A Study On Zero Tolerance Policy

A Study On Zero Tolerance Policy There are hundreds if not thousands of students in any given school. The sheer size and magnitude of the student population encompassed in these schools leads to complications of school safety. Zero tolerance is a policy which was brought about enforcing school safety more firmly, and aimed to better protect students. However, the way in which these students are protected is highly debatable, making the zero tolerance ideology very controversial. Exactly which approach is most effective in protecting a student, let alone, thousands? Is strictness more effective than leniency? Overly strict policies aim to protect the majority, however, severally punish those who have to deal with the wrath of zero tolerance, those who violate the rules. Overly lenient policies can lead to dreadful events, however, give students a sense of reason, in turn creating an understanding of what they have done wrong. In the long run which method is most effective in protecting students? These type of questio ns, along with the excess amount of questionable cases, compose a highly controversial topic. The well being of a student is the single most important factor for public schools. No parent would ever send their child to school if there was a high probability of violence. For this reason there are people who favor zero tolerance. Domoine D. Rutledge, general counsel for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System in Louisiana, reports that zero tolerance policies have aided in creating a culture inside schools that certain things will not be tolerated, period. However, whether or not that policy is effective relies on how fairly its enforced and how consistently its enforced. He continues saying that: Schools districts have had to really balance the interest of the whole school, the student body, teachers and faculty . . . as well as the rights of individual bad actors. The ability to strike that balance, and to do it fairly, more than likely influences the effectiveness of the zero-tolerance policies. Whether or not zero tolerance is effective brings about more argumentative material. Statistical data reports a significant drop in school homicides following the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado strongly suggesting, as Rutledge advocates, zero tolerance has in fact led to safer schools for students. (nces.ed.gov) Kay S. Hymowitz, a contributing editor for a magazine published by the conservative Manhattan Institute, stated that, The arrest of a pair of New Jersey 8-year-olds for pointing paper guns at classmates was just the kind of episode that leads people to question zero-tolerance policies. (Billitteri) Statements such as those insinuate a basis of anti-zero tolerance and further complicate the controversy. However it must be noted that, Its not so easy to distinguish the prankster from the wild-eyed adolescent with a [lethal] plan when lives are at stake, Hymowitz says. (Billitteri) How is one supposed to know the intentions of a giving situa tion? While the general consensus will no doubtingly agree that a pair of 8-year-olds pose little to no threat, on the slight chance of an event occurring, the questions of why werent they stopped or how could you assume will undeniably be asked, and in this sense, it is without a doubt better to assume the ugly and end up being wrong, than to assume no harm and end up with fatal consequences. Hymowitz continues, stating that, Zero tolerance may be more symptom than cure for the uneasy disciplinary climate of our schools. Certainly its no final answer to out-of-control 5-year-olds or revenge-crazed teenagers. But as the threats continue and the bombs and guns appear, its all weve got. (Billitteri) Bringing back the topic of effectiveness, those with the get-tough attitude witness no proof of zero tolerance policies creating a safer environment in schools. In fact, a decade of research on such policies by the American Psychological Association have concluded that zero tolerance can a ctually increase bad behavior and also lead to higher dropout rates. Schools are not any safer or more effective in disciplining children than before these zero-tolerance policies were implemented, the association said. (APA) There is much debate surrounding zero tolerance, however, the real problems arise when zero tolerance is set in motion. The question at hand to those who oppose zero tolerance falls into the legitimacy and fairness of punishment. In Newark, Delaware a 6 year old boy took a camping utensil which can be used as a knife, fork and spoon to school. Naturally anyone can safely assume there is no harm, however, Zachary Christie received 45 days in the districts reform school. (Urbina) In this case, the well being of the students surrounding Christie is thrown out of the window and it comes down to its consistency in being enforced. The boy clearly had no intention in causing harm, however, was treated as if he was. The only reason he was apprehended as a criminal was to set an example. Those who think to bring anything similar to school, be it a fork, a knife, or gun, will think back to Christie and decided not to. While this incident might seem like one of a kind, unfortunately, it is far from that. Zachary Christie is not alone, there are handfuls of cases which bring about much controversy over zero toler ance. During October of 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia a 15 year old South Cobb High School sophomore brought an unloaded gun to school. When school officials found the gun in his backpack he was immediately and permanently expelled from the school district. (Skiba 3) A sixth grader at Whitman Middle School in Seattle, Washington brought a squirt gun, painted black and brown to school during September of 1999. He was expelled after the gun fell out of his book bag during lunch. (Skiba 4) David Silverstein, a seventh grader in Glendale, Arizona, motivated by the film October Sky, brought a homemade rocket to school made out of a potato chip canister. Considered a weapon, school officials suspended him upon arrival. (Skiba 4) During May of 1999 in Pensacola, Florida a sophomore received a 10 day suspension and was threatened with expulsion after loaning her nail clippers to a friend temporarily. Quoted