed the changing face of enterprise risks. Significant developments in the form of globalization is leading to another kind of risk viz., the financial risk that spreads across the globe in quick time as was witnessed during the Asian crisis of the late 90s and the global meltdown in the past two years. With the emergence of the Internet and information technology, newer kind of risks includes systemic problems, fraud, and privacy issues. The term risk could mean deviating from the normal course of a particular structure, activity or establishment, as the case maybe, which means it is probable that something could happen and this is within a range, which is from 0 to 100 percent probability. In other words, it

12 angry men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

12 angry men - Essay Example It is only juror no. 8, who offers a dissenting opinion and queries all the prosecutor’s evidences against the defendant. He goes to an extent of purchasing a knife that is akin to the one presented as murder evidence in a bid to convince fellow jurors that the prosecutor’s claim of â€Å"unique† was misplaced. The dissenting juror finally manages to influence the opinion of the entire jury and drag them into the world of â€Å"reasonable doubt†. However, his reasons seem quite ludicrous. By making his queer judgments about the witnesses and pronouncing outrageous claims to disown them, juror number 8 appears quite bizarre. The juror goes ahead to disown another key witness who heard the crime taking place by asserting the claim that the old man probably made up his story to boost his ego. It is funny how the dissenting juror finally manages to get the other 11 jurors, who were initially convinced that the accused is guilty of murder, into his ship where reasonable doubt dictates all the evidence against the accused. The ruling of the jury is similarly interesting. The jurors unanimously make certain witness and evidence assumptions and conclude that the defendant is not guilty of murder. It is apparent that the other jurors arrive at this conclusion as an escape from looming argume nt with juror number 8. In my opinion, the jury made a big mistake. The defendant should have been held guilty for the offense. Since when has a juror become an investigator in a case over which he presides? When operating in accordance with the law, jurors are barred from performing their own investigations in cases. As such, Juror number 8 should have been substituted with another juror if the other eleven members of the jury had reported him trying to conduct his own investigation. By failing to abide by the requirement of the law, the entire jury appears to have seriously

Strategy and Corporate Planning PowerGen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategy and Corporate Planning PowerGen - Essay Example The report starts with analyzing the effect of the organizational change on corporate planning. It is found that PowerGen reorganized itself three times between 1990 and 1998. The changes in the organizational structure had to be supported with effective corporate plans which specified the roles and responsibilities of each function. Initially, PowerGen had a centralized structure which underwent a complete transformation to a decentralized operation with unit managers at each business level being given wider responsibilities. The next section tries to analyze the core competencies and capabilities which have helped PowerGen to maintain its market share. It has been found that PowerGen’s focus was to supply electricity at a low cost. It formed an effective supply chain across various geographical locations and by partnering with various companies which helped it to produce electricity at low cost. This section also analyzes the core competencies and capabilities of two other major players in the industry which are EDF and E.ON. The last section deals with understanding the effect of privatization and deregulation and PowerGen’s merger with Midland electricity which was a major strategic move and helped PowerGen immensely to stay ahead of the competition. The report ends with an analysis of the centralized system of planning adopted by CEGB in the context of Hofstede’s article titled â€Å"Cultural constraints in management theories†. It shows the importance of cultural aspects while dealing with employees. The end product of electricity industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The spiraling demand for energy is expected to rise considerably till 2030. The total value of the electricity market comprises of the total electricity sold to commercial, industrial, residential and other users. In 2007, the total value of the market increased by 14.5%.

