Internship at Accounting Firm X A Personal Reflection

During my time at Accounting Firm X I learned many lessons that apply not only to accounting and the principles and practices associated with that subject, but also to life as a professional in a real world work setting. The purpose of this essay is to highlight my experiences at Accounting Firm X to shed light upon key learning experiences that can contribute to a holistic educational experience. In this essay I will first describe my goals and expectations. Next, I will go in to detail about my daily routine and how these exercises contributed toward the overall experience. I will then explore the overall lessons learned from my time spent at the firm. Typically, internships are professional experiences that students participate in to gain professional skills and experiences. In this particular experience at Accounting Firm X I did in fact gain substantial professional skill while participating in new and challenging experiences. Internships allow in- class material to come to life in a practical manner. My internship did do this but not in a way that I had planned. My goals for this experience were simple. My first and most important goal was to learn. More specifically I wanted to get a more general view about my chosen profession. I wanted to be exposed to the standard practices that an accountant would be subjected to. Calculating real examples of taxes, completing tax returns for customers and becoming familiar with real world problems in accounting were allShow MoreRelatedSkills Needed to Be an Effective Manager8864 Words   |  36 Pagesindustry. _____ 5.4 More on hands on activities related in Hospitality Management implemented by the school. _____ 5.5 apply appropriate knowledge and skills in a wide range of industry related situations. _____ 5.6 Requiring students to have internship in an industry setting as the final component of their degree. _____ 5.7 Develop the ability to apply the knowledge and skills they acquire from the subject to a wide range of contexts, and gain pre-employment experience in selected sectors ofRead MoreThe Analysis of Recruitment and Training System to Improve Employee Productivity at Pt Sentrainti Medan18297 Words   |  74 PagesFIGURES ...............................................................................................................ix LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................x LIST OF APPENDIX.............................................................................................................xi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................1 1.1 BackgroundRead MoreAirheads Business Analysis Essay34215 Words   |  137 Pages 101 Timeline Summary of Implementation for all the Recommendations 102 References 104 Appendices 114 Executive Summary Airheads USA, LLC is an indoor trampoline arena owned by Steve Johnston and Richard Heruska. This firm falls within the family entertainment center (FEC) industry and opened its first location in 2010. Currently, the business has three open locations: Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Orlando. It offers services specifically for trampoline usage but alsoRead MorePepsico17216 Words   |  69 Pagesadding up to total sales for that year of $50. Today, products of The Coca-Cola Company are consumed at the rate of more than one billion drinks per day in over 200 countries. In 1993, Coca-Cola was losing market share to the cheaper private label firms, but reacted quickly with a new marketing program, new technologies and packaging in 1994. The intense competition results in downward pressures on the price. Dr Pepper, the oldest major soft drink in America, continues its 125th Anniversary celebrationRead MorePepsico17225 Words   |  69 Pagesadding up to total sales for that year of $50. Today, products of The Coca-Cola Company are consumed at the rate of more than one billion drinks per day in over 200 countries. In 1993, Coca-Cola was losing market share to the cheaper private label firms, but reacted quickly with a new marketing program, new technologies and packaging in 1994. The intense competition results in downward pressures on the price. Dr Pepper, the oldest major soft drink in America, continues its 125th Anniversary celebrationRead MoreOverview of Hrm93778 Words   |  376 Pageslive. Organizations on the other hand depend on people, and without people, they would disappear. Factors Contributing to the Growing Importance of HRM a. Accommodation to workers needs Workers are demanding that organizations accommodate their personal needs by instituting such programs as flexible work schedules, parental leave, child-care and elder-care assistance, and job sharing. The human resource department plays a central role in establishing and implementing policies designed to reduceRead MoreA Study on Enhanced Employee Performance Through Soft Skills20707 Words   |  83 Pagespersons EQ (Emo tional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. Hard skills (part of a persons IQ), are the traits which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities whereas soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individuals interactions, job performance and career prospects. Distinction Between Hard SkillsRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pages.................................... 622 SORTING THROUGH THE EVIDENCE....................... 627 SUMMARY............................................................. 631 NOTES.................................................................. 639 x STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Table of Contents SECTION SIX ..............................................................654 Human Resource Evaluation ...................................655 OVERVIEW OF EVALUATION ......................Read More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 Pagesthe Class of 2009. We thank all the HBSstudents and alumni who kindly shared their personal es... says.We would also like to thank the staff of the Harbus, including Lauren Sullivan, Marianne Bakula, and Christie Cuthbert, for their encouragement and support. Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not express our gratitude for assistance from our agent, Katie Boyle, and our editor at St. Martins, Matthew Martz. x INTRODUCTION You are inspired, hopeful, accomplished, and eager. You seek perRead MoreWal-Mart: Strategic Management11571 Words   |  47 Pagesstores, automotive retailers, convenience/gas, home improvement stores, club stores and toy stores. All of these outlets are in greater competition for Wal-Mart trips.vi â€Å"The Wal-Mart Stores segment is the largest segment of Wal-Marts business, accounting for 67.3% sales during the fiscal year ended January 31, 2005 (fiscal 2005). The segment consists of three different retail formats, all of which operate in the United States. The Companys SAMS CLUB segment consists of membership warehouse clubs

A life of ones own Free Essays

If you wanted to discover how to find your own happiness, start examining yourselves and take a glance on this book entitled A Life of One’s Own by Joanna Field. This is a book that merely touches every reader’s mind and heart. There are 10 remarkable facts about this book. We will write a custom essay sample on A life of ones own or any similar topic only for you Order Now First is that it was written by Marion Milner, she uses the pseudonym Joanna Field in writing this book She was 34 years old then when she wrote the book. It is about a diary of a young woman who is candidly questioning herself and what she is doing with her life. (The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 2001,p.609-611). The basis of this writing is her own personal intimate diary that she kept over many years and was finally published in this book in 1934. (amazon.com)The book cited different events in the author’s life and done in a matter like she was writing in a Diary which is exposed to all people. Emotion is one great key in an individual’s happiness because according to her which was also cited in the book, â€Å"I want to draw and study a few things closely by feeling, not thinking.† A lot of her entries started with â€Å"I want.†(Field 1934). In this book she tries to summarize her discoveries in terms of psychic bisexuality in all of us realizing that: she ‘had not understood at all that a feminine attitude to the universe was really just as legitimate, intellectually and biologically, as a masculine one’ – and just as necessary for both women and men (amazon.com). Marion Milner is an English psychologist who was born in London in 1900 and in her book she cited the wide-focus mode of paying attention.(MacDonald’spp.96-97) Here the term that best describes her point of view is the term focus wherein we should always try to center our best to what we truly aim in our life and strive hard to reach the goal. According to Milner herself, her aim for doing the book is to find out what are the experiences that really made her happy. She tries to pick out those moments in her daily life which had been particularly happy and tries to record them in words. She goes over these records in order to see where happiness occurred. (Tacher/Putnam 1981,preface) Being mindful of our own actions is one key point that should be taken out by the readers. There’s one remarkable thought cited in the book â€Å"I came to the conclusion then that â€Å"continual mindfulness†. . . must mean, not a sergeant major-like drilling of thoughts, but a continual readiness to accept whatever came.† (Field 1934, 8June). If you are going to ask me why there is a need for you to read this book is because of three precious reasons: First, it makes you discover your true self and be mindful of all your actions. Next is for you to find out what can really make you happy, your likes and dislikes.   and lastly if you have questions like what to do and how to live the way you really wanted to be happy, start reading and reflecting on this book. References Field, Joanna. (1934) A Life of One’s Own. 8June Macdonald, Copthorne. Comments about Open Focus,   Toward Wisdom pp. 96-97 Tacher, Jeremy P. (1981) from the author’s 1934 Preface http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Ones-Own-Joanna-Field/dp/0860688216/ref=pd_rhf_p_1 http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/discipline.htm How to cite A life of ones own, Essays

