Eating Right Essay

Kelsey Schmidt English Noon Forum Report The second noon forum I attended was called â€Å"My Plate† and was about making healthy choices in meals or food we choose in college. A dietician, Rachel Pinos, from Hyvee was there to give us the presentation. She talked about how extremely important it is to eat healthy in college. She discussed how kids are away from home for the first time and don’t have mom’s home cooked meals, so they won’t choose the right servings of each food, simply because they don’t know how. Others will get stressed easily in college over studies or relationship issues and will eat unhealthy foods to make themselves feel better. Rachel showed us a normal plate with an example of the servings of each type of food we should have. She said we needed a type of grain, fruit, vegetable, and source of protein. She discussed balancing calories in foods, what foods to increase, and what foods to decrease. She sent us back with her business card, a sheet over the 10 tips for healthy meals, and a packet with all of the slides she covered in her presentation. I also liked this noon forum, because eating right is another factor that college students seem to ignore. There are many circumstances in which college students make the wrong choice in eating unhealthy foods. Whether they are too busy or running behind and don’t take the time to eat, overload on sugars and desserts to overcome stresses, or don’t get the right amount of fruits and vegetable, there are many times when kids our age don’t eat healthy meals. I think this is a subject that I could personally work on myself. I need to force myself to have a type of vegetable, fruit, grain, and protein at every meal without overloading on one or another. This noon forum was very informative and will be extremely helpful to me while in college and in the future when planning meals for myself or a possible family.

Martha McCaskey The Seleris Associates Industry Analysis Case Study

For the past 18 months Martha McCaskey has been an exemplary performer with high integrity and been assigned as a project leader to a crucial high profile project named Silicon 6. Upon successful completion of Silicon 6, McCaskey has been promised a promotion to group manager. McCaskey is being pressured by senior management to finish the project and have an action plan to present to the client. Now she has some options to weigh in order to complete the project. What McCaskey must decide is where she draws the line on compromising her values in order to complete Silicon 6. She will have to decide what constitutes proprietary information or is she engaging in â€Å"gentleman’s industrial espionage† McCaskey has also realized she might have to pay someone off to finish her project in order to attain her promised promotion. She felt she has always maintained a high degree of integrity until now. There were some warning flags McCaskey should have noticed. The focus this paper is to examine specific reasons underlying McCaskey’s situation, what the warning flags were and what tactics she should employ concerning her involvement in the Silicon 6 project and her future with Seleris. Martha McCaskey Seleris Associates Industry Analysis Division Case Study Martha McCaskey has been assigned as the Project Leader of the Silicon 6 Project with Seleris Associates Industry Analysis Division (IAD). She is facing some real tough decisions that can be career threatening and possibly have legal ramifications. Silicon 6 has become a crucial project for IAD. Silicon 6 will account for 20% of IAD’s revenues. If successful for IAD’s client then more lucrative projects would follow. This should have been a warning sign to McCaskey, a high profile project given to a new hire would not happen. McCaskey has been promised a promotion to Group Manager with a substantial increase in pay if she performs well. This was a warning sign. How could McCaskey be promoted to Group Manager? There were only 2 groups who was going to go? Was it just â€Å"lip-service† to entice her further to obtain the needed information on Silicon 6? Selersis’s client is a semiconductor manufacturer based in California. The client has retained IAD to identify cost structure and manufacturing processes for a new chip being manufactured by a competitor. Selersis’s client has offered to double the consulting fees if the required information could be obtained. McCaskey has been tasked by her management to formulate an action plan to present to senior management of the client and IAD. McCaskey is struggling with how she must decide what constitutes proprietary information and what is public knowledge. McCaskey wonders if she is engaging in â€Å"gentleman’s industrial espionage†. She has always maintained a high degree of integrity, until now. McCaskey now has some different approaches for finishing the Silicon 6 project to ponder. The Events Leading Up To Martha’s Situation Martha McCaskey has the right pedigree; Electrical Engineering (EE) degree from CalTech, and Harvard MBA. Shortly after finishing her MBA she became an associate with Seleris Associates Industry Analysis Division. This division specializes in clients in the computer component manufacturing industry. McCaskey’s offer was generous plus she received a good reference from a former CalTech associate who was employed there. The division was divided into 2 units. One unit was under Group Manager Bud Hackert called the â€Å"Old Guard† which worked mainly on independent projects and the other unit under Group Manger Bill Davies comprised of newer associates or â€Å"New Guard† where McCaskey was assigned. The New Guard group worked predominately on team projects. McCaskey’s first project received high praise from Tom Malone the division’s vice president stating her performance was the best the division had ever seen. The second project was very challenging. Under heavy pressure McCaskey was successful. After presenting successfully to the client, the president of IAD Ty Richardson asked McCaskey what her delay was on this project in writing the clients report. McCaskey was so outraged she finished the report in 10 days. Malone established her report as the new benchmark for IAD projects. This behavior by Malone should have been a warning sign as well. McCaskey had been with IAD a short time and already her work was a bench mark? There is no easier way to gain loyalty then by praise. McCaskey felt Richardson and Malone disapproved of her handling of the project. It was during this period that Malone suggested McCaskey ask advice of 2 members of the Hackerts’ group; Dan Randall and Chuck Kaufmann concerning obtaining sources of information. Hackert’s group was involved in gathering detailed information about competitors. This McCaskey quickly ascertained that Kaufmann and Randall were the real producers of this group. Before she was done on her current project McCaskey was asked by Richardson to talk with the rest of the members of Davies Old Guard group on the Silicon 6 Project. Randall was cold and unapproachable and Kaufmann was unavailable. McCaskey did work later with Kaufmann on some team projects and she found him to be approachable and fun to work with. The Atmosphere At IAD Several senior associates had left the firm in the last few months. McCaskey over the months has discovered was that IAD had some severe ethics issues. The president Ty Richardson is very sharp as well as a convincing salesperson with plenty of charm and charisma. He was very driven, mostly by money. The defacto Chief Operating Officer (COO) Tom Malone was the type of leader who was another great talker and salesman who once stated to Kauffman that he did not care about the turnover at IAD because he could just put an ad in the paper and hire all the staff he needed. Richardson and Malone stated to the staff about being part of the management team. However both would go on a client visit without involving the staff. The staff felt left out and perceived themselves as being non-contributors. McCaskey had been given the freedom by Richardson to perform her work as she wished and her work was also recognized by Richardson. Her bonus that year was $25,000 while the other associates bonuses were much smaller. This should have been a warning sign to McCaskey, special attention by senior management, to include a large bonus in excess of co-workers share. McCaskey And Silicon 6 McCaskey had been asked to work on Silicon 6 because of her EE degree and coursework on chip design. Richardson had stated the project was behind schedule and her expertise would be valuable. McCaskey was informed she would be working with Chuck Kauffman. Kaufmann was hard working but was taken advantage of by both Richardson and Malone. He was paid less than any other associate and felt the company needed his expertise to run the business. Kaufmann could not step back and see his situation. When trying to obtain information from industry sources McCaskey would identify herself as a representative of a trade journal. McCaskey thought that was a little more above board than visiting a target company and pretending to be interviewing for a job, as a consulting friend of hers does. Richardson spends more time with Randall, McCaskey and Kaufmann often making impromptu visits to see McCaskey and Kaufmann. McCaskey was still struggling with obtaining credible information on the target company. Seleris’ client had also placed a stipulation that the target company was not to be contacted, to avoid the appearance of price fixing. Malone had queried McCaskey on whether she had been able to contact any former employees of the target company. On other projects she had found former employees of target companies a valuable source of information. Kaufmann had confided in McCaskey he had paid a former employee of a target company a $5,000 consulting fee for spreadsheets and a business plan for a new product line. He mentioned Randall had done this on a regular basis on Seleris projects. IAD had no written formal policies concerning solicitation guidelines and rules of engagement working for a client. McCaskey confirmed with a coworker that members of Hackerts’ Old Guard group routinely paid off ex employees of target companies to obtain sensitive and proprietary information for Seleris’ clients and the Group Manager Hackert condoned and encouraged this behavior. Desperate for information McCaskey considered using former employees of the target company to complete Silicon 6. When she learned of the bribes McCaskey should have known what Seleris was all about, ethics not being an attribute. This was another warning sign she chose to ignore. Enter Phil Devon McCaskey’s best lead came via some random events. During her research she came across a professor at a small east coast engineering school who actively consulted with European semiconductor manufacturers. After contacting him McCaskey discovered he could not provide her with any information. Malone then suggested McCaskey fly out and interview him in person indicating he might have some â€Å"gossip† on the new chip. The face to face interview provided no new information that McCaskey could use. The professor suggested she contact Phil Devon a consultant in southern California who had been involved in the design and start up of one of the European chip manufacturers. The lead for Devon came about under such obscure circumstances. Malone told her to fly out to see the professor for â€Å"gossip† and then she discovered Devon? Did he know of Devon and intended to use McCaskey as a patsy? This was another set of warning signs for McCaskey. McCaskey set up an interview with Devon and discovered he was a former employee of the target company at the vice president level. This was large warning sign for McCaskey. You should never approach an executive of a target company, they are not ignorant. Your true intentions will be figured out in no time. McCaskey felt uneasy with Devon from the start. Devon was almost too forthcoming with information. McCaskey felt certain that Devon could provide her with all the information she needed to complete Silicon 6. She felt he might be leading her on in order to find out who she was working for. This should have been a red flag warning for McCaskey. Devon was way too anxious to give up information. What were his motives? Just a nice guy who wanted to help for the right price? A disgruntled ex-employee? Was he working for the target company? Was he part of a sting operation ? She did not listen to her â€Å"gut† on this one. McCaskey was an intelligent person she should have gone with what she felt (Welch Jack: Straight From The Gut) When McCaskey debriefed Malone she informed him of her meeting with Devon and how she felt Devon could have provided her with all the information she required had she just asked. She then informed Malone she had come away empty handed with the needed information. She also informed him about how uneasy she felt about Devon’s demeanor to the point that he might call the authorities or inform the target company’s plant Silicon 6 of her interest if she pressed him for the target company’s information. Malone told her not to contact Devon anymore and just go through her client presentation with him. Malone informed McCaskey that Seleris would present the data as though it represented the actual Silicon 6 plant. When McCaskey objected Malone informed her no one would notice when they presented. Another warning sign, Malone was going to lie to the client. What McCaskey thought was to be a dry-run of her presentation turned out to be held in front of the client’s senior plant management. The plant managers stopped her within 15 minutes of her presentation stating it provided no new information. In a closed door session with Malone and McCaskey the client plant management stated their displeasure in Seleris’s handling of the Silicon 6 project stating how much business they had given Seleris and how they hope to continue the trend. However, given what they had just witnessed they had doubts. Malone then brought up how Seleris had just made contact with an former employee of the Silicon 6 plant who could provide them all the information required given the proper â€Å"incentives† were provided. The attitude with the client senior management immediately changed. The client senior management doubled the consulting fee for IAD stating the additional funds could be used for â€Å"incentives†. The client stated they did not care how IAD obtained the information as long as they got it. Malone was delighted in the turn of events and how delighted Richardson would be. When Malone briefed Hackert, he suggested that the consulting fee paid to Devon should be $7,000 not the usual $4,000 or whatever would make it worthwhile. Malone then informed McCaskey to think about how she handle Devon and not rule out the idea of using Kaufmann to meet with Devon. McCaskey realized she was in the middle of paying Devon off to complete Silicon 6 and receive her promised promotion. This was a huge warning sign. Malone was shooting from the hip and he succeeded. Plus he had the perfect patsy; McCaskey or Kaufmann. Strategies Martha McCaskey Could Have Taken One strategy McCaskey could have taken was to stand up and define herself as a person and an employee (Jack Welch Video: Define Yourself or Others Will). If you allow people to think that you condone certain behavior, as in McCaskey stating to Malone â€Å"You’re Amazing! † after the presentation she and Malone made to the Silicon 6 client. She seemed to admire him for his dishonesty. When she learned that Seleris was bribing former employees of target companies she further failed to define herself in not speaking up for ethics and distancing herself form the situation. Her co-workers could only assume she approved of such behavior. Being new McCaskey desired to excel and seek approval of her management; however bribery to succeed is not the way to differentiate or advance yourself. Differentiation is a way to manage your people and your business. It’s about getting the best players on your team in order to have everyone pull together and win. (Jack Welch; Winning; Chapter 3) You do not win by being dishonest. When McCaskey discovered her management was basically unethical she needed to have a face to face meeting with them immediately. McCaskey was not in a situation of good boss vs. bad boss (Welch Podcast: Good Boss vs. Bad Boss) with someone who was just a jerk or a bully, she was dealing with 2 people who were blatantly dishonest and unethical who were condoning and encouraging bribery and industrial espionage. They were crossing a line that could land them or McCaskey or Kaufmann in jail. More than likely it would have not been Richardson and Malone as they were the â€Å"know it all† types of mangers who would let subordinates take the fall. (Welch Podcast: Bosses Who Get It All Wrong). At this point McCaskey has realized both of her managers were dishonest. You cannot trust dishonest people. Trust is the fiber of good peer to peer relationships, once gone it’s hard to win back. Trust is like the stock market you can lose it overnight (Fiener Chapter 3 Law of Trust). McCaskey should have confronted both Richardson and Malone both with their behavior and asked to be moved off of the project. Better to be moved off or moved out than go to jail. McCaskey did not give herself a lot of options to improve her or change her situation as she went along with the status quo. She chose not to stand up and do her job the right way. She more than likely is going to be cannon fodder for her management. (Feiner Chapter 8 Law of Conscientious Objector). A culture change needed to take place at Seleris from top to bottom and bottom to top. However, the persons you had running the company Richardson and Malone were not about to inspire any change that would interfere with their personal cash flow. The main problem with Richardson and Malone is that while both were bright and charismatic, but they were the wrong type of leaders, they were not inspiring the right attributes. Feiner Chapter 2). They were not taking control of the situation for the good of the company or employees, they were doing for themselves. The burning bridge technique might have worked (Fiener Chapter 9 The Law of the Burning Bridge). For change to end it right the process must start right. Malone and Richardson were not about to upset their empire by admitting they were wrong and begin a dra stic change process. It is not in their moral fiber to do so. There was no way for McCaskey to have changed their behavior. A painful end is waiting for them. Three Emails McCaskey Should Write Ty: After some thought and soul searching I feel I should be removed from the Silicon 6 Project. I realize I have not produced well on this project and I sincerely regret my less than stellar performance. I would like to stay on with Seleris IAD and perhaps work on less high profile projects in order to give myself a much needed break. I feel very stressed and overwhelmed at this point. I would like to meet face to face with you in your office to personally discuss my options with you. I would also like to take a 2 week vacation to recover from the last few months as well. I notice your calendar is clear form 1300-1400 would that be convenient for you? Tom: Due to the tremendous stress I have been under I will be taking a couple of weeks vacation to recover. I would like to remove myself form the project. I will let you decide who should meet with Phil Devon, as I know you know the right person to speak with Devon. I have cleared this with Ty Richardson and he agrees that I need some time off. I will be moving on to some less high profile projects. Head of Human Resources: I have enjoyed my tenure Seleris IAD where I feel I have grown personally and professionally. I feel I have worked with some of the industry’s best consultants. It is a decision that I have thought about for a while and I feel it is the best option for me at this point. I will be terminating my employment within 2 weeks from receipt of this email. A certified letter confirming the same will be coming to you forthwith. Conclusion Martha McCaskey has painted herself into a corner. She can pay Devon off take her promotion and hope for the best with her future. Her situation is this; she is considering bribery and has engaged in industrial espionage. McCaskey should run not walk away from this situation. She should run; self terminate her employment and cut all ties with her co-workers. She should have seen the warning flags and listened to her â€Å"gut†. As soon as possible McCaskey should quit Seleris IAD and retain an attorney. She needs to provide him or her with complete details of her dealings on Silicon 6. McCaskey should act on the advice of her legal counsel to protect herself if Seleris IAD chooses to come after her if the dealings with Devon take a turn for the worse. Call it what you want; incentive, consulting fee, gift, it’s still bribery and illegal. I wonder what Jack Welch would have done?ReferencesWelch, Jack with Suzy, (2005). Winning, Harper Collins. Welch, Jack with John A. Byrne. (2001). Jack: Straight From The Gut, Warner Books Inc. Feiner, Michael, (2005) The Feiner Points of Leadership. Warner Business Books. Welch, J., Welch, S. (2009). Define Yourself or Others Will Retrieved from The Welch Way Website. http://www.welchway.com/

