Psychology in Modern Hostage Negotiation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2779 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Abstract The position of this paper is that psychologists have a role of mental health consultation and bigger consultation role at the situation of the hostage. Over the past few decades, there has been a record of increased hostage incidents involving perpetrators with a variety of motives which include economic and political. According to this paper, psychological knowledge has proven to be of great value considering the way one is supposed to deal with the subject of hostage negotiations. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Psychology in Modern Hostage Negotiation" essay for you Create order This article explain that psychological knowledge also helps to guide the negotiator on the steps that should be undertaken in order to negotiate with hostage takers and the required steps to go about the negotiation. The incident of hostage can be referred to a case where a perpetrator holds one or more individuals against their desires in places known to police. Around 25 years ago, policies of hostage or crisis negotiations were developed and they are being used continuously in field application. According to this article, there are less than 25% incidents that have been resolved and nobody is killed in cases of law enforcement on serious incidents. This article also explains that the negotiators ought to be in a position to direct the subjects who will express their perspectives into stating clearly the idea of their doubts and difficulties and speaking up their requests and demands to make work easier for the law enforcers to address them. In the United States the negotiator mus t be able to withstand any form of deployment that is extended to complex as well as demanding situations and incidences. The position of this article is therefore, clear that the psychological principles have enabled the police to employ active techniques for listening, maintain an approach that is open minded as well as create a rapport that can influence the counterparts of an individual. Introduction Involvement of psychologists in the police department has increased significantly over the past two decades. This is considering the fact that psychology plays a very important in cases of the hostage in matters of negotiation. Development of psychological negotiation strategies is a key factor that should be considered in regard to the dynamic nature of hostage incidents that have been happening in the world in the past three decades. Understanding motivation and goals of the situation must be put into consideration before developing the required negotiation strategies. Taking a little bit some time is also important in order to give space for the highly emotional states and give time for informed decisions on how to intervene the strategies. This also allows the security departments to obtain adequate resources, and give chance on gathering any background information on the matter. In this case, the most important point is allowing the relationship between the hostage-takers time t o develop. Therefore, development of negotiation strategies in cases of hostage and crisis is very important to the negotiator as the way of protecting the captives. The psychological knowledge has proven to be of great value considering the way one is supposed to deal with the subject of hostage negotiations. It has also been discovered that those individuals who are specialized in these areas are gaining rapid acceptance in most of the hostage cases. Therefore, the role played by the psychologist in hostage negotiation is very clear to all individuals. Researchers have defined that the crucial role of the psychologists is balancing the mental status of the hostage-takers and the best direction to address them in order to ensure that the mission of protecting the hostages is successful Strentz, (2011). However, it is important to understand that there has been no universal agreement between mental health specialists on the importance of consulting the hostage-taker. Their doubts have been considering the fact that psychologists dont have a lot of experience compared to anybody else in situations of hostage and it might be a way of confusion if t hey can be trusted when they claim that hostage negotiation is part of their profession. Moreover, they claim that the role of psychologists in cases of hostage have been ignored despite the fact that there has been the continued training of negotiators more especially in New York. Though it is of great significance to understand that the role psychology is mainly to make the police understand the personalities of the hostage-takers which is very important in cases of hostage and crisis intervention. The position of this paper is that psychologists have a role of mental health consultation and bigger consultation role at the situation of the hostage. According to research, the psychological knowledge not only helps at the time of hostage incident but also they have enough knowledge that can be used to train negotiators in order to deal with cases of hostage and crisis intervention. In addition, it is important to understand that negotiating with hostage takers is all about psychology and those who are in most cases successful in the process are psychologists who are very experienced Lynch, (2012). Considering the scenario of a typical hostage, lives of the captives are at pending chances of violent death at the hands of the hostage taker which normally takes place in the uncontrolled environment. Situations of hostage can take hours, days or weeks of intense negotiation and these cases require skilled negotiators in order to save the captives from the hands of the hostage-takers hence psychology will be great role when considering such situations. In fact, according to studies and records, it is very clear that negotiation yield 90% success in resolving hostage crisis without any one among the hostages being injured by the hostage takers and this is a remarkable condition considering life-saving intervention of crisis strategy. Psychological knowledge also helps to guide the negotiator on the steps that should be undertaken in order to negotiate with hostage takers and the required steps to go about the negotiation. This steps include reducing background distractions to ensure clarity of the communication, introducing yourself clearly and tell them the reason why you are calling, address them using sir or madam since in most cases you will not be aware of their names and most important monitor your tone to set a mature conversation between yourself and them. This is very important in hostage situations since the main goal of hostage negotiation is to maintain verbal strategies and utilize time in order to control the emotions of the hostage takers and make ensure that there is increased rationality. The intention is to make sure the hostages are saved without any injuries and if possible the hostage takers are arrested in a non-violent way, this situation will only work if psychological knowledge is applied in such cases. According to the studies that have been conducted, it is clear that negotiation is among the best channels that can be used to resolve hostage. Research has confirmed that less than 5% such cases will result in death if there if good negotiation skills are employed. Since negotiation relies on the knowledge of psychology, therefore, psychology is very important in modern hostage negotiation. According to Miller (2005), there are less than 25% incidents that have been resolved and nobody is killed in cases of law enforcement on serious incidents. This condition has been improved with good negotiation strategies Miller (2005). Although every hostage situation appears different, they all have general similarities on how they are carried out and reasons of the practice. In some cases, hostage takers will uses hostages to attempt robbery and sometimes it is impossible for them to get away without the assurance of the hostages. Sometimes if law enforcement acts lethal towards such cases, the robbers might decide to kill the hostages before they are caught or before they kill themselves. Therefore, psychological knowledge will be very important in dealing with such situation to ensure that hostages lives are saved and if possible the hostage takers are arrested in a non-violent manner. Consequently, the psychological knowledge on hostage negotiation has been used for quite some period of time and there is a positive response in regard to its use. Considering such cases it is, therefore, important to ensure that more negotiator is trained with psychological knowledge since there are many cases of the hostage that are