Jury and Group Think Essay Example for Free

Jury and Group Think Essay A jury is a sworn group of citizens gathered to provide a reasonable and unbiased verdict and a finding of fact on a legal inquiry presented to them officially or set a penalty based on the evidences and the law. This practice is considered to have originated from England where nobles and freeman were accorded the right to be tried by a committee of the same class as they are rather than be subjected to the judgment of the king. The right to jury trial in both state and federal proceedings is guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Seventh Amendment also accords explicitly the right to jury trial for all parties involved in civil cases at the district level. In the United States, only juries can provide a verdict and set a penalty for the accused if found guilty. This is especially true for cases when the penalty decided is capital punishment (Jury, 2006). This power vested in a jury makes it important to analyze how verdicts are formed in the environment of jury deliberations. One way to do this is through jury simulation research. Jury simulation research involves the methods of research used to understand how a jury would react to statements made by parties involved in court cases and how they would arrive at the verdict. Some of the methods used are prospective juror demographic research, mock trials, jury selection, shadow jury and post-trial jury interviews. The usual market research techniques are also used such as phone surveys, focus groups and feedback sessions. The results of these researches are used by parties involved in court proceedings for settlement negotiations and setting up a defense or prosecution strategy that would be compelling to the jury (Jury research, 2007). The main strength of jury research is that it presents interested parties possible combinations of strategies that could possibly influence the jury verdict in their favor. Visual exhibits, witnesses, metaphors, timeline of events and other techniques in the presentation of evidence are tested to understand the viability of each and combinations of these for the benefit of the interested party. Psychological and sociological analysis is used to give parties an edge on jury trials. Research of this type has been successfully utilized in some landmark cases such as the IBM antitrust trial of 1969 and the O. J. Simpson murder case (Jury research, 2007). The main limitation is that it is impossible to predict exactly what needs to be done for a jury to make a decision in favor of the party. In the methods involved in jury research, questions are often general demographic ones that will not accurately predict the outcome of the jury deliberations. Surrogate jurors and not the actual jury members are used to represent the jury pool in the research. Jury research is simply no guarantee for victory in a case (Jury research, 2007). Mock juries are used in jury research to try to analyze in a controlled experiment how a verdict is reached in an actual jury. However, they cannot accurately mimic the behavior of actual juries. The behavior of the jury is based on the personal perspective of the individual jurors and external factors that may affect the behavior and decision making capabilities of the individuals and the whole jury in general. For instance, the pressure provided by the high stakes of a case, the stress from time constraints and routine disruption and other psychological stresses may not be exactly replicated in mock juries. â€Å"Group thinking† is the term used to describe tendencies of groups to base their decision not on their personal judgment but on the collective and single unanimous decision that may not always be the best given the biases and desires of the members of the group to come up with the decision at the soonest possible time. It is defined as â€Å"a way of deliberating that group members use when their desire for unanimity overrides their motivation to assess all available plans of action† (Janis, 1972). This very commonly affects the verdict of a jury. This is because, following the framework prepared by Janis (1983) on Group Thinking, the antecedents such as structural faults (insulation, lack of impartial leadership, lack of norms and procedures) and provocative context (high stress from external threats) are commonly characteristics of a presiding jury. This tendency to seek unanimity over proper assessment leads to bad decision-making. Some of the symptoms that often characterize defective decision making stemming from group thinking include the incomplete analysis and consideration of alternatives and objectives, failure to examine risks from choice and reappraise rejected ones, poor information search and selective information bias and failure to contingency plan. Because of the high stakes involved in jury cases, it is important to ensure sound decision-making by steering away from the tendency to group think. The most effective way to prevent group thinking is promoting vigilance against it. The first step is to recognize when symptoms of group thinking are starting to appear. Group members must strive to retain status equality to prevent a single member from influencing the entire group. New information must always be sought to challenge a reigning agreement to test its strength. Norms must be set to retain vigilance such as having a devil’s advocate, instituting dialectical inquiry and assigning a specific member to remind against bias and group thinking (Meade, 2003). The tendencies of group thinking may be uncovered through jury research. There is a danger that certain parties that rely on jury research may prey upon these tendencies. Therefore, it is important that jury retain its impartiality and sound decision making capability to effectively perform its duty to uphold justice in any court proceeding. Bibliography Janis, I. (1972). Victims of groupthink, Boston: Houghton – Mifflin Janis, I. (1982). Groupthink (2nd edn. ), Boston: Houghton – Mifflin Janis, I. (1983). Groupthink model. Retrieved 19 May 2007 from http://choo. fis. utoronto. ca/FIS/Courses/LIS2149/Groupthink. html.

