A specific insurance company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A specific insurance company - Research Paper Example For the year 2013 the company’s products/operations were divided as followed: In 2012 the company reported an additional 2% increase in revenues mainly due to increased sales of property/casualty premiums and higher return on investments. Although the company has reported improved revenue streams during the past few years, their growth has been mainly fueled by expected organic growth. The company growth strategy has been geared towards increasing insurance premiums sales by enhancing their independent agent network, improving sales support and organization and improving their online sales platform. Allstate has also been working to lean down operations through the sale of less profitable segments such as the sale of the Lincoln Benefit Life unit to Resolution Life in 2014 for $600 million (Hoovers). The purchase of their subsidiary Esurance in 2011 helped solidify Allstates online presence and improve their corporate image as an innovator. Allstates management has been working towards improving their profitability through careful risk management, maintaining their current levels of profitability in the auto segment as well as increasing returns in their homeowners insurance and annuity business segments. It is interesting that the majority of the insurance advertisements in cable TV, as well as online popular TV websites such as Hulu are about Esurance and Allstates brands. Allstates main rival is State Farm, a giant privately held company with currently the largest market share in the U.S. insurance market. State Farm is the top provider of casualty, property, life, health as well as auto insurance. The other main competitors for Allstate are Progressive (PGR) with a $19.86 billion in market capitalization and Farmers Group (Yahoo). To better gauge Allstate’s financial performance I will analyze some of the companys key financial ratios and how the compare with industry averages. From the

Indigenous Cultures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Indigenous Cultures - Research Paper Example That is why they are settled around Ometepec, Tlacoachistlahuaca, San Pedro and Xochistlahuaca (Wauchope 418). They are located around the slopes of the mountains that surround the municipalities on fertile land. The people are settled on over 2, 500km region near the coast parts of the borders and they total to over 45,000 people. At the same time, the indigenous group has a well-defined culture that constitute of nuclear and extended families, catholic religion and practice agriculture. In most cases, the male partners are patriarchal and control all systems of leadership in the society. It is a culture for the people of Amuzgo to respect gender roles in their communities. The boys take full responsibility of accompanying their fathers into the farms to gain agricultural knowledge. Given that agriculture is the basic resource of livelihood in the Southwest borders, the Amuzgo boys must gain basic knowledge. Also, 90 percent of the people practice catholic religion with the remaining 10 percent being Protestants (Vinding, 91). The Amuzgo people also have various tongues in their language based on the dialect and community of livelihood. This is based on the variation in the tongues used in naming various mythical origins. According text testing that were done in 1900s, the variation in language of the distinctive communities that reside around Southwest part of Mexico as Amuzgo people are the same. That is why it is most common in Guerrero and Oaxaca. In conclusion, it is evident that Amuzgo Indigenous people are diverse in their culture, language and character traits. This is based on the fact that they have different tongues but are able to intermingle in their agricultural activities. Also, they are located in different municipalities around Guerrero and Oaxaca borders but work towards a common goal of conserving their culture and

Reducing Anxiety among Radiology Patients

Reducing Anxiety among Radiology Patients INTRODUCTION Background of the Study As the technologic complexity of radiologic procedures has grown, the emotional reactions of patients to imaging procedures have become more prominent, and interaction between patients and the staff of diagnostic radiology units has become more important 1. Like the smaller number of patients surveyed by Monics et al 2 after undergoing a variety of radiologic procedures at a teaching hospital, patients in this sample were more concerned with explanations of procedures and results, and with factors affecting their physical comfort, than with the competency of the staff or their own convenience. Patients awaiting therapeutic procedures commonly report anxiety 1, fears about the unknown, pain, possibility of further interventions, complications, destruction of body image, disruption of life plans, loss of control, disability, and loss of life 2. Most of the time, one might assume that diagnostic tests, which typically carry fewer risks than invasive therapeutic procedures, would create less distress. Diagnostic tests, however, inherently harbor uncertainty, which can be a potent stressor and has been linked to poor coping with health-related issues, as well as poor adaptation and recovery 4. Hence, the conduct of this study in this aspect will assess the level of distress in patients awaiting radiological procedure particularly in breast , transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound. The study will also provide effective protocol in the conduct of giving information to patients. Review of Related Literature Waiting room distress can impact patients and radiology resources by taxing â€Å"departmental resources in terms of appointment cancellations, patients’ lack of cooperation, extended room times, increased medication use, prolonged recovery and inability to complete imaging procedures well or at all, with adverse impact on both image quality and reimbursement,† wrote Nicole Flory, PhD, of the department of radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical-Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues 5. Attention to patient’s acute distress before and during procedures is important because distress may cause hemodynamic instability, procedural complications, and other adverse events 6. As mentioned by KrantzDS et al 7, stress and anxiety may cause adverse events through elevated levels of blood pressure, heart rate, coronary constriction, and stress hormones. Jangland et al 8 found that, among those patients who complained about care and increased anxiety, the most common complaints were insufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient information, inadequate respect, and insufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient empathy. In the study of Nicole Flory, et al 5 they concluded that uncertainty of diagnosis can weigh heavily on the patient, and perceptions of what medical personnel may consider â€Å"minor† do not necessarily reflect the patient’s experience. Training medical personnel in how to communicate with these patients and to assuage their distress promises not only to relieve the patients’ distress but also to positively affect departmental resources. In our literature search, we identified no previous studies of topics related to anxiety reduction prior to radiologic procedure. Also, no particular studies were taken in comparative assessment of psychological distress in conjunction with imaging procedures using the standard verbal explanation against the audio visual presentation. This study therefore will take advantage of the availability of preprocedural surveys from prospective randomize control trials that will be performed in department of radiology with patients at various radiologic procedures using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Research questions What is the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with complimentary audio visual presentation? What is the level of anxiety and depression among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with additional audio visual presentation? Is there any differences between anxiety and depression rate in patients undergoing breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with audio visual presentation?   Significance of the study In the current set-up of our department in radiology, at most three residents are assigned to ultrasound section, catering 60 patients per day with resident to patient ratio of 1:30 in an 8 hour-shift. This would only give the resident 8 minutes per patient to do his/her doctor-patient interaction. All patients under fasting, are the most priority causing all other patient to have a waiting time of about an hour or two for her/him to be served, and this where the patients for breast, scrotal and transvaginal falls. These procedures also give more anxiety and distress if not explained well by their respective doctors because of its very intimate approach. With this existing reality, having an audio-visual presentation as an additional tool of information might help alleviate patient’s anxiety and distress. This assessment is a first step in evaluating the adaptive verbal pre-procedural protocol in the radiology department with that of another additional audio-visual presentation, and the results of such an evaluation then can help guide specific interventions toward better outcomes. Objectives General objective This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the additional audio-visual briefing presentation versus the adapted pre-procedural verbal briefing only among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound in Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences at Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City in reducing the level of anxiety/depression using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) model. Specifically, this study aims to determine the following: a. Demographic and clinical profile of patients who will underwent breast, scrotal, transvaginal ultrasound. b. To compare the effectiveness of adapted verbal pre-procedural briefing against with additional audio-visual presentation in decreasing the anxiety/depression level among patients referred for imaging study. c. To suggest recommendation to policy makers and professionals for adoption of creative ways to control or minimize this phenomena. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Setting: The study will be conducted at the Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences waiting section at Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City. The study will be done over a period of three months (April to June 2014) Study Participants All patients referred to the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences facility at Southern Philippines Medical Center for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound, that is qualified to join in the study. Below are the inclusion and the exclusion criteria for patients who are candidates for the study. Inclusion criteria Adult patients (18 – 65 years old) who will give their consent for the study. Understands English language Patients who do not meet any criteria for a mental health disorder using the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) of the World Health Organization Patient should have mild or moderate levels of anxiety at the start of the trial Ambulatory Conscious Exclusion criteria All patients who will undergo breast, transvaginal and scrotal procedure that will not give their consent for the study and will not meet the inclusion criteria. Baseline Data Collection Consents for the research study will be obtained by the researcher between the ages of approximately 18 and 65 years of age. All consecutive patients who had completed their consent from April to July 2014 will be evaluated for study eligibility by the researcher. All patients who will participate will undergo Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) of the World Health Organization to exclude patients having overt mental disorder and will be advised to seek professional help. A randomized selection of patients will be done wherein they are asked to blindly select which group they will fall by drawing lots. First group will undergo the usual verbal pre-procedural briefing while the second group will receive the additional audio-visual presentation. The researcher will ask consecutive eligible patients to participate in a study in which the level of anxiety and depression will be assessed prior to ultrasound procedure. Both groups will be handed identical stacks of psychological questionnaire: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(Appendix 1) under the supervision of the investigator. Patients will be at liberty with regard to the sequence in which they would fill out the questionnaires. Another identical stack of HADS questionnaires will be given to the participants after the end of the intervention still under the supervision of the investigator. Outcome Measures Socio-demographic questionnaires The demographic information includes age, gender, education and occupation. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS): The HADS is a screening tool for anxiety and depression in non-psychiatric clinical populations. The scale consists of 14 items (7 each for anxiety and depression). Each item is rated on a four point scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very often). Responses are based on the relative frequency of symptoms over the preceding week. Possible scores range from 0 to 21 for each subscale. An analysis of scores on the two subscales supported the differentiation of each mood state into four ranges: ‘mild cases’ (scores 8-10), ‘moderate cases’ (scores 11-15), and ‘severe cases’ (scores 16 or higher). HADS was validated by group of researchers (Ingvar Bjelland, Alv A. Dahl, Tone Tangen Haug, Dag Neckelmann) from Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Section for Preventive Medicine and Department of Psychiatry of Norway using Cronbalch’s alpha. In their study, the sensitivity and specificity for HADS of approximately 0.80 were very similar to the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Hence the review confirmed the assumption that HADS is a questionnaire that performs well in screening for the separate dimensions of anxiety and depression and caseness of anxiety disorders and depression in patients from nonpsychiatric hospital clinics9. Audio Visual Presentation: The video will run for 10 minutes and must answer the following questions of: a. WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE? b. WHY IS THE PROCEDURE NECESSARY? c. HOW IS THE PROCEDURE DONE? d. WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE? The video will be in full English language. The video will be validated by a Mass Communication professor by issuing a certificate. The video will be presented to at least 10 randomized selected persons outside the DORIS personnel before the actual test will be done. At the end of the video they must able to answer the above questions. During the actual test, video will be presented in groups through television in a separate room. Data Handling and Analyses The data will be collected directly from the patients by using HADS Scale questionnaires in DORIS at SPMC. Detailed information about the study will be given to each participant using English language and consent to participate will be obtained. Over viewing of the questionnaire will be the first step, prior to data entry; this will be followed by designing an entry model using the computer Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS. The coded questionnaires will be entered into the computer by the researcher. Data cleaning will be done through checking out a random number of the questionnaires and through exploring descriptive statistics frequencies for all variables. All suspected or missed values will be checked by revising the available sheets. The researcher will use Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS to analyze the research questions by using Chi square, ANOVA, and t test to answer the objectives. Also, the researcher used descriptive statistics to explore frequencies of all variables. Statistically significant values are considered at P values is equal or less than 0.05. Sample Size Considerations The sample size that will be used in the study is the total summation of the patients who will undergo breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound who will give their consent and within the inclusion criteria from April to July of 2014.

