Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Risk Management Strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk Management Strategy - Coursework Example However, this is not usually the case since sometimes risks emerge that creates an impact on the delivery, costs, schedules and performance of the project (Greenhalgh et al., 2010: p. 4). This therefore requires the project team to device an effective risk management plan to deal with the emerging uncertainties. A risk is any uncertain event whose occurrence affects the performance of a project. A risk management strategy describes the specific management techniques and standards to be applied and the responsibilities for achieving an effective risk management procedure. The objectives of this risk management strategy is to protect the organisation, employees, clients and any other volunteers who are involved in the implementation of the NHS Summary Care Record (SCR) project (Goundrey-Smith, 2012:p.67). The scope of this risk management plan includes the process of identifying, analyzing and managing risks. This risk management plan provides guidelines on performing, recording, monitoring and reporting risk management activities throughout the project life cycle (Greenhalgh et al., 2010: P.7). Risks related to the use of SCR systems must be identified and documented appropriately using the PRINCE2 project management method. The various risks and threats that may emerge as a result of using electronic systems to store and manage patients information must be identified and mitigated appropriately(Greenhalgh et al., 2008: p.3) A good risk management strategy for SCR stipulates the procedures for identifying the risks, assessing the impact of the risks, planning for the risks, implementing the strategy and communicating the strategy to the people concerned(Goundrey-Smith, 2012:p.32). The project co-ordinator/ manager will work in collaboration with the project team to identify, analyze and manage risk during the project life cycle. The following sections outline the various steps to the project

Monday, October 28, 2019

Customer Service Plan Essay Example for Free

Customer Service Plan Essay Customer service and commitment to our customers has been the driving force behind our brand. Widget strive to get it right first time, everytime.Incases where things don’t come out right we believe our professional workers will strive to correct the problem and our customers have the right to know what level of service they can expect from us all the time even in these times when we fall short of the very high standards we have set ourselves. Through our Vision and mission statement we make a commitment to our customers both internal and external. Mission Statement Passionate about exceeding the delivery of our customers’ service expectations by providing the very best in professional, value engineered widgets through our ever growing nationwide team of professional, caring staff. Vision Statement To be Australia’s number one national provider of quality widgets by empowering our staff to deliver our customers with the very best in quality, value and service. Our Product standards Our product is manufactured in strict accordance with the Australian quality standards and also taking into account the use of which our customers will subject our product. Our internal policies and quality standards support the high quality standards set in our vision and mission statement.Our product specifications are clearly presented in all our packaging materials and tested during the production process to ensure all tolerance limits are adhered to. Our main product is 12 mm black hole plugs which are made of plastic to cover ,conseal and decorate 12 mm diameter holes in cabinets,furniture,window frames,vinyl fences and elsewhere.Fits any 12mm diameter holes. These hole cover widgets practically work anywhere indoors and out .These are made from our factory with high –impact injection molded  plastic. These can come from different sizes as requested by our customers. All our products have a small tolelance limit of +1% or -1%. Specifications. Our product range will have the following features. Color:it will come in the range of black ,white or grey Fits hole size :12mm or as requested by customer Diameter:12 mm Length: 6mm Top diameter:15 mm Material:Polypropylene. Tolelance limit:plus or minus 1% Widgets outlines its description of its product in the policy and communicated to the customer to allow the customer to make any queries or complaints incase the product received its off specification. Pricing Widget ensures that its products are properly priced so that customers are able to afford the goods as well as profitability is maintained to allow the company invest in the quality and standards initiatives of the products. Widgets pricing is well thought as we do in other sectors of the business like marketing and branding, the price the customer sees on display is the price customers pay. There are no hidden costs. Our standard product 12 mm fits hole size will cost 12AUD /dozen and customers are requested to enquire from the customer service team for prices of any changes requested to the standard product. Delivery of goods Widgets aim to deliver all orders made either online or face to face within three days of the order being made.We aim to have a delivery process which ensures a reliable, secure and efficient service. If delays occur during deliveries and extra time may be required, customers will be contacted urgently to alert them of the next delivery times or else they can call our Despatch department directly on 1300 880 370. One day prior to your delivery we will SMS all of the important delivery information about your order to your mobile. If all the information is correct you will only need to text back OK. If there are any details that are not correct or you wish to change your delivery date please ring us on 1300 880 370. In order to offer our customers a better delivery service these terms and conditions replace any delivery and pickup conditions stated on your order form. TERMS CONDITIONS: 1. It is important that someone is at the receaving end to receive delivery of your purchase on the designated day. No specific time of delivery can be provided. A four hour time frame will be advised but cannot be guaranteed. 2. A minimum delivery fee of $75 (outside the Metropolitan area) is payable separately to the Carrier in cash or bank cheque. Delivery is free inside the Metropolitan area 3. Cash or bank cheque must be used to pay any balance of monies owing at time of delivery. Personal/Company cheques will NOT be accepted. For your convenience we can accept credit cards in store 48 hours prior to delivery, surcharges may apply. 4. Once arrangement for a delivery day is confirmed, there will be a minimum re-delivery charge of $75 if no person is at the delivery address on the day of delivery or the delivery is cancelled by the customer on day of delivery. 5. When receiving goods, please inspect thoroughly before signing Received in good order as any claims for scratches, marks, dents or other damages will not be accepted once signed. 6. Failure to collect or take delivery of the goods beyond 21 days from the date of contact by our despatch department will result in the sales order being cancelled and all monies paid will be forfeited. 7. All original packing wrapping will be left at the premises (delivery address). CUSTOMER PICK UPS Customer collection of goods purchased from Widgets stores can also be  collected by the customer in any of our distribution centres.. The customer must contact the Delivery department prior to pick up on 1300 880 370 to make an appointment. Same day pickup is not available. Pickup times at Distribution Centers Customers: Monday to Thursday 10:00am 12:30pm 1:30pm 3:00pm Carriers: Friday ONLY Other Policies and Procedures Customer needs Widget believes that it is important that customers needs are regularly reviewd to ensure that its products are inline with the changing times. Therefore time and again Widget carries out research to identify these needs and implement changes identified. Widget uses the RATER model to identify its customers needs since customers when assessing what they want will consider the reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness as they are being assisted. Using the RATER guide Widget will use the following techniques to gather customer needs Informal face to face discussions for its key customers Telephone interviews Email surveys Suggestion boxes Internet surveys. All information gathered for customers is protected by the Privacy act 1988 including how the information is collected,used and disclosed,its accuracy and how securely it is kept and general rights to access that information. Widget has a dedicated Customer service research officer who is responsible for ensuring that all customer data collected is securely kept and used for  its intended purpose only. Complaints and feedback If you have a complaint or if there is anything we can help you with, please let us know.Widget values feedback and appreciate the opportunity to follow up. Widget deals with all people from diversi background and does not discriminate anyone on the basis of age ,race,disability or sex. Our policy take into account the Age discrimination act 2004,Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986,Disability Discrimination ACT 1992,Racial discrimination Act 1975 and Sex Discrimination Act 1984. There are a number of ways you can contact us to lodge your complain and includes our Email at Widget123.gmail.com or phone at 08100300 or mail at Widget Australia,3/77 Manning street ,Bentley ,6102. Or you can also connect with us via Twitter or facebook Complain resolution process and timeframes Once we receive your complaints, we may ask you to provide supporting or documentation to aid us in investigations. This may include proof of identity, statutory declaration, receipts and so on. We aim to resolve complaints within 5 working days, however please note that some complaints may take longer to investigate especially matters to do with international orders. Managing records and data. Widgets collects alot of data of customers including physical addresses, names,date of birth and many more information. The Customer service research officer is responsible for keeping the data securely and is sorted by our secure information technology section. The Privacy Act 1988(the Act)  governs the obligations and responsibilities of companies in relation to the management of official records. Under this Act, each company has an obligation to maintain official records in its custody in good order and condition. This obligation applies not only to the capture, storage, maintenance and disposal of physical records, but also to records in electronic format. Widget policy is governed by this act and all measures necessary are taken to ensure that compliance is maintained.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

James Baldwins Life in Notes of a Native Son Essay -- James Baldwin

Cycles of Hatred James Baldwin lived during an extremely tumultuous time where hatred ruled the country. Race riots, beatings, and injustice flooded the cities that he, as well as most African Americans, was forced to live with every day. Many people, out of fright, suppressed their opposition to the blatant inequalities of the nation. However, some people refused to let themselves be put down solely because of their skin color and so they publicly announced their opposition. One such person was James Baldwin, who voiced his opinion through writing short stories about his experiences growing up as a black man. In order to convey to the reader the unbearable nature of this troubled era, he traces his feelings of hatred for his father and his hatred towards society, which transform as he evaluates his experiences. James Baldwin wrote â€Å"Notes of a Native Son† in the mid-1950s, right in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement while he resided in Harlem. At this time, Harlem housed many African Americans and therefore had amplified amounts of racially charged crimes compared to the rest of the country. Baldwin’s life was filled with countless encounters with hatred, which he begins to analyze in this text. The death of his father and the hatred and bitterness Baldwin feels for him serves as the focus of this essay. While Baldwin describes and analyzes his relationship with his father, he weaves in public racial episodes occurring simultaneously. He begins the story by relating the hatred he has for his father to the hatred that sparked the Harlem riots. He then internalizes various public events in order to demonstrate how hatred dominates the whole world and not only his own life. Baldwin freq... ... came as a big shock. After having analyzed his feelings towards race relations in his life, his father’s interpretation of this passage now resembled that of his own. At the start of the essay Baldwin hated his father because his bitterness bothered him but he concludes with the desire to be with his father again. As he evaluates his experiences with racism alongside his feelings from the death of his father, he realizes that his father held correct opinions on white people and his whole life he hated the wrong person. James Baldwin perpetuated hate during his life by directing it at his father and didn’t even notice until he was hated himself; unfortunately, he lost that precious time with his father. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Notes of a Native Son.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1988. 63-84.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

