EMBA 560 Executive position week 1 journal 1 Essay

EMBA 560 Executive position week 1 journal 1 - Essay Example e title, although my peers recognize my potential to contribute more towards the company’s success, for which reason my immediate superior and my peers have turned to me to help guide the others. I have set my aspirations high, but they are more than just wishful thinking. I figured that if we aim high and don’t quite reach the goal, then we still come quite close to it and end up better than expected. I aim to enter the managerial level in the next 24 months, and in the long term I believe I will be able to achieve the level of vice president for marketing. I firmly believe I am a viable candidate for this position, because I know I have the drive and initiative to excel in the marketing function. There are many insights and ideas I have that I know I could share with the firm and my colleagues in this division. I have acquired a keen sense about the medical experts and professionals to whom we market our high technology medical devices, and my Stage IV contribution would be to enable more effective marketing strategies in this area as well as the more generic products and services our company

Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Essay Todays corporations are not the same as the corporations of the early twentieth century. Society has seen to that with numerous lawsuits brought up against the willful misconduct and social misbehaviors many organizations have done in the past. This is more prevalent today as the world is linked and interconnected with global media and the use of the internet, so news of any violation is brought up to the publics attention in a matter of minutes. It does not only affect the corporations image at that time, but the actions of that corporation and the response that they take is communicated globally. This can either help or hinder the identity of the corporation, and with society so well educated in the matters of the environment today, the cost of not doing anything, or just the minimum can and most probably will hurt the global sales of whatever you are selling. Corporations have enormous amounts of pressure to be socially and environmentally responsible for their actions, and it is in the best interest for any corporation to settle most of their disputes the most efficient and quiet means possible. Court cases involving toxic torts, damage to the environment and general misconduct involving corporations will certainly have a negative impact on the bottom line and public image and this is something shareholders frown upon. Very seldom does the media follow stories of settlements between disputing parties that are carried out behind closed doors, for the majority of times, the details are not allowed to be made public. In order to resolve disputes between parties without the lengthy, costly- in terms of monetary and public image, and uncertain outcomes of litigation, many corporations and risk managers at these corporations are increasingly using the resources available through the alternate dispute resolution techniques. As we will soon learn, the environment is not the only regulation that companies have to adhere to. Under the regulatory process, the government uses administrative agencies to create and enforce the majority of all laws constituting the legal environment of business (Reed et al, 2002, p. 174). There are various reasons to support the need for government intervention and administrative law. They provide a stable, predictable, and fair operating environment for businesses and they provide certain assurances for the consumer and the employee. There are some governmental regulations on businesses that invoke the emotional support of community stakeholders. The lesson plan mentioned the environmental protections imposed on businesses by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Others include administrative agencies at the state and local levels, as well as the federal agencies. At the state level, there is great public interest in compensation boards which rule on employee injury and accident cases. Another state agency or board may determine local utility rates for gas and electricity. Without competition to control rates, the public must rely on regulations to protect their interests. The zoning boards of local government influence zoning laws and there can be great emotional response at their outcome (Reed et al, 2002). Federal agencies that may invoke similar emotional interest are the regulations imposed by the Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD), which determines building and housing development standards and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can has great impact on consumer product development with regards to safety (Chrisman Fry, 1983). Reed et al, (2002) lists the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which protects the consumer from unfair business practices, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which prohibits the distribution of unsafe food or drugs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which prevents employment based on discrimination, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which ensures safe working conditions, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which protects the investing public. Knowledge of the optimum regulatory solution is a powerful weapon in the hands of the businessman when negotiating with regulatory agencies, and an advantage that is naturally his. How he uses that weapon is another matter entirely. He can volunteer it as a solution, use it as a fall-back position in negotiation, or oppose the regulation altogether on the grounds that even the best solution is too expensive, but he cannot afford not to know (Fri, 1976, p. 44). The administrative agencies regulating business have a great impact on its operations and ultimately its success or failure. The dilemma with running a multi billion-dollar company is how to run it safely, and with standards that protect everyone involved, including the environment. Our group has come up with strategies in dealing with allegations that could be detrimental to the financial stability of our company. We have talked about other regulations where community stakeholders can make emotional arguments supportive of government intervention. As to the situation involving Kelly Bates; we all feel that a lengthy litigation process dragged through the courts and the local and global media attention will do more harm than good. Even though we could have had a strong case against Ms. Kelly Bates because we have been a social responsible corporation in the past with only one incident, we choose to keep the media away and settle with her. In the settlement, we have agreed that she is not allowed to discuss the charges brought up against us or her settlement will be annulled. When you are known as an industry leader of your product, you instantly become a target for scrutiny and allegations. It is up to the company to make sure they have a good legal team, and that they abide by the statutes put into place by the local government. References Coulson, R. (1993, Jan). Avoiding litigation with alternative dispute resolution. Risk Management, 40(1), 20-26. Retrieved November 24, 2004 from the ProQuest database. Chrisman, J. , Fry, F. (1983). How government regulation affects small business. Business Forum, 8(2), 25-28. Retrieved November 26, 2004, from the EbscoHost database.

How People Interact With Search Engines

How People Interact With Search Engines A search engine is a web-based tool that enables users to locate information on the World Wide Web. Popular examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo!, and MSN Search. Search engines utilize automated software applications (referred to as robots, bots, or spiders) that travel along the Web, following links from page to page, site to site. The information gathered by the spiders is used to create a searchable index of the Web. When people use the term search engine in relation to the Web, they are usually referring to the actual search forms that searches through databases of HTML documents, initially gathered by a robot. There are basically three types of search engines: Those that are powered by robots (called crawlers; ants or spiders) and those that are powered by human submissions; and those that are a hybrid of the two. HOW DO SEARCH ENGINES WORK? Every search engine uses different complex mathematical formulas to generate search results. The results for a specific query are then displayed on the SERP. Search engine algorithms take the key elements of a web page, including the page title, content and keyword density, and come up with a ranking for where to place the results on the pages. Each search engines algorithm is unique, so a top ranking on Yahoo! does not only a short period before the search engines developers become wise to the tactics and change their algorithm. More likely, sites using these tricks will be labeled as spam by the search engines and their rankings will plummet. animation mean nothing to search engines, but the actual text on your pages does. It is difficult to build a Flash site that is as friendly to search engines; as a result, Flash sites will tend not to rank as high as sites developed with well coded HTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets a complex mechanism for adding styles to website pages above and beyond regular HTML). If the terms you want to be found by do not appear in the text of your website, it will be very difficult for your website to yield high placement in the SERPs. Crawler-based search engines are those that use automated software agents (called crawlers) that visit a Web site, read the information on the actual site, read the sites meta tags and also follow the links that the site connects to performing indexing on all linked Web sites as well. The crawler returns all that information back to a central depository, where the data is indexed. The crawler will periodically return to the sites to check for any information that has changed. The frequency with which this happens is determined by the administrators of the search engine. Human-powered search engines rely on humans to submit information that is subsequently indexed and catalogued. Only information that is submitted is put into the index. In both cases, when you query a search engine to locate information, youre actually searching through the index that the search engine has created -you are not actually searching the Web. These indices are giant databases of information that is collected and stored and subsequently searched. This explains why sometimes a search on a commercial search guarantee a prominent ranking on Google, and vice versa. To make things more complicated, the algorithms used by search engines are not only closely guarded secrets, they are also constantly undergoing modification and revision. This means that the criteria to best optimize a site with must be surmised through observation, as well as trial and error and not just once, but continuously. Gimmicks less reputable SEO firms tout as the answer to better site rankings may work at best for engine, such as Yahoo! or Google, will return results that are, in fact, dead links. Since the search results are based on the index, if the index hasnt been updated since a Web page became invalid the search engine treats the page as still an active link even though it no longer is. It will remain that way until the index is updated. So why will the same search on different search engines produce different results? Part of the answer to that question is because not all indices are going to be exactly the same. It depends on what the spiders find or what the humans submitted. But more important, not every search engine uses the same algorithm to search through the indices. The algorithm is what the search engines use to determine the relevance of the information in the index to what the user is searching for. One of the elements that a search engine algorithm scans for is the frequency and location of keywords on a Web page. Those with higher frequency are typically considered more relevant. But search engine technology is becoming sophisticated in its attempt to discourage what is known keyword stuffing, or spamdexing. Another common element that algorithms analyze is the way that pages link to other pages in the Web. By analyzing how pages link to each other, an engine can both determine what a page is about (if the keywords of the linked pages are similar to the keywords on the original page) and whether that page is considered important and deserving of a boost in ranking. Just as the technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated to ignore keyword stuffing, it is also becoming more savvy to Web masters who build artificial links into their sites in order to build an artificial ranking. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a webpage in a search engines natural or un-paid (organic) search engine results In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engines users. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search video search, academic search news search and industry-specific vertical search engines engines. As an internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work, what people search for, the actual search terms or keywords typed into search engines and which search engines are preferred by their targeted audience. Optimizing a website may involve editing its content ,HTML and associated coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines. Promoting a site to increase the number of back links or inbound links, is another SEO tactic. HOW PEOPLE INTERACT WITH SEARCH ENGINES We like to say Build for users, not search engines. When users have a bad experience at your site, when they cant accomplish a task or find what they were looking for, this often correlates with poor search engine performance. On the other hand, when users are happy with your website, a positive experience is created, both with the search engine and the site providing the information or result. What are users looking for? There are three types of search queries users generally perform: Do Transactional Queries Action queries such as buy a plane ticket or listen to a song. Know Informational Queries When a user seeks information, such as the name of the band or the best restaurant in New York City. Go Navigation Queries Search queries that seek a particular online destination, such as Facebook or the homepage of the NFL. When visitors type a query into a search box and land on your site, will they be satisfied with what they find? This is the primary question search engines try to figure out millions of times per day. The search engines primary responsibility is to serve relevant results to their users. It all starts with the words typed into a small box. KEYWORD RESEARCH It all begins with words typed into a search box. Keyword research is one of the most important, valuable, and high return activities in the search marketing field. Ranking for the right keywords can make or break your website. Through the detective work of puzzling out your markets keyword demand, you not only learn which terms and phrases to target with SEO, but also learn more about your customers as a whole. Its not always about getting visitors to your site, but about getting the right kind of visitors. The usefulness of this intelligence cannot be overstated with keyword research you can predict shifts in demand, respond to changing market conditions, and produce the products, services, and content that web searchers are already actively seeking. In the history of marketing, there has never been such a low barrier to entry in understanding the motivations of consumers in virtually every niche.