The Third Bank of the River Essay -- Third Bank of the River

The Third Bank of the River      Ã‚  Ã‚   Confusion, embarrassment, and guilt can all be found throughout Joà £o Guimarà £es Rosa's short story "The Third Bank of the River." Rosa forces the reader to analyze his words and delve deeply into the hidden meanings behind them. Upon first glance, a story unfolds of a father who seemingly abandons his family and chooses to live out the remainder of his life rowing a small boat back and forth along a river. There are circumstances leading up to this behavior, which new insight to the author's psychological meaning.    The story develops through the narration of one of the children in the family. His recollection of the days which lead to his father's absence brings a clear image of the family structure he knew when he was a child. The narrator describes his father as "dutiful, orderly," and "straightforward"(200). He is quick to point out, however, who has the final say in the household: "It was mother, not father, who ruled the house" (200). When the father decides to order a boat, made specifically for him, the mother "carriedon plenty about it" (200). When the boat arrives, the father says goodbye to all, and the children expect their mother to carry on about this, but her reaction is mixed. The effectiveness of her orders to her husband, "If you go away, stay away. Don't ever come back," is weakened as she bites her lip and turns very pale. Her authority is reduced further when her son follows his father to the river, feeling "bold and exhilarated" because he risks the wrath of his mother and wins (200). The child feels so vindicated by his rebellious actions that he asks to accompany his father in the boat. However, his father gestures to him to return, and r... ...the son, the father is nothing, and without the father, the son is nothing.    A riverbank can be found where two worlds, earth and water, connect. Any river will have two banks, one on either side of the water. Rosa has created a character who has found a "third bank on the river," a third way to separate land from the sea. This bank belongs to an entirely different world. Rosa has found a way for the father to exist, yet not exist, within the family. He is connected to his family and weighs heavily upon their minds even though he is a part of an entirely different world. He has discovered this link by establishing a "third bank of the river."    Work Cited Rosa, Joà £o Gumarà £es. "The Third Bank of the River." Trans. William Grossman. Angles of Vision. Ed. Arthur W. Biddle and Toby Fulwiler.   New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992. 200-203.

Energy Summary Essay

In this paper we explain some current environmental problems and how some people are looking for quick and temporary solutions without taking into consideration the environment. These solutions might be beneficial for the human existence in the present time or for a short period of time but the imminent destruction of the environment will be permanent due to the damage caused by the last generations, which are now seeing the consequences of the irresponsible way in which nature has been exploited. Today there are more laws, organizations, and measures to minimize or deny a holding that will favor some nations for a short time but forever destroy the environment without thinking about the next generations. In addition, we explain how United States is dealing with nuclear waste, the biggest threat to the environment; even small amounts can be extremely dangerous for the humanity. Here we will see how the location of these plants could be threatened by underground geography, and natural distastes as earthquakes. The arctic National Wildlife Refuge The arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to thousands of species of animals and plants that are exclusive to the area. This refuge was created to protect these species from human development and interests because of how fragile the ecosystem is in this area. â€Å"The organisms living here have adapted to their environment, but any additional stress has the potential to harm or even kill them. Thus, arctic organisms are particularly vulnerable to human activities† (Raven, P. , Berg, L. & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). The primary energy source in the area is crude oil. It has been said that the area contains enough oil to supply our nation’s needs for approximately a decade, which would temporarily reduce the nations need for dependence on foreign oil. The oil reserves that have been found in Alaska are some of the largest reserves that have been found in our nation, which helps continue to fuel the discussion for drilling to begin. The o ther argument for drilling is the need to reduce dependency on foreign oil. The economic impact that drilling these oil reserves would be huge, but it would be temporary. The money spent each year on foreign oil would be reduced and utilized for other needs of the nation, but once that oil is gone and used up the nation would be back in the same position it was currently facing. The stakeholders in this case are the animal and plant species native to the area, as well as the businessmen in the oil industry and the consumers. Advocates for conserving the area will stress for the need to keep the area untouched for the sake of the life forms there. The businessmen and the consumer will continue to advocate for the drilling of this land as long as fuel prices remain high, and as long as the nation’s dependence on foreign oil remains so substantial. There are numerous solutions that can be found to the oil problem, but none of them are cheap. Technology exists today for vehicles and businesses to run on natural gas, solar power, and even bio-diesel. These technologies are safer on the environment as well as safer for the health of the consumer. Big business leaders resist these technologies because it will cut into the profits they already make off of the oil industry. The Yucca Mountains The Yucca Mountains, which are located roughly 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas has been identified as a location to store nuclear waste by the US government (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). In 1954 the government made the decision to be responsible in the disposal of high level nuclear waste. The first of the actions taken by the US government involved storing nuclear waste in the salts beds near Carlsbad, New Mexico (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). At this time although the Yucca Mountains has been chosen as a location to store the waste, the actual disposal process has not yet started. There is discussion and observations of nuclear power and its impact on the environment. Nuclear waste is a result of nuclear power releasing amounts of ionizing radiation in the atmosphere. Looking at the current economics the supply of nuclear power is guessed to last 100+ years leading to the planning of waste disposal as long as it is used. Experiments show that the waste level is lower than other energy sources but has extreme concerns of risk from catastrophic accident which include water pollution and long term health issues when exposed. Take for example the Chernobyl Accident of 1986 where a plant explosion and fires released at up to 5% of the radioactive reactor core in to the atmosphere and downwind, (â€Å"Chernobyl Accident 1986†, 2012). As a result of the accident there were fatalities and injuries and now showing cases of illness due to exposure. With the governments interest in taking responsibility in the disposal of nuclear waste using the Yucca Mountains has convinced them that the location is the right place. But before it can be executed there is more testing and experiments that are being conducted. There is still much work to in order before execution of the disposal plan. The remote profile of the location makes for a good place. Billions of dollars have been spent by the government conducting feasibility of the area (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). There is a delay in the planning to use the mountains because there is an argument that regardless of the remoteness it is still near an area where earthquake and volcanic actions can still occur. Monitoring continues and the government over-see’s the expenses as part of their interest and responsibility to the environment. As researchers continue explore the study of nuclear power and its waste the limited resources remain around this topic. Carlsbad had offered to dispose some of the waste but the Yucca remains to be a target. With Nevada’s best interest at hand the delay to deposit the waste may have been an indirect positive benefit right now. As an alternative strategy the as Nevada and the government try to come to an agreement suggestions of alternatives should and must be discussed. Looking at a short term solution the nuclear waste maybe disposed in substitute locations. Another strategy to act in assistance to the concern might be to limit nuclear waste until other arrangements can be put in place by the government and participating businesses. The Three Gorge Dam The Three Gorge Dam, located on the Yangtze River (is the third largest river in the world) in China, is the world’s largest hydropower project. The dam supplies water to the hydroelectric plant. Advantages of the dam include helping control the downstream flooding and waterway navigation purposes. River navigation is the only means of long-distance, cost-effective transportation of freight. (â€Å"Three Gorges Dam†, n. d. ). The Three Gorge Dam project has a great abundance of water currently available but the environmental impact is great. Environmental impact includes soil erosions, industrial water pollutants, loss of ecosystems, endangering species (biodiversity), disruption of local species habitat (fish migration) and siltation. (Min, n. d. ). Hundreds of factories, mines, and waste dumps were submerged creating industrial pollutants in the reservoir. Erosion from the downstream riverbanks causes landslides and changing ecosystems. Pristine and biologically diverse river basins are being used for the construction of hydropower. Another environmental concern is the actual weight of the reservoirs water increasing seismicity. Economical and ethical issues include the project funding, the relocation of more than 1. 2 million people (to more inland urban cities), agricultural shifts, and the flooding of numerous cities, villages, and towns. (â€Å"Three Gorges Dam, China†, 2009). Vital farmlands would be submerged (along with million dollar metal mines) and the lack of replenishing land will affect the countries agriculture prices. Additionally the reservoir would trap over 75% of the sedimentation (â€Å"natural fertilizer† for the downstream Delta). Relocating over one million people is an incredibly difficult task. The Chinese government is solely interested in this project to produce more efficient power for the country (generating 84 billion kilowatt/hour (kW/h) of hydroelectric power each year). That is equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants or large coal power plants. Given the severe air quality problems facing China and its current reliance on imported energy, this is a great advantage. Possible strategies for creating alternative energy sources are limited. Solar energy is a great way, but China does not have much ground space for solar systems. Conservation is weighed on both sides of the argument. To preserve the existing land, ecosystems, and waterways would be the best choice in conservation. But, hydroelectric power is cheaper than fossil fuel power. And since the dam in already in place, it is time to conserve for future species and their offspring. Ongoing studies of critically endangered species should be of primary concern. Also, conserving the rest of Chinas agricultural land is important, since a percentage was lost creating the dam. Conclusion Even though many countries around the word are looking for new sustainable energy solutions, trying very hard to minimize the impact on the environment, the leading energy companies are still not willing to make the necessary investments. These companies should receive the proper incentive and political support to start investing in our energy future. In the last few years the â€Å"go green† culture is getting stronger and is attracting more followers every single day. There are government programs incenting the purchase of energy efficient cars, home electronics or green homes. Only a hand full of countries are willing to see this problem as a priority and it will take more time and damage to the environment until the entire world will come to the same realization. Hopefully, in the near future clean and sustainable energy will be the norm and the damage to the environment will be stopped or at list minimized.