English Language Anxiety Essay

English as all know is the international communication language which plays a great role in many important aspects of a society. In Malaysia, English as a second language after Malay language, is not only used in terms of education system, but is extensively used in inter-cultural communication and professions such as law, medicine, engineering and of course business. In this era of increasing globalization, Malaysia will have to face with tighter and rigid competition from other foreign countries. In accordance to that, Malaysian students will have to get themselves ready for the upcoming circumstances especially those involving the usage of English. Malaysian students have been learning English continuously for at least 11 years starting from primary school till secondary school before enrolling themselves into a third-level education. English has been a compulsory subject for students in Malaysia in which they need to pass in all the major examinations in Malaysia such as UPSR, PMR and SPM. In higher education, English is used more expressively as entire main and core subjects such as medical, law, algebra and business use English as the principal language. Whether it is a local university or a private one, English has become the main source of commandment other than becoming a subject in the curriculum. To exemplify, universities which use English as the medium of language such as International Islamic Universities Malaysia (IIUM), which has been an English-medium university since it was first established in 1983, require its students to pass a standard level of English before enrolling into the university. The students will be tested again during their orientation week on English language by undergoing an English Placement Test ( EPT). Students who gain level 6 and below will be placed in English classes till they have reached the standard of exemption. These English classes are necessary as all the subjects taught are in English. These efforts show the importance of English in education. After graduation, students who are proficient in English will have a better future as they will be easily employed by multinational companies. One of the job’s specifications in Malaysia is to have soft skills especially the ability to communicate in good English. Furthermore, job interviews nowadays are also conducted in English. Here it is clear that, in order to have better chances in future, one must have full confidence in using English language. Nonetheless, English is not the first language for most Malaysian students. Most Malaysian students use their own mother language, for example Malay language, Mandarin and Tamil when communicating with family and friends. This will cause their English language skills to rot if it is continuously being practiced which will later on lead to anxiety in the process of learning English. After a minimum of 11 years of studying English in both the primary and secondary schools, students in the Centre for Foundation Studies ( CFS), IIUM still have difficulties in using the language effectively. For example, a study by Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah ( 2007) in CFS, â€Å"in Semester 1, 2006/2007, more than 40% of the students taking first level English obtained grade â€Å"D† in their papers, while only 5% of them obtained an â€Å"A†Ã¢â‚¬ . This shows that the students have not yet mastered the language before entering the university. The writer added that despite of having English Intensive Class Programme and extra classes by individual English lecturers, the level of English proficiency remains dissatisfactory. With the increasing usage of English globally, it is really necessary to find out the factors which may hinder English language learning. One of the factors which has not been paid attention to is language learning anxiety. â€Å"Anxiety is a major factor that affects second/foreign language learning† ( Mohammad Javad Riasati, 2011). He also states that levels of anxiety differ from one individual to another but is always present. Most of today’s education and economy uses English as the language of commandment. For that reason, it is really important to find out the factors which affect anxiety and ways to reduce it to increase the performance of an English language learner. Different students have different proficiency levels in English language skills namely reading, writing, listening and speaking. With that reason, different students will also encounter different levels of anxiety for all those skills. One student may feel more anxious in speaking while the other in writing. As all of these four skills are needed to be mastered in order to be proficient in English, even by losing confidence in only one of it might cause difficulties in carrying out tasks in both education and job. This study will help both the educators and learners of English language in CFS, IIUM. The teachers will get information about the factors causing anxiety among students. They will also be given information on the rank of students’ anxiety in possessing the 4 language skills namely writing, listening, reading and speaking so that the teachers will consider about which one of these 4 language skills should be given more attention to. Last but not least, the findings of this study will help both the students and teachers to design a suitable strategy on ways to reduce anxiety in order to increase the performance of mastering English language. This study specifically addresses the following 3 research questions: 1) Which language skill namely writing, listening, speaking and reading creates the highest anxiety level among students in CFS, IIUM? 2) What are the factors that are probable to cause anxiety? 3) What are the ways used by the students to reduce anxiety? The objectives of this study are as follows: 1) To identify specific language skill in which students in CFS, IIUM feel most anxious. 2) To identify the factors which are more probable to cause anxiety. 3) To identify the ways students use to reduce anxiety. According to Hansen (1977), anxiety is â€Å"an experience of general uneasiness, a sense of foreboding, a feeling of tension† (p. 91). Anxiety is a type of psychological phenomena and ranges from mixture of open views of behavioral attribution. Due to anxiety’s impact on the students’ performance in learning English as a second language, it has been continuously studied by many researchers. Learning a second language will cause awareness among the learners that they are using a language which they have not yet mastered to communicate (Toth, 2011). This phenomenon will lead to many upcoming problems the learners have to face in using English as they have not completely accepted a second language as a part of their lives. This is according to Cohen and Norst ( 1989) â€Å" language and self/identity are so closely bound, if indeed they are not one and the same thing, that a perceived attack on one is an attack on the other† (p. 76). This will somehow lead students of English learners to feel less enjoyable during their class. Few studies conducted about the factors that affect anxiety are communication apprehension ( McCroskey, 1970), fear of negative evaluation ( Watson & Friend, 1969) and test anxiety ( Sarason, 1978). Communication apprehension for example is the difficulty in understanding teacher’s instructions, negative evaluation for example is the fear of correction and last but not least, example of test anxiety is the fear of failing in the class. According to Young ( n.d.), language anxiety is caused by â€Å" (a) personal and interpersonal Anxiety, (b) learner beliefs about language learning, (c) instructor beliefs about language teaching, (d) instructor-learner interactions, (e) classroom procedures and (f) language testing† ( Mohammad Javad Riasati, 2011, p.908). The 4 language skills namely writing, speaking, reading and writing plays vital role in helping students to attain proficiency in English Language. A study of anxiety in learning English as a foreign language by Wilson (2006) and Mohd Hilmi Bin Hamzah (2007) have included the findings on language skills. Wilson (2006) states that â€Å"†¦anxiety might exert a deleterious influence on language achievement and equally intuitively, that poor language achievement might arouse even more anxiety† (p. 25). In Wilson’s (2006) research, although a four-skills approach is used (taking in listening, speaking, writing and reading) the oral skill was emphasized. This shows that most students are afraid of speaking English as a second language during class. In his study, Young (1991) interviewed Krashen who stated that teachers often expect new students to perform beyond their expectations which increases the level of anxiety among students. This will further discourage the students to use English in their lives. â€Å" A students who believes that one must never say anything in English until it can be said correctly will probably avoid speaking most of the time† ( Khairi Izwan Abdullah and Nurul Lina Bt. Abdul Rahman, n.d.). An arouse of language anxiety from different language skills such as writing, listening, reading, speaking and grammar have further been studied by Brantmeier (2005), Hussein Elkafaifi (2005), Greyersen and Horwitz (2002) and Casado (2001). This will lead the learners to perform poorly especially in speaking. The feeling of anxiety needs to be treated to avoid students that have been affected by this problem to be carried away into some other serious problems. In some studies, it was found that anxiety levels were highest during the early stages of language learning and lessened at an advanced level. This has been concluded by MacIntyre and Gardner (1991, p.111), â€Å"an experience and proficiency increase, anxiety declines in a fairly consistent manner†. This means that if students keep on practicing all the language skills of English by reading books, listening to English songs, writing blogs and communicating in English continuously, they will be able to overcome the feelings of anxiety and will perform better. Methodology The main purpose of this study is to investigate the level of English learning Anxiety among the students of Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). A population from CFS, IIUM was chosen to identify the specific language skills in which students in CFS, IIUM feel most anxious, the factors which are more probable to cause anxiety and the ways the students use to reduce anxiety. Data for this research was collected through a set of questionnaire. This research employed the use of questionnaire research methodology. The instrument used to collect the data was a questionnaire containing nine questions. The questionnaire was passed to thirty students of the CFS, IIUM randomly where its scope of distribution was not limited on a certain course, level of study, age or gender. To ensure that the questions were fully understood by the students, a brief introduction about the topic was provided at the top of each questionnaire.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Supercontinent

This paper will probe the theory that the continents of the Earth were originally a single supercontinent. It will describe the reasoning behind the theory, review the evidence that supposedly supports it, and present the reasoning for its rejection. It will also present an alternative view. It will explain the use of fossil records to link pieces of history, and why they may be one of the more significant methods used. The paper proposes that the theory of the supercontinent and the study of fossil records lack a confident conclusion to the geological history of the Earth and its present state, meriting the consideration of an alternative view. In 1912, a German meteorologist submitted the idea of the continental drift. His name was Alfred Wegener, and although he was not the first to explore this theory, his pursuit of the idea held more determination than any other did. 1 Wegener believed that the continents originally were attached in a single supercontinent he called Pangaea (â€Å"all land† or â€Å"all earth†). He also believed that the continent, surrounded by one global ocean, then broke apart and drifted to separate places on Earth. He reasoned that the process repeated itself over a period of time. A complete cycle from beginning to end could take approximately 300-600 million years. To support his theory, Wegener provided evidence, such as how the shapes of the continents appear to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. He is also noted how mountain ranges continued between continents, and appear to link them together. Wegener also submitted evidence that fossils and rock matter found on different continents were very similar to each other. Most interestingly, were the instances in which plant and animal fossils were found on the coastlines of South America and Africa (If looking at a world map, it can be said that Africa‘s west coast and South America‘s east coast seem to fit together). To Wegner, this was the most compelling evidence that the two continents once were one. 2 Although all of Wegner’s evidence seemed to coincide, his theory lacked a crucial point: a valid explanation of what pushed the continents apart. Wegener reasoned that the continents plowed through the ocean floor. His peers immediately rejected this idea. Studies conducted years later aided in the development of the concept of plate tectonics, as well as the subsequent confirmation of continental-drift theory. As previously mentioned, fossil records were among the evidence used to support the continental-drift theory. They provide some evidence of when and how life began, what types of organisms existed and how long they lived. Fossils also tell what the climate was and how it changed, as well as provide clues to the Earth’s tectonic evolvement. With the study of fossil records, it is conceivable that when the continents separated and rejoined, that animals once known to one specific region, now traveled in and about the other continents. 3 The shifting of the continents caused climatic changes that influenced this migration; however, climatic change was not the sole reason. Animal migration is indicative of the fact that animals were adapting to their surroundings (the availability of food, water, etc. in a specific area). Fossils have had great historical influence. Much of what we know about history has come from the study of fossils. The idea of plate tectonics was significantly aided by the notion that fossils now found widely spaced across the globe had to exist on the same original landmass that subsequently split apart. The African fossil record is arguably the most significant source of evolutionary history. Its fragmented components may be scattered throughout the continent, but considerably an integral part of piecing together history. Even with its supporting evidence, there are notable flaws in the idea of the continental drift. The theory states that all continents were once part of a single supercontinent, but does not explain how the supercontinent itself formed. The Creationist view offers an answer. By account of the Bible, the creation of the supercontinent and the subsequent shifting of the continents are explained in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth†¦God said, â€Å"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Thus, God made the firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven†¦Then God said, â€Å"Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear†; and it was so†¦. This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created†¦4 Genesis also tells us that God caused it to rain on the earth for forty days and nights. This event is recorded as the Great Flood. Arguably, the division of the firmament, in addition to the effects of the flood, caused the shifting of the continents. The Bible also states that during the flood God destroyed both man and cattle from the earth. Those on the ark were the only survivors. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that those human and animal remains would later be discovered fossilized deep within the earth. The continental-drift theory reasons that all continents formed from a single supercontinent. The use of fossil records has been used to support this theory. Initially rejected, other studies reportedly confirm the theory. However, upon closer inspection the theory raises more questions than answers. One is the question of the supercontinent itself. The theory tells us that subcontinents formed by the breaking apart of one supercontinent, but does not elaborate on how the supercontinent formed. Creationist suggests a different view. The idea of biblical creation tells us that God created the earth and then caused it to break and shift apart. Endnotes 1. John Reader, Africa: A biography of the Continent (New York: Vintage Books, 1999), 21. 2. NASA. â€Å"Evidence supporting Continental Drift†, 2003. http://kids. earth. nasa. gov/archive/pangaea/evidence. html. 3. Reader, 39. 4. The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984), Genesis 1:1, 6-9, 2:4. Bibliography Answers. com. â€Å"Plate tectonics: definition and much more from answers. comâ€Å", 2008. ttp://answers. com/topic/plate-tectonic (accessed 8/4/2008). John Reader, Africa: A biography of the Continent (New York: Vintage Books, 1999). NASA. â€Å"Evidence supporting Continental Drift† Sharron Sample, 2003. http://kids. earth. nasa. gov/archive/pangaea/evidence. html. The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984). Wikipedia. â€Å"Superc ontinent cycle† 2008. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/supercontinent_cycle Wisegeek. â€Å"What is the supercontinent cycle? † http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-supercontinent-cycle. htm (accessed 8/4/2008)