being experienced every day. The knowledge is also used in order to prolong the negotiation so as to give the chance of other tactical options to be used. On the other side, it is important to note that in most cases the negotiators are used to buy time for alternative options to be considered and this has been regarded to be very important considering a number of such cases. For hostage negotiations to take place modern psychology must be applied. A psychological study conducted by Greenstone in 2013 revealed that, in any hostage situation, the lives of people are at a violent risk of death due to a homicidal, cold blooded, suicidal or even a depressed, drug controlled hostage taker. This happens in a chaotic family or a work place environment that is uncontrolled. As per Greenstone (2013), resolving the hostage situations and crises often take a lot of hours or even multiple days of intense negotiations and need the psychological principles to enable skilled communication. Notably, the use of the principles of modern psychology has changed the manner in which the police negotiate in hostage situations in various ways. First, it has enabled the police negotiator to work hand in hand with the individual involved in the crisis or the hostage situation towards a solution that is peaceful, and that which was viewed as impossible previously. This implies that psychological principles have enhanced the reconciliation of a counterpart issues with an aim of maintaining peace for a whole community. Secondly, the psychological principles have enabled the police to employ active techniques for listening, maintain an approach that is open minded as well as create a rapport that can influence the counterparts of an individual. The principles have also changed the manner in which police negotiate to putting a lot of determination on the nature of the dynamic activities, negotiation skills and communication tools to use for the response of the hostage situations. By practicing this, a rapport and trust is built by the police negotiators with the takers of the hostages thus enabling the police negotiators to put together a lot of information that is useful concerning the hostage takers (Greenstone, 2013). This information gathered will, in turn, enable the determination of appropriate decision methods, communication, and negotiations. Apart from that, through the use of modern psychological principles, the police negotiators have come up with important skills of negotiations to be use d in the hostage situations. These skills include the motto that says ‘talk to me’ to emphasize the essence of communication as an essential technique in the police negotiation in hostage situations. This creates a rapport to help the situation. The second skill is patience which aids in limiting the police negotiator from rushing to conclusions as well as jumping into resolutions. There is also the active listening that employs both the effective as well as the affective skills to build trust with the police negotiators and the negotiating counterparts and establish rapports. With the use of modern psychological principles, police negotiations changed to being respectful to enable the counterpart feel that the negotiator is there to listen and address her concerns (Greenstone, 2013).   Despite that, the police negotiations have adapted to being calm, a technique that is so quick to master by the hostage negotiator. By use of an understanding, calm or even a respectful tone, the subject realizes that an alternative way exists. Self-awareness is also a skill that enables the police negotiators to create and up bring a healthy relationship with a person he or she has never met while maintaining a strategic communication that its nature is purposeful. Lastly, in matters relating to the adaptability of the police negotiator, police negotiator adapts to the varyin g circumstances and reacts to those circumstances accordingly. The respond should not only ensure that the trustworthy relationship built with the negotiating counterparts is preserved but also bring the negotiating goals closer to them. Generally, on the arrival of the negotiators at a scene of a crisis so as to begin the negotiations, they have to put in mind that the subject is in the middle of an internal turmoil that is considerable (McMains Mullins, 2014). In order to get rid of the crisis, the negotiators should first appreciate the aspects that might have brought the situation. Among the practical psychologist, the most skilled are the crisis negotiators who have had a successful trend. A negotiator has to enforce the law by creating a conversation with the suicidal people, the takers of the hostages and any other individual who is barricaded. These psychologists have a role of participating in training, development and personnel selection as well as operational assistance in the course of a crisis intervention. They also monitor the progress of negotiation and memory of the people at the hostage situation. The negotiators put into use the primary technique of negotiation. This technique depends on the issues constructing and affecting the hostage resolutions for negotiation. (Spence Millott, 2016). In addition, the negotiators put emphasis on the criminal as well as on the behavioral of the hostage takers who are involved in the scenes so as to decide if they can be taken as expressive or rather instruments. A negotiator fits in the field of crisis intervention within the United States in the following ways. First, the negotiator must be able to withstand any form of deployment that is extended to complex as well as demanding situations and incidences. This is a specification training that is challenging, however, the public and even the service administrators in the United States, expect that the trained and the deployed negotiators are useful and purposefully fit. They, therefore, provide negotiators who have the skills necessary to eventually minimize serious injuries, life loses and be successful. This is the fulfillment of their primary objective that is to preserve life. The other aspects such as subject confinement and arrest are important secondarily. (Spence Millott, 2016). Secondly, to fit in the field of crisis intervention in the United States, the negotiator must be of a high standard with developed skills after going through training. Apart from that, the negotiator needs to be able to integrate in order to deliver of their skills and their knowledge as well especially in critical outcomes where the environments require pre-evidencing. This is reinforced particularly by the amount of money and time I invested in training including the consequences of the unexpected and poor performance. On the other hand, the negotiator should be able to determine and implement the decision making and negotiation strategies in a different manner depending on the nature of the situation they are dealing with. This is in order to be able to fit in the crisis intervention in the states. The situation of the hostages can be expressive or even instrumental (McMains Mullins, 2014). Furthermore, the negotiators ought to be in a position to direct the subjects who will express their perspectives into stating clearly the idea of their doubts and difficulties and speaking up their requests and demands to make work easier for the law enforcers to address them. Also, they have to adopt a technique in negotiation that is designed to elicit information and provide a skill that can be useful in helping the communicative subjects sort out the doubts and their scattered feelings and thoughts as well. The negotiators ought to be in a position to use an active skill of listening to alter the negotiat ion tone. To employ the listening skills in a successful manner, it is mandatory for the negotiator to understand the situation at hand first. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that modern psychology should be applied in every hostage negotiations. The psychological principles are important, as they have enabled the police to employ active techniques for listening, maintain an approach that is open minded as well as create a rapport that can influence the counterparts of an individual. It has also enabled the police negotiator to work hand in hand with the individual involved in the crisis or the hostage situation towards a solution that is peaceful. Additionally, the use of the principles has enabled the police negotiators have come up with important skills of negotiations to be used in the hostage situations. It is also clear that, for a negotiator to fit in the field of crisis intervention, he/she must be highly skilled, able to withstand any form of deployment and lastly, should be able to determine and implement the decision making and negotiation strategies.