Hormones and Behaviors

Duncan Hormones play an important role in bodily functions of the living human as well as mental functions that allow us to create, write, act, or in general be productive humans. When any of our hormones or the glands that produce them are not in sync or producing properly, we may not be able to think at all, or we may be so emotionally dysfunctional that we become nonproductive. Thus hormones may have a tremendous effect on our human behavior.Our endocrine system is made up of any glands that secrete chemicals directly into our bloodstream or lymph system. These chemical are called hormones, which are carried through the body, having an effect both on internal activities and visible behavior (Icon, Mutterer, 2012). Hormones are like transmitters, activating other cells in the body. Melatonin is one such hormone that is released by the pineal gland in response to daily variations in light. The Pineal gland is a well developed light sensitive organ once considered useless, an unneces sary leftover of evolution, that we now know regulates body withy's and sleep cycles.Melatonin levels may have a great deal to do with our sleeping patterns as levels in the bloodstream rise at dusk, peak around midnight, and fall again as morning approaches. Thus according to our brain, it is bedtime when melatonin levels rise and get up time when those levels decrease. This is a natural response accordingly to our environment, thus melatonin is the hormone that regulates our natural sleep patterns according to the sun coming up and the sun going down.This is one element in support of how related not only mind and body ay be, but also its relation to our planet or living environment. Other hormones affecting human behavior is a set called corrections, which have the Job of regulating salt balance in the body. When there is a deficiency of certain corrections, a powerful craving for salt can be evoked. Corrections play an important role in helping our body adjust to stress, they are also a secondary source of sex hormones. Corrections are produced by the adrenal glands, located under the back of the rib cage, on the kidneys.It is the outer â€Å"bark† of the adrenal glands that produce the set of corrections. An over secretion of corrections can cause woman to grow a beard, or premature puberty. One androgen, or male hormone, is testosterone, which is secreted in small supply by the adrenal gland however, for males, most testosterone comes from the testes. This particular sex hormone can regulate sexual potency, breast growth, voice changes, heart problems, liver damage, stunted growth, Just to name a few, when off balance one way or the other.