funeral games of Patroclus(iliad) from a different perspective :: essays research papers

The Funeral Games of Patroclus Narrated by Meriones   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hey, I’m Meriones, the son of Molus and the comrade and squire of Idomeneus. Today I found that some â€Å"great warrior† was killed. His name was Patroclus or something. Everyone was acting ridiculous in my opinion. First Achilles called everyone outside so we could drive our chariots around his body. Wow, what a great way to show we care for someone†¦not. While I was driving my chariot everyone around me was weeping and mourning for the loss of Patroclus. To tell you the truth I’ve never heard of Patroclus doing anything special for the Achean army. I think that Zeus probably commanded Achilles to make a big deal out of this death. Otherwise we probably would have just thrown him on some wood and burned him or the easier funeral, throw him in the ocean. Meanwhile Hector, the leader of the Trojan army, was dead and we had the body. Achilles went on a mad streak and dragged the body and threw him out for the dogs. Well that really gives a good reputation for the Acheans. Achilles announced that he is also going to slay twelve noble Trojan men and cattle while they burn Patroclus’ body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later Achilles started getting ready for the funeral. He asked me to go out and find an ox that was worthy enough to get slayed with Patroclus. In that case, I decided that the only thing worthy ebough for him would be a pig. So, jokingly I brought the pig back to Achilles. He shockingly but sternly replied, â€Å" You, Meriones, are a poor disgrace for a soldier, and have never deserved and honor in anything you’ve done. I don’t think you have ever even won anything in your life! Ha! I am ashamed of you especially to dishonor such a great man like Patroclus. Now, go away we do not need your help.† After he said that I got very angry. I had to think of a away to get him back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later Achilles called us out and told us that Patroclus had come to him in a vision told him to hurry up and bury him so he could enter the gates of Hades. When Achilles said that I couldn’t help but laugh because that right there proves that Achilles is the one with the problem, not me. It seems that just because I’m not as serious as the rest of the army and that I like to have fun, he won’t respect me for who I am.

Global Business and Political Forces Case Study Essay

Walgreens Corporation â€Å"C-Level Executives† will have to consider the Global Business and Political Forces associated with their Global International Expansion plans into the Country of Brazil during the period of (2014-2016). Analysis The key issues Walgreens Corporation â€Å"C-Level Executives† pose to face would be attempting a massive global expansion and creating new value innovation within that new global market. The want and need to expand internationally into Brazil might potentially cause the Company to lose its current top rated status quo and therefore could risk their Company’s name and future success rate if prior strategic planning is not done properly. Current competition in the same U.S Market looking to expand internationally such as CVS could also pose and cause a potential threat to Walgreens expansion plans. However, the Brazilian market is even more competitive because Brazilian Company’s already know how to operate in that country and are already familiar with the areas region. Therefore, their capabilities of gaining access to information and expertise about where the high demand for property expansion location sites would be at to open a new booming business, stands to be greater than that of other countries outsourced investors or foreign Company’s looking to expand. Related assumptions Walgreens would have to be able to maintain a competitive advantage point globally, so creating an exclusive brand pertaining to that specific region of the country, as well as, maintaining or improving their current Prescription Savings Club program and product line seems essential to their international expansion success. In order to stay ahead of the game and beat out any competition Walgreens â€Å"C-Level Executives† will need to focus on its core competencies and strengths. These practices are going to be critical when serving a diverse Country, while maintaining Walgreens longstanding tradition of fairness, trust and honesty. ((2013). Company Overview). Alternatives There are several alternative actions the C-Level Executives can take that would include the following: First, management must actively evaluate and manage any potential political risks involved when making global expansion investment decisions and then continue to monitor those associated risks on a routine basis. Political forces and risks that could impact Walgreens are going to be subject to change, so it won’t be considered enough to evaluate those risks only once before the decision to invest has been made. Executives of Walgreens must take an active approach and monitor political risks all the time and use those findings to their advantage by applying those methods strategically towards any other investments, operational plans and any other future decisions. Therefore, management over political forces must be implemented into Walgreens operating business practice and processes, in order to protect their investments. (PwC Advisory and Eurasia Group.) Secondly, obtaining reliable, accurate information and interpretation of international business risks tend to be roads blocks at times for executives seeking to better their decision making through evaluation of political risk. Therefore, the use of multiple world-wide sources in which provide up to date, extremely accurate information that has not only been analyzed but also prepared by top risk managers should also be considered as part of an ongoing systematic approach to political risk management. (PwC Advisory and Eurasia Group.) Thirdly, To avoid any future setbacks from competitors such as CVS and similar Drugstore/Retail chains, Walgreens will need to create and invest in a new value of innovation to enhance their diverse customer’s experience. I believe Walgreens strengths lies in the fact that they have their own unique branding style and a high level of ethical quality in the way they perform their business practice, so by enhancing their current U.S. loyal customer connections over into their potential new global customers they stand a better chance to set themselves apart from CVS and any other competitors they might be faced with along the way. Evaluation International partnerships increase challenges but also create new ideas in new markets that can then be translated back to US markets. Because all companies, even primarily domestic ones, are affected by politics to some  degree, all need a baseline of political risk management activity. At a minimum, company management should be aware of how political risks affect business processes, and they should factor these risks into both investment decisions and general risk management. Recommendation My suggestion would be that the â€Å"C-Level Executives† when operating internationally should carefully analyze their current approach to political risk management and determine whether it is contributing to their current business performance strategy as efficiently or effectively as it could and should be or having and adverse effect, taking away from it instead. Once carefully reviewed and evaluated they should find areas for improvement and make changes accordingly to ensure a better business development plan for the following (2014-2016) timeline. Implementation Long-term sustainable success internationally depends in good part on a company’s ability to grasp the implications of political risk and apply them to business risk. By embedding political risk considerations in normal business processes, companies enable management to make better decisions regarding global expansion, sourcing, branding, intellectual property protection, community and government relations, operational structures, and other business issues that arise in complex international markets. (PwC Advisory and Eurasia Group.) Conclusion Ultimately, any company looking to expand globally has to be willing to take risks, but it’s also essential to their future developmental successes that before taking that huge leap to expand internally that they become extremely aware of the high stacks and potential risks involved. In general, the more a company ventures beyond its home country physically or through outsourcing the more it increases its exposure to political risk. Companies should keep in mind, however, that even a minor investment involving a major risk or opportunity can have a material impact. Sustainable success internationally depends in good part on a company’s ability to grasp the implications of political risk and apply them to business risk. Mark Wagner, Walgreens Executive Vice President Operations & Community Management had this to say: â€Å"Our customers come from all walks of life, and it would be impossible for us to serve them well if we developed identical, instead of individual needs. I’ve found the best way to recognize individuality is by taking time to learn about diverse interests and their background. Everyone has needs, wants and expectations and as managers, it’s our job to develop that strategy and exceed those expectations.† (Walgreens outlines strategy to analysts.)