Family and Household Essay - 973 Words

Family and Household nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The word family comes from the Latin word familia which means household. This seems to be fitting since they both seem synonymous. In the dictionary the definition of family is a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head or a group of persons of common ancestry. The definition of household is those who dwell under the same roof and compose a family or a social unit comprised of those living together in the same dwelling. Even the definitions are very similar, yet they have come to mean two very different things in our modern day world. As time evolves so does the clarity of what makes up a family and the function of family and household are.†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the Dada tribe they live by a patri-local custom of always living with the husbands family. Although this custom sometimes causes problems between the woman and their in-laws it is still a practice that they maintain because having the m en move away would threaten the economics of their community and their well-being (Abrams amp; Bishop 1994: â€Å"Family and Householdâ€Å"). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the Asante tribe they are also patri-local, in the sense that the new wives must move and live with their husbands family but in their customs all inheritance is through the mother and they also practice polygamy so the fathers are often not involved with the complete well-being of their children. Because of this many mothers set up their own individual household and create work for themselves in order to earn something to give to their children (Abrams amp; Bishop 1994:†Family and Household†). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Both of the above examples provide examples of how family means different things but mostly because their culture has different needs than that of another. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The term household and how it relates to each culture is a little harder to define. In America household usually means the nuclear family and where they reside. Household is very independent and for the most part, does notShow MoreRelatedas family and household2649 Words   |  11 PagesIf the family exists (as Murdock says it does universally), then it must be performing some function(s) or fulfilling some purpose(s). A number of functionalist sociologists have presented accounts of the way in which this happens. 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Aristotle wrote Politics intending to guide and influence rulers and statesmenRead MoreDomestic Violence Is The Violent Confrontation Within A Family Household1195 Words   |  5 PagesValentina Marmol Women’s Literature Ms. Bruno 6 June 2016 Domestic Violence Domestic violence is the violent confrontation within a family household including physical abuse or sexual assault. This assault usually occurs in former spouses or relationships. Approximately four million women have faced sexual assault from a significant other in our world today. Even though domestic violence is defined as the physical abuse inflicted by someone onto another individual, but it also relatesRead MoreA Study Of The Economic Forecasting Of New One Family Households1758 Words   |  8 PagesA STUDY OF THE ECONOMIC FORECASTING OF NEW ONE FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS SOLD IN THE US – AN ANALYSIS Context and Objective of the Analysis The US housing industry has witnessed a downward trend post 2005 due to deteriorating macroeconomic conditions in the United States. The steep decline in the last 5 years has led to investigations on the future of the industry and understands the way forward for the industry. The report answers the following questions: How long is the fall in the industry going toRead MoreExamine the Reasons for the Increase in Uk Family and Household Diversity in the Last 40 Years2165 Words   |  9 Pages. 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Digital Fortress Chapter 63-65 Free Essays

string(22) " he moved toward her\." Chapter 63 Becker’s newly purchased Vespa motorcycle struggled up the entry road to Aeropuerto de Sevilla. His knuckles had been white the whole way. His watch read just after 2:00 a. We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Fortress Chapter 63-65 or any similar topic only for you Order Now m. local time. As he approached the main terminal, he rode up on the sidewalk and jumped off the bike while it was still moving. It clattered to the pavement and sputtered to a stop. Becker dashed on rubbery legs through the revolving door. Never again, he swore to himself. The terminal was sterile and starkly lit. Except for a janitor buffing the floor, the place was deserted. Across the concourse, a ticket agent was closing down the Iberia Airlines counter. Becker took it as a bad sign. He ran over. â€Å"El vuelo a los Estados Unidos?† The attractive Andalusian woman behind the counter looked up and smiled apologetically. â€Å"Acaba de salir. You just missed it.† Her words hung in the air for a long moment. I missed it. Becker’s shoulders slumped. â€Å"Was there standby room on the flight?† â€Å"Plenty,† the woman smiled. â€Å"Almost empty. But tomorrow’s eight a.m. also has-â€Å" â€Å"I need to know if a friend of mine made that flight. She was flying standby.† The woman frowned. â€Å"I’m sorry, sir. There were several standby passengers tonight, but our privacy clause states-â€Å" â€Å"It’s very important,† Becker urged. â€Å"I just need to know if she made the flight. That’s all.† The woman gave a sympathetic nod. â€Å"Lovers’ quarrel?† Becker thought a moment. Then he gave her a sheepish grin. â€Å"It’s that obvious?† She gave him a wink. â€Å"What’s her name?† â€Å"Megan,† he replied sadly. The agent smiled. â€Å"Does your lady friend have a last name?† Becker exhaled slowly. Yes, but I don’t know it!† Actually, it’s kind of a complicated situation. You said the plane was almost empty. Maybe you could-â€Å" â€Å"Without a last name I really can’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Actually,† Becker interrupted, having another idea. â€Å"Have you been on all night?