Monday, September 30, 2019

Project Estimating Techniques Essay

One of the most important factors to the success of a project is how well the project is estimated, as well as how overall costs are managed during the execution phase by the project manager. Project costs and estimates are vital to the success of any organization to remain competitive in the market. Cost estimating for organizations rely heavily on resources that can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Forecasting and utilizing historical return costs are just a couple of ways that organizations rely on estimating. Experienced planners are often a sought trade within the market; this paper will discuss some often used project cost estimating techniques. Types of Estimating The first type of estimating is analogous. This type of estimating utilizes estimates from a previous project that is similar, and uses them to build estimates for the new project. While this type of estimating is beneficial to the planning process, caution must be used to ensure that estimates carried over from the previous project are fair and reasonable. Parametric estimation takes historical data inputs, makes calculated assumptions based on market and statistical data, and then formulates the estimate. This type of estimating is useful as it does use historical data, coupled with statistical data; however, assumptions made by the planner can be skewed and lead to inaccurate estimates in my opinion. The next type of estimating is bottom-up. Bottom-up estimating utilizes information from individual estimates through the Work Break Down structure. This type of estimating is one of the most common types of estimating because it uses estimates from the floor tasks. These floor tasks are estimated by subject matter experts with years of experience, and can be very beneficial to ensuring that not only the estimate is accurate, but the scope of the task is correct. Another type of estimating is three-point estimating. Three-point estimating takes a look at the best, worst, and most realistic scenario to cost estimating the project. These three options obviously come with a  premium on cost, time, or quality. Dependent on what the project objective is will more than likely determine what route to take in this process. From my work experience with project planning, cost estimating can be a very difficult task. Most organizations have a method or process in how to cost estimate. Some utilize checklists, while others may standard operating procedures as part of an organizational policy. Regardless of what tools are available to a project team during the cost estimating process, knowing the overall goals and objectives of the project are keys to estimating a successful project. The burden of cost estimating is not normally the responsibility of one individual; it often lies within the project team. Multiple estimators from various skills are part of the process, and all types of estimating as discussed earlier are part of the process. Tools that my organization utilizes are bid specification review meetings that go over the material, labor, and rates that apply to the work being conducted during the project. In addition, an independent government estimate (IGE) is utilized to ensure that estimates are filled out thoroughly, and reviewed against the contractor’s estimates upon receipt. There are many other processes that can be used; however, these are the most commonly one’s used within government estimating. Conclusion Cost estimating is a very important part of the project planning process as it often dictates the duration of the project, and how much work can be accomplished during the project against the budget given for the project. Estimates of time and cost together allow the manager to develop a time-phased budget, which is imperative for project control (Larson & Gray, 2014, p. 131). While there are many different ways that estimates are created, there is no sure fire way in stating that one is better than the other. While some may think that historical data is a more accurate way, there is not telling that the estimate and return costs from a previous project were fair and reasonable. If the previous project cost was overestimated, then the current project would continue to be overestimated; therefore not proving to be a cost benefit to the organization. Cost estimating drives the project plan, and organizations need to ensure they utilize all the tools and resources they have available to them to make the  project a success. Reference Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2014). Project Management: The Managerial Process (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

A Resort with a difference

This will be a resort that is customized for Christians though will be open to all as far as they maintain the culture of the place. Different services will be offered including foods and drinks, conference facilities, sports facilities, accommodation, entertainment and spiritual nourishment facilities for Christians.Services will be offered in a serene environment and no alcoholic drinks or other unchristian behaviour will be allowed in the place. Spiritual nourishment facilities will include Christian literature, music and teaching sessions.The Resort will be unique in that besides offering essential services it will maintain an environment that will encourage socialization and at the same time provide spiritual nourishment. All facilities will be provided with great consideration on nurturing good morals and personal developments.The Resort will be a substitute for the local pub or club only that services and facilities will all be geared not only on socialization and entertainmen t but both on spiritual and physical development. There are many people who would like to benefit from facilities offered in pubs, resorts and clubs but their moral values, faiths or public standing prevent them from going to such places due to the nature of provision of services in such places.However, a Resort for Christians will be unique and will provide the modest environment that such people require; they will be able to watch football, popular TV programs or a movie in a place they are comfortable in and with the company of people they would prefer to be with. The churches and other Christian organisations have numerous meetings and visitors and will be easily lured into using this kind of resort because of the perception that it is a Christian place.In the next five weeks the Resort will be in the incubation period. In this period we will be preparing a grand opening of the Resort. We will do in-depth publicity of the up-coming Resort and the grand opening event. Publicity w ill be done through print and electronic media, billboards and direct mail to prominent people.In this period the Resort facilities will be prepared thoroughly and decorated in order to be   The incubation period will end with a grand opening of the Resort which will also mark the entry into the introduction stage. According to NetMBA Business Knowledge Center website (http://www.netmba.com/marketing/productlifecycle) â€Å"during the introduction stage, the primary goals is to establish a market and build primary demand for the product class.†We would do this through intense publishing the resort by the grand opening and continued advertisement. We would invite prominent people in the society, especially those who have a reputation of modesty, to grace the occasion. We will then also adopt a penetration pricing strategy by offering favourable pricing for our products for the first month of our operation.As the business grows we will continually evaluate the service provisi on systems in the facilities and ensure we offer quality services. This is because, as cited in NetMBA Business Knowledge Center website (http://www.netmba.com/marketing/productlifecycle), as a product moves through the different stages of its life cycle, it necessitates change of the marketing strategy thus calling for continuous evaluation and re-adjustment.We will establish a modest and unique culture in order to ensure that our services are different from others. This product differentiation together with continued promotion will ensure that our services are preferred. We will also invest in technology so as to increase efficiency and effectiveness in provision of services.We will maintain a well detailed website and establish links with travel agencies. We would evaluate our business continually and increase or reduce the services we offer and how are they are offered. This will be geared toward maintaining our services as different from those of our competitors and ensuring co st effectiveness. We would also keep on exploring new ways of promoting our services so as to maintain our market share and to compete effectively.ReferencesNetMBA Business Knowledge Center. The Product Life Cycle. Retrieved January 07, 2008 from http://www.netmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Conditional Fee Arrangements for Legal Aid