Introduction to Management Initialising Business Regulations

Question: Describe about the Introduction to Management for Initialising Business Regulations. Answer: Introduction Business management is all about domineering, scheduling and initialising regulations that abide by the companys business. Managers serve several essentials roles in an organisation and among all the roles perfect management of the organisation is the most important one. For a perfect management of the organisations and companies it is important for all managers to gather knowledge from beforehand about the different key roles for organisational management and various fundamental principles that helps in keeping a perfect management of the company (Allen 2006). The two chosen company for the current report is Brambles and the other is Blackmore. Brambles is well known as a ultimate holding company listed under the Australian security exchange. On the other hand, Blackmore is a leading Australian company committed for delivering natural healthcare products and services that are beneficial for meeting the high quality standard. The company provides natural healthcare products to meet the deserving expectations of their customers by reducing the impact over environment (Anderson et al 2009). A comparison between the vision and mission statement of both the organisations The vision of Blackmore Company is to deliver natural healthcare products and services to their customers in order to provide high quality standards. The company intends to do this activity for meeting the changing expectations of their customers. Blackmore has retained its commitment of carrying out frequent research and innovation just for the purpose of minimising the impact of their activity over the natural environment and at the same time supporting the community (Ballou 2007). Irrespective of this responsibility the companys main task is to provide their consumers with a wide range of services that mainly includes free neuropathic as well as advisory services. In contrary to this, Brambles mission is to get enlisted in the worlds leading provider of innovative business solutions by giving enough support over services. Also, the companys main task is to make use of the various ideas suggested by the companys different outsourcing expertise in order to accumulate exceptional val ues among potential customers of the company. Most importantly the companys mission is to attract superior shareholders value making use of business ideas from different people that proves to be beneficial in increasing the spirit of the firm (Spencer-Oatey, 2009). Further, Brambles dreams to become a completely responsible and valuable partner in supply chain for the purpose of building sustainable business to serve the need of its customers. Also Brambles dream to develop a dynamic supplier base for gaining long term business success by running business in the competitive business field. A comparison between Corporate Social Responsibility of the selected organisation Blackmores corporate social responsibility is linked with the concept of making long term commitment for carrying out different environmental as well as social responsibility tasks which merely includes partnering with different types of stewards in sustainability and giving support to different community initiatives (Tomasini et al 2009). The company staffs are highly committed to provide good level of support to their retail business partners through proper trainings. On the other hand, Brambles also possess dynamic corporate social responsibility that is necessary to reflect recent developments in their business. The corporate social responsibility underlies the following: Brambles is entitled to conduct business in respect to laws and regulations of the country where the company is currently running its business. The staffs of the company have the responsibility to develop different ideas making use of which they would be able to compete with other business organisations. Various corrupt practices that establish negative reputation over the business is totally unacceptable. All the employees should make sure that they do not get indulged into business activities which would raise high conflicts between their personal interest and the interest of the company (Vogt et al 2005). In accordance to its enlisted corporate social responsibility, Brambles today is very much committed to work with well known suppliers just for the purpose of developing a more efficient and sustainable supply chain logistics. A comparison between the key stakeholders of the selected companies The key stakeholders of the Brambles company are namely the: Suppliers- this company supplier are very much committed to take up the responsibility of being valuable partners for supply chain. They continue intend to develop sustainable business for serving the spontaneous changing demands of their customer along with employees and shareholders of the community. The suppliers are always on the motive to develop a dynamic suppler base of Brambles making use of the companys code of conduct and Zero Harm charter (Weske 2010). Community- the business that Brambles continue is just to determine the different community investment priorities that suites the needs of the people living in the local community. The company often is notice to organise community reach programme for encouraging their employees so that they are ready to provide financial support required to accomplish community projects. Directors- the board of directors have the responsibility to implementing different new policies and legislations to bring in more effectiveness to the functioning of the company (Woodside et al 2009). This legal policies and rules are actually developed by the organisation to design an ethical framework considering which employees should work. Employees- employees are always treated in a fair manner and often rewarded for the achievements. The senior staffs are further committed to give equal working opportunities to all their staffs and develop a safe environment following best health and safety practices. In comparison to the stakeholders of Brambles their lies some differences over the enlisted stakeholders of Blackmore. Their stakeholders are: Employees- the employee of this company are highly committed to deliver different natural healthcare products and services that are of high quality and standard. The employees commit to provide best services to their patients for meeting their deserving expectations (Allen 2006). Community- Blackmore intends to serve the needs of the community by making proper and traditional use of the herbs combining those with the latest technology of nutrition. The employees are further committed to carry out proper research and innovation reducing the chances of negative impact on the environment. Government- In reference to the service provided by the company, government has join hands together with the companys board of directors to develop a Pharmaceutical and co-operation scheme to enlighten to follow best manufacturing practices (Anderson et al 2009). SMART objectives for both the companies Specific- Blackmore is specifically passionate about natural health and always intends to encourage people for making more investment in their well being. The company develop products and services for the purpose of making a completely natural approach to human health. In contrary to this Brambles operate particularly with three different segments in more than 50 countries serving customers making use of multiple supply chain. Measurable- the companys passion for delivering natural healthcare to their customers and the employees continues strive for demonstrating the companies value is a considerable indictor of progress for the organisation (Ballou 2007). The companys focus to specialise in the process of pooling of various unit loaded equipments, crates and containers highlights the way of progress for the company. Achievable- the working teams make use of their wisdom for grasping a broader aspect of the community which they intend to serve. Brambles by developing a network of 850 service centres are able to perfectly make out management outsourcing over the services they deliver to their customers. Realistic- recruiting and retaining committed workforce to the company would be beneficial for sharing the values and nurturing the passion to deliver well being. In reality, Brambles operating business comprise of pallet pooling that are linked with the different service business which are major under the CHEP brand (Spencer-Oatey 2009). Time oriented - after a proper satisfactory level is achieved by the people the effort made by the Blackmores employees and staffs in delivering proper healthcare could be measured. On the other hand, IFCO which is re-known as the supplier of pooled reusable crates in the USA was completed by April 2011 by the company. Believable and added value of both the chosen company Brambles have won several recognised and multiple awards which includes the Gold award for EcoVadis that focus in Sustainability analysis of the suppliers, in 2015 the company owned a Corporate Social Responsibility and supplier Award for Coca- cola enterprise. Finally in the ongoing period of 2016 the company got enlisted to the sustainability index for the third consecutive year (Tomasini et al 2009). On comparison to Bramble, the Blackmore Company is found to receive Green award for maintaining a environmental concerns and the business growth award for excellent maintenance over the quality of health care service they supply. Conclusion A proper knowledge over management of a company is extremely necessary to develop an understanding over the functioning of contemporary business world. Business management proves to be necessary for encouraging the staffs for working more efficiently and bring in financial soundness to the type of business they carry out (Vogt et al 2005). An efficient business management makes the company develop enough confidence for accepting challenges that brings into focus the current capability of the company. Most importantly by following proper principles of management, companies are able to strengthen their position in the market. Reference- Allen, K. R. (2006). Growing and managing a small business: An entrepreneurial perspective. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH). Anderson, J. C., Narus, J. A., Narayandas, D. (2009). Business market management: Understanding, creating, and delivering value. Ballou, R. H. (2007). Business logistics/supply chain management: planning, organizing, and controlling the supply chain. Pearson Education India. Denning, S. (2005). The leader's guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative (Vol. 269). John Wiley Sons. Molina-Azorn, J. F., Claver-Corts, E., Lpez-Gamero, M. D., Tar, J. J. (2009). Green management and financial performance: a literature review. Management Decision, 47(7), 1080-1100. Sage, A. P., Rouse, W. B. (2009). Handbook of systems engineering and management. John Wiley Sons. Spencer-Oatey, H., Franklin, P. (2009). Introduction. In Intercultural Interaction (pp. 1-10). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Steurer, R., Langer, M. E., Konrad, A., Martinuzzi, A. (2005). Corporations, stakeholders and sustainable development I: a theoretical exploration of businesssociety relations. Journal of Business Ethics, 61(3), 263-281. Tomasini, R., Van Wassenhove, L. (2009). Humanitarian logistics. Palgrave Macmillan. Van der Meer, H. (2007). Open innovationthe Dutch treat: challenges in thinking in business models. Creativity and innovation management, 16(2), 192-202. Van Tulder, R., Van Der Zwart, A. (2005). International business-society management: Linking corporate responsibility and globalization. Routledge. Vogt, J. J., De Wit, P. W. C. (2005). Business logistics management: Theory and practice. Oxford University Press, USA. Weske, M. (2010). Business process management: concepts, languages, architectures. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated. Woodside, A. G. (Ed.). (2009). Business-to-business brand management: theory, research and executive case study exercises (Vol. 15). Emerald group publishing. Wu, T., Blackhurst, J. V. (Eds.). (2009). Managing supply chain risk and vulnerability: tools and methods for supply chain decision makers. Springer Science Business Media.

Uniforms In Public School Essays (2960 words) - Uniforms

Uniforms In Public School? Final Draft Quality education is critical to the future of America's children. However, we cannot educate our children in schools where weapons, gang violence, and drugs, threaten their safety. Many local school districts have made uniforms an important part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. Students resort to violence and theft simply to obtain designer clothes or name brand shoes. This instills a fear among the students and teachers. It is no secret that violent behavior has become a problem in public schools. For this reason more and more public schools are entertaining the idea of uniforms to get the minds of their students off of fashion and onto their education. Many parents and students support the uniform issue because they feel it makes all the students equal in the eyes of their peers and teachers. However, many parents feel that just like installing metal detectors, uniforms are a simplistic solution to a far greater problem. Some experts believe uniforms promise to cut down crime and reduce violence, but only if we take away that students individuality and freedom of expression. What does this promise? Uniforms have been used in an effort to try an reduce crime, and at the same time, remove peer pressure amongst students to try to ?fit in? so they can concentrate on their school work. President William Clinton agrees with this saying ?If uniforms can help deter school violence, promote discipline, and foster a better learning environment, then we should show strong support to the parents that try them?.(21) By mandating uniforms in public school, school officials hope to see a reduction in crime and violence. According to statistics, there are notable decreases in school violence and illegal offenses after the enactment of a school uniform or standardized dress code policy.(Lewis) Can uniforms really help in deterring violence and crime? Many parents and teachers say yes. Supporters of uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing and the school system will have more of a sense of community.(Nittel) Providing that a child's clothes does make a difference in school violence, then uniforms are exactly what our children need. Some parents feel uniforms will put the students' emphasis on schoolwork instead of dressing ?cool?, and they will help to lower school violence. Almost five years ago, the Long Beach School District made headlines when it became the first school district in the country to make uniforms mandatory for its elementary and middle school students. According to Phoenix school officials in Long Beach, California, attendance and test scores improved, incidents of students fighting decreased by 50%, student crimes decreased by 36% and student suspensions decreased by 32% after they enacted a uniform policy.(Will) Also other there were other steps to improve student behavior. Increasing the number of teachers patrolling the hallways during class changes, were also taken by the district around the same time the uniform policy was introduced. Dress codes were initiated in private schools as a standard. As violence, competition between students, and distractions from the educational system increased in public schools, administrators began to consider uniforms as a solution to the problem. In Baltimore, Maryland, school administrators found a 44% drop in assault and battery charges, a 50% reduction in assault with a deadly weapon, a 41% cut in occurrences of fighting and a 74% drop in sexual offenses. They also found drug abuse to be down by 89% and vandalism had dropped by 8%.(Stacey) These results and others caused many school districts to consider uniforms for their own schools. Uniforms seem to give students a sense of responsibility. It says that clothing is not that important. With this realization the students began to forget about their clothes and refocused their attention on education. Consequently their test scores and attitudes improved. One teacher stated that ? I have never seen so many children change their overall attitude in the classroom in just a matter of a few weeks.? Studies show school uniforms are more successful in elementary schools, where students are not so intent on their individuality.(Stover) And, experts recommend placing students in uniforms at a young age so they become accustomed to a program. This allows there to be no focus on material items and the children's focus remains on education from the start. Stover(1990) states that most supporters of uniforms agree the program will not succeed unless school officials gain the support of a large majority of parents from the beginning.