Rhetorical Strategies in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay

â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God†-Essay In the 1700’s the Puritans left England for the fear of being persecuted. They moved to America for religious freedom. The Puritans lived from God’s laws. They did not depend as much on material things, and they had a simpler and conservative life. More than a hundred years later, the Puritan’s belief toward their church started to fade away. Some Puritans were not able to recognize their religion any longer, they felt that their congregations had grown too self-satisfied. They left their congregations, and their devotion to God gradually faded away. To rekindle the fervor that the early Puritans had, Jonathan Edwards and other Puritan ministers led a religious revival through New England. Edwards preached intense sermons that awakened his congregation to an awareness of their sins. With Edwards’ sermon, â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† he persuades the Puritans to convert back to Puritanism, by utilizing rhetorical strategies s uch as, imagery, loaded diction, and a threatening and fearful tone. Edwards applied masses of descriptive imagery in his sermon to persuade the Puritans back to their congregation. For example, he gave fear to the Puritans through this quote, â€Å"We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth, so it is easy for us to cut a singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by, thus easy is it for God when he pleases to cast his enemies down to hell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 153) In this quotation, he utilized vivid imagery because he wanted the Puritans to visibly imagine what he was saying through his sermon, on how angry God is with them, which made them convert back to Puritanism. Through the use of vivid imagery such as â€Å"crush a w... ...God†, by Jonathan Edwards successfully persuaded the Puritans to be converted back to Puritanism. Through Edwards’ sermon the Puritans were compelled to renew their faith back to God. Edwards gave the Puritans a sense of realization, which caused them to go back to their congregation. Edwards horrified the Puritans, with his use of vivid and descriptive imagery, which effectively persuaded them to return to the congregation. Through his utilization of numerous loaded and highly emotional diction, he petrified and convinced the Puritans to go back to the church of God. He also gloriously enhances his sermon with his utilization of threatening and fearful tone tormented the Puritans and convinces them to be pious once again. Jonathan Edwards’s utilization of numerous rhetorical strategies effectively persuaded the Puritans to convert back to their congregations.