The conditional fee arrangement was introduced by the Access to Justice Act (AJA) 1999, as an attempt to transfer legal funding from the treasury to the private sector. This occurred as a result of an increasing and ridiculous growth in the cost of legal aid, namely from a few hundred million to well over 2. 1 billion pounds from the 1980s to 2000. Moreover, it was not because demand was growing. Rather, number of cases relying on legal aid had decreased.Due to the need to control budget, Conditional fee arrangements are used to fund many civil cases which legal aid now excludes, and the issues brought about by conditional fee arrangements have been debated over the last decade. The conditional fee arrangements are sometime known as ‘no win, no fee’ agreements, which are not used for family or criminal matters, but can be used in many types of civil action. The no win no fee concept was first introduced in the UK under the Solicitors Conditional Fee Agreements act in 199 5.The primary reason for the no win no fee system was to make sure that individuals who did not qualify for legal aid could still make personal injury claims, regardless of their personal situation. Section 58 of the Courts and legal Services Act (CLSA) 1990 permitted the Lord Chancellor to introduce conditional fee arrangements. By 2000 legal aid was actually abolished for personal injury claims, resulting in the no win no fee personal injury claim system being the normal system that most claims work under.The beauty of the policy is that if you do not win your case, you are not required to pay any sort of fees to your no win no fee solicitor. Instead, the insurance will cover any costs and expenses of all parties involved, including your no win no fee lawyer. This allows you the safety and security of knowing that even if you are someone who is financially struggling, you still have the right to make a claim, and you will not have to pay if you for some reason lose your case. If y ou happen to win your case, you will automatically be compensated for 100 per cent of the fees attached to the personal injury claim.The purpose of the system is to make sure that everyone involved is covered by the insurance companies. The only fees which are potentially applicable to a person filing a claim are exceptional circumstances or medical negligence cases, which will need to be discussed in advance with your lawyer. Admittedly, based on my research, the only groups of individuals who have really benefitted from this scheme are the lawyers, the claims management companies (CMCs), the banks and the insurance companies, which, is typically the supplier base for this system.In contrast, the consumers themselves have little but complaints, even though the Conditional Fee Arrangement were targeted to helping them in the first place. The introduction of Lord Justice Jackson’s report this year 2010 is new and the effects have not been visible in the current market, though we may look at the theoretical and legal implications that such an upheaval in the Conditional Fee Arrangement this would bring. A major benefit of Conditional Fee Agreements is that it allows many people access to justice, and in addition does not have to receive any funding from the Government leaving them free to fund more serious civil cases.Because of agreements like these many people have been able to take their cases to court, all that is required is that the client buys insurance against losing a case. If this requirement is met then it is unlikely that the case will not be taken on by a Solicitor. The Solicitor is also likely to work harder on the clients behalf because it has invested interest. This will then result in more competition between Solicitors and as a consequence of this, the client receiving a better service.A Conditional Fee Arrangement provides access to the courts for those who cannot afford to pay the attorneys fees and costs of civil litigation. Contingen cy fees also provide a powerful motivation to the attorney to work diligently on the client's case. In other types of litigation where clients pay the attorney by the hour for their time, it makes little economic difference to the attorney whether the client has a successful outcome to the litigation. Finally, because lawyers assume the financial risk of litigation, the number of speculative or unmeritorious cases may be reduced.In terms of access to justice, Conditional Fee Arrangement have provided for many who could not qualify for legal aid. From 2000-2005 alone, personal injury cases saw a jump in a million consumers seeking redress Conditional Fee Arrangement. This is likely because of a few reasons. For one, the strict means test introduced by the Access to Justice AJA 1999 has led to the middle income group not qualifying for legal aid, but they are not able to afford legal services either. Secondly, the Access to Justice AJA 1999 has taken away certain civil cases from its funding, personal injury as an example.Thirdly, claims management companies CMCs have been actively educating the masses as to seeking redress for personal injury cases especially, thus promoting a culture that citizens fight for their rights, and the Conditional Fee Arrangement is one avenue that they can do it for free. The statistics speak for themselves. Especially in road traffic accidents, sometimes it is not proportional the damage to apply for legal advice but now it is made possible without the burden of bearing those legal costs. Conditional Fee Arrangement has increased accessibility to justice in a way that legal aid with a budget can never provide.In terms of cost, in particular the success fee, it has been said to be an incentive, the only incentive for lawyers to ever enter into a Conditional Fee Arrangement. A huge risk of not being paid a cent should equally mean that there should be a larger chance to earn more. Lawyers themselves are taking this risk and in order to maintain a supplier base, a success fee is a must. Currently, the success fee stands at any bonus amounting to up to 100% of the normal legal fees. However, it does not mean that it is up to the lawyer’s whims and fancies to set the percentage.This sum is decided in an agreement between the lawyer and the insurance company, based on the chance of success in a case. Opposition to this has argued that the success fee leads to perverse profits, but statistics show otherwise. Since implementation of Conditional Fee Arrangement, two large firms of claims management companies CMCs have gone bankrupt within a short span of 4 years and this makes us wonder whether doing Conditional Fee Arrangement are way more profitable than regular legal work. The advantages can be summarized as: †¢Lawyers acting in any case will be confident and determined.They will have had to weigh carefully the chances of success before taking the case as their fee depends on winning. †¢There will be freedom from anxiety of having to pay huge fees. †¢There will be no need to pay fees in advance. †¢There will be no delays or worries with legal aid applications. A major disadvantage of the Community Legal Service Fund is that they have a budget in which they have to stick to. Of course they cannot be blamed for this, however criticisms have been made about the way they use the funding to fund civil cases.It is thought that they tend to fund cases that do not necessarily deserve of public money. Once the fund has run out someone who is deserving of the funding may then have to look elsewhere for help and may find themselves again being denied access to justice. Because Conditional Fee Arrangement works on a no win, no fee basis many Solicitors will not want to take on cases that are not likely to be successful and as a result denying the individual access to justice. Because of this certain legal problems such as clinical negligence have to be state funded because they are more likely to be unsuccessful.Another major disadvantage is that many solicitors who carry out Conditional Fee Arrangement will not take on a case unless the individual has taken out insurance against losing. However many cannot afford the insurance premiums, this again throws up the problem of many people being denied access to justice because of these kind of circumstances. Having said that it has now become harder to gain access to public money in order to fund a civil claim. Two tests have now been introduced, the merits test and the means test.These tests are used to see if a civil claim deserves to be funded and how likely it is to be successful, this makes it a lot harder for people to get legal aid for civil cases. The quality of justice has been described by the Citizens Advice Bureau CAB as appalling ever since the claims management companies CMCs have started to act as middlemen for lawyers and clients in setting up a Conditional Fee Arrangement in personal injury c ases. Claims management companies CMCs use hard-selling marketing tactics which pressures victims into entering into a contract with them.Often, they start by saying that they do not need to come out with a cent in seeking compensation but later on in some tiny footnotes they would write that the client may be subject to some payment. Essentially, not paying a cent is true, where legal costs is concerned, but damages are not always enough to pay back the interest rates of applying for a bank loan, which was meant to supply the insurance premiums. Because of the straightforwardness of some cases, some lawyers also take advantage of the situation to drag the case so that they may be paid more legal fees.Many consumers have complained that Conditional Fee Arrangement cases are so inefficient that they find it hard to resume their daily lives. Some straightforward cases were said to take up to months. The one-way cost shifting is also a disadvantage for the defendant. If the defendant h as failed to take up before the event insurance BTE, then he might find himself burdened with high legal costs from the other party when he loses. What is worse is that he also has to pay the other party’s success fee, which means he could be paying up to 2 times the price of a normal fee.This is not fair to the defendant. Another issue is that the defendant cannot control the legal costs of the other party and explained earlier this could be abused. Statistics have shown that the market for before the event insurance BTE is still very premature and hence defendants ending up bankrupt as a result of Conditional Fee Arrangements are a reality. Contingency fees do not guarantee civil justice, or even access to the courts. Lawyers sometimes â€Å"cherry pick† only the strongest claims which are most likely to succeed. Not all cases are immediately transparent.Some require extensive investigation before the chances of success can be properly assessed. Such cases might be t urned away because even the initial assessment of their strength is costly and risky. Next, we look at the former aims of Conditional Fee Arrangements. Conditional Fee Arrangements were meant to help those who were too poor for legal advice but failed the means test for legal aid. Recent cases such as Campbell v Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd have seemed to imply that Conditional Fee Arrangements are available to just about anyone.This issue was brought up in the London Seminar as they said that for â€Å"Hollywood actress Sharon Stone, footballer Ashley Cole, supermodel Naomi Campbell†¦ none of these were seen denied justice on financial ground†. While this does not seem to bring about any problems since it is still applied as a Conditional Fee Arrangements, what we are introducing is a whole new culture of people who tries to take advantage of a no-risk system to earn a quick buck. In the case of Campbell, Naomi sued for breach of confidence, and earned ?3500.To note this case, it was also â€Å"mortifying to find that†¦ they (MGM) were made to pay legal costs in the sum of ?1,086,295. 47†. Lastly, on the point of abuse, it seems that lawyers doing Conditional Fee Arrangements are paid better hourly rates than a normal lawyer. Based on statistics, a Conditional Fee Arrangements lawyer easily earns 103-115% of the normal lawyer fee based in London. Because their demand is not cost-led, it is easy to see instances of over-claiming and over charging of fees.The Jackson Report this year has led to many changes to the Conditional Fee Arrangements scheme and though the effects have not been felt there has been much feedback. For one, the Conditional Fee Amendment Act 2010 aims to reduce the success fee from 100% to 10% maximum. This is something targeted to help the defendant as there has been much feedback that success fees are perverse to a point of landing people into bankruptcy. However, many such as the Law Society and the Manchester Law Society have spoken up for the lawyers saying that the 100% success fee should maintain.Many lawyers also seem to object to this move. This goes on the grounds that it is important that there are incentives for lawyers to do Conditional Fee Arrangements work. After all, if they lose the case, they are not paid, and these lawyers are really gambling out there. Based on my opinion, what this amendment does will cause severe repercussions. This will not stop the problem of cherry-picking. Rather, it will result in more cherry-picking because there is a tendency to do almost no-risk work.Also, this would mean that many people would lose the option to enter into a Conditional Fee Arrangements as supplier base would probably decrease due to less sure-win cases. Next, to look at the problem of dragging cases to increase profits, this might actually persist and get worse in order to earn more. Hence I would feel that this is an effort, despite its good intentions, that would be difficult to bear fruit. Secondly, there is a proposal to shift costs from the defendant to the claimant. Rather than bearing the full cost, it is suggested that the success fee be paid by the claimant.Courts have shown an apprehensive attitude towards this as the adversarial system has always been one that has a principle that the losers should pay the winner’s cost. This again is a move aimed to help the defendants. However, having this in play would mean that the claimants have less damage to recover. Yet, to look at it from another perspective, this would mean that lawyers can now no longer abuse success fee setting. It would shift the demand of this market to the hands of the claimants. In a way, this provides competition, keeping success fees low and efficient.It would also solve the problem of case dragging, since lawyers would be pressured by claimants not to take so much time. Although this means more lawyers would exit the market because of low profits, I would feel that it is still an advantage as it increases efficiency and cost. In conclusion, there are many disadvantages and little advantages of the old Conditional Fee Arrangements system as I have researched and analyzed but the new reforms by the Jackson Report might actually be able to solve some of those disadvantages so that Conditional Fee Arrangements become a good substitute for legal aid.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Western Civilization. Second World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Western Civilization. Second World War - Essay Example The basic causes of war are always found in international rivalries, thwarted desires of nations, and the ambitions of their leaders. Most historians agree that the seeds of the Second World War have been sown soon after the end of the First World War. During the months and years after the First World War, political and economic events like the treaty of Versailles, the great economic depression of 1929, the rise of Nazism, and Hitler’s ambitions for German expansion were some of the causes of the war to come. The treaty of Versailles signed in June 1919 by the allied powers who were the victors of the First World War was very harsh on Germany and held the country solely responsible for the war. The German people believed that Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points program would be the basis for the treaty, but the French president Georges Clemenceau and the British prime minister David Lloyd George bowed before the anger of their people who demanded that Germany should be se verely punished for the suffering and devastation caused. The sentiment of the allies was as follows, â€Å"If these things are hardships for Germany, they are hardships which Germany has brought upon herself† (â€Å"Allied Reply†). The humiliating terms of the treaty whipped up feelings of anger and frustration among the Germans. Territorial losses, the reduction of the army and navy, and, above all, the fact that Germany was forced to accept the responsibility for having caused the war, were particularly galling. According to the treaty, Germany was forced to pay reparation for the damages suffered in the war by the victors; the map of Europe was redrawn, and parts of Germany were transferred to countries like France, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, and Czechoslovakia. The reparations that Germany was forced to pay was an added burden on the country’s already stretched finances. The German economy, in shambles after the war, was further eroded by the fact that the c ountry had lost some of its colonies that were rich sources of income and raw materials. Besides the economic burden, Germany had lost millions of her able bodied men who would have constituted a strong work force. The people thought the government had betrayed them, so they did not trust it. The monarchy was overthrown and a new democratic republic called the Weimar Republic was proclaimed; it fell in 1933 under the onslaught of the myriad problems Germany faced. Hitler used the treaty of Versailles as a battle cry to rally the people and promised that Germany would take her rightful place as a strong nation before long. This was a balm to the wounded pride of the nation, and people were ready to back Hitler by 1933. By 1929, the German economy was just beginning to recover from the effects of the First World War with the efforts of Gustav Stresemann, Germany’s untiring foreign minister, beginning to show results. The stock market crash of 1929 that reverberated across the g lobe and sent financial markets around the world into a tailspin also crushed German hopes of economic recovery. The German economy, propped up by loans from America, was â€Å"only flourishing on the surface. Germany is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short-term credits are called in, a large section of our economy would collapse† (â€Å"Weimar Republic and the Great Depression†). Just before Stresemann’s death, his words have proved prophetic. The German economy, which depended on American loans for capital, was badly hit when America needed the funds to prop up her own faltering economy after the crash. Foreign trade dried up, and German industry ground to a halt. As a result, workers were laid off, which has increased unemployment and resulted in the misery of the people just beginning to look forward to a brighter