buy custom Business Modeling essay

buy custom Business Modeling essay Simulation is the artificial representation of a practical exercise or a system. It entails testing the viability and feasibility of a process using a model before actual implementation, in order to understand real-life situations and conceptualize the whole operation from the starting to the ending points of the process, as well as the intended outcome of the process.Simulation occasionally necessitates that a process model be formulated before the actual simulation and the model is intended to denote the real physical features and activities of the practical process. Modelling encompasses the establishment of an abstract illustration of reality. The functions of modelling and simulation are to help the involved persons analyze and comprehend the perceived phenomena, test the hypotheses and theories held about the possibility of the intended exercise, assists in the forecast of systems behaviour when subjected to different situations and scenarios that can either be the existing conditions and simulated practice carried out to support decision-making. Modelling and simulation are also to enable discoveries of new functioning methods and data phenomena that are supported by distinctive abilities of computer experiments. 1.1Literature Review This paper focuses on the simulation and modelling involving a registration process comprising 1000 students who are expected to register in different societies during Societies Day. Students are expected to sign up in at least one of the five available societies within 8 hours. The societies include Film Society, Football Society, Water Sports Society, Information Society and Extreme Ironing Society. Currently, the society preference profile of the distribution of the students signing up is as follows: Film Society 28%, Football Society 34%, Water-sports Society 28%, Information Society 5% and Extreme Ironing Society taking 5%. This, therefore, means that there will be more students queuing up to sign up in football, film and water sports societies respectively than those projected to sign up in Information and Extreme Ironing societies. Consequently, it is important for the society manager to note that there is a need for more volunteers to ensure that the students do not line up f or long before they are registered in their societies of choice. This simulation and modelling seeks to experiment and identify the best model of registering students if: (1) a single queue is used for all the students with one volunteer hired to carry out the registration; (2) if separate registration points are set for different societies with multiple volunteers in each station. By the end of this simulation and modelling, the society manager will be in a position to tell the best method to use and how many people are required to serve students signing up in each of the societies. This article presents background material on simulation, its relation to modelling, the technology of simulation, and some practical applications in simulation model development. It also looks into how useful simulation modelling is in resource planning for process. 2. Model Development Simulation Data Simulation Run 1 day (8 hours) Number of Students 1000 Inter-Arrival Time (fixed) 0.40 Society Preference Profile Film Society 28% Football Society 34% Water Sports Society 28% Information Society 5% Extreme Ironing Society 5% Time to Register (min) Film Society 9 Football Society 15 Water Sports Society 11 Information Society 14 Extreme Ironing Society 20 2.1 Model I: One Queue for All Societies Overview This is where the manager opts to use one volunteer sitting in one working station and one queue to register all the 1000 students. The volunteer will hold all the forms required to register for all the societies, and will be choosing the right form to use depending on the client at the desk. This means that the registration officer will be shifting from one type of registration form to the next, and this is likely to take much time between each client other than high possibility of making errors. Depending on the simulation data and the number of hours set for the exercise, it is clear that a day will end without the 340 students meant to join a football society finishing signing up. The process will be like the model shown below. 2.2 Model II: Single Queue for Each Society Overview In this model, the registration manager will separate the societies by having five registration points, each covering a specific society. For example, there will be five tables in this process where Film Society, Football Society, Water Sports Society, Information Society and Extreme Ironing Society will have a table, each without mixing the students. Every table will contain only the relevant forms for signing up, which may in turn improve efficiency and the turnaround time to utilize the limited registration time available. It is possible for the registration volunteers to take only the planned time per client. Depending on the preference profile, this model will consider hiring two volunteers to handle registration for the students intended to sign up for the football society. This will make their registration be complete in four hours instead of eight, if done by a single person, and it will ensure that the whole process of signing up is finished in less than eight hours. The mod el below outlines the process. 3. Discussion Considering the two models, Model I will consume much time to sign up all the students than Model II. It means that not all students will be registered within the eight hours allocated for the process. This is due to the higher number of students willing to sign up for a football society, each taking 15 minutes and consequently translating to 8 hours 30 minutes to finish the registration. This is above the time limit given. This means that two students will be signed up the following day, if such an arrangement is made, despite them standing in line for the whole day. Similarly, there are high chances of making errors during the registration process by either forms mixing up or the volunteer signing up students in societies other than their choice. 4. Reflection: How Useful is Simulation Modelling for Resource Planning Process Simulation is a tool that is used to manage change by identifying the possible challenges that can be experienced in an actual process, and is a way of accelerating change, owing to the fact that all the foreseen limitations and barriers are addressed before implementation.Simulation has the ability to clarify the reasons why one model is chosen but not the other. For example, in this case, it provides reasons for why model II is preferred to model I, and shows how the answer was arrived at through the calculation of the time spent on each student, dividing by the number of hours allocated. This method led to the determination of the number of volunteers needed to efficiently fulfill the task. Simulation also helps in tracing the process and the intended outcomes, as well as enabling the society manager to generate clarifications for the decisions made. Simulation is an element of a business rule that drives operations of a business, system or process. It provides a solution to both on-line and off-line on-going management problems by making decisions that help in forecasting the impact of the change. Formalizing and experimenting with the models make the automation of system and business regulations more widespread. In the design of new business rules, simulation gives a chance to confirm that processes will be implemented as designed. Simulation permits effective utilization of organizational advancement programs, such as the use of Six Sigma. The activities of defining, measuring, analysing, improving, and controlling depend on the solemn participation of all the parties involved to ensure that quality is achieved.The last three elements that entail analysis, improvement and control are concerned with the identification of causes of the system, developing new procedures and practices to run the process, and setting controls mechanisms in place that ensure high quality is maintained.Equally, simulation plays a significant role in minimizing the risk of change by managing change. Benefits of Simulation and Modelling Simulation and modelling in this case is beneficial for control of the signing up process, for it ensures that all students line up to have an orderly exercise. It also helps in compressing time,by ensuring that less time is consumed in the process, such as in the case with registering football society members when registration time was reduced from 8 hours to 4 hours. If this simulation modelling had not been put in place, the society manager would have been engaged in a tiring and incomplete exercise. Or he would have had to hire more registration officers than was initially required. It also helps in experimentation where sensitive analysis is made based on the outcomes of the two processes, and leads to a guided decision on which model is the best. Modelling offer training to the members involved, since it helps the concerned parties to conceptualise the actual process before implementation. Apart from the benefits, simulation also allows the society manager to learn and investigate the practice by using a system that offers a more insightful experience. It helps the manager notice how results change with the change of the system, and gives deep understanding of the link between the key areas of the process, which in this case is an accurate, timely and cost-effective exercise.Investigation of the viability and practicability of the process is also done before actual implementation, thus enabling the manager to train the six volunteers to be conversant with the flow of registration process. This makes them be mentally prepared to the long hours they are expected to work. Disadvantages of Simulation and Modelling Simulation and modelling also has its limitations that include consumption of time and money to formulate models and experiment. These models took several hours that could have been utilized in other areas. Costly expertise is another limitation, since the six staff members to carry out the signing up procedure are hired, and this requires analysis of the simulation data to be able to come up with the best process.The models imitate interactions of events of demand, planning of service measures, planning for the supply of human resources needed in the process, attrition of resources, and execution of service orders to appraise business performance. The models approximate serviceability, quality, costs, and benefits of the societies to the students.Similarly, the models are employed in evaluating efficacy of several analyses, resource management and policies, which allow for integration of the components of the framework. Simulation Modelling for Resource Planning for Process Improvement Supply Planning of Resources The simulation analysis of the queuing period and the signing up process led to the decision being made on human resource allocation. The aim of the experiment was to condense the amount of time students will take for signing up, as well as improve general service delivery. For the registration in the societies, the simulation and modelling allowed the manager to realise that six volunteers were needed to efficiently register the 1000 students, and two more volunteers were needed to handle students registering for the football society. This was due to the analysis forecasting that one registration officer would take more than a day to finish the process, unlike in other societies where it could be finished within the allocated 8 hours.The group was, therefore, allocated two officers to efficiently finish the work and improve the quality of the process. The responsibility of supply planning is to carry out Resource Capacity Planning (RCP) that ensures that there are no shortages or su rpluses in the allocation of resources. Demand Planning of Service Engagements Demand planning creates estimated demand by assigning a type to a service product line, depending on the time allocation and the size of demand. In this case, the society preferences profile forecast high demand for the football, film and water sports societies, thus leading to the planning for higher allocation of human resource and other materials, such as work stations and stationery for the registration of a football society as a product line. This forecasting could be a result of the past demand patterns or projected business growth and commitment opportunities. Conclusion Simulation and modelling involves artificial imitation of a real life process through experimentation. This is a very important exercise that allows the involved parties to forecast and test the practicability of the system or the process before the actual implementationSimulation and modelling in this case concerns a registration process that comprises 1000 students who are expected to register in different societies during Societies Day. Students are expected to sign up in at least one of the five available societies within 8 hours which include Film Society, Football Society, Water Sports Society, Information Society and Extreme Ironing Society. Two models will be utilized whereby the society manager uses one queue and one volunteer, and another model whereby each society uses separate queues. This process is beneficial for control, time compressing, training and resource planning, as well as allocation for process improvements. Buy custom Business Modeling essay

Hypoxia essays

Hypoxia essays Hypoxia is a condition in humans that is caused by the reduction in partial pressure of oxygen, inadequate oxygen transport, or when tissues are simply unable to make use of the oxygen provided. This disease occurs in the tissues and brain. It results in a shortness of breath, and an overall impairment of function. Anoxia is the extreme form of hypoxia, and it occurs when there is absolutely no oxygen at all in the body that the brain and tissues can make proper use of. There are five different types of hypoxia. These types are hypoxemic hypoxia, anemic hypoxia, stagnant hypoxia, histoxic hypoxia, and pemic hypoxia. Hypoxemic hypoxia happens when there is a reduction in the amount of oxygen passing into the blood, resulting in too much hemoglobin and not enough oxygen. Therefore the oxygen pressure in the blood that is traveling to the tissues is too low to saturate the large amounts of hemoglobin. Hypoxemic hypoxia is caused by a reduced gas exchange area, exposure to high altitude, or by lung disease. Hypoxemic hypoxia has also been proven to be hazardous to aviators, mountain climbers, and generally in people living at high altitudes because the lowered barometric pressure causes the supply of oxygen to decrease. Anemic hypoxia occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin that is functional, and so the capacity of blood capable to carry oxygen is too low. In anemic hypoxia either the entire amount of the hemoglobin is too small to supply the bodys oxygen requirements-as in anemia or after severe bleeding-or the hemoglobin that is present is useless-such as in carbon monoxide poisoning and metho-globinuria. In both of the latter cases the hemoglobin is so altered by toxic agents that it becomes unavailable for any oxygen transport, and therefore is no longer useful to the respiratory system. Anemia is one of the most frequent cases of anemic hypoxia. It is a condition due to the healthy red blood cel...