Book ReviewGentlehands essays

Book ReviewGentlehands essays The story Gentlehands takes place in the late 1970s. This story mostly revolves around one of the main characters named Buddy, who is a middle classed teenager that has is having a relationship with and upper class, older girl, named Skye. Buddys chances of impressing Skye on his own are very slim to none so he decides to introduce her to his grandfather, Mr. Trenker. Buddy has not seen his grandfather since he was just a little child because of disputes between Buddys parents and Mr.Trenker, so he was not quite sure what to expect from him. Buddy and Skye both come to realize the Mr. Trenker is very educated in many topics and also extremely well mannered. During this same time Mr. De Lucca, a reporter for many newspapers, is living with Skye at the time for unknown reasons. The only reason he is staying in that area is because he is trying to write a story about somebody who used to be a SS officer in WWII with the nickname Gentlehands. At the end of the story grandpa Trenker is th e one that is believed to be Gentlehands. When Grandpa Trenker heard of these accusations he ran away to live with a friend of his. In the story Gentlehands there were a few major characters, including Skye, Buddy, and Grandpa Trenker. Buddy is presented ass a teenager who had few experiences in life and he showed it many times throughout the book. An example of Buddy having only few experiences in life is on page 80, paragraph 7 when buddy was pouring a glass of wine. It said I put my hand around the bottle and began pouring, and he said, Wait a minute, Buddy. What? Always grab the bottle of wine by the neck, he said, and never fill the glass to the top. I think that this is a good example because it shows how buddy had very few experiences in life by not knowing how to pour wine. I also thought that he was extremely kind hearted and he also sticks to what he believes in, even th...

Assumptions, dependencies, constraints, exceptions example

Electricity Workstations to be used by the Department Chair and the Enrolment Advisers Users have knowledge in using web browsers and can understand and execute simple HTML functionalities. Students fully understand and comply with the pre-enrolment guidelines and procedures imposed by the department. Dependencies Maintenance and security of the website Website licensing requirements All information needed for the system is completely gathered Pre-enrolment guidelines and procedures must be properly disseminated External storage for back-up purposes Constraints The system is not connected with the ORACLE system. The system does not cover the pre-enrolment of regular students. The system cannot be accessed outside the university. The system does not set the time of appointment for the conditional student. It only reminds the student of certain details that he must remember for a smooth and orderly pre-advising. The system does not handle the approval of proposed schedule. The system does not handle the encoding of subjects. Exclusions The following statements specify what the system should not do: 1. ) The system shall not grant access to users that do not belong to the Department of Information Systems of the University of Santo Tomas. 2. ) The system shall not grant access to users who that do not have an account in the system. 3. ) The system shall not grant access to users who have not logged-in in their accounts. 5. ) The system shall not grant access to users if the given username and password do not match an account in the system database. 6. ) The system shall not accept users who try to register with empty fields in the registration page. 7. ) The system shall not allow conditional students to create a schedule unless he is accompanied by his parent(s)/guardian to sign a contract/waiver together with the department chair. 8. ) The system shall not grant access to students after the given time and date of until when they can send their schedule. 9. ) The system shall not allow unwarranted parties to view data that they are not authorized to see.

Barclays CoCo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Barclays CoCo - Essay Example instrument, debt is reduced, and it qualifies as a Tier 1 capital increasing the book value of the bank’s equity capital before the occurrence of the trigger event. When a CoCo triggers, there are two things involved; the losses involved are absorbed by the CoCo either by suffering a principal write-down or by transforming into common equity. In the case of principal write-down, the bonds are written down to equity that matches the extent of liabilities released thus generating exceptional gains that are allocated to the bank’s retained earnings (Stefan, Anastasia & Bilyana, 2013). In cases where the CoCo is convertible, when a trigger is met, the bond automatically converts to common stock as a prearranged percentage. As the CoCo bond market unceasingly grows, investors are exposed to various risks and rewards. One of the appalling risks faced by investors in CoCos is the systematic risk. The CoCos market is vulnerable. A conversion or coupon deferral may soon occur causing a fall in price upto 9% and a significant drop in conversion circa -15%. This could put CoCo holders in a worst/unfortunate position than shareholders (Stefan, Anastasia & Bilyana, 2013). Moreover, there exists information asymmetry in the CoCos market where investors have little knowledge regarding the operation of the CoCos while the issuers are fully aware of their credit fundamentals. For instance, the PONV (point of non-viability) as a language has been hard for many investors to comprehend thus upsurging the risks of them losing their cash by investing in unfeasible CoCos. According to Stefan, Anastasia and Bilyana (2013), this coupled with the complexity of CoCos, and the flawed CoCo rating methodologies presents a majo r risk to investors and might lead to unfathomable losses. Nevertheless, CoCos are rewarding as they provide a high yield of 4.5%-10% that is better than the average yield of circa 4.2% for high yield sectors in the U.K (Chorafas,  2015). These high returns continue

Quality improvement Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Quality improvement - Term Paper Example Based on a similar notion, various studies have been undertaken, which focused on one or the other dimension of the healthcare sector. Contextually, as these studies emphasize revealing certain facts regarding the quality improvement aspects of healthcare practices, its reliability tends to be of great significance. Based on a similar perspective, this paper intends to review two different articles focusing on the healthcare treatments for cardiac patients and the common errors or needs for quality improvement associated with the sector. The first article is titled â€Å"A Nurse-Led Heart Failure Clinics Improve Survival and Self-Care Behavior in Patients With Heart Failure† and the second article is titled â€Å"Reducing Delay in Seeking Treatment by Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome and Stroke.† When reviewing the selected articles, due significance was provided towards the methodology used in the studies to evaluate the findings obtained through the research. Wha t Were the Targeted Population and the Disease State? Stromberg et al. (2003) targeted a population of 106 patients who were either directed to a follow-up in the usual care section or to the nurse-led heart failure clinic section for further treatment. The cardiac diseases diagnosed among the patients included in the study in terms of sample population were identified by the nurses in the initial stage followed by the deliverance of proper healthcare facilities along with adequate education regarding the self-care and other probable strategies to prevent such heart-failure in the future. It is worth mentioning in this context that the nurse-led heart failure clinic was staffed by specially educated people and experienced nurses who were given the responsibility to make necessary changes, especially in the protocol followed during medications, which was further identified to play a vital role in reducing heart-failure among the patients and thus resulting in quality improvements of the clinic (Stromberg et al., 2003). Similarly, Moser et al. (2006) were focused on the patients with acute coronary syndrome and stroke syndromes as the targeted population. The article by the above authors summarizes the advantages of early treatment to such patients and also explains the number of problems a patient has to face when there is a delay in the treatment. The article also depicts the approach of the current system in reducing this delay in treatment (Moser et al., 2006). Why Was This Important to Study? The study conducted by Stromberg et al. (2003) aimed at explaining the effects of nurse-led heart failure clinic follow-ups in preventing the occurrence of coronary diseases generating a self-care attitude among the patients. The importance of this particular study can be thus justified on the basis that the survival rate of a patient with a record of heart failure as compared to other severe diseases has been relatively low, which is often argued to be effectively cur able with a greater degree of self-caring attitude and better awareness regarding the diseases (Sutherland, 2010). Emphasizing the positives of nurse-led clinics, this study thus aimed at critically evaluating the performances of the hospitals which would further render noteworthy inputs in enhancing the