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Essay Example Dr.Gey extracted some of the cells for his own research without Henrietta’s knowledge or consent. Soon, Henrietta died because of the rapid spread of her cancer. The very cells which Dr.Gey had procured became the immortal HeLa cells that are being used worldwide even today. The HeLa cells history is shrouded by a number of ethical issues. One of the very first ethical issues that I find really surprising is that the HeLa cell industry was a huge and profitable industry but Henrietta’s family were not entitled to any profits or shares. Henrietta’s cells were being commercially exploited by the researchers who made billions of dollars from it but Henrietta’s own family which was very poor, remained in that very state unaware of the riches that Henrietta’s cells were fetching others. This was purely unethical on the part of the researchers because they commercialized Henrietta’s cells without the knowledge or the approval of her husband or othe r family members. In fact Henrietta’s family did not even know about the existence of Henrietta’s cells. But, in the 1950’s no ethical guidelines and tissue ownership rules had been laid down. However, today we understand that commercialization of cells and tissues may be of great worth to the donors and we do have bioethical laws to protect the right of the donors. However, there are loopholes in the law which is evident from Moore’s case. Moore suffered from a very rare case of cancer- hairy leukemia, which was diagnosed by Dr.Golde but soon Golde understood that Moore’s body cells were very special. â€Å"Most cells are worth nothing individually, but Moore's were special. They produced several valuable proteins used to treat infections and cancer and carried a rare virus that might lead to treatments for H.I.V. (Skloot, 2006) and without informing Moore, Golde got a consent. Moore was unaware of his cell’s potential but soon got to know about it worth. However he lost the case because he had signed the consent form. The court however agreed that Golde should have had informed Moore about his intentions. This brings me to my second ethical issue- voluntary participation and consent. It the right of every human being to be informed about a research before he/she voluntarily participates in it. In Henrietta’s case, she had no choice of being a voluntary participant. Dr.Gey decided to extract and study the abnormal cells of Henrietta’s body. Lacks had no idea what Dr.Gey’s intentions were. Her doctor told her nothing about the cells and his personal wish to extract and study them. This was surely unethical because the tumorous cells belonged to Henrietta solely and Dr.Gey had no right to use them without the knowledge of Lacks. In case he did want to use her cells for investigation, he should have had explained the same to Henrietta and waited for her approval but instead he opted to extract the c ells all by himself making Henrietta an involuntary participant in his studies. Today, researchers are bound to inform everything about the intended research before asking the participant to take part in it. Here too, the decision of participation lies solely with the participant and the researchers have no say in it. The final ethical issue that struck me was that of â€Å"confidential identity†. It should be the duty and moral obligation on part of the researcher to safeguard the true

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Case Study Example Basing on this, this paper has developed a SWOT analysis of FedEx. A SWOT analysis is a managerial strategic program aimed at analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization so that decision makers can enact policies basing on information at hand. From the DI case, the weaknesses of the organization are highlighted, and in all, they are internal, and based on employees negligence. This report will highlight that. The table below shows the SWOT analysis of the organization. Political instability in various countries and regions of its interest might affect its operations. For example the Arab Spring crises that started in Tunisia to Egypt that led to overthrow of these governments through mass participation. Poor judgment by its employees on appeasing aggrieved clients can lead to customer dissatisfaction for example Poor customer relationship skills witnessed by the supervisor sending chocolates instead of offering an apology to aggrieved customers. Loses arising from inefficiency of their services through paying of refunds and compensations to clients for expenses arising from the company’s negligence. For instance DI lost $ 600 in paying trade booths which were to be used for showcasing the undelivered goods (McDougall and Charles, 48). Risk negative publicity and therefore affecting their profitability due to their inefficiency in handling DI shipments. This is portrayed by Anita Kilgour expressing her disappointment and unhappiness at how the organization handled her orders. From this analysis, we can conclude that FedEx is a strong company with minimum weaknesses in its operations. It is also a technology oriented company and because of this, it is a market leader in provision of courier services. Despite its strengths and position in the market, the company can improve on its weaknesses by improving on the terms of the money back guarantee system, to give

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Gender as a Structure of Social Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender as a Structure of Social Practice - Essay Example Hegemony refers to the subordination of one group by another by mere implication that the other is greater. Hegemonic masculinity is exemplified in patriarchal systems where government is controlled by men. Narrowing down to hegemony among groups of men brings up the concept of subordination. The best example of subordinated masculinity is gay masculinity. Homosexual men in society are subordinate to heterosexual men who dominate society (Connell, p. 78). Complicity refers to the quiet acceptance by men of hegemonic structures because they benefit them at the expense of women. Marginalization brings into play class and race as factors that affect the masculinity of an individual. For example, black masculinity in the United States of America is marginalized by white hegemonic masculinity that holds economic power. Black men become associated with poverty, crime, violence, prison and other negative traits (Connell, p.79). Quentin Tarantino’s crime movie Pulp Fiction, considered a classic study of society’s underworld, contains outstanding examples of how society constructs masculinity. All the leading characters are male. The movie has been said to glorify violence among men; all the men in the movie are either career criminals or commit a crime at some point. The men are not above killing other men to achieve their goals, and do not hesitate to physically and emotionally abuse women. To illustrate the workings of Connell’s theory of masculinity, the focus is on the movie’s crime boss, Marcellus Wallace. Marcellus, a black character, is the biggest crime boss in the area. From the onset, he illustrates marginalization masculinity; a black man in oppressed America can only rise to immense wealth and power through crime. It is implied that Marcellus has risen to the top by being ruthless, cold and calculating. He also has a beautiful white trophy wife, played by Uma Thurman. His wealth qualifies him to marry a white woman, representing marginalization masculinity as manifested in the fantasy of the black man as a sexual predator of white women. Black men such as Marcellus actualize the worst fears of the white men in the hegemonic repressive system; taking their women. The ideology here is that a black man has to be extremely wealthy and successful to qualify to marry a white woman as a way of breaking society’s restrictions. Marcellus as boss of the underworld deals in different criminal operations such as drug rings, extortion, prostitution and gambling dens. He represents complicity to hegemonic masculinity as he has adapted the system to his benefit. The businesses he conducts involve prostitution, a form of exploitation of desperate women. He uses these women to enrich himself. He further illustrates hegemonic masculinity by controlling his wife’s every move and treating her like personal property. She has round-the-clock bodyguards under the guise of protection; in reality, he guards her jealou sly and monitors her every move. His paranoid actions seem justified however, when one of his henchmen succeeds in seducing his wife. To men like Marcellus, women are one more thing to be owned and used. Marcellus also treats his henchmen and underlings as disposable, illustrating further compliance to the hegemonic system. He does not hesitate to order assassinations of those who displease him. When a boxer, who was supposed to throw a match, played by Bruce Willis, ends up killing the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Any potential benefits and negative impacts of adopting the IFRSs for Coursework

Any potential benefits and negative impacts of adopting the IFRSs for the country; - Coursework Example The IFRS adoption move was encouraged by the 1995 European Commission’s report considerations (Accounting Harmonization: New strategy with regard to global harmonization), however, it resulted from some more far reaching program for corporate reforming that was introduced by the government of Common Wealth under sponsorship of CLERP (The Cooperate law Sponsorship Program). The major aim for adopting the standards for Australia was to enhance information quality on corporate performance. This paper looks at the benefits resulting from the adoption of the standards as well as any challenges, negative impacts or limitations that the country has faced in the implementation as well as maintenance of the International Financial Reporting Standards in Australia. Consistency- change IFRS will provide many bonuses to Australian companies. Among the most beneficial areas for adopting IFRS is uniformity. Consistency happens to be the major reason why most companies as well as nations are currently adopting IFRS. In simple words, Australia’s adoption of IFRS provide the companies within the country internal uniformity, something, which reduces cost of reporting (Anna, 2013). As the key aim for IFRS is uniformity, it places every person within a similar level globally as far as preparing financial standards is concerned. For Australia, this will enable firms to display financials at some similar levels as their international competitors. Better Capital Markets- through the adoption of IGRS, Australian companies are place within the international market place. His helps in the promotion for new trade as well as well as assessing capital markets. Companies within the country will have a chance of being recognized to be an international player within the capital market (CYNTHIA, 2009). Improved international communication- adoption of IFRS by Australia will ensure reliable financial reporting. As a result, Australian large companies will be apply