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Accounting Project Essays - Auditing, Financial Accounting, Audit

Accounting Project Essays - Auditing, Financial Accounting, Audit Accounting Project Accounting Project BAC 3AA Profile of an Accounting Department My interview with the accountant of Robin Hood Multifoods Inc. was one of the greatest interviews I have ever experienced. The person whom I interviewed was Mr. Jeff R. Scott. Jeff was a really nice person when I asked him questions. His desk was not as organized as I thought, because accountants are really organized. The reason is because he just got promoted from assistant controller to controller. As I asked him more and more questions, the answers that came back at me were pretty interesting. Jeff R. Scott is a Chartered Accountant acquired at the University of Western Ontario. His requirements of completing C.A. were a business degree, he had to join a C.A. firm also know as an article, and completing the C.A. exam. Skills included aptitude with numbers, relationships between numbers, algebra, and high-level thinking e.g. summarized data, interpreting what 3-4 pages means in 5-6 years. What might this job lead to? This job will most likely lead onto internal audit, managerial, and vice president of finance. How much influence does Jeff R. Scott have in the department/company? In his own words, Im in full control. I tell people what to do, whom to fire, whom to hire, what their salary should be. Why? Because Im the controller. He has leadership, teamwork. Does not really have a routine set for his staff, as long as the work is done. The working hours what the company refers to as flex-time. Hours of work for Jeff R. Scott is 7 a.m. 6 p.m. For the staff, it is 7 hours. The salary for Jeff R. Scott is between $90,000 - $120,000. Here are some extra information that I fount out. There are a total of 54 employees working in the accounting department (the represents the co-op employee). There are 2 at internal audit; 12 in accounts receivable and credit; 16 in operational; 9 in corporate (finance); 13 in information system (maintenance). Accounting is also divided into 2 branches, external auditors, and internal auditors. External auditors include treasury (corporate taxes), legal reporting, consolidations, and legal entry. Internal auditors include supporting the business, making financial decisions, and gross profit analysis.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Vince Lombardi Essays

Vince Lombardi Essays Vince Lombardi Paper Vince Lombardi Paper Vince Lombardi is regarded as one of the most legendary and greatest coaches of all time. Not only did he create winning teams, his philosophy and motivational skills were key factors to his success as a high school, college, and professional football coach. Vince was Italian and grew up in Brooklyn. His father owned a meat shop, and he made sure that Vince was a responsible young man and had him do work for him when he was not in school. Much of Vines philosophy and discipline as a coach was learned from his father in his younger years. His father told him as a young man that There was only one right and wrong, and he believed that you only did the right thing all the time (OBrien, 1987, p. 23). Vince began playing football at the age of 15 and later got a scholarship to play at Fordham university. Although he did not have much playing time at the beginning of his career because there were players who had priority over him and the fact that he incurred several injuries in college football. He was among the linemen that became known as the Seven Blocks of Granite in his later college years. Vince believed in winning, and did not ever take losing lightly. While he was In college, he did well, but not above average In academics. He was a devout Catholic, and he did spend many hours studying to Improve his academic scores. After Fordham, Vince played on several semi-professional football teams, but his small stature did not prove him to be a successful football player in the pros. Afterward, he accepted a Job as an assistant football coach at SST. Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey. This was the start of a long coaching career that would prove Vince Lombardi to be one of the greatest coaches in history. Vince was a oddball coach and teacher at SST. Cecilia High School from 1939 to 1947, Although he had never had any coaching or teaching experience. He felt this was his time to prove himself successful. Although he was only an assistant coach, he worked hard with head coach Andy Paula and together they formed a very successful football team. Vince used the same philosophy that his father taught him about when you do something, do it right the first time. He learned quickly that young athletes needed more time to let the plays and facts of the game sink in, so he had to adjust his expectations to their level. He lacked patience and often scolded players for making mistakes, but would always apologize and praise them privately. He had a burning desire to make his players successful and perfect in playing. A sportswriter once wrote that he demands perfection and gets it because his boys are willing to work for and with him (p. 59). In the classroom, Vince was very organized and demanding just as he was in practice. Although he wanted to move at a fast pace, Vince stated that he learned in the classroom that you cant travel faster than your slowest pupil (OBrien, p. 59). In 1942, Paula resigned as head coach leaving Vince to take over the team and have a shot at his first head coaching job in football. Although many had doubts as well as Vince himself, he took his first team to a winning season. His great preparation and innovative ideas of the game helped lead his team to many victories. Vince took an authoritarian approach to coaching the high school players. He told them that as long as he did the thinking and they did exactly what he told them to do then they would win. He had the mind of a winner and he made sure his players Ana ten same easels to win as nee 10 Vince Ana a willing record every year he coached the Saints of SST. Cecilia. Finally, he got a better offer to be assistant football coach and director of Physical Education at his alma mater, Fordham University. At Fordham, Vince worked under Deed Downward. Vince had hoped to learn a lot from him, but instead he ended up teaching himself most things he learned about football at the college level. Fordham lost all but one game that season and Vince was not happy with the lackadaisical approach Downward took toward coaching his players. The next year Vince became the offensive coach, and instead of working with Downward, he began to teach the players new plays to improve their game. Also, he took it upon himself to learn from many of the best coaches in football by meeting them at clinics or even talking to them on the phone. His desire for learning all aspects of the game showed that he had a strong will to coach football. Vince was very determined for his team to be successful and he knew he had to do whatever it took to find a way for them to win. Vince left Fordham in 1948 after only two years of coaching because of the corrupt businessmen trying to fire the head coach and replacing him with Vince without him knowing. In 1949, Vince got an offer to become an assistant coach at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. At West Point, Vince worked under Colonel Earl Black. Black helped Vince to develop more of a coaching philosophy. He taught Vince that as long as you keep it simple, but repeatedly practice each play, that the team would succeed. Black was a coach that had the strong desire to win as well. While Vince was there, he worked long periods of time with no vacation. The coaches spent many hours after practice and games to analyze each and every aspect of their players as well as watch videos of other teams to understand how to defend them in a game situation. Together, they made a great pair because they worked so hard to fulfill their desires of winning. The team endured great success until in 1951, the Academy expelled 90 students, including 32 of the football players for cheating. This devastated the coaches and the team. Although they had a tough following year, they bounced back and won the east championship the next year. Although the team seemed to be on a new path to success once again, Vince took a Job as an assistant coach at the professional level for the New York Giants in 1958. Before Vines arrival at the New York Giants, the team was losing and the then coach was replaced with Jim Lee Howell. Vince was hired as the offensive coordinator of the team and along with Tom Laundry, helped the New York Giants overcome their slump and did not have a losing season throughout his entire career. Vince had to make several adjustments to perform his coaching effectively at the professional level. To sharpen his skills, he watched endless amounts of film and even became close with the team players to learn each of their strengths and weaknesses. Although Vince loved his Job with the New York Giants he till longed for the head coaching title he felt he deserved. He received that title in 1958 when he was hired as the head football coach of the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin. Green Bay was known for its loyal fans and the recent poor performance of the team caused the management to find a new head coach. After much research and many interviews, they believed that Vince Lombardi, with his strong desire and confidence to win and his great coaching abilities, was the perfect selection. The Packers Ana to aureole their self-confidence. Most of the players were rumored to be wild and uncaring award their team and their fans. When Vince arrived for practice, he showed them that he meant business and laid down rules for them the first day. Those who did not play by his rules and did not display their full ability to practice to perfection, were not allowed to play for his team. Vince was famous for his exceptional pep talks. Also, his players knew he was the single reason for their newfound success. Linebacker Tom Betties stated that they were not expected to win in earlier games, but that with Vince We were trained to win. The the whose psychology was aimed that way. We got inference and spirit and we did win (OBrien, p. 151). During his reign at head coach at Green Bay, he led the team to six division titles, five NFG championships, and two Super Bowls. By instilling confidence in his players and showing them that they had what it took to win, he formed one of the best football teams for years to come. Vince had become a legend in town, and everyone thought he was one of the greatest coaches ever. Vince retired from Green Bay in 1967. Two years after his retirement, Vince decided to come out of retirement and became the head coach of the Washington Redskins. After leading them to a winning season in 1969, he found out that he had intestinal cancer in 1970 and passed away ten weeks later in September. Many people came for his funeral and many of his former players that had a tough appearance wept openly and mourned his death. Vince had left behind a great legacy, and had set the standards of excellence for professional football for years to come. While some of Lombardi coaching techniques and philosophy are similar to mine, there are also several differences. Vince had a loud, echoing voice and often lost his temper when he became impatient. On the other hand, have a lower voice and try to stay calm at all times. I would not want to be too overpowering to discourage players. He believed in criticizing players publicly and giving praise privately. As a coach, I would praise the players to give them more confidence in themselves. Instead of criticizing each player, I would recommend tips on how to improve and practice routines that ended in mistakes over and over. Vince had a strong will to win and used every resource possible to be able to improve his teams performance. I would do the same such as talk to other experienced coaches, watch films, and attend clinics and sports camps to become a more successful coach. Just as Lombardi, no matter what the situation may be, I will always have confidence in myself as a coach. Being confident in what he did as a coach was the reason for most of his success. I hope to one day be Just as level headed, organized, successful, and have the same burning desire to win as a volleyball coach as Vince Lombardi was as a football coach. Reference Page OBrien, Michael. (1987). Vince: A Personal Biography of Vince Lombardi. New York: Morrow.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