Metaphors in “Master Harold”

18 January 2012 Metaphors in â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys, is a powerful play written by Athol Fugard that allows us to analyze the complex relationship between a black man and a young white boy within the context of racism in South Africa in the 1950’s. This play is characterized by metaphors used by the author to illustrate the struggle of people dealing with racism. One of the most important themes of this play is racism, focusing on the injustice in South Africa when the apartheid system was in place.Racial segregation and separation in this time in history demonstrates to us how this system allowed unequal rights for whites and blacks. There is evidence that the relationship between Hally, the young white boy and Sam, the black man is complex due to the political system that was in place that supported racism, making this relationship complex and at the same time humanistic. The complexities of this relati onship are shown through the authors use of effective metaphors, such as the kite and the bench, to illustrate the life experiences between Hally and Sam within the racial and political time in which they lived.Through the kite and the bench metaphors it becomes evident that Hally and Sam have problems between them as a result of racism. A kite flying in the air controlled by two people extremely different on the outside but like father and son on the inside. The brown paper kite metaphor creates such a complex and interesting relationship between Hally and Sam. It also shows how much the political system creates such a huge effect on how people sometimes think of others with different grounds of race, no matter how close two people could be. During the time when Sam and Hally went to fly the kite, Hally was so excited to go with Sam.Although, at the same time, he was also hopeless and scared of what other people will think when seeing him with a black man trying to fly a brown-pape r kite made out of trash. Hally is always afraid of making a fool out of himself infront of people when around Sam. Since Sam is a black man and Hally is just a young white boy, it is not really normal for them to be out together in the public with the apartheid system going on. â€Å"Little white boy in shot trousers and a black man old enough to be his father flying a kite. It’s not everyday you see that†(Fugard 31). When together alone, Sam is like a father figure andHally loves to follow his footsteps, more than his actual father. Sam loves to make Hally feel proud of himself or even of something in his life because it does not happen often because of his coarse, alcoholic father. In front of people however, it is like they really are who they are supposed to be; a white boy with his parents servant. When Sam and Hally went out in the park to go and fly the kite, Hally did not want to hold the string and run, because he was embarrassed to see the kite not fly and f all to the ground, another thing he cannot be proud of. â€Å"The miracle happened!I was running, waiting for it to crash to the ground, but instead suddenly there was something alive behind me at the end of the string, tugging at it as if it wanted to be free. I looked back . . . I still can't believe my eyes. It was flying. . . I was so proud of us†(Fugard 30)! For once in his his life, Hally felt so proud of himself because of this kite, that he did not want to bring it down. Wanting to sit there all day and just watch it soar in the sky. Sam wanted Hally to be proud of something, proud of himself, and he gave him the encouragement for flying and climbing above his shame.Hally had one of the most amazing times flying that kite with Sam, but once he sat down on the bench, it was time for Sam to leave. Sam left Hally up on the hill, with the a sense of pride. Hally wondered why Sam had left him alone that day. The two of them were up there for a long time. Hally sat on the o ne bench up on the hill that had a sign that said â€Å"Whites Only† on it. When Hally recounts about their time together with the kite in the park and then Sam had to leave him, Sam is the one who informs him of the real reason why he couldn't stay. Hally's childhood memory is that Sam had to go to work.Hally was sitting on a â€Å"Whites Only† bench, so Sam would not have been permitted to sit there with him. â€Å"‘You left me after that, didn’t you?†¦ I wanted you to stay, you know. ’‘I had work to do, Hally’†(Fugard 30). Hally is filled with so much rage over his coarse, alcoholic father. When conflict appears, Hally lashes out on his two black friends, especially Sam. He tries to pretend they are not friends by acting strictly like a boss. Because of Hally’s status as a white person in a racially divided community, he is given the title of â€Å"Master† towards the black men.Hally asks Sam to call him â⠂¬Å"Master Harold† from now on, and Sam would only do this if they were no longer friends. This is the case for, when he spits in Sam's face, Hally becomes Master Harold to Sam. It is conquering in the corruption of another white male as Hally takes his place on the bench of segregation. â€Å"If you're not careful†¦ Master Harold†¦ you're going to be sitting up there by yourself for a long time to come, and there won't be a kite in the sky†(Fugard 58). â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys is a great play involving two characters that are like strangers on the outside, but like family on the inside.The relationship of Sam and Hally is so complex, and it always has its ups and downs. Their relationship is decided a lot from the apartheid system that takes place in the play, also with the use of the authors metaphors such as the kite and bench. However, a bench is not just a bench and a kite is not just some ordinary kite in this play. They have to do a lot with the relationships of Sam and Hally and how it was resulted in their life experiences during the political times they lived together that involved with and resulted with racism. Racism can always come in conflict with two people, no matter how close they are.