† The woman nodded. â€Å"Seven to seven.† â€Å"Then maybe you saw her. She’s a young girl. Maybe fifteen or sixteen? Her hair was-† Before the words left his mouth, Becker realized his mistake. The agent’s eyes narrowed. â€Å"Your lover is fifteen years old?† â€Å"No!† Becker gasped. â€Å"I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shit. â€Å"If you could just help me, it’s very important.† â€Å"I’m sorry,† the woman said coldly. â€Å"It’s not the way it sounds. If you could just-â€Å" â€Å"Good night, sir.† The woman yanked the metal grate down over the counter and disappeared into a back room. Becker groaned and stared skyward. Smooth, David. Very smooth. He scanned the open concourse. Nothing. She must have sold the ring and made the flight. He headed for the custodian. â€Å"Has visto a una nina?† he called over the sound of the tile buffer. â€Å"Have you seen a girl?† The old man reached down and killed the machine. â€Å"Eh?† â€Å"Una nina?† Becker repeated. â€Å"Pelo rojo, azul, y blanco. Red white and blue hair.† The custodian laughed. â€Å"Que fea. Sounds ugly.† He shook his head and went back to work. David Becker stood in the middle of the deserted airport concourse and wondered what to do next. The evening had been a comedy of errors. Strathmore’s words pounded in his head: Don’t call until you have the ring. A profound exhaustion settled over him. If Megan sold the ring and made the flight, there was no telling who had the ring now. Becker closed his eyes and tried to focus. What’s my next move? He decided to consider it in a moment. First, he needed to make a long-overdue trip to a rest room. Chapter 64 Susan stood alone in the dimly lit silence of Node 3. The task at hand was simple: Access Hale’s terminal, locate his key, and then delete all of his communication with Tankado. There could be no hint of Digital Fortress anywhere. Susan’s initial fears of saving the key and unlocking Digital Fortress were nagging at her again. She felt uneasy tempting fate; they’d been lucky so far. North Dakota had miraculously appeared right under their noses and been trapped. The only remaining question was David; he had to find the other pass-key. Susan hoped he was making progress. As she made her way deeper into Node 3, Susan tried to clear her mind. It was odd that she felt uneasy in such a familiar space. Everything in Node 3 seemed foreign in the dark. But there was something else. Susan felt a momentary hesitation and glanced back at the inoperable doors. There was no escape. Twenty minutes, she thought. As she turned toward Hale’s terminal, she noticed a strange, musky odor-it was definitely not a Node 3 smell. She wondered if maybe the deionizer was malfunctioning. The smell was vaguely familiar, and with it came an unsettling chill. She pictured Hale locked below in his enormous steaming cell. Did he set something on fire? She looked up at the vents and sniffed. But the odor seemed to be coming from nearby. Susan glanced toward the latticed doors of the kitchenette. And in an instant she recognized the smell. It was cologne†¦ and sweat. She recoiled instinctively, not prepared for what she saw. From behind the lattice slats of the kitchenette, two eyes stared out at her. It only took an instant for the horrifying truth to hit her. Greg Hale was not locked on the sublevels-he was in Node 3! He’d slipped upstairs before Strathmore closed the trapdoor. He’d been strong enough to open the doors all by himself. Susan had once heard that raw terror was paralyzing-she now knew that was a myth. In the same instant her brain grasped what was happening, she was in motion-stumbling backward through the dark with a single thought in mind: escape. The crash behind her was instantaneous. Hale had been sitting silently on the stove and extended his legs like two battering rams. The doors exploded off their hinges. Hale launched himself into the room and thundered after her with powerful strides. Susan knocked over a lamp behind her, attempting to trip Hale as he moved toward her. You read "Digital Fortress Chapter 63-65" in category "Essay examples" She sensed him vault it effortlessly. Hale was gaining quickly. When his right arm circled her waist from behind, it felt like she’d hit a steel bar. She gasped in pain as the wind went out of her. His biceps flexed against her rib cage. Susan resisted and began twisting wildly. Somehow her elbow struck cartilage. Hale released his grip, his hands clutching his nose. He fell to his knees, hands cupped over his face. â€Å"Son of a-† He screamed in pain. Susan dashed onto the door’s pressure plates saying a fruitless prayer that Strathmore would in that instant restore power and the doors would spring open. Instead, she found herself pounding against the glass. Hale lumbered toward her, his nose covered with blood. In an instant, his hands were around her again-one of them clamped firmly on her left breast and the other on her midsection. He yanked her away from the door. She screamed, her hand outstretched in futile attempt to stop him. He pulled her backward, his belt buckle digging into her spine. Susan couldn’t believe his strength. He dragged her back across the carpet, and her shoes came off. In one fluid motion, Hale lifted her and dumped her on the floor next to his terminal. Susan was suddenly on her back, her skirt bunched high on her hips. The top button of her blouse had released, and her chest was heaving in the bluish light. She stared up in terror as Hale straddled her, pinning her down. She couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes. It looked like fear. Or was it anger? His eyes bore into her body. She felt a new wave of panic. Hale sat firmly on her midsection, staring down at her with an icy glare. Everything Susan had ever learned about self-defense was suddenly racing through her mind. She tried to fight, but her body did not respond. She was numb. She closed her eyes. Oh, please, God. No! Chapter 65 Brinkerhoff paced Midge’s office. â€Å"Nobody bypasses Gauntlet. It’s impossible!