Administration of Contracts in Business Law

Two parties may decide to form an agreement in concern for their business. And for that reason, each of them will leave saying that they have a deal. However, the law differentiates between enforceable agreements from mere promises. When parties present themselves to the court alleging that one of them refused to perform according to their agreements, the court looks at their promises and check whether all the elements of agreement exist. If they exist, then the court will enforce such agreement.   Keywords:   Enforceability, Offer, Acceptance, Consideration Contract law supervises people in the administration of their promises. It is necessary to recognize that not all agreements that people form are enforceable in the eyes of the law. For a court to enforce a deal, it must look for the presence the elements of an agreement. If all of them exist, then the court will proceed to force the parties to perform their obligations. As an illustration, this paper will analyze a case between Peter and Brett (Nephew) and decide whether there is an enforceable agreements of not. The explanation whether the uncle/nephew relationship has any effect on whether or not there is a binding agreement is a matter of presumption applied to cases of social and domestic agreements. When looking at these agreements, their enforceability dwells on their subject matter as opposed to the parties’ relationship. In most cases, agreements originating from a business setting have a presumption that the parties intended to create a legal relationship (Koffman, & Atkins, 2014). The rule doesn’t even apply to domestic relationship, but also to any commercial context where free gifts are offered as in (Esso Petroleum Ltd v Commissioners of Customs and Excise, 1976) Concerning family cases, a good example of the application of a binding agreement between relatives is in (Parker v Clarke, 1960). This case involved elderly relatives convincing a young couple to dispose their house and relocate with them. The elderly relatives promised them that they would give the young couple a share in their house in return. However, their relationship fell out, and the elderly couple dismissed the young couple. When the matter went to the court, the court rebutted the presumption given to the domestic agreements and held that the agreement was enforceable. Similarly, in the case of (Merritt v Merritt, 1970) the court rebutted the presumption both the husband and wife in had no intention to form a legal relationship in their agreement. So like this case, Brett should not assume that the court will be blinded by the fact that he was contracting with his uncle. The court will look at the subject matter of the agreement which is the ‘sale of a car.' The law of contract dismisses any thought that the acceptance can occur by the silence from the offeree. On the other side, it also explains to what extent a silence can indicate a sign of acceptance. However, it's not a silence as such. It's a situation where the offeree's conduct demonstrates an acceptance of an offer. For instance, in (Brogden v. Metropolitan Railway Co, 1877), the court held that the plaintiff accepted the offer the moment he made the amendments and sent the draft to the defendant. Also, the court traced a sign of acceptance by indicating that the actions of the parties demonstrated acceptance. That is, the plaintiff sent the coal after the agreement, and the defendant accepted the coal.   Additionally, in (RTS Flexible Systems Ltd v Molkerei Alois Muller GmbH & Co KG, 2010), the Supreme Court ruled that as far as the parties had carried out their obligations, it meant that they had accepted the terms of their agreement even though they had not signed it. The court went on clarifying that the parties’ conduct had shown that they had performed as if the contract draft applied, and they treated it as if it was already a contract. The same principles were applied to (Limited v Amphenol Limited, 2009) Tekdata bought some from Amphenol and indicated that it would be its and condition that would guide their contract. On the other side, Amphenol disputed those sentiments and said that Amphenol's terms and conditions would administer the agreement. Nevertheless, the parties continued with their normal trade until when the dispute emerged. In solving the dispute, the court of appeal held that Amphenol was the last to issue its terms, so its declarations would apply. These kind of judgments are more popular in cases where one party commences work before they agree to the terms of the contract. So like the mentioned cases, Peter’s terms would prevail. Consideration is a fundamental constituent of any enforceable contract. In English law, any contract without a consideration is   treated as voidable. In other words, if one party promises another something without getting something in return, the law cannot enforce such a promise.   A valuable explanation to consideration is in (Currie v Misa, 1875). The judge said consideration is, "some right, interest, profit, or benefit accruing to the one party, or some forbearance, detriment, loss, or responsibility, given, suffered or undertaken by the other" Also, the House of Lords described consideration as the "price that one to a contract pays for the promise or the performance of the other party," (Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co Ltd v Selfridge & Co Ltd, 1915). Like offer, and acceptance, even consideration has some rules that attached to its validity. In (Turner, 2013), the book summarizes the rules of consideration into three principles; these are that "the consideration must be sufficient but need not be adequate. The second rule is that past consideration would not be a useful consideration, and the third one is that consideration must come from the promise." In the concerned question, this paper will concentrate with the first principle. By stating that consideration must be sufficient but that it need not be adequate, this means that it requires that there should be an exchange of something of value but not something equivalent to whatever you received. In other words, there should be an existence of a bargain, though it doesn't have to be a good one. The same explanation was given in (Korunich v Holliday, 2013) where the court stated that a "good consideration does not need to have a value comparable to the promise." So considering t he explanations above, $500 is a valid ‘consideration’ for a contract to sell the diesel motor car if the parties accept it. If Brett tells Peter that he would challenge the validity of the contract due the fact that he entered into the contract thinking he was buying a diesel car, but Peter gave him a diesel car, then it would be a question of unilateral mistake. In (Emanuel, 2010), Emanuel explain that â€Å"a unilateral mistake happens where one party to a contract is mistaken but and the other party is aware of the mistake.† This mistake may happen to the concern of a fundamental term, or it can be the identification of one of the contracting parties. Notably, if a unilateral mistake happens due an error in the quality, such error would not invalidate the contract. For instance, in (Smith v Hughes, 1871) the court held that the contract was enforceable even though the plaintiff had made a mistake to the oats. On the other hand, if the mistake touches the requisite part of the contract, i.e a fundamental term of a contract, and the other party knows the mistake, this can render the contract voidable. For example, in (Hartog v Colin & Shields, 1939) the judge ruled that the plaintiff was aware of the clerical mistake with the offer. As a result, the court dismissed the claim as it could not let the plaintiff benefit from of such a fundamental error. To clarify, the court ruled on behalf of the defendant stating that the plaintiff was supposed to consider that the defendant's intention wasn't to sell at such a low price. As for the case of Peter and Bett, the contract can be voidable due to a fundamental mistake. The procedure for contract arrangement starts with one party presenting an offer, and the other one accepting. The acceptance can be in writing, oral or in conduct. Apart from offer and acceptance, a valid agreement must have consideration. There is no rule to what consideration should be. For example, $1 for a car would be an adequate consideration. Koffman, L., & Atkins, R. (2014). Koffman & Macdonald's law of contract (8th ed., p. 79). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Miller, R. (2012). Fundamentals of business law (3rd ed., p. 154). Mason, Oh: South-Weston. Turner, C. (2013). Key facts and key cases (1st ed., p. 31). Routledge. Emanuel, S. (2010). Contracts (9th ed., p. 164). New York: Aspen Publishers. Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co Ltd v Selfridge & Co Ltd (1915) Esso Petroleum Ltd v Commissioners of Customs and Excise (House of Lords 1976). RTS Flexible Systems Ltd v Molkerei Alois Mà ¼ller GmbH & Co KG (2010) Tekdata Interconnections Limited v Amphenol Limited (2009)

Gifted and Talented Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gifted and Talented - Essay Example It was Francis Galton, who is credited with using the term â€Å"gifted† for these individuals (Ford, et al, 1996, p. 75). The perception amongst educators reveals that they remain critical of the ability of nonverbal tests to assess intelligence because it appears as a test for nonverbal students (students that cannot converse well). It is crucial that they understand that nonverbal tests can also measure of highlight intelligence (Distin, 2006, p. 85). More importantly, these tests provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their intelligence and ability without linking their ability to perform on the test to the influence of language, vocabulary, and academic exposure. Consider the example of musically, creatively, and spatially gifted students and other students who manifest a great deal of practical and creative intelligence (Ford, et al, 1996, p. 75). These students are less likely to demonstrate the same degree of command over the English language, grammar, voca bulary, and presentation, but the same does not translate into their non-giftedness. In fact, it remains the responsibility of educational institutions to identify and accommodate these students as well (Phillipson & McCann, 2007, p. 52). Nevertheless, it is important here to note that the inability of the tools employed at measuring giftedness to incorporate racial, income and ethnic differences. Even the first and the longest running longitudinal study concerning giftedness individuals, conducted by Lewis Terman, failed to take into account cultural differences amongst the diverse population. In fact, this also represents that despite all the claims of equality and equal opportunity, United States is still far from achieving the status of a colorblind society (Ford & Trotman, 2001, p. 237). Furthermore, Terman study on giftedness, which began in 1921, also highlights other critical factors about giftedness that it is not correlated with high achievements. Several studies and resea rches in the recent future have also confirmed this fact. Terman cherry-picked individuals for his study of gifted individuals and then continued to take deep interest within their lives (Pfeiffer, 2008, p. 97). He played the roles of a counselor, mentor, teacher, and friend for these people and did not hesitate to pull strings and write letters of recommendations for this student. The prime reason being that he wanted to ensure that these gifted students could live up to their potential. Interestingly enough, one of the most crucial conclusions derived from this study is the fact that achievement and giftedness are not correlated despite repeated attempts by Terman to influence the results of this sample (Ford, et al, 1996, p. 75). This finding is crucial to study multiculturalism within gifted students because there are many institutions, which factor the achievements and accomplishments of students to measure and identify their giftedness. Quite understandably, giftedness can all ow individuals to achieve more than the average student population; this causation is not a necessity (Phillipson & McCann, 2007, p. 52). In fact, the insistence of institutions on factoring achievements to measure giftedness has also played a critical role in excluding minority populations from gifted students. In most cases, these minority students belong from lower income class families, where they fail to gather the same level of resources to assist them in standing out of the crowd.

Airline operations management (MRO case study) Assignment

Airline operations management (MRO case study) - Assignment Example He is a true mentor and a persistent oasis of ideas and concepts that motivated my progress as a student and professional. I am undoubtedly obligated to him. It is my pleasure to express my gratitude to all the staff and faculty members of Department of ABC for their valuable supportive remarks and observations. I would also appreciate the dedicated help of all my class fellows whose constructive comments and notes played vital role in presenting detailed explanations of the project. I would also appreciate my online friend, ABC, who uninterruptedly helped in identifying and gaining access to relevant contents that proved significant to my research. We engaged in fruitful discussion on online forums that contributed in extraordinary way to accomplish this assignment with best possible result. I would like to thank the staff in university library for their smiling attitude. I would also mention National Library which provided me access to great texts of academic literature. Recent technological advancements in software development and increasing trend in implementing such IT based solutions in Aviation MROs is a major step forward in providing, controlling and tracking maintenance information. Vendors developing such specialist software are continually endeavoring to improve their products over past many years. In the same context, vendors are heavily investing in making their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions more specific to particular industry. The purpose of this research project is to develop in-depth understanding of how airline operations are managed. Further, the study aims to investigate and evaluate commercially available various options for software implementation in an airline, which currently consists of Jetstream 31 aircraft is planning future expansions with commission of new BAe aircraft. This study also focuses on identifying regulatory requirements enforced by EASA for aviation industry operators and