How and why did the French Revolution affect Ireland essays

How and why did the French Revolution affect Ireland essays The French Revolution had an overwhelming affect on Ireland. The similar situations in the two countries meant that the French Revolution had real relevance for Irish society, as it provided an example of how to overthrow a tyrannical regime and helped break the sectarian deadlock which had disabled the reform movement of the 1780s, as Presbyterians were encouraged by the actions of the French Catholics to embrace the Catholics of Ireland. The Irish Catholics, due to the restrictions imposed by the Penal Code, accepted the principles expressed in France, as did the Presbyterian community for both pragmatic and ideological reasons. The politicization and radicalization of the Irish Catholics, under the Catholic Committee caused the Irish government to further adopt suppressive methods to deal with this revolutionary force. The French Revolution helped spark the rebirth of the Irish reformist movement, expressed through the radical United Irishmen, who helped develop a Catholic-Presby terian alliance and the beginnings of an Irish separatist movement, again serving to increase the intransigence of the Ascendancy, as war with revolutionary France broke out in 1793. Ireland was a fertile ground for revolutionary principles to gain acceptance due to previous developments and the tradition of dissent, which existed throughout the country. The tradition of Colonial Nationalism, and wide belief in the Social Contract Theory combined with the experiences of the American War and Volunteering meant that the country was already rich in the principles expressed in France, and had experience in opposing a corrupt system of government. The subsequent failure of Grattans Parliament to represent the views of the Irish Presbyterian and Catholic communities, and the failure of the reform movement, caused by the Catholic question, had already induced feelings of frustration within the country, making the message...

Bigot, The All-Purpose Insult

Bigot, The All-Purpose Insult Bigot, The All-Purpose Insult Bigot, The All-Purpose Insult By Maeve Maddox Bigot, a word usually associated with religion, has expanded its meaning considerably. Its original sense was â€Å"a person who shows excessive religious zeal, a religious hypocrite.† Here are some (unedited) examples of its current use: Obama: Close-Minded Economic Bigot Sailor Calls Romney a ‘narrow-minded bigot’ Jehmu Greene: Portrait of Black Bigotry Liberals are some of the most bigoted people in America There are simple minded bigots on both sides of the isle. Kirstie Alley Slams Leah Remini as a Bigot After Anti-Scientology Remarks Elisabeth Hasselbeck flung a hefty tar ball in the direction of Joy Beharon Tuesday mornings The View Hot Topics segment, calling the carrot-topped co-host a bigot. [Arne] Duncans a bigot, a bully, an elitist and a foot-in-mouth fool all rolled into one The word bigot has been in the language since the Middle Ages. Of uncertain origin, it entered the language from French and quickly became a term of abuse. In modern usage, bigot, together with its other forms, bigotry and bigoted, is not confined to religious contexts. These definitions from the OED and Merriam-Webster illustrate the expanded usage. bigot: noun. a fanatical adherent or believer; a person characterized by obstinate, intolerant, or strongly partisan beliefs. OED bigot: noun. a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: a person who regards or treats the members of a group (such as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance. Merriam-Webster Bigot is a strong word, especially useful in today’s close-minded social and political climate. Its force is diluted by speakers who employ it as a knee-jerk term of abuse to fling at anyone who merely voices a different opinion on some matter. opinion: a view held about a particular issue; a judgement formed or a conclusion reached; a belief; a religious or political conviction. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesTry to vs. Try andNeither... or?

Kelloggs Supply Chain

Kelloggs Supply Chain Introduction Supply chain management involves the creation, implementation and management of all the processes involved in delivering raw materials from suppliers to manufacturers followed by making of the final product, and delivering the finished product to retail buyers until it reaches the end customer (Bozarth 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kellogg’s Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Supply chain can be said to entail the flow of raw materials (from suppliers to manufacturers to retailers and finally to the end consumer), and flow of information and cash from customers to manufacturers and back to the suppliers. Logistics is part of this supply chain, and supply chain is part of the value chain (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012). Effective and successful supply chain management is very important in gaining a competitive advantage. To realize the benefits of succe ssful supply chain management, the following issues should be considered: Business location: It is important to locate a business in a place that is convenient to its operations (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012). For instance, an electricity generation business should be located near rivers, or lakes. This is in order to reduce delivery costs. A business dealing with selling of fresh products should be located near its warehouses and stores. This helps to keep its products fresh. According to the case study on Kelloggs supply chain, Kellogg has its ingredients grown in many different countries across the world. Therefore, it is important to situate its manufacturing sites near its distribution channels and customers. This way, Kellogg’s products can reach the retailers’ shelves quickly (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fir st paper with 15% OFF Learn More Size and scale: A business should consider its production capacity. This means that if a business produces in large scale, then it should have a large storage facility as well as a large office space for its operations. On the contrary, if it produces in small scale, then it should have a small production and storage space. For instance, Kellogg produces its cereals and other products in bulk (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012). Large scale production has its benefits. One is that, it can make a business incur negligible costs of production in its operations. As a result of this, its products are likely to sell cheaply as compared to the competitors. This can be referred to as a competitive advantage. Customer location (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012): In order to achieve a competitive advantage, a business should consider where its target customers are situated. This way, it can arrange for cost effective means of transporting its products. For instance, for oversees customers it would be best to use air transport in order to reduce time and to maintain the quality of the products. It is also advisable to consider the cost effectiveness of the means of transport to be used with customer’s location in mind. For example, for customers near the production centre, it is advisable to use road transport because it is cheaper. Economies of scale (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012): A business should take advantage of this by producing in large scale, thereby transporting in bulk. This way it can reduce the trips covered to transport its products to customers. As a result, less transport costs will be incurred making the products competitive in the market since unit distribution costs are minimal.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kellogg’s Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kellogg shares transportation of its transportation with Kimberley Clark, which manufactures paper goods products. This strategy helps to reduce the number of part-full or empty transport vehicles. Consequently, time, mileage and CO2 emissions are minimized. Profits are maximized if this is done. Outsourcing of transport costs: A business can allocate transportation roles to a different company. This means that the outsourced company transports on behalf of the business. The advantage of this strategy is that it could be cheaper to outsource rather than the business doing its own transportation. Another benefit is that a business will concentrate its resources on production which improves efficiency. For instance, Kellogg partners with TDG, a logistics specialist. TDG stores and transports Kellogg’s cereals. This allows Kelloggs to concentrate on its area of specialization which is manufacturing of cereals among other food products (‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012). Creating and improving healthy relationships with the intermediaries (Gligor Autry 2012): Intermediaries such as wholesalers and retailers deal with customers directly. Therefore, if businesses have good relationships with them, they can promote its products. A business can come up with ways of adding value to the intermediaries. A good example is Kellogg’s Shelf Ready Unit that Kellogg developed with Tesco (one of Kellogg’s retail supermarkets). This unit displays Kellogg’s and Tesco’s products and attracts customers because it is attractive and easy to select. As a result, this increases their sales and profits. Right marketing mix: In order for the business to have a competitive advantage, it should ensure that it has the right product, in the right place and at the right time. It should conduct market research in order to know the needs of the customers. It should also keep in mind customer location. In order for the prod ucts to reach the customers on time, it should have effective distribution channels. For example, Kellogg manufactures the right products based on research into consumer needs. It also manages the distribution channels in order to place its products in stores. This makes its products to be competitive.4Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Use of efficient stock inventory software: Such software enables a company to detect and respond to changes in product levels, demand and supply (Handfield 2011). In short, such software aims at achieving optimization or the highest level of production possible. Just-in-time is an example of such software. It ensures that only enough products are produced to fulfill orders and therefore limited stock is kept. Such systems ensure that stock is always available, and ordered products are delivered on time. This helps to reduce storage costs and consequently help in achieving competitive advantage. Improving inter-organizational exchange relationships: This involves effective communication of reliable and timely information between two or more players in the supply chain (Gligor Autry 2012). A business should aim at establishing ways of communicating effectively with its suppliers, wholesalers and retailers. This can reduce uncertainty as well as lower the costs of production. For exam ple, with effective communication with the supplier, a business is able to know changes in supplier capacity and make timely adjustments on the level of production so as not to affect production capacity. Competent supplier evaluation: In order to achieve competitive advantage, a business should evaluate its suppliers based on their competence. Factors such as delivery ability, flexibility of orders, quality and reliability as well as pricing can be used as a benchmark to select the best supplier (Breitenbach 2011). For instance, a vendor that has exceptional ability to deliver on time will reduce delay in production, which can affect the level of output. Additionally, a supplier that provides exceptional quality and reliability will deliver products that tie with the business requirements. This can save money and time spent on inspecting quality and quantity of the products. Effective procurement (purchase) and distribution of products: For a business to offer affordable prices to its customers, it can reduce the costs of purchasing its production materials. This can be implemented during procurement. For instance, Wal-Mart is a large retail chain which deals with various products. Some of them are food products while others are consumer electronics. It uses this strategy of reducing costs during procurement. Wal-Mart does this by buying its goods directly from the manufacturers and suppliers. As a result, it is able to bypass the intermediaries, agents and middlemen (Angrish et al. 2005). This leads to reduced procurement and distribution costs and this way Wal-Mart affords to sell its products at very competitive prices. Use of bar codes, hand held computer systems such as ‘Magic Wand’: The bar codes can be used to put labels on products, shelves and bins while the hand held computer can guide the employee to the exact location of a product. This device can record and update the packaging department on product levels. Wal-Mart also uses RFID (R adio Frequency Identification System) which is much more effective (Angrish et al. 2005). These mechanisms allow Wal-Mart to meet expectations of the clients fast and to increase the competence level of the distribution center operations. Introduction of E-commerce in supply chain management: E-commerce and e-business involves or entails commercial transactions conducted over the internet. This enables a business to buy or sell its products on the internet (Zank Vokurka 2003). When a business uses the internet to conduct its business, it reduces costs such as transport and advertising. For example, a business person selling services such as consultancy need not travel from one place to another in order to do business. This helps to reduce time and transport costs. A business selling books over the internet does not incur any advertising costs making the books cheaper. E-business can make a business very competitive since products and services incur fewer costs compared to competito rs who do not use the internet. Conclusion Supply chain management involves creation, management and implementation of processes involved in the supply chain. Some of the processes include packaging, procurement, transportation and distribution. In order for a business to achieve a competitive advantage, it should consider some factors that can help it to improve the processes in its supply chain. Such factors are business location, size and scale of operations, customer location, economies of scale, outsourcing of transport costs, creation and improvement of healthy relationships with the intermediaries among others. A business should aim at improving these factors in order to reduce its production and distribution costs. When the costs of production are high, the prices of end products will also be high. On the other hand, the lower the costs of production, the lower the prices of end products. A business with high production costs will increase the cost of its final products maki ng them less competitive than a business with low production costs. Consequently, when the end products are affordable, sales and profits will rise and vice versa. References Angrish, S, Chivukula, S, Devvitt, V, Patel, B, Shamsi, R, Yellapragada, S, Ramachandra 2005, ‘Wal-Mart Case Study’, RFID and Supply Chain Management. Bozarth, C 2011, ‘A Quick Premier on BPM’, Business Process Management. Breitenbach, Z 2011, ‘What Should the Professional Supply Chain Manager Know about Six Sigma’, Supply Chain Management. Gligor, D Autry, C 2012, ‘The role of personal relationships in facilitating supply chain communications’, A Qualitative study, vol. 48 no. 1, pp. 24-43. Handfield, R 2011, ‘The Supply Chain IT Investment Enigma’, Companies are Rethinking IT Investments. ‘The Times 100 Business Case Studies’ 2012, Kellogg’s Case Study: Supply chain manufacturing to shelf. Zank, G Vokurka, R 2003, ‘T he Internet’, Motivations, deterrents, and impact on supply chain relationships.