† â€Å"Wrong,† she fired back. â€Å"I just talked to Jabba. He said he installed a bypass switch last year.† The PA looked doubtful. â€Å"I never heard that.† â€Å"Nobody did. It was hush-hush.† â€Å"Midge,† Brinkerhoff argued, â€Å"Jabba’s compulsive about security! He would never put in a switch to bypass-â€Å" â€Å"Strathmore made him do it,† she interrupted. Brinkerhoff could almost hear her mind clicking. â€Å"Remember last year,† she asked, â€Å"when Strathmore was working on that anti-Semitic terrorist ring in California?† Brinkerhoff nodded. It had been one of Strathmore’s major coups last year. Using TRANSLTR to decrypt an intercepted code, he had uncovered a plot to bomb a Hebrew school in Los Angeles. He decrypted the terrorist’s message only twelve minutes before the bomb went off, and using some fast phone work, he saved three hundred schoolchildren. â€Å"Get this,† Midge said, lowering her voice unnecessarily. â€Å"Jabba said Strathmore intercepted that terrorist code six hours before that bomb went off.† Brinkerhoff’s jaw dropped. â€Å"But†¦ then why did he wait-â€Å" â€Å"Because he couldn’t get TRANSLTR to decrypt the file. He tried, but Gauntlet kept rejecting it. It was encrypted with some new public key algorithm that the filters hadn’t seen yet. It took Jabba almost six hours to adjust them.† Brinkerhoff looked stunned. â€Å"Strathmore was furious. He made Jabba install a bypass switch in Gauntlet in case it ever happened again.† â€Å"Jesus.† Brinkerhoff whistled. â€Å"I had no idea.† Then his eyes narrowed. â€Å"So what’s your point?† â€Å"I think Strathmore used the switch today†¦ to process a file that Gauntlet rejected.† â€Å"So? That’s what the switch is for, right?† Midge shook her head. â€Å"Not if the file in question is a virus.† Brinkerhoff jumped. â€Å"A virus? Who said anything about a virus!† â€Å"It’s the only explanation,† she said. â€Å"Jabba said a virus is the only thing that could keep TRANSLTR running this long, so-â€Å" â€Å"Wait a minute!† Brinkerhoff flashed her the time-out sign. â€Å"Strathmore said everything’s fine!† â€Å"He’s lying.† Brinkerhoff was lost. â€Å"You’re saying Strathmore intentionally let a virus into TRANSLTR?† â€Å"No,† she snapped. â€Å"I don’t think he knew it was a virus. I think he was tricked.† Brinkerhoff was speechless. Midge Milken was definitely losing it. â€Å"It explains a lot,† she insisted. â€Å"It explains what he’s been doing in there all night.† â€Å"Planting viruses in his own computer?† â€Å"No,† she said, annoyed. â€Å"Trying to cover up his mistake! And now he can’t abort TRANSLTR and get aux power back because the virus has the processors locked down!† Brinkerhoff rolled his eyes. Midge had gone nuts in the past, but never like this. He tried to calm her. â€Å"Jabba doesn’t seem to be too worried.† â€Å"Jabba’s a fool,† she hissed. Brinkerhoff looked surprised. Nobody had ever called Jabba a fool-a pig maybe, but never a fool. â€Å"You’re trusting feminine intuition over Jabba’s advanced degrees in anti-invasive programming?† She eyed him harshly. Brinkerhoff held up his hands in surrender. â€Å"Never mind. I take it back.† He didn’t need to be reminded of Midge’s uncanny ability to sense disaster. â€Å"Midge,† he begged. â€Å"I know you hate Strathmore, but-â€Å" â€Å"This has nothing to do with Strathmore!† Midge was in overdrive. â€Å"The first thing we need to do is confirm Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet. Then we call the director.† â€Å"Great.† Brinkerhoff moaned. â€Å"I’ll call Strathmore and ask him to send us a signed statement.† â€Å"No,† she replied, ignoring his sarcasm. â€Å"Strathmore’s lied to us once already today.† She glanced up, her eyes probing his. â€Å"Do you have keys to Fontaine’s office? â€Å"Of course. I’m his PA.† â€Å"I need them.† Brinkerhoff stared in disbelief. â€Å"Midge, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you into Fontaine’s office.† â€Å"You have to!† she demanded. Midge turned and started typing on Big Brother’s keyboard. â€Å"I’m requesting a TRANSLTR queue list. If Strathmore manually bypassed Gauntlet, it’ll show up on the printout.† â€Å"What does that have to do with Fontaine’s office?† She spun and glared at him. â€Å"The queue list only prints to Fontaine’s printer. You know that!† â€Å"That’s because it’s classified, Midge!† â€Å"This is an emergency. I need to see that list.† Brinkerhoff put his hands on her shoulders. â€Å"Midge, please settle down. You know I can’t-â€Å" She huffed loudly and spun back to her keyboard. â€Å"I’m printing a queue list. I’m going to walk in, pick it up, and walk out. Now give me the key.† â€Å"Midge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She finished typing and spun back to him. â€Å"Chad, the report prints in thirty seconds. Here’s the deal. You give me the key. If Strathmore bypassed, we call security. If I’m wrong, I leave, and you can go smear marmalade all over Carmen Huerta.† She gave him a malicious glare and held out her hands for the keys. â€Å"I’m waiting.† Brinkerhoff groaned, regretting that he had called her back to check the Crypto report. He eyed her outstretched hand. â€Å"You’re talking about classified information inside the director’s private quarters. Do you have any idea what would happen if we got caught?† â€Å"The director is in South America.† â€Å"I’m sorry. I just can’t.† Brinkerhoff crossed his arms and walked out. Midge stared after him, her gray eyes smoldering. â€Å"Oh, yes you can,† she whispered. Then she turned back to Big Brother and called up the video archives. Midge’ll get over it, Brinkerhoff told himself as he settled in at his desk and started going over the rest of his reports. He couldn’t be expected to hand out the director’s keys whenever Midge got paranoid. He had just begun checking the COMSEC breakdowns when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices coming from the other room. He set down his work and walked to his doorway. The main suite was dark-all except a dim shaft of grayish light from Midge’s half-open door. He listened. The voices continued. They sounded excited. â€Å"Midge?† No response. He strode through the darkness to her workspace. The voices were vaguely familiar. He pushed the door open. The room was empty. Midge’s chair was empty. The sound was coming from overhead. Brinkerhoff looked up at the video monitors and instantly felt ill. The same image was playing on each one of the twelve screens-a kind of perversely choreographed ballet. Brinkerhoff steadied himself on the back of Midge’s chair and watched in horror. â€Å"Chad?† The voice was behind him. He spun and squinted into the darkness. Midge was standing kitty-corner across the main suite’s reception area in front of the director’s double doors. Her palm was outstretched. â€Å"The key, Chad.† Brinkerhoff flushed. He turned back to the monitors. He tried to block out the images overhead, but it was no use. He was everywhere, groaning with pleasure and eagerly fondling Carmen Huerta’s small, honey-covered breasts. How to cite Digital Fortress Chapter 63-65, Essay examples