History of Portugal - Overview

History of Portugal - Overview Location of Portugal Portugal is located in the far west of Europe, on the Iberian Peninsular. It is bounded by Spain to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Historical Summary of Portugal The country of Portugal emerged in the tenth century during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula: first as a region under the control of the Counts of Portugal and then, in the mid-twelfth century, as a kingdom under King Afonso I. The throne then went through a turbulent time, with several rebellions. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries overseas exploration and conquest in Africa, South America and India won the nation a rich empire. In 1580 a succession crisis led to a successful invasion by the King of Spain and Spanish rule, beginning an era known to opponents as the Spanish Captivity, but a successful rebellion in 1640 led to independence once more. Portugal fought alongside Britain in the Napoleonic Wars, whose political fallout led to a son of the King of Portugal becoming Emperor of Brazil; a decline in imperial power followed. The nineteenth century saw civil war, before a Republic was declared in 1910. However, in 1926 a military coup led to generals ruling until 1933, when a Professor called Salazar took over, ruling in an authoritarian manner. His retirement through illness was followed a few years later by a further coup, the declaration of the Third Republic and independence for African colonies. Key People from the History of Portugal Afonso HenriqueThe son of the Count of Portugal, Afonso Henrique was the rallying point for Portuguese nobles who feared losing their power to rival Galicians. Afonso won either a battle or a tournament and successfully expelled his mother, who was styled as Queen, and by 1140 was calling himself King of Portugal. He worked to establish his position, and by 1179 had persuaded the Pope to recognise him as king.Dom DinisNicknamed the farmer, Dinis is often the most highly regarded of the Burgundian dynasty, for he began the creation of a formal navy, founded the first university in Lisbon, promoted culture, founded one of the first insurance institutions for merchants and broadened trade. However, tensions grew among his nobles and he lost the Battle of Santarà ©m to his son, who took the crown as King Afonso IV.Antà ³nio SalazarA Professor of Political Economy, Salazar was invited in 1928 by Portugal’s military dictatorship to join the government and resolve a financial crisi s. In 1933 he was promoted to Prime Minister, and he ruled – if not as a dictator (though an argument can be made that he was), then certainly as a repressive, anti-parliamentary authoritarian, until illness forced him to retire in 1974. Rulers of Portugal

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Personal reflection paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal reflection - Term Paper Example Studying deeply about leadership skills and characteristic allow a person to transform into a dynamic personality with a solid business goal. The learning course which I have studied has all the elaborate information on the qualities one need to imbibe to promote their leadership status. According to (Murthy,2005)â€Å"A leader is an agent of change, and progress is about change. Leadership is about raising the aspirations of followers and enthusing people with a desire to reach for the stars†. A leader is a person who possesses a unique quality indifferent from others. The information that I have collected during my study about leadership will enable me to grow as a strong leader in future. The understanding of leadership qualities and characteristic is essential for an individual to transform into a dynamic leader .A true leader is evolved after passing through much positive and negative experiences. Here, the learning of the course material has provided me with enormous information and suggestion about the way in which, I can upgrade my mental and physical capacities. I believe that understanding the issue related to the individual differences and uniqueness of my personality goes a long way in acknowledging my personal strength and weaknesses. I have been studying the different personality like Type A and B which has the ability to teach a person the category of personality type he fall into .As I categorized my personality; I acquired a basic foundation on which I can built my leadership personality. Moreover, the personality test like Myers Brigg test and HPI has the core potentiality to educate a person about his natural skills and versatility. Being a leader is not an easy task, for this one must have the enormous quality to manipulate one’s emotional behavior. This is where the Emotional intelligence which I studied will come into play. Emotional

Google Apps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Google Apps - Essay Example The number of domains the Google owns may range to dozens providing services like stock quotes, news headlines, images, email service and many more. The request for information is generally in forma of query and in just fraction of a second the query gets processed and is displayed on the users' screen (Google Inc). The Google which we see today has begun its project as a research project. It was hypothesized by Larry Page and was later assisted by Sergey Brin. The techniques over which search engines were based in 1996 used to display results according to the number of times the search term appear on the page. Larry and Brin worked on the concept that that for better results if the search engine analyze the relationships between the websites. The website and the page with the most links from other relevant sites, is considered as the most relevant site related to the query entered. With this thesis Google came into existence using Stanford website with the domain name being google.stanford.edu. Later in 1997, the domain google.com came into existence and in 1998 the company Google Inc became a reality (Wikipedia). The main business of Google is to generate revenue through online advertising. It provides the advertisers the most deliverable and cost effective online advertising opportunity through pages which are most relevant to the product which are being advertised. These advertisements are displayed according to the query searched for and hence are beneficial for both user and the advertiser. The Google AdWords program helps advertisers to promote their products and the Google AdSense program helps many website managers to generate revenue with ad participation though Google (Google Inc). Among all the services Google provides its users, Google Apps is the one which can have a major impact on usage of Office software. In complete sense Google Apps can be said as a service being hosted by Google for business purposes. The communication and collaboration feature of Apps makes it good enough of businesses of any size. This Web based service of Google provides its users tools to ensure collaboration on documents and spreadsheets. The documents can be shared and modified. The libraries for the reference materials can be built. Google provides this service in three different forms. The standard edition is free and has fewer features. It can be used for both normal users as well businesses purposes. The educational version contains all the available features but is available for the colleges and institutions. The condition for being a part of this is that the institute should use for educational purposes, sharing and research. The premium edition of Google Apps is available at a cost of $50 per user account per annum. This edition provides all features that are present in Google Apps. Charging money for its product is something very unique in case of Google. From the beginning Google has generated revenue through advertising tools. Almost all of the soft wares right from searching tool in late 90s of the last century to till date have been made available by Google free of cost. Even Google Apps launched in August 2006 providing services like webmail, calendaring, VoIP, word processing, spreadsheets has been free of cost. Only the premium edition launched this year with target market ranging from small

Friday, October 18, 2019

Manufacturing engineering application Personal Statement

Manufacturing engineering application - Personal Statement Example This will be a good opportunity for me to grow in this field and gain all the insight I need as an engineer. Manufacturing Engineering is my passion and I have never had any trouble identifying my ambitions. What I enjoy most about the program is the diversity the course presents me. Projects are varied, wide, and each one of them distinct which are every reason I find the subject interesting. A degree in manufacturing engineering is very pertinent to my future career, it is one of those subjects that will fortify my engineering knowledge and equip me with the skills I need for successful jobs completion in future. I am certain that a degree on the same will provide me with the knowhow I require for a professional job in a plethora of sectors such as  industry, consultancy, finance, and public services. Beside my dream to pursue manufacturing engineering, the background I have on business engineering management makes me an eligible student for the program. I have chosen manufacturing engineering because I want to be a part of design technology that will see the cost of energy in production cut and ozone depletion reduced. To me, a career in material engineering is all I need as it will put me in the forefront of fighting for the improvement of the global environment and counter climate change. This subject does not only excite but intrigue me and I feel I have to master it in the near future. Engineering demands a few more skills for an increased productivity. Such include communication skills and excellence in a team-based work approach. It demands appreciation and understanding of the fact that holistic approach is vital in successful manufacturing engineering. I pay full attention to detail, readily accept responsibility, and I have been commended for exercising good judgment. The experience I have had in college and in the field has given me the understanding of

Age does not matter in relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Age does not matter in relationships - Essay Example The author explains that couples with such an age gap undergo the same marital problems as couples of the same age. However, as a couple with different age gaps continue to age, they are likely to have different desires. For example, as the desire of the younger one increases, the desires other of older age are retiring. Additionally, couples with different age gaps do not merge because the younger one is growing up while the older individual is growing older. The older one behaves like a little child as he ages. For example, older people need more physical help, are self-cantered, cry like a kid and are too emotional. The relationship will not be of living and love but will be living and caring. Vilibert and Lloyd point out that in previous centuries, the average age gap between married couples was 3 years. It is through age where common objectives in life are experienced. Some of the objectives experienced in life give value to a relationship. For example, we experience first kiss, spouse, sex, marriage, a marital home, livelihood, child, divorce and other relevant objectives in live. However, being in a relationship with someone at the first stage of the list when in the last stage is quite strange. However, critics argue that a relationship between a young woman and an older man works out well and leads to a happy marriage. Based on the above analysis, their argument is refutable. A person at a young age is still growing up while the older one is growing old. They are likely to have many differences in marriage as compared to couples with a small age gap. Additionally, couples might be misunderstood in the society and quite embarrassing because the society regards them a s mother and son or father and daughter. Age is not a number, but something to be considered in a relationship as noted in the above study. Despite the view that a person of an older age is