Strategic Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Operations Management - Essay Example Hayes (p 10) says that operations role is bigger than that of just implementer of strategy. It is here that new ideas emerge, new knowledge, capabilities and learnings are getting acquired. New strategies are often arising even as one is being implemented. Emergent sense of what the strategy should be will come from the experiences and feedback from its operating staff based on which mid course strategy corrections could be done. An operations strategy is never complete without an appropriate implementation plan. The viability of strategy depends crucially on the manner of its implementation; a sound implementation can salvage poor strategy and best of strategies can be wrecked by bad implementation (Bettley et al). For this the plan must be clearly articulated, along with a monitoring plan. It will clearly communicate to the operations team the rationale behind the plan, the role of different functions, linkage between functional goals and strategy, clarity on concepts like market qualifiers and market winners and also the tradeoffs assumed. It will clearly communicate the start, timelines outcomes and the action needed by each function. It will be clear about resource allocation and plans for filling in gaps (for example new training in customer handling, training for use of new IT technology, etc). For instance the strategy may call for greater outsourcing instead of manufacturing which may mean smaller b udgets and dash hopes of expansion for the manufacturing department. The rationale behind this will need to be clearly communicated. Finally it will have a clear implementation agenda on when to start, where to start, the pace of implementation, how it will be coordinated and by whom. For the operations strategy to be successful, it would need to be a collaborative effort. OS should not follow a top-down approach alone; it should be predominantly bottom-up. For one it would help in drawing upon the knowledge and experience of the operations team. It will also be a sure method of communicating to the operations team the business strategy the organisation is following. It will be the surest way to ensure appropriateness of the strategy because operations manager will be able to see the fit better than anyone else and come out with gaps and shortcomings of the resources to meet the strategy. This approach would also ensure the ease and speed of implementation as much of the details of the plan are already considerably internalised by the operations team. Sadler (2000) says that a suitable planning process involving busy managers who are highly focussed on operations and a facilitator would greatly increase the chance of success of implementation of operations strategy. Friend (p 247) says that strategy so developed has to be communicated to the operations team in a way that they will take ownership of the implementation. Developing and communicating the plan will avoid "organisational myopia", i.e., inability to see between their own functional departments. It will also avoid unwanted grouse some functional personal may develop because they feel that their department has been neglected. Friend also says that a process developed in a collaborative manner

Identification report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Identification report - Essay Example The office is a large room on the 3rd floor with minimalistic design. The writing table at the window is almost idle with Tajewski’s computer, a deed box and a phone on its surface. The cabinet standing on the left is filled with files and documents with the external hard drive of 2TB capacity and a flash drive of 15 GB capacity on the bottom shelf. First and foremost, it move on to access and check Tajewski’s computer for suspicious data. Having got a password from his manager, I launch file check in order to identify files that have any coincidences with those that have been stolen. The files need to be examined for any text matches with the stolen ones. Proceeding with the investigation, I detect and check all recent data including deleted files using a files recovery program (Handy Recovery): this will help me to identify if the suspect tried to dispose of the stolen property in this way. Recycler bin is also checked as well as all the folders requiring passwords. Going further, I check all the files in order to identify and collect the data that wasn’t created on this computer and has no PC administrator’s signature. Setting the date filter on files, I sort out all the files that have been created or copied after the theft. All these files must be taken for an expertise to Champlain Forensics, Inc. At my our next step, I perform a detailed check of Mr. Tajowski’s mailings and contacts as it can give us a hint on his complicity for the crime (especially if there are attempts to sell the stolen property to a third party). I make a copy of the mailing history and the contact list. Having finished with the computer, I proceed with check of all external media present in the room. I check all the files on the flash drive as well as on the hard drive sorting them by the date and testing for text match. Next I

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final - Essay Example There is very little explanation for the reader in this story, but the dialogue shows a failure to communicate between Frances and Michael. When Frances says â€Å"Some day †¦ you’re going to make a move†¦ aren’t you† (lines 245-249) and Michael answers first with silence and then with evasive words like â€Å"Maybe†¦How the hell do I know?† (lines 250-251) it is obvious that he does not love her in the exclusive and committed way that one would expect within a marriage. He seems ready to move on. Frances is upset, and crying, which shows that she is still learning to come to terms with the differences that are driving her and her husband apart. Frances, on the other hand, wants to have a romantic relationship like the ones we see in American films and novels. Her tears are evidence that she is sad and disappointed, and that she had wished for something better. This story illustrates how relationships often look happy and stable on the surfa ce, while underneath there may be big problems. Knowing how to face up to problems, and being able to state clearly what each person is looking for, is a key element in relationships. In Half and Half, Rose understands her predicament more clearly.

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Music - Essay Example The attractiveness of the melodies and careful incorporation of romantic sounds largely and continuously changes the mood of the listener to a more passionate frame of mind. Capriccio is definitely a song that I would love to continuously play when I want to relax my mind. The music, which is played by trumpet, piano and baritones, is expressively turned with great performance straight from the vocal part. The music literally raises tremendous memories of the autumn season regardless of how far the season could be through its expressive simultaneous performance of the musical instruments and the vocal part, which remains, breathtaking and propulsive throughout the song. The song remains one of the greatest arrangements of the first brass quintet that is deliberate and harmonious that describes the romantic melancholy of the autumn season. Autumn is a song that one can repeatedly listen to just to remind the listener of the great and beautiful memories of the autumn season. This song is plainly a beautiful performance that is incorporated with much intimacy and erotic smouldering that worth the occasional listening. The artistical blend of tenor and trombone and strings and the vocal part confirms the sweet musical combination that originates from the song. The variations of the strings and the tenor trombones arouses the listeners feelings and emotions thus compelling the listener to listen more and more with a thrilling feeling and emotions. Concerto is a song that will continue ringing into the ears and head of the listener even if it is not playing due to its melodious tunes. This is a song that I would heartily recommend to be one of the greatest jazz ever since because of the way it is wonderfully expressed with powerful movements of the artists. It undoubtedly stirs up the listener with its classical combination of guitars and the trombone which turns it to be a pacesetter in the innovative standard of jazz. Naked as a Jaybird

DNR Surgical Patients Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DNR Surgical Patients - Essay Example It also discusses the legal and moral implications of anesthesia practice and how these implications eventually affect the decision-making process of both the patient and the attending medical health care team. I can apply the information in this article to my clinical practice because I can use the results revealed by this study in considering options for DNR patients. In my anesthesia practice, I can be more prudent of patient’s needs and of their choices. I would be more interested in explaining to them the different ways in which a DNR order may be carried out. I can apply this information into my practice by becoming more conscious of the options that I explain to patients. Each choice may be different for every patient, and as such, I should treat them as individuals. Even when patients share similar ailments, they may not always make the same choices. Therefore, it is important, as a medical health professional, for me to treat each patient based on his individual circumstances and on the individual choices he is making. I can also apply the information from this article to my clinical practice in the sense that I now have the opportunity to become more patient-centered and m ore evidence-based. In the current medical practice where there are so many available treatments for patients, this article will help emphasize rational and client-centered approaches to treatment. I have learned from this article that it is important for me to note that policies which automatically suspend DNR orders may not always adequately address a patient’s right to self-determination. In these instances, therefore, it is important for me to encourage preoperative review with my patients and with the other members of the health care team. By reviewing the options with the patients, it may be possible for these patients to opt for medical interventions which will make their lives comfortable. I have also learned that my viewpoint as a medical health