Business Management Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Management Assignment - Coursework Example The supervisor refuted the rumor and claimed the job vacancy was not filled and they she would never choose a candidate based on pressures associated with preferential treatment. She lied to all of us as the cousin was the person chosen for the job and he did not even have to take an interview. I got very discouraged with the company and decided to quit after this incident. I was only making minimum wage at the time, but a job is a job and after I quit I face some financial troubles for a few months. If my emotional intelligence would have been higher I probably would not have quit that job. 2. A communication barrier mentioned in the textbook that can affect effective communication is language barriers. Language barriers often occur when companies have operations internationally. For instance a company may have a subsidiary in Mexico. In Mexico the native population speaks Spanish as a first language. An American executive that does not speak Spanish that is given a project to perfo rm process improvements at the Mexican plant may encounter language barriers. In order to resolve this barrier the executive should hire an interpreter for the longevity of the project. Another communication barrier that I often encounter in the workplace is when others are not willing to listen to what you have to say. â€Å"Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding† (Colorado, 1998). 3. A tool that can be used to achieve effective communication in the workplace is communication channels. Communication channels are the pathways through which messages are communicated which may include devices such as smartphones, intranets, email communication, or written memos. The use of smartphones can help workers achieve more effective communication especially when working on the field. Smartphones such as the iPhone 4 have the capability to connect to the internet which enables the user to send or receive files. Memos are a simple and effective way for a manager to transmit a message to the staff (Houp & Pearsall & Tebeaux, 1995). 4. I am motivated by a variety of factors. First and foremost my professionalism and pride in my work motivates to perform at the highest possible level. As any person in the workplace financial incentives motivate me. If I was not getting paid a pay check my motivation would not be as high towards work. I am also motivated by the nature of the job task I am given. When my supervisor gives me challenging work that helps me develop my skills and abilities I get motivated. As a student the knowledge that I can obtain from a course motivates me to work harder. If a course is boring and does not interest me my motivation to learn will be low. 5. The equity theory of motivation was developed by Stacy Adams in 1963 (Businessballs, 2010). This theory states that people compare their salary and rewards with the salary and rewards of people in similar positions. If their salary is under value the employees’ motivation will decrease because of the felt inequity. As a manager I would use the equity theory to motivate my employees. I would contact the human resource department and look at the compensation of my employees. If any employee was getting less than they are worth I

2015 milan women ready to wear collection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2015 milan women ready to wear collection - Essay Example Next, let’s move on to London where we chose three stores, namely Selfridge, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Most brands they stocked are high-end. Now let us talk about some brands that we picked. The first one is Agnona, which belongs to Zegna group. The price ranges between 550 and 6000 euro. You can shop for this brand through department stores such as harrods, neimanmarcus and you also can find the clothes on the Stylight and Yoox website. Second is Andrea incontri, whose price ranges between 300 and1200 euros. This brand is not accessible everywhere, but you can find the clothes through department store and multi brand stores. It is sold in concept stores such as Dover store both in Tokyo, London and yoox and the corner, which are ecommerce. The third brand is Auilanorimondi, which sells for 150-1000 euro. You could find the brand in la rinasente, Harvey Nichols in hk. Famous multi store that has this brand is Biffi, which sells online through yoox and the corner. The last brand we focused on is blumarine, which goes for 500-10000 euro. You can find this elegant brand in high-end store like Harvey Nichols, Neiman and Saks as well as in the ecommerce, the corner and

Immigration in California Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Immigration in California - Term Paper Example Many experts believe that this effect is on the positive side as it has increased the wages of the native population as the immigrants have only complemented the jobs of the native workers and have not posed any significant threat to their jobs or other work benefits. California has the highest percentage of immigrant population, which included both legal and illegal immigrants, compared to the other states in the US. Reports from the center for immigration studies reveal that the state’s immigrant population accounted for about one-third of the all immigrants in the US during the mid 1990’s. Between the years 1990-2004 the new immigrants to the state increased by 40%. In addition the immigrant population included racially and ethnically diverse people mostly from Latin America and Asia with a majority of the immigrants hailing from Mexico, Philippines and China. However, studies have revealed that though the population drastically increased in the state as a result of immigration, it did not affect the employment opportunities of the native population but rather resulted in a wage increase for the native population by 4% between the years 1990-2004. The immigrant groups complemented the jobs of native workers which resulted in an economic growth (Peri, 2007; Johnson, 2011).

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Reflection Paper - Essay Example would ensure that all employees involved with corrupt deals are fired and employed other people who are qualified and have no history of corrupt behaviours. Corruption was not justified in Siemens Global despite the fact that bribery was legal in Germany up untill 1999. In case bribery was tolertaed within the company it could have meant that the company was not good at what they were doing and hence had to bribe the governments of other countries to do business with them. It is challenging for the Company to make a shift to refine their ethical practices when there are radical changes in the policy since they were used to corrupt ways to get contracts with other countries. However, the change in management and employees, starting a fresh with honest intentions will make the company have clear records and succeed since they will be on the right side of the law. Siemens Global has ensured a good reputation in various places around the world and it has become one of the leading companies in electrical engineering and electronics. This is because of the Business Conduct Guidelines that have provided the legal and ethical framework in which they maintain their activities successfully. The employees of Siemens Global are expected to comply with the law in all their activities,respect the rights of individuals and follow anti-corruption policies with their third parties among others. As a CEO of my company, I would ensure that the company has a code of ethics and core values that guide the employees towards achieving the goals and objectives of the Company. My Company’s code of ethics will include provisions that wll require individuals to comply with governement rules,laws and regulations, Secondly, proper use and protecting of company assets, and thirdly, accepting responsibility and reporting all manner of corruption. The corporate culture values in my company will be informed by accountability, integrity, honesty, decency and respect. I will infuse these

Immigration in California Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Immigration in California - Term Paper Example Many experts believe that this effect is on the positive side as it has increased the wages of the native population as the immigrants have only complemented the jobs of the native workers and have not posed any significant threat to their jobs or other work benefits. California has the highest percentage of immigrant population, which included both legal and illegal immigrants, compared to the other states in the US. Reports from the center for immigration studies reveal that the state’s immigrant population accounted for about one-third of the all immigrants in the US during the mid 1990’s. Between the years 1990-2004 the new immigrants to the state increased by 40%. In addition the immigrant population included racially and ethnically diverse people mostly from Latin America and Asia with a majority of the immigrants hailing from Mexico, Philippines and China. However, studies have revealed that though the population drastically increased in the state as a result of immigration, it did not affect the employment opportunities of the native population but rather resulted in a wage increase for the native population by 4% between the years 1990-2004. The immigrant groups complemented the jobs of native workers which resulted in an economic growth (Peri, 2007; Johnson, 2011).