Turning patients prevents pressure ulcers Essay Example for Free

Turning patients prevents pressure ulcers Essay I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction/ Preparation Statement of the Problem As for the study, the main problem to be considered is to determine the significant effects of turning in the prevention of pressure sores or ulcers. With the relational focus between the occurrence of the condition and the physiological processes involved, the study determines the most appropriate time allowance that the nurse should provide in bed turning administration to the patients. Considering different factors that influence the occurrences of bedsores, the study takes into account the possible factors contributing to their occurrences. The study aims to determine the relationship of providing bed turn for patients in order to reduce the occurrences of pressure ulcers. Within the study, the nursing intervention of bed turning is to be analyzed as to how it can further alleviate the condition of the patient, especially those who are prone to the development of pressure ulcers (e.g. skinny individuals, immunocompromised, immobile patients, unconscious, etc.). The condition of Pressure ulcer consists of localized disruption of skin integrity as well as the underlying tissue layers experience intense and prolonged exposure to most commonly pressure, while other etiologies can also include shear, friction, or any combinations of these causal factors. According to Lyder CH. (2003), pressure sores or also known as decubitus ulcers tend to occur in all cases wherein skin experiences sustained mechanical loads, but are usually common in those patients who are immobile and bedridden or those with administered orthopedic devices. Background and Significance of Problem The occurrences of decubitus ulcers have become one of the most common health problems that occur throughout the heath care unit, especially for clients who are immobile and currently under orthopedic therapy. According to statistics, it has been approximated that 1 million adults annually progress into acquiring pressure ulcers due to faulty nursing or care management. The incidence rates vary greatly depending on the health care delivery system. However, statistics evidently show that the occurrence of pressure ulcers range from 0.4% to 38%, which if broken down and categorized to the scope of quality of nursing care, it resulted from ranges 2.2% to 23.9% for health care facilities, and 0% to 17% for home health agencies (Fitzpatrick and Wallace,   2006 p.482). The most common age groups to develop this type of condition are those individuals aging from 70s and above due to the decreasing blood circulation. Significantly, insufficient and incompetent nursing care in the inpatient setting has been linked to the increasing conditions of this disease condition. In addition, the statistical incidence rates of decubitus ulcers are most prominent among inpatients of the hospital population under this age criteria. In fact, epidemiological ratings usually exceeds higher for those orthopedic cases (Baumgarten M et al., 2003). From the physiological point of view, the reason for the occurrence of decubitus ulcers is the inadequate oxygenation due to progressive or reoccurring pressure. This impedes the normal case of capillary refill and blood flow, which is responsible for cellular oxygenation; hence, due to impediment and impaired tissue perfusion, the end results to tissue necrosis. The development of these pressure ulcers usually occurs on the lower half body, two-thirds around the pelvis and a third on the lower limbs (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 1989). Added by Fitzpatrick and Wallace (2006), the development of pressure ulcers and high epidemiologic ratings of patients under a particular health care delivery system can negatively influence the credibility of nursing care provided by the indicated institution (p.482). Considering the attempts made in order to reduce or prevent the occurrences of pressure ulcers, the results obtained have significantly provided a small decline of in the epidemiological statistics. Bed turning is one of the most commonly utilized nursing procedures in order to alleviate and reduce the cases of bed sore occurrences. However, there has been no clear study on how to better apply this procedure in terms of frequency as influenced by etiologic factors contributing to the occurrence of pressure ulcers. To be able to do so, a thorough literature review has been conducted in order to determine the conditions for the application of patient turning. The gathered literature review is an essential component of this study since outcomes of the data gathered could be used in order to act as basis for coming up a nursing care plan for these patients in an effort to reduce the morbidity ratings of pressure ulcers in the health care setting (Gordon MD, Gottschlich MM, Helvig EI, et al., 2004). In the study done by De Laat et al published in 2005, the authors did utilized a form of review of literatures for the purpose of demonstrating the measures that other studies have utilized in order to prevent or treat pressure ulcers. From this, turning patient had become the most simple and commonly used nursing procedure for this purpose. By determining the standard frequency time for the turning of patients in consideration of factors associated to bed sore occurrences, further guidelines can be mandated in health sectors to effectively reduce the cases of prolonged immobility of patients; hence, reducing as well the risk of pressure ulcer occurrences. Purpose of the Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of the study is to provide information for the physiological relationship between the occurrence of pressure ulcers and the time standard required in between turning of patients. Critical analysis, comprehensive data integrations, and interpretation of research outcomes are the founding methodologies applied in the course research. The study should provide additional learning awareness for the public and health care institutions especially in terms of the most appropriate time allowance to be allotted in between patient turning. Turning patients can proved to be an important nursing procedure; hence, this study explores this procedure in an effort to raise the credibility of nursing care management in pressure ulcer management via patient turning. Independent and Dependent Variables Independent Variables Patient Age group Patient – Nurse ratio Dependent Variables Hospital protocols and policies Awareness of nursing facilities in the procedure Patient cooperation Definition of Terms: Independent Variables Patient Age group This pertains to the age criteria of those patients who have incurred the condition of bed ulcers. The study does not limit the age criteria although considers and categorizes the age group who had conjured the condition. Patient – Nurse ratio This variable pertains to the number of nurses available to cater to patients and the number available in providing the nursing procedure of bed turning for patients against the number of patients requiring need for turning, specifically those are at risk at acquiring the condition and those who have the condition already. Dependent Variables Hospital protocols and policies This dependent variable consists of those rules and standards utilized by the nursing service as the foreground basis in administering nursing procedures to their patient. This component can be modifiable granted that ethical concerns and rightful justifications are provided. Awareness of nursing facilities in the procedure The variable involves the knowledge of the nursing facility in terms of properly administering the turning of the patient, which consists of the standard time allotted per patient turning, and if there are considerations being applied depending on the etiology of pressure ulcers. Patient cooperation This involves the patient’s willingness to participate in the procedure provided by the nurse. Some patients demonstrate feeling of anxiety and reluctance, which causes resistance in participating in the given procedure. Significance of Project: To Patient Care The study is significant to patient care because the concept of turning patients facilitate appropriate physiological advantage on the part of the patient. By knowing the most recommended time allotted for every turns or repositions, the patient can lessen the risk of developing pressure ulcers, which, on the longer perspective, this can help reduce to morbidity ratings for pressure ulcers among patients. To Nursing The study is significant to nursing service since by knowing the most appropriate time necessary to stand as basis for every patient turns or repositions, the nurse may increase their competency in preventing the occurrence of bed sores for in-service patients. In addition, the decrease of pressure ulcer epidemiology in the nursing care facility can provide higher credentials in terms of perception in the nursing unit specified. To Society The study is significant to the community as it provides awareness expansion in the boy of nursing care for the sick. The concept of the study is more of a preventive task; hence, those families requiring preventive means for pressure ulcers can utilize the result of the study to further develop their care standards for their own patients; hence, fostering independence among family and community nursing care perspective. References Baumgarten M et al., (2003). Risk factors for pressure ulcers among elderly hip fracture patients. Wound Repair Regen;11:96-103. Fitzpatrick, J. J., Wallace, M. (2006). Encyclopedia of Nursing Research. Springer Publishing Publisher. Gordon MD, Gottschlich MM, Helvig EI, et al. (2004). Review of evidence-based practice for the prevention of pressure sores in burn patients. J Burn Care Rehabil.;25:388-410. Lyder CH. (2003). Pressure ulcer prevention and management. JAMA;289:223-226. National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. Pressure Ulcers: Incidence, Economics, Risk Assessment—Consensus Development Conference Statement. West Dundee, Ill: SN Publications; 1989

The Mending Wall :: essays research papers

Walls and Borders Do â€Å"good fences really make good neighbors?†(666) Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall examines this as a local issue. It can also be interpreted as a global issue. Frost writes about two neighbor farmers and how a wall between their property effects the relationship between the two. Taking a more global look at the issue, the conflict in the former Yugoslavia relates to Mending Wall. Perhaps â€Å"good fences† give people a false sense of security. Robert Frost’s poem, Mending Wall, is about two neighbors who meet every year in the spring to rebuild the wall, which borders their properties. The wall is toppled each year by hunters, weather, and time. The narrator of the poem doesn’t see the point of rebuilding the wall year after year. He sees no problem with just letting the wall alone. He doesn’t understand what he is â€Å"walling in or walling out.† (667) He calls it, â€Å"an outdoor game, one on a side†¦ it comes to little more.† (667) His neighbor, however, wants to build the wall, saying, †Good fences make good neighbors.† (667) These neighbors have a conflicting view of the wall. One doesn’t see any sense in the wall, and the other insists that it be fixed, without giving any sensible reason. In 1991, the European country of Yugoslavia, located in southeastern Europe, in the Balkan Mountains, split into eight different nations, due to an â€Å"ethnic cleansing†. The countries formed from the split are Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Vgivodina, and Serbia. The main reason for the split is the diversity of the ethnic groups involved. There are the Serbs, Muslims, Croats, and Bosnians. The civil war started when Serbs in Bosnia and Croatia incited a rebellion. Bosnia is the center of the conflict, being the most diverse. The Bosnian-Croat Federation occupies Western Bosnia, which includes the capital city of Saraj evo. Whereas eastern Bosnia is occupied by the Serb Republic. Sarajevo is the center of most of the fighting, because it is such a diverse city, torn by different ethnic neighborhoods. Many European countries and the United States tried to end fighting before it spread throughout Europe, creating World War 3. The Dayton Agreement was established to try to unify the city. It stated that Sarajevo’s Muslim and Serb neighborhoods are reunified under the Bosnian government, much to the disdain of the Bosnian Serbs, who want to divide the city.

Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet Essay

Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of 31 December 2011 and 31 December 2010, has been analyzed respectively the correspondents values, structure and relevant changes for assets and Liabilities & Shareholder’s Equity with following conclusions: I.The main assets of Jeronimo Martins Group are noncurrent (about 75%) concentrated mostly in tangible assets (about 50%) followed for the intangible assets (about 18%); II.The current assets are mostly inventories and cash or cash equivalent; III.The main liabilities of Jeronimo Martins Group are current (about 55%) concentrated mostly in trade creditors, accrued costs and deferred income; IV.The noncurrent liabilities are mostly Borrowings; V.Total Shareholders’ Equity represent around 30% of Total Shareholders’ Equity and Liabilities; VI.The biggest changes in assets, 2010 to 2011, are referred to derivative financial Instruments (-78%) and Cash and Cash equivalents (74%); VII.Changes, 2010 to 2011, in current assets are 27,1% and noncurrent are 2,4%; VIII.The biggest changes in liabilities and total equity are referred to retained earnings (250%) and fair value and other reserves (-101%), provisions for risk and contingences (106%); IX.Changes, in 2010 to 2011, in current liabilities are 11% and noncurrent are -27% and total equity are 32,63%; The structure, values and changes listed above means that Jeronimo Martins Group had, in 2010 and 2011, mostly of its assets as noncurrent, which aren’t expect to be converted into cash or consumed within 12 month. The current ratio is below 1, so this company doesn’t have a big liquidity. Analyzed the 10 biggest companies in the food area, the current ratio is below those values observed such as in Dole food company (current ratio is 1,5). The current ratio is an entity ability to meet its current obligations or to maturing short term obligations, is an important measure of its financial health. This company present 0,406 (2010) and 0,464 (2011) current ratios, more current liabilities than current assets. The total debt to equity ratio represents the long term viability of the company, measure the degree of the indebtedness relative to its equity funding. This company present 2 (2010 and 2011) total debt to equity ratio, more total debt than equity, this imply that greater is this ratio greater is strain on the company to make regular payments to debts holders and higher is the risk of bankruptcy.

Ocean city and Clearwater beach Essay

One of the great things about summer is going to the beaches. Over the past ten years my family and I have had the pleasure of heading up to Ocean City Maryland on the eastern shore. The beach there is an excellent place for the family to get together and have fun. The sand at Ocean City is an off white color and warm to the touch and the water with its bluish green color feels cool on your skin. Ocean City has one of the largest boardwalks on the east coast with its many shops, stores, and restaurants it attracts families from all around the world. Ocean city also has a great amusement park for all the kids at heart and for all the true little people. However, At times it does tend to get a bit crowed but that’s half the fun of going to the beach the sights, sounds, the smells, and the many different types of people all enjoying themselves. A few years ago we did happen to change up a bit and headed down to Clearwater Florida for a short vacation the beach in Clearwater is also a very nice beach the sand there is a pure white color and feels so cool on your feet as you walk upon it, and the water is a very clean clear light blue, and very warm as you wad though it. You can even see your feet as small fish move around you Clearwater beach doesn’t have a boardwalk, but it does have the many restaurants and shops to visit. I did notice that Clearwater beach seems to be more geared to the young professional type people. There isn’t an amusement park for the kids and it didn’t seem like many families were there. The time that I spent there it never seemed to get crowded at all, but that was fine because it was relaxing and a nice change of pace. I would recommend both beaches to anyone that wants to get away for a good time, good people and a change of the norm.

