The modern business world can be described as a highly competitive environment. It means that to achieve success, an organization should have a clear vision of how to evolve and what actions to perform to create the basis for future growth. However, it is impossible without the correct understanding of the current situation and factors influencing a company. At the same time, the organization should possess a clear vision of its resources, weaknesses, and strengths to develop a strategic plan and employ it to generate a competitive advantage. Under these conditions, analysis tools acquire the top priority as the instruments leading to enhanced vision and promoting success. SWOT framework is one such approach used by companies today.
SWOT is an acronym stating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. As it comes to this definition, it is a tool allowing managers or investigators to analyze the current state of a selected organization (Sarsby, 2016).
Applying this tool, it is possible to determine available resources and advantageous practices and highlight the most problematic areas. At the same time, the investigation of opportunities and threats also demands an analysis of the environment or market where the firm operates (Sarsby, 2016). It means, that by using the SWOT, it is possible to collect relevant information necessary for enhanced decision making and use it for planning. There is a direct correlation between the accuracy of data used for creating a strategy and its effectiveness (Sarsby, 2016). It means that SWOT can increase the practical utility of such plans.
Another factor explaining the significance of SWOT analysis for organizations is the opportunity to consider acquired information to promote positive change. For instance, one of the most frequent reasons for firms’ failures is the wrong vision of their resources, strengths, and weaknesses (Gamble et al., 2020). It means that strategic plans become unrealistic and unfeasible, which leads to poor outcomes. Applying the SWOT tool, a specialist can outline the most problematic areas and consider them to plan the appropriate change and ensure such issues are eliminated (Gamble et al., 2020). It will help to boost the organization’s performance and ensure it can achieve the existing objectives.
Finally, using SWOT, it is possible to make the generation of a competitive advantage a part of strategic planning. As stated previously, the tool allows investigators to understand the peculiarities of the market and environment, which implies other companies’ functioning. For instance, the threats and opportunities sections presuppose an analysis of the company regarding its closest rivals and the current state of demand and target audience (Rothaermel, 2021).
These factors are vital for understanding how to generate a competitive advantage by offering products with unique qualities capable of meeting clients’ demands (Gamble et al., 2020). For this reason, SWOT analysis helps to improve strategic planning by including activities necessary for struggling against the closest rivals and promoting the organization’s enhanced performance.
Altogether, SWOT is one of the most effective tools available for modern managers. It helps to increase the accuracy of strategic planning by considering all factors affecting the company at the moment. Among its advantages is the opportunity to acquire the correct vision of the current company’s state, and use this information to create the basis for future growth. Moreover, using this method, investigators can realize existing weaknesses and strengths and the current state of the environment and employ it to generate a competitive advantage. For this reason, using SWOT organizations can create the basis for better planning and goal achievement.
References
Gamble, J., Peteraf, M., & Thompson, A. (2020). Essentials of strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education.
Rothaermel, F. (2021). ISE strategic management: Concepts (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Sarsby, A. (2016). SWOT analysis. Spectaris Ltd.
Eyewitness Identification And Confession
Summary
In the criminal justice system, eyewitnesses and confessions play a vital role in aiding the prosecution and investigations of criminals. Eyewitness testimony assists a crucial role in providing the features of a crime. According to the Innocence Project, it was revealed that eyewitness misidentification is the key cause of wrongful convictions globally, with nearly 75% of the already determined cases being overturned after a DNA test (Crossland, Kneller & Wilcock, 2018). These forms of crime identification serve as the essential forms of evidence that is presented to the judges to render a verdict on a case. However, the adoption of eyewitness identification and confession practices in law is inherently undependable as they rely on human senses and the ability of the brain to retrieve and encode perceptions.
Eyewitness identification and confession usually provide reliable evidence on an initial predetermined memory test, but upon adoption of DNA tests, the verdicts are overturned. Unfortunately, the reliability of the malleability of memory has paused tragic consequences in the legal systems, therefore suggesting the need to adopt efficient approaches in utilizing confessions and eyewitnesses in a case (Crossland, Kneller & Wilcock, 2018). In this research paper, we will evaluate the best practices for obtaining information from the eyewitness and obtaining and documenting confessions while preserving the rights of the suspected offenders.
Obtaining Information from Eyewitness
In the quest to obtain first-hand information from the eyewitness, there is always a need to incorporate efficient and best practices that will ensure that information and statement are not contaminated. First, the investigating officer should determine if the maximum amount of statement and identification data was obtained from the eyewitness during the law enforcement interviews (Crossland, Kneller & Wilcock, 2018). They should ensure that the testifying person’s memory was not contaminated and that no incident may have increased their confidence. Secondly, they should ascertain to validate that all the identification procedures in the case were unbiased and fair. Thirdly, they should evaluate the various factors of the crime scene that may have likely affected the eyewitness’s accuracy and memory in remembering the events that happened. Finally, relevant conclusions should be made to determine the probable accuracy of the eyewitness testimony.