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Inkjet Printing Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inkjet Printing Techniques - Essay Example This nozzle is connected to an ink reservoir, and places a singly drop of ink at a definite location on the substrate. A commercial inkjet printer’s head has approximately 300 nozzles per inch in the single column variety, and 600 nozzles per inch in the print head with two columns. All these nozzles can release a droplet of ink simultaneously (Madou 165). A few of the inkjet printer manufacturing companies have been able to produce printers that contain 600 nozzles per inch, in a single column. The inkjet print head is controlled by the software that is supplied by the printer manufacturing company. This software controls a number of parameters, such as ink temperature, ejection speed, print speed and the volume of the ejected drop (Madou 165). Out of the several types of inkjet technologies that are available, Thermal inkjet and Piezo-electric printers are used in mechatronics fabrication. The difference between these is the driving force behind the ink ejection. The principles, upon which these two technologies are based on, are described in the sequel (Madou 165). This method is commonly referred to as a bubble jet. In a thermal inkjet printer, small resistors are utilised to heat a thin ink layer, around 0.1ÃŽ ¼m, at a heating rate of around 100Â ° C/ÃŽ ¼sec to achieve of about 340Â °C. At this temperature, the ink layer is transformed into superheated vapour, which explodes and creates a bubble. This process takes less than 3 ÃŽ ¼ sec. Thereafter, this bubble grows, within 3 to 10 ÃŽ ¼sec, to form an ink drop at the tip of the nozzle. Afterwards, this bubble collapses and the drop descends from the nozzle, within 10 to 20ÃŽ ¼sec, to deposit on the substrate. The collapsed bubble creates a partial vacuum, which causes fresh ink to be drawn into the resistors, in order to form the next bubble at the nozzle. The time taken for a bubble to form at the nozzle is less than 80Â µsec at the operating frequency of 12 kHz. It is to

The tempest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The tempest - Essay Example Shakespeare’s magic in â€Å"The Tempest† is sophisticated and metaphorical since it belongs to a powerful and wise wizard Prospero. Prospero`s magic is expressed in many ways in a play and it has multiple meanings as well. Magic can be interpreted as a special art, as a sum of knowledge, as a gift, as a power, as the ability to manipulate and control others. In the beginning of the play though it becomes clear that knowledge is the core of Prospero`s magic as the reader learns about the value of his books. Despite his experience, Prospero learnt magic from his books that is why he is vulnerable without them. Even Caliban understand that Prospero`s skills are dependent on his books: Prospero`s experience and his ability to rule others is also part of his magic, his special technique. Some readers can perceive Prospero as cruel and violent as he uses others tests them or punishes them when necessary. The loyalty of his spirit Ariel saves Prospero several times. Prospero knows that and emphasizes how much he relies on the help of the creatures weaker than him: Opposite to Sycorax`s magic, which is uncontrollable, brutal, and animalistic, Prospero`s magic is an art of wise and experienced man. But understanding its role in his life Prospero decides to quit it finally and become an ordinary man. His experience and knowledge of human nature allow Prospero to be influential without

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Inkjet Printing Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inkjet Printing Techniques - Essay Example This nozzle is connected to an ink reservoir, and places a singly drop of ink at a definite location on the substrate. A commercial inkjet printer’s head has approximately 300 nozzles per inch in the single column variety, and 600 nozzles per inch in the print head with two columns. All these nozzles can release a droplet of ink simultaneously (Madou 165). A few of the inkjet printer manufacturing companies have been able to produce printers that contain 600 nozzles per inch, in a single column. The inkjet print head is controlled by the software that is supplied by the printer manufacturing company. This software controls a number of parameters, such as ink temperature, ejection speed, print speed and the volume of the ejected drop (Madou 165). Out of the several types of inkjet technologies that are available, Thermal inkjet and Piezo-electric printers are used in mechatronics fabrication. The difference between these is the driving force behind the ink ejection. The principles, upon which these two technologies are based on, are described in the sequel (Madou 165). This method is commonly referred to as a bubble jet. In a thermal inkjet printer, small resistors are utilised to heat a thin ink layer, around 0.1ÃŽ ¼m, at a heating rate of around 100Â ° C/ÃŽ ¼sec to achieve of about 340Â °C. At this temperature, the ink layer is transformed into superheated vapour, which explodes and creates a bubble. This process takes less than 3 ÃŽ ¼ sec. Thereafter, this bubble grows, within 3 to 10 ÃŽ ¼sec, to form an ink drop at the tip of the nozzle. Afterwards, this bubble collapses and the drop descends from the nozzle, within 10 to 20ÃŽ ¼sec, to deposit on the substrate. The collapsed bubble creates a partial vacuum, which causes fresh ink to be drawn into the resistors, in order to form the next bubble at the nozzle. The time taken for a bubble to form at the nozzle is less than 80Â µsec at the operating frequency of 12 kHz. It is to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Outline the bank multiplier approach to explaining the process of Essay

Outline the bank multiplier approach to explaining the process of money creation and discuss its limitations - Essay Example This has led to call for the replacement of federal reserve system by a computer based system that would fix rates via calculations using standard economic metrics. Say in his law seems to make a suggestion to the fact that money is neutral and does not in any way lead to recession. He felt it was an irrational action to hoard money if one had it. In his view the only reason to have money is to spend it on one’s needs, in buying products. An increased spending is brought about by the increase in money supply going by the opinion that money is meant for spending. Say economist do not believe that businesses suffer as a result of lack of money for which reason other economist may advocate the printing of more money. Say and his followers rather believe that to increase ones purchasing power all that is needed is for there to be an increase in production processes. This would cause demand for the product an exchange for these goods automatically puts money into the pockets of the producer thereby increasing his purchasing power. The printing of more money would invariably lead to indiscriminate consumption which is believed by say economist as a wealth

Monday, October 14, 2019

The AIDS inflicted citizens in Africa Essay Example for Free

The AIDS inflicted citizens in Africa Essay The dilemma regarding the AIDS inflicted citizens in Africa is a modern day paradox. On one hand, mankind can achieve huge strides in the research necessary to control the malady which has already killed so many. On the other, modern civilization risks the exploitation of fellow human beings born into a more unfortunate and primitive lifestyle deficient in modern healthcare. In general, the debate which takes precedence above all others is the question of equality in the context of morality. According to the traditional perspective of Immanuel Kant constructed in his Metaphysics of Morals, the universal presumption of moral principles is that they apply to all rational autonomous beings at all places and at all times. Thus, Kant would argue that the medical care provided to trial participants in Africa should be equivalent, or at least comparable, to the treatment offered to citizens in more advanced societies as long as it does not compromise the rational autonomy of the people involved. To approach the issue from Kants perspective, it is important to first delineate the considerations Kant would reason to be the most morally relevant when attempting to provide a conclusion. In his work, Kant clearly outlines three general principles about moral duties as well as other considerations which can are applicable to the situation. First of all, it would be essential to determine if giving inferior treatment to uneducated individuals in Africa is a choice based on a sense of duty, or if ulterior aims might exist. On first glance, this seems to lead to an initial conclusion that failing to provide volunteers with comparable treatment is an unfair and immoral choice based on monetary and political motives. However, further analysis reveals that the rational autonomy of the individuals in question must also be considered. Providing the luxurious treatments seen in more advanced countries to people in Africa may violate their rational autonomy by tempting or deceiving them into an action they would not normally undertake. Therefore, any choice made in regards to AIDS treatments must reflect a desire to do what is right while preserving and respecting the rational autonomy of the individuals. Kants second consideration would be to base the moral quality of his decision on the intentions of that choice, not the actions consequences. Thus, the issue cannot be resolved by developing a best case scenario, but must be determined by distinguishing which option is enacted with the best moral intentions. In this way, it is likely that the most morally acceptable choice would be the one which puts Africas citizens on an equal consideration with the rest of the world, and so would include providing identical treatment. Thirdly, it is important to make sure that whatever direction is taken, it is taken out of respect for the moral law and for no other reason such as need or desire. To fulfill the third principle, an action cannot violate the categorical imperative. Otherwise, the decision cannot be considered as a moral action. The moral law, as Kant explained, is a universal formula that ensures all actions are undertaken with pure motives without consideration of the consequences. When deciding whether or not to give Africans the same health benefits that AIDS phase II trial volunteers would receive in other countries, even if they are very expensive, it is important to determine whether the choice could be applied universally. In other words, Kant would compare the options faced by pharmaceutical companies by placing all of them in the categorical imperative, and observe which options are inherent contradictions. When weighing the options using the categorical imperative, the results once again suggests that providing African volunteers with equivalent treatments takes precedence over all other options. The concept of appropriate treatment, if determined only on monetary, social and political status, would seemingly contradict itself if it were considered a universal law. Kant would argue that by issuing care by status, people would be applying a different standard to their own behavior than they would want applied to themselves and everyone else. The problem with the contradiction argument, critics might argue, is that it may prove difficult if not impossible to provide supporting evidence that universalizing the maxim would result in a contradiction. Advocates would then turn to another method of formulating the categorical imperative to support their position. In the alternate interpretation, known as the second formulation, the categorical imperative serves as a requirement that we must not treat other rational beings as mere means to our own purposes. This tactic allows proponents of equal treatment to establish their position without attempting to prove any inherent contradictions. Instead, they simply have to show that by failing to meet the precedence of care in other countries, pharmaceutical companies are treating people as ends not as means. Critics may also claim that a truly moral decision would factor in the hard work of the manufacturers of the antiretroviral drugs, as well as anyone else involved in the trials. Kant would not dismiss this assertion. In Metaphysics of Morals, Kant does not attempt to claim that all actions must always be undertaken out of a sense of duty, he simply outlines the necessary components required to establish an individuals own autonomy based on reason. When considering the dilemma faced by pharmaceutical companies, the only critical consideration is whether the ultimate decision conforms to moral law. They may also argue that the drugs given to Americans and Europeans are so much more expensive to Africans that it cannot be deemed appropriate to treat African volunteers with them. To this argument, Kant would refute the idea that the term appropriate should not be applied universally. In his perspective, all humans are rational autonomous agents who deserve the same treatment. If a law or rule cannot be applied universally, a.k.a. fails the categorical imperative, then it should not be considered moral. The philosophy of the Metaphysics of Morals appears to lend itself nicely to the dilemma of conducting phase II trials in Africa by clearly addressing the major moral concerns involved while at the same time respecting the complexity of the conflict. Kant would recognize that other peoples livelihoods and incomes can be considered when deciding whether or not to provide expensive treatments in Africa, as long as the ultimate decision does not violate moral law. Pharmaceutical companies must insure that they are not manipulating or violating the rational autonomy of their possible test subjects in Africa, but may still consider other variables such as profits and benefits to society. Consequently, pharmaceutical companies appear to have a moral duty to provide adequately equal care to all phase II trial participants in Africa, providing they take steps to insure they are not violating anyones rational autonomy in the process.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Funeral Homes Studies: Overcharging

