Research Korner

Police, Courts, and Prisons

Police, Courts, and Prisons Unit 2 IPCRJ410-0702B-01  June , 2007   Abstract   The issues involving peace and order are often relegated to the hands of law enforcement agencies. Recent developments in the conduct of law enforcement show signs of a shift from being reactionary to a more preventive means of policing. This is seen in the implementation of individual police regiments of the community-oriented policing and problem solving (COPPS).  The following discussion will provide a presentation of a report submitted to the Chief of Police regarding a proposal in dealing with the underage drinking and street racing in the Westwood community. The report will be presented using the SARA method, using accounts from both academic and scholarly journals focusing on COPPS, underage drinking and street racing.   Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Method In dealing with the tasks taken in this assignment, it is important to relay first an understanding of the COPPS philosophy before laying down a proposed plan in addressing issues like street racing and underage drinking in Westwood. This will serve as a basic introduction that will slay the foundation of the subsequent plan discussed below. Basically, the COPPS philosophy establishes a set of crime prevention activities that allows the law enforcement personnel on more hands-on strategies son policing. For instance, it has been indicated in the works regarding the paradigm that establishing a partnership between the police service and the community is of its utmost objective. To a certain extent, this is possibly the core of the paradigm as crime prevention is seen as a collaborative effort of both the law enforcement agencies and the general public.    To a certain point, the principles surrounding the philosophy seem to manifest some extent of sociological interpretation of crime as a product of the environment. Thus, COPPS intends to carry out crime prevention imperatives through the consideration of the environment. In this mode of prevention, the possibility that a criminal activity of taking place is considerably taken away as the available material in the existing environment is taken away or at least controlled by law enforcement.      Other views of the philosophy indicate some critical claims on COPPS. For instance, it is branded as an offender-based perspective of crime prevention. This means that in the said paradigm, specific people or groups of people are ostracized and branded as “undesirable.” To this end, the police force and the community as a whole has considerable influence in branding a person based on preconceived notion and possible prejudices. It is thus the job of the former to keep the implementation of COPPS in a responsible and equitable manner, absent from any indication of discrimination. Plan in Addressing the Problem The following is a presentation of a proposed plan pertaining to the dealing with the issues of underage drinking and street racing in Westwood. The discussions will be using the SARA model of analyzing the situation. In the same time, the proposed courses of action pertaining to underage drinking and street racing are to be based on articles on the said activities.     Scanning of the Problem The issue of underage drinking tends to be a universal problem for police and other law enforcement agencies. In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21. However, it is claimed that almost 47% of young individuals aged 14-20 consumes alcoholic drinks far greater than that of those of legal age. (2006,) This shows that implementing the laws of legal drinking has been rather useless in the past years. On the other hand, the combination of speed and recklessness tends to categorize the street racing or drag racing as a dangerous-game. (1997) Seen in the American pop culture as a “cool” and “rebellious,” the high rate of injuries and death as a result of massive car crashes are overshadowed by this image. In any case, illegal street races tend to pose a problem of safety not only with those behind the steering wheel but also to the unsuspecting general public. Analysis of the Issues The problem of underage drinking and street racing tends is not difficult to address. In using the COPPS philosophy, the recurrence of the said criminal activities could be minimized or even totally prevented. In seeing the needed improvements in the existing situation in Westwood, the people engaging in underage drinking and street racing tends to carry out such acts just because the environment offers them possibilities that allows these acts left unpunished. In the case of underage drinking, social access and commercial access are considerably the prevalent reasons for underage drinking. (2002) This means that underage individuals are able to consume alcohol because commercial providers, regardless of the policies indicating the illegal nature of selling alcohol to the youth, makes alcohol available to these adolescents. Moreover, the context of social access tends to highlight the involvement of adults in the provision of alcoholic drinks to adolescents. In the case of street racing, it appeals to the reckless behavior of the individuals because it offers some form of unsupervised activity. ( 2000) On this regard, one must realize that street races could only take place with the availability of unsupervised environment. The lack of visibility of officers and other points of authority in Westwood has been the prevailing issue on street racing.     