Monday, September 23, 2019

British Economy from November 2008 to november 2010 Coursework

British Economy from November 2008 to november 2010 - Coursework Example These measures were taken as a part of government’s austerity measures in the wake of rising government debt and the widening budget deficit. Some of the measures taken by the government included increase in Value Added Tax, systematic reduction in the general benefits provided to the people as well as reduction in the government expenditure besides taking other measures to ensure that the different macroeconomic objectives are fulfilled. George Osborne, man behind the recent measures taken by the UK government basically attempted to provide a radical program which can ensure that UK’s overall credit rating is improved amid the talks of country’s bankruptcy owing to mountains of debts which country accumulated over the period of time. In this part of the question, a discussion will be provided regarding the overall success of the measures taken by Bank of England and British Government since 2008 till date. Special emphasis will be on measuring and discussing the impact on growth, price stability, unemployment as well as the balance of payments. At the start of the financial crisis in later part of 2007, British Government, attempted to inject money into the system in order to ensure that the institutions do not fail and that the economy remains on the path of recovery after the decline. Bank of England (BoE) drastically reduced the base interest rate in order to stimulate the consumer spending and generate the required level of demand in the economy. During November 2008, Alistair Darling took radical measures to reduce the VAT however; the overall borrowing by the government was increased. Reduction in VAT was aimed at reducing the general price level and ensuring that the people spend so that employment can be generated and aggregate demand can be increased. However, the steps taken by Labor Government, from November 2008, also involved increasing the national insurance contribution as well as the increase in taxes for higher earning individuals.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Accrual Method Essay Example for Free

Accrual Method Essay The accrual method of accounting and the cash basis of accounting are different in the way that they record transactions. With cash basis accounting, the agency records money to its book once it is received or when it leaves their system. The accrual method, though, records a transaction when it happens, even if they do not receive money for it yet. Accrual accounting is a more accurate portrait of the nonprofit organization’s finances. If they supply a service they immediately record the cost of that service. This point of view is important because it is more accurate than the cash basis form of accounting, which only documents income when cash comes into the organization. The statement of cash flow is of fundamental importance to an organization’s financial management. This statement gives the organization a breakdown of every transaction that comes in or out. This is totaled up over a particular time period. If there are any differences in the organizational transactions, the statement of cash flow makes this clear. The financial stability of an organization rests on what money they make or spend every day. The organization might go bankrupt if they do not track how their money is spent. These accounting practices offer solid documentation of where money goes.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Implementing Technology in Mental Health Practice

Implementing Technology in Mental Health Practice Introduction People wish to live a meaningful life even while suffering from mental health problems. Adam Clifford, a clinical nurse specialist at Nottinghamshire Healthcare, wrote Using Video Technology to Manage Mental Health for Learning Disability Practice, he states that forty percent of the population has additional mental health problems. Majority of this forty percent is embarrassed or uncomfortable in accessing mental health care (2014). In A Rural Youth Consumer Perspective of Technology to Enhance Face-to-Face Mental Health Services from Journal Of Child & Family Studies written by Simone Orlowski who is affiliated with Flinders Human Behavior & Health Research Unit at Flinders University, explains that mental health treatment that is aimed towards anxiety and depression is based on four main functions; information provision, screening, assessment, and monitoring (Lawn, S., Antezana, G., Venning, A., Winsall, M., Bidargaddi, N., & Matthews, B. 2016). Implementing technology in health c are services can offer advantages and disadvantages for people with mental health issues. Technology will positively impact mental health care services, by making it more accessible for people with limited financial flexibility and transportation, young adults with mental illnesses will feel more comfortable seeking help or advice, and it will give a better and more accurate experience for both the patient and professional. Limited financial flexibility and availability of transport: Mental health care support is a vital aid which is not accessible to some people because of financial costs and transportation needs. The promise and the reality: a mental health workforce perspective on technology-enhanced youth mental health service delivery, an article written by Simone Orlowski from BMC Health Services Research, states thattechnology will make mental health services more accessible for young adults who have limited financial flexibility or do not have means of transport (2016). The combination of limited financial and transportation aid gives restricted opportunities for mental health care services not located at home. Recent developments from using online resources and mobile technologies to support mental health care has shown improvement for people with restricted financial and transportation support. Turvey, C. L, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Carver College of Medicine wrote Recent developments in the use of online resources and mobile technologies to support mental health care for the International Review Of Psychiatry, he suggests house based health-related mobile applications and web-based electronic mental health problems as solutions for people who have limited transportation and financials (Roberts, L. J. 2015). Young adults feel uncomfortable seeking help or advice: 20% of young Australians between the ages of fifteen to nineteen suffer from the symptoms of mental illness and 60% of those teens are uncomfortable seeking help or advice for their mental illness (Orlowski. S, 2016). A Rural Youth Consumer Perspective of Technology to Enhance Face-to-Face Mental Health Services written by Sharon Lawn, the director of the Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit at Flinders University, expresses that the increase in percentage of teens who feel uncomfortable asking for help decreases engagement for youth towards mental health services, technology can increase engagement by using similar methods used in teen’s day to day life (Journal Of Child & Family Studies. Orlowski, S., Antezana, G., Venning, A., Winsall, M., Bidargaddi, N., & Matthews, B. 2016). Young adults constantly use their cellphones and always have them by their side, Turvey from The International Review of Psychiatry states the proposition given for mobile apps in mental health is based on the ideal that they will always be with the patient. If the mobile device with the app is with them all the time it can help promote their clinical goals for example a person with a chronic psychotic disorder would get a notification at medication time. Mild to moderate depression and anxiety can be treated through another method of self-guided or professional facilitated therapies that are delivered via internet. Lastly, the part that would appeal most to young adults is that patients can use these applications and programs in private with no interactions with professionals (Turvey, C. L., Roberts, L. J. 2015). Better experience for patient and the professional Implementing technology can improve the experience for both the patient and professional. Technology can give a more accurate treatment without completely replacing face to face interactions. It can be implemented through predictive analytics, increased consumer input, self-management, and inclusive stakeholder communication, these reasons for implementing technology into mental health services are under researched (Orlowski, S., Lawn, S., Antezana, G., Venning, A., Winsall, M., Bidargaddi, N., & Matthews, B. 2016). Extra sensory perception an article from Scientific American written by Gershon Dublon, a Ph.D. student at the M.I.T. media lab and Joseph A. Paradiso, an associate professor of media arts and sciences at the Media Lab from the stimulus packet helps piece together how technology will help mental health care services. Different sensors described by Dublon and Paradiso will change how comfortable patients feel in an environment or how professionals can give the patient a better experience. Temperature sensors can determine the temperature and relative humidity in the room as measure by dense sensor network. Sound sensors will help a patient recognize the movement and sound in a room, so it can be adjusted to their preference. Overall, the temperature and sound sensors will give the professional and patient better control of the environment. The data collected by these sensors can be used as references in the future to experience data from the past in multiple perspectives. Guarav Singh, head of the department of psychiatry at the Medical College Hospital and Research Center in Uttar Pradesh, India, wrote Use of Mobile Phone Technology to Improve follow-up at a Community Mental Health Clinic: A Randomized Control Trial published by Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, in this article he emits the fact that missed appointments are common in outpatient care for mental health-care services. Even with the need of further treatment 16-60% will not follow up with their appointments. The suggested method for improving follow up in outpatient care is through short message service (SMS) and voice calls via telephone. Counter-argument The mental health workforce fears that technology will have a negative effect on their services believes that it will disclose privacy and confidentiality from issues within the technology programs (Orlowski, S., Lawn, S., Antezana, G., Venning, A., Winsall, M., Bidargaddi, N., & Matthews, B. 2016). Technology is believed to increase the workload for professionals and uphold disengagement from face-to-face therapy. Relating to the idea of face-to-face therapy, in The Historian as Participant from The Historian and the World of the Twentieth Century written by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. was an American historian, social critic, and public intellectual, eyewitness history is considered valuable for historians. In this situation eyewitness history and face-to-face therapy hold a connection in the importance of how eyewitnesses can more accurately identify critical factors in the process of these events. Eyewitness history holds a different perspective to history, it shows the way people think and feel. When implementing technology into mental health care services and decreasing the amount of face-to-face contact, the input of emotions given by the professional is eliminated. Solution The implementation of technology can be approached from different angles such as implementation programs for mental health care services. Simone Orlowski states that most technology solutions include mental health self-help programs which are more independent for the participant. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interventions (iCBT’s) which treats mild to moderate mental health problems such as depression and anxiety or mobile apps for self-management and self-treatment which will help limit interactions with health professionals to little or none. People with more severe cases of mental problems will struggle with self-help programs and will need to consult with professionals. Telepscychiatry which is meant for more severe cases that would require input from professionals via video conferences. Telepscychiatry can allow patients with limited financial abilities and limited technology availability to obtain therapy affordable to them (Lawn, S., Matthews, B., Venning, A., Wyld, K., Jones, G., & Bidargaddi, N. 2016). People in programs like Telepscychiatry are limited to the variety of mental health professionals available for face-to-face therapy. Mobile apps are one of the aforementioned solutions for mental health care services. The functions supported by mobile apps, online health programs, or personal health records overlap in information and abilities. The three technological programs give standard mental health scales or electronic messages reminders to promote health behavior. Mobile apps are the preferred program which offer functions such as targeted educational content, structured mental health assessments, symptom or behavior logs, and context sensing or unobtrusive monitoring (Turvey, C. L., & Roberts, L. J. 2015). Conclusion Technology will improve mental health care services for young adults who feel uncomfortable seeking help, people with constrained financial and transporting utilities, and it will improve the course of treatment for both patient and professional.The mental health workforce is opposed to the implementation of technology because complications in patient confidentiality and privacy. Technology self-help programs via internet and mobile apps will be available for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and other conditions. Telepscychiatry will be available for people who cannot benefit from self-help programs. The limitations to these solutions are the level the patients conditions and the decreased expertise of professionals that only work with face-to-face patients. The implementation of these programs with their limitations will improve mental health care services, but not completely rewire how it works. References Clifford, A. (2014). Using video technology to manage mental health. Learning Disability Practice, 17(7), 24-28. Dublon, G., & Paradiso, J. A. (2014, July). Extra sensory perception. Scientific American, 38-41. Orlowski, S., Lawn, S., Matthews, B., Venning, A., Wyld, K., Jones, G., & Bidargaddi, N.   (2016). The promise and the reality: a mental health workforce perspective on technology-enhanced youth mental health service delivery. BMC Health Services Research, 161-12. doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1790-y Orlowski, S., Lawn, S., Antezana, G., Venning, A., Winsall, M., Bidargaddi, N., & Matthews, B. (2016). A Rural Youth Consumer Perspective of Technology to Enhance Face-to-Face Mental Health Services. Journal Of Child & Family Studies, 25(10), 3066-3075. doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0472-z Schlesinger, A., Jr. (1971). The historian as participant. In J. Grenville (Author), The historian and the world of the twentieth century (Spring ed., Vol. 100, pp. 339-358). Singh, G., Manjunatha, N., Rao, S., Shashidhara, H. N., Moirangthem, S., Madegowda, R.   K., & Varghese, M. (2017). Use of Mobile Phone Technology to Improve follow-up at a Community Mental Health Clinic: A Randomized Control Trial. Indian Journal Of Psychological Medicine, 39(3), 276-280. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.207325 Turvey, C. L., & Roberts, L. J. (2015). Recent developments in the use of online resources and mobile technologies to support mental health care. International Review of Psychiatry, 27(6), 547-557. doi:10.3109/09540261.2015.1087975