Various recommendations have been suggested to aid in avoiding statement and identification contamination provided by eyewitnesses. According to the American Psychological Law, the major recommendations for eyewitness identification procedures are linked to how the suspect lineups are conducted (Gross et al., 2020). For instance, to avoid statement and identification contamination, law enforcement personnel should interview eyewitnesses as soon as possible, especially after the committing of a crime by the suspect (Gross et al., 2020). In addition, the law enforcement personnel should neglect the repetition of a lineup with the same eyewitness and same suspects. They should also record the entire process of identification and statement issuance to the instructions given to the eyewitness before lineup up to the confidence statement to safeguard the original documents.
However, eyewitness confession is not enough to send one to jail unless the eyewitness recorded the whole crime scene on a camera. Therefore, the adoption of DNA profiling proves to be a vital forensic tool in this case. By acquiring DNA profiling, the court will be saved time for searching for perpetrators of a crime as DNA can be used to eliminate a suspect easily as compared to an eyewitness (Crossland, Kneller & Wilcock, 2018). Various states, such as California in the United States, restrict the period for post-trial submission of DNA evidence to a period lesser than six months, while others reconsider cases with compelling DNA evidence despite the period that the trial ended.
Obtaining and Documenting Confessions
In the field of law, confessions refer to a statement by the suspect in a crime that confirms their involvement in the criminal act. A confession is a form of self-testimony involving the suspect and, therefore, can be used in a court of law to effect an inquisition (Ruggeri, 2018). However, according to the law, the value of confession by the criminal should be double-checked with other objective facts stated. Confession in law is regarded as a concept of moral guilt and has been applied in different legislative codes (Ruggeri, 2018). Therefore, confessions obtained through practices such as torture may be considered as being not objective as the suspect may confess anything in such a state. Nevertheless, when the confession later reveals some secrets that are only known to the criminal, such as the location of the murder weapon and the body of the bereaved, then they are considered as being reliable.
The key practices that should be adopted in obtaining and documenting confessions entail the adoption of procedural techniques such as interviewing, questioning, interrogation and camera-recording the above practices for efficient documentation. During interviews, the law enforcement personnel acquires detailed information from the suspected offender and may become suspicious unless such suspicion is confirmed by evidence that meets formidable grounds and all tests initiated (Ruggeri, 2018). Similarly, a suspect can be questioned concerning a crime as they may reveal some circumstantial evidence that will allow the law enforcement personnel to detain the suspect. Questioning does not have immediate evidence that can associate the suspect with the said crime. Lastly, the interrogation practice serves as the most serious level for obtaining information from the suspect (Ruggeri, 2018). In case a reasonable ground for a crime has been established, interrogation practice may follow suit. However, reasonable grounds to effect arrest require more direct evidence that will associate the suspect with the crime or valid evidence.
In preserving the constitutional rights of the suspected offenders, various steps should be taken by law enforcement personnel. These steps have been outlined below:
- Pre-arrest investigations whereby the law enforcement officers are provided with a detailed report of a suspect in criminal activity.
- The arrest occurs when an individual who has been accused of committing a crime is taken into custody by law enforcement personnel.
- Initial appearance whereby the court will inform the suspect of their charges and advise them on their rights to counsel and remain silent
- Grand jury whereby the prosecutor is forced to go to the grand jury and asks them to indict the accused person.
- A preliminary hearing then follows whereby the suspected person has the right to be represented or present themselves during the hearing
- Later, the suspect is arraigned in court and informed of their charges and provided with a copy of the indictment information (Birzer & Roberson, 2018).
However, the court cannot depend on confessions made by the criminals and therefore, there is always a need for double-checking to validate the objective facts. Some of the critical double-checking approaches that are utilized in the courts of law include validating the information confessed by the criminal through thorough investigation or adopting eyewitnesses in the case.
References
Birzer, M., & Roberson, C. (2018). Introduction to a criminal investigation. Routledge. Web.
Crossland, D., Kneller, W., & Wilcock, R. (2018). Intoxicated eyewitnesses: Prevalence and procedures according to England’s police officers. Psychology, Crime & Law, 24(10), 979-997.
Gross, S. R., Possley, M., Roll, K., & Stephens, K. (2020). Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, The Role of Prosecutors, Police and Other Law Enforcement. The Role of Prosecutors, Police and Other Law Enforcement (2020). Web.