Internet and marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Internet and marketing strategy - Essay Example (Definition) It is also "referred to as online marketing or Emarketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. The Internet has brought many unique benefits to marketing including low costs in distributing information and media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing, both in terms of instant response, and in eliciting response, are unique qualities of the medium. Internet marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the internet, including design, development, advertising and sales. Internet marketing methods include search engine marketing, display advertising, e-mail marketing, affiliate marketing, interactive advertising, blog marketing, and viral marketing. Internet marketing is the process of growing and promoting an organization using online media. Internet marketing does not simply mean 'building a website' or 'promoting a website'. Somewhere behind that website is a real organization with real goals. Meanwhile, at this juncture, there is need to focus on Internet Marketing Business Model. But however, what is Business Model in particular. "A Business Model Draws on a Multitude Business Subjects, including economic, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, operation and strategy. The Business Model itself is important determinant of profits to be made from innovation (Role of the Business Model) Additionally, there are six components of Business Model, these are; Value preposition, Market Segment, Value Chain Structure, Revenue Generation and Margins, Position in Value and lastly Competitive Strategy. MARKETING STRATEGY It is well known fact that "An Internet Marketing Strategy is fast becoming an integral part of marketing and PR manager's 'hat.' Blogs, online press releases, media rooms, SEM, interactive elements, and rich media are aspects of the job every marketing and PR professional must get their wits around. An effective Internet Marketing Strategy is vital your business success today. What people see when they do a search does influence their perception of your company. It also affects your brand value.And now that the search engines have changed the way they display results with theintegration of news, blogs, and feeds and video into the web search results pages, there aremore PR opportunities in search than ever before". (On line PR Lessons of 2007) However, there are 10 most known Internet Marketing Strategy that should be adapted in order to make the E-Business effectively and successful indeed. They are as follows: 1. The E-marketing planning process: "The integration of e-marketing-specific objectives, strategies and activities into the traditional annual marketing planning process". (Top 10 Strategic E-Marketing Issue) 2. Organizing and resourcing for e-marketing: "As the importance of online channels increase, the structure of the marketing organization and responsibilities may need to change to maximize the opportunities available through new media". (Top 10 Strategic E-Marketing Issues) 3. Defining the Online value proposition (OVP :): "To achieve

Life is like a box of chocolates Essay Example for Free

Life is like a box of chocolates Essay At first glance the quote life is like a box of chocolates seems rather silly. How could such a large and complicated concept such as life be compared to something as small and simple as a box of chocolates? There have been two opposing viewpoints in regards to the meaning of this quote, and each viewpoint comes about by a different analysis of what life and chocolates represent as well as what they mean in todays world. The conclusion to the question can only come about through a thorough examination of the quote itself along with its possible entailments to see what both groups of people deem important and what they choose to ignore. Both arguments seem to work well to counter the other and show the flaws in the other explanations theory. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, life is a state, existence, or principle of existence conceived as belonging to the soul. Most people, when questioned about life would not have a very clear or concise answer because life is not something that is wholly tangible. In general life is considered to be everything that happens to a person from the moment they are born to the moment they die. All of their interactions with the world and all of their thoughts and actions. There does not seem to be any plan or order to these events, just everything that happens. Everything. Life is a long process with good, bad and indifferent points. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, a box is a container, usually with four stiff sides, a bottom, and a lid to pack or put things in, and chocolate is a substance made by roasting and grinding cacao seeds. A box of chocolates would logically be a container which holds cacao products. A scientific dissection of a box of chocolates would show a box (usually rectangular or heart shaped) filled with anywhere from one to dozens of small, individually wrapped chocolates. Usually the type of chocolate and the filling of each individual varies inside a given package. In America however, a box of chocolates means much more then this simple addition of definitions and a direct visual analysis would lead one to believe. A box of chocolates, in our referent system, is a symbol. It generally symbolizes  love, and through metonymy, has been made to mean love. When a gift of a box of chocolates is given on Valentines Day, it more than symbolizes love, it actually means love. The meanings have become blurred over the years as chocolate has become a standard gift. It is not an original thought to give someone chocolate, but more a means of showing love. Not an act of love, but merely an expression of love. The first group of people generally finish the simile life is like a box of chocolates with the conclusion you never know what youre gonna get. This group views all the meanings of life and of the box of chocolates and found the best compilation to be that both in life, and in chocolates, there is randomness and a lack of order. When a person walks out of the front door of his house on a Monday morning, there is no way for him to know if he is going to find a hundred dollar bill tucked under his doormat, or a large meteor that has fallen and crushed his car. Its hard to know if a day is going to be a good day or a bad day, you just know that it will be a day. The same holds true for eating a box of chocolates. When you open a box of chocolates, there are rows of non-differentiated chocolates. They all look the same, and yet you know some are filled with cream, some with caramel and some with coconut. When you pick one up, much like when the man opens his front door, there is no way of knowing if you will get a good chocolate (cream) or a bad chocolate (coconut), you just know youll get a chocolate. For both examples it will not be easy to tell if it was good or bad until the chocolate, or the day, has been completed. You never know what will happen. The second group of people generally finish the simile life is like a box of chocolates with the conclusion a thoughtless perfunctory gift that nobody really wants. This group takes up an opposing analysis and says that the important part of chocolates is not the randomness of them within the package, but instead the symbol that people dont really think in life, but instead just perform as they are expected to. Since chocolates have come to mean love, people no longer do creative things to express their love. They simple buy chocolates. Once the chocolates are delivered, then what. People dont actually want the chocolates, they want the love. Since the chocolates  have assumed the meaning of love, the chocolates themselves go to waste. Who wants to eat their love? Instead of being eaten immediately, as chocolates are truly intended to be, they are showed to friends and relatives, and eventually put on a shelf or in a cabinet. They will get eaten if someone shows desire, but its not important. Under this interpretation, life is pointless and merely for show. People dont do things because it is what they feel that they should, people do things because they are expected to (just as the lover is expected to give chocolate). It is better to put up an lofty facade, then to be true and honest to the people around you.