Response to the Problem In dealing with the issue of underage drinking, the collaboration of the entire community of Westwood is required. (2002) This basically intends to deal with the commercial access and the social access of alcohol to minors in a preventive manner. Basically, an information drive will be given to the general public of Westwood regarding the policies on underage drinking along with the liabilities of the commercial distributors and even those giving alcohol to minors for free. The police service will be the ones to take implement this information drive. The issue involving street races and drag racing also involves a degree of cooperation with the community. However, the focus will be controlling the environment to which these races take place. In order to minimize the occurrence of street races into the populated areas of Westwood, a proposal to install additional street bumps will be forwarded by the police force in the local officers. In this manner, extremely fast cars would not pose a threat to the residents of Westwood. This also helps the law enforcement authorities to limit the number of places to supervise in preventing street races. Police visibility and patrolling will thus be limited to nearby industrial areas and vast areas within the limits of the locality.     In considering the two courses of action, it is anticipated that these will establish an improvement on the existing situation regarding underage drinking and street racing. It is also anticipated that an increase in the safety of the public is at hand.       Assessment of the Plan In assessing the outcome of these courses of action, specific grievances will be the main measure of the police in determining the effectiveness of these activities. For instance in the context of underage drinking, a reduced incidence in of alcohol related criminal activities like alarms and scandal will ensue. Moreover, a reduction of phone calls reporting unruly parties and related incidents will ensue. In the case of street racing, a reduction of offences like speeding and others related to street racing are anticipated. In the same manner, calls reporting incidents of street racing is also expected to decline.       Conclusion The discussions above have specifically presented certain courses of action that the police force could implement in order to prevent certain incidents of underage drinking and street racing. However, it must be emphasized that the results will not immediately be observable. In the same manner, it must be stressed that the collaboration and assistance of the community itself would be the key in the success of such courses of action.     Unit 2 DB Police, Courts, and Prisons   June , 2007 Upon doing a web search on the topic of police misconduct, I discovered that several news articles have popped up. One of these is a news article made by  (2004). They noted police officers in the state of Florida using a taser gun to subdue a civilian. Based on the article, the victim was apparently on his way to his home but he apparently went over some police barricades. In my opinion, using a taser gun to incapacitate a person may be highly excessive especially if the police officers obviously outnumbered the victim. In this situation, the police officers failed to display discretion and apparently lack of regard on the person being a civilian unconvicted of any crime. Using force (in this case hitting a person with a taser shot) should always be the taken when everything else fails, and not as an initial means of pacifying an individual. Another news article in the website of the  claimed that police officers harass minorities was considered a norm in New York City, especially among the young minorities. (2007) Personally, this is rather disturbing considering that police officers should not be bothering these individuals based on race or ethnicity. It has been noted in the article that it was the “normal” routine in those parts of town. In some cultures, that type of action is considered discrimination. Officers should realize that doing such acts of harassment is unusual for public servants. It is my position that police officers must always act only if there is a sufficient amount of probable cause to pursue these minorities.  Another article that I have found sill involve New York City. In this article, an officer is accused of tampering with the evidence in a crime scene. (2007) This still shows that the police force have the power to manipulate information about crimes as the courts indicate that the police officer did the tampering to protect a relative. This constitutes a complete breach of public trust and obstruction of justice. Based on the discussed articles above, one comes to realize that the police force holds a lot of influence and wields a considerable amount of authority in society. It is in this reality that abuses and indiscretion do result on the part of the law enforcers. On my own observation, courts should completely provide the full power of the law in punishing erring police officers, that is, given that due process and an equitable trial is provided as well. This will serve as a deterrent for other officers who are thinking of using their access to firearms, sensitive information, criminal evidence, and the like to wrong use.