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S Essay

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S - Essay Example The irony is that consumption of drugs has been on the increase, criminals are making more money from their annual turnover ranging from $ 400 to 500 billion. According to a confidential report from U.K. Government, only 20 percent out of 700 tons of Cocaine and 500 tons of Heroin illegally produced is being seized by enforcement forces. Supply being plentiful, prices are reported to be ruling low at $ 70 per gram today as against $ 184 in 1990. (Glenny 2007) This report is not alone. Similar observations. abound in the other Governmental reports and NGO studies Therefore the study gains significance in the wake of such reports to examine strengths and weaknesses of the Governments' policy initiatives towards interdiction and eradication of drugs. More so, because of opinions advocating legalizing the drugs besides the fact that policy initiatives focus on eradication of poppy cultivation without offering viable alternatives to the farmers concerned. The President rolls out National Drug Control Strategy for each year incorporating three key strategies namely (1) Stopping the Use before it Starts; (2) Intervening and Healing America's Drug Users; and, (3) Disrupting the Market. The Drug Budget for FY 2008 is $12.961 billion short of $0.167 billion from last year though it is compensated by additional request for $ 266 .1 million for emergency spending in Afghanistan.(National Drug Control Strategy). The Rand Report 2005 says that every year 16 million Americans forming 7 percent of the country’s population above the age of 12 consume about $60 billion worth of illegal drugs. And invariably the surveys on Americans have reveled that â€Å"drugs’† is one of the major ten problems of the country. ... (Caulkins P et al 2005 p 13) About 3 million drug consumers are affected by serious drug related problems and about 17,000 people have died due to problems illicit drug use in the year 2000 as against 20,000 in the year 1990. In 2003, 28,723 people have died for the same reason. (McVay) President's Drug Policy of Feb 2007 says that contrary to the reports in many quarters that drugs abuse has not been checked, performance records show a positive trend towards drugs control for the past six years ever since the present incumbent took office. As against the targeted reduction of drug abuse by 10 percent within 2 years and 25 percent within 5 years, administration claims to have achieved 11 percent and 23.2 percent respectively. And this was achieved by strategic benchmarking of each month's consumption. Figures beyond five years are even higher and in terms of number of youth who gave up drug use, it is 840,000. The lessons learnt during the last six years of the President's first of its kind National Drugs Control Strategy evidence that a sound policy can bring out results. Demotivating young users, identifying chronic consumers, maintaining vigil against steroid use for performance enhancement, and monitoring the use of other drugs such as Marijuana, Methamphetamin e, Amphetamine, pain relievers like OxyContin have been the features of the broad spectrum strategy of drugs control. Basically these will fall under the key elements of the above said prevention of drug use before its commencement by the potential users, intervention and healing of the people already on drugs, and disruption of the market for illegal drugs with the sole aim of reducing drugs consumption in the

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Music - Essay Example The attractiveness of the melodies and careful incorporation of romantic sounds largely and continuously changes the mood of the listener to a more passionate frame of mind. Capriccio is definitely a song that I would love to continuously play when I want to relax my mind. The music, which is played by trumpet, piano and baritones, is expressively turned with great performance straight from the vocal part. The music literally raises tremendous memories of the autumn season regardless of how far the season could be through its expressive simultaneous performance of the musical instruments and the vocal part, which remains, breathtaking and propulsive throughout the song. The song remains one of the greatest arrangements of the first brass quintet that is deliberate and harmonious that describes the romantic melancholy of the autumn season. Autumn is a song that one can repeatedly listen to just to remind the listener of the great and beautiful memories of the autumn season. This song is plainly a beautiful performance that is incorporated with much intimacy and erotic smouldering that worth the occasional listening. The artistical blend of tenor and trombone and strings and the vocal part confirms the sweet musical combination that originates from the song. The variations of the strings and the tenor trombones arouses the listeners feelings and emotions thus compelling the listener to listen more and more with a thrilling feeling and emotions. Concerto is a song that will continue ringing into the ears and head of the listener even if it is not playing due to its melodious tunes. This is a song that I would heartily recommend to be one of the greatest jazz ever since because of the way it is wonderfully expressed with powerful movements of the artists. It undoubtedly stirs up the listener with its classical combination of guitars and the trombone which turns it to be a pacesetter in the innovative standard of jazz. Naked as a Jaybird

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S Essay

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S - Essay Example The irony is that consumption of drugs has been on the increase, criminals are making more money from their annual turnover ranging from $ 400 to 500 billion. According to a confidential report from U.K. Government, only 20 percent out of 700 tons of Cocaine and 500 tons of Heroin illegally produced is being seized by enforcement forces. Supply being plentiful, prices are reported to be ruling low at $ 70 per gram today as against $ 184 in 1990. (Glenny 2007) This report is not alone. Similar observations. abound in the other Governmental reports and NGO studies Therefore the study gains significance in the wake of such reports to examine strengths and weaknesses of the Governments' policy initiatives towards interdiction and eradication of drugs. More so, because of opinions advocating legalizing the drugs besides the fact that policy initiatives focus on eradication of poppy cultivation without offering viable alternatives to the farmers concerned. The President rolls out National Drug Control Strategy for each year incorporating three key strategies namely (1) Stopping the Use before it Starts; (2) Intervening and Healing America's Drug Users; and, (3) Disrupting the Market. The Drug Budget for FY 2008 is $12.961 billion short of $0.167 billion from last year though it is compensated by additional request for $ 266 .1 million for emergency spending in Afghanistan.(National Drug Control Strategy). The Rand Report 2005 says that every year 16 million Americans forming 7 percent of the country’s population above the age of 12 consume about $60 billion worth of illegal drugs. And invariably the surveys on Americans have reveled that â€Å"drugs’† is one of the major ten problems of the country. ... (Caulkins P et al 2005 p 13) About 3 million drug consumers are affected by serious drug related problems and about 17,000 people have died due to problems illicit drug use in the year 2000 as against 20,000 in the year 1990. In 2003, 28,723 people have died for the same reason. (McVay) President's Drug Policy of Feb 2007 says that contrary to the reports in many quarters that drugs abuse has not been checked, performance records show a positive trend towards drugs control for the past six years ever since the present incumbent took office. As against the targeted reduction of drug abuse by 10 percent within 2 years and 25 percent within 5 years, administration claims to have achieved 11 percent and 23.2 percent respectively. And this was achieved by strategic benchmarking of each month's consumption. Figures beyond five years are even higher and in terms of number of youth who gave up drug use, it is 840,000. The lessons learnt during the last six years of the President's first of its kind National Drugs Control Strategy evidence that a sound policy can bring out results. Demotivating young users, identifying chronic consumers, maintaining vigil against steroid use for performance enhancement, and monitoring the use of other drugs such as Marijuana, Methamphetamin e, Amphetamine, pain relievers like OxyContin have been the features of the broad spectrum strategy of drugs control. Basically these will fall under the key elements of the above said prevention of drug use before its commencement by the potential users, intervention and healing of the people already on drugs, and disruption of the market for illegal drugs with the sole aim of reducing drugs consumption in the