Euphoria

Euphoria Euphoria Euphoria By Maeve Maddox This word from the Greek referred originally to the ease and comfort felt by people who enjoy good health. The Greek elements are eu (well) and pherein (to bear/carry). Etymologically, euphoria is a feeling of well-being. The earliest use of euphoria in English (1684) is as a medical term. The right medicine could produce a feeling of euphoria in a sick person (i.e., make a sick person feel well). The adjective, introduced in 1888, is euphoric: euphoric: characterized by a feeling of well-being, cheerful; also, producing or causing cheerfulness. In modern usage, euphoria refers to a heightened feeling of well-being, such as the phenomenon referred to as â€Å"runner’s high†: runners high   (noun): a feeling of well-being or euphoria resulting from physical exercise, especially running. M-W Online defines euphoria as: â€Å"a feeling of well-being or elation; especially one that is groundless, disproportionate to its cause, or inappropriate to one’s life situation.† Here are some examples of usage from the Web: The few truly euphoric moments Ive experienced as a Steelers  fan The [prayer-induced] experience lasted probably only a second or two, but after it left my body I was left with this euphoria. Almost feeling like I was floating. At 2:49 p.m. on Monday, city native George Lobaton experienced the euphoria of crossing the finish line of the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon. What is it like to finish a novel? The first time you do it, you feel utter euphoria, and you should.   For [Ebola] survivors, the euphoria of having beaten the disease is soon followed by the battle to live with the stigma. [Volunteers helping the homeless] experience the euphoria that comes from doing something good for someone who can’t help you in return. Euphoria doesn’t last. The verbs commonly used to indicate its passing or dissolution are dissipate, evaporate, wear off, die down, and fade: Now that the euphoria has  worn off the cold hard facts remain. But now the euphoria has  subsided and the market [has undergone] a painful correction.   But now the euphoria has  faded - partly no doubt because Spain is settling down to normal democratic apathy   Now the euphoria has died down, its back to business as usual. Unfortunately, that euphoria typically dissipates when companies realize that the cloud technology they’ve invested in isn’t as easy or reliable as they thought it would be. But little remains of the euphoria from those winter days when the beginning of a new era seemed to be dawning in Ukraine. That euphoria, however, has evaporated. Here are some other nouns to name feelings of happiness and well-being: elation happiness joy delight glee excitement exhilaration jubilation exultation ecstasy bliss rapture Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talking50 Types of Propaganda40 Idioms with First

American Foreign Policy in 1950s 1970s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Foreign Policy in 1950s 1970s - Essay Example Perhaps, the United States could have substantially reduced effectiveness of the Soviet propaganda, but the first obscure signs of the threat remained unnoticed by American politicians. As a result, US foreign policy during the period between the Korean and Vietnamese wars can be characterized as unbalanced and short-sighted. By the mid-1950s the Soviets failed to restore the pre-war balance of powers, but the gap was gradually closing. The Soviets created nuclear weapons, and continued to rebuild the ruined economy. As a result, the United States lost the opportunity to impose its will on Europe in general and the USSR in particular: economic and technological parity with the USSR made it obvious that the need for some other options to compete. Both, the United States and the Soviets focused upon bringing international discredit upon each other: the war of ideologies began (Glynn, 1992). For the sake of objectiveness, it is necessary to admit that the Soviets could hardly be accused of much defamation: the free American society provided the world with such calling examples of civil rights violation that there was simply no need to defame. Keeping in mind that the United States actively participated in the Human Rights treaty which proclaimed racial, religious, and sexual equality the major value of the forthcoming epoch, ongoing domestic discrimination severely damaged international image of the country (Borstelmann, 2002). Some experts noticed the danger in the very beginning of the Cold War, but their warning remained unheard. Thus, Secretary of State Dean Acheson wrote in 1947, "The existence of discrimination against minority groups in this country has an adverse effect upon our relations with other countries. We are reminded over and over by some foreign newspapers and spokesmen, that our treatment of various minorities leaves much to be desired.... We will hav e better international relations when those reasons for suspicion and resentment have been removed" (Dudziak, 2000, p. 80). International situation in the late 1950s - early 1960s turned domestic discrimination into literally vital issue that might affect the future of the whole world. World War II triggered the anti-colonial movement in Asia and Africa, and the balance of powers in the world - given approximate parity between the communist and capitalist blocks - depended upon what form of political establishment those new countries would choose. And again, in the 1950s several politicians tried to draw attention of the federal government to the link between discriminatory domestic policies of racial segregation and failure of the American efforts to extend political influence over new Asian and African states (Borstelmann, 2002). In 1952, Chester Bowles, U.S. Ambassador to India, pronounced a speech at Yale University in which he clearly specified the causes of repeated failures those regions: "A year, or even a week in Asia is enough to convince any perceptive American that the colored peoples of Asia and Africa, who total two-thirds of the world's population,

Effects of Identity Theft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Effects of Identity Theft - Research Paper Example â€Å"The 1998 U.S. Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act (ITADA) has defined identity theft as the knowing transfer, possession, or usage of any name or number that identifies another person, with the intent of committing or aiding or abetting a crime† (Roberts & Shreft, 2009, pp.22-30) This theft has its effects varying from individual losses to insecurity pertaining to nationally relevant matters. The objective of the essay is to critically analyze the effect of these identity thefts generally to the economy and specifically to the industries and individuals dependent on identity based virtual facilities. CSU (2009, pp 7-8) has reported that the trend of identity theft had been on increase in 2008. The report had cited in the last six months of the year 2008, there had been an increase of 25 percent in the issues pertaining to identity theft. These identity thefts included illegal transaction of personal information through online chat rooms which becomes active market for trade of security information pertaining to internet banking passwords, credit card numbers and social security numbers CSU (2009, pp 7-8). This trend has been reiterated by the FTC as well which has confirmed that they had received almost 1200000 complaints pertaining to identity thefts. This statistics indicated an increase of 50 percent over the count in the previous year. As per this report the most common among the identity thefts were the credit card frauds. As per the reported crimes cited by Federal Trade Commission, the financial losses included in the theft counted up to 1.8 million dollars. In the Americ an context, the trend in identity theft has been found on an increase in the states of Arizona, California and Florida. The peculiarities of the present American economic situation following the economic recession have been stated by

School programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

School programs - Essay Example Briefly explain each innovation: one innovation for Pre-School Programs, one for Elementary School Programs, one for Middle School Programs, three for High School Programs and four for College Level Programs One innovation for pre-school programs is smaller classes that are based on a permissive model vs. an authoritarian or inoculation based pre-school program. Smaller classes that permit pre-school learners to explore the environment or educational materials as a preparation for learning can be considered as alternatives to large classes with rote drill learning methods. An example of an innovation in elementary school would be a participative and competitive spelling bee competition in class where all students were required to display and test knowledge vs. a rote, repetition and repeat spelling drill led by the teacher and followed by the class in unison. In Middle School, providing students a three hour period of intense guided instruction in a subject of specialization could be an innovation and reform that is an alternative to the relatively low amount of instructional time in classes and the general, homogenized nature of reproduction of class lectures and course material. In High Schools, increasing the level and quality of education in public schools is an important innovation, as is increasing the degree of personal and family choice in attending institutions. Making the 10th through 12th classes a more intensive time of study and preparation for students for future education and career choices is important. Increasing the student and family participation in school organization and management can lead to more feeling of involvement and ownership in institutions. Widening the areas of specialized studies by decreasing class or group sizes and increasing independent study ad research in subjects also build proficiencies in students. At the College or University level, implementing the reform of universal, free access to education is the most important and needed goal. That knowledge and learning is restricted by economics or socio-economic resources on a personal or family level leads to a divided society and class structure. Furthering student organization of classes and research would also build inclusion on campus. There are many options to cooperate to save costs in housing, food, books, etc. that are not undertaken because of the profit motive in education. Developing a more collective, self-organized, and non-profit approach to education at the university level is an important part of universal education reform practically. Students should have more freedom in designing their own areas of study, in both specialization and cross-disciplinary studies. Essay #2 - Try to chart the ways in which the American educational system (for publically funded schools) has historically attempted to reach its institutional goals. That means for you to sketch the ways our society has approached the process of education. Now try to explain ho w this process is mediated by having to keep attention on funding issues. The main goal of the American education system has been to provide a free or publicly funded educational opportunity from K-12 for all students or citizens of the country. The combinations of State, Local, and Federal taxes are used to this purpose. The higher education is based on student born costs that may be defrayed by the difference between public, or State-sponsored and subsidized schools, or private colleges and universities. The ideal of a broad general education as basis of citizenship developed from basic literacy requirements as a foundation for democratic citizenship. Nevertheless, the American system of education also is focused in producing

The Ethical Revolt of Slave Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Ethical Revolt of Slave Morality - Essay Example In Friedrich Nietzsche’s On The Genealogy of Morals, he explains how a slave revolt takes place in history, which is emphasized through the predominance of Christian morality. In this essay I shall explain how Nietzsche arrived at such a claim. I shall argue that despite Nietzsche’s criticisms on the dogmas of Christian morality, values, and tradition, he extols principles that contribute to the emancipation of the individual self. It is in this regard that I agree with Nietzsche when he claims that a slave revolt has taken place, for along with this revolt was the degradation of the human subject as powerless, and thus stagnating one’s potentials for self-actualization. However, in order to understand Nietzsche’s contentions, it is important to understand first, what dominated his thoughts. One of the elements which is central to Nietzsche’s thought is illustrated in his famous declaration that, â€Å"God is Dead!† (â€Å"Thus Spoke† 77). This affirms a complete rejection of metaphysical and religious truths as grounds for reality. To Nietzsche, the existence of God, the afterlife, immortality are nothing but imaginary causes. In his view, such are nothing but mere projections of one’s psychological desire for security and calculability in life. In line with this, Nietzsche believed that once the existence of God is unveiled as an illusion, then it follows that God could no longer be implemented as the foundation for human ethical conducts. This leads to the assertion that all morals will be founded on the subjective will of individual self. Thus, Nietzsche affirmed the individual self as the basis of all inquires and norms. Based on this argument, we are led to the question on how can the individual achieve its highest level of affirmation i n a world without a divine providence? The answer to this query is found in the Nietzsche’s theory of the will to power. Nietzsche’s will to power is defined as â€Å"the drive to dominate the environment. This drive, so central is the will to power. This will to power is more than simply the will to survive. It is, rather, an inner drive to express a vigorous affirmation of all a person’s powers† (Stumpf 380). Given this, the will to power can be characterized as the inner propensity to dominate and assert superiority over one’s life. Furthermore, it allows individuals to reach their highest potentials through the overcoming of barriers and constraints. In this manner, individuals increase in power and vitality. However, Nietzsche cautioned us that if one decides to practice a certain code of ethics, the will to power gradually declines. By this, the individual weakens and suffers. Herein, Nietzsche accused Christianity for advocating virtues that undermine and destabilize one’s will to power. But prior to Nietzsche’s presentation of his criticisms towards the teachings of the Christian religion, he first explains how and why Christianity became the dominant religion in human society. Master Morality His explanation is found in his doctrine of the two-fold history of good and evil. This doctrine reveals that there were two types of moralities, which were practiced during the ancient Greeks. These are master morality or aristocratic morality and slave morality. For Nietzsche, Master morality is one that is founded upon the will to power. He claims: â€Å"What is good? – All that heightens the feeling of power, the will to power, power itself in man. What is bad? – All that proceeds from weakness. What is happiness? – the feeling that power increases – that a resistance is overcome† (â€Å"Twilight of† 127). With this in mind, master morality advocates that â€Å"goodâ⠂¬  is identified to that which is powerful and noble. On the other hand, â€Å"evil† is linked to weakness and cowardice. In line with this, In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche describes the temperament of the noblemen. To begin with, Nietzsche says, â€Å"