Ruggeri, S. (2018). Criminal Investigations, Interference with Fundamental Rights and Fair Trial Safeguards in the Proceedings of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. A Human Rights Law Perspective. In The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (pp. 201-233). Springer, Cham. Web.
“Analysis Of Article “”Religions Resources And Church Growth”””
The authors define resource mobilization theory as “the study of aggregation of resources” in the context of money and labor (Iannaccone, Olson, & Stark 1995, p. 706). From a theoretical standpoint, religious resources consist of ‘inputs’ such as time and money, which lead to the ‘output’ of church growth and new members joining. In economic terms, resources are combined under two factions of labor and capital, which is equivalent to time and money. Time and labor are combined with purchased inputs such as goods and services to produce valued commodities. The authors argue that under resource mobilization theory, the higher the inputs of time and money, the greater the outputs that facilitate growth and limit decline (Iannaccone et al. 1995).
Rather than interacting with the broader social communities, denominations focus on narrowing resource-mobilizing strategies to appeal to and meet the needs of a narrow circle of followers that resource-providing constituents and benefit-receiving beneficiaries. Resource mobilization theory is not unlike market economics, or more accurately, a production process with inputs and outputs. Resource mobilization almost metaphorically symbolizes social movement activity.
A religious organization cannot exist or grow without obtaining resources from the environment. It costs time and money to construct physical structures, lead outreach, participate in evangelism and community service, educate, and any mother activities. Growth will only occur in instances of surplus resources. Therefore, the authors apply the theory to church growth by proposing that the resources available to a religious organization originate with its members. This is measured by simply accounting for the time and money that members of the congregation devote to religious activity, as well as external support such as organizations, investments, and government support. The market-oriented approach has become a new paradigm in the context of religion and its members rather than traditional secularization. The authors apply a market model to religious growth but offer insight on the topic, indicating that the church should have other measurable units besides membership, as those can be misleading. The best measure and ‘resource’ would be dollar contributions, as this more accurately evaluates market power and involvement from the attending population in the congregation. The authors employed the ‘Cobb-Douglas’ function from economics to measure, dividing the three variables by total membership, equations can be obtained that “describe growth rates as functions of time and money per capita” (Iannaccone et al. 1995, p.712). The number of members then defines growth at a later/current period divided by the number in an earlier period.
By collecting and testing data, the authors found that religious resources result in increased membership growth equitably to church growth using the standard production models. Typically denominations with high levels of attendance, participation, and contributions, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, due to their sectarian nature, see the highest rates of growth. Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for labor intensity through volunteering and going into communities to spread the word of their church, while Mormonism is highly financially focused. As these are both variables in the resource mobilization theory formula, with inputs being time and money, the expected output or ‘growth’ for these denominations is expected to be high. This is indeed confirmed by reality, proving the correlation proposed by the theory is inherently correct when applied to church growth. Contributions and attendance are significant predictors of growth, with higher per capita contributions and higher attendance as part of total membership leading to improved membership growth in the span of several years. However, the authors note that not only resources may contribute to growth, with non-resource variables such as community demographics, population transiency, and the make-up of the church’s congregation can play a role (Iannaccone et al. 1995).
A wide range of data was used to create a comprehensive assessment of the resource mobilization theory in relation to church growth. First, the authors considered poll data, but that was not useful because while it does provide attendance, it does not allow measuring how much input was given by members, as some may actively participate in the church, while others only show up for worship services providing the church with no labor. Next, the General Social Survey data was used, which was enough to demonstrate the distribution of surplus labor across denominations. In addition, a GSS question introduced that asked about financial contributions became useful in this study as a measurement of the ‘money’ resource, as members indicated the number of dollars contributed across denominations. Another data source applied was expert judgment, as sixteen scholars rated denominations based on demands on members’ resources, with a general agreement being high, suggesting the high reliability of this data source.
Some additional data included key annual reports of denominational membership from the Yearbook of the American and Canadian Churches, offering vital demographic data. The authors then considered the use of congregational data, noting two sets for analysis. The first set included congregational membership and member attributes, which were utilized as statistical predictors. The second set is from a large study utilizing a 43-item questionnaire at UCC and collected in the Church Membership Inventory. This data was used to compute aggregate values, which, in combination with the UCC yearbook, offered membership and financial statistics. Some of the data were useful, others were noisy, but notably still helpful because even inaccurate data can be vital on such a scale to remain confident in its purposefulness. However, some other data was discarded, such as demographic characteristics and diversity among church attendees (Iannaccone et al. 1995).
References
Iannaccone, Laurence R., Daniel V.A. Olson, and Rodney Stark. 1995. “Religious Resources and Church Growth.” Social Forces. 74 (2): 705-726.