Police, Courts, and Prisons

Police, Courts, and Prisons Unit 2 IPCRJ410-0702B-01 June , 2007 Abstract The issues involving peace and order are...

Sample Problem Statement - Research Proposals

Problem StatementBased on the information gained in the structure of education that is adopted in Hong Kong’s educational settings, the managerial aspect in the higher education is more formal and underwent in many developments. Although it is ideal to have an educational reform, it is still more convenient that every student manage to catch up with the adjustments in the educational systems. Since the higher level of education is tougher than the secondary and primary level, the study positioned itself in providing the most comprehensive approach in learning developments of the students and preparing them in the future.

Sample Problem Statement - Research Proposals

Problem Statement Based on the information gained in the structure of education that is adopted in Hong Kong’s educational settings, the man...

Strategic Management Process: Ocean Park Hong Kong

Strategic Management Process: Ocean Park Hong Kong Table of Contents Introduction. 2 Ocean Park Hong Kong. 3 External Environments of Ocean Park. 4 PEST Analysis. 4 Political Analysis. 5 Economic Analysis. 5 Social Analysis. 6 Technological Analysis. 6 Industry Analysis. 7 Five Forces Analysis. 7 Threat of New Entry. 8 Threat of Rivalry. 8 Threat of Substitution. 9 Threat of Suppliers. 9 Buyer Power 10 Competitor Analysis. 10 Disneyland. 10 Wetland Park. 11 Internal Environments of Ocean Park. 12 SWOT Analysis. 12 Strength. 13 Weaknesses. 13 Opportunities. 14 Threat 14 Competitive Advantage. 15 Core Competency. 15 Competitive Advantage. 16 Tangible Resources. 16 Value Creation. 17 Conclusion. 17 References. 19 Bibliography. 20   Table of Figures Figure 1 PEST Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park. 4 Figure 2 Five Forces Analysis of Ocean Park (Hong Kong Amusement Park) 7 Figure 3 SWOT Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park. 12 Figure 4 Competitive Advantage  Model of Hong Kong Ocean Park. 15   Introduction Ocean Park is considered as a major attraction in Hong Kong, the luminous pearl of the Orient and known as the financial center of Southeast China. It is located on the south end of Hong Kong Island. The larger two sections are located on the headlands of Mount Nanlang, while the smaller section is located in the Huang Zhu Keng Valley lowlands. It is considered as one of the largest ocean in the world, having an area of 170 miles (Travel China Guide 2008). Organizations change and organizations compete for the same resource, competencies as well as customers. It is the cruel reality that must not be neglected by any management, thus the strategy as well as strategic management must not be neglected as a vital integral part of what managers do (Drejer 2002, p. xvii). This paper will focus on the strategic management process of the Ocean Park of Hong Kong towards their foreigner or tourists customers, particularly those mainland Chinese. It will first tackle the details about the Ocean Park. Second, it will analyze the external environment such as the economic and culture aspect that can affect the relationship of the organization to their possible foreign customers or tourists. Furthermore, it will focus on the internal environment of the organization such as its core competency, together with its strengths and weaknesses.           Ocean Park Hong Kong             Ocean Park Hong Kong is considered as one of the most important amusement park in Hong Kong, and even in the world. Opened in January 1977 as the country’s unique local park with the heritage of delivering family, fun and fond memories, it was chosen by the citizens of the country as their number 1 favorite scenic spot in the country in 2005 (Absolute China Tour 2007). It was also ranked by Forbes on June 1, 2006 as the 7th among the top ten most popular amusement parks in the world (China Travel Golden Route 2007). Ocean Park combines the elements of entertainment, education and conservation in their services. It is consists of six main areas which are: Lowland Gardens, Kid’s World, Marine Land, Headland Rides, Adventure Land and Bird Paradise (China Travel Golden Route 2007). Furthermore, provides all of its guests with memorable education, while inspiring life long learning and conservation involvement. It also focuses on maintaining a healthy financial status, while offering the guests a diverse range of activities at competitive prices. It exists for the benefits of the public and strives in order to deliver the highest standard of safety, animal care, products as well as guest service (Ocean Park Hong Kong 2008).             The Ocean Park of Hong Kong is part of the growing global industry of amusement park in the world, as well as part of the tourism industry. The organization is focuses in global market, and taking advantage of the improving tourism industry of the country, targeting their tourists, regardless of their age. The main goal of Hong Kong Ocean Park is to be the world leader in providing excellent guest experiences in a theme park environment that connects people with the nature (Ocean Park Hong Kong 2008). The park is currently undergoing a massive expansion to be finished in 2010. However, there will no rides to be closed during the said period (Boland, 2008). External Environments of Ocean Park PEST Analysis Figure 1 PEST Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park                                       Political Analysis             Political factors have a direct impact on the relationship of Ocean Park Hong Kong, to their foreign customers or visitors. One of the most important factors that are associated with amusement park industry of the country is the easiness of the restrictions and promotion of the free travel of China in 2003 that helped to inject a new life to the tourism industry of Hong Kong (Holiday & Ngok 2004, p. 255). The said improving relationship between China and Hong Kong, can impact the relationship of Ocean Park to their foreign customers, particularly the Chinese tourists, largest portion of the country’s visitors (Voa News 2007). The growing economic clout, as well as the success of the Individual Visit Scheme results to the increase focus of the entire industry towards China and most of the players will focus on catering to the greater range of budget types but throughout the entire tourism industry (Euromonitor International 2008). Economic Analysis             Locally and globally, different businesses are being affected by the different economic factors. In terms of the country, the development and growth of the entire tourism industry influence the performance of the entire amusement park industry. The number of Chinese visitors of the country increased from 13.1% in 1998 to 27.1% in 1999 in 2007, of all visitors (Singer 1999). There are total of 12.9 million tourists that came to the country, and more than 50% of it arrived from mainland China (AHK 2006).             