Codeine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Codeine - Research Paper Example f the ancient tool kit in medicine for its therapeutic effects, and hence euphemistically called as the â€Å"plant of joy.† Codeine has a number of medicinal uses besides as pain reliever, such as antitussive (to suppress coughing), anti-hypertensive (lower blood pressure), anti-anxiety, to help control diarrhea, delay premature labor contractions, as a sedative (helps in relaxation and sleeping), and for its hypnotic properties too. Its availability as an oral medication (as opposed to injectable medication) make it the widest prescription drug, with about 157 million written prescriptions annually and its sales reached approximately $3.3 billion in 2005 alone, and still continues to gain in popularity. However, identification of the chemical composition of codeine as a distinct compound is fairly recent; it was first identified in 1832 by the French chemist Pierre-Jean Robiquet which closely followed the first identification of morphine a few years earlier, back in 1806 by German pharmacist Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Serturner (Kane & Triggle, 2007, p. 10). Codeine is isomer of morphine, which means both have the same molecular components but are structured different hence it is known for its chemical name, 3-methylmorphine. It can be made or manufactured in the laboratory in commercial quantities from morphine, using a semi-synthetic process. Morphine is the most abundant alkaloid (the chemical compounds that contain basic nitrogen atoms) found in opium, at 8 to 17% by weight, and followed by codeine, at .07 to 5%. Codeine is the chemical precursor of most opioids (any compound that acts like morphine) such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and tramadol. It is classified similar to opioids produced by human bodies like the endorphins and enkephalins (ibid. p. 13). Although it has many legitimate uses in medicine, codeine has a potential to be misused and abused as a â€Å"recreational† drug because of a â€Å"high† feeling it generates among drug users; that feeling is

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race Essay - 1

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race - Essay Example The situation is openly apparent, but it is manifested in sections of society and governance structures that are bias towards some races and ethnicities. The most apparent cases of racial discrimination are exhibited by systems within existing governance structures and the implementation of policy. An example is during the hurricane Katrina incident where government intervention and response was criticized for being below par. This is attributed to the fact that the area that was adversely affected by the devastating hurricane comprised of minority African Americans thus; the governments illustrated prejudice in its reaction to the plight of these affected people. This paper seeks to present an analysis on whether Americans need a national conversation on race. The race issue in the US is exacerbated by the fact that slavery was an already established societal norm that permeated the American culture and traditions. Racism in the US is manifested through various aspects, and it is an apparent phenomenon that those who suffer racism belong to a certain racial background. African Americans have suffered the most severe manifestation of racism because they represent the foundation upon which the issue of race is founded in the US. Majority of slaves in the slavery days were of African origin who were considered second class human beings wherever they went in almost every part of the world where slavery was practiced. Advocacy and campaigning for an end to slavery was met with a lot of resistance because the white enslavers saw this as a threat to their source of cheap labor. African Americans have carried this adage of being second class citizens into the 21st century albeit a bit subdued, but the existence of these should not be ignored. The accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement have worked to establish African Americans as equal members of the US society. Open racism against African Americans is rarely seen or experienced, but it still does exist in vario us aspects of American society and life. The recent Trayvon Martin incident and case in an American court serves to depict that racism is still an emotive issue in American society. This issue comes to the fore every time an African American is involved in an altercation of the law alongside an individual of another race especially a white person. The ruling on Trayvon Martin’s case brought the race issue to the fore especially after president Obama commented on the issue. Obama’s direct reference to the race issue with regard to the Trayvon Martin case illustrated his unique position as bi-racial president to address the race issue and introduce a dialogue in America concerning race. Obama’s prose about race in America elicited diverse views with some citing it as an appropriate moment in his presidency for him to address the issue. Other people saw Obama’s foray into the race during Trayvon Martin’s murder trial as an attempt to boost his approva l ratings amongst the minority groups. The negative criticism Obama received for introducing the race angel in the case should not been. This is because it is his place as an African American president to address the race issue which is in his docket as other before him addressed issues that had affected them personally. According to Gerson, previous presidents had addressed issues t

Cause and Effect of the Unemployment Rate Term Paper

Cause and Effect of the Unemployment Rate - Term Paper Example The paper will also try to identify other causes for such extraordinary situation not seen ever before. Understanding Phillips Curve Below is a typical Phillips Curve drawn for the period between 1961 to 1969 as unemployment rate versus inflation rate. Source: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PhillipsCurve.html The curve shows inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and inflation. During the years 1961-67, as unemployment rate rises from 4 percent to 6 percent, inflation rate reduces from 3 to 1 percent. A way back in those years, Philips curve was used as a guide for policy makers. To reduce the unemployment rate from 6 percent to 5 percent, the government would think of stimulating the economy by spending more but later on Phelps and Friedman put forward their views that in order to achieve lower unemployment rate government cannot trade with higher inflation rate. If unemployment is at the natural rate and the real wage also remains constant and the government uses mo netary and fiscal policy tools to lower unemployment rate below its natural rate, then the resultant increase in demand will encourage firms to raise their prices quickly and would like to pay more. Due to this, labor supply will increase and unemployment rate goes down. This is an illusion for labor as price will rise more rapidly than they would anticipate. The moment they feel the pinch of inflation, labor supply gets reduced at the old wage rates or they will demand increase in wages. In this process, real wage gets back to its previous level and the unemployment rate comes back to the natural rate. The price inflation continues at the higher rates due to expansionary fiscal policies. (Hoover 2008) Friedman’s and Phelps’s analyses explained first time that Phillips curves behave differently in the long run. The average inflation rate in 1960s was about 2.5 percent which rose to 7 percent in the 1970s; however during the same period the unemployment rate did not fal l but increased from about 4 percent to about 6 percent. This implied that at some rate of unemployment there would always be a stable rate of inflation. This came to be known as NAIRU (nonaccelerating inflation rate of unemployment). NAIRU is presented here below for the period between 1945 and 2000. (Hoover 2008) Source: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PhillipsCurve.html NAIRU does not suggest that unemployment rate is constant unlike natural rate of unemployment. Milton Friedman developed the Expectations-Augmented Phillips Curve that explained the breakdown of the Phillips Curve. The Expectations-Augmented Phillips Curve for the period from 1976 up to 2002 for the changes in the rate of inflation versus unemployment rate is plotted as per the following. (Hoover 2008) http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PhillipsCurve.html The chart shows NAIRU at about 6 percent. Assuming a situation when economy is at NAIRU, rate of inflation at 3 percent, and the government wants to reduce it to zero. The chart suggests that monetary and fiscal policy which drives unemployment rate from 6 to 7 percent brings down the inflation rate by 1 percentage point. If fiscal management causes unemployment rate to remain at 7 percent; it will take almost three years for inflation to reach to zero. The expectations-augmented Phillips Curve is considered a most basic macroeconomic forecasting tool used by most of the central banks while modulating fiscal policies. Most diverse schools of macroeconomic thought accept the applicability of this model. It is

Color blindness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Color blindness - Essay Example Color blindness is usually caused by genetic problem where men are more prone to this condition. There are many test developed to distinguish those color blind (Turnbull, 2011). One of the ways to test if the person is color blind is to let the person read or recognize a message consisted of dots with colors (Turnbull, 2011). According to studies, there is no cure for this type of condition. This is one thing that is very disheartening to those affected by color blindness. But the case of Virgil who suffered virtual blindness since his early childhood was a story of hope for those who are color blind. Ever since he was young, he had thick cataracts and a speculated retinitis pigmentosa. Nearing to his wedding day, Dr. Hamlin gave the 50 year old Virgil a new hope to see. When his medical history was by reviewed Dr. Hamlin, it was discovered that there was no problem with his retina since he can still see light and dark. It was only his cataracts that were said to have been destructed and the only cure was the simple cataract extraction procedure. Since there was just little surgical risk, Virgil agreed to undergo the procedure. Miraculously, after the surgery, Virgil was able to see and eventually, his vision was restored. The experience of getting the sense of sight back was not as easy as Virgil and his family expected. It was much difficult than a child getting his sight because in Virgil’s case, he was already fed with a lot of information thus there was a radical change in his neurological functioning. Virgil faced a terrible experience when he got his sight back. However, this will just be a temporary situation because after he will be able to grasp and adjust, he will be seeing like the visually gifted people. The gift of sight to Virgil was a miracle and the best gift he could ever receive for his wedding and his life. According to Kozlov (2011), it is

Chinese judiciary independence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chinese judiciary independence - Essay Example In a simpler way, making a complete and legitimate judgment has three procedures in China. Firstly, Public Security Organs apply the approval from Procuratorate to arrest suspects after they gather evidence. Second, Procuratorate would review the evidence. If they don’t think have enough evidence by the law to arrest criminal suspects, Procuratorate will disapprove the arrest. If they consider the evidence as enough, they will approve Public Security Organs to arrest the suspects. Then, Procuratorate transfers these cases to the court for prosecution. However, if Procuratorate consider that case should not prosecutable, then it drops the charges. Finally, the court makes a judicial decision and result after receiving cases from Procuratorate. Procuratorate can apply counter appeal if they don’t think the court’s judicial decision is fair and correct. The case then gets a retrial or transfer to the higher court to review. The Supreme Peoples Court is the highest j udicial organ. After it makes judicial decisions, people cannot apply counter appeal. Disapproval Arrest rate, Disapproval Prosecution Rate, and the quantity of Counter-appeal earlier mentioned as the three representative and important data at the beginning, are all respectively produced from the above three judgment procedures. If the value of the data is large, that means the level of judiciary independence is high. If they are small, that means the level of judiciary independence is low. I will compare the three data sets from different periods and areas to draw a conclusion on whether the Chinese judiciary has had any change and improvement in the past two decades. Disapproval Arrest Rate is only produced after the Public Security Organs apply the approval to arrest suspects, but the Procuratorate fails to approve it. It is the proportion of the disapproval arrest quantity divided by the whole quantity of the application to arrest. In terms of time, the average of