Nursing Essays Progressive Urge Incontinence

Nursing Essays Progressive Urge Incontinence Care study of a woman with a care issue which related to the module content. You are expected to analyse the evidence base, which informs choices and practice and evaluates client care, making recommendations for improvement. Introduction In this essay we shall consider the case of Mrs.J. a 32 yr. old primigravid mother who has had a totally uneventful pregnancy. She is a large caucasian lady with a BMI of about 30. Her blood pressure and biochemistry were normal throughout her pregnancy. She is a non-smoker. Her major problem was that she has suffered from progressive urge incontinence as her pregnancy progressed, which developed into stress incontinence by about the 33rd week. She subsequently had a normal vaginal delivery of an 8lb 2oz baby boy, which proved to be unexpectedly rapid so there was no time to do an episiotomy. She suffered a few small 1st degree tears. Post natally her stress incontinence got very much worse and now ( six months post delivery) it is a major problem for her. Stress incontinence Stress incontinence is a common post partum condition which can occur over a full range of severity from subclinical to catastrophic. It is usually described as â€Å"the involuntary passage of urine associated with a sudden, or impulse, rise in the intra-abdominal pressure† (Arya et al.2001) It occurs in about 11-13% of post partum women (Cammu et al 1997)). Other authorities such as Norton (1996) put the prevalence of the condition in the whole adult population at about 40 per 1000. The Continence Foundation (2000) estimates that there are about 3 million women who are over the age of 40 who suffer from varying degrees of the condition. Aetiology of the condition Pelvic floor trauma during childbirth has been recognised for a long time as being a major contributory component (if not an actual cause) of stress incontinence. Many studies have been done to try to ascertain the most effective modalities of treatment and others have looked at the factors associated with pregnancy and childbirth which are germinal to the condition. In this essay we shall consider the work that has been done in specific relation to the case of Mrs.J. The first factor to consider in respect of Mrs.J. is the fact that she is pregnant. This may seem to be blindingly obvious at first sight, but it has only recently begun to be recognised that quite apart from post natal and delivery-related factors, there are a number of antenatal factors that relate directly to stress incontinence. Rortveit (et al 2003) produced a carefully executed study which pointed to the fact that, even if no other factors were apparent, pregnancy, by itself, was an independent variable for the development of stress incontinence. This study showed an increased incidence of 1.7 times the incidence for nulliparous women when corrected for all other variables. This study supersedes (in both time and quality) previous studies by Nielsen (1988) and Olsen (1997) which looked at the same issue but could not produce a statistically significant answer. If we consider the actual mode of delivery we see that Mrs.J. had a fairly precipitate delivery of a large baby without the benefit of an episiotomy. We might observe that she was fortunate not to sustain a major perineal tear. There have been many studies (of variable quality) which have looked at the issue of the relationship between the mode of delivery and the eventual incidence of stress incontinence. A recent study by Burgio (2003) found that there were a number of independent variable factors that were predictors of an eventual increased incidence of stress incontinence. These included â€Å"smoking during pregnancy, length of time spent breast feeding, a vaginal delivery, the use of forceps to assist delivery , the frequency of urination prior to delivery and BMI†. In specific relation to Mrs.J. we can see that a number of these identified factors are present. She had a vaginal delivery, suffered from urge incontinence prior to delivery and has a high BMI. Other factors such as a large birth weight baby, (Groutz et al.1999) precipitate delivery (Perry et al 2000) and lack of episiotomy (Reilly et al. 2002) have also been identified by other investigators as being potent causative agents in the development of stress incontinence. The study by Perry (et al 2000) considered the intra-partum factors that influenced the eventual incidence of stress incontinence and concluded that factors such as a precipitate delivery (together with malpresentations and malrotations) increased the incidence of perineal floor damage which was a prime factor in the aetiology of stress incontinence. This factor was examined further by Reilly (et al. 2002) who came to the conclusion that episiotomies exert a protective effect on the perineum (by minimising damage in labour and by allowing the various structures to be safely surgically repaired), and the presence of an episiotomy statistically reduced the eventual incidence of stress incontinence. The issue of the relationship between BMI and stress incontinence was settled by Seim (et al 1996) whose study showed a statistically significant increase in the incidence of stress incontinence with increasing BMI. The study by Handa (et al. 2000) ties many of these factors together in a well constructed and meticulously executed study. The additional factors that this study can add to our discussion are the relationship between birth weight, head circumference and speed of delivery to the eventual development of stress incontinence. All of these factors are found to be positively associated with its development. Care issues We have examined the literature on the subject and have been able to identify the various factors that are relevant to the case of Mrs.J. In line with the guidance of reflective practice (Gibbs 1998) we can reflect on the factors that may have contributed to the subsequent morbidity in Mrs.J. and equally consider how they could have been minimised or avoided so that further practice can be guided by the experience. Equally, we must not loose sight of the fact that it is not just the mechanical management of a case that is important, it is the understanding of why decisions are made and the appreciation of the evidence-base that defines those decisions (Kuhse et al 2001). Some of the factors that are relevant to Mrs.J. are potentially avoidable, such as the increased BMI. Sensible pre-natal or antenatal advice to loose some weight may well have reduced her risk factors (not only for stress incontinence, but also for other conditions such as hypertension and eclampsia). Other factors such as the size of her baby are clearly unavoidable, although, given the fact that it was known that the baby was large, it would have perhaps been sensible to have considered and performed an episiotomy to allow controlled descent of the head together with avoidance of potential damage to the perineum. We have not got any information on prophylactic measures that could have helped reduce the incidence of stress incontinence in the case of Mrs.J. Pelvic floor exercises have been shown to exert a beneficial effect on the incidence of stress incontinence. There is evidence to show that both ante natal (Salvessen et al 2004) (Morkved et al 2003) and post natal (Chiarelli et al. 2002) pelvic floor exercises will reduce the incidence of post partum stress incontinence. It would appear that the effect of these exercises is accumulative. In short, the more that are done, the better the result. It would also appear that antenatal exercises are marginally more effective than post natal ones (Wilson et al. 2001). There is also considerable evidence to show that patient compliance with pelvic floor exercises is not intrinsically good and that high rates of encouragement are required to achieve good patient compliance. (Viktrup et al. 1992) This really comes under the heading of empowerment and education of the patient. If the patient realises why they are being asked to do something, there is a much greater chance that they will do it than if they are simply told to do something. (Marinker 1997) Some sources argue that pelvic floor exercises create a strong pelvic floor that could hinder delivery. This argument was shown to be false by Slavessen (et al 2004) who conclusively showed that a strong pelvic floor actually helps to control the descent of the head and minimises perineal damage Recommendations for improvement We have discussed the case of Mrs.J. and examined the evidence to support the identification of the risk factors that are relevant in her case. We have also looked at the possibility of correcting those factors in subsequent management. To a large extent we have considered the possibilities for improvement as we have discussed the various issues that are relevant. One issue that we have not covered however, is the fact that it is very easy for a midwife to overlook the fact that a patient has developed stress incontinence. (Mason et al 2001). Women are surprisingly reluctant to discuss the issue and often believe that they are unusual in developing, what they see as a very embarrassing and awkward complaint. The corollary of this is that midwifes should be aware that they can easily overlook a source of considerable morbidity simply because they don’t specifically enquire about it. References Arya LA, Jackson ND, Myers DL, Verma A. 2001 Risk of new-onset urinary incontinence after forceps and vacuum delivery in primiparous women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:1318-23. Burgio, Halina Zyczynski, Julie L. Locher, Holly E. Richter, David T. Redden, Kate Clark Wright 2003 Urinary Incontinence in the 12-Month Postpartum Period Obstet. Gynecol., Dec 2003; 102: 1291 – 1298 Cammu H, Van Nylen M. 1997 Pelvic floor exercises in genuine urinary stress incontinence. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 1997; 8: 297-300 Chiarelli, P.and Cockburn,J. 2002 Promoting urinary continence in women after delivery BMJ 2002 324:1241 Continence Foundation. 2000 Making the case for investment in an integral continence service: a source book for continence services London: CF, 2000. Gibbs, G (1998) Learning by doing: A guide to Teaching and Learning methods EMU Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. 1998 Groutz A, Gordon D, Keidar R, Lessing JB, Wolman I, David MP, et al. 1999 Stress urinary incontinence: prevalence among nulliparous compared with primiparous and grand multiparous premenopausal women. Neurourol Urodyn 1999;18:419-25. Handa, V; Harvey, L; Fox, H; Kjerulff, K 2000 Parity and route of delivery: Does caesarean delivery reduce bladder symptoms later in life? Am. J. Obtet. Gynae Volume 191(2) August 2000 p 463–469 Kuhse Singer 2001 A companion to bioethics ISBN: 063123019X Pub Date 05 July 2001 Marinker M.1997 From compliance to concordance: achieving shared goals in medicine taking. BMJ 1997;314:747–8. Mason L, Glenn S, Walton I, Hughes C. 2001 Womens reluctance to seek help for stress incontinence during pregnancy and following childbirth. Midwifery. 2001;17:212-221. Morkved,S. Bo, K. Schei,,B et al Pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy to prevent urinary incontinence: a single -blind randomised controlled trial American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2003 Vol. 101(2) p313-319 Nielsen CA, Sigsgaard I, Olsen M, Tolstrup M, Danneskiold-Samsoee B, Bock JE. 1988 Trainability of the pelvic floor. A prospective study during pregnancy and after delivery. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1988;67: 437-40 Norton C. 1996 Commissioning comprehensive continence services, guidance for purchasers. London: Continence Foundation, 1996. Olsen AL, Smith VJ, Bergstrom JO, et al. 1997 Epidemiology of surgically managed pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol 1997;89:501-6. Perry S, Assassa RP, Dallosso H, Shaw C, Williams K, Uzman U, et al. 2000 An epidemiological study to establish the prevalence of urinary symptoms and felt need in the community: the Leicestershire MRC incontinence study. J Public Health Med 2000; 22: 3 Reilly ETC, Freeman RM, Waterfield MR, Waterfield AE, Steggles P, Pedlar F. 2002 Prevention of postpartum stress incontinence in primigravidae with increased bladder neck mobility: a randomised controlled trial of antenatal pelvic floor exercises. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 2002;109: 68-76. Rortveit G, Daltveit AK, Hannestad YS, Hunskaar S. 2003 Urinary incontinence after vaginal delivery or cesarean section. N Engl J Med 2003;348:900–907. Salvesen, Kjell, Mà ¸rkved, Siv 2004 Randomised controlled trial of pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy BMJ Volume 329(7462) 14 August 2004 pp 378-380 Seim A, Silvertsen B, Eriksen BC, Hunkskaar S. 1996 Treatment of urinary incontinence in women in general practice: observational study. BMJ 1996; 312: 1459-1462 Viktrup L, Lose G, Rolff M, Barfoed K. 1992 The symptom of stress incontinence caused by pregnancy or delivery in primiparas. Obstet Gynecol 1992;79:945-9. Wilson L, Brown JS, Shin GP, Luc KO, Subak LL. 2001 Annual direct cost of urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol 2001;98:398–406.