Funeral Homes Studies: Overcharging Running head: FUNERAL HOMES Abstract The overcharging of consumers by funeral homes was investigated to prove to consumers that they are being overcharged, and to show them some ways to avoid being overcharged. The goal was to show precisely when the funeral homes are taking advantage of the consumer, and to show that consumers need to be aware that funeral homes have more than one way of taking advantage of them and overcharging them in large amounts. The effects of this severe problem were determined by looking over a law that has been put into place to subdue the crime, ways the crime is committed, and also an interview that was conducted to gather information on one of many alternatives to using the traditional funeral service. There are many alternatives to the traditional funeral; most people just dont know where to learn about them. Funeral Homes: The Overcharging For Services and Distrust Behind It It is not easy to lose a loved one. In addition, it is not always easy for a person to find out how much it is going to cost them and their family to give their loved one the proper burial they deserve. During the time of grieving, the family of the deceased is not really concerned with the costs of the funeral, for all they are looking for is a proper burial or funeral ceremony for their loved one. The cost of a typical funeral in the United States in 1983 was around $2,500.00 (Darmstadter, 1983). Solomon (n.d.) states that â€Å"the average funeral in the United States costs $6,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The true sum can easily reach $10,000 once a burial plot, flowers and other costs are included, the AARP says.† This price is from around 2004; consumers need to be aware that the prices are steadily rising, and that if they dont watch out for those funeral homes that try to get more money out of them, they could end up losing thousands mor e dollars than is necessary to spend on a funeral service. The crime of funeral homes taking advantage of consumers has been around for many years, and in 1984 The Funeral Rule was put into place in order to put a stop to it. â€Å"On September 24, 1982, the FTC published a ruling known in the Federal Register as the Funeral Rule† (Schwartz, Jolson, Lee, 1986). â€Å"Under the Rule, the FTC mandates that funeral homes allow customers to buy only those things they choose† (Mark, n.d.). Many people do not realize that during these times of vulnerability, the funeral home they have trusted the care of their loved one with, could be taking advantage of them; overcharging them for already expensive services. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers for their services. They are taking advantage of them while they are most vulnerable in an emotionally distraught state as they are preoccupied in grieving for the loss of a loved one, and when they are in a hurry to plan a funeral for a sudden death. Funeral homes have several ways of overcharging consumers, and two of the most prominent ways they do this is by teaming up with hospice care centers and by quoting the wrong prices if they will even quote them at all. Discussion Taking advantage of vulnerability. The funeral homes of America take advantage of the bereaved when they are most vulnerable. One of the most common times that a funeral home will take advantage of the bereaved is when they are in the middle of grieving, trying to set up a funeral while they are emotionally distraught. Schlozman and La Grand (1985) state that â€Å"death in a family is a personal, emotional experience that can have long term emotional and physical consequences for survivors (cited in Butler, 2007, p. 95). Funeral directors look for the best chance that they can get to get a grieving person to agree to buy something or to set up an expensive funeral; while the bereaved are emotionally distraught, which is mostly in the beginning of the funeral planning process, is when this happens the most. Many funeral directors will say that funeral homes are not taking advantage of consumers when they are â€Å"most vulnerable,† they are simply taking the necessary steps to make sure that the consumer gets what they need and what they ask for so as to get the funeral done in the most complete way possible. When a consumer is preoccupied in grieving for the loss of a loved one, they may be emotionally distraught and kind of out of their norm, however this does not mean that all funeral directors are low enough to take advantage of consumers. Most funeral directors deal with so many emotional people everyday they are at their workplace, that most of them know what it is like for a person to fe el the way they do therefore they will not go out of their way to take advantage of them for that little bit of extra money. As one can see, this is clearly not the case. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one at times when they are most vulnerable, and with pre-planning, this can be partly eliminated. The funeral homes of America also take advantage of the bereaved when they are in a hurry to get the funeral set up. There is not much time between when a person passes away, and the time the funeral needs to be set up and followed through with. â€Å"Most of the major decisions regarding funeral arrangements must be made within 24-48 hours (Sommer, Nelson, and Hoyt, 1985). Many people do not know that their loved one is going to pass on when they do, so they are in a frantic hurry to get the funeral set up and that is what gets them into such a bind with the funeral homes taking advantage of and overcharging them. One thing that a person who is in a hurry to set up a funeral typically does is calls funeral homes in their area asking for price quotes. When a person uses the phone to contact funeral homes about prices, they can â€Å"compare prices among funeral providers,† this may eventually help them to decide which funeral home and arrangement they would like to consider (USA Funeral Homes Online, 1999). Also, when a person is in a hurry to set up a funeral for a loved one, it is advised that they gather â€Å"price lists† from some of the funeral homes in their area â€Å"to compare pricing and options† (Wilke, 2005). Mark (n.d.) states that â€Å"the funeral rule also requires that GPLs (â€Å"General Price Lists†) list the prices of up to 16 items if they are services that the funeral home offers. . . .† If a person were to go around to funeral homes in their area, a general price list is a good tool that the funeral homes are required to give them, so t hey know the prices, thus promoting smart decision making, and the possibility of preventing being overcharged and taken advantage of. It is often though that when a consumer has a sudden death in the family and they are in a hurry to plan a funeral, most funeral directors are not going out of their way to overcharge them to get that little bit of extra money. They may indeed be overcharging them; however, they may simply be charging the prices they do because they want to be sure to get the consumer everything that they need since the process is so hurried in this type of situation. These thoughts are obviously not relevant because, as one can see, if the funeral directors were as caring as they make them seem, they would give any unused money back to the consumer when the funeral is all said and done. Shopping around for the best priced funeral home, and ignoring any suggestions given by hospice care centers, could be one of the most important ways for a consumer to greatly decrease the chance of being overcharged. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one, at times whe n they are in a hurry to plan a funeral for a sudden death, and with pre-planning and smart decision making, this can be partly eliminated. Teaming up with hospice care centers. Consumers need to be aware that funeral homes have different ways of overcharging them. One of the main ways this happens is when funeral homes go together with hospice care centers. The Hospice Patients Alliance (n.d.) states that: One of the major scams committed by such rogue hospices is to refer the family to one particular funeral home, if they havent made arrangements beforehand with another funeral home. The funeral home then charges their very highest rates for funeral home services and the family has no idea that they have been scammed, because they trust the â€Å"compassionate† hospice people. If individuals go to that funeral home directly inquiring about charges for funeral services, they get offered discounted rates, but hospice referrals get charged the highest rates. When funeral homes team up with hospice care centers, they can overcharge consumers large amounts of money, and they can do it very discreetly. Many people would not suspect a hospice care center to refer them to a high priced funeral home; this is why consumers need to be aware that this could happen. Consumers need to be aware that shopping around for a funeral home with the best prices is one of the best things they can do to prevent being overcharged, even if a hospice care center that their family trusts recommends a funeral home, or they are pressed with time and any other issue that may come their way. The Hospice Patients Alliance (n.d.) states that â€Å"you do not have to use the funeral home â€Å"recommended† by a hospice. They should not be recommending any funeral homes that is a decision for you to make, not the hospice.† Many funeral directors will say that funeral homes may indeed be teaming up with hospice care centers in being sure that the funeral ho me will have a steady flow of business on account of the recommendations given by the hospice care centers; but this does not mean that they are doing it to overcharge the consumers. They may in fact be doing this simply to help the family eliminate the hassle of finding a funeral home and going through the process of looking for price quotes, etc. This is clearly not the case as one can see, simply because if funeral directors were as caring as they seem, they would not be trying to get consumers away from looking for price quotes and things like that, they would help them find the funeral home they are looking for, or be sure to accommodate their needs as best they can. Also, if a funeral home has that much trouble getting business, something needs to be done, and that funeral home should probably be looked at as a fraud. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. Many people do not realize that it may not only be the funeral home that is in on the scam; hospice care centers play a major role in this deception of the consumers also. Quoting the wrong prices. Another quite common way that funeral homes overcharge consumers is by quoting the wrong prices over the phone, or not quoting any at all. There are many people that are pressed for time when it comes down to planning a funeral, and most of them resort to calling funeral homes to inquire about prices. What many people do not realize, is that the funeral homes may not be giving them the right price quote, and many of them quickly find out that the funeral home may not give them a price quote at all. The reason that some funeral homes do not give any price quotes at all, would be so they could adjust the prices accordingly to each and every funeral they conduct. â€Å"The funeral home is required to give you a free copy of the price list when you visit. Its also required to tell you its prices over the phone. If a funeral director refuses to do so, suggesting instead that you come in for an appointment, That should be a warning sign, Slocum says† (Block, 2006). Many consumers do not know this important piece of information. The laws that regulate the funeral homes of America are not posted around the nation as are the everyday laws that the people of America are required to follow. This is why, when shopping around for a well priced funeral home; consumers need to be aware of the laws so as to catch the hints that are thrown at them. The hints that should make them think that perhaps they should not trust some funeral homes that they have come in contact with. When a person that is frantically trying to set up a funeral calls a funeral home, they do not expect to be taken advantage of and overcharged because most Americans would agree that this is a very serious business, and that most every funeral home should be trustworthy. However, that is not the case. When consumers are calling funeral homes over the phone, they need to be aware of the potential dangers that it entails. Common thought of consumers is that when a consumer contacts a funeral home over the phone seeking quotes on prices for their services, the funeral directors may quote the wrong prices; this does not mean that is what will be charged. Many funeral directors care enough to provide the consumers only with what they need or would like to have for the funeral, so the prices they quote may only be a ball-park figure for the general funeral service. When a funeral home does not quote a price at all, this may be to eliminate the problem of quoting the wrong prices, or even to eliminate competition between them and other funeral homes. Consumers may be frustrated by this, but in all reality this may be something that could help them because if they went with a funeral home that does not quote a price, they may actually end up spending less money than they would at a funeral home that quoted a price that was too high. The thoughts are clearly irrelevant because if funeral homes were quoting ball-park figures, they would most likely state that the prices they are giving are ball park. Also, if a funeral home does not quote a price at all and others do, it is most obvious that they are planning on giving prices when the funeral is over with so as to inflate the prices and not be detected. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. If consumers are aware of the potential dangers of calling funeral homes for price quotes, and the laws that are supposed to regulate them, this could greatly decrease the risk of being overcharged. Ways to avoid being overcharged. There are many things that can be done for a person to prevent being overcharged when they are working with a funeral home to set up a funeral. The most prominent of all alternatives is full body organ donation, which many people participate in. As Carol Wright (personal communication, February 29, 2008) described, full body organ donation is when a person chooses to donate their entire body to an organization of choice before they die. When they die, the organization will pick up their body from wherever they are, and ship them to where the body will be used. After the organization is done using the body for all intents and purposes, they cremate it and send the remains to a family member for a $25.00 shipping fee. Another well-known alternative to being overcharged by a funeral is by using traditional organ donation. This will give the family time to plan the funeral as the hospital or some other form of medical personnel removes the organ(s) the deceased has agreed to donate after death, thus slimming the possibility of being overcharged by the funeral home because it gives the family time to look around and find the best prices available to them. One good thing about organ donation is that there have been, for the families of people who donate while they are alive and after they have died, some â€Å"financial and health care-related reimbursement incentives widely debated† (Boulware, Troll, Wang, Powe, 2006). Many people dont realize that without these alternatives, nearly every person in the United States would be taken advantage of at some time or another by a funeral home. The Federal Trade Commission (2000) stated that: To relieve their families of some of these decisions, an increasing number of people are planning their own funerals, designating their own funeral preferences, and sometimes even paying for them in advance. They see funeral planning as an extension of will and estate planning. If someone in a family dies, and there has been no planning for a funeral whatsoever, the family members that are to do the planning for the funeral are left in a bind. If a person plans their own funeral, the surviving family is left with â€Å"the precedent, information and moral support needed to get the type of service it wants† (Bender, 1974). To eliminate funeral homes taking advantage of and overcharging the bereaved, as The Federal Trade Commissions and Bender state, a person should think about planning their own funeral so that it is set in stone, and the surviving family has much less of a chance of being pressured into meaningless spending while they are most vulnerable. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. Review Major issues. There have been two major issues discussed in this writing about how funeral homes overcharge consumers; the first being that many funeral homes take advantage of consumers when they are most vulnerable. There were two times in which this happens quite often that were discussed here. The first is when consumers are tied up in grieving and pre-occupied with the whole funeral planning process, and getting things organized and followed through with. The second is when the consumer is pressed for time trying to plan a sudden funeral, and the funeral home takes this hurried process to their advantage. The second major issue discussed is that consumers need to be aware that funeral homes have different ways of overcharging them. There were two of the most common ways discussed here; the first being that funeral homes overcharge by teaming up with hospice care centers, and the second being that the funeral homes either quote the wrong prices over the phone, or in person, or they simply do not give prices at all, so as to inflate them accordingly with each and every funeral they conduct. Expenses. The most popular way for consumers to recognize the death of a loved one is to plan for a traditional funeral. Traditional funerals can be very costly, and often times not exactly what the consumer was looking for when it is all said and done. Most people would agree that the traditional funeral is the best way to go about putting a loved one to rest; however, when funeral homes are overcharging for these services that are already overpriced, it is hard for some consumers to follow through with it because of the fear of running out of money before it is all done with. Darmstadter (1983) stated that â€Å"the purchase of a funeral is the third largest single expenditure after a home and a car, that many of us will ever have to make.† Alternatives to the traditional funeral service. There are many alternatives to the traditional funeral service, and the most prominent one of those is organ donation. Full body organ donation and traditional organ donation were discussed earlier in the writing. Full body organ donation is when a person has agreed to donate their body to science after thy have passed on. Traditional organ donation is when a person agrees to allow any of their organs that are useable, to be donated to another human being after they have passed on. These are two of the most prominent ways for consumers to avoid being overcharged by funeral homes; and they are used most commonly by people who did not do any pre-planning for their funeral. What many consumers do not realize is that these options are readily available to anyone who would like to take advantage of them; they are just not advertised since death is such a sheltered topic in the United States. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. When a consumer is looking around trying to plan a funeral, one of the best ways to avoid being taken advantage of is to be aware of what is happening, and how funeral homes are actually taking advantage of consumers, and what they can do to avoid being take advantage of. A solution to the problem of funeral homes taking advantage of consumers would be for the consumer to shop around for funeral prices and arrangements in advance when anticipating a funeral. Sure, not every person will have time to do this since not all deaths are anticipated; however, this problem will be greatly eliminated if those consumers who are anticipating the death do in fact plan the funeral ahead of time, so as to have the time to go around and shop for the best prices and have the funeral set up the way in which they so desire. Planning a funeral is can be an overwhelming time for the consumer; however, following the simple suggestions that have been given throughout this writing may in fact make the job a lot easier. People need to be aware that in times like these where life just seems like it is not worth living, life will go on. As long as consumers are aware of what is happening out there in the funeral service industry, and they plan for things ahead if possible, problems like these may be wholly eliminated all together.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Michael C. C. Adams Book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II :: Adams Best War Ever World War II Essays