Coursework assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coursework assignment - Essay Example business to compete more successfully in the world marketplace and in its excellent development tool for its workforce (PRASAD, 2012: 24).The International Human Resource manager is thus supposed to consider a number of aspects when working in multinational aspects, which includes; laws of the country, the culture of people, and work conditions for expatriate as well as the local employees, and pay expectations. Human resource practitioners and managers usually encounter problems, for a number of reasons, when sending employees on international duties and projects sometimes with disastrous results (HALVERSON, & TIRMIZI, 2008: 9). A different major reason could be that HR managers send employees on international duties without offering them the necessary training or allowing a period for the transitional phase (ILES, & ZHANG, 2013: 67). During this period, the human resource managers need to develop the necessary and required leadership skills for their employees, according to the employee’s level of authority in the host country, come up with the structures, and obtain the human resource as well as the international procedures and policies of the organization in place, which is also applicable for HR managers when sent on international duties. Companies are directed by people who have features and basic expertise which allow them to bond with the firms as well as people involved with the business. Human resource managers are thus supposed to be able to meet the numerous difficulties of performing their commitments. Human resource managers thus presume a number of roles which entail being a supervisor, figurehead, representative, and the allocator of assets as well as the resources (WILTON, 2013: 7). They put down and achieve the firm’s objectives by planning, ordering, directing as well as controlling (NOE, 2013: 127). The human resource managers are also concerned with the global alignment and coordination of international HR policies as well as

Evaluate an area of business by using Porter's Five Forces Model Essay

Evaluate an area of business by using Porter's Five Forces Model. Select an industry from the list below and describe the relative attractiveness of entering that industry - Essay Example university text books, religious literature, fictitious novels on all subjects, cooking stuff, books on international relations and current affairs etc. However, the industry has observed a sharp decline in growth after advent of electronic commerce coupled with recent economic turmoil that further hampered its growth. This will be discussed in detail in the following section when author will present real world scenario. (Foner Books Report, 2010) The author would now provide an analysis on Book Selling Industry across USA by using Porter’s Five Forces model. Each force will be discussed in detail so that a reader could have a clear insight about the scope and business potential in this industry. It should be pointed out that book buyers in USA could be divided into two major groups such as core students (the educational text books market) and book lovers (that tend to buy books on various subjects). The bargaining power of core students has increased considerably in last 2 years because of decline in demand of school, college and university education. Indeed, the reasons behind that include lack of short - term unemployment opportunities followed by surge in inflation, which compelled the students to take semester or yearly breaks. In this way, decline in demand of students sharply reduced the demand of course or text books, thereby leading to decline in book selling activities. As far as demand from book lovers are concerned, it should be emphasized that bleak employment prospects and decrease in consumer purchasing power also forced potential buyers to tighten their belts and reduce spending on books. For instance, today book lovers also demand higher value for the money they spend in the market. Hence, it is worthwhile to point out the fact that increase in bargaining power of consumers has resulted in downward pressure in pricing. Leading book retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BN.com and Borders were forced to reduce their prices by announcing

Critical review and comparison of 2 refereed and related journal Literature

Critical and comparison of 2 refereed and related journal articles in the field of business information management - Literature review Example 1st journal -strengths The paper ‘Customer Perspectives on E-business Value: Case Study on Internet Banking’ written by Rahmath Safeena from its title reflects an important issue in the modern banking sector exhibited by the author. Along with that the author have also used keywords like internet banking, information and communication technology (ICT); perceived usefulness, ease of use, risk, awareness which are appropriate in examining the customer’s perspective (Safeena, 2010, p.5).Before moving into the discussion of the subject matter with in depth analysis, a brief literature review has been provided by the author reflecting various aspects of internet banking (Safeena, 2010, p.6). Identification of the research methodology is a crucial factor in executing research in a rigorous manner on a particular topic and also helps to deliver robust inferences. In this paper the process of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is being used for analyzing the extent of the acceptance of the internet banking system by the customers. The incorporation of the TAM model is a judicious application for reflecting the perspective of the customers related to the internet banking system (Safeena, 2010, pp. 6-7). ... Empirics also reveal that there has been a positive correlation between the above two variables in the study of internet banking (Safeena, 2010, p.7). Applying proper statistical techniques it has been also found that when the online banking is perceived as useful then the customers are prone towards using internet banking. The findings state that usefulness, ease of use and risks are the prime parameters which affect positively the acceptability of the internet banking procedures (Safeena, 2010, pp.8-11). 1st journal -Weaknesses The author have mentioned description of different types of internet banking as well as different security issues in the literature review part but have included all the references which are old in their year of publication which are majorly around the year 1999-2000 and one or two references in the recent years like 2006 (Safeena, 2010, p.7). Again, in the strength section the process of TAM is mentioned which is indeed a good method of executing the resear ch. But still this process suffers from some limitations. The first limitation is attached with the explanatory power of the model. Empirical results also found that the existing studies account for less than 60% of the variance explained especially those used by the professional users (Sun & Zhang, 2006, p.53). The sample used in for the purpose of research is students of business and economics students of an educational campus. But studying only the perspectives of the students will not provide any general conclusions about the overall public perspectives on the internet banking. (Khan & Mahapatra, 2009, p.35). The method of questionnaire has been used in carrying on the research and in the paper it is stated that relevant questions have been

Consumer Behavior Essay Example for Free

Consumer Behavior Essay Today’s customer is habituated with the sales promotion activities. So without such activities it has become difficult for companies to achieve their target. The term sales promotion refers to many kind of selling incentives and techniques intended to product immediate and short term sales effect typical sales promotion include samples in pack premiums values pack refund and rebates sale promotion can be apply to across to broad range i.e from chewing gum to household and car The other defining characteristics of sale promotion are its short term or immediate. For the present paper the researchers considers the household consumer for their primary survey as the products that they have taken into consider come under the FMCG. Major players of FMCG industry were: Top 20 FMCG Companies in India 1. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 2. ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) 3. Nestlà © India 4. GCMMF (AMUL) 5. Dabur India Ltd 6. Asian Paints (India) 7. Cadbury India 8. Britannia Industries Ltd. 9. Procter Gamble Hygiene and Health Care 10. Marico Industries Ltd. 11. Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd. 12. Gillette India Ltd. 13. Godfrey Phillips 14. Henkel Spic 15. Johnson Johnson 16. Modi Revlon 17. Wipro 18. Nirma Ltd 19. Amul India 20. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd Literature Review The Indian FMCG industry is crowded with numerous national regional and local players. To win the consumer heart and retain the market share the competition amongst the various players. The major companies ruling the Indian market in the category of FMCG items is HUL Amul, Nirma and many more Every day the Indian consumer who watch television and listen to the radio are thrown in front of a huge clutters of TV ads and commercials by these firm with the same intention and common purpose of convincing the customer that products is the best since India is a country where profiles of the also vary significantly with age demography income level etc in order to cater to need And demand of the different customer India many sales promotion schemes are highly successful as the market is the price sensitive as well as highly competitive even difference in few paisa can provoke the customer to switch to different brand the concept of brand loyalty an brand attachment takes a back seat in this s ituation. When the consumer feel that there are getting something extra, but at the same cost, they do not mind switching from one brand to other. However even today there exist a class of customer who still consider quality and brand as the deciding factor but their number is comparatively less majority of consumer in India, till date consider price to be the most important and deciding factors in the purchase of FMCG goods Kumar And Das (2009) in their article â€Å"Impact Of Sales Promotion On Buyer Behavior-An Empirical study Of Indian Retail Customers â€Å"opined that today’s customer can greatly influence the manufacturer of the marketer regarding the size, quality, control of the product, price, post sales service, etc†¦. in the present study the author attempted to find out the impact of sales promotion on consumer buying behavior. Research Gap The study highlights consumer behavior and purchase decisions made during various sale promotion schemes after viewing advertisement and analyzes the effect of various marketing tactics used by different companies. It also investigates area like consistency of sale promotion schemes and availability of schemes along with the products to analyze their impact on the minds of the consumer. The study would prove to be helpful for the company in deciding schemes that attract consumer, their buying patterns, time period of the schemes availability by sale promotion, advertisement and other activity. Research Objectives The objective of the study are: 1) To analyze effect of sale promotion and advertisement on the consumer buying behavior and purchase decision of FMCG product. 2) To analyze relationship between sale promotion and consumer buying behavior. 3) Consumer behavior when they FMCG product. Research Model Hypothesis H0 :- Sale promotion of FMCG Product is not effect on Consumer Buying Behavior. H1 :- Sale promotion of FMCG Product effect on Consumer Buying Behavior. Research Design A research design specifies that method and procedures for conducting a particular study. The researcher should specify the approach be intends to use with respect to the proposed study, broadly research can be grouped in to three categories. 1. Exploratory Research Design 2. Descriptive Research Design 3. Casual Research Design 1.Exploratory Research Design An exploratory research design focuses on the discovery of ideas and is generally based on secondary data. 2. Descriptive Research Design A descriptive study is undertaken when the researcher want to know the characteristics of certain group such as age, sex, income, education level etc. 3. Casual Study A casual researcher is under taken when the researcher is interested knowing a cause and effect relationship between two or more variables. As pre my objective to know effect of Sale promotion on consumer buying behavior there are necessary to know their characteristics so that we make research to select Descriptive Research Design. Source of Data (1) Primary Data:- The primary data are those data which are collected afresh and for the first time, and thus happened to be original. For this research the primary data are collected. (2) Secondary Data:- The secondary data are those data which have already been collected by someone else and which have already passed through statistical process. Here we consider primary data fop research Research Instrument Research instruments is the tool by which the researcher can do research on specific problems or objective. The most popular research instruments for collections data is Questionnaire for a particular investigation. It is simple for a moiled set of questions presented to respondents for their answers. Due to this flexibility, it is most common instrument used to collect the primary data. During the pre-testing of questionnaire, we seen the reaction of respondents and suggestions required to make change in research instrument. Research instrument is the means by which we can observe the market station. In over project topic is Effect on Sale promotion on consumer buying behavior. So information of consumer buying behavior is taken by preparing the hard print of questioner for the collection primary data. Sampling Plan Sampling frame Sampling size It refers to the question â€Å"How many people should be surveyed?† Sampling Unit It means Who is to be surveyed†. Here target population is decided and it is who are interested to Purchase FMCG Product. Here we take sample unit as an Individual. Sampling Method Method for choosing the representative respondents call for in this stage, i.e., how should the respondents is chosen? The sampling procedure indicates how the sample units are to be selected. We can used Simple Random Sampling Method for survey. Reference Source 1) http://www.businessnewsthisweek.com/2009/11/top-20-fast-moving-consumer-goods-fmcg.html 2) Kumar Vishal And Das Gopal (2009)† Impact Of Sales Promotion On Buyer Behavior-An Empirical study Of Indian Retail Customers â€Å" journal of management vol.3 no.1 pp11-24 3) Indian journal of marketing nov. 2012 vol 4 pp30-3