Friday, September 20, 2019

Club Drugs Essay -- essays research papers

It’s 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning and while some teenagers are enjoying the extra hours of sleep, many are still bouncing around to the sounds of techno music. Thousands of teenagers and even some adults gather into clubs decorated with black lights, disco balls, and tons of smoke machines. Their hearts are pounding and their pulse is racing at the speed of light, all compliments of designer drugs known as club drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Changing the molecular structure of an existing drug or drugs to create a new substance creates designer drugs (Kusinitz 151). The all night dance parties, known as raves, are about the wildest thing going from midnight till dawn, and often beyond. Just because these drugs may portray something that may sound like fun, the downfall of these drugs make you think twice before taking them at the club. Raves are becoming more popular than ever and these designer drugs are becoming even easier to get a hold of (Kusinitz 46). When asked, over 50 percent of high school seniors said they knew they could get ecstasy â€Å"fairly easily† or â€Å"very easily† if needed (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Since untrained amateurs commonly create designer drugs in underground laboratories, the drugs can be dangerous (Mass 16). Among all designer drugs, MDMA, or Ecstasy is the most commonly used (Kusinitz 47). Others include Ketamine known commonly as Special K or â€Å"K†, and LSD also known as acid. Ecstasy is used at the party and rave scene for it...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Our Young Folks - An Ethical Guide for Children :: Our Young Folks

Our Young Folks - An Ethical Guide for Children Our Young Folks was a children’s magazine that ran from 1865 until 1873. Although the magazine didn’t last long, it was widely read by children across the country and even abroad, and circulation eventually exceeded 75,000 (Kelly 345). The magazine began publication just four months before the end of the Civil War, and during this time of upheaval Our Young Folks was an ethical guide for the nation’s children. Nearly every story offers the reader a moral, and children were continually urged to put others before themselves. Selfless Models One of the ways Our Young Folks gave its readers moral instructions was by setting examples. The magazine was packed with stories of selfless children who lived and died for others. Such characters were held up as models for how the young readers of the magazine should behave. One of these selfless stories is â€Å"My Heroine,† which is a poem about a young girl who dies while protecting her baby. Stanzas six and seven clearly outline the child’s heroism: Her mother gave the piteous tale: â€Å"How that child’s courage did not fail, Or else poor baby-† She stopped, pale, And shed tears without number; Then told how at the fireside warm, Lizzie, with baby on her arm, Slipped- threw him from her- safe from harm, Then fell- here in her slumber.    Lizzie shrieked, â€Å"Take him!† and uptossed Her poor burnt hands, and seemed half lost, Until a smile her features crossed, As sweet as angels’ may be. â€Å"Yes, ma’am,† she said, in feeble tone, Our Young Folks - An Ethical Guide for Children :: Our Young Folks Our Young Folks - An Ethical Guide for Children Our Young Folks was a children’s magazine that ran from 1865 until 1873. Although the magazine didn’t last long, it was widely read by children across the country and even abroad, and circulation eventually exceeded 75,000 (Kelly 345). The magazine began publication just four months before the end of the Civil War, and during this time of upheaval Our Young Folks was an ethical guide for the nation’s children. Nearly every story offers the reader a moral, and children were continually urged to put others before themselves. Selfless Models One of the ways Our Young Folks gave its readers moral instructions was by setting examples. The magazine was packed with stories of selfless children who lived and died for others. Such characters were held up as models for how the young readers of the magazine should behave. One of these selfless stories is â€Å"My Heroine,† which is a poem about a young girl who dies while protecting her baby. Stanzas six and seven clearly outline the child’s heroism: Her mother gave the piteous tale: â€Å"How that child’s courage did not fail, Or else poor baby-† She stopped, pale, And shed tears without number; Then told how at the fireside warm, Lizzie, with baby on her arm, Slipped- threw him from her- safe from harm, Then fell- here in her slumber.    Lizzie shrieked, â€Å"Take him!† and uptossed Her poor burnt hands, and seemed half lost, Until a smile her features crossed, As sweet as angels’ may be. â€Å"Yes, ma’am,† she said, in feeble tone,

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Siddhartha Essay -- Essays Papers

Siddhartha In the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, the main character experiences many ups and downs while on his journey to inner peace. First, he decides to live his life as a Samana. Later he abandons that life in return for a life as a rich man. In the end he decides that his rich life is unsatisfying and he begins the simple life of a ferryman. Herman Hesse writes about what it takes to obtain inner peace through his character Siddhartha. Siddhartha decides the way to obtain peace is by living like a Samana. Tomorrow at daybreak I will begin the life of the Samanas. (Pg 10) Siddhartha rids his life of all the things he doesn't need. Then he learns how to control his inner self, but is unable to gain inner peace. He meets a young girl named Kamala, and this mak...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Children and Young People’s Development Essay

A child development is influenced in many ways such as their background, health and environment. These factors will have an impact on the child’s different areas of development. Background Children come from all different family environments, cultures and circumstances. Children go through significant family changes such as a family break-up or a new step-family. These can affect a child’s emotional and intellectual development. A child may also change their behaviour, which means there ability to learn is decreased. This can affect their emotional development because they may feel like it is their fault for the break up. Having a new step-family is a big change for some children, this may affect their emotional development, as they may feel as if there mother/father is replacing each other. The child may also have difficulty bonding with their new family. Some children may be deliberately hostile towards a step-parent as they may feel it is the only outlet for their feelings, and those who do not express their feelings openly may become withdrawn. This can have major effects on their intellectual development, as they may become withdrawn at school and unable to concentrate on learning. Read more: Explain how children and young peoples development is influenced by a range of personal factors essay Coming from a low income family may have a significant effect on a child’s development. Burnham and Baker state ‘Statistic show that children who come from deprived backgrounds are less likely to thrive and achieve well in school’. Coming from a low income family may affect a child’s intellectual development, as the family may not be able to afford to pay for extra activities such as swimming lessons or dance lessons. This could also have an impact on the child’s physical development. This may affect the way a child is able to respond in certain situations. There communicational development may be affected as they may not have interacted with children their own age before. Cultural differences may also impact a child development, as they may feel isolated at school. This would affect there communication and intellectual development, as they may be unable to communicate with other children. They my also feel excluded because they are brought up different, this can affect their emotional development. Not interacting with other peers can have a large impact on different types of development, such as emotional as they can feel isolated and excluded. Children’s with different cultural beliefs or practice may cause emotional conflict. Such as if they want to participate in an activity which goes against their families wishes or religious beliefs, they would feel excluded. Other issues would be if the child has moved countries their intellectual development may be affected due to the fact that they have to ‘catch up’ with new languages and cultures. Health If a child suffers from poor health or impairment, this may have an effect on their development. If a child suffers from a medical condition this may lessen their ability to participate in activities than other children. This will affect their physical development, as well as their emotional development. Depending how aware the child is about their needs, they may feel excluded and isolated from other children. Other health factors maybe that the child was born premature, as they are more likely to develop slower than a healthy born child. There may be an effect on their physical development, as they are a smaller and behind on developing. This may also have an in pact on their intellectual development, as it has been shown that premature babies struggle with maths. Burdo-Hartman says. â€Å"Memorizing math facts in particular has been shown to be difficult for some preemies,† Environment A child’s environment, for example, family or school, plays a huge part in their development. A family that abuses or neglects a child will damage the child’s natural development. The indifferent family style has a negative effect on the child. The child may not have much opportunity, they may just watch television or play video games all day, will not gain the experiences and interactions needed to further their development. Where a child lives is an important factor for their development. If they live in poor areas, there are less services and opportunities. This can have a negative effect on their intellectual development as they are not able to access services such as playgroups or afterschool clubs. On the other hand, wealthy areas are more likely to have better services and opportunities, this means that a child’s development may not be affected. Burnham, L. Baker, B. (2010). Support Teaching and Learning in schools. Essex: Heinemann Learning.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Asthma Case Study