Christian Worldview and Culture Essay Example for Free

Christian Worldview and Culture Essay Today’s cultural landscape has been shaped by the likes of MTV (entertainment), Steve Jobs (technology), and Mark Zuckerberg (social networking). Society often prefers accepting the â€Å"worldviews† of these and other influential people, rather than hearing the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ which offers redemption to a â€Å"fallen† world. We cannot ignore the reality that a vast majority of cultural advancements are produced by â€Å"non-Christian culture-makers, who, as they become more self-conscious and consistent with their anti-Christian stance, will express their unbelief in their artifacts with increasing boldness. Christians cannot dismiss the impact and relevance these contributions have made on society. One of the great challenges believers are confronted with is developing an understanding of the importance of expressing and sharing our Christian worldview in the midst of various competing ideologies. One of the hidden ideologies that secular culture promotes is that we can â€Å"take care of ourselves† thus, refuting any notion that we are dependent on Christ to meet every human need, including the need for salvation. Christian disengagement from culture is contrary to Christ’s example of Incarnation. Christ did not consider human culture unworthy of his attention and love. He set aside his divinity and put on human flesh so that he could engage us on a social and cultural level. The great commission is an affirmation of Christ’s desire for his followers to â€Å"go into all the word†, engaging culture and preaching the gospel. What is â€Å"Culture†? Culture can be defined using three different approaches: agricultural, sociological, and anthropological. The agricultural approach to defining culture â€Å"is derived from the Latin cultura†¦ meaning to plow or till. † Culture is understood from a farming or agricultural perspective which entails the â€Å"practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. † The reference to someone being â€Å"cultured† is drawn from this farming metaphor. Education in this sense is the â€Å"cultivation† of the mind. The sociological approach to defining culture deals with social class distinctions of â€Å"high† (elite) and â€Å"low† (mass) culture. This aesthetic standpoint is mainly concerned with the â€Å"intellectual and artistic achievements of a society. † High culture is associated with the highest ideals of what is (in a subjective sense) â€Å"good†. A cultured person is one who has been acquainted with and educated in the â€Å"finer things† of art, literature, music, etiquette, socialization, as so on. The anthropological perspective regarding culture is concerned with â€Å"the whole way of life of a group or society, not just its better achievements. † Unlike the sociological perspective, this approach does not make distinctions between sophisticated and primitive social groups. It simply acknowledges that all â€Å"activity† which is produced by a social group (texts, art, music, food, artifacts, philosophy, ethics, etc. is that group’s culture. H. Richard Niebuhr states, â€Å"[S]ocial life is always cultural† and culture is the product of â€Å"human achievement†. Humanity Was Created For â€Å"Good Works† Culture, as expressed by the creativity of human activity, is a reflection of God who Himself is a creative being. Human understanding of order and beauty is only possible because of God’s magnificent creation of the heavens and the earth. God validated the beauty of creation when He â€Å"saw all that he had made†¦ was very good† (Genesis 1:31). Man and woman were created in the divine image and likeness (imago dei) of God and were entrusted by God to care for and tend to His creation. Man was given the responsibility of â€Å"cultivating† the Garden of Eden and in doing so bringing glory to the Creator. Here we should take notice between the similarities of the word cultura (plow, till) and cultus which is a â€Å"veneration of the divine†. This should give us a greater insight regarding how â€Å"the human race [was] called to interact deliberately with the earth—[working, tilling, cultivating]—while at the same time lovingly serving his divine Master†¦ and worshiping his Maker. Adam â€Å"performed his culturative activities in response to and as a reflection of God’s creative acts. † Competing Worldviews All of humanity’s artistic and creative works reflect the worldview of those who created them. As a result of the Fall the imago dei has become distorted, causing humanity to shift the focus of their creative and culturative activities away from exclusive worship to God. As a result humanity has developed â€Å"unholy motives†¦ even though superficially [our creative activities] may be of some benefit. Man’s creative outlet is disoriented—seeking to glorify himself through the works of his own hands. Once we understand that all human creative efforts are a reflection of the inner beliefs and values of the mind and spirit, we can assess the intention of human activity properly. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) was the product of human efforts to succeed, using human ability, independent of God. Today’s â€Å"pop† culture seeks to create a new Babel in which human achievement and technological advancement create the false notion that we can live independent of God, or even worse, have no need of God. Thus, culture always reflects a society’s religious and philosophical values, â€Å"[flowing] out of the heart—as it were—of the society which produces it. † A Christian worldview based on God’s Word will discern the â€Å"the ideological bias of the medium and ideological content of the message of non-Christian (and Christian) artifacts. † This is essential for the Christian because there is no neutrality in the message embedded in the works of man. We are not idle spectators, â€Å"[We] must take sides at all times in everything [we] do. † Christian Approach to Culture (Christ and Culture) There has been much debate as to the extent in which Christians are to engage the culture that we live and worship in. Should Christians adapt a Monastic approach secluding ourselves from society? Or, are we to engage the world in such manner that our Christian distinctiveness is lost? H. Richard Niebuhr, in his book Christ and Culture, suggests several â€Å"Christian answers to the problem of Christ and culture. † Niebuhr offers five approaches Christians have historically taken in an effort to understand their position in Christ and involvement with culture. These are: â€Å"Christ against culture,† â€Å"Christ of culture,† â€Å"Christ above culture,† â€Å"Christ and culture in paradox,† and â€Å"Christ the transformer of culture. † The â€Å"Christ against culture† approach proposes that loyalty to Christ is a â€Å"rejection of cultural society†. He critiques this stance as a â€Å"radically Christian answer to the problem of culture†. Indeed, it is impossible for a Christian, or any person, to totally reject and remove themselves from the influence of and involvement with culture. God has taken the opposite approach. He did not reject the world when Adam sinned, but rather engaged the world and put into motion the plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Christ stepped into our earthly realm and became subject to the influences and temptations of human culture â€Å"yet was without sin† (Hebrews 4:15). Christ’s relationship to culture was to use the elements of culture to reveal God the Father and the Kingdom of Heaven to fallen humanity. The second model, â€Å"Christ of culture,† is the opposite of the â€Å"against culture† model. It seeks social and cultural engagement with the world. It attempts to make the gospel meaningful to society by extending its reach beyond â€Å"a selected little band of saints† and is able to engage those of â€Å"high† and â€Å"low† social strata. While the effort to make Christ a part of culture may reach those who would remain otherwise unreached, there is a susceptibility to â€Å"distort the figure of the New Testament Jesus† in an effort to accommodate a social-gospel agenda. This is done by relegating Jesus into what we need him to be in an attempt to address our social and cultural problems. Jesus is a great humanitarian if we are fighting for human rights or a great teacher if we are engaged in philosophical debate. Again, this model can be useful in reaching out to the culture, but we cannot compromise the truthfulness of the gospel for a specific social agenda. The third paradigm is â€Å"Christ above culture†. This view proposes that â€Å"the fundamental issue does not lie between Christ and the world†¦ but between God and man. † By placing Christ at the center, and not against culture, this approach avoids separating â€Å"the experience of grace from cultural activity†. There are three distinct groups in this category: â€Å"synthesists,† â€Å"dualists,† and â€Å"conversionists†. Synthesists affirm â€Å"Christ and culture† (both/and) rejecting a â€Å"Christ or culture† (either/or) approach. They maintain that Jesus â€Å"is both God and man, one person with two natures† and that the works of human nature cannot be separated from the grace of God, â€Å"for all those works are possible only by grace. † Essentially, Christ cannot be against culture because God created nature. Likewise Christ’s incarnation allowed him to actively participate nd engage with the culture of his day. One area that could lead to problems in this approach is by synthesizing Christ and culture in such a manner where Christ becomes subservient to culture. If culture assumes the dominant role in this synthesis, the Church will risk becoming more â€Å"cultural† and less Christ-like because it has elevated culture to the same status as Christ through whom all things were made and exist and â€Å"without him nothing was made that has been made† (John1:3). The dualist approach sees â€Å"Christ and culture in paradox†. This view â€Å"makes sharp distinctions between the temporal and the spiritual life, or between what is external and internal, between body and soul, between the reign of Christ and the world of human works and culture. † There is a line drawn between God and â€Å"us†. In the dualist’s view all of human culture is fallen. For dualists the works of Christians within the church and non-Christians outside of the church are equally corrupt. The dualists are in a state of paradox since they cannot reconcile the concept of â€Å"law† and â€Å"grace†. They fail to realize that Christ came to earth to remove the line of separation between man and God. As Christians we must understand that while the world is in a fallen state and under â€Å"law†, at the same time it is under â€Å"grace† and we are to â€Å"go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation† (Mark 16:15). The third group that embraces a â€Å"Christ above culture† paradigm is the conversionists. â€Å"What distinguishes conversionists from dualists is their more positive and hopeful attitude toward culture. Conversionists see Christ as the transformer of culture. They embrace the redemptive work of Christ in the here and now. They are not looking to some eschatological future where one day they all will be restored. The conversionists have a hopeful outlook regarding culture and look forward to its restoration from a corrupt state. â€Å"Christ transforms the fallen culture in that â€Å"he redirects, reinvigorates, and re generates† the life of man from a corrupted state. Once man has been regenerated, he will produce â€Å"good works†. The transformative power of Christ in the life of fallen humanity redeems us: â€Å"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them† (Eph. 2:10). It is not our works which cause us to be redeemed but rather, our works are a testimony to the world that we are no longer bound by the curse of sin and corruption. Conclusion Because we live in a period of world history that offers the greatest tools and opportunities for cultural engagement, we cannot ignore the importance of understanding Christ role, through the Church, in today’s culture. To engage with culture, theology and ecclesiology needs to be both critical and artistic†¦ such engagements require theology to be open to the insights of cultural studies and alert to the ways in which contemporary culture is shaping religion. † Social networking sites, email, iPhones, cable TV, movies, music, art, and literature are the vehicles th at are being used to promote the beliefs and values of our society. Satan has done a great job in using culture to enslave society, tempting us to sin and forfeit our relationship with God our Creator. Our fleshly appetites are satisfied by images of sexuality, greed, power, and self-assertion. The danger of a culturally advanced society is that it seeks to replace God with its achievements. It seeks salvation, joy, peace, and prosperity via its own human efforts and imaginations. Because we have been brought from â€Å"darkness to light† we must shine the light of the gospel of Christ by engaging the culture in which we live, work, play, and worship. For this reason, every Christian must â€Å"seize the opportunity that the contemporary circumstances present to us and boldly set out to transform the earth. †