Ocean Park Hong Kong showed an increase in tourists coming from mainland China in the last few years. The mainlanders make up the 45% of all the visitors of Ocean Park, having a high attendance of 2.2 million, showing an increase of 70% from 2003 (Chan 2008). Social Analysis             The entire tourism industry, particularly the industry of amusement park of the country is being affected by major events and influences. This can be observed during the peak season such as Chinese New Year and School holidays that enables each and every player of the industry to gain more than 50% of total attendance (Chan 2008).             It is also important to consider different media views. This is due to the fact that it can affect or influence of the foreign customers regarding visiting the place. Furthermore the advertisement and publicity is important, that is the reason why it is important for different amusement parks to take part in different events of the country in order to showcase the culture and history of Hong Kong to their visitors. Technological Analysis             The Internet has increasingly become a popular medium for marketing and customer relationship (Liu n.d.). This is due to the fact that the Internet can offer a great connection with huge and immeasurable possible market. This is important because the industry, primarily Ocean Park Hong Kong is focusing on its relationship to its global market. Furthermore, it is also important to consider the improvement and development of the amusement machinery industry.             Industry Analysis Five Forces Analysis Figure 2 Five Forces Analysis of Ocean Park (Hong Kong Amusement Park)                                             Threat of New Entry             The threat of new entrants refers the possibility that the profits of established firms in the respective industry may be eroded by new competitors. In terms of the amusement park industry, the entry barrier is high due to the need to invest large amount of financial resources (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor 2004, p. 57). Typically it ranges from $50 million to $3 billion, depending on the real state market. In addition to that amusement park required over 50 acres of land for a full scale development; other can utilize 10,000 to 30,000 acres (Conklin 2006, p. 8). The said factor is important because Hong Kong has a high land price real state market (Tand & Yau n.d.). This is also connected to the fact that the location of the amusement park is a very important factor. Threat of Rivalry             Rivalry among the existing competitors takes the form of process of jockeying for the position. Firms usually implement different tactics like price competition, advertising battles, product introductions as well as increased customer services (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor 2004, p. 61).             It is important to consider the lack of differentiation, that is why the customers’ choice based greatly over the price and service, thus causes pressure for the intense price and service competition (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor 2004, p. 61). This can be observe in the amusement park industry of the country, due to high threat of rivalry, different players are implementing different plans and activities such as renovation and introduction of new attractions in order to catch the attention of the customers.     Threat of Substitution             All firms within a given industry compete with an industry that produces the substitute products and services. Substitutes limit the potential returns of an industry by the process of placing a ceiling on the prices of the firms in the given industry can profitably charge (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor 2004, p. 60).              In the industry, the threat of substitution is relatively low because the main substitute for the product is other aspects of leisure and tourism industry such as sport and casino industry. On the other hand, because of the popularity of the amusement park industry as well as the growing number of Chinese tourists, the industry is not that affected. Threat of Suppliers             Suppliers can exert a bargaining power over participants in an industry by threatening to raise prices or even reduce the quality of purchased goods and services (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor 2004, p. 60).             In the case of the industry, the suppliers doesn’t have that much power because of the improving and growing industry of the amusement equipment industry, that enables the technology exchange between the different local and international players particularly in China (HKTDC 2007). In addition to that, the airline industry, which is considered as the primary supplier of visitors for the company is also facing impact of competition as well as the growing demand for cheap travel packages.       Buyer Power             The buyer or the visitors and tourists have a medium or mediocre influence over the industry because the product and service of the industry is important for the customers. This is due to the fact that amusement is considered as part of necessity of every family in Hong Kong, as well as the mainland China market. Furthermore, the said industry cannot be replaced by other substitute. Competitor Analysis Disneyland             Disneyland opened in September 2005 and had helped to reposition the country as a premier destination for families. On its opening day, it had set a record of 16,000 visitors, and 1/3 of it are from the mainland China. It had maintained its 13,000 to 14,000 average visitors (cited in AHK 2006). The main advantage of the company is that it holds the name of the Disney which is well known in the world in terms of entertainment. Furthermore, it targets the children, thus the whole family because of the different rides and attractions that focuses on different well-known Disney characters. This can help the company to attract more visitors or tourists from different part of the globe, particularly those who are from the US and Europe.             On the other hand, the main disadvantage is that most of the mainland Chinese doesn’t have those strong attachments with Mickey and friends and other Disney characters (The Associated Press 2006). The said aspects are important for the company because most of the visitors of the country come from mainland China.     