University of Perpetual Help System – DALTA Alabang – Zapote Road, Pamplona, Las Pinas City College of Nursing A Case Study of Bronchial Asthma In Acute Exacerbation (BAIAE) Submitted by: Angela Marie Ferrer BSN 3B July 17, 2012 Definition A condition of the lungs characterized by widespread narrowing of the airways due to spasm of the smooth muscle, edema of the mucosa, and the presence of mucus in the lumen of the bronchi and bronchioles.Bronchial asthma is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder with increased responsiveness of tracheobroncheal tree to various stimuli, resulting in paroxysmal contraction of bronchial airways which changes in severity over short periods of time, either spontaneously or under treatment. Causes Allergy is the strongest predisposing factor for asthma. Chronic exposure to airway irritants or allergens can be seasonal such as grass, tree and weed pollens or perennial under this are the molds, dust and roaches.Common triggers of asthma sy mptoms and exacerbations include air way irritants like air pollutant, cold, heat, weather changes, strong odors and perfumes. Other contributing factor would include exercise, stress or emotional upset, sinusitis with post nasal drip, medications and viral respiratory tract infections. Most people who have asthma are sensitive to a variety of triggers.A person’s asthma changes depending on the environment activities, management practices and other factor. Factors that can contribute to asthma or airway hyperreactivity may include any of the following: * Environmental allergens: House dust mites, animal allergens (especially cat and dog), cockroach allergens, and fungi are most commonly reported. * Viral respiratory tract infections * Exercise; hyperventilation * Gastroesophageal reflux disease * Chronic sinusitis or rhinitis Aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) hypersensitivity, sulfite sensitivity * Use of beta-adrenergic receptor blockers (including ophth almic preparations) * Obesity: Based on a prospective cohort study of 86,000 patients, those with an elevated body mass index are more likely to have asthma. * Environmental pollutants, tobacco smoke * Occupational exposure * Irritants (eg, household sprays, paint fumes) * Various high and low molecular weight compounds: A variety of high and low molecular weight compounds are associated with the development of occupational asthma, such as insects, plants, latex, gums, diisocyanates, anhydrides, wood dust * Emotional factors or stress * Perinatal factors: Prematurity and increased maternal age increase the risk for asthma * Breastfeeding has not been definitely shown to be protective. * Both maternal smoking and prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke also increase the risk of developing asthma Clinical ManifestationThe three most common symptoms of asthma are cough, dyspnea, and wheezing. In some instances cough may be the only symptoms. An asthma attack often occurs at night or early i n the morning, possibly because circadian variations that influence airway receptors thresholds. An asthma exacerbation may begin abruptly but most frequently is preceded by increasing symptoms over the previous few days. There is cough, with or without mucus production. At times the mucus is so tightly wedged in the narrow airway that the patient cannot cough it up.Prevention Patient with recurrent asthma should undergo test to identify the substance that participate the symptoms. Patients are instructed to avoid the causative agents whenever possible. Knowledge is the key to quality asthma care. Medical Management There are two general process of asthma medication: quick relief medication for immediate treatment of asthma symptoms and exacerbations and long acting medication to achieve and maintain control and persistent asthma.Because of underlying pathology of asthma is inflammation, control of persistent asthma is accomplish primarily with the regular use of anti inflammatory m edications. * Long-acting control Medication Corticosteroid are the most potent and effective anti inflammatory currently available. They are broadly effective in alleviating symptoms, improving air way functions, and decreasing peak flow variability. Cromolyn sodium and nedocromil are mild to be moderate anti-inflammatory agents that are use more commonly in children.They also are effective on a prophylactic basis to prevent exercise-induced asthma or unavoidable exposure to known triggers. These medications are contraindicated in acute asthma exacerbation. `Long acting beta-adrenergic agonist is use with anti-inflammatory medications to control asthma symptoms, particularly those that occur during the night these agents are also effective in the prevention of exercise-induced asthma. * Quick relief medication Short acting beta adrenergic agonists are the medications of choice for relief of acute symptoms and prevention of exercise-induced asthma.They have the rapid onset of acton. Anti-cholinergic may have an added benefit in severe exacerbations of asthma but they are use more frequently in COPD. Nursing Management The main focus of nursing management is to actively assess the air way and the patient response to treatment. The immediate nursing care of patient with asthma depends on the severity of the symptoms. A calm approach is an important aspect of care especially for anxious client and one’s family. This requires a partnership between the patient and the health care providers to determine the desire outcome and to formulate a plan which include; * the purpose and action of each medication * trigger to avoid and how to do so * when to seek assistance the nature of asthma as chronic inflammatory disease Anatomy and Physiology The upper respiratory tract consists of the nose, sinuses, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and epiglottis. The lower respiratory tract consist of the bronchi, bronchioles and the lungs.The major function of the respiratory system is to deliver oxygen to arterial blood and remove carbon dioxide from venous blood, a process known as gas exchange. The normal gas exchange depends on three process: * Ventilation – is movement of gases from the atmosphere into and out of the lungs. This is accomplished through the mechanical acts of inspiration and expiration. * Diffusion – is a movement of inhaled gases in the alveoli and across the alveolar capillary membrane * Perfusion – is movement of oxygenated blood from the lungs to the tissues.Control of gas exchange – involves neural and chemical process The neural system, composed of three parts located in the pons, medulla and spinal cord, coordinates respiratory rhythm and regulates the depth of respirations The chemical processes perform several vital functions such as: * regulating alveolar ventilation by maintaining normal blood gas tension * guarding against hypercapnia (excessive CO2 in the blood) as well as hypoxia (reduced tissue oxy genation caused by decreased arterial oxygen [PaO2]. An increase in arterial CO2 (PaCO2) stimulates ventilation; conversely, a decrease in PaCO2 inhibits ventilation. helping to maintain respirations (through peripheral chemoreceptors) when hypoxia occurs. The normal functions of respiration O2 and CO2 tension and chemoreceptors are similar in children and adults. however, children respond differently than adults to respiratory disturbances; major areas of difference include: * Poor tolerance of nasal congestion, especially in infants who are obligatory nose breathers up to 4 months of age * Increased susceptibility to ear infection due to shorter, broader, and more horizontally positioned eustachian tubes. Increased severity or respiratory symptoms due to smaller airway diameters * A total body response to respiratory infection, with such symptoms as fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Diagnostic procedures: * General Physical Examination * Skin: * Observe for the presence of atopic derm atitis, eczema, or other manifestations of allergic skin conditions * Evidence of respiratory distress manifests as * increased respiratory rate, * increased heart rate, * diaphoresis, and * use of accessory muscles of respiration. * Marked weight loss or severe wasting may indicate severe emphysema. * Pulsus paradoxus: * This is an exaggerated fall in systolic blood pressure during inspiration and may occur during an acute asthma exacerbation. * Depressed sensorium: * This finding suggests a more severe asthma exacerbation with impending respiratory failure. * Chest Examination * End-expiratory wheezing or a prolonged expiratory phase is found most commonly, although inspiratory wheezing can be heard. * Diminished breath sounds and chest hyperinflation (especially in children)  may be observed during acute asthma exacerbations. The presence of inspiratory wheezing or stridor may prompt an evaluation for an upper airway obstruction such as vocal cord dysfunction, vocal cord paraly sis, thyroid enlargement, or a soft tissue mass (eg, malignant tumor). * Differential Diagnoses * Airway Foreign Body Heart Failure Allergic and Environmental Asthma Pulmonary Embolism Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency Pulmonary Eosinophilia Aspergillosis Sarcoidosis Bronchiectasis Sinusitis, Chronic * Bronchiolitis Tracheomalacia COPD URTI Churg-Strauss Syndrome Vocal Cord Dysfunction Cystic Fibrosis Foreign Body Aspiration Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Laboratory Studies * Blood eosinophilia greater than 4% or 300-400/ µL * Eosinophil counts greater than 8% may be observed in patients with concomitant atopic dermatitis. * This finding should prompt an evaluation for allergic  bronchopulmonary aspergillosis,  Churg-Strauss syndrome, or  eosinophilic pneumonia * Total serum immunoglobulin E levels greater than 100 IU are frequently observed in patients experiencing allergic reactions, but this finding is not specific for asthma * British Thoracic Society recommends using sputu m eosinophilia determinations to guide therapy Imaging Studies In most patients with asthma, chest radiography findings are normal or may indicate hyperinflation. * Chest radiography should be considered in all patients being evaluated for asthma to exclude other diagnoses. * Sinus CT scanning may be useful to help exclude acute or chronic sinusitis as a contributing factor.. Pulmonary function testing (spirometry) * Spirometry assessments  should be obtained as the primary test to establish the asthma diagnosis. * Spirometry should be performed prior o initiating treatment in order to establish the presence and determine the severity of baseline airway obstruction. * The assessment and diagnosis of asthma cannot be based on spirometry findings alone because many other diseases are associated with obstructive spirometry indices. * Spirometry measures the forced vital capacity (FVC), the maximal amount of air expired from the point of maximal inhalation, and the FEV1. A reduced rat io of FEV1 to FVC, when compared with predicted values, demonstrates the presence of airway obstruction. Optimally, the initial spirometry should also include  measurements before and after inhalation of a short-acting bronchodilator in all patients in whom the diagnosis of asthma is considered. * Reversibility is demonstrated by an increase of 12%  and 200 mL after the administration of a short-acting bronchodilator Methacholine- or histamine-challenge testing * Bronchoprovocation testing with either methacholine or histamine is useful when spirometry findings are normal or near normal, especially in patients with intermittent or exercise-induced asthma symptoms. Bronchoprovocation testing helps determine if airway hyperreactivity is present, and a negative test result usually excludes the diagnosis of asthma. * Methacholine is administered in incremental doses up to a maximum dose of 16 mg/mL, and a 20% decrease in FEV1, up to the 4 mg/mL level, is considered a positive test r esult for the presence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Peak-flow monitoring * Peak-flow monitoring is designed for ongoing monitoring of patients with asthma because the test is simple to perform and the results are a quantitative and reproducible measure of airflow obstruction. It can be used for short-term monitoring, exacerbation management, and daily long-term monitoring. * Peak-flow monitoring should not be used as a substitute for spirometry to establish the initial diagnosis of asthma. * Results can be used to determine the severity of an exacerbation and to help guide therapeutic decisions as part of an asthma action plan. Exercise testing * Testing involves 6-10 minutes of strenuous exertion at 85-90% of predicted maximal heart rate and measurement of postexercise spirometry for 15-30 minutes. The defined cutoff for a positive test result is a 15% decrease in FEV1 after exercise. Eucapnic hyperventilation * Eucapnic hyperventilation with either cold or dry air is an alter nate method of bronchoprovocation testing. * It has been used to evaluate patients for exercise-induced asthma and has been shown to produce results similar to those of methacholine-challenge asthma testing. I. LABORATORY WORKS NAME OF TEST| NORMALVALUE| RESULTS| SIGNIFICANCE| Complete Blood CountPurpose: CBC is ordered to aid in the detection of anemias; hydration status; and as part of routine hospital admission test.The differential WBC is necessary for determining the type of infection. | RBC: 4-6 x 10/LHct: 0. 37- 0. 47Hgb: 110- 160 gm/LWBC: 5-10 x 10 /LLymphocytes:0. 25-0. 35Segmenters: 0. 50-0. 65Eosinophil: 0. 01-0. 06| 5. 480. 481598. 20. 250. 580. 07| Increased segmenters (mature neutrophils) reflect a bacterial infection since this are the body’s first line of defense against acute bacterial invasion. Lymphocytes are decreased during early acute bacterial infection and only increase late in bacterial infections but continue to function during the chronic phase. | I I. DRUG STUDYName of the drug | Classification | Dosage/ Frequency | Route | Mechanism of Action | Indication | Nursing Responsibilities | Generic name:Duavent ( ipratropium salbutamol) Brand name:DuaNeb | Salbutamol Sulfate| Nebule q 1 hour| Oral nebulization | The combination of ipratropium and albuterol is used to prevent wheezing, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and coughing. | Management of reversible bronchospasms associated with obstructive airway diseases, bronchial asthma| Take care to ensure that the nebulizer mask fits the user's face properly and that nebulized solution does not escape into the eyes. * Evaluate therapeutic response. |