Rail Transport Track

Rail Transport Track SLOVENIAN RAILORADS Rail transport Is the transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. A railway can be broken down into two major components. Basically these are the items which move, the locomotives, passenger carrying vehicles (coaches), freight carrying vehicles (goods wagons / freight cars) and those which are fixed, usually referred to as its infrastructure. This category includes the permanent way (tracks) and buildings (stations, freight facilities, viaducts and tunnels). The operation of the railway is through a system of control, originally by mechanical means, nowadays, in most places, electronic and computerised. The volume of traffic on the line dictates the number of tracks required for its operation. These consist of short stretches of double track which allow trains to pass each another. Alternatively, and particularly on freight lines, there may be longer sections of the line that are double track. These sections must be able to accommodate the longest train which normally works on t hat line. Effective traffic control is carried out by a token system. where only one token is available for each single line section. Originally this token was physically exchanged between signalman and driver, later by mechanical means using a device on the locomotive cab side whilst nowadays this system has largely been replaced by an electronic system. The development path of Slovenske Ã… ¾eleznice leads us past old Austria, which Slovenia formed part of until 1918, when Slovenians could witness the start and flourishing of railways in their country. Therefore, the table unavoidably contains major events from the histories of both Austrian and Slovenian railways. Infrastructure Transport corridors Because of political and economical co-operation between European countries after 1990, the need emerged to design a trans-European transport network including all types of transport and to join all European countries by 2010. In railway transport, the network is composed of ten trans-European corridors: 5th corridor and 10th corridor Types of railway track Railway tracks are divided into main and local tracks. They are also divided by the number of tracks. One of them are one-track rails (trains use the same track for both directions) and the others are two-track rails (each track is used for train traffic in a certain direction. Superlatives and statistic dates In terms of the length of the lines and its infrastructure, it is difficult to compare Slovenian railroad with other railway in Europe. However, given Slovenias geographical variety our lines involve some interesting information. Some of those are: The steepest line is from PrvaÄ ina to Ã…  tanjel, the highest railway station is 582 above see level and the lowest is in Koper only 3 m above see level. The longest bridge is in Novo mesto (575 m). The highest bridge is in Most na SoÄ i which is 30 m high. The oldest line is form Ã…  entilj to Celje which was bild on 2 June 1846. Some statistics dates for Slovenian railway: The length of all lines of railway is 1228,6 km. There number of viaducts and culverts is 3.181 and there length is 13,1 km. There are also 93 tunnels and galleries and there length together is 37,3 km. In Slovenia we also have 128 stations, 11 of them are only for freight transport, 10 for passenger transport and 107 for combined transport. International transport In Slovenia passenger transportation is not as important as cargo transportation. That is especially because the trains in Slovenia are slow, uncomfortable, and quite old. Luka Koper is a very important factor for railways and the international transport in Slovenia. Cargo arrives to Slovenia by see and in the harbor it is unloaded of ships and it continues its way mostly by railways to countries like: Austria, Slovakia, Hungary,†¦ In Slovenia the biggest percent of passengers represent the students. And that is especially because of their economical condition. But in many countries across the Europe the trains travel with speeds up to 300 km/hour, are much more punctual, comfortable and also cheep. Slovenia has a direct railway connection with some of those countries. From Ljubljana it is possible to travel to some of European countries. TICKETS AND DISCOUNTS There are a lot of different kinds of tickets and discounts. Different companies give discount to different passengers. Mostly yang people to the age 26 have discounts, and also children and elderly. Some railway companies give discount also to larger groups. SLEEPING CARS AND COUCHETTES Because travelling abroad usually means that journeys will be long, passengers have a possibility to decide for sleeping cars or couchettes. Usually that is possible if the departure is at night. The advantage for travelling with night trains is that you are well-rested, because you are able to get some sleep. Night trains are very convenient if you travel from one city to a another city and you have a byssi schedule. TRANSPORTING CARS AND ANIMALS Cars and bicycles can be transported to trains, but only on certain stations, and at certain time. Cars must not be to high or to heavy. Reservations for cars must be made early enough, and you must be there early enough to load the vehicles. Animals can also be transported, but only smaller animals. The owners are fully responsible for their pet. But the animal must not disturb other passengers. Inland transport 1. DISCOUNTS: Special discounts have children and youth, the elderly and pensioners, families, bigger groups, groups of young people, groups of children,†¦ 2. TYPES OF TICKETS; One way: They sell one-way tickets for all types of trains, for all days of the week, up to two months in advance. Return: They sell return tickets for all types of trains, for all days of the week, up to two months in advance. School: For primary school pupils, secondary school pupils, apprentices and students of college and university programmes, for daily journeys from the place of ones residence to the place of schooling or of performing obligatory practice, and back. Semi-annual, Annual and Monthly: All passengers can buy tickets, whereas student tickets are reserved for pupils, students and apprentices upon submitting the appropriate evidence (certificate or application). Flat rate: For those wishing to travel on all lines of Slovenske Ã… ¾eleznice on all types of trains, first or second class. Slovenian Rail Pass: Slovenian Rail Pass is valid for an unlimited number of journies in Slovenia within 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 successive days. It is intended for  persons, who do not live in Slovenia. 3. WAGON OR TRAIN RENTAL-it is possible to rent special wagons attached to regular trains or even an entire special train. A special wagon must be ordered at least 8 days in advance and a special train at least 15 days in advance. 4. TRAIN AND BUS Combined Train Bus Ticket Combined train bus tickets (weekly and monthly tickets), in co-operation between Slovenian Railways and KAM-BUS since 1996, are available for the Ljubljana-Kamnik line.