Wetland Park             Wetland Park is a conservation, education and tourism facility that is located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long. It is compromises of 10,000 square meter large visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World and a 60-hectare Wetland Reserve (Nation Master n.d.). The main advantage of Wetland Park is that it offers a different type of service compare to Disneyland and Ocean Park. The main mission of the organization is to foster public awareness and understanding regarding the values of wetlands throughout the East Asian Region. The visitors will be given a chance to experience the wildlife with different animals that will help them to be close with nature and observe different animals in the natural environment (cited in AHK 200).             On the other hand, the organization will not be able to meet the demand of those visitors or tourists that are looking for excitements and extreme pleasure that can be experienced in different rides and parts in Disneyland and Ocean Park.                     Internal Environments of Ocean Park SWOT Analysis Figure 3 SWOT Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park                                               Strength             The main strengths of Hong Kong Ocean Park focuses on their offering of hybrid of thrills, animals, fun and education to their foreign visitors, more specifically those mainland Chinese visitors (Sulaiman 2007). The main advantage or strength of the company is that it enables to meet the cultural aspects of different people from different part of the globe, particularly the mainland Chinese visitors that are not that familiar with different Disney characters. This can be seen in the different services and features of the company that incorporated education with thrill.             Above all, the main advantage of Hong Kong is that it is considered as the oldest amusement park in the country; therefore, it can be considered as experienced and knows the demands and behavior of the mainland Chinese visitors. Furthermore, it had become successful because of its connection to the local government that helped them to have a subway line for the visitors (Wiseman 2007). This enables the organization to give the foreign visitors, particularly those from mainland, who are price sensitive, to save their money for other luxury, thus helping them to save time in traveling. Weaknesses             On the other hand, the main disadvantage of Hong Kong Ocean Park is their structure of geographic location. This is due to the fact that they have the limitation regarding the land development because the location is hilly. Furthermore, the organization is facing lack of strong financial support and backup, that is why the organization is responsible for their own income and operation cost. Furthermore, because of the fact that Ocean Park is considered as oldest amusement park in Hong Kong, there are different facilities that are old and un-attractive, although the organization is already starting their innovation process, it would take some time and it will be completed after 6 years. Opportunities             The main opportunity of the company focuses on the Individual Traveling scheme of China, as well as the improving relationship of the country to the mainland China, that had helped to improve the number of the visitors in the country. In addition, the strong economy in Mainland as well as the improving middle class with the purchasing power helped to increase the demand for the outbound travel.             Furthermore, the organization also has a strong marketing support from the local government that recommends the Ocean Park to the foreign visitors. It is also important to consider the development of new transportation South Island Line that would cause convenience and fast access direct to the Park for the foreign and local visitors.             The Internet is also another factor; this is due to the fact that it can help the organization to connect to a vast range of possible customers or visitors. Above all, the development and improvement of the amusement machinery industry can also impact the services and features of the organization, thus their relationship to their foreign visitors. Threat             One of the threats that must be considered by the company is the renovation plan of the Disneyland Hong Kong that can help the said organization to regain their past position in the market. Particularly, it will also cause popularity of the organization from other foreigners, particularly those from America and Europe.             On the other hand, it is also important to focus on the global financial crisis that is going on, that can affect the visiting behavior and buying behavior of the tourists. Competitive Advantage Figure 4 Competitive Advantage Model of Hong Kong Ocean Park                             Core Competency             The core competency of the organization is the length of its operation and service both to the locals and foreign visitors of the country that give the organization the knowledge regarding the likes, dislikes as well as the flow and trends in the behavior of the customers. Furthermore, cultural aspect is also an important factor, primarily to their growing mainland Chinese visitors. Furthermore, it also helps the organization to capture the attention of other visitors from different part of the globe, primarily those from the US and Europe, that are looking for new and local experience about the country.     Competitive Advantage             When a given firms maintain its profit that exceed the average for its industry, the firm is said to have a competitive advantage against its rival. This can be seen in the current position of Hong Kong Ocean Park, over its direct competitor, which is the Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong Ocean Park is using the cost advantage, where in it offers cheaper ticket that costs HK$208 for adult and HK$103 for children, compare to HK$295 for adult and HK$210 per child of Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition to that, Hong Kong Ocean Park acquired a good location compare to Disneyland, because it is nearer o the main urban districts.             In addition to that, Hong Kong Ocean Park also offers a differentiation advantage because it is considered as bigger than the Hong Kong Disneyland, thus enabling the first organization to offer more and new features and shows than the second organization. It also offer different features and services compare to its competitors primarily the Disneyland, because it focuses on showing the reality regarding the nature, while Disneyland focuses on fantasy. Tangible Resources               The reputation of the organization is its most important tangible resource. Ultimately, reputations have economic value to the company because it will be difficult to imitate. Rivals cannot simply replicate the unique features and intricate process that produced those reputations (Fombrun 1996, p. 388). The fact that the company features educational aspects regarding the environment, gives it a reputation that is close to nature. This is important because of the growing awareness of the world regarding the different natural and environmental problem, primarily global warming. Value Creation             The core competency of the organization gives it both advantage and disadvantage. Advantage, because it helped them to know more about the behavior and culture of their different local and foreign visitors. Furthermore, it also enables the company to create an image that is considered as one of the most important aspect in gaining and maintaining competitive advantage. On the other hand, it gives the organization the disadvantage because some part of the facilities and features of the organization are considered as old, and in great need for renovation, however, due to financial aspect as well as effort that must be exerted, it will take some time in order to come up with the ever changing demand of the foreign visitors for entertainment and leisure.             