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Lab Report on milk co-motion Essay

1. Provide a possible explanation of phenomenon you observed based on the  result of your experiment. When food color is added to milk, it floats because it is less dense than milk. The non-polar fat in the milk prevents the food color from spreading, as it cannot participate in hydrogen bonding with water. When detergent is added to milk and the food color, the non-polar ends of the soap molecules attracts towards the non-polar fat of milk, and the interaction of the detergent with the fat in milk results the food color to swirl around. Whenever the detergent touches the milk, it breaks up the drops of fat, which spread out, allowing the food coloring and milk to mix. The food coloring swirls into the places where the fat was. Detergent molecules dissolve fat of milk by having one hydrophobic end (which interacts well with the fat) and one hydrophilic end (which interacts well aqueous part of the milk). 2.How would the results of this experiment differ if: a)Skim milk was used? (Milk from which the cream (fat) has been taken is called skimmed milk.) If skim milk was used, the drops of food color would dispersed in milk without  the need of detergent because all the fats has been taken out of milk and it  allows  the food color to dissolve in it. b)Homogenized milk was used? (Homogenized milk is the milk in which all the fat are mixed so that it does not rise on the top) Fat is insoluble in water. Water-soluble food colors will spread and dissolve in water, but their motion would be slow if homogenized milk was used, because milk contains globules of fat, the fat that is mixed in. The swirling and churning motion would be partly due to the attraction between soap and the milk’s fat particles. 3. Research emulsifying agents and how they are used in the food in the food  industry? EMULSIFIER – An ingredient used to bind oil soluble and water soluble ingredients. Substances that are soluble in both fat and water and enable fat to be uniformly dispersed in water are emulsifiers. Emulsifying agents used in foods include agar, albumin, alginates, casein, egg yolk, glycerol monostearate, gums, Irish moss, lecithin, soaps.Emulsifying agents work by reducing surface tension, forming complex films on the surface of emulsified droplets and creating a repulsive barrier on emulsified droplets to prevent their coalescence. 4. What is an emulsifying agent in the body? Explain how it works? Emulsifying agent in the body: The emulsifying agent in the human body is bile. It is a bitter, alkaline, brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow fluid that is secreted by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and discharged into the duodenum. Bile contains  bile acids, which are critical for digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine. Many waste products are eliminated from the body by secretion into bile and elimination in feces.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” Essay

18th-century high society through exaggeration and parody. Basing his poem on an actual incident that occurred among some of his acquaintances, Pope intended his story to put the episode into humorous perspective and encourage his friends to laugh at their own actions. A mock epic is a poem dealing with petty subject matter in the exalted style of the great literary epics. This genre is a form of parody for satirical purposes. The poem uses the trivial story of the stolen lock of hair as a vehicle for making judgments on society and on men and women in general. Characteristics of the ILLIAD and the ODYSSEY that the Rape of the Lock mocks include: the statement of the theme, invocation of the muse, description of the great battles, supernatural beings taking part in the affairs of men and the hero becoming immortalized in a star or constellation (Long, â€Å"Pope† 1). In the opening lines â€Å"What dire offense from amorous causes springs, / What almighty contests rise from trivial things† (Canto I, lines 1-2), Pope states the theme of the poem: that trivial matters should remain just that- trivial. In the lines following the  invocation of an unlikely muse is clearly stated â€Å"I sing- This Verse to Caryll, Muse! Is due† (Canto 1, 3). The entire poem is divided into five cantos and is written in heroic couplet verse. The use of the heroic couplet is typically neoclassic because it exhibits the ideals of the time. In order to write a heroic couplet the author must have complete control over his words and the story he wants to tell. A strong sense of order is needed so that the couplets may rhyme and most importantly make sense to the reader at the same time. The heroic couplet perfectly accents the epic devices used in the poem, for, as a form of verse the heroic couplet seems to have a connotation of  larger-than-life-situations in the minds of its readers. By using this style in describing such insignificant matters in his poem, Pope only supports his theme that his society places great importance on minor matters. Pope’s elaborate portrayal of events in Canto I furthers comparison with the literary epic; it parodies the traditional epic passage describing the shields of ancient warriors. Belinda’s make-up routine is compared to the putting on of armor: â€Å"From each she nicely culls with curious toil,/ And decks the goddess with the glittering spoil† (Canto II, 131-132). Make-up, clothing, jewelry and other material possessions are this parody’s substitutes for armor and weapons. Pope closely imitates the epic form for comic effect in order to expose the questionable values of his time. â€Å"Using a vast force to lift a feather† (Long,†Pope† n.p.), thoroughly describes Pope’s reasons for his use of elaborate language. He uses the epic’s exaggeration to mock misplaced priorities. The great battles of the literary epic are transformed into card games and flirtatious charades. The great Greek and Roman gods are converted into an army of protective but powerless  sprites called â€Å"sylphs† who protect both the serious and the trivial. For all of her strife â€Å"This Lock, the Muse shall consecrate to Fame, / And mid’st the Stars inscribe Belinda’s name† (Canto V, lines 149-150). Belinda is immortalized in the sky by a star bearing her name. â€Å"Satire is a glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own† (Long, â€Å"Racine† 4). Pope uses every aspect of the mock epic to satirize the frivolity of the people around him. He takes specific scenes and uses parody to illustrate the insignificance of everyday rituals. He even uses the structure of rhyming couplets to juxtapose the ordinary with the extraordinary to reveal the society’s distorted value system.