Situation Ethics Essay Example for Free

Situation Ethics Essay Situation ethics is not dissimilar from utilitarianism, in that it is a way a deciding upon the correct action that is to be taken in a given situation. It does however take an individualistic approach, with the emphasis being upon each person, rather than looking after the majority, as is the case in utilitarianism. It is a Christian principle, and so would not apply to those outside of Christianity. It revolves around what the most loving thing to do is. Joseph Fletcher, an American professor of ethics used his beliefs and concerns to come up with what he believed was a fair way of deciding what was the right action to take in a situation. He didnt like the way in which so many ethical theories, such as utilitarianism were based upon and around a basic set of rules, a legalistic approach. He believed that it was too rigid, and did not allow for exceptions. He also firmly disapproved of any antinomian, because it Rejects the idea that there are any authoritative laws, rules or regulations that you ought to obey in a decision-making situation.1 Instead he used love as a general rule in decision making; not storge, to love a country or place; not philia, to love a family member or friend; and not eros, to make love and to lust for someone; but instead agape, self-giving love, as is demonstrated by Jesus dying upon the cross. To Fletcher, agape was fundamentally sacrificing, without any reward or pleasure, as the teachings of Jesus are told in the Bible, and he took a lot of his ideas from this. The quote in Matthew saying, Love your neighbour as you love yourself,2 epitomises what agape is all about. He believed that something could be determined as good or evil, depending on whether or not love had been fully served. Fletcher used four different working principles before setting out his theory: i) Pragmatism the proposed course of action must work, and must work towards the end, which is love3 This is based around the idea of reaching a goal or the end. ii) Relativism in situation ethics Fletcher tries to avoid the absolute by not referring to words such as never, perfect and always. He also added that, all decisions must be relative to Christian love.4 iii) Positivism faith comes before reason and anything else. People must see for themselves that love is the most important thing. iv) Personalism a situationist believes you put people first, not laws, and that, There are no values in the sense of inherent goods value is what happens to something when it happens to be useful to love working for the sake of persons.5 He then worked out six fundamental principles about love and these were: The first proposition Only one thing is intrinsically good; namely love; nothing else at all The basic idea behind this lies in his thinking that only love can be good in all situations, and everything else is good or bad depending on the situation and are not properties of actions. Something can only be good if it brings about love. The second proposition The ruling norm of Christian decision is love; nothing else Fletcher believed you are only required to follow laws, rules and regulations if they serve love. Love replaces law and cannot be equalled by any other law. The third proposition Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else Love is intellectual and Fletcher said, Owe no man anything except to love,6 categorising the two together. His reasoning behind this lies in his belief that Justice is agape working out its problems.7 The fourth proposition Love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not Agape doesnt have to be a matter of felling, but of attitude. It isnt sentimental or erotic, but, rather, a desire for the good of the other person.8 This applies to everybody, not just people we know or people we like, but universally, and nothing is required in return. The fifth proposition Only the end justifies the means, nothing else This is the same principle that applies within utilitarianism. You must consider what the consequences of moral actions will be, and the end must be the most loving result. The sixth proposition Loves decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively Something is right or wrong depending on the situation. b) I am now going to examine one moral dilemma relating to sexual equality, and apply some of the principles outlined in situation ethics in this argument, in order to work out what is The most loving thing to do. I shall also try to establish whether or not there are any problems with the ideas of situation ethics in deciding upon the outcome of the given dilemma. The dilemma is one which takes into account a number of moral issues regarding what is right or wrong and it is this: Two people, Mr A, a 25 year old father of one, and Mrs B, a 24 year old single woman have both applied for a vacant job working as a nurse in the accident and emergency department of a hospital. They have both graduated from universities with the same exam grades, and are both in desperate need of work in order to pay off their universities debts; Mrs. A also wants to help save lives after she saw her mother die in casualty, and Mr. B in order to support his family. They are the final two on the shortlist from over 20 applicants and the governing body at the hospital must now decide which one they shall employ. There is a stereotype that would say the Mrs. A is more likely to get the job as it is thought that nursing is a job for women, as building is a job for men, but is this taken into consideration when the choice is taken? There is also the question as to whether or not personal circumstances will be taken into consideration, as you may argue that Mr. B is more entitled to the job, and therefore the pay, because he has to support a family. If you argue from a situationists perspective you may reach one of a number of different conclusions based on your choice of argument. One that you would not come to however is that Mrs. A deserves the position on the grounds that she is female and nursing is a womans job. If you look at the argument from the perspective of why they want the position you may look at the different meanings of love and you could say that they both want the job in the sense of philia; Mrs. A because she is doing it for her mother, after witnessing her death, but this could also be seen as agape on the grounds that she wants to help people who are in a similar position to her mother so this raises a slight problem which is not dealt with within situation ethics. This is a criticism and quite an important one, because if there are numerous reasons for wanting to do something, such as apply for a job, which do you taker into consideration more, philia or agape, and if you choose one or the other, which one and why? Mr. B on the other hand seems to only want the job in order to support his family, and to pay off his debts. This once again raises a problem in the way in which you perceive his reasoning behind supporting his family. Is it because he loves them in the sense of philia and does not want them to leave him if he fails to support them? or is it because he loves them in the sense of agape and wants to be there for them and not for selfish reasons? This again raises a debate as to how you determine what somebody means when they say something. I shall now examine how each persons argument would be accepted or rejected by the situation ethics in relation to the consequences that would occur in giving each person the job, and the benefits of this. Firstly I shall look at Mrs. A and then Mr. B, to finally draw a conclusion to this ethical dilemma. There are a number of reasons for giving the job. Firstly Mrs. B is obviously a very clever person and would perform the job to a very highest standard but this is not one of the criteria which would be looked at from the view of a situation ethicist unless you thought that it would be the most loving thing to do on behalf of the patients who she would treat at the hospital because she would be able to help them in the best way possible. A good reason for her being appointed is that it looks as though she wishes to work from the perspective of agape and this is vital in making any decision within situation ethics. If she is prepared to work for the people you would believe she would not mind working double shifts, and would do the best she could all the time. If this was the case then she is beginning to build a string argument for her being appointed. It is unlikely that she is extrinsically motivated, and working only because of the benefits she will receive in wages, because the pay of nurses working on the NHS is very poor, but she does mention that she wants to pay off her debts. This could be taken as the main reason for her applying for the job, and if this is true she is unlikely to get the job on a situationist basis because this may not be seen as just, if the other applicants are prepared to work for the people not just the money. This may be thought of a reason she should not get the job but if you put it into context then it seems as though her argument of agape and wanting to help the people of her community outweighs her need for money, and it is not as though she wants the money to be greedy. She requires it in order to pay off her debts. The great majority of Mr. Bs argument from a situation ethics perspective lies in the interpretation of his need to support his family. In some ways this could be seen as wrong as he is not using agape, and wanting to help the patients, but on the other hand you could say that he is doing what he believes is the best and most loving thing for his family, not for himself. However, somebody may take a different approach to his actions and reasoning, and for this reason alone prevent him from getting the job. This is another problem that arises when arguing from situation ethics. The ideas are not precise enough to account for all of the possibilities that could arise, and every situation is different to the last one. If you did not give the job to Mrs. B you would have a young woman who does not have a steady income, in a great deal of debt, and unable to support herself, but you would have exactly the same problem if you did give her the job. You may then have a whole family who cannot support themselves, but it is unclear from the criteria, whether or not Mr. As wife is bringing in any sort of income. If she was then you may give the position to Mrs. B because she is unable to support herself, but this would really not be a situation ethics argument. In conclusion, you would not have as much of a dilemma if you were arguing from utilitarianism because for the greatest good of the greatest number you would give Mr. A the job, but you are not, and situation ethics is far broader than one simple statement. I believe you would give him the job however even from a situation ethics perspective but it is very difficult to decide because you have no way of telling the main reasons for each applying, but the fact that Mr. A loves his family and wants to support them appears to give him the edge, not to say that Mrs. B does not have a strong argument, but just not quite as strong as Mr. As. 1 Dialogue-Special Issue, Ethical Theory; p.47 2 The Holy Bible New International Version; Matthew 22:39 3 Ethical Studies; Robert A Bowie; Nelson Thornes Ltd; published 2001; p.102 4 Ibid; p.102 5 Situation Ethics- The New Morality; Fletcher; p.50 (Taken from ibid) 6 Situation Ethics; Fletcher; SCM Press Ltd; published 1966; p.89 7 Moral Responsibility; p.19 8 Ethical Studies; p.104