On the other hand, the competitive advantage of the company which focuses on the cost advantage and differentiation advantage is the result of the continuous effort of the organization in their relationship with the customers as well as their continuous effort in process of research and development. Conclusion             As of now, Hong Kong Ocean Park is experiencing a comfortable position in the entire amusement industry, as well as the entire tourism industry of the country. It is important to consider that the said organization is considered as number 1 or most loved amusement park by local and foreign visitors, despite of the fact that it has the Disneyland, a very prominent and successful player in the global industry of amusement park.              Primarily, the main reason behind the success of the organization is because of the support from the government of Hong Kong and mainland China that can be seen in the different public facilities that are being implemented for easy access of the said place, as well as the implementation of the Individual Tourist of China. The company had been able to use the issue of culture in order to attract more locals as well as foreign visitors, as well as its usage of the current spread of the environmental awareness, which enables the organization to incorporate education and thrill in their features and services. That is the reason why it is frequently visited by families from different part of the globe.             Furthermore, the organization had been able to create two important competitive advantage which focuses on the cost and differentiation. It had been able to offer cheap but fun-packed experience.             But it is also important for the company to continue its innovation and strategic management in order to make sure that it will continue its competitive edge against its competitor. This is due to the fact that Disneyland is currently into renovation process, in order to regain their competitive position in the market.       References   2006 – The Year to Discover Hong Kong 2006, AHK, viewed 1 October 2008, < http://china.ahk.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Dokumente/issue4-hongkong.pdf>   Banay, S 2006, World’s Most Popular Amusement Parks, Forbes, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.forbes.com/travel/2006/05/31/world-amusement-parks_cx_s b_0601feat_ls.html>   Boland, R 2008, Hong Kong Ocean Park, About.com, viewed 29 September 2008, < http://gohongkong.about.com/od/whattoseeinhk/gr/OceanPark.htm >   Chan, S 2008, Chinese Tourists Spend Big in Hong Kong, Business Week, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jul2008/g b20080723_568870.htm >   Conklin, D 2006, Cases in the Environment of Business: International Perspective, SAGE   Dess, G, Lumpkin, T & Taylor, M 2004, Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages, McGraw Hill Professional   Drejer, A 2002, Strategic Management and Core Competencies: Theory and Application, Qourom Books, Westport, CT   Fombrun, C 1996, Reputation: Realizing Value from the Corporate Image, Harvard Business Press   Holiday, I Ngok, M & Yep, R 1997, ‘The Dialects of Hong Kong Dependence’, Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 254 – 256.   Hong Kong Tourism on the Increase 2007, Voa News, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-07/2007-07-02-voa34.cfm>   Hong Kong Wetland Park, NationMaster, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Hong-Kong-Wetland-Park>   Liu, Z, Internet Tourism Marketing: Potential and Constraints, Hotel Online, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.hotel-online.com/Trends/ChiangMaiJun00/Interne tConstraints.html>   Ocean Park 2008, Hong Kong Ocean Park, viewed 1 October 2008, < http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/eng/main/index.html>   Ocean Park 2008, Travel China Guide, viewed 29 September 2008, < http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/hongkong/island/ocean_park.htm>   Ocean Park, Hong Kong: World’s Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park Meet Panda Here! 2007, China Travel Golden Route, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.china-travel-golden-route.com/Ocean_Park.html>   Ocean Park Tour (Seat-in-Coach Tour) 2007, Absolute China Tours, viewed 1 October 2008, < http://www.absolutechinatours.com/china-tours/China-City-Tours/Ocean-Park-Tour.html>   Singer, J 1999, Hong Kong Bargains Draw Mainlanders, International Herald Tribune, viewed 1 October 2008, < http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/03/13/rhong.t.php >   Sulaiman, Y 2007, Poor Attendance Gives Hong Kong Disneyland Financial Woes, eTN Asia, viewed 2 October 2008, <http://www.travelindustryreview.com/news/6009>   Tang, C & Yau, A, Hong Kong Land Boundary Problems – A Synthesis, GIS Development, viewed 2 October 2008, <http://www.gisdevelopmen t.net/application/lis/overview/ma06_249.htm>   The Associated Press 2006, Hong Kong Disneyland Facing Unexpectedly Tough Competition from Local Fixture Ocean Park, International Herald Tribune, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/10/business/AS _FEA_FIN_Hong_Kong_Mickeys_Match.php>   ‘Travel And Tourism in Hong Kong, China’ 2008, Euromonitor International, viewed 1 October 2008, <http://www.euromonitor.com/Travel_And_Tourism_in_Hon g_Kong_China>   Wheel of Fortune for China’s Amusement Parks – Report from the China Amusement Machines and Facilities 2007, Beijing 2007, HKTDC, viewed 2 October 2008, < http://info.hktdc.com/imn/07071703/toys108.htm>   Wiseman, P 2007, Disney Park Takes on Hong Kong Disneyland, USA Today, viewed 2 October 2008, <http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-06-14-ocean-park _N.htm>   Bibliography   Betz, F 2001, Executive Strategy: Strategic Management and Information Technology, Wiley, New York   Lowson, R 2002, Strategic Operations Management: The New Competitive Advantage, Routledge, New York   Westney, E 2006, ‘The Regional Multinationals: MNEs and ‘Global’ Strategic Management’, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 445