Youth Work And Anti Social Behaviour Criminology Essay

Youth Work And Anti Social Behaviour Criminology Essay The purpose of this research is to investigate and explore whether youth work helps in preventing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) amongst young people. It is a worthwhile task to research this specific area as there is little published research on the contribution of youth work in preventing ASB. The research was conducted using young people and youth workers from the youth centre that I was doing my placement in Warwickshire. The data collected was a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative, however the focus of the data collection was on qualitative data. The main findings from the study revealed that the majority of young people and youth workers felt that attending the youth club helps to keep young people out of trouble. It was confirmed that youth clubs play an important role in informing young people about crime and justice issues, and that young people are likely to approach youth workers for help and advice. The services deemed important by young people were highlighted, and differences have been recognised between the services deemed most important to provide by young people and youth workers. Issues regarding the role of youth workers were raised, with differing opinions from both young people and youth workers. It has been illustrated that young people have a very positive attitude towards both youth work and youth workers, which is very important if youth workers are to build and maintain good relationships with young people. It is hoped that this research will provide a valuable insight into the possible role of youth work in preventing ASB to those who work in the field of youth work and crime prevention. Introduction The purpose of this study is to explore the potential role of youth work in preventing Anti-social behaviour(ASB). The topic of ASB and youth crime is one used in election campaigns by all political parties. Since New Labour came to power in 1997 there have been numerous citations of Tony Blairs slogan tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, especially with regard to the phenomenon of youth crime. The purpose of this research therefore is to add to the debate on ASB prevention and to investigate a potential avenue that could help prevent it, that is, Youth Work. Relatively little published research has been conducted in the UK specifically on youth work and ASB or crime prevention, especially when compared to the US where Sherman et al (1997) has conducted interesting research. It is the purpose of this piece of research to reduce this gap in knowledge. It is hoped that this research will inform both those who work in the youth work arena and crime prevention strategists in general of the possibilities that youth work holds. 1.2 Aims and Objectives The title of the project is Investigate and Explore the role of Youth Work in preventing Anti-Social Behaviour. The broad aim was to explore whether youth work plays a role in preventing young people commit Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) or in severe cases Crime. The objectives of the research were: To search, review and critically examine the available literature on youth work and youth crime prevention. To determine the role and nature of the youth clubs and youth workers in relation to crime prevention To demonstrate and compare the perceptions of youth work from those who attend youth clubs and those who act in the role of youth worker. To establish whether youth work can be an effective means in preventing youth crime 1.3 Definition of terms used There are debates about the precise meaning of the key terms used in this research, therefore these debates will be briefly outlined and the use of terminology justified. There are three main terms that are used within this report that must be defined. These are: anti-social behaviour, youth crime, youth work and young people. These terms each have their own meanings that are debated by academics, researchers, politicians and even the media. The biggest debates regarding terminology centre on the terms youth crime and young people therefore these will be discussed first. There are two initial problems that occur when attempting to define youth crime. Firstly the problem in defining exactly what crime is, and secondly the problem in defining exactly what youth is. Muncie states the common definition of crime usually takes the form similar to that of an act prohibited by criminal law (2004:39). Michael and Adler (1933) take this further stating that in other words, no act can be considered a crime, irrespective of how immoral or damaging it may be, unless it has been made such by legislation (cited by Muncie, 2004:39). On first examination, this definition may seem perfectly viable, however in respect of young people it is argued that such a legal uncontroversial definition is unable to capture the full extent of troublesome behaviour. It is for these reasons that criminologists have used terms such as delinquency and antisocial behaviour to refer to youth misconduct which is not deemed criminal by the law, but is otherwise troublesome. The use of such terms are used to label and criticise youth behaviour such as hanging around on the streets or being loud as anti-social when this would not necessarily be the case had an adult been behaving in the same manner. These terms therefore provide a way in which to discriminate against young peoples, often not excessively offensive, behaviour. With regard to anti-social behaviour, even a definition of what amounts to this has contrasting perspectives. For example, Rutter, Giller and Hagell define anti-social behaviour as criminal behaviour whereas the Home Office do not (1998:1). This could indicate that the location and context in which the term is used can be of significance. It is submitted that over time and in different societies our constructions of what constitutes criminality clearly change. Support for this can be found from Becker who argues that crime is a consequence of social