Analysis Is an Important Part of Business †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: How To Analysis Is an Important Part of Business? Answer: Introduction This report basically discusses about the environmental analysis of famous company of the health sector named Blackmore limited. The objective of this report is to analyze the internal business environment of the company including external operating environment in the market. Blackmore Limited is the famous Australian company which is involved in the manufacturing of Vitamin supplements and the Dietary supplements. In the present time, the company is operating in many countries in all over the world. The company is involved in the production of vitamin supplements which are the main product of Blackmore Limited. The supplements products made by Blackmore are very popular among the customers of the Australia. In the healthcare sector, Blackmore is operating since last 80 years so, it is the oldest company in the industry producing vitamin and dietary supplement. The vitamin supplements are very famous and the company is the most trusted brand for the customers in the market. One of ke y factor of success the company is that prices of the products are not too high and they are affordable for everyone (Blackmore, 2013). It is well known that there is the strong competition in the healthcare sector. There are many competitors for the Blackmore Limited in the Australian market i.e. Swisse, Natures way and Cenovis Berocca etc which are in the good position and giving strong competition to the Blackmore. These companies also provide the vitamin and dietary supplements and popular among the customers. So, there is the need to do the effective analysis of the internal and external environment of the company to stay competitive in the Australian market. Along with this, the competitors are trying to achieve the first position in the healthcare industry. Based on a survey done in 2014, Blackmore is considered as the most trusted brand by the people of Australia. Now, company is targeted almost 76.5% of the total population in the Australian society. Along with this, company is also focusing any other countries i.e. Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and many other countries in the Asia specific reason (Ibis wo rld, 2016). External environment analysis There are some environmental factors which are not in control of the company. These environmental factors affect the performance of the company and its strategies. The factors also affect the decision making process of the company. Basically, the external environmental factors include all those factors which affect the company by the outside factors. These external factors affect the objectives, business model, direction and the strategy of the company in the operating market. The external environmental analysis of Blackmore Limited based on macro and micro analysis is described below (Lovelock, 2011). Marco Analysis PEST analysis Political Factor- There is the strong impact of government rules and policies on the business of Blackmore. The company operates in various countries and there are different rules and regulations in the countries. Those rules impact on the business of the company. There are some political factors such as exchange rates, political stability, inflation rate, unemployment rate, tax policies, and international trade regulations which affect business operations of the Blackmore Limited (Gilligan Hird, 2012). Economic Factor- GDP is the key factor which affects the economic and financial performance of the company in the international market. Another key factor is the inflation rate which has been increased over the last 7 years. The inflation rate is dramatically high due to the combination of various local and global factors. The Blackmore is affected by the inflation rates including high prices. Unemployment rate is relatively high in some countries because of high population rates. So, sometimes Blackmore has to face wrong distribution of working power in the labor market. Social Factor- The age-structure and education system also play an important role in the business of the Blackmore Limited. More educated people are able to understand the need of dietary and vitamin supplements in the regular life. Further, age structure and life expectancy improve the quality of the business of Blackmore (Casimir, 2009). Technological Factor- Having strong RD and advanced technology, Blackmore is able to gain competitive advantage in the market. Implementation of communication technologies in the business, Blackmore is able to reach each and every customer in the market. Blackmore is spending lots of amount in the RD department for effective business. Porters five forces Rivalry with the competitors- There is aggressive competition in the market of Australia. There is the strong competitor of Blackmore Limited i.e. Swisse Vitamins. Along with this, there is highly fragmented marketing having strong competition in which the product can be easily reformulated by the competitors. So, it can be said the rivalry of Blackmore with other companies is on high level. Threats of new entrants There are many restrictions for the new entrants in the market. There are barriers to enter which are