Yemen Essay -- Yemens Government, Politics

In spite of Yemen’s desire to be a world player, internal strife and an upswing of insurgent activity is pulling the country apart. Yemen occupies the southernmost region of the Arabian Peninsula, sharing boarders with Saudi Arabia and Oman. Yemen enjoys many miles of coastline. The port of Aden is so located as to be the shipping center for the country. This paper’s purpose is to provide information and intelligence assessment for the following areas; history, government, foreign relations, demographics, economy, military and the current threat posed by Yemen. An influx of militants from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan has raised concerns that Yemen has become an Al-Qaede haven (2). This concern contrasts with the government’s efforts in counterterrorism and the goal of being a legitimate world player. I assess that Yemen has seen what seems to be a typical inception and growth for countries of the Middle-East. Prior to the region being named â€Å"Yemen†, it fell under the control of several fleeting kingdoms between the 12th century BC and the 6th century AD. Beginning in the 7th century AD, Islamic caliphs began to exercise control within the region later known as Yemen (1). The Ottoman Turks, as they gained control of the Middle East occupied all of Northern Yemen until there withdraw in 1918 (1). As World War II draws to an end, Yemen joins the Arab League in 1945 and the U.N. in 1947 (1). However, at this point Yemen is still divided in to two states, the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). It took years for the two factions to agree on unification and another decade for a constitution to be agreed to. On 22 May 1990 The Republic of Yemen was declared. I assess that Yemen’s... ...le-East countries, is standing in between the government’s progressive policies and the extremist views of the Muslim radicals. And in a time where having the wrong ally can bring the wrath of the radicals down on you, Yemen is looking in all directions for help. The civil discontent, a weak economy and a growing number of terrorist calling Yemen home put Yemen in a precarious position. The aid they receive from the U.S. helps the government and people while at the same time allowing the insurgents to point fingers at week leadership. As for the U.S., we must proceed cautiously. A true ally in region is invaluable. But a weak ally could draw the U.S. into further conflicts or stretch the amount of aid we send to a region. In my opinion it is better to keep Yemen close. Helping Yemen along allows us to keep our finger a little more closely on the pulse of our foes.