Michael C. C. Adams' Book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II Michael C. C. Adams' book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II, attempts to dispel the numerous misconceptions of the Second World War. As the title suggests, Americans came out of the war with a positive view of the preceding five turbulent years. This myth was born from several factors. Due to the overseas setting of both theaters of the war, intense government propaganda, Hollywood's glamorization, and widespread economic prosperity, Americans were largely sheltered form the brutal truth of World War II. Even to this day, the generation of World War II is viewed as being superior in morality and unity. The popular illusion held that 'there were no ethnic or gender problems, families were happy and united, and children worked hard in school and read a great number of books.' (115) It was a golden era when all Americans set aside their differences and united for a common cause which everyone put above all other priorities. The United States Army was thought of as more advanced in fighting ability, weapons, and supposedly held to a higher standard of ethics on the front. Americans that did die, died in ?an antiseptic, clean, neat way . . . gloriously.? (100) Soldiers weren?t blown apart into pieces, they died honorably and nobly. Many factors had to be in place for such a distorted myth to come about. The central one being that the entire war was fought on foreign land with the exception of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With the conflicts on the other sides of the oceans, Americans would not witness the brutality, destruction, and suffering of civilians and soldiers alike. ?Only the United States was not both a destroyer and a victim of the destruction in the war.? (73) The civilians of the United States, therefore, relied on other sources to shape their view of World War II. ?Ads implied that if you bought a war bond your sacrifice was on par with that of the man in the front lines.? (74) The US government and industry played on Americans? sense of patriotism in order to get them to support the war or buy their products. However, ?it [advertising] is by nature emotional, rather than intellectual; it sells feelings rather than ideas.? (73) Government propaganda and business advertising were not the only factors in forming the inaccurate myth of the Second World War.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Free Fall Lab

Free Fall Lab Natalie Soria Lab Partners: Ryan Michaely Iqra Haji Yan Huang 1. Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the acceleration due to gravity by observing the motion of a free falling object. 2. Equipment Used: A. Timer Switch B. Time-of-Flight Accessory C. Control Box D. AC adapter E. Drop Box F. Steel ball G. Solid gold ball H. Big plastic ball 3. Method Used: 1) Place the steel ball on the drop box. 2) Set the timer to â€Å"Time: Two Gates† mode. 3) Measure the distance between the bottom of the ball and the plate and record in table 4) Release the ball using the timer switch and record the time it takes to fall. ) Change the distance and repeat step (4) until table is complete 6) Repeat steps (3) – (5) with solid golf ball 7) Repeat steps (3) – (5) with big plastic ball 4. Diagram: Time-Of-Flight Accessory Time-Of-Flight Accessory Timer Switch Timer Switch Timer Timer DROPBOX DROPBOX 5. Data: STEEL BALL Table 1: Determining the accel eration of the steel ball dropped Distance (M)| Time(S)| Time(S2)| 0. 80m| 0. 4074s| 0. 166s2| 0. 75m| 0. 3969s| 0. 1575s2| 0. 70m| 0. 3809s| 0. 1451s2| 0. 65m| 0. 3692s| 0. 1363s2| 0. 60m| 0. 3546s| 0. 1257s2| 0. 55m| 0. 3438s| 0. 1182s2| SOLID GOLF BALLTable 2: Determining the acceleration of the solid golf ball dropped Distance (M)| Time(S)| Time(S2)| 0. 80m| 0. 4044s| 0. 1635s2| 0. 75m| 0. 3906s| 0. 1526s2| 0. 70m| 0. 3785s| 0. 1433s2| 0. 65m| 0. 3643s| 0. 1363s2| 0. 60m| 0. 3494s| 0. 1257s2| 0. 55m| 0. 3390s| 0. 1182s2| PLASTIC BALL Table 3: Determining the acceleration of the plastic ball dropped Distance (M)| Time(S)| Time(S2)| 0. 80m| 0. 4111s| 0. 169s2| 0. 75m| 0. 4026s| 0. 1621s2| 0. 70m| 0. 3849s| 0. 1481s2| 0. 65m| 0. 3698s| 0. 1368s2| 0. 60m| 0. 3553s| 0. 1262s2| 0. 55m| 0. 3382s| 0. 1144s2| 6. Calculations: Determining Avg. Time for each trialWith formulas:With numbers: T1+T2+T3 = Avg. T (S)(. 4072s) + (. 4078s) + (. 4073s) = Avg. T(S) 33 .4074s = Avg. T (S) Determinin g T2 With formulas:With numbers: T = S2 T = (0. 4111s)2 T = 0. 169s2 7. Conclusions: The objective was to determine acceleration due to the effects of gravity. Gravity stayed constant through the whole experiment. Source of error could be due to measuring between ball and mat inaccurately. Answers to questions (1) Using our kinematics equations and the concept of a straight line (y=mx+b), show that the graphs made in part (7) should indeed be a straight line.What should the theoretical values for the slope and y-intercept be for this graph? (2) What are the actual values of the slope and y-intercept for the three graphs. Compare these to the theoretical values. Calculate the gravitational acceleration for all three balls from this information. (3) Comment on why the acceleration due to gravity is less for the plastic ball than the others. Give some ideas why you think this particular ball would behave like this and the other balls would not. The gravitational acceleration due to gra vity is the same for every object, the total acceleration is not.Acceleration is reduced a bit by the particular mass of the ball. In cases where â€Å"m† is large (like the steel ball and golf ball), the factor will be small and therefore falling at almost the same acceleration. But in the case where â€Å"m† is small (like the plastic hallow ball) the factor could be large, and therefore the balls acceleration could be significantly less due to the hollowness of the ball. Although the plastic ball is bigger in size, its mass is lighter. (4) A ball is thrown upward. While the ball is in the air, does its acceleration increase, decrease, or remain the same?Describe what happens to the velocity of the object from when it is thrown until when it returns. While in the air, the balls acceleration would remain the same. When the ball is thrown, its velocity is positive and decreasing as it’s going up, and at the highest point, the velocity is zero. When it’s c oming back down, the velocity is negative and increasing. (5) Explain conceptually (without using equations) what the shape of Distance vs. Time would look like for a ball falling to the ground. Use kinematics to explain why it would be like this. The falling ball is moving at a constant rate ( 9. 80 ms-2 )