Consent Treatment Children

Consent Treatment Children This assignment will be an in depth exploration of consent to treatment in children as an issue affecting practice .An analysis of both ethical and legal perspectives relating to consent to treatment will be explored and the possible solutions will be highlighted .In ethical issues the following will be looked at : autonomy ,beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. The legal issues such as duty of care and decision making will be analysed .The parental and professional responsibilities and their implications will be dealt with. The attached scenario examines some of the ethical and legal issues that may arise concerning parental decision making regarding surgery on children. It uses two cases, each of which raises issues concerning childrens competence to be involved in decisions; the notions of best interests and best health interests; how interests are related to wishes and welfare the role of parents in assessing best interests and parental rights in deciding for their children.T he scenario is attached on appendix 1 1.Ethics is relevant to clinical, practice-based issues and it affects all areas of nursing practice. It is concerned with right or wrong although agreeing on what is right can be challenging (Chaloner 2007).Ethics and law are closely related 2.In the healthcare practice the Utilitarian ethics (Bentham 1748-1932 and Mills 1806-1873 and the Deontological theories cited by Cooke and Hurley (2008)are commonly used to resolve moral dilemmas. The two theories take opposing views about the rightness and wrongness of acts and decisions. Patients are individual persons with their own opinions and aims in life, which require them to act intelligently in what they do. In order for them to act intelligently they need to be allowed to make their own decisions and given the right information. Deontology is a theory that says decision should be based on whether or not an action is morally right with no regard for the result or consequences. Utilitarianism is a theory that is bases decision on the greatest good for the greatest number (Videbeck 2006). Autonomy is the principle of self determination, freedom of choice or being your own person (Parker and Dickenson 2001). Chaloner (2007) viewed autonomy as the idea of moral reflection, for example choosing your own moral position and accepting responsibility for the kind of person you are In agreement with above definition ,Hendrick (2004) equated autonomy with integrity, dignity and independence and identified it with qualities such as self assertion and critical reflection .Autonomy literally means self rule. Respect for autonomy demands that healthcare professionals respect autonomous choices made by patients and that patients are not deceived about their diagnosis (Brazier 2003).For example the nurse respects the client’s autonomy through patient’s rights, informed consent and encouraging the client to make choices about his or her health care. Videbeck (2006) defined the principle of beneficence as one’s duty to benefit or to promote good for others. Maclean (2001)viewed beneficence as a positive obligation to provide and to balance benefits against risks and costs . From a nursing perspective the responsibility for the patient’s well being and avoiding actions that are detrimental to them as laid down within the code of conduct Therefore the principle of beneficence supports the obligation to do good. Nonmaleficence is the requirement to do no harm to others either intentionally or unintentionally(Videbeck 2006).It requires that one should not inflict harm to others .Contrary to beneficence ,nonmaleficence is a negative obligation which can only occur through an act of commission to inflict harm on others as opposed to an act of omission even when such an act of omission results in harm to another person. Justice refers to fairness ,that is treating all people fairly and equally without regard for social or economic status ,race ,sex, marital status religion or cultural beliefs (Stauch et al 2006, Videbeck 2006).The above principles have a significant in meaning in health care. Therefore the nurse can minimise the risk of lawsuits through safe competent nursing care and accurate documentation. For instance ,the clause of the Code of Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008) states that nurses have a duty of care to their patients who are entitled to receive safe and competent care. 3.Consent refers to the right of the individual in law to determine what shall be done to his or her body (Rodger 2000).This statement is supported by Griffith (2004) who clarifies that consent is a state of mind personal to the patient where they agree to the violation of bodily integrity. In clinical environment this includes the right of the individual to refuse treatment even if the outcome of this is detrimental and may even cause death. For consent to be valid in law a patient must be capable of making that decision (Tingle and Crib 2003). Dimond (2005) explains how capacity to consent was established in a case where a judge suggested a three part test to determine whether a patient possessed the capacity to consent :the patient must understand and retain the relevant information, he must believe in it and be able to weigh this information in the balance before reaching a decision (McHale and Tingle 2004).However this process should be free of any duress. The practical significance of the law of consent is that it encourages a patient’s trust , co-operation and confidence and it protects the practitioners from criminal charges and civil claims whey they treat patients. Failure to obtain consent may result in legal action or disciplinary procedures against the practitioner by their regulatory body (Rodgers 2000). Rational for choice. Children and young people are believed to be incapable of weighting the risks and benefits . Children, because of age-related reasons are a vulnerable population and protecting their health is a social ,scientific and emotional priory (Merlo et al 2007).They are considered to be vulnerable subjects with whom special protection is needed. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) concurs with above by providing a statutory framework to empower and protect vulnerable people who are not able to make their own decisions. The dying, the aged who may be unable to comprehend the implications of treatment and the mentally ill or those with learning disabilities all fall into the category and are considered to be vulnerable. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) clause 3.9 informs the nursing staff of their professional duty towards children in the matter of consent and maintains that nurses must be aware of the legislation and the local protocols. In the Royal Bristol Infirmary Inquiry ,Kennedy (200 1) highlighted that some of the recommendations were that the parents and the public should be included in decisions about their treatment and care of their children. Ibid (2001) suggested that for the future, children in hospital must be cared for in a child-centred environment, by staff trained in caring for children and in facilities appropriate to their needs. In the modern era, the ethics of nursing has shifted more toward the promotion of these rights and the duties of the nurse (McHale Gallagher 2003). This principle was identified previously in the Patients Charter: Services for Children and Young People (Department of Health, 1996) which highlighted the rights of children and young people to be involved in choices about their care and treatment. In order to design and deliver services around children and young people, their voices need to be heard and their perspectives acknowledged. Legal consent rests on the competence of the individual while the ethical aspects of consent are concerned with the respect and autonomy of the individual (Tschudin 2003). 5.Identify legal aspects make links with ethical concepts under discusion The present age of consent in children was established in the Family Law Reform Act 1969 (Dimond 2003) .Section one of this act gives a young person of 16 or 17 the statutory right to give consent in their own right, without also obtaining from their parents .A paternalistic decision must be made to protect the children from any harmful consequences, as the nature of medical decisions is complex( Chadwick and Tadd 2003). Recently there has been a growing recognition of the rights of children, backed by legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and, in the UK, the Children Act 1989.Also the International Council of Nurses (ICN 2007) advocates for promoting the rights of the hospitalised child, including parental involvement in caring for the sick or institutionalised child or the child being cared for in the community. These represent a shift from a highly paternalist view to a more rights-based approach in recognising the rights of children to adult protection alongside a right to participate (Parekh, 2006).Children do have rights as enshrined from the international and national legislation. For example the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child (1998) advocates for the rights of every child to self determination, dignity , respect, non-interference and the right to make informed decisions. The European Charter for Children in hospital (1988) states that children and parents have the right to informed participation in all decisions involving their health care. The legislation asserts that every child should be protected from unnecessary medical treatment and investigation. The Children Act 1989 insists that children’s wishes and feelings should be incorporated into the decision making concerning them. As observed in practice the tension between respecting and promoting children’s autonomy and recognising that often children need protecting from harm is not the one that can be easily be resolved.. DECISION MAKING PROCESS Ethical decision making is a rational way of making decisions in nursing practice. Decisions cannot be made in a scattered, disorganised way based on entirely on intuition or emotions. Wrong decisions are made because they are often made in haste, and may be based on past experience rather than new situations. Sometimes they are made without consultations and may be over-analysed (McGuire 2002).In making clinical decisions McGuire( 2002) agreed with Aiken (1994), six step process which is divided into six levels: identify, analyse data (2) State the dilemma (3) consider the choices of action (4) analyse the positives and negatives of each course of action (5)make the decisions (6) evaluate the effectiveness of the decision. With regard to the Children Act 1989 ,parental responsibility includes the right of parents to consent to treatment on behalf of their child provided that the treatment is in the child’s best interest (BMA 2005). However , in practice there can be conflicting obligations and ethical dilemma ,if the practitioner does not believe that the parents are acting in the child’s best interests. It was felt that Danny’s parents were not acting in his best interests. The practitioner can apply to the court for assistance under section eight of The Children’s Act 1989 to prohibit the parents from exercising their parental responsibility(McHale and Tingle 2004). Children under the age of 16 are not regarded automatically and legally competent to make decisions about their health care .Danny is below the age of 16 and his parents have the power to consent. However, they have refused to give consent and the given scenario is that Danny’s life is at risk. The healt h care professionals have the right to act in the best interest, Dimond (2003). If the nurse considers that the child may be exposed to significant harm as a result of the parents refusal of consent , then section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on the local authority to assess the situation and to decide the best way forward (Pocock 2003). In this scenario of Danny the actions of the nurses are consistent with the principle of beneficence. The principle of beneficence requires healthcare givers to strive to promote the interests of their clients by conferring benefits upon them (Maclean 2001).The ethical principle of nonmaleficence is executed for instance when the nurses consider that the patient may be exposed to a significant harm .The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE 2006) suggested that treatment and care should take into account patients individual needs and preferences. Good communication is essential, supported by evidence-based information to allow patients to reach informed decisions about their care. However, Danny is considered to be competent to give valid consent because he had demonstrated a level of competence equivalent to that of adults since he understood what is proposed (Department of Health, 2001). Kennedy and Grub (1998) cited by Griffith (2004) argue that for children to have ful ly autonomous they pass through three developmental stages :the child of tender age ,the Gillick competent child and children16 and 17 years old. This ruling came about as a result of the legal case Gillick v. West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority (1986) AC 112, which challenged the legal right of a medical practitioner to provide contraceptive advice and treatment to girls under the age of 16 without the consent of their parents (Mason and Laurie 2005). After lengthy legal proceedings, this trial was taken to the House of Lords. The Law Lords found in favour of the Health Authority. The key concept is that the child has the capacity to consent which has been referred to as Gillick or Fraser competence (DoH 2001). The Gillick Decision defined competence as the ability to understand information about the proposed treatment ,its purpose ,nature, risks and likely side effects(Shaw 2001).Although Danny’s parents had declined to give consent his behalf ,by law he was permitted to give his own consent. Danny was deemed ‘Gillick’ or ‘Fraser’ competent since he met the criteria laid down in th e assessment of capacity. He had demonstrated the he found out the benefits of the operation and that he could retained the information enough to relate it to the healthcare professionals involved. The principles of nonmaleficience and beneficence in nursing practice can lead to paternalism as pointed out by (Beauchamp and Childress 2001).The Children Act 1989 stipulates that parental responsibility includes the rights of parents to consent to treatment on behalf of their child provided that the treatment is in the child’s best interests(BMA 2005).This view of children’s rights in relation to autonomy and consent to treatment assumes that children are incompetent. However this paternalistic view does not consider the ethical principles of self-determination and autonomy of the child as laid down in the children Act( 1989) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).Consent in children also relies on the ethical principle of justice, which requires equal treatment for all with no discrimination on the basis of age. The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (DoH 2004) states that there has been a shift i n government policy to respect the autonomy of children. The issue of consent is related to the ethical principle of autonomy , an individual’s ability to make his or her decisions. It requires nurses to respect the choices clients make about their own lives (Hendrick 2000,NMC 2008).The utilitarian view would also support Danny being operated at the time, as it would correct and relieve the pain. Other options open to the nurse were to seek advice from the NMC advice service or to apply to the courts for an opinion in law as it was felt that Danny’s parents were not acting in his best interests. The other solution might have been to encourage Danny to share his feelings with his parents. Role of a Nurse As observed in practice the nurses’s decision about children’s consent can often be influenced by own experiences of parenthood. The Kennedy Report (2001) emphasised the need for specialist training to be given to healthcare professionals who deal with children regularly. The NMC( 2008) states that the nurse has a duty of care to the client. It sets out standards for achieving this duty of care, including obtaining consent from legally competent, informed person who gives consent voluntarily .For the children under the age of 16 awareness of local protocols and further guidelines from the should be followed .Nurses are often uncertain whether they should respect children’s wishes or whether they risk breaking the law (Lowsden 2002).However anxiety about litigation may lead to defensive practice, which is not in the child’s best interests. In order to promote greater respect for the children’s autonomy nurses should keep up date with legal development which may have a bearing on practice .In order to promote a greater respect for autonomy in children , the commonly held attitudes and prejudices about children’s rights need to be addressed through education and relevant training .Consent in children also relies on the ethical principle of justice which requires equal treatment for all with no discrimination on the basis of age .In the document ,the Essence of Care (DoH, 2003) the NHS encourages healthcare professionals to ensure that high quality of care by exploring the benefits of benchmarking .This document focuses on privacy ,dignity and modesty as the cornerstone of freedom and autonomy. The essence of care offers nurses a toolkit for comparing, sharing and reflecting on the best practices, in order to improve care offered to clients(Davies 2003).In agreement with the above section 2.2 of the (NMC 200 8) states that a nurse is accountable to promote and protect patients privacy and dignity. Ensure good communication with parents Nordam et al (2005) considers that good nursing care should involve the knowledge, language and communication between nurses and the members of the multidisciplinary team. Consultation with colleagues to ensure the best possible basis for the professional opinion is offered. Nurses and other healthcare professionals should ensure good communication with parents and as far as possible with the child, since communication is a two way and should attempt to ensure that both parties understand the other’s preferred options and the reasons for these. Therefore co-operation and communication between professionals will improve efficiency as well as promoting a conducive working environment. Renee (2007) supported the above by stating that developing an ethical framework will facilitate making a decision that is beneficial for both the patient and the nursing team. To conclude this assignment I would say that the principles of beneficence ,non maleficence ,justice autonomy and respect are the characteristics which all healthcare professionals should have in order to avoid ethical dilemmas and litigation. Nurses should continue to advocate for patients. The needs and safety of the patients must always come first.