interaction and that crime only occurs once it has been criminalized through public perception and social reaction. Sumner (1990) supports Beckers view and argues that crime and deviance are matters of moral and political judgement as they are ideological concepts that justify inequality (cited in Muncie, 2004:40). Defining youth is also a problematic task. If attempting to define youth by reference to age, there are no precise moments that mark when childhood ends and adulthood begins (Muncie, 2004:41). This important change has become known as the transition between childhood and adulthood. Spence argues that transition suggests a journey from one state to another, involving both personal and social aspects, and it is therefore dependent upon the idea that the two stages are distinct conditions and fundamentally different (2004: 48). One possible approach to pinpoint the occurrence of this transition is to use the age of criminal responsibility, which is currently 10 years old in England and Wales. Ultimately, the concept of youth is one that suggests similarity amongst people of similar age whilst acting as the basis for creating social rules and institutions that reinforce these apparent similarities (Spence, 2005, p.47). However, despite these definitional problems it is important to define youth in relation to crime. In England and Wales, a person who commits a criminal offence who is between the ages of 10 and 17 years will be treated as a juvenile offender, whereas an individual who commits a criminal offence and is between the ages of 18 and 21 years will be tried as a young offender (Davies, Croall and Tyrer (2004. p.57). Having taken these debates into consideration, the use of these terms throughout this report have been used to mean the following: the term youth crime refers to crime committed by those individuals under the age of 18 years, and the term crime indicates an act prohibited by criminal law (Muncie, 2004, p.39). The term young people has been used to mean those individuals over the age of 10 years and below the age of 18 years, as this also reflects the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales. With regard to youth work, it is difficult to give a text book explanation of exactly what youth work is and research has illustrated that youth workers themselves find it difficult to put their role into a sentence that gives justice to both the work of the youth worker and that of the young person (Ingram and Harris, 2005, p.11-12). The nearest one will find to a formal definition of what youth work entails can be found in the statement of values and principles from the National Youth Agency (NYA), which states that the nature and purpose of youth work is: to facilitate and support young peoples growth through dependence to interdependence, by encouraging their personal and social development and enabling them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities and society. (NYA, 2005:17). It is through this definition that the researcher uses the term youth work to mean working with young people to help them achieve a sense of personal fulfilment, as well as work that can help and advice young people in their daily life choices and activities. The term youth worker therefore is used to describe those who carry out this role. 1.4 Organisation of the report The report is divided into four chapters as follows: Chapter Two reviews the design and methodology adopted to conduct the research and provides justification for the design and methods used. Chapter Three presents the findings of the research and analyse these appropriately. Chapter Four is the final chapter and will discuss the main findings from the research. It will also draw on these findings and the literature review in order to argue that youth work has the potential to make a significant contribution to ASB prevention and recommendations for policy makers, practice and further research. The appendices contain copies of all relevant documents referred to throughout the research. CHAPTER 2 Design and Methodology Research Design and methods The overall design of this research incorporated both quantitative and qualitative methods. The researcher aimed to collect these forms of data using questionnaires and focus groups. One set of questionnaires was distributed to six youth workers who works at the youth club. Semi-structured questions formed the interview questions used in focus groups with young people. As the research was an investigation the use of questionnaires was deemed appropriate for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. Throughout the literature review, it is clear that there is a number of research/theories and approaches that are based on facts within the topic of ASB. An example is that the Home Office have established that young people with a troubled home life are at higher risk of being involved in ASB and crime than those who have not. Using a quantitative design would be inadequate to offer alternative explanations and explain different personal circumstances, for example, why young people who have come from troubled family life get involved in ASB. My research question requires me to ask young people and youth workers whether youth work helps in preventing ASB. A qualitative design would therefore benefit me as it would allow me to ask young people directly through the use of semi-structured interviews. This would therefore include their individual understanding and experiences, rather than being given a choice of options to choose from. It has been stated that qualitative and quantitative research each reflects a different epistemological stance, which ultimately widens the gap between the two (Bryman, 1992). In terms of epistemological framework, quantitative research is strongly linked to the positivist method of studying society, therefore observing the world in an objective manner, whereas qualitative research entails a more subjective approach. These theories explain why quantitative data is often viewed as hard data and qualitative data as real and deep (OReilly, 1996:7). It is therefore submitted that it