Ethical Theories and Criminology

Ethical Theories and Criminology Four Ethical Theories and How They Relate to Criminology This paper will cover four ethical theories and how they relate or dont relate to the field of criminology today. The four theories deal with ethically making the right decisions and what influences the actions. Every action has a reaction and the reaction is the consequences of every action. The outcome of the consequences can dictate whether or not a theory can be justified as moral or immoral. The four theories are Utilitarianism, Virtue ethics, Divine command theory, and Hedonism. These fore are very important in the world we live in each in its own decision making process, but the main question that this paper will answer is does these theories have a strong impact in the field of criminology. The first theory is Utilitarianism. The way Utilitarianism is measured is solely by how useful or helpful an action is. How does an action contribute to all peoples pleasure or happiness determines the moral worth of the action. The problem with Utilitarianism is when a person does not do what is right even if doing so causes pain or does not make the recipient feel better or does not bring the recipient pleasure at the end of the action. The principle of Utilitarianism demands to approve or disapprove every action, according to the affects of the action if it appears to improve or reduce the happiness of the person or persons that are at interest. According to Mill (1861) he believes that acts should be classified as morally right or morally wrong only if the consequences are of such significance that a person would wish to see the acting person required, not merely influenced when acting in the preferred manner. What this means is that every act should be measured by its consequences and the recipient of the action would wish or want the acting person to make the same choice without being influenced by outside sources. In the notion of consequences the Utilitarianism includes all of the good and bad produced by the act, whether the consequences occur after or durin g the action is being performed. Summary In the field of criminology Utilitarianism occurs on both sides of the law-enforcement. If I was to look from the side of law-enforcement there are many situations were Utilitarianism is affective. First, the main role of law is to serve the community and provide help and safety to the public. When something goes wrong and the outcomes of the actions from the law are not pleasing to the public then that action is not considered to be moral. On the other hand if a person is killed in order to save others by the justification of the law, this makes the outcome pleasing to the majority and so the action could be seen as morally correct. Secondly, I will look at how helpful the public is to the success of the law. This could be seen as a form of Utilitarianism or not, depending on the situation. For example a crime happens and members of the community are called as witness, this would be looked at as a moral action. There is another side to this, the person who committed the crime is not getting any pleasure or happiness from the witness and so on the criminal side this action is not Utilitarianism. The second theory is Virtue ethics. Virtue ethics focuses or highlights moral character of a person depending on a persons job or requirements. In some ways Virtue ethics has a close relationship with Utilitarianism, because Virtue ethics also emphasizes on the consequences of actions. The differences is that Virtue ethics is not measured depending on the consequences, but Virtue ethics says that all acts are either good or evil, regardless of the consequences that follow. The main focus of Virtue ethics is helping people develop good character traits, such as kindness and generosity and less on what rules should we follow. By developing these traits it will allow people to make the correct decisions without having to be in a role or job. Virtue theorists work with people to help them break bad character vices such as anger or selfishness which stand in the way of becom ing a good overall person. With every theory there are problems that arise and with Virtue Ethics the problem is that developing character traits is not as simple as it may seem. Although the common moral decisions may come easily to people as to doing what is right, but there are many moral dilemmas that require a person to take careful reasoning and thinking before committing to a decision. According to Cline (2009) having the right character traits is just not enough for a person to make the right decisions, there are just no guarantees. There is nothing that shows that a person with good character is more likely to make the right decisions. In the field of criminology Virtue ethics has a major role, because every decision made within the law is viewed on the action itself regardless of the consequences. If the action was within the law and of good judgment then regardless of the consequences of that action it can still fit within the ramifications of being Virtue ethics, because the act is viewed as moral. Whenever you work in any field of criminal justice I believe that you have to develop good characteristics, because you deal with peoples lives. And as Cline said it takes more than good character to make the right decisions it take good morals. The third theory is called the Divine command theory. Just by the name it lets me better understand how decisions are measured as wrong or right. When I hear divine I think of higher power or God is in control of the situation. According to Austin Divine command theory includes the claim that morality is ultimately based on the commands or character of God, and that the morally right action is the one that God commands or requires (Austin, 2006, pg 1). What this means is that mankind is in some ways dependent on God and our moral responsibility consists in obedience to Gods commands. Also, Austin believes that within the divine command theory of ethics that an act cannot be said to be either moral or immoral, bec ause God either commands us or prohibits us from doing it. So the only way to classify an act as being morally wrong is by committing an act that God prohibits us from doing. Conclusion According to Augustine, (2008) the form of Divine command theory can be characterized by pointing out two major features. First, it is an analysis of only one set of moral concepts to be specific; it is an analysis of right, wrong, ought, and the other concepts that figure in the branch of normative ethics known as the theory of moral obligation. Second, not all uses of the terms right, wrong, etc., are linked to divine command; and, of those that are, not all are linked to the same set of commands (Augustine, 2008 pg 1). In the field of criminology Divine command theory really does not apply to the law, because it is more of a persons personal religious beliefs. When I think of criminology, I dont think that every decision being made is viewed as being based on Gods commands and being obedient to what God permits or prohibits. The fourth and final theory that this paper will cover will be Hedonism. There are two types of hedonism that I will talk about in order to give an overall ex planation of what hedonism means. Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do (Bentham 1789). Hedonism is a philosophy that says that pleasure has an ultimate importance in humanity. The first from of hedonism is motivational hedonism. Motivational hedonism claims that only pleasure or pain is what motivates a person. Bentham (1789) believes that if pain and pleasure determines what a person will do that makes them a hedonist when it comes to the determination of their actions. The second type of hedonism is normative hedonism. Normative hedonism says that only pleasure has value and only pain has disvalue, but anything that might cause or prevent the pleasure or pain is independent of normative hedonism. In the field of criminology Hedonism I believe does play a small part, more on a personal effect. I think that we act out of what feels go od to ourselves and to make others feel good, while moving away from pain or what does not feel good. In law when decisions are made they are made based on previous pain or unpleasantness that had been inflicted on other. And to stop the pain of innocent people members of the law make decisions based on what will eliminate pain and cause happiness

Communication Science vs. Semiotics :: Communication Science

Communication Science vs. Semiotics Marcel Danesi says that "communication theorists generally focus more on the study of message-making as a process, whereas semioticians center their attention more on what a message means and on how it creates meaning" (Messages and Meanings: An Introduction to Semiotics, 1994). He implies that both communication science and semiotics are systematic studies of signs. Interestingly, Danesi comments that semiotics studies signification first and communication second. Danesi's definitions and distinctions about communication science and semiotics captured my interest because of the way he draws the line between to areas of study that are very closely related. In this paper I will try to elaborate on those differences. I have to admit that until now I am not completely convinced about the way to distinguish among semiotics and communication science. However, I believe that it is worth the effort. Reflection about these topics will help me and possibly the reader to understand them better. We are in broad information age. The handling of information is definitely the main commercial activity of our days. We are all consumers of information at different levels. Most of us also have to either manage, process, market, deliver or sell information as a way of living. Information is wrapped in all kinds of packages, or better said it is delivered through all kinds of media. All kinds of messages are delivered to all kinds of audiences. Information is the core element of communication science and probably of semiotics as well. I consider information to be the raw material for message construction and the creation of meaning. Signs are a collection of bits and pieces of information. Information is what we decipher from signs. Notice that decoding has to be performed because some sort of coding is always a part of the "creation" of a sign. Even iconic signs which are "a direct representation of a referent" as defined by Danesi, have to be encoded in order to make them deliverable through any given medium. Let us take for example a flower as a referent. An iconic representation of a flower could be a hand drawing, a painting or a color picture. From the least iconic (the drawing) to the most iconic (the color picture) representation coding of information (i.e. shape, texture, color) is necessary to create a sign. A perfume that smells "like" a flower is also an iconic representation of the real object.

The Wonderful Bedroom Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation

The Wonderful Bedroom Have you ever wondered how something so simple as your bedroom could have so much meaning? How a place where one usually just sleeps and doesn't return until the next night, could be so special to someone? It does make one think, once stopped and thought about. To some, it means as much as a gym does to a basketball player or as much as a tree does to a monkey. But then there are also those who still think of their bedroom as just a place to sleep and prepare themselves. I guess things have different meanings for each person, but for many including myself, their bedroom ranks near the top of the list. A bedroom is meaningful because often it is where one grows up, where lots of time is spent, and where one can bring out there inner-most self. A bedroom is not something that changes from day to day, but rather something that is pretty permanent. Many people grow up in the same room that they spend the first part of their life in. It is something that people grow attached to and become accustomed to, like a college student becomes accustomed to studying. For this factor, change is not so much a good thing but rather a thing of frustration. It is nice to have a place to call home, and better yet, a place to call one's own bedroom. Once one is settled, it is usually of best nature to stay settled. Through this settlement, it is easiest to see how much of importance one's bedroom may mean to them. My bedroom has meant a lot to me due to the fact that I have been in the same place for the majority of my years. Another important reason on this subject is that there is usually a lot of time spent in one's own room Besides the ten hours of sleep everyone gets a night in their room, there is often a gr... ...all sorts of things to do and eventually time slips away along with the boredom. A bedroom is full of wonderful surprises and often has much more meaning than one may imagine. In just a simple little corner of a house, it can tell you so much about a person. Is the person a pack rat, organized, and clean, or are they simple-minded, just waiting to open their eyes and explore? Perhaps there are things that go far and beyond the word "special". A room can tell ones whole life story, but yet again maybe it is just thought of as a place to catch some Z's. No matter what the case, this simple little place they call one's bedroom can and usually does have much meaning. So, next time you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep, ask yourself, does my room really have much meaning to me, and if so, how much, or am I just thankful for this comfortable bed to sleep on? Â   The Wonderful Bedroom Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation The Wonderful Bedroom Have you ever wondered how something so simple as your bedroom could have so much meaning? How a place where one usually just sleeps and doesn't return until the next night, could be so special to someone? It does make one think, once stopped and thought about. To some, it means as much as a gym does to a basketball player or as much as a tree does to a monkey. But then there are also those who still think of their bedroom as just a place to sleep and prepare themselves. I guess things have different meanings for each person, but for many including myself, their bedroom ranks near the top of the list. A bedroom is meaningful because often it is where one grows up, where lots of time is spent, and where one can bring out there inner-most self. A bedroom is not something that changes from day to day, but rather something that is pretty permanent. Many people grow up in the same room that they spend the first part of their life in. It is something that people grow attached to and become accustomed to, like a college student becomes accustomed to studying. For this factor, change is not so much a good thing but rather a thing of frustration. It is nice to have a place to call home, and better yet, a place to call one's own bedroom. Once one is settled, it is usually of best nature to stay settled. Through this settlement, it is easiest to see how much of importance one's bedroom may mean to them. My bedroom has meant a lot to me due to the fact that I have been in the same place for the majority of my years. Another important reason on this subject is that there is usually a lot of time spent in one's own room Besides the ten hours of sleep everyone gets a night in their room, there is often a gr... ...all sorts of things to do and eventually time slips away along with the boredom. A bedroom is full of wonderful surprises and often has much more meaning than one may imagine. In just a simple little corner of a house, it can tell you so much about a person. Is the person a pack rat, organized, and clean, or are they simple-minded, just waiting to open their eyes and explore? Perhaps there are things that go far and beyond the word "special". A room can tell ones whole life story, but yet again maybe it is just thought of as a place to catch some Z's. No matter what the case, this simple little place they call one's bedroom can and usually does have much meaning. So, next time you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep, ask yourself, does my room really have much meaning to me, and if so, how much, or am I just thankful for this comfortable bed to sleep on? Â