Market Segmentation Toyota Consumer Buying Decision Process Hilux Marketing Essay

Market Segmentation Toyota Consumer Buying Decision Process Hilux Marketing Essay Market Segmentation of Toyota and Consumer Buying Decision Process for Hilux Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is a widely recognised car manufacturer in Malaysia and around the world. Currently, Toyota is the top carmaker in the world, beating their closest rivals, General Motors in both production numbers and sales. Even though the major markets of Toyota are in the United States and Japan, they exert no less influence in the Malaysian market, holding a large portion of market share. Let us now take a look at how Toyota segments their target market in Malaysia. The purpose of market segmentation is to divide the general market needs into smaller defined groups. Toyota has come up with a variety of models to tend to the needs of Malaysians. The models released in Malaysia are Camry, Vios, Hilux, Avanza, Innova and Fortuner just to name a few. These different models aim to capture different levels of income of consumers. One of the segments that Toyota aims to attract is the middle to high income earning group. Toyota provides its customers with a broad range of prices for both middle income and high income earners. Middle income customers are able to afford the lower range Avanza and Vios which are within the RM70,000 range while high income earners can go for the more luxurious Camry and Fortuner of which can cost within the range of RM140,000 to RM170,000. Aside from income, Toyota also targets consumers who live a luxurious lifestyle. Lexus is a luxury car division under Toyota. Lexus sets itself apart from its competitors by offering high quality luxury cars at lower prices. Lexus models that can be found in Malaysia include the LS 460, IS 250, GS 300 and RX350. Instead of the classic Mercedes Benz and BMW, drivers can now feel as luxurious and classy driving a Lexus car which cost less. A more affordable Lexus car also allows lesser earning drivers who always dreamed of driving a luxury car to realise their dream, bringing in more customers. Another segment that Toyota targets is geographic needs. Malaysia is a tropical country with lush rainforests and there is a need for reliable four wheel drives to traverse them. Therefore, Toyota has designed several 4X4 vehicles meant for off road travels. The vehicles currently sold in Malaysia are the Fortuner, Hilux and Rush. These four wheel drives work well on tough terrain and has been proven to be durable under the worst of conditions, thus satisfying the needs of consumers as well as capturing market share. Next, we will be evaluating the buying decision process of consumers for a renowned Toyota product, the Hilux. Buying decision process is a series of steps that a buyer would experience as he/she buys a product. This process mainly comprises of awareness of unsatisfied need, a search for information, comparing alternatives, buying the selected product and finally evaluating the product after purchase. A driver who frequently drives off road on rough terrain knows that it is difficult to find a reliable 4X4 that would carry them through the steepest of slopes and dense pools of mud. Jungle four wheel drive expeditions also frequently find themselves in need of a powerful machine to pull other four wheel drives out of a sticky situation. This brings about awareness to find the solution to these problems and births an unsatisfied need. The next step for the drivers is to look for the answer to their need. Information is vital to the decision buying process as it gives buyers insight on the product and influences their decision to purchase it. Nowadays, buyers can find information easily through the internet and on brochures which are freely available. These sources also provide very detailed specifications to the product that they are looking for. Alternatively, buyers can also visit Toyota showrooms to have a firsthand look and experience of the product, together with precise details from a salesperson. In the same way, buyers would search and compare the various alternatives available to them. For the Hilux, there are a number of similar four wheel drives that buyers would consider. Among them are Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Isuzu D-Max. All these alternatives share similar design and function but all have their own unique specifications in which will critically affect the buyerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s decision. After considering all the alternatives available to the buyer, he/she will finally buy the selected product, the Toyota Hilux. The purchasing process begins with the buyer going to a Toyota showroom to discuss terms with the salesperson. The buyer then settles the down payment and decides on the mode of payment. The brand new Hilux will then be delivered to the buyer. Finally, the buyer receives the car and fulfils his/her need. The buyer then starts to drive the Hilux and evaluates its performance. From there, he/she will measure the satisfaction of driving the four wheel drive and whether it has achieved the need that it was purchased for. If the buyer is satisfied with the product, the cycle starts again or he/she will introduce it to his/her friends. In conclusion, Toyota has identified their target market in more detail through market segmentation. This has helped them market their products more efficiently and made them the top car maker in the world. The buying decision process has also helped to understand consumers and their behaviour better in order to stay ahead of competitors.