from the principal, Life goes on. You learn from your mistakes. We are recommending expul sion. (Skiba 4) On the morning of a late June day in 1998 two high school seniors in Pinellas County, Florida arrived to school and were immediately expelled. School officials were tipped off that the boys had skipped school and smoked marijuana with some friends. A federal appeals court ruled against the district, stating that the school had not even a scintilla of evidence that the two boys were under the influence at school. (Skiba 5) In February of 1999 in Ewing, New Jersey a freshman was accused of taking drugs and was asked to visit the school nurse to check his pulse and blood pressure. His suspicious behavior which forced this drug screen upon him was because he dozed off in his social studies class. The principal immediately suspended him after he refused to submit to a drug test. Eventually the boy was forced into taking a drug test as the principle declined to readmit him until he had done so. (Skiba 5) A sophomore at Westlake High School in February of 1999 was suspended for two full school weeks after he announced his French teacher was not fluent in the language during the schools morning announcements. School officials considered the comment as a verbal attack against the teacher in an attempt to justify their actions. (Skiba 6) These cases do nothing but illustrate the negative aspects of zero tolerance. However, one can see the argument for zero tolerance as any further actions were eliminated before they could occur. Even though, at what point are schools sending the wrong message, and ultimately, when will this wrong message be more detrimental to students? Another topic of discussion is the message zero tolerance sends to the students. Should the punishment fit the crime? Those in favor of zero tolerance tend to believe the only way to clarify right from wrong is to strictly enforce school policies, and consistently enforce them. While this without a doubt protects the students from possible threats, at the same time one can question whether or not this also sends a negative message. Punishing a student for a petty mistake with grave consequences instills fear among the student population and scares them into conformity. This is not a message students should be receiving. Treating those like Zachary Christie, to use as an example, can negatively affect their mental health. Its much more difficult for Christie to tell right from wrong, and in his mind, he has not done anything wrong, yet still received punishment. To Christie he got punished for nothing, which will affect his psychological wellbeing unconstructively. How will he learn f rom his mistake and how will he look at other things in life now that he has been severally punished for such a small and innocent act? He is 6 years old, he does not need to go through this. Another negative aspect of zero tolerance is that it hinders education. Students unnecessarily miss school to serve their punishment which also leads to future problems. Julia Steiny, a former member of the Providence School Board, reported that a kid [student] whos been suspended is statistically at high risk of dropping out of school. (Steiny) Supporting zero tolerance, Kay S. Hymowitz, a contributing editor for a magazine published by the conservative Manhattan Institute, wrote that Its not so easy to distinguish the prankster from the wild-eyed adolescent with a [lethal] plan when lives are at stake. (Billitteri) To school officials, the assumption of trusting a student who has made a mistake, or is joking around, is a much greater risk. One cannot truly know the intentions of a given situa tion, only can one assume what is going on. To those who are pro-zero tolerance, safety comes first, no matter how accomplished. Zero tolerance is a very intriguing topic simply because of the complexity behind it. Those in favor make incredibly compelling and persuasive arguments. However on the flip side, those who are against it make just as valid arguments. I believe there is too much information out there to be able to claim being on one extreme end of the spectrum, whether its for or against zero tolerance. While to some extent zero tolerance is effective, after going through the plethora amount of research, I ultimately believe zero tolerance is a hindrance and a negative aspect on school safety. Not ended, but rethought I believe zero tolerance needs to go through. While the core idea behind it, safety for every student, sounds great on paper, in practice, it has obviously failed. While there are not many, there are still several cases where small acts have led to obscene punishments, completely blown out of proportion. Another negative aspect of zero tolerance is that it sends the wrong message to stu dents. For these reasons, zero tolerance needs to end in public schools, and needs to be rethought. Works Cited American Psychological Association. Zero Tolerance Policies Are Not As Effective As Thought In Reducing Violence and Promoting Learning In School. APA Press Release. 9 Aug. 2006. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. . Billitteri, Thomas J. Discipline in Schools. CQ Press Electronic Library. 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. . Hymowitz, Kay S. Zero Tolerance Is Schools First Line of Defense. Manhattan Institute. Newsday, 18 Apr. 2001. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. . Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007 Executive Summary. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Dec. 2007. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. . Steiny, Julia. Julia Steiny: Zero-tolerance policies in schools need to end. Rhode Island, Providence, news, sports, entertainment, ads | The Providence Journal. 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. . Trump, Ken. Zero Tolerance and School Safety. School Safety and School Security Experts: National School Safety and Security Services. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. . Skiba, Russell J. Zero Tolerance, Zero Evidence. Rep. Indiana University: Indiana Education Policy Center, 2009. Urbina, Ian. Its a Fork, Its a Spoon, Its a Weapon? The New York Times Breaking News, World News Multimedia. 11 Oct. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. .