Competitive Advantage

The competitive advantage is thought to be stronger when it lasts for longer period of time. Those companies who are able to maintain a competitive advantage for many years are thought to have a sustainable competitive advantage. Understanding the Concept Sustainable competitive advantages are company assets, attributes, or abilities that are difficult to duplicate or exceed; and provide a superior or favorable long term position over competitors. Sustainable competitive advantages are required for a company to thrive in today's global environment.Value investors search for companies that are bargains. In order to avoid purchasing a value trap one Of the factors we search for is sustainable competitive advantages. Without one or more sustainable competitive advantages a company may not be able to recover from whatever caused the stock to become a bargain. We only want to buy the stocks of companies that are real value investments, not value traps. In other words, we want to buy stock s trading below their intrinsic value and will grow cash flow for shareholders.If sustainable competitive advantage is dependent on maintaining a higher profit margin than other companies in the same industry, how does a company set out to develop a strategy to both achieve and maintain competitive advantage? The two main components of profit are that customers both value the goods and services and will pay for them; and that a company can keep production costs related to goods and services low, so that there is a higher profit margin. For example, if Sally's Cupcake Shop can make a chocolate cupcake for 25 cents and sell it for $1. 0, the profit on each cupcake is 75 cents. Sally's customers will pay $1. 00 per cupcake because the cupcakes are delicious and made with high quality ingredients. A few blocks away, Bobby's Cupcakes & More spends 40 cents making a chocolate cupcake, but can only sell the cupcake for 50 cents. Bobby's profit is only 10 cents per cupcake. Customers will n ot pay as much money per cupcake, because Bobby's cupcakes are not as tasty and are not made with ingredients that match the quality of Sally's cupcakes.Sally will be able to maintain a competitive advantage as long as she keeps costs lower than the amount customers will pay, allowing her to build a higher profit than Bobby. If this continues year after year, even as costs and prices change, Sally would be said to have the sustainable competitive advantage. However, Sally cannot become too comfortable with her advantage, and instead must antique to find ways to maintain a competitive advantage. Bobby may become motivated to outperform Sally. If Bobby is able to increase his own profit substantially, he could potentially take away the sustainable competitive advantage.Your competitive advantage is what sets your business apart from your competition. It highlights the benefits a customer receives when they do business with you. It could be your products, service, reputation, or even y our location. For example, do you offer home delivery, a money back guarantee, a 2-hour call-out service or childcare facilities? Types ND Examples of Sustainable Competitive Advantages Low Cost Provider/ Low pricing Economies of scale and efficient operations can help a company keep competition out by being the low cost provider.Being the low cost provider can be a significant barrier to entry. In addition, low pricing done consistently can build brand loyalty be a huge competitive advantage (I. E. Wall-Mart). Market or Pricing Power A company that has the ability to increase prices without losing market share is said to have pricing power. Companies that have pricing power are usually taking advantage of high barriers to entry or have earned the dominant session in their market. Powerful Brands It takes a large investment in time and money to build a brand. It takes very little to destroy it.A good brand is invaluable because it causes customers to prefer the brand over competitor s. Being the market leader and having a great corporate reputation can be part of a powerful brand and a competitive advantage. Strategic assets Patents, trademarks, copy rights, domain names, and long term contracts would be examples of strategic assets that provide sustainable competitive advantages. Companies with excellent research and development might have label strategic assets. Barriers To Entry Cost advantages of an existing company over a new company is the most common barrier to entry.High investment costs (I. E. New factories) and government regulations are common impediments to companies tying to enter new markets. High barriers to entry sometimes Create monopolies or near monopolies (I. E. Utility companies). Adapting Product Line A product that never changes is ripe for competition. A product line that can evolve allows for improved or complementary follow up products that keeps customers coming back for the â€Å"new ‘ and improved version (I. . Apple phone) a nd possibly some accessories to go with it.Product Differed tuition A unique product or service builds customer loyalty and is less likely to lose market share to a competitor than an advantage based on cost. The quality, number of models, flexibility in ordering (I. E. Custom orders), and customer service are all aspects that can positively differentiate a product or service. Strong Balance Sheet/ Cash Companies with low debt and/or lots of cash have the flexibility to make opportune investments and never have a problem with access to working capital, liquidity, or solvency.The balance sheet is the foundation of the company. Outstanding Management / People There is always the intangible of outstanding management. This is hard to quantify, but there are winners and losers. Winners seem to make the right decisions at the right time. Winners somehow motivate and get the most out of their employees, particularly when facing challenges. Management that has been successful for a number f ears is a competitive advantage. Value Investing and Sustainable Competitive Advantages Companies with one sustainable competitive advantage might be successful.Finding companies with multiple sustainable competitive advantages will greatly improve the chances you have found a real value stock. Can you think of any sustainable competitive advantages I may have missed? Http://arborinvestmentplanner. Com/sustainable-competitive-advantages- definition-types-examples/ How to identify your competitive advantage To identify your competitive advantage, you need to understand your competitors and your customers. Ask yourself: Why do customers buy from Why do customers buy from our competitors and not us?Why do some potential customers not buy at all? What do we need to do to be successful in the future? Market research will help you to answer these questions. Good market research will reveal how your business is different from your competitors, and what you have to offer that appeals to you r customers. In-depth customer research will help you identify your customers' needs and increase your competitive edge. Use our market research kit to find key economic, demographic and statistical information about your industry.Customers buy benefits When customers buy your product or service, they are buying the benefit that it gives them. It may be that your product makes their life simpler, or your service helps them to feel better about themselves. Think about how your competitive advantage benefits your customers. For example, the competitive advantage for a sandwich shop may be: We use fresh, local ingredients to make-to-order the highest quality gourmet sandwiches in the local area.Different customers may see different benefits: customers with allergies or particular dislikes will enjoy the convenience of ordering a sandwich with their preferred ingredients customers who want to treat themselves will be attracted by the fresh, high-quality ingredients, and he fact that the sandwiches are gourmet customers who want to support local businesses will appreciate thou use only local ingredients. Thinking about how your business can benefit your customers will help you to pinpoint your competitive advantage. A strong competitive advantage: reflects the competitive strength of your business (e. . Quality of service) is preferably, but not necessarily, unique is clear and simple may change over time as competitors try to cash in on your idea must be supported by honest and ongoing market research must highlight the benefits to customers rather than boast Of your business itself. After you have highlighted your competitive advantage, the best way to tell your customers about it is to create your unique selling proposition. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF Samsung Electronics is part of one of the largest multi-billion dollar corporations in the world.In 2007 it exceeded the $Bonn mark in annual sales for the first time in its history. This makes it one of the world's top three companies in the electronics industry where only two other companies, Siemens and Hewlett-Packard, have posted larger revenues. The name Samsung literally means ‘three stars' or ‘Tristan' in Korean, reflecting the Samsung Group's dominance in two further sectors: Samsung Heavy Industries and Samsung Engineering and Construction. â€Å"The support need – when and where you need it' Samsung respects the choice customers have in how and with whom they do business.That why, to more effectively support product lines, Samsung has established a geographically-dispersed base of direct dealers and indirect channel partners that result in tight-knit national coverage. So, as a single- or multi-location operation, you benefit from having Samsung partners right where you need them most – near corporate headquarters, at branch offices r out in the field. A direct connection to Samsung through your authorized dealer. As a decision maker for your business, it's your job to make the right choices to keep your business competitive and vibrant.With an authorized Samsung dealer as your telecommunications solutions provider you can rest assured that your telecommunications needs are being fulfilled. Look at your Samsung dealer as your trusted advisor, keeping you informed about new technology advancements, service options and cost-effective measures that can give your business a competitive advantage. Samsung singular focus is n businesses like yours. Its authorized dealers represent a commitment to supporting you with outstanding solutions and service capabilities.Dealer expertise is sharpened in Samsung mandated certification courses, so you can be confident in the technology and service you are receiving. Samsung supports its authorized dealers along the entire continuum with product training, deployment, installation and professional services. This life cycle of support provides you with an additional Samsung advantage – a five-year hardware warranty that reduces your long term costs. Less one Of the ways Samsung thanks you for investing in their solutions. A strong commitment to research & development Samsung strives to understand what customers need ahead of its competitors.Their engineers adjust their thinking to develop original and innovative products that will meet those needs, along with new technologies to lead the future market. They respond to the â€Å"voice of the customer' by designing and testing new products, and through hands-on management of product lifestyles. Each year Samsung has invested at least 9% of sales revenue into R&D activities. As the company continues to increase R&D pending, their commitment to leading technology standardization and securing intellectual property rights remains strong.In fact, Samsung was the largest publisher of U. S. Patents in 2006 and is the owner of one of the largest U. S. Patent portfolios-?increasing patent procurement by 1 1 percent year over year. Cut ting-edge tech oenology that's affordable. Samsung expertise in voice/data convergence, wired, wireless communications, Vivo and core network technologies has produced Offices†;' 7000 – a family of groundbreaking business communications solutions that are redefining the rules of the game.The Officers†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ platform provides you with business advantages across your entire spectrum of needs. First, you'll enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your communications are being routed over a secure, reliable platform. Second, the intuitive design and scalable architecture of this platform enables growth in affordable increments, so your investment will carry you well into the future with significant ROI. In addition, the system's architecture provides flexibility-?a medium where additional applications can be added to enhance the power of Samsung solutions.More and more small and mid-sized genuineness are realizing the need for Computer Telephony Integrat ion solutions to manage their resources and desktops. In response, Samsung has developed a suite of Officers†;' CT I applications for improving call handing, managing the user interface, interpreting and gathering call reporting and improving customer affinity through screen pops that detail names and call history. Standards-based technology means that system serviceability is just a phone call away and your telecommunications are reduced in operational complexity.With its single expandable architecture, Officers 7000 installs ND configures easily. You are considering a platform that not only gives you access to voice and data throughout your office complex and even off-site, but also eliminates divergent systems, bottlenecks and competition between voice and data applications. Whether you are upgrading or are launching a converged system for the very first time, this line-up of systems offers a perfect blend of versatility and power that will speed up your business.Sources of Samsung cost advantage in DRAMS Samsung cost advantage is clearly visible from the comparison of costs (and heir elements) that were borne by the company and its competitors in 2003 (Tab. 3): Samsung* overall cost was 24 per cent lower than the weighted average cost of the other four producers; two most significant elements of the cost structure, I. E. Raw materials and labor, were 36 and 27 per cent lower respectively. When expressed by means of a relation of average selling price to costs (â€Å"productivity' of cost elements), the differences are even more visible (com. Tab. Overall superiority of Samsung over its competitors exceeded 51 per cent! The cost advantages related to raw materials may be explained by better negotiated agreements with suppliers (perhaps due to the larger volumes of purchases – com. Fig. 5) and possibly less shipping and distribution costs that stem from the fact that Samsung FAA facilities are geographically collocated (while competitors' facil ities are spread world-wide). In terms of labor productivity only Chinese SIMI outperformed Samsung, but that came hardly unexpectedly: low labor costs in China had been and were to remain unbeatable for some time yet.Other possibly meaningful factors that cannot be forgotten include: higher yields (due to process quality ND use of more efficient, larger silicon wafers), use Of Common core design for different products supported by the flexibility of production lines (which enabled cost-efficient production of a wide variety of different semiconductors), and – reportedly -? 12 per cent lower investment in capital assets related to the aforementioned strategic decision on FAA collocation.The last but not least element of the Samsung â€Å"cost puzzle† (which, unfortunately cannot be supported by concrete numbers from the case study, and is rather based on intuition) was the way the firm built and maintained intellectual capital and stimulated innovativeness and creativi ty among employees. It had established an incentive-based remuneration system, it sponsored employees for Pads and MBA education, it created a family-friendly working environment in which more of employees' energy could be devoted to solving problems at work instead of troubles in private lives.In most modern industries, such a long-term approach and investing in human capital eventually pays off resulting in higher productivity and better and cheaper products. Sources of Samsung price premium in DRAMS Samsung achieved an almost 1 5 per cent price premium over (the weighted average price of) its competitors (com. Tab. How was that possible? There were, apparently, two main reasons for that: quality and product mix.The former was definitely a unique advantage in the semiconductor industry which was, generally, characterized by little product differentiation (in terms of physical and functional properties), and where demand was highly price- driven. Even though, due to the outstanding quality and reliability of its products, Samsung had managed to achieve a position which justified paying remit for its products. Between 1995 and 2005 the company won awards for performance from most of its major customers, and many of them (even rivals of one another) named Samsung their supplier of choice.Of course, the highly-recognizable brand (the value of which was estimated at almost USED 11 billion in 2003 ! ) helped to maintain the price premium as well. The Samsung successful product mix strategy, on the other hand, was realized through extremely wide differentiation of products that the company manufactured: in DRAM memory segment it was over 1,200 different types! The large product portfolio allowed Samsung to address a very broad market and to avoid fierce price fighting in the most competitive sector of so called commodity DRAMS (where many producers had to sell below production costs).Apart from the ‘mainstream' mass products (in general: low-cost commodity DR AMs), Samsung offered: ; â€Å"legacy products†, I. E. Older types of chips, production of which was continued after the industry had moved to newer generations and which – due to limited supply – could be sold at price premium; ; â€Å"specialty products† – chips designed for niche uses where the rice was usually agreed on bilaterally between Samsung and a given buyer (at the same time, the company was able to optimism costs by building the customized architectures using a common core design).How Samsung should react to threat of large-scale Chinese entry? In my opinion, none of the two options of reacting to the Chinese â€Å"menace† that were presented in the case study, should have be chosen by Samsung as the only one. Rather, a mix of the two seemed to be an optimal approach. Samsung unique ability to maintain the low-cost and, at the same time, differentiated production should have been maintained, but – simultaneously certain a spects of the changing industry environment might have been taken advantage of as well.It was not necessary for Samsung to desperately look for ways to decrease its labor costs (which is usually a reason for established companies to move their production to China): its cost advantage over competitors was supposed to remain for some time. On the other hand, in line with an old Chinese saying: â€Å"keep your friends close, but the enemies even closer†, it was not advisable to ignore the rising competitors (as the industry had done years earlier with regards to Samsung itself).Earlier of eater, China itself was posed to become a significant (if not the most significant) market for semiconductors, thus all actions aiming at better positioning itself to sell in the market seemed to be highly desirable. Therefore, Samsung should have decided to partner with a Chinese firm for production of its low-end, legacy products. At the same time, its state-of-the- art technologies had to be kept in-house.Such a strategy would let Samsung preserve its valuable intellectual property; manufacturing of the mass market products together with Chinese did not pose a threat to the IP, since cosmologies necessary for that usually were no longer proprietary information. On the other hand, the partnership might result in a possibility to further decrease the costs due to availability of attractive subsidizing from the Chinese government and lower labor costs, and – of course – prepare grounds for enlarging sales to customers in the opening and growing market.There was, however, a number of important aspects that had to be remembered while implementing the strategy: ; Samsung competitive advantage related to the unique breeding environment for innovation and efficacy of the centralized R&D and production should have been preserved, thus all new product development had to be kept in the Korean headquarters; ; another competitive advantage of the company, the quality, should have been definitely maintained, too; it might have become a challenge if part of the production was to be moved to China, therefore Samsung had to ensure it could properly influence its Chinese partner (e. . By remaining a majority stakeholder in the joint undertaking); ; while overall reduction of costs was not of key importance for Samsung, the partnership tit a Chinese firm could have been, nonetheless, used for reduction Of labor costs related to production of legacy products (in case of which the associated gain was to be most significant) with no risk of compromising valuable intellectual property; that way, another competitive advantage of Samsung, the industry best ASP to cost ratio, would be further strengthened.However, in parallel to building the partnership, Samsung couldn't have forgotten about other Chinese would-be competitors which would supposedly flourish around. Therefore, the company should have kept throng focus on maintaining its technological leadersh ip through cutting-edge R (still unavailable at the time, despite having relatively easy access to capital, for Chinese start-ups), especially towards future substitutes for DRAMS: flash memory chips.