Pathophysiology Of Emphysema

Pathophysiology Of Emphysema This essay will describe the pathophysiology of emphysema and the effect it had on a specific patient that I have chosen for this assignment. It will accomplish this by referring to the patients presenting symptoms and diagnosis and then by examining the changes that occur in the airways of an individual suffering from this chronic disease. The essay will continue by exploring the aims of treatment and how they may control the symptoms relating to the specific patient chosen. It will consider the relevant guidelines to treatment options in order to demonstrate evidence based practice. Emphysema is chest condition that falls under the umbrella term of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This term also includes chronic bronchitis and asthma. Shahab, Jarvis, Britton and West (2006) suggest that COPD is a major contributor to global mortality and morbidity and its worldwide prevalence is likely to increase further. They continue by suggesting that it is well established that smoking is the single most important cause of COPD, increasing the risk of developing and dying from this condition by a factor of thirteen. COPD is characterised by airflow obstruction and is usually progressive, not fully reversible, and does not change markedly over several months. Sharafkaneh, Hanania and Kim (2008) suggest that an imbalance between protease and antiprotease activity in the lung is proposed as the major mechanism resulting in emphysema. Patients with emphysema complain of breathlessness, particularly on exertion, cough, chest tightness and often a reduction in their quality of life. This essay will explore the changes that occur in the lungs of a patient with emphysema and how these changes transpire. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE 2010) state that an estimated three million people in the UK have COPD. They also suggest that out of this figure only nine hundred thousand of these cases are confirmed, the remainder are people that have not yet presented with symptoms to their doctor. Exacerbation of COPD requiring hospital admission places a great burden on NHS resources. Davies (2009) suggests that costs directly related to caring for patients with COPD are over  £500 million annually. Background of patient.http://faculty.washington.edu/alexbert/MEDEX/Spring/Spirometry.jpghttp://www.ispub.com/ispub/ijtm/volume_1_number_1_66/strongyloides_induced_respiratory_failure_6/strongy1a.jpg To maintain patient confidentiality and for the purpose of this essay, the patient will be referred to as Janet. Janet is a 57 year old married woman. She has a history of smoking since the age of 15 and this equates to 42 pack years. She has worked in an office for her whole working life and enjoys walking. She attended the surgery as she was finding walking her dogs increasingly more difficult and was experiencing breathlessness on exertion. Janets weight was stable and she had not experienced any haemoptysis. Her baseline blood pressure and pulse where within normal limits and her body mass index (BMI) was in a healthy range. A full blood count (FBC) identified that Janet was not anaemic nor did she have polycythaemia which represents an abnormally high red blood cell count with a haematocrit greater than fifty percent. Janets peripheral oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter was shown to be ninety four percent on air. Chest x-ray showing hyperinflation mdguy available at medpreponline.com Pulmonary Function Tests Medex Objectives 2003On examining Janets computerised records it was noted that she did not expectorate much sputum and she had only been prescribed one course of antibiotics for a chest infection in the past three years. Janet had been sent for a chest x-ray on her second visit to the surgery which had revealed hyperinflation of the lungs. Janet was subsequently referred for lung function tests at the local hospital where an obstructive pattern was identified. Spirometry is the test performed to demonstrate airflow obstruction however NICE (2010) state that airflow obstruction alone cannot be used as a diagnosis of COPD; it should only be used in conjunction with the patient demonstrating symptoms such as breathlessness or cough. A comprehensive history taking is very important as this can often identify COPD unaided. Janet was symptomatic and therefore was diagnosed with moderate COPD. Her spirometry showed she had a forced expiratory volume in the first s econd (FEV1) of 55% of her predicted value and a FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio of less than 0.7. Predicted values for patients are predicted according to their height, gender, age and ethnic origin. The severity of airflow obstruction is graded according to the FEV1 reading. The updated NICE 2010 guidelines for COPD have reviewed the severity scales which mean that Janets spirometry readings fall into the moderate category. Janets degree of breathlessness was discussed and she graded herself as a level 3 on the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea score (Fletcher 1960). Emphysema often results in the patient having an increased residual lung volume which in due to air trapping; an inability to expel all the air from the lungs. Aetiology and pathophysiology Human lungs are the functional structure of the respiratory system. To understand Janets condition it is useful to look at how the normal respiratory system works. Its function is to supply the body with oxygen and to remove carbon dioxide (Marieb, 2004). Breathing is the movement of gases between the atmosphere and the lungs. For this to occur, there needs to be a system of open airways and pressure changes resulting from the action of the respiratory muscles in changing the volume of the chest cage. The diaphragm is the principal muscle of inspiration, assisted by the external intercostal muscles. The sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles elevate the ribs and act as accessory muscles for inspiration. Expiration is aided by the elastic recoil of the respiratory muscles that were stretched during inspiration. Pulmonary gas exchange is conventionally divided into three processes: (1) ventilation or the flow of gases into and out of the alveoli of the lungs, (2) perfusion or flow of blood in the adjacent pulmonary capillaries, and (3) diffusion or transfer of gases between the alveoli and the pulmonary capillaries (Porth 2010). In addition to their gaseous exchange function, the lungs deactivate vasoactive substances such as bradykinin, convert Angiotensin 1 to Angiotensin 2 and serve as a reservoir for blood storage. COPD is characterised by an intense inflammatory process in the airways, parenchyma and pulmonary vasculature (Sinden and Stockley 2010). The lung inflammatory response is characterised by increased number of neutrophils, macrophages and T lymphocytes. The accumulation of inflammatory components contributes to the lung injury in these patients. The mobilization of inflammatory cells to the lungs leads to the release of potentially destructive mediators including proteases and cytokines, which directly contribute to the remodelling and destruction of tissues. Truder, McGrath and Neptune (2003) believe that a delicate balance between protease and antiprotease activity is required for proper lung maintenance. Sharafkaneh, Hanania and Kim (2008) suggest that derangements of this balance results in destruction and inappropriate repair of lungs. They also suggest that macrophages are activated by tobacco smoke and recruit neutrophils and lymphocytes leading to elastolysis and emphysema. Si milarly tobacco smoke activates airway epithelium to trigger airway remodelling. Both of these processes result in airflow obstruction. http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/mioc/v100s1/a27fig02.jpg In addition to inflammation, oxidative stress caused by tobacco smoke inhalation plays a significant role in generating emphysema. Therefore Janets long history of smoking will have ultimately resulted in loss of elasticity to her lungs, retention of air in the lungs due to hyperinflation, expansion of the rib cage and flattening of the diaphragm. When the diaphragm is flattened, the muscles of the rib cage and abdomen take over the bulk of the work which is a less efficient and more tiring way of breathing. The alveoli are the terminal air spaces of the respiratory tract and the sites of gaseous exchange between the air and the blood. Each alveolus is a cup-shaped sac with thin walls and each structure is separated by alveolar septa. A single network of capillaries occupies most of the septa, so blood is exposed to air on both sides. There are approximately three hundred million alveoli in the human lungs. Emphysema jpg available at www.moondragon.orgEmphysema is characterized by a loss of lung elasticity and enlargement of the distal air spaces to the terminal bronchioles, with destruction of the alveolar walls and capillary beds. Several adjacent alveoli may rupture forming one large air sac that has a reduced ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. There is progressive destruction of the alveoli and the surrounding lung tissues as air is trapped in the damaged alveoli. This causes them to stretch which leads to hyperinflation and a reduced inability to exhale.http://www.moondragon.org/images/emphysema.jpg Smoking tobacco is a well established cause of COPD (Shahab et al 2006). The Department of Health (2010) indicate that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and of health inequalities. They also state that in 2008, more than 80,000 premature deaths in England were caused by smoking. Callum (2008) suggests that the current level of tobacco use is estimated to cost the NHS around  £2.7 billion every year. Cigarette smoke contains a range of toxic products and these have to be dealt with by the body. When cigarette smoke is inhaled into the lungs the cilia that normally sweep irritants out of the airways become paralyzed. The irritants therefore remain in the lungs infiltrating the alveoli where the damage process begins. Other causes of emphysema can be an inherited condition called alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency, an antiprotease enzyme that protects the lungs from injury. This accounts for approximately one percent of all cases of COPD. Occupation risks such as coal minin g can also be a cause of COPD as the irritants inhaled act as the instigators of the disease process. Interventions and treatments Smoking cessation advice would be the most important intervention for Janet. Smoking cessation has been shown to be the most significant intervention to slow the rate of decline of lung function (Fletcher and Peto 1977). http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/figures/1471-2458-7-332-2-l.jpg The use of the Fletcher and Peto graph that demonstrates decline in lung function and the benefit of stopping smoking could be utilised in the process of addressing Janets smoking habit. The use of a smoking addiction calculator such as the Fagerstrom (1978) test was used to determine the extent Janet was addicted to nicotine. Parkes, Greenhalgh, Griffin and Dent (2008) found that informing a patient of their lung age appears to encourage higher levels of successful smoking cessation and Janet was surprised by her lung age of seventy seven. The damage to Janets lungs could not be repaired however the rate of disease progression could be reduced by her stopping smoking. Janet was referred to a specia list stopping smoking service in order to achieve a higher success rate. Encouraging patients with COPD to stop smoking is one of the most important components of their management. All COPD patients still smoking, regardless of age, should be encouraged to stop, and offered help to do so, at every opportunity (NICE 2010). Gruffydd-Jones (2006) recommends that all patients with any chronic lung condition should have an annual influenza vaccination and a one-off pneumococcal vaccination unless contraindicated. This is beneficial in reducing the risk of severe lung infections precipitating potentially fatal exacerbations of COPD. Bronchodilators such as Salbutamol are frequently used as first line treatment for COPD. Treatment objectives include relieving symptoms such as dyspnoea and cough, slowing the accelerated decline in lung function, decreasing exacerbations, and improving quality of life. The NICE (2010) guideline for COPD recommends beginning treatment with bronchodilators. NICE are the guidelines used predominantly in primary care and will be used as guidance for treatment options in this assignment. In theory, bronchodilators, which act directly on the airways, should have limited benefit in emphysema. However, Diaz, Bruns, Ezzie, Marchetti and Thomashow (2008) claim that in clinical practice many patients with emphysema, benefit from bronchodilator therapy. Pellegrino, Antonelli and Mondino (2010) agree that it is clinically justified to use short acting bronchodilators (SABA) in patients with emphysema. The pharmacology of beta-2 receptorsSalbutamol is a beta-2 agonist. These bind to the beta-2 receptors on the smooth muscle of the trachea to the level of the terminal bronchioles. Binding of the beta-2 agonists to the beta-2 receptors activates a receptor associated G protein that in turn activates adenyl cyclase. This then converts adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic 35-adenosine monophosphate (c-AMP), which then activates protein kinase A. The activated protein A prevents phosphorylation of the myosin light chain as well as activation of the Na+/Ca2+ exchange pump. This results in a fall in intracellular calcium and leads to smooth muscle relaxation, as less calcium is available for the calcium-dependent myosin-actin interaction required for smooth muscle contraction (Barnes 1995). Black, Oliver and Roth (2009) suggest that short acting beta-2 agonists can mediate further physiological responses to include the stimulation of beta-2 receptors on mast cells, leading to the suppre ssion of inflammatory mediator release and the inhibition of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein release from airway fibroblasts.http://www.uky.edu/~mtp/adrenergic_pics/Beta2Effect.jpg Janet was commenced on Salbutamol one hundred micrograms, two puffs as required and was reviewed after a four week period where it was identified that Janet remained breathless particularly on exertion and therefore her symptoms had not been improved upon. Following the NICE (2010) guidelines for COPD it was agreed with Janet to add in a long acting bronchodilator (LABA). She was commenced on Salmeterol twenty five micrograms two puffs twice a day. Diaz, Bruns, Ezzie, Marchetti and Thomashow (2008) claim that long acting bronchodilators such as Salmeterol have an affinity for the beta-2 receptor that is approximately one hundred times higher than that of short acting bronchodilators such as Salbutamol. The duration of action of Salmeterol is around twelve hours and hence only needs to be taken twice daily often helping with concordance. The benefits of LABAs are to improve respiratory symptoms, airflow, quality of life, rate of exacerbations and exercise tolerance. Patients with emph ysema typically have a greater degree of hyperinflation than others with COPD and bronchodilators have been shown to improve hyperinflation at rest and during exercise. As Janet rated herself as level three on the MRC dyspnoea scale, NICE (2010) recommend that the patient be referred for pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is defined as a multidisciplinary programme of care for patients with chronic respiratory impairment that is individually tailored and designed to optimise each patients physical and social performance and autonomy (NICE 2010). The rehabilitation process should incorporate a programme of physical training, disease education, and nutritional, psychological and behavioural intervention. The aims of pulmonary rehabilitation are to increase a persons exercise tolerance and give support and advice which may include smoking cessation. It incorporates people with COPD who have undergone additional training to act as buddies to fellow sufferers. Many patients look upon pulmonary rehabilitation as a social occasion and this aspect helps to improve their quality of life. Discussion. This essay has examined the case of Janet who presented at primary care with dyspnoea on exertion. Janet has a history of smoking and following a chest x-ray and lung function tests, she was diagnosed with having COPD. Due to the nature of her symptoms and hyperinflation demonstrated on x-ray, it was concluded that Janet had emphysema which falls under the umbrella term of COPD along with chronic bronchitis and asthma. The rest of Janets history was unremarkable and her observations and blood tests were found to be normal. COPD is characterised by airflow obstruction and is usually progressive, not fully reversible, and does not change markedly over several months. Patients with COPD often present in primary care with symptoms such as shortness of breath on exertion, cough or excessive sputum production. Usually the patient will already have damage to their lungs when they present with symptoms. The symptoms of COPD are extremely subjective and do not correspond to the FEV1 reading. For instance, two people could be seen with exactly the same reading of FEV1, but one patient would have very few symptoms and perhaps only need occasional use of a short acting bronchodilator whereas the other patient could be using two or more inhalers. Airway obstruction is diagnosed using spirometry and an FEV1 of

Good vs. Evil in The Friars Tale :: essays research papers fc

Society has always judged a person on his level of morality. This level of judgment has been evident since the immoral acts of Adam and Eve were committed. Some of these acts are dishonesty, adultery, and ignorance. â€Å"The Friar’s Tale† makes these moral issues clear through various characters. The summoner and the Devil both show dishonesty, abuse of power, and mercilessness. In this short story, Chaucer illustrates the theme of immorality and how it affects the character of all the persons in the tale. .Characters display dishonesty in â€Å"The Friar’s Tale†. The summoner steals the money that he collects from peasants. Chaucer illustrates this act of immorality when he says, â€Å"Now truly†¦so do I. I never spare to take a thing, knows God, unless it be too heavy or too hot. What I get for myself, and privately, no kind of conscience for such things have I†. (170-174). The summoner is being dishonest to the people that he collects from by not telling him that he keeps the money. The summoner admits to the Devil that he steals. The summoner also says that he has no conscience. Therefore he can not be kept from evil. (Gray 115) Bowden addresses the summoner’s immorality when he states, â€Å"Fact and fiction both condemn him as especially licentious and dishonest. He also mentions how Gower writes of him as pretending to be poor but, in actuality, as being as rich as a king† (Bowden 55). Stealing is immoral, and Bowden reinforces that the summoner is immoral and steals beyond need. He is also being dishonest to his Archdeacon by not giving him the collections. The devil persuade the summoner into committing immoral acts. He makes the summoner believe that he himself is a thief as well. We see this happen when the devil says, â€Å"My wages are right scanty, and but small. My lord is harsh to me and niggardly, my job is most laborious, you see; and therefore by extortion do I live† (162-165). Hallissy agrees when he states, â€Å"When Geoffrey comments that the friar likes the company of such people better than that of lepers and beggars†¦such worldly values are inappropriate in a follower of Christ†. (Hallissy 33). By hanging out with those of higher status, the friar proves that he is not carrying out his vows. Hallissy suggests that the summoner, who should be a model for the community, is immoral.