The Killer Angels and the Battle of Gettysburg Essay examples -- Essay

When an author writes a book he has a message that he is trying to get across to the reader. This message is called a theme. In The Killer Angels Shaara’s theme was freedom for the slaves. The Northerners truly believed that the slaves deserved to be free, and their desire to set slaves free was the cause of the Civil War. Just before the Battle of Gettysburg, Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine gave a speech to a group of mutineers. He told them that the war in which they were fighting was unlike any war in history. The war in which they were fighting was not for money, property or power. It was a war to set other men free. After the battle began, Sergeant Tom Chamberlain asked a group of prisoners why they were fighting. They gave no answer, but asked him the same question. Sergeant Chamberlain answered, â€Å"To free the slaves, of course.† The South, however, was against freeing the slaves. The entire Civil War, whether the people were for or against the idea, was about freedom. The Killer Angels was informative, very fascinating and I liked it. I liked the book because I learned many things from it. I’d never thought much about the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg until I read The Killer Angels. From this book I learned many things. I learned that the Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. Prior to Gettysburg, the South had won most major battles. At Gettysburg, however, the North gained it’s...

Elements of Design in the Green Mile Essay

The Green Mile is an exceptional film that was created in the year 1999. This film was nominated for four academy awards: Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Adapted Screenplay. This movie teaches us how different the times were back in the 1900s compared to the way it is now. The movie is set in 1935 which was during the times of the Great Depression. It also illustrates death row and how execution is still a problem to where it is not just and fair. There are several well-known actors that cast in this film. Each actor plays a very unique role and elements of design have a role where it puts everything about this movie into perspective. The cinematographer that helped to create this film had a vital role in putting all of his screen shots together to generate the perfect lighting, images that are seen by the camera, and images that the audience sees upon completion of the film (Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). The director, producer, screenwriter, and composer all played important roles in putting this film together to show its exceptional potential at being nominated for four academy awards. The elements of design in the Green Mile are a form of art which cannot be duplicated in a way that they have come together to create this finished product. There is a scene in this film called â€Å"Miracle Worker†. In this particular clip, illustrates how the actors are placed into the scene and positioned on the set. You will see how well their costumes and makeup are done which is part of what makes up the mise en scene. The mise en scene is all of the elements in a film that the audience sees such as the setting, make up and costumes, as well as the movement and placement of the actors. The director, Frank Darabont, is responsible for shooting many different versions on a scene (Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). The director will then create the final film based upon the best of those elements. Some directors will allow improvisation which is when actors come up with their own lines that they feel will fit into a particular scene. The production designer, who is also sometimes called the art director, is responsible for maintaining the sets, props and the costumes so that they are in sync with the story and the character’s role (Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). Production designers are head of the department on film crews and they are responsible for the art department. Basically, they may be asked to look at scripts to decide how much time the art department needs to spend on films. They also calculate the budgets to figure out how much money will be spent as well. Furthermore, they will provide their design sketches expressing detailing mood, lighting, composition and color to the art directors who oversees the production (Anonymous, 2012). In this scene, the â€Å"Miracle Worker†, the lighting is low because it is night time, but there are lights on inside of the house in the bedroom where the warden wife is lying in bed. The lighting is very dim which evokes a depressing and gloomy mood. It draws the audience into the scene to where they can feel the same pain and sorrow that the actors feel. John Coffey places his lips over the warden’s wife’s lips to retrieve the sickness of the cancer from her body. The chandelier begins to brighten and the sound of the music increases as the scene becomes more intense. There is a sign of bright lighting coming from the woman’s mouth illustrating the cancer leaving her body and going into Coffey’s body as his mouth brightens as well. That lighting is symbolic for the cancer that Coffey took away from her. Then he closes his mouth and the light goes away. However, there is still a bright light on the woman’s face for a couple of seconds as she lies there with her eyes closed, but now her face looks healthy and so young. The