restricted by the high requirements of CAPEX and various legal restrictions. In the current state, it is not easy for the companies to enter in the VDS market. So, the threats of the new entrants are relatively low in the market. Threats of substitute- There is the minimum threat related to the substitute products because customers always trust on concentrated nutrients which are lacking in their diets. Along with this, customers always trust on the old brands so the substitutes provided by the new companies are not so effective for the customers. Although there are many Chinese medicines available in the Australian market which can be the significant threat for the Blackmore Limited. But, it can be said that the threats of substitute is relatively low for the Blackmore Limited (Sullivan, 2012). Bargaining power of suppliers- The bargaining power of the suppliers is relatively low in the healthcare sector. Most of the inputs used by Blackmore Limited are not highly specialized and that is the reason the bargaining power of the suppliers remain weak in the company. The choices of the suppliers can be expanded by the expansion of the company into Asia Region. Bargaining power of buyers- Due to the launching of online sales of the products by the Blackmore limited, the company has got strong position in the market. Online sales are the only direct selling channels and by this, company is able to maintain good relationship with the major buyers in the market. Those buyers are important for the company because they generate more than half of the revenue. Further the supermarket chains also have significant power over the Blackmore Limited because of their economies of scale. So, it can be sail the bragging power of the buyers is relatively high in the Blackmore Limited. Micro Analysis SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is the important factor in analyzing the internal and external factors of the company in the market. SWOT analysis basically includes Strength, Weakness, opportunities and threats of the Blackmore Limited in the operating market (Taylor, 2016). Strengths- Brand name is the strong factors which must gain by each and every company in the market. So, Blackmore has the positive and strong brand name in the Australian market which is very helpful for the company in attracting the customers for the dietary and vitamin supplements. Blackmore is considered as the most trusted and famous brand for the vitamin and dietary supplements by the customers. Along with this, the prices of the products in the company are not so high. It means the company has set the affordable prices so that every person can get the benefit of these supplements and stay healthy. Further, it is well known that in terms of dietary supplements, Blackmore is recognized as the one of the oldest brand in the Australian market which is operating from last 80 years. Effective supply chain is also the key strength of the Blackmore Limited. In its supply chain, customers are able to deal directly with the warehouses of the company. Now, the company has gained number one position in the Thailand and Malaysia in terms of Vitamin Supplements (Stapleton, 2016). Weakness- Having much strength in the business operations, Blackmore Limited has some weakness also which must be addressed by the company effectively. The operational strategy of the Blackmore Limited is not defined clearly as the company is using common operational strategy for its business. Further, Blackmore Limited has very limited distribution channels. There are only three retail stores of the company that sell only 57% of the Blackmore products. The business model of Blackmore Limited is not so effective in the Australian market. The company is relying on the partnership with the many local companies for the Asian expansion which can affect its brand image in the market. Opportunities- Blackmore Limited has the opportunity to open the retail stores. By this opportunity, company will be able to increase the sales of its products in the market. Along with this, Asian market can be the biggest opportunity for the Blackmore. For this, company has launched its dietary and vitamin supplement products in the Mainland China. Further, Blackmore is planning to launch new types of products related to the pet care (CFA Institute, 2012). Threats- There are many hurdles for the company while operating the business in the Australian market. In the business of diet and vitamin supplements, there is very strong competition in the Australian market. The competitors in the market are trying to improve their market position and their marketing activities to stay competitive in the market. There is one more threats i.e. chemist in the country may ask for the lower prices to adopt the discounted strategy in the business (Uweguro, 2014). Internal environment Analysis Internal Environmental analysis can be described as the factors of the company which can be controlled by the company itself. Senior manager quality Managers play an important role in the growth and success of Blackmore Limited. Blackmore is now operating in the 11 markets of Asia-Pacific Region. The long-term growth of the company depends upon the creative 10 years vision. There are highly qualified managers in the company who diversified the business and built new sources of growth. The managers in the company are supporting in the Australian business to connect with the customers for improving profitable growth, innovation and building an effective leadership position in Blackmore Limited. The managers are continuously improving the operational effectiveness and cost profile of Blackmores business. The priorities of the business are communicated clearly with the every staff members. According to a recent survey, in Blackmore Limited, 95% of the employees are aware about the goals of the company (Donaldson, 2015). Resources Blackmore is the powerful brand in the pharmaceutical industry having long lasting reputation. By the analysis of resources of the company, the core competencies and the strategy of the company can be analyzed (Fifield, 2012). Core strategy- The aim of the