The Ute Indians :: essays research papers

The Ute Indians The Ute Indians were a group of Indians that lived mostly around the mountainous area of Utah and Colorado near the Colorado River. But they sometimes lived in dessert areas also. The word Ute comes from the word eutaw or yuta which means dwellers on the top of mountains. Although it is not certain where they originated but it is assumed that they arrived to the Colorado and Utah area around 1000 A.D. The Ute Indians spoke a part of the Uto-Aztecan language called Numic. The Utes were divided into bands or a subdivision of a tribe. There were at one time eleven different bands of Ute Indians. The type of housing in each band depended on the material available. They lived in teepees, lodges, and domed shaped structures. The lodge shaped structure was the Ute's traditional mean of shelter. These home were temporary because the Utes moved every season to hunt. The dome shelters were built out of willow branches over a pole frame. They were eight feet high and fifteen feet in diameter. They usually built their homes on a river or stream valley and were scattered to take advantage of wood, shade and other resources. In the winter they moved into lower elevations for the milder weather there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children were very important in the Ute Indian tribe. Every member was responsible for caring and the education of the youth. Babies were held in cradle boards that were either made of willow branches bundled together or a solid piece of wood. Willow bark was often used as diapers. Babies were cared for by girls nine and up. The babies were delivered in a special shelter that was set aside for giving birth. During the birth the mother is usually assisted by another female tribe member. The husband was expected to help the wife by keeping her warm by bringing lots of firewood. The umbilical cord was cut off with a stone knife. When the remaining part fell off the mother always saved it in a special pouch that was attached to the babies cradle board. When the baby learned to walk the mother placed the umbilical cord on a red ant hill. They thought that would help the ants industrious ways to rub off. The children were given many names and nicknames in their life. These names were given to them during various occasions during their life, like when they were born and when they learned how to walk. The children were educated by watching and helping their elders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everything that the Ute needed could be found in their territory.

Attitudes of Marriage in Chaucers the Canterbury Tales :: essays papers

Attitudes of Marriage in Chaucers the Canterbury Tales Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, demonstrate many different attitudes and perceptions towards marriage. Some of these ideas are very traditional, such as that illustrated in the Franklin’s Tale. On the other hand, other tales present a liberal view, such as the marriages portrayed in the Miller’s and The Wife of Bath’s tales. While several of these tales are rather comical, they do indeed depict the attitudes towards marriage at that time in history. D.W. Robertson, Jr. calls marriage "the solution to the problem of love, the force which directs the will which is in turn the source of moral action" (Robertson, 88). "Marriage in Chaucer’s time meant a union between spirit and flesh and was thus part of the marriage between Christ and the Church" (Bennett, 113). The Canterbury Tales show many abuses of this sacred bond, as will be discussed below. One example of corruption in marriage is The Miller’s Tale. This tale includes a lecherous clerk, a vain clerk, and an old man entangled in a web of deceit and adultery construed by a married women. It is obvious in this story that almost each of these characters show complete disregard to the institution of marriage. The two men, Nicholas and Absalon, both try to engage in adulterous affairs with Alison, the old man’s wife. Both of the men are guilty of trying to seduce Alison, which shows their indifference towards the sanctions and laws of marriage. Still Alison, who should be the wiser, also breaks the laws of marriage. She takes Nicholas because she wants to, just as she ignores Absalon because she wants to. Lines 104-109 of the Miller’s Tale show Alison’s blatant disrespect for her marriage to "Old John" and her planned deceit: "That she hir love hym graunted atte laste, And swoor hir ooth, by seint Thomas of Kent That she wol been at his commandmen t, Whan that she may hir leyser wel espie. Myn housbonde is so ful of jalousie That but ye wayte wel and been privee†¦" On the contrary, Alison’s husband loved her more than his own life, although he felt foolish for marrying her since she was so young and skittish. This, in turn, led him to keep a close watch on her whenever possible. The Miller’s main point in his story is that if a man obtains what he wants from God or from his wife, he won’t ask questions or become jealous.