is not a disadvantage to combine quantitative and qualitative data, but that it is an advantage as the utilisation of the two methods allows for an in-depth investigation, which will allow a more complete account[s] of social reality (Bryman, 1992:126). Questionnaires According to Robson, (2002:230), questionnaires are seen as a predominantly quantitative research method. The questionnaires used in this research asked questions about young people and ASB from the workers point of view, and included both tick boxes and also opportunities to explain further. This offered the researcher qualitative data from the questionnaires. The questionnaire also contained personal data including age, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexuality. Participants were however not asked for their name or any details which would have enabled them to be identified. Below is a table adapted from Munn and Drever(1990) and Sarantakos(2005) which shows the benefits and drawbacks of questionnaires. Fig 1. Benefits Drawbacks Efficient use of time Greater assurance of anonymity for participants Standardised questions and format for data collection Production for quick results Less opportunity for researcher bias Easier for data analysis Allow for a greater coverage of participants Information tends to describe rather than explain Information can be superficial No room for probing, prompting or clarification No opportunity to provide motivation for the participant to take part Identity and conditions are not known Do not allow for additional information The main benefit of using questionnaires in this research was the ability to gain information in a relatively straight forward. This was also helpful for the data analysis stage as questions were all standardised and could easily be organised to produce results for analysis. Focus groups The other method used to collect data in this research was focus groups. Morgan(1998:1) states that, focus groups are group interviews. A moderator guides the interview while a small group discusses the topics that the interviewer raises. Morgan went on to talk about the growth of focus groups as a qualitative research method and how discussions that takes place generate a rich understanding of participants experiences and beliefs'(1998:11). The purpose of a focus group in this research was to offer a deep insight and gain a greater understanding of the opinions that exist towards the research question being explored. Sarantakos (2005) talks about how focus groups can be used as a tool to explain trends and variances through the views of respondents. Below is a table that shows the pros and cons of using focus groups and have been taken from Morgan(1997) and (1998), Bloor et al (2001), Sarantakos (2005). Fig 2 Benefits Drawbacks Ability to gain understanding o complex issues through group discussions Ability to understand uncertainties and ambiguity that can underlie group assessments Allow for easier comparisons of opinions and the similarities and differences that exist Recording data can be problematic Being in a group may hide peoples real opinions The process can be dominated by some members There can be difficulties keeping discussions on track Findings may not be represented The reason why these two methods were used in the research was to enhance the data collected and to enable the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of feelings and opinions that surround the subject. This use of multiple methods is becoming common in social researches which, as stated by Boer et al (2001:12), contribute to the parallel mushrooming commitment of academic researchers to triangulation. Triangulation is a process by which different methods are employed by researchers to ensure that the methods themselves do not distort data but instead produce similar findings. Implementation and changes to Design Due to selected young people not turning up for the focus group, the researcher had to randomly select young people who were present at the time who fitted the criteria. This meant having to postpone the time and some planned activities as the young people had to seek consent first to participate from parents/carers and bring to the researcher signed forms. This meant that the researcher had to do one focus group instead of two that had been planned in the research proposal. Although it would have been good to have two focus group so as to look for similarities and differences in young peoples views, having one group did not make much difference as the researcher felt the young people who participated were a fair representatives of young people who attend youth clubs. Having one focus group, in the researchers opinion was more than enough as the researcher had to consider time needed for analysis. 2.5 Sample Selection and Details of Participants In total there were 14 participants in the study: eight young people, and six youth workers. It was felt that although this was a relatively small sample, it would allow for a greater degree of qualitative data to be collected and analysed. The researcher felt that the sample of young people was, fairly representative of those attending the youth clubs. The sampling method used was convenience or accidental sampling which involves choosing the nearest and most convenience persons to act as respondents. Robson(2002:265). The main limitations to this type of sampling is that there is no way to tell if the findings are representatives of the population or not. Robson(2002:265). However, the researcher tried to make sure that many groups were represented in the study including every age group and gender. One key group that was not included was young people from ethnic minorities group. This was due to the fact that at the time no one who fitted the criteria was present and the area is dominantly white. The participants (both youth workers and young people) were all white British. The age range of the young people was between 13 and 16 years old, with 37.5% being female and 62.5% male. The youth worker participants were 66.7% female and 33.3% male. The table below(Fig 3) shows a detailed breakdown of all participants. Young people Age(years) Male Female Total 13 1 1 2 14 1 1 2 15 2 1 3 16 1 1 Fig 4 Youth Workers Age range Female Male Total 18-25 2 2 25-30 1 1 2 30+ 1 1 2 2.6 Young Peoples Focus Group The researcher arranged semi-structured questions in advance and sent them to the Youth Worker in charge for approval. A place and time was allocated where the group would not be disturbed. By planning in advance, the researcher was able to avoid interruptions and ensure people could not overhear the discussions. Facilitating a focus group allowed the researcher to be creative in the types of questions that she could ask. Interactive and visual exercises were included which enabled young people to keep focused, interested and engaged in the topic. 