Reflection Paper Accounting Essay

Accounting to me is challenge as a whole; it is a good subject to learn because accounting knowledge is always in demand. So far, I am on a good path learning the basics of accounting. I’ve learned how accounting affects business and how it allows organizations to identify cash inflows and outflows. This accounting course provided me a great opportunity to understand the various important aspects of accounting that I believe will be helpful in my future practical life. I need to begin my own particular business in future for that it’s important to have great knowledge of Financial and Managerial Accounting. This course has helped me to comprehend numerous essential ideas of accounting. This knowledge is going to help me to comprehend and investigate financial statements and will empower me to take great business choices in view of accounting data. The following is the rundown of what I have realized and can detract from this course. Chapter 01 After reading the first chapter, I learned that who are the stakeholders or users of the accounting information. I get found out about different organizations like AICPA, FASB and so on impacting the foundation of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for businesses or governmental organizations. I comprehend the significance of morals and accounting gauges like IFRS. While learning different sort of business I become more acquainted with vital idea of accounting i.e. the business entity idea. Most critical thing I adapted in this chapter is accounting ideas and principles. I get to Introduced to assets, liabilities, stock holders equity and imperative financial statements. Chapter 02 Chapter 02 gave insights about strides in recording posting the effects of the business transactions. They are different assets and liabilities records utilized for recoding the exchange as a part of journal, t-records and ledger. Here I learned different strides of accounting cycle beginning from breaking down the transactions by looking at source documents. I found out about get ready trial balance from ledger and amending trial balance errors. Double-entry procedure is utilized which oblige that every exchange be recorded by an entry that has equivalent debits and credits. Resource  records will regularly have charge balances and obligation records will typically have credit balances. I comprehend that records are of two sorts genuine (Balance Sheet accounts) & ostensible (income statement accounts). Chapter 03 After completing the Chapter 03, I am able to understand the adjusting processes of the financial statements for given period in light of trial balance or ledger entries. Here I adapted imperative idea of accrual basis of accounting. In accrual basis of accounting revenues are perceived when they are earned and expenses are perceived when they are really caused to deliver income. Where as in cash basis of revenues and expenses are perceived when cash is gotten and paid separately. Records are balanced so that income statement reports fitting income or cost and to make the balance sheet report the best possible resource or risk. Matching rule obliges that matching of expenses and revenues to introduce a precise photo of the profitability of a business. Adjusting entries are of two sorts deferred and gathered things. In the wake of passing adjusting entries balanced trial balance is readied. Chapter 4 Chapter 04 explained about use of work sheet facilitate the completion of the accounting cycle. The work sheet is a columnar sheet of paper or a computer spreadsheet on which accountants summarize information needed to make the adjusting and closing entries and to prepare the financial statements. Important Steps in competing accounting cycles are preparing adjusted trial balance after posting adjustment entries, Extend adjusted balances of from the Adjusted Trial Balance columns to the Income statement, Statement of retained earnings and Balance sheet. Here I learn important ratios i.e. current ratio and debt ratio. Current ratio specifies company’s ability to pay its short-term obligations. Chapter 05 In chapter 05, I learned different imperative parts of merchandise transactions and there recording. I found out about contra accounts Sales Returns and Allowances account, Sales Discounts account, purchase returns and Allowances account and Purchase Discounts account. Two sorts of  inventory processed took after i.e. perpetual inventory system and periodic inventory technique both having their own particular benefits and negative marks and ought to be utilized according to the need of specific business. Presently computerization as encouraged numerous firms to utilize perpetual inventory method for instance it has get to be economical for some retail locations to utilize perpetual inventory methodology notwithstanding for products of low unit value, for example, goods. Chapter 06 Chapter 06 discusses the diverse methods of inventory accounting i.e. FIFO method, LIFO method and Average cost method. All have diverse merits and negative marks under distinctive situations. For e.g. the merits of FIFO methods are-(1) Easy application, (2) the expected flow of costs relates with the ordinary physical flow of goods and (3) the balance sheet sum for inventory is liable to surmise the current market and so on. Burdens of FIFO can be – amid continually rising prices FIFO can offer ascent to paper profits. Amid times of rising prices, FIFO makes higher net income since the costs charged to cost of goods sold are lower. However LIFO expect that the costs of the latest purchases are the first costs charged to cost of goods sold. Net income is generally lower under LIFO since the costs charged to cost of goods sold are higher because of inflation. Chapter 07 Chapter 07 underlines the significance of having effective internal controls in every business. Inability to implement adequate internal controls can bring about frauds or robberies. Organizations ensure their benefits by different internal control procedures like – segregating employee duties, assigning specific duties to each employee, rotating employee job assignments, and using mechanical devices etc. Five components of internal control are Control environment, Risk assessment, Control activities, Information and communication and Monitoring. Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed. The Act was passed as one aftereffect of the huge misfortunes to the employees and investors from accounting fraud circumstances including organizations, for example, Enron and WorldCom. I figure out how to build up internal control through control of cash receipts and cash distributions, fitting utilization of the bank checking account, readiness of the bank reconciliation, and protection of petty cash funds. Conclusion Accounting is an important factor in any business; large or small. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know the financial health of your business. In later chapters I found out about different sort fixed assets like Property, Plant & equipment and depreciation methods like Straight-line method, units-of-production method and double-Accelerated declining-balance (DDB) method and so forth. Depreciation is the measure of plant resource cost distributed to every accounting period profiting from the plant resource’s utilization. Depreciation is a procedure of portion, not valuation. Land is considered to have an unlimited life and is in this way not depreciable. On the other hand, land improvements brief landscaping, parking lots and so on are connections to the land they have limited lives and thusly are depreciable. For Natural resources rather than depreciation we utilize consumption. Consumption is the fatigue that outcomes from the physical evacuation of a piece of a natural asset. While for intangible assets Amortization is utilized. Amortization is the systematic write-off of the cost of an intangible resource for cost. Goodwill is an intangible value connected to a business, confirm by the capacity to gain preferable return on investment over that earned by competitors in the same industry. I struggle with the accrual accounting only because I have never used this method on either a personal or business related level. In fact, this accounting course made me capable of establishing my own business.