Strategic Management Process: Ocean Park Hong Kong

Strategic Management Process: Ocean Park Hong Kong Table of Contents Introduction . 2 Ocean Park Hong Kong . 3 External Enviro...

THESIS CHAPTER 1 ON PERIMETER OF REALEAUX CURVES: ITS RELATION TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A GIVEN CIRCLE

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION   Man is a rational being. Through man’s existence on earth he has been longing and striving for knowledge. He keeps on searching for the things that are good for the body, things that are good for the soul and things that are good for the mind. Man’s hope lies in his rational nature and his determination and courage to reach the success, therefore his quest for the “impossible dream” must go on, and he must continue fighting and searching for the things that are good. The desire of man is simply to satisfy his needs. Thus, the ability of man to think mathematically existed. According to some mathematicians, everything on earth that man perceives can be interpreted using mathematical expressions. Meaning to say, these things can be explained through numbers and figures. Mathematicians believe that mathematics was related to numbers and figures. Through this, another discipline arose and it is called “Geometry”. Geometry was defined as the branch of mathematics that treat space and its relation, especially as shown in the properties and measurement of points, lines, angles, surfaces and solids. Studies concerning to the relationship of figures triggers my curiosity which was inspired by different theories. Apparently, Barbier’s theorem indicates that some figures aside from circle possess a constant width. This statement caught my concern pertaining to this figure called “reuleaux polygons”.  Barbier theorem states that all shapes of constant width D have the same perimeter pi D. The width of a convex figure in a certain direction is the distance between two supporting lines perpendicular to that direction. A straight line is called supporting a convex figure if they have at least one common point and the figure lies in one side from the line. In any direction there are two supporting lines. Shapes of constant width are convex figures that have the same width in any direction. The circle has this property. Barbier theorem also states that all curves of constant width of width w have the same perimeter .  This time around I wish to determine if there is a possibility to construct a Reuleaux Curves of constant width from equilateral triangle, extended length of equilateral triangle, irregular triangle and any polygon with an odd number of sides. On the other hand, I wish to present that their perimeter has something to do with the circumference of a given circle.   Background of the Study         The concept of Reuleaux triangle was a very interesting geometric figure, one which was discovered in a roundabout way. The topic was, “Why are manhole covers round?” There were plenty of theories offered, his favorite being, “Because the hole is round.” Kunkel, P. knows a few things about manholes, having spent time crawling into them. He always knew that he would not have to worry about dropping the cover into the hole. Since it is circular, it needs an opening as wide as its diameter. But the hole, also circular, has a seat with a slightly smaller diameter. A regular polygon would not have that property. Someone mentioned this advantage in the newsgroup. In reply, another person described this figure: Figure 1 Construct an equilateral triangle. On each vertex, center a compass, and draw an arc the short distance between the other two vertices. The perimeter will be three nonconcentric arcs. This is a reuleaux triangle. It is not a circle, but, like a circle, it has constant width, no matter how it is oriented. It is not difficult to see this property, but you should prove it. Kunkel, P. (1997) made some sketches of the reuleaux and discovered some other interesting properties. It can roll uphill, in a manner of speaking. Notice that as it rolls, its height is constant, but the height of its centroid changes. If it had mass, the centroid would be the center of mass. Imagine that it is standing on one vertex, so that the centroid is at its highest, and imagine that the surface is very slightly inclined. If it moves forward one sixth turn, the centroid will fall. So although the surface rises, the reuleaux is actually falling.         It occurred to me that the figure had constant width and constant height. It should be possible to inscribe one into a square and to turn it freely. I did a sketch to simulate this. Click on the image. As it turned within the square, something looked very familiar about it. It looked a lot like those diagrams for the Wankel rotary engine. I did a Web search, and, sure enough, that is the shape used for the rotor in the engine. That was when I found out what to call it. A guy can learn a lot on the Web.                   The square drill bit was not the idea either. Notice that as the reuleaux turns inside the square, its trace nearly fills the entire square. It was noticed that this shape might be used to drill square (actually squares) holes, and in fact someone did manufacture a drill bit base on this concept. It is not just a simple matter of fitting a bit into a drill though. It required a more complex mechanism. Animate that last applet and watch the motion of the centroid. For every rotation of the reuleaux, the centroid makes three revolutions in the opposite direction, and its path is not circular. Your next assignment is to design a mechanism that would make it work.   