Friday, September 13, 2019

What can cause urbanisation in a developing country Essay

What can cause urbanisation in a developing country - Essay Example According to statistics, it is estimated that more than half i.e. approximately 60% of world’s population will be living in urban areas by the year 2030 (Knox, 2005). It is also estimated that more than 150000 people migrate to towns on daily basis, with less developed countries showing a higher trend than that of developed countries. For an urban area to be categorized as such, there are various indicators which must be present. These are for example the population density, percentage of under dependence on agriculture, public utilities among others but which may vary according to the state or country in question (Martine, 2008). This paper is a critical evaluation of the causes and negative effects of urbanization in developing countries. Urbanization in Developing Countries Urbanization as stated herein is the increased settlement of people in towns mostly after they relocate from rural areas. It is a phenomenon which has continued to attract attention especially since it i s considered a recipe for numerous negativities. There are various reasons why the rate of urbanization has been increasing in developing countries. To begin with, it has been found out that lack of job opportunities in the rural areas is a major contributing factor (Lynch, 2005). Most of the people living in rural areas depend highly on rain fed Agriculture as their lifeline. Apparently, the world has continued to experience harsh climatic conditions due to global warming, which has tampered with rainfall patterns such that areas that used to receive high amounts of rainfall are now suffering from lack of it and when it rains, it creates havoc in terms of flooding. This implies that people can no longer depend on farming alone to sustain their day to day financial requirements (Lynch, 2005). In addition, rural areas in developing countries are experiencing overpopulation as a result of low infant mortality rate coupled with high birth rate, which means that there is a lot of compet ition on the already available land (Bhatia, 2000). For example, a family that owns a land of 10 acres but comprising of 10 heirs means that each heir would inherit 1 acre of land which would then be subdivided among their offspring. In the end, each one of the residents after a generation is left with minimal space to conduct any viable development. As a result of these limitations, most of rural dwellers opt to migrate to towns where they end up acquiring cheap accommodation in substandard environments such as ghettos and shanties. It may also be necessary to observe that industrialization leads to mechanization especially in Agriculture and in this case, it means that the demand of manual laborers becomes low thereby creating the problem of unemployment, which in itself is a recipe for rural urban migration (Bhatia, 2000). Majority of developing countries also are experiencing a rapid growth of new industries, which are creating more demand for labor (Martine, 2008). This is a de velopment which is attracting young men and women to migrate from rural areas especially due to the fact that investors usually situate their premises in urban areas where there are high numbers of people who can provide ready market for the processed goods. The high demand for manufactured goods is due to the fact that urban dwellers do not participate in food production and therefore depend solely on their salaries and wages to budget for their daily needs. On the contrary, rural dwellers depend on their small chunks of land for food not forgetting the fact that the limitation of resources lowers their purchasing power thereby discouraging investors from establishing industries in those areas. It is also important to note that most of the governments in developing nations have failed to decentralize national resources such that rural areas

Thursday, September 12, 2019

NetFlix company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

NetFlix company - Essay Example To overlook this essential aspect would lead to misdirection in the company’s plans for the future. This obvious neglect of the customer’s welfare in the mission statement might have been the underlying reason why in 2011 Netflix committed the mistake of increasing its subscription prices. Netflix had to pay greatly for the said oversight which resulted in a sharp decline in its subscriber base and its stock price. Due to Netflix’s CEO Reed Hasting’s huge desire to slowly abandon its DVD operations, he decided to separate the DVD business from the streaming business and to increase the price of their subscription plans (Sandoval , par 4). Clearly, there was a blunder on Hasting’s part to do such move. What led him to commit such a major slip-up? What can be said is that it all goes back to the mission statement. There is no concern for the market that they serve. Hasting’s main concern was to be aggressive and focus on streaming, before their competitors get ahead of them. It is what is stated in their vision, to be the global leader in the enter tainment distribution service, no matter what their customers feel. Given this background, it is highly recommended that Netflix restate its mission statement to take into account the people who have made them where they are today, their subscribers. It is suggested that Netflix’s mission statement and vision for the future should be: Netflix is dedicated to becoming the best global entertainment distribution service by entering into licensing agreements with television and movie producers and distributors around the world; by creating markets that are accessible to film makers and by assisting content creators around the world to find a global audience, but at all times, recognizing that our responsibility first and foremost is to offer stellar service to our subscribers, through quantity and quality

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Jobs and Career Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jobs and Career Goals - Essay Example This begs the question, when is it right for an individual to focus on financial progress and when should the family be given time? This question has arisen as more and more families find themselves in a state of disconnection with one another as a result of spending a decreasing amount of time with each other (Latshaw, 2011). The argument can be made that the time taken away from the family is placed in providing for their needs but it can also be stated that the physical presence of an individual in a relationship can be one of those needs. The economic downturn has also affected those yet without families but looking to start one as well (Gerson, 2011). This is because the increase in hours that an individual has to work in order to make ends meet has in turn decreased the amount of time that they have to go out and socialize with people thus denying them the opportunity to meet potential partners. There are a number of ways in which working long hours can have an impact on an ind ividual’s lifestyle (Rampell, 2013). Some of these include the fact that the longer hours will mean that by the time an individual gets through the day they are too tired to do any socializing. This decreases the chances they have of meeting potential partners. ... a person goes without socializing the more awkward they are likely to be when given the opportunity so it can be said that a long term result of the long hours is that an individual is left a little â€Å"rusty† in their social skills especially with jobs that based in solitary environments. The marriage of an individual is also affected by long working hours and they are number of considerations that should be taken into account for couples that find themselves in such a situation. The first is always finding time for your spouse despite the busy schedule one may have (Estes, 2011). This will make an individual feel loved and appreciated as they can see the individual making an effort to make time for them despite the other responsibilities that they may have. Communication is also another very important tool that should be used in the battle against long working hours versus marriages (Rampell, 2013). Keeping in touch with one’s spouse on a fairly regular basis allows both sides to sync up their plans for the day and if possible find a time of the day where both parties are free to meet up (Gerson, 2011). In today’s society the financial turmoil has made it so that in most households both parents have to work and as such it is essential that both spouses respect each other’s jobs so as to avoid any form of tension that may arise from doing otherwise. The most important thing to remember is that a successful marriage requires time and effort from both sides and thus it is essential that both parties find time to be together. There is also a third party that may be potentially involved when dealing with matters of family and that is the children. The children in a family can be seen as the binding thread that ties a relationship together in some instances and it

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Business Law International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Law International - Essay Example These measures were very useful in helping these economies to recover from the disastrous effects of the crisis. In dealing with the legal aspects associated with taking tough action against weak and insolvent banks based upon the precedents established during the Asian Financial Crisis, Head (1998) suggests a legal regime four specific measures. Firstly, there should be clear guidelines set out by the central bank in a particular country to identify when a bank is insolvent, for instance when it is unable to maintain adequate liquidity to meet the needs of depositors in a timely manner and/or when its liabilities exceed its assets. Head suggests that setting out rigorous tests for determining potential insolvency is a vial first step. Secondly, there should be a legal provision in existence which clearly sets out that if a bank is found to be insolvent or approaching insolvency, the central bank will appoint an administrator or conservator, that could also be the central bank itself, to take over the control of the bank and carry out an assessment to determine the bank’s prospects.(Head 1998). On the basis of the assessment, the conservator would offer recommendations to (a) restore the bank to health (b) merge it with a stronger bank or (c) liquidate its assets and distribute proceeds among depositors. Thirdly, if the bank is to be restored to a healthy form, the Conservator should be provided the powers under the law to carry out necessary procedures necessary to affect such a restoration. This could include measures such as powers to hire and fire bank staff, since inefficiency in bank operations is often the result of irresponsible or incompetent executives, as well as the power to change or modify the bank’s policies, close branches, change the bank’s charter or other operational measures that may be necessary to restore the financial health of the bank. Fourthly, the law

International Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Business - Research Paper Example The first branch was opened at Miami. Burger King adopted a tradition of quick service which attracted many Burger King made a business strategy with clear goals and objectives that saw it expand rapidly and made more profits than initially following the reduction in the overall sales and profits of the business. They wanted to have a new look, and virtually changed how everything was being run. The plan included strategic analysis of the business environment, identification of the business threats and the opportunities available in the market, extensive advertisements, quality control checkup and good customer relations including introduction of arrange of new food products in the market with even better tastes (Penrose, 1995). Burger King has a number of fast food products that in cooperated different prices. This made more sales to be realized as the customers could find what they were willing to pay for. In addition to this, Burger King prepares its hamburgers with a different me thod from other competitors by introducing the method of flame broiling a part from the usual frying method. This availability of different ways of food preparation captures customers of both methods (Kor, 2003). This popularized Burger King among the lovers of hamburgers leading to a popular theme of you can get it the way you want it. Today, Burger King is one of the leading food restaurants in the whole world. It boasts of around 12,000 outlets in fifty states in the United States of America. A number of these restaurants are located in the USA and is reported to account for nearly two thirds of the restaurants. Its presence is also felt in over 74 countries in the world, bringing to a total of approximately 400,000 employees all over the world. In addition to this, Burger King has a strategy to expand its total operating branches all over the world by between 3-4 percent every year. More profit from the Burger King businesses’ are realized from Canada and US, indicating w here sales are done as compared to the other outlets. For instance, the total value of units sold in the year 2009 from Canada and US was USD 2.54 billion. This trend of Burger King concentrating most of the restaurant branches in the US should change in order to avoid unpredicted threats. For example, if the US laws on taxation change so that business entities are over tax or the purchasing power parity of the US may become low leading to low customer demand which may see prices of food products falling below the equilibrium. Currently there are property rights in the USA but the future is uncertain for any country in the world. Change in politics may also play another factor that may lead to losses when a business concentrates its branches in one country. In addition a strong competitor may emerge in the US backed by powerful sources that can see Burger King run out of their money in the US. Therefore it can be recommended for Burger Kings to look beyond the US market by opening m ore branches in other countries like China, India, Japan other fast coming economies that has seen their economy grow faster than for the US. Burger King continues being successful perhaps in relation to their long time existence in the market characterized by a number of experiences gained in the last fifty years being brought over board. Burger King is a well known brand by millions of consumers to be an entity that always provide exceptional services to its customers besides quality