lighting in this scene affects the overall story of what the director is trying to tell the audience because it tells you without words what the characters in the film are feeling. It tells you that they are saddened when the light is dim and then in awe and disbelief as it brightens. The warden was in tears and was in disbelief from what he had just scene. So were the rest of the guards. Although, they were in disbelief, they also displayed a sign of relief in that the sickness has left the woman’s body. The film setting was the summer of 1935 when Hanks was a corrections officer in charge of death row inmates at Cold Mountain Penitentiary during the Great Depression days. This is during the time where unemployment was very high. It only got worse in time before it got better. Even taxes had increased which made it that much more difficult for people to survive. During this period of time racism still existed in this culture. John Coffey was beaten, convicted and sentenced for execution all because he was a black man suspected of raping and killing two little white girls with no valid proof. Costuming can tell us almost everything we need to know about a character. The costuming of the woman showed a great deal of sickness within her face. The makeup on her looked so believable that it almost looked like she was a rotting corpse. Then the costuming took a turn as she was healed from the sickness. She became beautiful and peaceful. Elements play a significant role in affecting the film’s plot. For example, Coffey was dirty and sweaty because it was hot. So this illustrated that he was not clean and did not have any clean clothes. He did not come from a place where he had nice attire. Now if he was clean and had on fresh clothes, the scene would not be as emotional. Nobody really expected Coffey and the way he looked to have such supernatural powers except for Hanks because he had already experienced it for himself. Hairstyle and makeup can help tell the story by showing how the character may feel at that point and time in a scene. It can also set the tone of the scene and the audience can feel exactly what the characters are feeling based on how they look. As the warden puts his hand over his mouth, and the screen zooms in on his face, you can see the stress and pain in his eyes when they start to tear up. The three guards are well dressed in uniform. They have ties and hats. They all look very sharp like they’re about to conduct a ceremony. They are well groomed with no facial hair just like military service members in uniform. The guard’s hairstyle and make up tell the audience that they care about their appearance and how they carry themselves as correction officers. They guards display a sense of caution because Coffey is a convicted criminal, but at the same time they display hope as Coffey talks to the warden’s wife and begin to use his supernatural power. In my personal opinion, I think that the mise en scene was very well put in this movie. The use of color which made the room dim definitely heightened the suspense of the film especially during the particular scene where the light goes from dim to bright and then dim again. The warden and the guards were in well placed positions while Coffey sat on the bed and performed his supernatural miracle to cure the warden’s wife from her sickness. The mise en scene was done very well by illustrating that the woman was sick and then healed by a miracle performed by a black man who was wrongfully convicted and sent to death row while he awaited death by electric chair. All of the elements flowed in a harmonious way because the music went well with the lighting when it was dark, and then became bright when Coffey used his super natural powers to heal the sickened woman. The audience is easily drawn into the film because of the cinematography that takes place in the movie. The actors, lighting, music and setting go hand in hand together. Therefore, it is not discordant at all. The design elements are definitely in sync with Frank Darabont’s vision. From the beginning of the scene, the elements in the film were symbolic to his vision. He wanted the audience to feel every bit of emotion that the characters were feeling. The intensity as Coffey spoke to the warden’s wife grew as he introduced himself to the time he ridded her from the illness. Not only did it make the warden cry and the guards emotional, but I’m sure that the audiences who watched this movie were just as emotional as everyone in the film. So Darabont did a great job by piecing everything together to get the right vision for the scene. The Green Mile had great chemistry as everyone played key roles in making this film. The film could not have been accomplished without the help of everyone coming together and doing their part, from the directors to the actors. The elements of the mise en scene were symbolic throughout the movie so that it really touched the audiences. It placed the viewers in the film as if they were part of the script. The director and the cinematography of the film gave it the extra edge that was needed aside from the actors. The elements worked so well together harmoniously that once the film was put together, it couldn’t be done again the way it was the first time around. References Anonymous (2012). Production Designer. http://www.media- match.com/usa/jobtypes/production-designer-jobs-402758.php Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content.ashford.edu