The reuleaux turns inside the square because the square is formed by two pairs of parallel lines, equally spaced. However, we cannot see why they should have to intersect at right angles. Open it again and deform the square. It tilts over into the shape of an oblique rhombus. It is still possible to inscribe a reuleaux and to rotate it. We will see some interesting contortions in the centroid locus as you change the rhombus. The shape of the centroid locus is not a single ellipse. It is comprised of parts from four ellipses. To understand this better, see the Sliding Triangle page. Even without understanding the shape of the centroid locus, you should be able to prove that it has four symmetries.             When we say that the reuleaux is inscribed in a rhombus, we mean that it touches every side, but crosses none of them. It is possible to inscribe and rotate a reuleaux in any polygon other than a rhombus.   He saved the toughest one for last. It is possible to design a special road for the reuleaux. We want it to be able to roll along without feeling any bumps, so the centroid would have to trace a level line as the road rises and falls. This one is not easy at all. Remember, it does not have a constant radius, so if the rotational velocity is constant, the horizontal velocity will vary. We tried parametrizing x and y as functions of the rotation angle. What we got was an enormous integral that stumped Derive, Mathematical, and me. Sometimes he just feels like being difficult.               STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This paper intends to show that the circumference of a given circle is equal to the perimeter of a Realeaux curves based on: 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">The 	equilateral triangle</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">The 	extended length of equilateral triangle</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">The 	irregular triangle </li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">The 	Reuleaux curves based on pentagon</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%">The 	Reuleaux polygon with an odd number of sides</li>   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The result of this study will be a significant contribution to the development of constant width particularly to the relationship of the circumference of a given circle to the perimeter of reuleaux curves from the odd number of sides of polygon. This area of research is another interesting topic in Geometry which may later be found significant and applicable in other fields i.e. combustion theory, non-Euclidian geometry (since the sum of the angles of a reuleaux triangle was not equal to 180 degrees but it was less than or greater than 180 degrees) and even to the foundation of modern geometry. Students, professors, scientists, and mathematicians will be benefited to the possible results of the study.   SCOPE AND DELIMITATION This paper focuses on the construction of reuleaux curves and finding its relationship to the circumference of a given circle. This paper tends to present the proof pertaining to the relationship of a given circle to reuleaux curves (from odd number of sides of a polygon) in a different way. Derivations and expositions of some formulas are presented in this paper. Among the reuleaux curves considered in this paper are equilateral triangle, pentagon as well as n-gon with an odd number of sides.   Concepts and Definitions  Centroid – Center of a Circle Diameter - The diameter of a circle is the distance from a point on the circle to a point Radians away, and is the maximum distance from one point on a circle to another. The diameter of a sphere is the maximum distance between two antipodal points on the surface of the sphere. If r is the radius of a circle or sphere, then . The ratio of the circumference C of a circle or great circle of a sphere to the diameter d is pi, Circumference - The perimeter of a circle. For radius r or diameter ,                                       where is pi. Curve of Constant Width – Curves which, when rotated in a square, make contact with all four sides. Such curves are sometimes also known as rollers. The "width" of a closed convex curve is defined as the distance between parallel lines bounding it ("supporting lines"). Every curve of constant width is convex. Curves of constant width have the same "width" regardless of their orientation between the parallel lines. In fact, they also share the same perimeter (Barbier's theorem). Examples include the circle (with largest area), and Reuleaux triangle (with smallest area) but there are an infinite number. A curve of constant width can be used in a special drill chuck to cut square "holes." A generalization gives solids of constant width. These do not have the same surface area for a given width, but their shadows are curves of constant width with the same width. Equilateral Triangle – A triangle with equal sides. Reuleaux Triangle – A curve of constant width constructed by drawing arcs from each polygon vertex of an equilateral triangle between the other two vertices. The Reuleaux triangle has the smallest area for a given width of any curve of constant width.   Reuleaux Polygon - A curvilinear polygon built up of circular arcs. The Reuleaux polygon is a generalization of the Reuleaux triangle and, for an odd number of sides, is a curve of constant width (Gray 1997).

THESIS CHAPTER 1 ON PERIMETER OF REALEAUX CURVES: ITS RELATION TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A GIVEN CIRCLE

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Man is a rational being. Through man’s existence on earth he has been longing and striving for knowledge. H...