Thursday, October 10, 2019

PHI Summative Assessment

Introduction Health is defined as the stage of being physically, mentally and socially sound. To elaborate, health is both the inner and outer state, the stage of being free of diseases, the state of the soul, being more optimistic and not giving up in any kind of difficulties.(Manni, 2009). Health promotion is an important and crucial factor that is required to develop a healthy society. It can be defined as the process of making of people aware about their health, understand the risk factors associated with adverse health effects, as well as educating people and implementing a wide range of social and environmental interventions to improve their health and encouraging them to live a healthy life (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Promoting health through interpersonal relationship is an endeavour to take control of an individual’s health determinant which includes social behaviour, economic and environmental conditions. This involves a health professional with the knowledge, attitude and the skil ls to influence clients through communication on how to improve their health and maintain a productive life. (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Thus health professionals play a central role in uplifting individual’s health status. For instance, health care professionals can make people aware about the risks associated with smoking and alcohol, risk of practising unsafe sex, risk associated with high fat and calorie rich diet etc. In this report, the factors that may influence individual’s health, concept, attitude and behaviour are highlighted. Furthermore, the role of social and health workers in improving individual’s health and well being are reviewed. The health professional with self awareness and interpersonal skills can effectively communicate with people to achieve therapeutic benefits. Also, they can educate and inform people to achieve a positive outcome of holistic health using the fundamental aspect of care. Overall, the goal of therapeutic communication is t o help clients talk about and resolve their feelings and problems related to health, illness, treatments, and nursing care (Craven & Hirnle, 2007). This main of this assignment is to analyse the interaction between a social worker and a pregnant service user (a mother named Kim) who was a drug and alcohol dependant, and as a result of her addiction, her three children from the previous relationship were taken away from her care. This is because, she was found irresponsible about her children and was not providing enough care and support to her children. Factors that affected Kim’s way of living and its affect on her life and health There are several factors that may influence an individual concept of health which include, psychological and lifestyle issues. This was evidenced in the DVD clip of â€Å"Someone To Watch Over Me†, where it was witnessed that the drug and alcohol addiction made her to neglect her own children, and as a result, they were removed from her care by social services. In the DVD, it was also shown that she was expecting a fourth child with a new partner, Adam who had mental health issues. In this example, it was evidenced that Kim’s lifestyle choices, i.e. her way of living her life, made her the alcohol and drug addict. This had a significant impact on her family life. Moreover, the influence of the society could have been another major factor that would have pushed her to adopt the lifestyle she was living. The societal factors that could have contributed to Kim’s way of living life could be the kind of people living in her society, their educational and economic bac kground The consequences of all these influencing factors directly made an impact on her ability to look after her children, as well as her is a her ability to cope with the demands of her children. The effects of Kim’s way of living can also have serious consequences on Kim’s health. It is now well established that alcohol increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by the biochemical process known as lipid peroxidation. This increases the level of free radicals in the circulation leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plague. Similarly smoking clogs the arterial flow of blood and leads to ischemia (Laslett, et.al. 2012). Thus, her tendency to smoke alarmingly increases her risk of acquiring coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and respiratory disease. Substance abuse-involving drugs, and alcohol, or both- are associated with a range of destructive social conditions, financial problems, lost productivity, failure in school, domestic violence, child abuse, and crime (Health people.gov). To conclude, the impact of Kim’s way of living life can be really big and can bring serious consequences to her personal and social life. According to research, the risk factors associated with substance misuse can result in mental health and behavioural issues which were also evidenced in Kim’s lifestyle (Vivancos, et.al. 2013). Other research have indicated the link between coronary heart disease and various psychological factors including stress, depression, lack of social support and anger (Stansfied and Marmot, 2001; Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Although these links are yet to be established fully, these factors may encourage people to involve in drug, alcohol and smoking additions which are found to have direct links with heart attack, stroke, cancer, respiratory diseases. The impact of these factors on Kim’s unborn baby also cannot be neglected. As stated earlier, Kim’s current partner had a history of mental healt h illness, which although is manageable, can be hereditary and transfer to her unborn baby through her partner. Nurnberger, et.al (2003) suggested a genetic relationship between depression and alcohol dependence in some families. In the study they found that both alcoholism and depression can be genetically transmitted having a direct effect on the offspring. This can affect the baby’s personal and mental development, which can affect the baby’s development throughout the life. More so, prenatal and perinatal risk factors have been associated generally with behaviour problems in children. Maternal substance use, specifically smoking during pregnancy and persistence smoking during and after pregnancy, has been associated with conduct disorder in girls and boys (Romans & Seeman, 2006). Although Kim’s lifestyle choices may have been influenced by her social and community network, however, Kim lacked social and community support. She wasan unemployed full time mother who was unable to cope with the demands of her three children on her own. She did not seem to have a social support network from her friends or family to assist her with her three children before they were removed by social services. She had no educational backgrounds and not aware of social support network available which could have educated and supported her in dealing with issues relating to her health. Based on the video clip, these are other reasons why she might have started taking excessive drugs, alcohol and smoking as coping mechanism. Culture is both influencing and influenced by universal values, emotions and feelings that people may share across different groups within the same culture or in some cases, across cultures (Peace and Corps, 2011). Although the direct role of culture on Kim ’s way of living was difficult to predict, considering the definition by Peace and Corps, it might have influenced her either directly or indirectly. Impact of Kim’s way of living on her children Kim’s lifestyle could not only be a risk to her health, experiencing such event can also be a danger to her children’s future. It can have a major impact on the psychology her children if they see their mother’s way of living her life, which can also impact the lifestyle they might choose to live and may also encourage them to copy the same way of living. The idea that early childhood experience have long-term implications is not new; what is new, however, is the emerging understanding of how early childhood experience can influence biology of the developing child in ways that can influence health, well-being and competence decades later (Hertzman, 1999). Role of a health professional/or a nurse in addressing the issues of Kim and her unborn child The health professional caseload includes the substance misuse, Kim and her partner, Adam’s mental health issues. This is because, these issues put the unborn child in a significant risk of adverse health consequences. As a health professional, a nurse’s duty would be to address Kim’s health and development issues before and after the delivery of the child]. Another issue the nurse can face in Kim’s case could be lack of co-operation during the delivery of the service. There could arise the issues of stress as the nurse can be in fear that her client might not cooperate in the set agreements that would be required while giving her the health service. In Kim’s case, despite the risk, the health professional decided not to put the unborn baby on the child protection register and had empathised with them by giving them a second chance to prove they can be good parents by educating and monitoring them. She was also concerned regarding the risks involved during the trial if anything would happen to the baby. This was the big decision that was made, considering the fact that Kim had been a drug and alcohol addict which also resulted the loss of her right to look after her children and Adam, who had mental health illness. . However, making decisions like this was a part of her role because it involved educating her clients to take charge of their lives and health. Her decision is also supported by the guideline provided by public health agency (2009), which state that a fundamental aspect of health promotion is to empower people to have more control over aspects of their lives that affects their health. and enable them to live individually, socially, and economically productive lives. Discussion and Conclusion The DVD clip â€Å"Someone to Watch over Me† portrayed some health risk associated with each character’s lifestyle. Kim was addicted to drug, alcohol and smoking that made her totally irrepsobile towards her children, and thus, were ultimately taken away from her custody. There are other studies that have suggested the similar risk associated with chronic use of drugs and alcohol. Morales (2013) suggested alcohol dependence as a risk factor that can result in suicidal attempt. Furthermore, it suggested that chronic alcohol and drug intake is associated with mental illness such as depression and anxiety. It further suggested that excessive alcohol intake can decrease the person’s self control ability and common sense, thus putting them in a singnificant risk of harming themselves or even creating thoughts of suicidal activities. It was witnessed that children were kept under her custody were starting, and the level of personal hygiene and sanitation was below the standard. The children looked dirty and all them appeared confused, which clearly showed the lack of care and management from their mother. The reason behind this is quite understandable, which is also explained by Craven and Hirnle (2007). They explained the term â€Å"dehumanization† as the process of depriving a person’s personality, spirit, privacy, and other human qualities., whichleads to a stage where an individual neglects the individuality, ignore their specific needs and fail to recognize the importance of their care to the loved onces.To solve the health and social issues associated with Kim and Adam’s conditions, there were objectives set by the health professional with an aim to improving their conditions. A second chance was given where they had to agree upon certain thing in oder to have a fourth child. She and her partner Adam would have to follow a set of rules and sign an agreement to be closely monitored due to Kim’s past irresponsible behaviour However, this decision raised concern to Kim because she had feared that her unborn baby might be taken away from her by the social service care because she had previously failed to manage her three children due to drug and alcohol misuse. Drug and alcohol misuse ruined her life as she went on to lose her all three children as their grown up in extremely miserable condition with lack of food and sanitation. Alchol and drug abuse was the main culprit behind this, which as well affected her health. He had developed a self-reactive and self-destructive over the course of time with chronic abuse of drug and alcohol. The correlation between such behaviours and alcohol and drug abuse was also explained by Morales (2013), and thus, corroborated with Kim’s condition. Although Kim agreed on the certain conditions in order to have a fourth child, however, the decision can be challenging to Kim. Although, she decided to give up her previous way of living her life, to abruptly quit alcohol and drug is not easy and would require a great level of commitment from Kim itself. Health care professionals can help Kim in many ways to bring her back to a normal stage from where she and her newly born child can live a better quality of life In the DVD, Kim was witnessed smoking with her partner. Thus suggested that Kim was still unaware of the adverse health effects the smoking can induce during pregnancy.. One immediate action Kim should take was to quit smoking as she was in her final stage of pregnancy. Smoking in such stage could affect to herself, as well as her unborn child. The child might also be affected after the birth as the effect of smoking can persist longer even after the birth of the child. Communication could be an effective approach to deal w ith Kim’s condition in building a bridge between a health professional and Kim towards an aspect of achieving a positive progress in her health. References Accessed: December 2013 Bhopal (2007) Bhopal R S. Ethnicity, race and health in multicultural societies. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2007. 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