2.7 Youth workers questionnaire There were several questions that could be compared to the questions given to young people, in order to reach the objective of determining and comparing the perceptions of youth work from youth workers and young people. Due to the mixture of open and closed questions it was possible to extract both quantitative and qualitative data from the youth workers. However, because the sample size was relatively small the focus was to collect qualitative data that was rich in both information and experience. At the youth club the questionnaires were handed to the worker-in-charge who ensured that the researcher was handed the completed questionnaires back. All six questionnaires were completed and returned. Confidentiality was ensured and maintained throughout as the questionnaires were handed out with an envelope for use after completion of the questionnaire. 2.8 Ethical Issues It is vital when completing research that the importance of ethical issues is observed. (Walliman 2006:151). The ethical issues identified for this research can be found in the research proposal (Appedix). No further ethical issues were identified. Consent forms forms were all signed and retuned to the researcher. The researcher further emphasised on confidentiality issues within the group. Throughout the research, all the procedures identified to promote ethical practice were put into place. A place that was free from noise, interruptions or risks that others could overhear was used and this was important in maintaining confidentiality. 2.9 Data Analysis In presenting and discussing the research findings a mixture of summary and descriptive statistics were used. Generalizations from these statistics were kept to a minimum due to the research design and methods adopted. As the research sample was relatively small and manageable, the researcher felt confident to complete the statistical calculations herself. In addition, as the research sample was relatively small it was not thought appropriate to use any other statistical tests in the data analysis CHAPTER 3 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 3.1 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to present the findings of the research and provide a basic interpretation of these findings. Quantifiable data will be presented in a graphical format. Qualitative data will be illustrated by quotes and written observations. The findings of the study have been provided through the use of data analysis by using a grounded theory approach. A grounded theory is dedicated to generating theories. It emphasises the importance of empirical fieldwork and the need to link any explanations very closely to what happens in the real world.(Denscombe, 2007:89) The researcher analysed the data after recording all of the information provided from the focus group onto one sheet. This meant putting all of the participants answers to each question together, therefore analysis on possible themes and categories was made easier. An example is provided in Fig 5 below: Key P1=Participant 1 Q1 What do you understand by the term Anti-Social Behaviour? P1- ermm, I think its crime committed by youth like young people P2- ohm ermm I dont know (pause) young people messing around on the streets getting into trouble P3- aint it just teenagers doing nothing on the streets or corner shops P4- Like graffiti, hanging on the streets, smoking, drinking, things that young people do P5- Its like all these guys with hoodies hanging about getting into trouble by misbehaving, acting stupid P6- Petty crime like hanging about on the streets, making noise, vandalising property I used this process to look at specific parts of the interviews which were important in order to meet my research objectives. My data analysis was based on looking for similarities or differences in the answers given and categorising relevant themes. Denscombe (2007:98) states that, the first stage of analysis involves the coding and categorizing of the data. This means the researcher begins to assign bits of raw data to particular categories. Careful scrutiny of the data will allow the researcher to see that certain bits of the data have something in common. 3.2 Focus Group-Young people The objective of having a focus group with young people was ultimately to discover their views on both the youth club they attended, the youth workers that worked there, and whether having a youth club helped keep the young people out of trouble, therefore addressing the issue of reducing and preventing youth crime. In order to do this it was considered important to discover how often the young people actually attended the clubs. Youth club attendance and spare time activities Figure 6 below illustrates that nearly two thirds of the young people, (5, which is 62.5%) attended whenever the clubs were open. It is argued that this is an important finding for the foundation of the research as if young people were not attending the clubs then the potential of youth work to help reduce Anti-social behaviour and crime would be dramatically reduced from the outset. As the youth clubs are regularly attended by young people it was felt that because the youth club studied in this research were not open seven days a week, it was important to try and discover what young people were doing in their spare time when they were not