Company Bre

Company Bre Introduction This paper presents the events associated with the scandal that involved the Bre-x mining company. Historically, the seduction of Gold business has always brought bad scenarios as people maneuver in the quest of enriching themselves. A Canadian mining company, Bre-X was incorporated and headed by David Walsh.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Company Bre-x Scandal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During the year of its incorporation, it was listed on the Alberta Stock Exchange. Bre-X was a small mining company that dealt with gold mining. The events that surrounded this company are articulated in this paper. Company Bre-x scandal Bre-X was not profitable until the year 1993 when it exploited the gold in Busang Indonesia. The company became profitable, and its shares consequently became valuable. This led to bigger mining companies wanting to share in the fortune, and several agreements were made by Barrick , Bre-X, The Indonesian government, and the Freeport an American company. The arrangement enabled Bre-X to receive the largest share. Eventually, it turned out that Freeport was tricked, and Borneo had low gold deposits that were poor quality-salted gold. A court case was opened, and several people who were suspected of the crime died mysteriously. In addition, Bre-X shares price collapsed drastically before it was closed down (Francis, 1998). David had followed the advice of Felderhof, a geologist to buy the Busangin Deposits in Indonesia. David hired him as the General manager in charge of Busang explorations. Little was known until when the Busang Gold deposit value was estimated to be 2 million Ounces in 1993 and a final valuing of 30 million in 1995 by Mr. Guzman, a geologist. This saw Bre-X’s shares rise tremendously to $14.87 in 1995.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Lea rn More The share value hit a peak of $280.00 in April 1996 when Bre-X started trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The value of the gold deposits continued to increase, and had an estimate of $200 million (Francis, 1998). Major mining firms such as Barrick Gold Corp organized to take over, but they failed. The Indonesian government was involved, as well as the Freeport-McMoRan Copper Gold an American company. The initial agreement was that Barrick was to receive a share of 67.5%; Bre-X was to get 22.5%, and the Indonesian government was allocated 10%. The final deal between Freeport and Bre-X led to an agreement that Bre-X and Freeport exploit the Gold. In this agreement, Freeport was to receive a 15% share, Indonesian interests 40%, and Bre-X 45%. Borneo, the side of the Freeport had low deposits reporting 0.01 grams. On the other hand, Busang, the Bre-X part had large and rich deposits reporting a grade of 4.39 grams. The gold in Borneo was not only small, but was also said to be salted. Salting of gold makes undermines the quality of gold and is not as shiny as pure gold. This raised alarm, and Freeport demanded answers. When investigations were started, several people die mysteriously including Walsh, followed by the tragic downfall of Bre-X mining company (Salinger, 2005). Conclusion The Bre-x mining company scandal had far reaching consequences on the business and individuals involved. Notably, some of the suspects died mysteriously while others went to places where they could not be reached easily to testify in the case.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Company Bre-x Scandal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The only surviving culprit of the Bre-X mining company, Mr. Felderhof has been charged with several cases including insider trading. However, there is no enough evidence for him to be charged. The justice system in this region did not act fairly to protect the interest of those who had invested in this company. References Francis, D. (1998). Bre-X: The inside story. Toronto: McClelland-Bantam. Salinger, L.M. (2005). Encyclopedia of white-collar corporate crime. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications

Psychology of Television essays

Psychology of Television essays Today many people think that television is the cause of violence in todays youth. Many have pondered that television disturbs traditions as well as interferes with the minds of adolecened children who can not yet comprehend the truth of fiction and reality. Thus television has become a widely talked about controversy, mainly because of the fatal incidents that have been occurring during the past couple of years. Questions are being raised and people want answers. What kind of effects does the television have on human beings? In todays society the public is interested in the detailed information about the content of television. Persons who work in the media are often concerned with what the television portrays and why it portrays the way it does. Even though they know that their shows are representative to their viewers tastes and not that of the real world. Although this information is not acknowledged as fiction or non-fiction it is still portrayed and processed information by the viewer. One must be able to realize, How this information is different from everyday life? By mocking a family, situation, or community, distortions and biases occur on the television when these subjects are compared to real life. Still unsure of these problems the majority of humans watch even when they dont understand why? Television is a medium of novelty, with each new season bringing new shows with dreamier characters and more enticing situations. These shows are successful because they challenge ones wisdom if he or she were in the same situation. This is the reason why people are starting to question and be afraid of the pushed boundaries of television. With the dramatic increase of violence in todays world the programmers are filling ones mind of not wisdom, but the dark escape of violence which makes up the viewers mi ...

Positive impact of social-emotional development learning program Dissertation

Positive impact of social-emotional development learning program - Dissertation Example The effective growth of children needs many factors to be put into consideration. That is one need to ensure that children are given the best care as well as the surroundings to enable them to grow up in a desirable manner. Moreover, they need to understand their personality, feeling, what they expect to receive from people surrounding them, and social roles. The above connotations are at the center of their social-emotional success in their lives. Having a positive impact regarding social-emotional development will support the children’s self-confidence as well as their ability to develop worthwhile and unending friendships. In addition, it will help to change their feeling of importance of those around them (Wong, 2014). Children's social-emotional development motivates all other development's areas and helps children to understand themselves more and be able to express their ideas as well as emotions. Therefore, Schools must give children intellectual and practical material s to help them to develop their emotional and social intelligence. The program is likely to face negative reaction from the people of Hong Kong. They are likely to doubt this program because they do not believe that it is important to produce socially responsible and happy citizens. As a result, most Chinese children are more likely to be poor in express their ideas as well as managing their feeling and lack of self-confident. Therefore, it would be urgent to take research to applying for the social, emotional learning program in Honk Kong schools to fill this gap.

TOPIC NO 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

TOPIC NO 9 - Essay Example Factors such as culture and history are not included in the Porter’s five forces industry analysis. Because of this, the model is seen as inadequate as an environmental assessment tool. Moreover, the forces behind the model are grounded on the premise of constant returns to scale by Alfred Marshall in his ‘theory of production.’ This paper aims to discuss the changes, such as increasing returns to scale and their effect on the intensity of the forces. Factors such as culture and history and their effect on the forces are also explored. When constant returns to scale is a vital premise where Michael Porter has derived his Five Forces of the industry model, it mainly based on Alfred Marshall’s theory of production. According to Marshall’s theory of production, for a certain increase in the level of all inputs, the output will increase by the same proportion (ILSTU.edu 2009). This has been identified as the constant returns to scale. The concept of constant returns to scale has been the traditional assumption as regards the theory of production. However, changes in our times state that the concept of constant returns to scale is not always the case for production. As firms strive to build production competitive advantage in order to lead the competition, they strive to produce more outputs for a given increase in the level of the inputs, hence increasing returns to scale. As stated in Porter’s five forces: â€Å"In the traditional economic model, competition among rival firms drives profits to zero. But competition is not perfect and firms are not unsophisticated passive price takers. Rather, firms strive for a competitive advantage over their rivals. The intensity of rivalry among firms varies across industries, and strategic analysts are interested in these differences (AUEB.gr).† â€Å"[†¦] unique industry characteristics that define the industry.