Blackmore Limited is to provide vitamin and health supplements to the every person who needs extra diet. The policy of the company is maintaining strong relations with the customers. So, company is focusing to provide quality products by working closely with the suppliers and the customers. The strategy of the company is to improve the share prices of the company in the market and company is successful in doing so. The success of the company can be seen in graph. Figure 1: Share Prices of Blackmore (Source: Grioli, 2015) There are some innovative strategies used by Blackmore i.e. responding the preferences of the customers, introducing new products of pet care and vitamin supplements to provide extra health support to the customers (Johnson Scholes, 2002). Competency- By the core competency, the aim of Blackmore Limited is to maintain the strong brand image, provide effective customers services and excellent quality control as compared to the competitors. Blackmore limited has competitive advantage in terms of shareholders equity, return on asset and in cash conversion over the competitors which can be seen by the graphs. Figure 2: Growth of Blackmore Limited (Source: Blackmore, 2016) The development of quality of vitamin supplement will be very helpful for the company to identify new resources. Along with this, Blackmore Limited has rigid management structure which is helpful in handling the change market conditions (Armstrong Cunningham, 2012). Capabilities Due to top-down management structure, Blackmore Limited is capable to find out new business opportunities for the success and growth in the market. There are many new resources for the company i.e. self-sufficiency for store managers, and various buying procedures which are helpful for the company in dealing in various markets. Restructuring of the business is also key capability of the company which is designed to reposition the company in the market. By these capabilities, company is able to improve the key resources of the business. By the restructuring of business, company is also able to maintain good and strong relationship with the customers and suppliers (Turnbull Valla, 2013). Physical- Blackmore is engaged in the development, sales and marketing of the health related products including herbal, vitamin and nutritional supplements. The resources are its products catagories i.e. pet health, super foods, bone and muscles, cold, flu and immunity and everyday health etc. the company understands the needs of the people and provides the best health supplement according to that. Financial- Blackmore has got strong financial position in the market. The growth of the company can be seen by the income statement of the company. Figure 3: Income Statement (Source: Blackmore, 2013) The company is enjoying sales growth continuously in the market. In the financial year 2013, company had launched 50 new products in the market. The company has 11 years of record sale. Blackmore holds leadership of 24% of market share (Blackmore, 2013) Human- As discussed above, the human resource managers are engaged with the strategic priorities, profitable growth, innovation and building the product leadership in the company. Along with this, HR also plays an important role in helping the local workforce. HR plays a leading role to make to employee comfortable within the company. HR team has play a crucial role in the 13 years of strong sales growth of Blackmore by ensuring right people in the company. Conclusion This report describes the environmental analysis of famous Australian pharmaceutical company Blackmore Limited. By the above discussion, it is observed that the company Blackmore limited is the trusted brand among the customers and serving the pharmaceutical industry from last 80 years. The company is doing well in the market. From the external and internal analysis, it is observed that famous brand for the vitamin and dietary supplements by the customers having low cost of the products. Along with this, due to effective supply chain customers are able to deal directly with the warehouses of the company. References Armstrong, G., Cunningham, M. H., (2012), Principles of marketing, Australia: Pearson publication Blackmore, (2013), Blackmores Limited Presentation to Goldman Sachs Emerging Companies Conference 15 May 2013, accessed on 15th May 2017 from file:///C:/Users/Guest/Downloads/analystbriefing.pdf Casimir, M.J., (2009), Culture and the Changing Environment, NY: Berghahn Books CFA Institute, (2012), Blackmores Limited, accessed 15th May 2017 from https://www.arx.cfa/up/post/926/University-of-Sydney-Sydney.pdf Donaldson, C., (2015), HOW HR DRIVES BLACKMORES BUSINESS GROWTH AND SUCCESS, accessed 15th May 2017 from https://www.insidehr.com.au/how-hr-drives-blackmores-sales-growth-and-business-success/ Fifield, P., (2012), Marketing strategy (2nd edition), Berlin: Reed educational publishing Pvt Ltd Gilligan, C., Hird, M., (2012),International Marketing Strategy and Management,(Vol. 17) Ibis world, (2016), Blackmores Limited - Profile Company Report Australia, accessed 15th May 2017 from https://www.ibisworld.com.au/enterprisefull/segments.aspx?entid=1165 Johnson, G., Scholes, K., (2002), Exploring Corporate Strategy, (6th), Harlow: Prentice Hall, pp. 97-102 Lovelock, C., ( 2011),Services Marketing (7th edition), India: Pearson Education Stapleton, M., (2016), Blackmores and managing growth: Lessons from the big end of town, accessed 15th May 2017 from https://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/blackmores-manage-growth-lessons-big-end-town/ Sullivan, A. (2012), Blackmore Alive! Trade Presenter, accessed on 15th May 2017 from https://issuu.com/alice.sullivan/docs/blackmores_alive__trade_presenter Taylor, N., (2016), SWOT Analysis: What It Is and When to Use It, accessed on 24th August 2016 from https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4245-swot-analysis.html Turnbull, P. W., Valla, J. P., (2013), Strategies for international industrial marketing. USA: Croom Helm Uweguro, (2014), MICRO ENVIRONMENT, accessed on 24th August 2016 from https://uweguro.wordpress.com/2014/11/04/micro-environment/