Snapshots of Love Essays -- Personal Narrative, essay about my family

Most of the snapshots of my life are held in the photo albums of my mind. Some were captured by a camera, and those pictures I keep in a shoebox under my bed. I'm lucky to have "shoebox photos" of the earliest things I can remember. For example, three days after my third birthday, Katherine Emily arrived. I remember my dad taking me to see my new baby sister; we stopped at a gas station on the way to the hospital and bought my mom candy and a cola. That day, the camera caught the tiny smile only a big sister could have as she holds one of the best birthday presents ever. I don't take up even half of a blue hospital chair as I cradle Katie in my arms. She is wrapped all in white, like the little angel that every baby is. My white, hooded sweatshirt has faint patches of sky blue, and just a tiny crimson triangle of a T-shirt peeks out from behind the zipper. Looking closer, a third person can be seen: my mother's wrist-banded hand holds Katie's head up. My tiny arms weren't quite strong enough for that task. That was the first time I ever posed with Katie. Looking at that photo makes me remember all the other pictures I have of Katie and me, even when there was no camera with film and batteries ready to go. It's these pictures that I'll never lose. Before Katie and I went off to school, we spent our days in the tunnels and caves of cardboard boxes and secret hideaways under the kitchen table. Our house has never been short on toys (there were six kids born before Katie and me), but boxes have always been a favorite. I remember being able to easily slide through the long passageways, my back not even brushing against the "ceilings" of our tunnels and forts. Katie had an even easier time ... ..., on the right, Horseshoe Falls bubbles under a mist that slowly rises above the horizon. Katie and I lean against the heavy, black railing, and against each other. Our smiles are sweet and happy, reminiscent of Katie's first birthday. These two shoebox pictures of Katie and me are just two snapshots in a shared photo album, filled with every cake, thought, joke, and sweater we've shared. In the midst of looking through the collection, Katie yells at me, "Hey, that's my shirt!" "You borrow my stuff," I reply. "Not without asking." "You had my black skirt for three months." "I asked for it." I let the fight peter out, not wishing to waste a memory on an argument about clothes. There will be plenty of hair-pulling, name-calling, and angry situations between Katie and me to come. I want to save my film for better times. Snapshots of Love Essays -- Personal Narrative, essay about my family Most of the snapshots of my life are held in the photo albums of my mind. Some were captured by a camera, and those pictures I keep in a shoebox under my bed. I'm lucky to have "shoebox photos" of the earliest things I can remember. For example, three days after my third birthday, Katherine Emily arrived. I remember my dad taking me to see my new baby sister; we stopped at a gas station on the way to the hospital and bought my mom candy and a cola. That day, the camera caught the tiny smile only a big sister could have as she holds one of the best birthday presents ever. I don't take up even half of a blue hospital chair as I cradle Katie in my arms. She is wrapped all in white, like the little angel that every baby is. My white, hooded sweatshirt has faint patches of sky blue, and just a tiny crimson triangle of a T-shirt peeks out from behind the zipper. Looking closer, a third person can be seen: my mother's wrist-banded hand holds Katie's head up. My tiny arms weren't quite strong enough for that task. That was the first time I ever posed with Katie. Looking at that photo makes me remember all the other pictures I have of Katie and me, even when there was no camera with film and batteries ready to go. It's these pictures that I'll never lose. Before Katie and I went off to school, we spent our days in the tunnels and caves of cardboard boxes and secret hideaways under the kitchen table. Our house has never been short on toys (there were six kids born before Katie and me), but boxes have always been a favorite. I remember being able to easily slide through the long passageways, my back not even brushing against the "ceilings" of our tunnels and forts. Katie had an even easier time ... ..., on the right, Horseshoe Falls bubbles under a mist that slowly rises above the horizon. Katie and I lean against the heavy, black railing, and against each other. Our smiles are sweet and happy, reminiscent of Katie's first birthday. These two shoebox pictures of Katie and me are just two snapshots in a shared photo album, filled with every cake, thought, joke, and sweater we've shared. In the midst of looking through the collection, Katie yells at me, "Hey, that's my shirt!" "You borrow my stuff," I reply. "Not without asking." "You had my black skirt for three months." "I asked for it." I let the fight peter out, not wishing to waste a memory on an argument about clothes. There will be plenty of hair-pulling, name-calling, and angry situations between Katie and me to come. I want to save my film for better times.

Loyalty Shown In The Odyssey Essay example -- essays research papers

Loyalty to family, community, and the gods is an important quality in the lives of ancient Greek citizens. These qualities are clear demonstrated in The Odyssey through Penelope, Telemakhos, and Odysseus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Penelope shows her loyalty in several ways. She shows loyalty to Odysseus by waiting for his return for twenty long years. She did not choose a suitor until she knew for sure that Odysseus was dead. To delay the decision of choosing a suitor, Penelope said she would marry a suitor after she had finished weaving her shroud. She showed that she was weaving the shroud during the day, but at night, when it got dark she secretly unwove it. That is how Penelope shows her loyalty to her family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Telemakhos also shows loyalty to his f...

Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director Essay

In this case study, I have been given a number of roles and my task is to consider and provide appropriate answers in the relevant business context where you apply learning from my course of study so far and my own work experiences. Question 1 I am the supervisor in the marketing department and I believe that there is scope for gaining more sales in the standardised sector of the market because of quality differences between my product and those of larger competitors. Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director designed to achieve this objective Corporate Objectives The Furniture Company, based in a small town in Lancashire, develops, manufactures and markets quality furniture. The firm has a very good reputation throughout the entire region for all its products. The Furniture Company’s Supervisor of the Marketing Department is at present pursuing a strategy to grow its market share in the standardised section of the market because of quality differences between their product and those of larger companies. Marketing Audit Internal Product – High quality standardised products targeted at C1/C2 segments. Considered to be higher quality than those of larger competitors. The firm has a very good reputation for quality products. Pricing -Currently sold to up market retail outlets and on all sales are there is a very high profit margin on a relatively low turnover. Prices are higher than for similar type products in the large retail outlets due to economies of scale in purchasing. Place – Customers mainly consist C1/C2 for the standardised furniture. Potential customers visit the company’s display showroom, fully manned by an accounts clerk, a salesperson, both of whom are full-time and two part-time salespersons at weekend. Promotion – Very little advertising is done. Current advertising is mainly done via local press, and via direct mail all aimed locally. Advertising spend tends to be about 3% of revenue, with higher marketing spend within peak months. External Social – Since consumer trends are always changing, as are several of the products. With the traditional furniture, trends have small effect on sales. Economic – Figures to be confirmed. There is a spend of over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½750,000 within East Lancashire in the furniture market. The predicted growth for next year is 2% due to current consumer spend (interest rate currently stands at XX, and inflation 2.6%). Competitive – The Furniture Company faces many competitors, on its retail side are many, and on local scale there are approximately 10 similar sized companies, although, the firm has a very good reputation throughout the entire region for all its products. Customer Audit Standardised products are aimed at C1/C2 segments. The competitions products were viewed as inferior to those of The Furniture Company, due to highly skilled craftsmanship. SWOT Analysis Strengths * Availability, either via local showroom, situated just off motorway or via retail outlet * Access, Full showroom with manned staff * Established, very good reputation throughout the region * Established up market retail outlet supplier * Higher quality than those of larger competitors * Innovation, constantly designing new furniture for changing market Weaknesses * Prices are slightly higher than for similar type products Opportunities * Market Development * Selling to mid-market retail outlets Nationwide * Expanding product into Europe & worldwide Threats * Prices are higher than for similar type products in the large retail outlets * Unable to keep up with supplier demand Marketing Objectives and Strategies Market Development Ansoff’s Matrix is a well-known Marketing Tool for deciding upon strategies for growth. First published in the Harvard Business Review (1957) in an article called Strategies for Diversification (see below example). Market Penetration By marketing our existing products to our existing customers, thus increasing revenue, by promoting the product, repositioning the brand. The aim is to encourage people to switch from other furniture manufacturers. Market Development Marketing the product in a new market/target audience. By introducing the product into a new region and also exporting the product. Market Extension/Product Development Selling the existing standard furniture into new markets, nationwide and worldwide, as the product already has a strong marketing competence. Diversification Not required Example of The Ansoff Matrix Product Life Cycle (see diagram below) Launch/Introduction – The product is introduced into new markets and heavily promoted to create awareness. High costs. Due to success in the current markets, risk is fairly low. Growth – Higher volume of sales enables The Furniture Company to benefit from economies of scale. Products become more profitable as sales rise and costs fall. Advertising spend is still high and focuses on building upon a brand name, ready for the maturity and decline stage to introduce new furniture after the brand has been established. Maturity – Sales grow at a decreasing rate and then stabilise. Brand awareness is crucial in continuing success. The company retains its share of the market by capturing sales from weaker rivals by ensuring consistently quality furniture. Decline – At this point there is a downturn in the market for this particular product. Sales and profit decline. New products are introduced or consumer tastes have changed. Product can be removed from the market at this stage and replaced by new furniture or profits can be improved by reducing marketing spend and cost cutting. Elimination/Withdrawal (or extension) When faced with decline in sales, the company will need to decide whether the decline is Temporary, Terminal and Irreversible or Capable of being reversed by an adjustment in the marketing mix Extension To rejuvenate the product to prolong its life by changing the product, the brand, the way it is promoted or the distribution channel. Question 2 As supervisor in the marketing department one of my roles is to devise expansion strategies as question 1. I believe, however, that the high quality hand crafted furniture could sell to a national and ultimately international market especially if at some future point the U.K. joins the single currency. At present these products sell to a regional market and I have already put this idea to the Marketing Director and received a positive response to the extent that he wants you to do a presentation to the full board of Directors on this idea Devise a promotional campaign to be presented to the Board that would reach a national market for the higher quality products. Marketing is defined as the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the requirements of customer profitably. Product Introduce the standardised range and also high quality furniture into mid-market and up-market retail outlets nationwide. The standardised range is higher quality than those of competitors. The handcrafted furniture provides high quality furniture aimed at the higher end of the market. Price Cost for the standardised product is slightly higher than its competitors. This can stand being higher due being higher quality than the products of competitors. Place The standardised products and the high quality furniture both sell currently to larger retail outlets and also to individual order. Introduction of the furniture into a national market and also international market. Promotion Offer trials to nationwide retail outlets, both mid-market and up-market with the relevant products, with trial offers. Pay for advertising spend to promote the product within the area via local media, and also promote product and brand via in-store advertising and display stands. Brand awareness is very important at this stage. The Promotional Plan * Description of products available * A description of target audience * Identification of the price * Information on where the product will be sold * Methods to be used o Posters – placed at locations in store and places frequented by your target audience o Press Release – Informing of the product to be selling locally o Local Newspaper Advertising – Advertising within locality using established media within the area promoting brand and product o Radio Advertising – Informing of product and brand launch, aimed at prime time listening, selecting stations geared to 35+ and homeowner audience. Question 3 I am employed as the supervisor in the Personnel Department and am responsible for the overseeing of the day-to-day tasks of the department. I am currently studying for the Institute of Personnel Management qualification and have become more familiar with the concept of human resources. Present a paper to the Personnel director outlining the benefits of introducing a HRM approach to the management of people and in particular how this would improve both productivity and motivation. Motivation (Definition) †¦ a set of processes concerned with the force that energises behaviour and directs it towards attaining some goal. A strategic, coherent and comprehensive approach to the management and development of the organisations human resources in which every aspect of that approach is wholly integrated with the overall management of the organisation. HRM is essentially an ideology, quote M. Armstrong, taken from Handbook of Human Resource Management, Kogan Page, 1999. Human resources management activities relate to employees pay, welfare, conditions of employment and training. HRM is based on four principles * Employees must be seen as valued assets in which to invest. It is human capability and commitment, which, in the final analysis, distinguishes successful organisations from the rest, Storey. * HRM is of strategic importance and, therefore, needs to be considered by top management in the formulation of the corporate plan. * Commitment not compliance. The key levers (the development of human resources; evaluation of performance and the rewarding of it) are to be used to seek not merely compliance but commitment. In other words, employees should not be forced to work grudgingly, but by obtaining their wholehearted commitment * Strategic implications of HRM. HRM is therefore, seen to have long-term implications and be integral to the core performance of the business. It must be the intimate concern of the line managers. Line managers have the responsibility of managing their staff. The role of personnel function is to enable the line managers to fulfil their HRM responsibilities effectively. Soft and Hard Approach to HRM The soft approach can be closer than the traditional personnel approach. Soft HRM is an integrated strategic function that is concerned with nurturing people because they are human beings whose feelings should be considered and, developing this valuable resource is the best way to achieve results. The Hard approach is based on the belief that human resources are the key assets, with emphasis placed on * Getting more out of people * Using them in a more productive way The aims of HRM are the same whether hard or soft and as follows * Enable management to achieve organisational objectives via its workforce * Enable people to utilise their full potential * Foster commitment * Integrate human resources policies with business plans * Establish an environment to unleash the creativity and energy of the workforce * Encourage flexibility in the interests of an organisation that is able to adapt to the environment and achieve excellence The main areas of management activity associated with the HRM philosophy * Organisation, design and effectiveness especially in relation to teamwork, communications, customer service and change management * Resources providing human resources required by means of recruitment, retention and training programmes. * Performance management improving performance by means of appraisal * Reward management for example, linking pay to performance * Motivation redesigning jobs and devising rewards to motivate employees * Commitment The integration of the needs of the individual with those of the organisation * Employee Relations Policies and procedures to encourage cooperation to the mutual benefit to all * Flexibility by means of mulitskilling redesigning jobs and new patterns of work * Quality as a way of life * Culture management influencing behaviour and thereby attitudes by means of resourcing, performance management and reward strategies Leadership and Motivation In the HRM school, Leadership should be democratic rather than authoritarian, managers should consult employees on matters that affect them, important in gaining respect of both the manager and the company, motivation rewards of social and psychological, not just financial. Motivation is defined as in influence that cases people (employees) to want to behave in a certain way, and combined with ability can result in performance. The motivated worker will be keen to work, take pride in their work, will not display negative attitude towards the company, display high level of commitment and get satisfaction out of work, benefiting the organisation with higher productivity levels, lower labour turnover, lower absenteeism, improve quality with less waste, greater willingness to accept change, willingness to contribute ideas and take on additional responsibility, allowing the company to overall reap the benefits of even greater financial gain. In production department, for example, possible financial reward could be brought into place looking at Hertzberg’s Hygiene factors of Pay and Benefits, Working Conditions, Company Policy, Status, Job Security, Supervision, Office and Personal Lift all set to motivate Achievement, Recognition, Job Interest, Responsibility and ultimately Advancement. HRM could look at setting up motivating factors with the sales department by setting targets based on achieving sales to new retailers nationwide with additional financial gain based on and over achieving rewards. The key concepts to adapting a HRM approach to the company would provide the following Competition advantage – Aspects of the company that give it an advantage over its rivals Human Resource Management – A strategic, coherent and comprehensive approach to the management and development of the company’s human resources Personnel Management – Management/administration of recruitment, welfare and training of the employees McGregors Theory x and Y (1960) McGregors Theory X and Y (1960) about managerial behaviour had a profound effect on management thinking and practice. His Theory Y principles featured in management training courses for a decade or more. They influenced the design and implementation of personnel policies and practices. The legacy today permeates the axioms of participative and total quality management and the continued practice of staff appraisal. McGregor defined assumptions that he felt underpinned the practices and stances of managers in relation to employees. These were evident from their conversations and actions. Two sets of propositions were dubbed Theory X and Y. He was saying that – what managers said or showed in their behaviour revealed their theories-in-use. Their predisposition led managers to pursue particular kinds of policies and relationships with employees. McGregor’s Theory Y was interpreted and promoted as a one-best-way, i.e. Y is the best. Managers or aspects of their behaviour became labelled as Theory X, the bad stereotype and Theory Y – the good. McGregor ideas were much informed by Maslow’s need satisfaction model of motivation. Needs provide the driving force motivating behaviour and general orientation. Maslow’s ideas suggested that worker dissatisfaction with work was due to poor job design, managerial behaviour and too few opportunities for job satisfaction. On the basis of these ideas about drives – Maslow suggested a classification of needs related to the development of the person – lower level needs giving way developmentally to higher order needs. Thus a hierarchy is suggested although not claimed by Maslow. Example of Maslows Hieratchy Benefits If we introduced a HRM approach to the company ultimately employees at all levels will feel motivated and productive as quoted by carrot & stick philosophy acceptance, and produce the most productivity. Employees will feel more worthy with a much easier line of communication with everyone feeling a valuable part of the organisation. The company needs to introduce a leadership mentality rather than management leadership and nurturer a new leadership approach. At present the organisation’s communications systems are mostly paper and telephone based Present a discussion document to the Personnel director explaining the concept of this electronic office, including explanation of the relevant technologies and their potential benefits You should also point out any potential drawbacks from this innovation and conclude with an evaluation of whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks or vice versa While predictions of the paperless office have yet to be fully realised, modern business now relies on a vast array of electronic equipment to function efficiently and effectively. The concept of a paperless office is to ensure productivity improvement and to use time more efficiently. At present most of the organisations communications are paper and telephone based. Initially, by utilising e-mail (electronic mail, which is the main use of the internet) the following advantages are gained by replacing paper & telephone communication * Speed of movement and data * Paperless office * Accessible via any modem line * Delivery is faster than snail mail (post, especially useful when dealing overseas) * It overcomes the problems of timezones. The recipient does not have to be there to receive it * Like fax, it is possible to send messages to more than one person * E-mail addresses are portable * It enables users to exchange information with people * The cost is not dependent on the distance travelled * It is cheaper than fax or telephone * Cuts out general chat on the telephone * Less formal than a letter * The message will remain in the recipients e-mail account until it is collected * Can be sent with document or picture attachment * E-mails can be stored until recipient discards information Installing computerised systems with each department will also benefit from enabling all staff to access shared data from different departments computerised filing systems, e.g. access into word documents, spread sheets and other programme files. With transportable laptops, the office can be taken anywhere and even used worldwide, to assist in presentations and retrieving documents on a more global scale. Document Management System Another new form of the Electronic Office is the Document Management System offering solutions from the standalone scanner to a whole enterprise solution. E-Business solution companies analyse and advise on new business solutions. The Document Management System is a small step in the way forward for the paperless office, the benefits of incorporating the system is * Reduce office staff non-productivity rapidly locating folders and documents * Retain corporate knowledge and know where it is * Access paper documents within your business application * Scan your cabinets full of documents to secure them in case of Fire, Flood, Burglary or damage * Enable multiple people access to the same document or folder * Safely secure your documents for archival * Reduce boxes of stored paper * Automatically recognise forms and characters on incoming documents and locate them based on their content * Fax and receive documents directly from your desktop * Establish document privacy Electronic Office Manager It is a Human Resources and Process Management System that focuses on the internal operations of your business. The EOM provides businesses with a computerised Office Manager, with everything defined as a procedure, checklist or form. Job Descriptions become daily â€Å"to do† lists. To help manage time with automated reminders covering everything from training events to holiday management. EOM also provides Electronic Human Resource and Training Departments with employee files, applicant databases, and pre-written and editable employee handbooks and job descriptions. It also includes a system for creating and scheduling training. EOM even helps with financial forecasting and business planning features and point-to-point web navigation and link management. Operative Procedures, HRM, Business Development, Scheduling and Education & Training are all available via EOM programme. Electronic Drawbacks Training and monitoring of training will be required at each stage to ensure competence and understanding of new system. With regular meetings required, and management of the change in system. Staff may be dissatisfied with the paperless office, and reluctant to the change. System failure. Without the adequate after support service and/or training there could be potential problems with system errors, which may result in non-productivity if staff rely on PC’s when there is a breakdown. A recent example pf a paperless office is one department of Glasgow Borough Council, who recently had a computerised system developed solely for the use. Originally, each site manager called into an office each morning to collect information on various sites requiring repair assessment visits (approx 20 throughout the day) followed by a visiting to each site and manual completion of an in-depth form, and followed by manually inputting information on the computer for someone else then to call out to complete the repair work. The Borough Council have now developed a computerised system to enable them to receive the site information via electronic organiser, input the repair requirements, and return information upon completion for repairs to be carried out. Not only did this save much time on paperwork, but also time is more effectively managed by receiving full details of jobs throughout the day, which may be in areas the site manager is already working in.    BIBLIOGRAPHY Jewell Bruce R, An Integrated Approach to Business Studies, Longman, [2000] ISBN 0582 40542 4 Ansoff’s Matrix, www.marketingteacher.com/lessons/lesson_ansoff.html [accessed 31/05/02] How do I market My Inventions, http://www.montanaedu/wwwcxai [accessed 20/05/02] The Electronic Office, www.walters.co.uk/brochure/elecoffice1.htm [accessed 06/06/02] Imaging and Document Management Solutions, www.cabinetng.net/paperlessoffice.htm [accessed 05/06/02]