at the club. As was discussed in Chapter Two, according to research, social skills are an important part of the transition into adulthood (Spence, 2005). However, the effect of socialisation and peer group pressure can have differing effects on individuals. It is clear to see from figure 7 below, socialising with friends is a large part of the young peoples lives. It is interesting to observe that only a small proportion (2), which is a quarter of young people thought that they got into trouble in their spare time. This figure could be a result of several different factors such as different opinions as to what is classed as getting into trouble, for example is it only trouble if you have broken the law or when you are being antisocial? Subjective factors such as these could have affected the answers given by the participants and this must be kept in mind when analysing the findings Keeping out of trouble The young people were asked to rate the extent of their agreement to the statement coming to the youth club keeps me out of trouble (question 3). It is submitted that the results (see figure 8 below) are encouraging on several levels. Firstly, no one disagreed with the statement therefore it is possible to argue that the youth clubs could help reduce youth crime, at least for the period in which the young people attended the club. Support for this argument can be found in the fact that 62.5% of young people rated their extent of agreement at 4 or above on the scale. To make a direct comparison, the youth workers were asked the same question (question 6). The results are also illustrated in figure 3 above. It must be remembered when interpreting these findings that the sample size of the two groups were different, as the young people sample (n=8) was larger than the youth worker sample (n=6). The findings from the youth workers indicate a strong extent of agreement that youth clubs do help keep young people out of trouble, illustrated by the fact nearly all responses (4: 66.7%) were marked 4 or above on the scale. # Comparative means to indicate the level of agreement to the statement that youth clubs keep young people out of trouble The role of a youth worker: Question 1-Youth Workers/ Question 10-Young people It was important to discover what the young people and the youth workers perceived to be the role of a youth worker in order to see if there were any major differences. If they were there, these would need to be resolved in order to provide the service that young people want and need. The young people in the stated that someone to offer help/advice as the main role of a youth worker. Help/advice/guidance is one perception of the role that is shared by both the young people and youth workers. There was a difference in that young people felt that to provide activities was an element of the role, as opposed to youth workers. This information was difficult to quantify the data into categories in that the answers given by the youth workers were very serious, whereas the young peoples answers were more focused towards fun and activities as opposed to being focused on serious matters such as guidance The NYA promotes that the main purpose of youth work is the personal and social development of young people and their social inclusion (NYA, 2006:6). . In comparison to Mertons study (2004), which found the role of a youth worker to be a social educator and mentor, it is possible to argue that these elements are also visible in the findings from this research as helping, advising and guiding young people can fit into both of the roles Merton found. Referring to the literature review, I had based my research on the risk factors identified by the home office that increase the chances of young people be involved in ASB. Within these risk factors, peer pressure was established as one of the risk factors associated with ASB. My results supported this as 7 out of 8 young people mentioned copying their friends, trying to fit in and peer pressure as a reason for engaging in ASB. Chapter Four Discussion, Conclusions and Implications 4.1 The most important findings The study found that there was a high level of agreement amongst young people and youth workers that going to the youth club keeps young people out of trouble. It is therefore argued that youth work is already contributing to ASB prevention, at least during the period in which the youth clubs are open. Regarding what the participants thought were the most important services to provide, Q4-YW and Q9-YP, the study found a difference of opinion not only between youth workers and young people, but also amongst youth workers themselves. Young people felt that a place to socialise, access to information and advice, and a safe place to be were the most important services, whereas overall youth workers felt enthusiastic workers and the building of relationships were paramount. If youth work were to hold a substantial ASB or crime prevention role, differences such as these would need to be straightened out in order to ensure the most important services are clearly defined in terms of what the young people want and need from the clubs. With regard to the informative function of youth work, it was found that youth work does indeed play an important role in informing young people about ASB, crime and justice issues. This provides the foundation on which to argue that youth work has an extremely important role in providing young people with information on important issues. The study found that young people were likely to approach a youth worker for support and advice. This is very encouraging in terms of youth work holding and maintaining a successful role in ASB prevention, as it would be paramount that young people feel both confident and comfortable in approaching youth workers for help. It was also illustrated that in general young people have a very positive attitude towards youth workers, which supports the argument that youth workers have the potential to cross the barriers with young people where others fail, especially in terms of promoting pro-social behaviour and social inclusion. This finding als