Analysis Of The Book Throw It Had Jacob Yelled

THROW IT ALREADY! Jacob yelled Sweating and huffing and puffing, he demanded the aid of water orbs, one after the other , freezing them then hurling them at the foe in front of him. A Crabcest, a hostile monster that wreaks havoc on places that have caused high amounts of water pollution The rain danced off the brim of Jacobs hat I can t keep this up Hayly asked Through the telepathic link Tara had connected through the Guardians The crabcest punched one of the water orbs back at Jacob HayLy! Jacob yelled ducking as the water orb flew over his head Hayly lifted her hands from her sides and closed her eyes Air she said, surrendering herself to her element . A breeze lifted her by her wings into the air and spun her†¦show more content†¦He smacked it with his left claw, blocking all the potion from getting on his weak spot on his chest You re all a bunch of foolish maggots, that small amount of Lynx venom would never stop me! he taunted Tara and Jacob both lended a hand to Hay and Ar Mer, helping them off the ground There you go Tinker Bell Jacob said waving his hand as water washed the spit off of Hay s face It will if we supercharge it Tara said as she grinned sinisterly at the monster Ar Mer smiled With the tip of his index finger, he zapped the small amount of potion that rested still on the monster s chest. It sizzled then began to smoke. No No! NO! YOU HAVEN T SEEN THE LAST OF ME! I WILL DESTROY YO... The Monster yelled out Tara raised both her arms creating a circle. A circle of fire formed around the monster, the flames grew until the monster was engulfed in a fire force field. KABOOM! The five looked away as the monster exploded Great job guys Ar Mer said with a smirk United we stand, divided we fall Tara added Now what do we do about the water, ugh it s a mess Katherine said Me and you snow white? Jacob said cracking his knuckles Where do we start? Katherine said with her hands resting on her hips walking around the perimeter of the brown lake We ll have to do that tomorrow, it s 3 something in the morning on earth guys remember Tara remindedShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesSuzanne Duda Lead Media Project Manager: Denise Vaughn Full-Service Project Management: Sharon Anderson/BookMasters, Inc. Composition: Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Coral Graphics Text Font: 10/12 Weidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, OneRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesContemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Leadership, Fifth Edition Hughes−Ginnett−Curphy The Art of M A: Merger/Acquisitions/Buyout Guide, Third Edition Reed−Lajoux and others . . . This book was printed on recycled paper. Management http://www.mhhe.com/primis/online/ Copyright  ©2005 by The McGraw−Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States CopyrightRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOne Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial caps or all caps. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robbins, Stephen P. Organizational behavior / Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge