Ethics Game Reflective Journal Essay

Nursing has evolved throughout the years. Gone are the days that the existence of nursing geared towards following the orders of senior members on the profession and initiation of routine procedures. In today’s nursing, nurses are valued and needed for their reasoning as well as intellectual skills. The changes in nursing require the desire to be more responsible and contributory to the wellbeing of those that needed care. These changes led to more complex ethical dilemmas that nurses’ encounter. This paper aims to provide a reflection on the Ethical Dilemmas presented on the Ethics Game Simulation, the decision-making steps taken to address the ethical issues, how the ethical concepts influenced the decisions made, and the application of the ethical concepts to a medical-surgical unit. The Case of the Troubled Teen This case illustrates Rachel Banks a 16 year-old teenager who got pregnant out of wedlock and currently on her tenth hour of labor on the OB/GYN unit at Seva Medical Center. She’s accompanied by her parents. Rachel’s parents are instructing the staff nurses to withhold the pain medication as punishment for getting pregnant before getting married. Since Rachel Banks is a minor, legally, the parents can decide for her. The nurses are concerned due to the possible detrimental health effects that the situation can cause to Rachel and her unborn baby, Lily. The nurses also became aware that the parents may not be fully educated on the consequences of their decision. In order to make an ethical decision on this case, I used the Baird Decision Model which provided five frameworks: Step 1: Be attentive, Step 2: Be Intelligent, Step 3: Be Reasonable, Step 4: Be Responsible, and Step 5: Be Reflective (University of Phoenix, 2013). The main issue in this case is how to ensure that Rachel and the baby get appropriate and timely medical care. I reviewed the e-mails and communications gathered in order to get a picture of the situation and see that the best possible solution arise. Upon understanding the main issue of this case, I’ve identified that the primary stakeholders includes; Rachel Banks, her parents, her unborn child, the staff nurse, and the primary nurse because they will be impacted on the decisions made in this situation. After identifying the main issue and the primary stakeholders, using the rights/responsibilities lens I was able to identify that my obligations and duties includes providing the best possible care to Rachel Banks and her unborn child, not to accommodate parents who are harming their child, and also support my staff’s professional improvement. On the results lens, I was able to recognize what would create the greatest good for the greatest number of stakeholders which was to involve the nurses and the parents in assessing need for medication intervention and also provide information for aftercare support and education. I believe that the decision made on this scenario benefits both the patient and her family. By involving the parents in the assessment of Rachel’s medical needs, conflict is alleviated and thus, creates a positive outcome. The Case of the Policies and Politics This case is about Alain Trottier, a patient brought in the emergency room by his domestic partner, Yves. Alain was admitted to the ICU unit and has been unconscious. The day- shift supervisor, Carlotta Baldwin is preventing Yves from seeing the patient and refuses provide information regarding the patient because he is not an actual family member. However, according to the hospital policy, domestic partners are to be treated as married couples for the purposes of access and, most importantly, when it must be determined who can make medical decisions for a patient unable to give their own consent. My duty as the nurse taking care of Alain is to identify the critical issue in this situation which is the equal treatment and access of gay partners at Seva Medical Center as equal to those of straight couples. Upon identifying this as the main issue, it is easier to analyze the problem. Again, the following stakeholders were identified: Alain Trottier (patient), Yves (domestic partner), C arlotta Baldwin, RN (shift supervisor), Amelia Flinch (Director of Nursing), the shareholders of the hospital, and lastly, I the staff nurse taking care of Alain. This scenario has led to the identification of relationship lens. The relationship lens focuses on the community. The main concern of this lens is to provide basic liberties to all people (University of Phoenix, 2013). The three rights represented in this case were: right to participate in decision-making for an unconscious family member, right to have hospital policy regarding participation by family members implemented, and right to be informed that your interpretation of hospital policy is inaccurate. I believe that these rights are the major component of this lens because it focuses on the patient, family, and healthcare providers. Upon understanding the basic rights related to this situation, the following actions such as educating all employees with hospital policies, establishing a taskforce to make sure that the policies are put into practice and conducting yearly audits to make sure that the policies are implemented. These actions will ensure that the patient will benefit greatly on the policies placed on the facility. Lastly, the reputation lens discusses the virtues important for leadership; core competencies such as managing diversity, problem-solving, self-knowledge, decision quality and fairness. These values are important because of the overall positive effect that it can bring to the patient and the facility. My final decision in this case is to note on Alain’s chart that Yves is to be given access and treated as family. Speak to Carlotta about my decision and let my supervisor know. I believe that this decision has no risk. This decision has demonstrated that I am fully knowledgeable on the hospital policies and also implementing what I know for the benefit of my patient. By assuring equal access will likely improve the hospital’s status in the community. Lastly, by informing Carlotta Baldwin and the supervisor know of the decision can be a message that further education is needed for all employees to be more aware and knowledgeable of the hospital policies. Ethical Dilemma at a Medical-Surgical Unit I’ve been working as a RN at a medical-surgical unit for almost a year now. I still consider myself as a novice nurse and I feel that I haven’t been exposed to a lot of ethical dilemmas. However, I believe that pain management or providing pain relief can be an ethical dilemma for any nurse. The ethical issue is this: can we as nurses undertreat a patient’s pain because we are concerned about the repercussions or because we know that the patient is addicted to the medication. I believe when challenging situations like this arise, I need to be conscious of my own biases and make evidence-based decisions that can provide optimal treatment to the patient. By not being judgmental, I can fully assess what would benefit my patient greatly and include him/her on the treatment plan- giving autonomy. By including the patient I can also decrease the harm because I will have a better understanding of what will work best for my patient, and lastly, by hindering my biases I will be able to treat my patient’s pain in a non-discriminating way possible. As nurses continues to encounter complex ethical dilemmas as the profession and society gears forward, we must still go back on the foundation of nursing in accordance to the mission of Florence Nightingale; nurses are missioners of health dedicated to the advancement of human welfare. References: University of Phoenix. (2013). Ethics Game Simulation [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HCS478 website.

Examine the Importance of Demographics and Physical Infrastructure

Thorr Motorcycles: Perceptual Map Marketing Gary Phillips University of Phoenix Thorr Motorcycles: Perceptual Map Marketing Molded and marketed as Thorr Motorcycles, attributes were modeled after the Norse God of Thunder, Thor—strong, honest, and simply reliable product design, and loyal customers lived a lifestyle of freedom, mobility, and masculinity. Successful marketing, which promoted high- end motorcycles as an integral component of one’s lifestyle had served the purposes for sustaining Thorr with a 40% market share—iconic brand devotion (Apollo Group Inc. , 2008).Over the past months, sales have been waning largely because of changing market demographics —aging customer base, younger generations influx, and competition. The high-end lifestyle image and pricing was not appealing to the younger set; the time was ripe for seizing the opportunity for repositioning Thorr’s image in an expanding market. Assessing how consumers perceive brands, what factors are most important, and comparing attribute preferences by mapping the various aspects or dimensions is a process for creating perceptual maps—a statistical process, which is just one aspect of marketing research.Determining the most appropriate attributes to include in constructing the mapping model begins with Phase I, Phase II developing a marketing plan after assessing the feasibility for repositioning the existing Thorr machine, or introducing a new brand for sparking interest, desirability, and Phase III controls for gauging the effectiveness of the marketing plan and constant monitoring for a readied stance for making seamless, cost effective adjustments. Phase IDiscovering market position begins with an assessment of consumer perception for Thorr Motorcycles, in relation to competitors by choosing pertinent parameters, which clarifies strengths and weaknesses. Information gleaned from Phase I will provide the framework from which positioning strategies, new p roduct development options, and marketing plans can be launched within budget for ensuring success—increased sales, revenues, market share, and enhanced corporate value.Quality engineering, price, lifestyle image, and cool were choices that approximated scenario optimal selections. Brand Thorr is synonymous with quality engineering a core value that must not be abandoned. Maintaining quality engineering sustains customer perceptions of excellent quality products, which is an important aspect of corporate credibility. Occupying the mind space of target markets with a notion of credibility is one-step in assuring that Thorr will be a company that individuals look forward to doing business.Pricing is important to most consumers, especially during contracting economies. Cruiser Thorr pricing schedule was negatively viewed by respondents, and an insight was gleaned that pricing strategies would have to reflect these facts. It became apparent that younger customers had less disposa ble cash, thus part of the solution was revealed that offering more affordable products, which still retained a standard of high quality, seemed to be attributes for developing a new marketing plan and possibly a new product line.Creating a lifestyle within product design will create a situation when customers will primarily make a purchase based on acquiring a lifestyle, an image, fulfilling a psychological need for acceptance—belong to a group. Choosing cool, is an attribute that comprises lifestyle; therefore, opting for services would have provided an additional unique dimension for deciding to reposition Cruiser Thorr.Added dimensions of functionality, which cover four appropriate mapping attributes will provide more solid footing for making a decision to target a new market segment—the younger generation—with an exciting, hip, affordable machine, which reinvented a lifestyle, continued dedication to quality, featured expanded services, including finance op tions, maintenance training, and club ride rallies, that would serve to establish loyalty with customers, dealers, and distributors (Apollo Group, Inc. 2008). Phase IIAnalyzing the information provided by perceptual mapping and other marketing research information must be considered carefully, constructively, and fairly by applying critical thinking skills. How will marketing strategies placed into action effect other aspects of the corporate environment—internally and externally in the marketplace of many eyes and ears tuned in on marketing strategy position and consumer perceptions influenced by segmentation into changing demographics offering new products aimed at younger customers.Will a less expensive new model with enhanced financing opportunities and expanded services erode customer perceptions of Thorr Motorcycles losing touch with a commitment to excellence in quality? The evidence revealed that a different segment— younger individuals influenced by price more so than the aging customer base that has buoyed Thorr’s success over the years is fueling the growing motorcycle market. The younger generation could not care less about the brand image of Cruiser Thorr, let alone purchasing one, which is way out of the preferred price range.For these reasons and the fact that Cruiser Thorr is in stage four of its product life cycledeclining sales—the marketing plan should launch a brand new product, one that sustains the corporate core value of commitment to quality excellence and offers the new market niche affordability, financing options, and enhanced services. This will require a differentiation in the marketing mix. According to Perreault and McCarthy, Jr. , 2004, â€Å"By differentiating the marketing mix to do a better job meeting customers’ needs, the firm builds a competitive advantage† (p. 81).Shifting the market plan with changing differentiation attributes mix now focused on affordability, attractive financi ng options, and expanded services including social fraternities, the new customer base will be more inclined to view the innovative two-wheeler as a commodity, which offers superior value and quality. Realigning internal corporate processes and unifying the change in focus on a new product goal will cause other processes in the marketing mix to function smoothly for promoting and placing the new product in a position to be perceived in a positive light.Attracting this new demographic and creating a buzz about the new now motorcycle will also sustain the lucrative licensing of product accessories that has been an important component of the corporate landscape and market environment. Phase III The perceptual map considerations for Cruiser Thorr were appropriate and by incorporating attractive financing options, some of the younger demographic segments opted for the higher priced Cruiser.This was an effective consideration for continuing the Cruiser brand, even though the product life cycle is in its final stages. Assessing the correct parameters for RRoth fell a bit short of the mark. Not including the cool parameter in the control or monitoring phase of the marketing plan for analyzing partial research findings was a mistake and one that I should have considered separate from lifestyle in this phase of the marketing plan. Cool is the in ord and a defining characteristic of lifestyle association by the younger crowd. Using the more efficient engine—increased miles per gallon coupled with lower maintenance costs—in the R Roth machine was a sound move, which not only provided the vehicle for offering affordability, but the technical knowhow provided by research and development has successfully sustained a core value of Thorr Motorcycles—a commitment to engineering quality excellence. ConclusionFierce competition is commonplace in the evolving global marketplace and oftentimes corporations experience performance changes such as sagging sales, w hich affected the product revenues for Cruiser Thorr, a brand that had sustained corporate values and created wealth for shareholders over the years. The forces that be at Thorr Motorcycles, moved swiftly to determine the parameters, which could be the cause for sales to decline in an expanding market sector.Management effectively transformed a problematic situation into an opportunity for creating new product lines, which provided a differentiation of marketing mix with greater emphasis on affordability, financing options, refined engine technologies, and enhanced services, which combined to create renewed interest in a product brand that was fast becoming known for a reinvented lifestyle—the image of cool. Capitalizing on market research paved the way for some of the younger generation to opt for the high-end Cruiser Thorr, which was offered with attractive financing and insurance plans.The mix combined to infuse increased sales for Cruiser Thorr, a product in the last stag es of its product life cycle and introduce an innovative product that was establishing itself as a popular lifestyle brand, which was just in the beginnings of its product life cycle—a good mix for young and old alike! References Apollo Group, Inc. (2008). Cruiser Thorr Simulation. Retrieved July 11, 2009, from University of Phoenix database Perreault, W. D. , McCarthy Jr. , E. J. (2004). Basic marketing: A global-managerial approach, (15th Edition). McGraw-Hill Companies.Perceptual Maps are visual picture of what the customer thinks about a product. â€Å"Perceptual Maps help to compare the brand’s attributes with those of the competitors and to ascertain market position† (University of Phoenix, 2004). In the simulation, the writer created a perceptual map for the motorcycle company Thorr Motors. The perceptual map will help the owners create a marketing plan to assist in sustaining a high brand image of their motorcycles. This paper will discuss three phases o f the simulation. These phases are the situation, recommended and solution.The results of the simulation will be discussed. Finally, the paper will discuss relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services and the impact of the  product life cycle on marketing. Background Thorr Motorcycles Inc. manufacturers over 200,000 motorcycles each year. In addition to manufacturing motorcycles, they sell T-shirts, motorcycles shoes, and small leather goods(University of Phoenix, 2004) . The company also provides their customers with a number of  services from dealer training, motorcycle rentals, and motorcycle riding training.I have just  been recruited to the management team as the new market manager. I am going to help the company construct a perpetual map to help Thorr Motorcycle’s Inc. create a new market ingstrategy. Phase I Currently, the sales of the motorcycle Cruiser Thorr are decreasing rapidly. The sales are Sample Final Examination MKT/421 V ersion 10 1 MKT/421 Sample Final Examination This Sample Examination represents the Final Examination that students complete in Week Five. As in the following Sample Examination, the Final Examination includes questions that assess the course objectives.Although the Sample Examination includes one question per objective, the Final Examination includes three questions per course objective. Refer to the questions in the following Sample Examination to represent the type of questions that students will be asked in the Final Examination. Refer students to the weekly readings and content outlines for eachweek as study references for the Final Examination. Week One: Marketing Fundamentals Objective: Define marketing. 1. Marketing a. means selling or advertising b. eans exchanging offerings that have value for customers c. involves actually making goods or performing servicesd. Does not impact consumers' standard of living Objective: Explain the importance of marketing in organizational su ccess. 2. In 2006, Starbucks  ® produced the movie, Ak  eelah and the Bee . This is an example of a. Diversification b. market development c. product penetrationd. differentiation Objective: Describe the elements of the marketing mix. 3. All of the following are product-area decisions EXCEPT a. quality level . market exposure c. brand named. packaging Objective: Explain the importance of the marketing mix in the development of marketing strategyand tactics. 4. Scott Paper uses many intermediaries to reach its target markets; Citibank ® uses none. Which of the marketing mix variables is being considered here? a. Penetrationb. Productc. Promotiond. Place Objective: Create a marketing plan. 5. __________ refers to putting marketing plans into operation. a. Delivery b. Implementation c. Operational planningd. Strategy planning

Reconstruction DBQ Essay

The era of Reconstruction in the 1870s in both the North and South experienced battle for equality for men freed by the 13th Amendment. America was on the brink of recreating the American government, showing genuine signs of a better and brighter future for the African American population. Economic and political practices limited the liberties of black men. Vicious hate groups struck fear unto those who supported the integration of freedmen. The political realm during the time saw a regression of pro-equality emotions in both the Union and in the South. In spite of the promising hope for African Americans that surfaced in 1876, political, economic, and social aspects laced throughout the American government altered the potential for the assurance of equal rights for freedmen. The South exhibited extreme disdain for freed African-American men and women. Restrictions were placed on freedmen in order to hinder their success in a recently freed nation. These laws, often called â€Å"Black Codes†, prohibited the freedman from practicing basic rights. In Opelousas, Louisiana, black men and women were not allowed to live in town, go into town, or hold public meetings in town, and they were required to be â€Å"in the service of some white person, or former owner† (Document A). Enacted immediately after the Civil War, these laws suppressed the equal rights that freedmen were supposed to have. These laws were put into effect by state governments, and they desperately called for interference by the federal government that would not come as soon as it should have. In addition to the Black Codes, sharecropping in the south forced freedmen into an endless cycle of labor and death. This â€Å"cycle of poverty† received land, in turn for promising t he landowner half the crop. At the end of the harvesting cycle, after the sharecropper has given half the crop to the landowner, the sharecropper owes more than he has earned, and the in-debt sharecropper must remain in service next year for the owner (Document B). By 1870, sharecropping was the dominant means by which African Americans could gain access to land in the South, but the southern landowners made it so that the sharecroppers would forever remain owing money to the owner. These limitations placed on the freedmen did not allow them to practice their newfound freedom. Groups of previously Confederate southern men sought out those who condoned the recognition of equality for all races. In a specific account, a white, Northern soldier by the name of Albion Tourgee alerted the North Carolinian Republican Senator of a murder of a man murder by the Ku Klux Klan. This murder was the murder of an honest Republican man, and his support for equality for freedmen got him killed (Document C). This murder acted as a precedent for Tourgee, showing him and any other person that defied the ideals of the KKK would not be tolerated. The KKK wished to abolish any racial toleration in society, and their efforts successfully made the Union members fearful of what they were capable of. In another account, a freed slave was kidnapped by the KKK and beaten mercilessly because he refused to allow a white man to take his place in the legislature. The slave explained that the members of the Klan were in fact first-class men who would be expected to abide by higher morals. Abram Colby, the slave, states â€Å"no man can make a free speech in my country†¦ it can not be done anywhere in Georgia† (Document D). There is a clear violation of rights that all men in United States are given. White men found it necessary to gang up on the innocent black population and let it be known that the participation of freedmen in government would not be tolerated. This example set by the KKK for the government portrayed the lack of support of equality in America. The election of 1876 shaped the future of Reconstruction in the United States. In the election, electoral votes were disputed over, and the Electoral Commission was formed. The argued-over states of Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, and South Carolina saw accusations of fraud in the elections. Republicans dominated electoral commissions and they were able to throw out enough votes to allow Hayes to win (Document F). Despite the win for Democrat Samuel J. Tilden in terms of popular vote, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes ended up winning the election, thus crushing any chance of permanent Reconstruction for the nation. The Compromise of 1877 granted Hayes the presidency, and he removed all Federal soldiers from the South, ensuring success for all-white governments. The once promising future of Reconstruction was officially dismissed due to this election, and racial equality became a forgotten cause. Despite the potential that the United States saw for a Reconstruction of the way of living in the country, key events catalyzed the digression of thoughts of equality in the 1870s. Democrats were steadily regaining control of the South, as the already-weak Republican presence in region only became weaker as northerners lost interest in Reconstruction. The Depression of 1873, along with continued pressure from the Ku Klux Klan, drove most white Unionists, carpetbaggers, and â€Å"scalawags† out of the South by the mid-1870s, leaving blacks alone to fight for radical legislation. By the end of the decade, the fight was over, and equality for freedmen remained an unsolved matter.

Managing Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Finance - Essay Example All costs involved in the manufacture of goods needs to be captured by the costing system adopted by a company. The method of such cost capturing depends on the manufacturer’s industry, and the type(s) of products manufactured. The two major methods of costing are (a) Process Costing, and (b) Job Costing (Martin, 2009?). Process costing is the normal method of capturing the cost in most manufacturing industries especially when the products are produced in large numbers using a sequence of repetitive operations. Typically, the products are usually identical and can not be segregated. Under this method, the cost of product is known at the end of any particular manufacturing operation. The cost of each process (or department) is captured using one of the costing techniques. The direct cost attributable to the product is calculated by department, and indirect costs are allocated to the products. Industries typically include textiles, coal, cigarettes, shoes, gasoline, steel, glass, automobiles, gas, water, electricity, etc. Job costing is used for industries where manufacturing takes place against a specific order. This method is useful for tracking the costs of unique products, which are usually manufactured to a specific order. In this costing process, costs are accumulated by jobs, lots, or batches. Industries that use this costing method include shipbuilding, construction projects, large contracts, job printing, etc. Absorption costing is also known as Full Costing. Under this system, all direct manufacturing costs, and all manufacturing overheads (including fixed and variable overheads) are allocated to the products. This costing concept is recommended for external reporting as per Accounting Standards Committee (SSAP 9). The limitation of this system is that the product costs can not be used for internal decision making as they would tend to

Jews in Socio-Religious Seclusion and Persecution Essay

Jews in Socio-Religious Seclusion and Persecution - Essay Example God gave the 10 commandments and other rules to the Jewish people by which they were to live and, this commandments and rules are contained in the first five books of the Old Testament and are referred to as the Torah. These commandments and rules contain the structures of the Judaism religion. Key religious beliefs as a religion include the belief in one God who is Supreme, all-powerful, just and he who reveals himself to people and they refer to Him as JHWH or Yahweh. They have a profession of faith called the Shema, which is recited in their morning and evening services that says, hear oh Israel, the Lord Our God, the Lord is one. Their central is the Torah or Pentateuch as it was revealed to Moses and it is included in the first five books of the Old Testament (Solomon, 2009). They have the Talmud, which is an interpretation and explanation of Hebrew laws, and it is done in Palestinian and Babylonian interpretations (Solomon, 2009). They follow strict laws in the area of diet and they refer to religiously prepared food as Kosher which implies that it suitable from a religious perspective. They do not believe in instinctive evil or that man has sinned or that he has impurity because they believe that man was made in Gods image. The Jews were persecuted and secluded by the diaspora socially and religiously due to the fact that their religious beliefs were different, being referred to an atheist for their failure to believe in pagan gods of some of the countries concerned. They were known to love learning, and had skill in the art of medicine, and seemed also to be a threat to other people in the Diaspora due to their economic well-being. The hatred for the Jews had been taught for centuries and seems to have taken root in Britain, Germany, Poland, and France, Lithuania, Austria, Russia, Norway other countries.

Theories of Justice and Equality by Michael Walzer Essay

Theories of Justice and Equality by Michael Walzer - Essay Example Thus, Citizen X may be chosen over citizen Y for political office, and then the two of them will be unequal in the sphere of politics. But they will not be unequal generally so along as X's offices give him no advantage over Y in any other spheres-superior medical care, access to better schools for his children, entrepreneurial opportunities and so on"(as cited in Hooghe, 1999, p.211). The absence of X's advantage over Y is called a "blocked exchange" which in practice maintains boundaries between social institutions and practices. Inequities in one area are acceptable but cumulative and overlapping inequalities are not permissible. An accumulation of these inequalities can be the result of two different processes: The influential position within one sphere can be used to gain access to a similar position in a different sphere. The notion of complex equality is aimed mainly at eradicating the possibility of this kind of exchange. Power positions within two (or more) different spheres originate from a single common cause. This would imply that Citizen X has one single characteristic, which makes him excel both in literatures, as in politics and in economic entrepreneurship. The theory of complex equality does not explicitly address this as possible cause of cumulative inequalities (Hooghe, 1999, p.211). In summary, Walzer's complex of equality i... The notion of "overall equality" should not be taken literally for; a.) a higher ranking official cannot be offset against a lower ranking in another sphere and b.) in reality, it will be possible to find individuals who consistently outrank others across important spheres so that they are overall better off than the others. Theoretically, if spheres are independent of each other (and the variables that determine rankings in different spheres do not co-vary), it is mathematically or statistically plausible that inequalities would cancel each other out, if these can be reduced to a common denominator or metric. In contrast, under simple equality, the variables determining rankings in different spheres will more often than not correlate significantly, so that even, theoretically, overall equality will not prevail. It should also be noted that Walzer does not rule out the possibility of a particular individual becoming dominant in all spheres and thus, that overall inequality will triumph over complex equality but he believes that as long as the boundaries between spheres are policed efficiently, this is highly unlikely (Van Wyk, 2005, p292). Prof. Walzer thinks that domination is not derived from dominant human beings but it is mediated by a set of social goods. He claims that "we have to understand and control social goods; we do not have to stretch or shrink human beings" (Walzer, 1983, xiii). So, instead of reducing distributive justice to some simple principle of egalitarian form, Walzer openly acknowledges the plurality of principles of justice and seeks to make this very pluralism the basis of equality (Miller & Walzer, 1995). References David, M., & Walzer, M. (1992). Pluralism, Justice and Equality. New York: Oxford University Press

Organizational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Organizational Culture - Essay Example Closely related to organizational culture in meaning is organizational values. Values refer to acceptable standards that govern individual employees’ behavior in an organization. Without these values, each employee would adopt behaviors that they deem fit in their own analysis which could conflict with the behaviors that an organization seeks to promote. The organizational values have to be in line with the mission and the vision. Woodside (2010) gives examples of the distinctive values in blue chip companies like Ford Motors and Marks & Spencers which were established by their founders and further sedimentation accomplished by their inheritors. Values would be chosen through the process of measuring, diagnosis, deciding and finally embedding. It has been noted that organizational culture guides the success of an organization, hence an important aspect to both the profit making and the non-profit making organizations. But success or performance remains a relative concept among business research scholars. Woodside (2010) gathers definitions of performance from various scholars ranging from an organization’s ability to achieve its goals to an organizational measure of efficiency, effectiveness and economy. In the same way, there exist various variables in measuring organization performance. This complexity has been cited by Shahzad, Luqman, Khan & Shabbir (2012) as the reason for minimal research on the impact of organizational culture on performance. In this paper, performance would be considered as the attainability of an organization’s goals. A positive correlation has been established between organizational culture and organizational performance with well performing firms possessing certain strong cultural traits. Shahzad, Luqman, Khan and Shabbir (2012) noted that superior and perfectly imitable organizational culture ensures attainment of sustainable competitive advantage.

Contract and Patent Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contract and Patent Law - Assignment Example public, nor its components and usage described in a publication for a period of one year before the invention, nor offered for sale for a period of one year, before the filing for a patent (Cheeseman, 2011). The other rule guiding the granting of a patent is the fact that the invention must be useful and able to perform the intended purpose. Additionally, the invention should not be exactly similar to a pre-existing product (Cheeseman, 2011). However, an improvement on a previously existing product that is non-obvious is also patentable. Thus, based on Billy’s Towrack invention, it is patentable since the invention is useful for carrying sporting equipment, it is a non-obvious improvement from the already existing tows in that it is lighter and has only the single wheel. Thus, Billy can successfully obtain a patent for this device. 2. Under the requirements of the trademark laws, a symbol, a word or a name can only be registered as a trademark if it is able to differentiate the products or services offered by one entity from those offered by others. The symbol or the name used should not be confusing to the consumers, to an extent of not knowing the difference between one product and the other (Cheeseman, 2011). Additionally, the symbols and names used should not be similar to those of an already existing product, and neither should they be deceptive on the sides of the consumers. Based on the name used by Billy for his invented device, Towrack is just but a general name, which does not serve to differentiate the device from the common ones of its kind. Thus, Billy may not obtain a trademark by using this name to identify his product, since it is not distinctive to the consumers.

Is global warming due to human actions Can the human race take action Research Paper - 5

Is global warming due to human actions Can the human race take action to stop global warming - Research Paper Example These green house gases include carbon dioxide and ozone, which are in alarming concentration in the air (Weart, 2008). Another category of activities by human beings, which have significant contributions to global warming, is the clearance of fertile land for agricultural practices. Evidently, such uses of the land increase the levels of carbon dioxide emissions. For example, there is evidence that the decay of vegetation or its combustion for whatever reason emits carbon dioxide. Such emissions of carbon dioxide lead to the abnormal increase in temperatures all over the globe (Maslin, 2006). It is notable to note that there are numerous possibilities for the human race to stop global warming. For instance, they can ensure that they find different methods of producing power. The substitute methods of power creation must not produce carbon dioxide. Additionally, individuals need to ensure that they engage in minimal agricultural actions to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. Consequently, they should also establish alternative methods of feeding to reduce the prevalent overdependence on agriculture (Houghton, 2006). Everyone needs to prevent global warming in all ways that he/she can. This is because no deliberate efforts evident in stopping the disaster temperatures would continue to rise and in turn affect the entire livelihood of

Why Do Small Businesses Fail Analysing the Reasons for their High Rate Essay

Why Do Small Businesses Fail Analysing the Reasons for their High Rate of Failure in the UK - Essay Example Studies show that by the third year of starting up, at least half of them close down. While there are external factors such as inadequate funding that leads to this, part of the reason is also internal - such as the work culture, the marketing being poor, the location not being right, the product being ahead or behind its times, and so on. Therefore, for an entrepreneur to succeed, it is essential that they come with not only a product/service plan but also its business plan and a back up in case the first one does not work. In the first place, there is a lot of concern that not many innovative ideas find the light of the day in the UK. According to a study commissioned by NESTA, an early stage investor in innovative and creative businesses, 80% of innovative ideas do not see the light of the day as knowledge of how to go about it, lack of funds and lack of time. However, the biggest concern was the fear of failure - what if the venture failed According to a Cambridge University's Centre for Business Research study (Fielding2, 2006) based on three surveys of more than 1,000 SMEs conducted in 1991, 1997 and 2004, SME survival rates fell from 59% to 54% over the same period. Between 1991 and 1997, 28% of the companies in the survey failed; between 1997 and 2004, that proportion rose to 32%. Among its more worrying findings, the research reveals a significant decline since 1997 in the proportion of SMEs carrying out research and development activities - from 52% to 38% - even though R&D investment is considered vital to this sector of the UK economy. Such statistics would clearly deter anyone from venturing into setting up a new business. Supporting this is the CBR finding that, since 1997, research and development activities of the small and medium enterprises fell from 52% to 38% despite it being considered important by the UK government. According to Finfacts Ireland3 website: The decline in the UK's early stage entrepreneurship rate, from 6.2 per cent to 5.8 per cent, was partly attributed to the growth in jobs in the financial services sector, where the lure of high wages was attracting many would-be entrepreneurs. According to a press release on the Small Business Service4 website: In 2005, there were 177,900 registrations and 152,900 de-registrations, resulting in an increase of 25,000 (1.4 per cent) in the stock of VAT-registered enterprises during 2005. Chapter 2 Why Start-Up The industry is already filled with businesses - large, medium and small - offering products and services right from a safety pin to aeroplane. Then why another company Is it merely the entrepreneurial spirit or is there truly something new on offer Unless the entrepreneur can truly answer this question, there may really be no point in starting a new business. For, several times, it may be the same idea in an old bottle. For instance, an idea may be approached from

Effective Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effective Team - Essay Example Remember everything is easy to do; all that makes it difficult will be the wrong mindset the person doing the thing might have whiles doing the thing. Teams are very important tools in various aspects of life ranging from education sports and the world of business. One very important thing that makes a team powerful is the coming together of various complementary skills from different individuals with different perspectives and qualities. All knowledge and skills are not embedded in only an individual . It is therefore important all these individual skills and qualities are brought together to complement one another or in other words enrich each others value and potential in attaining a common goal for the common good of all. This however makes teams especially i n the business sector very necessary and more powerful than indicial efforts in the performance of certain duties . Although characteristics of teams might sound very rosy, one difficulty that comes with it is its formation or I should say the ability to form an effective team. There is however more difficulty when the right steps are not taken before these teams are formed and when this happens managing the teams after formation becomes very difficult. These things that need to be considered before a team is formed will be explained into details later in the essay. WHO IS AN INDIVIDUAL From the definition of a team given earlier on in the essay, it is very obvious that individuals form the basic core and elements of a team. It is however important we take a look at who actually an individual is. This will help us especially in bringing the right and compactable individuals together to form a team. An individual however refers to a person or any subject in a collection. In this case, this collection will be all humans. Each individual however has his or her own unique qualities and skills but not all qualities and skills. It is therefore if not impossible, very rare to find an individual who poses all knowledge in all fields. This however means individual efforts and actions made in solving certain problems or attaining certain goals are limited hence reducing the efficiency in outputs of individual efforts as compared to the outputs of the efforts of an effective and well established team. In order to make good use of these individual traits and skills, it is important we bring all these individuals together and transform them into a strong team which will achieve great goals and give out efficient performances in whatever area of work that might be concerned, especially in the area of business. The process of transforming individuals into teams must however bring a complete change and all conditions of preservation and stagnation on the parts of the individuals must be eliminated. This also means certain mindsets and practices

Sex and gender Essay Example for Free

Sex and gender Essay In psychology many different perspectives seek to explain the differences between males and females. In societies they play distinctive roles and are treated and viewed differently. They behave differently too. To compare and contrast the accounts of sex and gender we need to define the terms sex and gender. To examine further we need to examine the key aspects of the biological, evolutionary, social constructionist and psychoanalytical perspectives focusing on similarities and differences regarding their accounts of sex and gender. Finally need to consider the ways in which these perspectives compliment, conflict or simply co-exist with one another. Often the term sex and gender are used interchangeably. Often this usage has lead to confusion therefore we have to begin by attempting to draw a distinction between the terms for discussing psychological perspectives in this paper. Traditionally, the word gender has been used to refer to the cultural aspect of what it is to be man or woman. Womanly or manly and masculine or feminine are viewed as not being connected with a persons biological sex, but more in terms of psychological characteristics shaped by individuals experience (EPoCH CD-ROM). The term sex is used solely when referring to biological and physical traits such as primary and secondary sex characteristics or specifically to sexual intercourse. (Hollway,Cooper,Johnston,Stevens ,The psychology of sex and gender p117). It is important to bear in mind that different perspectives ask different questions and use different methods to examine the basic assumptions made by each perspective with respect to the concepts of sex and gender. In terms of the biological factors that are thought to shape sex and gender include external genitalia, sex chromosomes and genes, hormones and lateralization of brain function. Although it is important to emphasize that anatomy is not necessarily destiny but the most commonly used way to determine sex is then observation of the external (visible) genitals (Hollway, Cooper, Johnston and Stevens, 2003). To determine the individuals sex is through sex chromosomes and every human being has a pair of sex chromosomes; in females this pair normally comprises of two X chromosomes and in males an X and a Y chromosome. Another indicator  of maleness or femaleness for biological theorists are the levels of specific hormones such as testosterone (male) and oestrogen and progesterone (female) which produce primary and secondary sexual characteristics and are different in males and females. But we must not fail to say that genetic abnormalities do occur for example Klinefelters syndrome is when males inherit an extra X chromosome resulting in an XXY pattern resulting in many feminine physical characteristics. While these genetic abnormalities are unusual, they make clear that biological processes alone do not make us male or female (Hollway et al, 2003).Then again biological sex is not central to explaining what it is to be man or a woman and can be unreliable in some cases, it does offer simple explanations which can be tested empirically. Likewise the evolutionary perspective, while adopting a scientific approach similar to biological theorists, cannot be subjected to empirical testing and therefore can operate only at the level of speculation. This is due to its reliance in part on the principles of reverse engineering in constructing theoretical models regarding the origins of human behaviour (Hollway et al, 2003). Moreover evolutionary psychologists argue that genetic make-up and behavioural predispositions between males and females evolved according to the process of sexual selection. (Phoenix, 2002). They believe that reproduction is the only way for an inherited characteristic to be passed on from one generation to the next and thus their primary focus on explaining gender differences is in terms of reproductive behaviour and sexual style. In accordance to this it was found that evolutionary psychologists females generally devote more time and energy to the care of their offspring. As a result of this greater parental investment (Hollway et al, 2003) different patterns of behaviour between males and females developed. Therefore successful females in an attempt to maximise their reproductive success they are more concerned with selecting a mate that has good genes and is willing to invest in offspring. On the other hand, males devote more time and energy to finding and attracting mates and are more concerned with mating as many times as possible. Clark and Hatfield (1989, cited by Hollway et al, 2003) carried out a study in which they found that 75% of male students as oppose to no female students consented to having sex with the opposite sex. They interpreted these results as supporting the evolutionary theory that women and men evolved different strategies and consequently different behaviour, for reproductive success. So we can say that the biological and evolutionary approaches are similar in that they view sex as the foundation of gender; however, social constructivists do not see gender as determined by sex. They strongly believe that a persons gendered behaviour is always constructed through the lens of their interpretation and understanding within their own historical and social contexts and therefore cannot be explained by their biological reproductive sex status alone (Hollway et al, 2003). Social constructivists believe that both sex and gender arise in social interaction and have no existence independent of social interaction. According to this perspective we actively construct the world we live in and this is an on-going process that changes from situation to situation (Phoenix, 2002). Our knowledge of gender is so deeply ingrained that it is difficult to see it as a socially constructed category nevertheless; gender is one of the most powerful constructed categories by which individuals define themselves (Hollway et al, 2003). Bem (1994, cited by Hollway et al, 2003, Pg. 141) believes that masculinity and femininity are socially and culturally constructed dimensions that inform all the forms of our thinking, emotional experience and behaviour. In addition to historical and cultural influences on gender behaviours the media and the school curriculum portray male and female roles in gender stereotypic ways. Social construction theorists would argue that gender inequality is produced and sustained in schools (Hollway et al, 2003). Theorists from this perspective focus on the interpretation of meaning using symbolic data and subjective insider accounts, which are changeable and affected by discourses. This approach differs from the natural science principles embraced by the biological and evolutionary perspectives which are based on an objective, outsider viewpoint and are more fixed (Miell and Pike, 2003). The methodology employed in the next perspective, that of psychoanalysis, uses subjective insider accounts similar to the social constructivists. However, in contrast to the three perspectives discussed thus far, the psychoanalytic approach differs in that it stresses unconscious mental processes and turns to our inner psychological worlds. Although psychoanalysts do take into account social factors like family structure and meaning, it differs from the social construction approach in that it suggest girls and boys have predispositions for behaviour (similar to evolutionary perspective). Moreover, Freuds theory about boys and girls was based on their own perceptions about their bodies and cannot be reduced to biological or societal explanation (Hollway et al, 2003). The psychoanalytic theory proposes that children acquire either feminine or masculine traits or behaviours by identifying with a same sex parent. They believe that sex and gender relations play a vital role in self-development and that children unconsciously internalise differences between the sexes and make them their own, thus establishing their own gendered identity (Hollway et al, 2003). Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was a key figure in the development of psychoanalysis. The genital stage of Freuds theory of psychosexual development is traditionally seen as the beginning of gender and sexual identity. For Freud the acquisition of sexuality and a gendered identity is a totally psychological process in which children are born psychosexually neutral and then learn to identify with their same sex parent through having resolved their Oedipus (boys) or Electra (girls) complex. The essence of this theory is that, at around five years old, a boys love  for his mother acquires sexual connotations. He becomes a rival with this father for her love. Because his father is such a powerful figure he feels threatened and thus takes on the features of his father. Freud named this the Oedipus complex (Phoenix, 2002) The theory he produced for girls, the Electra complex, whereby she realises that she does not possess a penis (penis envy) and feels devalued, has brought about much controversy and aroused the ire of feminist writers. Additionally, Freud has been criticized for making generalisations about human nature when his evidence was limited to gender relations of a particular time (Hollway et al, 2003). Times have changed and now women are taking on more male roles and have control over their own fertility. As a result Freuds view of how the possession of a penis gives privileges and rites in the family and his failure to consider the significance of womens genitals is strongly criticized. Moreover, research has found that males are envious of womens ability to give birth (Horney, 1926, cited by Hollway et at, 2003). Due to changing times many psychologists have come to believe that most people possess a combination of characteristics that until recently have been traditionally viewed as either masculine or feminine. According to Bem (1974, cited by Hollway et al, 2003) most people are androgynous, that is, they possess both masculine and feminine psychological characteristics. Thus far we have examined four different perspectives in relation to sex and gender and clearly no one perspective can explain the psychology of sex and gender. From a methodological standpoint it is difficult to integrate the differing perspectives. Both biological and evolutionary psychologies embrace the scientific, quantitative approach whereas the social constructivists and psychoanalysts use a qualitative approach focusing on interpretation of meaning. As these methods are so fundamentally different it is most likely that, rather than conflicting, they simply co-exist with one another. The way these perspectives interact can be seen as complimentary for example, as we have discussed, it is accepted that generally individuals are sexed by biology and gendered by social influences. The psychoanalytic theory can be seem as conflicting with the social construction theory in the focus on unconscious (psychoanalytic) versus conscious experience (social constructivists). As can be seen, humans are complex creatures rarely explainable in terms of a single type of influence. The accounts of sex and gender discussed are from four diverse perspectives and it is only by exploring how these interact with one another that we can gain a genuine understanding of the psychology of sex and gender.

Crohns Disease: Treatment, Causes and Symptoms

Crohns Disease: Treatment, Causes and Symptoms Introduction    As part of this communications portfolio is to discuss, explore and compile a report on a topic of our choice. This report will be about Crohns Disease. Terms of Reference In this report research was carried out on Crohns Disease. This report will explore and explain what the: Definition of Crohns Disease is. Types of Crohns Disease. Causes of Crohns Disease are. Signs and Symptoms of Crohns Disease. Diagnosis of Crohns Disease. Diet for Crohns Disease. Treatments used for Crohns Disease. Methology This report will be complied by using secondary research methods, such as the internet, books, newspapers and class notes. Findings Definition of Crohns Disease Crohns Disease is chronic inflammatory bowel disease also known as IBD. It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. www.mayoclinic.org Crohns disease was named after an American Gastroenterologist Dr. Burrill Crohn, who first described the disease in 1932. Crohns Disease can affect any part of the digestive tract but is most commonly found in the small intestine and the colon. Someone is usually diagnosed with Crohns Disease before they are 30years of age but anyone can be diagnosed at any age. Causes of Crohns Disease The cause for Crohns Disease was unknown until recent. A Professor in London has recently linked the bacteria MAP (Mycobacterium avium patrauberculosis) which is found in the stomachs of cattle, pigs and sheep to Crohns Disease and thinks mostly the cause of some peoples Crohns Disease. Before this it was thought to be diet and stress related but these factors only aggravate the disease but are not the cause. It is possible that a virus or bacteria may trigger the disease. And in some cases it can be heredity. In mild forms it causes small shallow crater-like areas called aphtous ulcers and they develop in the inner surface of the bowel. In some more serious cases of Crohns Disease they are deeper and larger ulcers and they cause scarring and stiffness sometimes resulting in narrowing of the bowel. Some risk factors for the disease can be your age, most people with the disease before they are 30years of age. Non-steroidal anti-flammatory medication such as ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac sodium they do not cause Crohns disease but they can lead to inflammation of the bowel and make the disease worse. Where you live can be a risk factor, people who live in an urban area or in an industriesed country are more likely to develop the disease. A diet high in fats or refined foods plays a role in Crohns Disease. Signs Symptoms of Crohns Disease Crohns Disease signs and symptoms usually develop gradually and often get worse over a period of time. It is very rare for the symptoms to develop suddenly and dramatically but it is possible in some people, and other people may have no signs or symptoms.  Ã‚   When the disease is active some of the signs and symptoms can include: Diarrhoea Fever Abdominal pain cramps Fatigue Blood in your stool Weight loss Loss of appetite Mouth sores Perianal disease Feeling that your bowel is full even after bowel movement Feeling a frequent need to have a bowel movement Some people often mistake these symptoms for food poisoning or an upset stomach. All these symptoms become more severe as the disease progresses. Crohns Disease may lead to more complications in someones health such as, bowel obstruction, ulcers, fistulas, anal fissure, malnutrition, colon cancer and many more. More server signs and symptoms people may experience would be: Inflammation of skin, eyes and joints Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts Delayed growth or sexual development in children Diagnosing Crohns Disease Your GP will ask you questions about the pattern of the signs and symptoms relating to Crohns Disease and see if there are any contributing causes such as, diet, recent travel, any medication you may be on and family history.   A number of tests may be carried out by your doctor before making a diagnosis of Crohns Disease. The tests and procedures would include: A blood test Stool sample Colonoscopy examine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan Computerised Tomography (CT) scan Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Capsule Endoscopy Small bowel enema Diet Recommended for Crohns Disease Changing your diet can help reduce the recurrence of the symptoms and lessen the severity but for someone who suffers with Crohns Disease it is recommended to: Adjust their fibre intake but this is not always the case, some people a high fibre diet can aggravate their GI tract and if this happens they will need to swap to a low-residue diet. Limit their fat intake because Crohns disease can affect their bodys ability to breakdown and absorb fat and the excess fat will pass from their small intestine to their colon resulting in diarrhoea. Limit their dairy intake because having dairy can cause an upset stomach, cramps and diarrhoea for most people with the disease. Drink plenty of water to help their body stay hydrated because of the diarrhoea the body may be losing water their body needs. They need to consider alternative sources of vitamins and minerals because Crohns Disease can affect their ability to absorb nutrients from their food properly and they would need to find multivitamins that would suit them. Their doctor would also refer them to a dietician or nutritionist to help create a well-balanced diet to suit them. Treatment and Drugs for Crohns Disease For Crohns Disease there is no cure available at the minute but in 5years time there will be a cure available to people for Crohns disease because a Professor called John Hermon-Taylor in St. Georges Hospital London has developed a vaccine, and it has been tested successfully on animals and is in the second stage trials now. In the next 3years they will be ready to test it on humans. But treatments and drugs available now to help ease and control Crohns Disease are: Anti-inflammatory drugs Immune system suppressors Antibiotics Over the counter medications Some doctors may recommend a special diet to be given through a tube or nutrients given into the vein. And if diet and lifestyle changes and medication dont help he may recommend surgery on the damaged part of the intestine and reconnect the healthy sections, although this does not cure the disease it can just stops it temporarily. Conclusion In my conclusion I learned that Crohns Disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease and it is also known as IBD. I now know that Crohns disease is named after Dr. Burrill Crohn. I learned that a Professor in London called John Hermon-Taylor linked MAP which is found in the stomach of cattle, sheep and pigs to Crohns Disease and there will be a cure ready to be given in 5years. I learned that some people often mistake the signs and symptoms for food poisoning or an upset stomach. I learned what the test and procedures involved to diagnose someone with Crohns Disease, and what diet is recommended for someone with the disease but this does not always help in some cases. Recommendations I would recommend that everyone who has been having signs and symptoms like the ones listed above should go and get checked by a doctor and would also recommend that they be tested for MAP. Bibliography http://www.healthline.com/health/crohns-disease 24/08/16 17:17 http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2866 24/08/16 18:05 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/definition/con-20032061   24/08/16 18:45 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/symptoms/con-20032061  Ã‚   24/08/16 18:57 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/risk-factors/con-20032061  Ã‚  Ã‚   24/08/16 19:16 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/complications/con-20032061  Ã‚   25/08/16 16:35 http://crohnsmapvaccine.com/vaccine/   25/08/16 18:47 Images got from google image Impact of Federalism on Free Speech | Proposal Impact of Federalism on Free Speech | Proposal Thesis statement: Throughout the years, the legislatures assurance of the right to speak freely has been giving Americans voices and the privilege to be heard without dread of discipline, be that as it may, the right to speak freely simply like anything can be mishandled and used to damage individuals, not simply in federalism but rather through common freedoms and social equality too. Introduction Freedom of Speech is not as free The Bill of Rights was established in 1789. Answer the questions: How does Federalism affect really affect freedom of speech? Are Americans really free to speak what they think? Discuss the positive impacts of federalism, civil rights, and civil liberties whether it is positive or negative on freedom of speech. Main Point 1: Positive and Negative impacts of federalism on Freedom of speech. Looking at freedom of speech in a positive light it is a gift to all Americans. To be able to have the ability to speak freely without the burden of consequences and punishment is something not even the rest of the world has the ability to do. One positive impact of federalism regarding freedom of speech is Democracy. Freedom of Speech is seen as a basic right that many consider fundamental to the continued health and well-being of a democracy. (Editor, 2015). Freedom of speech is an important foundation for democracy. A negative aspect of federalism regarding freedom of speech is the fact that there have been restrictions placed on freedom of speech by the government that bring the question of whether or not it is a violation of our basic constitutional rights and whether or not there is actually true freedom of speech. people who send threats to elected officials in the government can be tried and punished for their protected rights to say what they think (Editor, 2015) In some situations, speech can even constitute a crime, such as in the case of criminal threats. A criminal threat, sometimes known as the terrorist threat, malicious harassment, or by other terms, occurs when someone threatens to kill or physically harm someone else. (Theoharis, 2016). Depending on what you say it can be punishable by law. This is not total freedom of speech. These quotes are important facts because it weighs the impacts of federalism on society. Main Point 2: Positive and Negative impacts of civil rights on freedom of speech. Freedom of speech played an important positive role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s The First Amendment played a crucial role in the epic struggles of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and countless others engaged in sit-ins, protests, marches and other demonstrations to force social change. (Hudson, 2002) Freedom of speech allowed protesters of this time to speak up on injustices and civil rights violation. Civil rights have a negative effect on freedom of speech through the extremists who over express their distaste on matters they believe is in direct violation of their civil rights. The number of hate groups operating in the United States soared in 2015, according to a recently released report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremist activity. (Kaplan, 2016) The rise in extremist activity due to the confederate flag issue and police brutality have had a direct impact on how people use their freedom of speech to fight the belief that civil rights are being violated. Main Point 3: Positive and Negative impacts of Civil liberties on freedom of speech Freedom of expression is a crucial civil liberty given to Americans that positively impact their social environment. The Freedom of Speech allows you the protected right to let others know what you think. From minor to major points, the Freedom of Speech will mean that even if people do not like what you say, you can still say it without risking fines and even jail time. People have the right to express themselves when it comes to all kinds of avenues. One negative impact of civil liberties on freedom of speech is the fact that although freedom of expression is beneficial to the social environment it is limited by the government as well. In 1912, feminist Margaret Sanger was arrested for giving a lecture on birth control. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2016) Although people may take certain standpoints based on their beliefs, their right to express those beliefs have not always been allowed. Conclusion Freedom of speech is not totally free, as seen in federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights, there is always a stipulation or limit to what we can say and when we can say it. References   American Civil Liberties Union. (2016). Freedom of Expression. Retrieved May 30, 2016, from ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/freedom-expression-0 Editor, C. (2015, June 28). 5 Essential Pros and Cons of Freedom of Speech. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from NLCATP: http://nlcatp.org/5-essential-pros-and-cons-of-freedom-of-speech/ Hudson, D. L. (2002, September 16). Civil rights First Amendment. Retrieved May 30, 2016, from Assembly Reaseach, Freedom of Assembly: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/civil-rights-first-amendment Kaplan, M. (2016, February 2). US Hate Groups Rise In 2015: Immigration, Black Lives Matter, Confederate Flag Debates Fuel Extremism, Report Finds. Retrieved May 30, 2016, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/us-hate-groups-rise-2015-immigration-black-lives-matter-confederate-flag-debates-fuel-2310645 Theoharis, M. (2016). Criminal Threats. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from Nolo: http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/federal/criminal-threats.htm What are the Impacts of the UK Recession? What are the Impacts of the UK Recession? The UK economy is in recession. What does this mean for everyone? As the economic forecast for the UK grows increasingly gloomy, it seems the recession that was once described as â€Å"looming† or â€Å"forthcoming† is now being qualified as â€Å"current† and â€Å"present†. Commonly associated with increased unemployment, lower inflation and slumped housing markets, a recession does not only represent a thorn in the flesh of the Government and large corporations, but is a term capable of sending shivers down the spine of an entire nation. But what exactly constitutes a recession and why are we so fearful of them? Economists are at odds with each other when it comes to settling on a single definition. While some analysts use population growth as a yardstick and others take unemployment rates into account, everyone is in agreement that an economy is deemed to be in recession when it experiences a period of sustained decline. In other words, when the total measure of goods and services produced by a country, or GDP, is se en to contract for two successive quarters, it is said to be in recession. The extent of the recession depends on the duration of this contraction. If GDP rebounds after two quarters of negative growth, the recession can be described as mild. However, should the decline in economic activity persist, the recession becomes full-blown. Guided by the above definition, it is impossible to say how long the current economic downturn in the UK will last or even whether the country is in recession for certain. The Office for National Statistics publishes estimate values for GDP on a quarterly basis. These figures are later confirmed and sometimes need to be revised. For example, GDP values for the last six months of 2008 will not be official until 2009. This explains the Government’s reluctance to use the term â€Å"recession† when referring to the economic slowdown. Not all commentators share the same hesitancy. Bodies such as the European Commission and the Organisation for E conomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have predicted that the UK economy will shrink in the second half of this year. Technicalities notwithstanding, the UK economy is certainly showing signs of deceleration. It appears that recession is not only inevitable but already upon us. Before considering the implications of this negative growth for the average consumer, let us first examine how it impacts the economy as a whole. Few businesses are immune from the effects of fluctuating tax, interest and unemployment rates. Trends in these areas reflect the state of the economy at present and can also provide a good indication of what to expect in the future. Some of the predominant characteristics of the current economic situation are as follows: Falling share prices One of the first areas of to be hit in times of crisis is the stock market. It is liable to react badly purely in anticipation of an economic slowdown. Because recessions are generally synonymous with reduced profitability, this means that people are less inclined to invest in dividends, therefore lowering the value of shares. Shortage of credit Still reeling from subprime mortgage financial crisis, many banks in the UK have been forced to reduce the availability of credit. When money is lent, it is at an increased rate. This means that it is more difficult for mortgage applications to be approved. Fewer mortgages lead to a reduced number of house being sold, resulting in a depressed housing market. Equally harmful is the effect of more stringent lending conditions on consumer confidence. With less equity at their disposal, consumers are less likely to spend, further damaging the economy. Higher unemployment In a tougher economic climate, businesses are often forced to shed employees in order to survive. As inflation decreases due to a lack of demand, those who succeed in retaining their position may be forced sacrifice a pay rise. It can take longer for the effects of a recession to filter down to the jobs market. Unfortunately, high unemployment rates can linger for an extended period once economic growth has been restored. Increased Government borrowing Job losses and failing businesses will entail a loss of revenue for the Treasury in terms of income tax and corporation tax. In a bid to recover from these losses by stimulating the sluggish economy, the Government will often lower taxes and interest rates. The added strain of increased spending on unemployment benefits, not to mention the part-nationalisation of several of the countries largest banks, will also increase the need to borrow money. In order to recuperate, taxes and interest rates typically rise again and can remain high after the recession has passed. Regardless of whether you are directly affected by the factors listed above, the fact remains that the economic health of the country will influence the financial stability of the entire population. Indeed consumers are already feeling the squeeze. Pension funds and investment schemes linked to the FTSE 100 have suffered huge devaluations, car sales have plummeted, more people are competing for fewer jobs and food and fuel prices are on the up. This tougher economic environment does not only hit bank balances, but also has a psychological impact on the nation. The failure and subsequent bailout of some of the countries largest banks seriously dented consumers’ trust in the financial system and led people to question whether their money was secure. These doubts are further disseminated by the media, as audiences are bombarded with reports painting a gloomy picture of the economy, culminating in an even bigger blow to consumer confidence. As a result, many people adopt a more ca utious approach to spending, ultimately to the detriment of the financial system thus fuelling economic decline and driving the belief that fear of recession is a self-fulfilling prophecy. On a more optimistic note, some experts claim that a recession can in fact benefit the economy in that it forces companies to become more efficient and weeds out failing business. However this will come as little comfort to the average consumer, struggling to emerge from the shadow of uncertainty that recession casts over their finances.

Wide Dynamic Range Compression Benefits Health And Social Care Essay

Wide Dynamic Range Compression Benefits Health And Social Care Essay Adults with a moderate sensorineural hearing loss have a need for soft sounds to be amplified to help with clarity of speech without going over a level which the person finds too loud. Moderate sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to outer hair cells, which can lead to a reduced dynamic range and ultimately, recruitment. The dynamic range is the range between the threshold of hearing and the uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL). Venema (1998) refers to this as the floor (threshold) being raised and the ceiling (ULL) remaining the same. When the ULLs are unchanged, as thresholds worsen, an irregular increase in loudness is perceived typically referred to as recruitment. In order to distinguish between different types of hearing aids and find the most suitable for this type of hearing loss we have to look to see if the hearing aids can encompass the persons dynamic range without going over their uncomfortable loudness levels. It has been suggested that output limiting compress ion (CL) and wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) hearing aids are more beneficial for this type of hearing loss compared to linear hearing aids with peak clipping. Ultimately, for a moderate sensorineural hearing loss it is believed that WDRC is the most beneficial type of amplification at this time. The outer hair cells in the organ of Corti have been referred to as the amplifiers of the cochlea (Brownell, et al., 1985). In the absence of outer hair cell function, a moderate sensorineural hearing loss of around 40-50 dB is present (Ryan and Dallos, 1975). The most prevalent type of hearing loss in adults is presbyacusis or age-related hearing loss (Valente, et. al. 2008). Presbyacusis begins as a bilateral, symmetrical, high frequency sensorineural hearing loss affecting the outer hair cells in the basal end of the cochlea. People with this type of hearing loss tend to complain about background noises such as speech babble in a noisy pub. This can account for, what is commonly referred to as the upward spread of masking, which is caused by lower frequencies masking higher frequencies (Valente et. al., 2008). This results in softer, higher frequency sounds from speech such as consonants being masked by lower frequency speech sounds such as vowels. Presbyacusis causes a subtle dec rease in hearing over time (Valente et. al., 2008) and as a result, patients do not usually attend clinics until their families notice that the television is too loud or the patient themselves realize that they cannot hear as well in noisy situations as they used to. Hearing aids can include different types of compression circuits, which can benefit different types of hearing loss. Lets first look at input and output compression circuits. They differ to each other depending on where the volume control is located in the circuit. Output compression circuits have the volume control before the compression takes place. This type of compression affects the compression kneepoint and the gain but not the maximum power output. It is also the type of circuit used with CL amplification strategy and is associated with high compression ratios and kneepoints. Input compression has the volume control located after the compression circuit; therefore the sound is compressed before the volume control affects the sound. This means that the kneepoint is unaffected while the gain and maximum power output are. This type of compression circuit is what tends to be used with wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) strategy and is associated with low compression ratios and kneepoints (Venema, 1998; Dillon, 2001). The first type of compression is output limiting compression amplification. The input is linear until it reaches a high kneepoint and then it compresses the sound with a high compression ratio (Venema, 1998; Valente, et. al., 2008). This type of compression is very similar to peak clipping (PC), which is found in linear hearing aids, however it is more pleasant for the listener than PC because there is less distortion. People with normal hearing or mild to moderate hearing loss will notice that the quality of speech is more distorted with limiting when compared to people with severe to profound hearing loss who will not notice this effect as much (Dillon, 2000). In a study of 12 adults with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss, sound quality and clarity were improved with output limiting compression when compared to peak clipping (Hawkins and Naidoo, 1993). It is generally accepted that linear hearing aids with peak clipping no longer have a place in audiology clinics and hear ing aid companies have stopped manufacturing them. Wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) is a compression strategy that aims to amplify soft sounds by a lot, medium sounds by a moderate amount and loud sounds by a small amount (Souza and Turner, 1998). WDRC tends to give more gain to soft sounds and has fairly short attack and release times (Marriage, et al., 2005). WDRC is a nonlinear compression strategy, which tries to mimic the non-linearity of the cochlea and attempts to account for loudness recruitment with sensorineural hearing loss (Moore, et al., 1992). The threshold kneepoint is usually low at around 50 dB in order to amplify quiet sounds, compressions ratios are usually lower than 4:1 and attack and release times are short so that consonant sounds are not masked by vowel sounds (Valente, et. al., 2008). WDRC is a relatively new compression strategy that is used commonly in modern digital technology hearing aids. There are mixed views as to whether WDRC is of more benefit than linear amplification. It has been noted in some literature that measurable benefits of WDRC include improved hearing for soft speech sounds (Souza and Turner, 1998), speech in quiet, speech in noise, more comfortable listening situations for loud speech (Moore, et. al., 1992; Davies-Venn, 2009) and improved acclimatisation (Yund et. al., 2006). In contrast it has also been reviewed that WDRC may improve audibility but not necessarily intelligibility when compared to linear amplification (Marriage, et. al., 2005; Souza and Turner, 1998). WDRC may be of more benefit for people with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss compared to people with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. This may be due to the suggestion that as hearing gets worse i.e. in severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss that temporal cues are relied on more heavily to understand speech. Since fast WDRC can change temporal cues it may be that this population of hearing aid wearers benefits more from compression limiting (Jenstad and Souza, 2005; Davies-Venn et. al. 2009). In 1992, Brian Moore, et. al. tested twenty subjects with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, measuring speech discrimination ability in quiet and speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in noise. The subjects were fitted with two types of hearing aids: Linear amplifiers and two-band WDRC compressors. They were tested with their new hearing aids and also in an unaided condition and with their own original hearing aids. With the compression hearing aids the subjects had good speech discrimination scores at all intensity levels in the quiet and the other three conditions showed decreasing speech intelligibility as the intensity level got quieter. The WDRC aids proved to help subjects achieve lower SRTs in noise compared to the other conditions. Patients with reduced dynamic ranges also benefited from the compression hearing aids more than the linear aids in that they found the loud sounds more comfortable. When surveyed the subjects also preferred the sound of the WDRC hearing aids (Moore, et al., 1992). Another benefit of WDRC over liner amplification is improved acclimatisation. Acclimatisation is the time it takes for the brain to get accustomed to sound from a particular type of amplification and to have increased speech recognition. Yund et. al. (2006) did an acclimatisation study with 39 subjects with mild to moderate sloping sensorineural hearing loss, who had never worn hearing aids. They showed that subjects who wore the WDRC hearing aids experienced acclimatisation, whereas the patients who wore linear hearing aids did not show any increased speech discrimination scores. They believed this was because the WDRC hearing aid was able to process the normal hearing dynamic range into the dynamic range of subjects with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. After a period of wearing linear amplification, subjects were then fitted with WDRC hearing aids. These subjects still struggled with acclimatisation after a period with their WDRC hearing aids and needed extra help in t he form of auditory training to get rid of the effects of the linear amplification on the brain. Overall, it was concluded that hearing aids with more sophisticated technology may be the best aids for acclimatisation (Yund, et. al., 2006). One study compared the benefits of linear and nonlinear hearing aids with speech tests and Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile (GHABP) questionnaires. The majority of subjects preferred the WDRC nonlinear hearing aids compared to the linear hearing aids. They showed better scores on speech tests, had better speech recognition, and preferred the overall listening experience with the WDRC hearing aids. WDRC hearing aids can be programmed with fast or slow attack and release times or a combination as this can be adjusted for different channels. In this study the researchers found that there was more of a preference for slow attack and release times for the most comfort and satisfaction compared to fast WDRC (Gatehouse, et. al., 2006). In comparison, Shi and Doherty (2008) found better speech recognition scores for both slow and fast, attack and release times compared to linear hearing aids, however found no difference between scores for slow and fast times in WDRC. When attack and relea se times are shorter the soft speech sounds are amplified more than the louder ones. If the release time is long then the soft and loud speech sounds are amplified at the same level, which may result in the softer phonemes being masked by the louder ones (Valente, et. al., 2008). Where to set attack and release times may be different for each patient depending on their preference; however in these studies it has been shown that having attack and release times using WDRC improves speech recognition scores compared to linear hearing aids. WDRC multi-channel hearing aids have a distinct advantage over single channel hearing aids because they have the ability to use BILL and TILL (features of WDRC) at the same time (Sandlin, 2000). BILL is the bass increase at low levels and TILL is the treble increase at low levels (Dillon, 2001, pp 169). BILL will tend to go into compression a lot more with low frequency sounds and not as much with high frequency sounds. The strategy of BILL is to allow the hearing aid wearer to hear better in background noise. TILL will go into compression more often with high frequency sounds and not as much with low frequency sounds. The strategy of TILL is to increase audibility of high frequency sounds. Both BILL and TILL used in conjunction can create a good fitting strategy for a flat moderate high frequency sensorineural hearing loss (Venema, 1998). Dillon (2000) described two problems that can arise with WDRC hearing aids. The first problem is that while WDRC hearing aids amplify very soft speech well, they also amplify very soft background noises such as the clock ticking or the sound of clothes moving (Dillon, 2000). Fortunately with newer digital technology, hearing aids are able to separate speech from background noise more intuitively than with analogue technology. A way to deal with these very low level background noises is to use expansion. Expansion is the opposite of compression and aims to make the weakest sounds in the quietest environments unnoticeable as it is below the listeners aided threshold (Valente, et. al., 2008). The second disadvantage is the problem of feedback being introduced when the hearing aid wearer is in a quiet environment and the gain is increased (Dillon, 2000; Valente, et. al., 2008). In the past few years digital feedback suppression/cancellation has become more sophisticated and this does not seem to be a problem with WDRC in hearing aid wearers as long as a suitable earmould is fitted. Wide dynamic range compression has been shown to have advantages over linear amplification using compression limiting and peak clipping circuits. In some researchers opinions it has still not been unequivocally proven that WDRC is the best fitting strategy for all types of hearing loss. As levels gets worse than moderate sensorineural hearing loss, the loss of outer and inner hair cell function causes temporal cues to worsen. It is unclear whether fast WDRC may be causing distortion in speech signals due to this. What is clear is that for mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss, most commonly observed with presbyacusis, WDRC seems to improve speech recognition in quiet, in noise, overall comfort and it is easier to acclimatise to wearing hearing aids. There is not a great amount of recent literature on the subject of the benefits of WDRC in the moderate sensorineural hearing loss category. It would be interesting to see new research conducted to determine whether there are more b enefits in multichannel WDRC with newer, more intuitive, digital technology hearing aids.

degenerate characteristics of dracula :: essays research papers

Degenerate Characters of Dracula In the novel, Dracula, Bram Stoker puts together a variety of characters with several characteristics that are unique and somewhat alike in many ways. One way that some of the characters are similar is that they show signs of being a degenerate. A degenerate is a person who has sunk below a former or normal condition and lost normal or higher qualities. These people most likely have mentally and sometimes physically become deteriorated to the point where they no longer can think and function as a normal person would. Two characters in the novel that stand out as degenerates are Dracula and Renfield. Both are degenerates in their own ways and also have characteristics that are in some ways the same. They follow most of the traits that degenerates contain and portray it throughout the novel. The best way to imagine a degenerate person would be to think of people on death roe in prison. The ones that aren’t remorseful for what they did, and could care less about what others think. They do not know what is right from wrong, and even if one tried to explain it to them, they couldn’t figure it out. Degenerates have no common sense, let alone a functioning brain. They are most definitely missing a few screws in there heads. These two characters of Dracula and Renfield both have a lot of these traits that degenerates consist of. Dracula most definitely contains degenerate characteristics throughout the novel. He has a lack of compassion for people’s well being, and has signs of selfishness. Vampires fit under the degenerate theme very well. How he became a vampire we are not sure, although Van Helsing calls him King-Vampire, because of his consistency and power driven obsessions towards his cravings. His powers include a wide range of abilities in which some are beyond the powers of the other vampires or immortal people in the novel. Degenerates are predestined to crime and don’t know why it is wrong. Van Helsing wrote of Dracula by saying, "The Count is a criminal and of criminal type. Nordau and Lombroso would so classify him, and qua criminal he is of imperfectly formed mind" (Stoker chapter 28). With all his killings and bites he proceeds on people, Dracula fights the degenerate theme. Renfield as well has qualities and characteristics of degenerates throughout the novel. Renfield was taken under the care of Dr. degenerate characteristics of dracula :: essays research papers Degenerate Characters of Dracula In the novel, Dracula, Bram Stoker puts together a variety of characters with several characteristics that are unique and somewhat alike in many ways. One way that some of the characters are similar is that they show signs of being a degenerate. A degenerate is a person who has sunk below a former or normal condition and lost normal or higher qualities. These people most likely have mentally and sometimes physically become deteriorated to the point where they no longer can think and function as a normal person would. Two characters in the novel that stand out as degenerates are Dracula and Renfield. Both are degenerates in their own ways and also have characteristics that are in some ways the same. They follow most of the traits that degenerates contain and portray it throughout the novel. The best way to imagine a degenerate person would be to think of people on death roe in prison. The ones that aren’t remorseful for what they did, and could care less about what others think. They do not know what is right from wrong, and even if one tried to explain it to them, they couldn’t figure it out. Degenerates have no common sense, let alone a functioning brain. They are most definitely missing a few screws in there heads. These two characters of Dracula and Renfield both have a lot of these traits that degenerates consist of. Dracula most definitely contains degenerate characteristics throughout the novel. He has a lack of compassion for people’s well being, and has signs of selfishness. Vampires fit under the degenerate theme very well. How he became a vampire we are not sure, although Van Helsing calls him King-Vampire, because of his consistency and power driven obsessions towards his cravings. His powers include a wide range of abilities in which some are beyond the powers of the other vampires or immortal people in the novel. Degenerates are predestined to crime and don’t know why it is wrong. Van Helsing wrote of Dracula by saying, "The Count is a criminal and of criminal type. Nordau and Lombroso would so classify him, and qua criminal he is of imperfectly formed mind" (Stoker chapter 28). With all his killings and bites he proceeds on people, Dracula fights the degenerate theme. Renfield as well has qualities and characteristics of degenerates throughout the novel. Renfield was taken under the care of Dr.

Truth Is It Good Or Evil Essay -- essays research papers

Have you ever met someone who cares so much about the way they look or how people perceive them that they can't even focus on reality? This sums up the way the grandma in a 'Good Man Is Hard To Find'; is in a nutshell. Superficial would also be a good word to describe the way in which Grandma lived her life. Her whole existence on earth was unrealistic and to a certain extent surreal. Grandma led a life of not knowing the meaning of happiness. A perfect existence for grandma would be for everyone who knew her to think of her as a perfect lady who had no imperfections and always looked and acted like the lady she dreamed to be. For example, when grandma and the family took a road trip to Florida grandma dressed in her nicest clothes because she feared that if they got in an accident people would find her and they would not think she was a real 'lady';. To most people the thought of pre- planning an outfit in fear of an accident sounds rather peculiar and silly but that was just a norm al thought of grandmas. We do not meet the misfit until the end of the story, but it is he who hold the key to grandmothers utter emotions. I believe the Misfit was grandmother's destiny. Flannery O'Conner creates a story that forces us to question, 'What is truth?'; Through the grandmother who lives a life of clichà ©s – we are taken on a journey of discovery. By the end of the journey we discover to be 'good'; we must be able to accept and forgive even those who deliver great loss to u...

Thomas Hardy was an English man, who lived in England near Dorchester E

Thomas Hardy was an English man, who lived in England near Dorchester Thomas Hardy was an English man, who lived in England near Dorchester. He lived from 1840-1928 most of what he wrote is set in Dorset and the neighboring countries. He gave these the fictional name Wessex. He wrote 17 novels which one was unpublished. And around a thousand poems the melancholy hussar and the withered arm are both from the Wessex tails book. He lived on the edge of a tract of a wild heath land, which was very isolated this may have resulted in his stories being set out in the country or being isolated. Or even ending happy in the melancholy hussar or the withered arm. The social class issues, these would stop a lower class person marrying a higher-class person it was seen as a very big thing back then, there-for Dr.grove wants Humphrey to marry Phyllis, and in the withered arm Rhoda could marry farmer lodge but he does not want to as it is seen as a disgrace. Also the stigma of being an unmarried mother is tough for Rhoda and her son. Farmer lodge does not even acknowledge him wh...

Starbucks Going Global

â€Å"Starbucks – Going Global Fast. † I. Saturation of Home market and existence of Foreign Untapped markets Starbucks is a well respected brand of coffee that is known globally. As they dominate the market in United States, they have realized the potential growth in overseas markets and open its doors to going global. However, competing internationally is not easy for every company that’s why Starbucks has encountered certain challenges and issues as it enters foreign markets and grows globally. II. Problems Major Problems: Employee DiscontentEmployee discontent is very far from the image that Starbucks obtains or would like to uphold. Dissatisfied employees could greatly affect the service that they provide to the customers. The company is focused on enthusiastic, happy baristas and friendly service. If employee morale dropped it could have an extremely negative effect on Starbucks’ image and sales as well. As stated in the case, 470 California stores s ued Starbucks for refusing to pay legally mandated overtime pay. This is due to overworked and underappreciated workers. The salary Starbucks provide doesn’t match the workload that is required by the company.The employees, especially the store managers feel exhausted and employee morale goes down. The employees are feeling less connected with the company mission and it affects the quality of service and products that they provide. Local challenges in Foreign Market Entry The influence of economic and political environment to its entry and operation in foreign countries is one of the challenges it faces. As Starbucks continue to open up stores in foreign markets, it also faces different challenges as local imitators try to steal market share.In Japan, they expect loss for the full year. Aside from local competitors offering products with the same price, the economic depression in Japan affected the customer’s income and buying behaviour. As a result the company is losi ng rather than gaining profit due to coffee pricing. In addition to political environment, Starbucks need to adapt into France’s regulations and generous labour benefits which is legal and compulsory for them to enter the market. Another problem is the entry to foreign markets that has strong local coffee culture.The company is still in its stage of assessing the right strategy to enter markets like Italy. Since it is struggling on its food and non food items, the competition in this market will be difficult due to the existence of anti-globalization movement and strong national responsiveness of local consumers to its own products. Minor Problems: Specified Target Audience Starbucks used the â€Å"Youth appeal† as a strategy to enter foreign markets and gained success, but in the home market attracting the next generation of customers seems to be an issue.The result of the market study made the company aware about the image that it has with its target customers. Young er coffee drinkers can’t afford to buy coffee at Starbucks or the reason they go there is not mainly because of coffee or its products but their peers working. The value associated with brand at some point doesn’t convince the young people in embracing the brand itself. It depicts a pretentious environment for social climbers or yuppies. Aside from trying to reach a specific target market, the company eventually ended up in different markets as it grows rapidly.Venture to Food and Non food items To keep up with competition and increase sales, Starbucks should not solely rely on coffee as its main product but other products they can take advantage of as well. As Starbucks wants to continually increase sales, it started offering food and other non food items to sell inside their stores during the late 90’s but it seems to be a challenge because it still struggles in this area. The company started offering sandwiches and desserts, CD’s and packaged coffees b ut growth rate doesn’t seem to rise.The company still has to work on the right approach as it continues to improve in this area. III. Solutions: A. Employee Discontent Employees are very important in the success of any company. They are considered as the first customer in every business. Satisfying employee needs is essential so that the company can achieve its goals and deliver proper service. Starbucks needs to be sensitive to their employee needs. They must equally match the compensation to the workload of the employees. Since the company is also going global, there are challenges in human resource that they need to focus on.They have to be aware of the employees’ local culture and needs to satisfy them. They should also conduct a survey internally to be aware about the employees’ needs, wants and feelings towards the company. This will help them properly design employee compensation and benefits. There will be adaptation towards the company’s approach in managing employees in overseas branches. They should take into consideration the legal environment of each local branch so that they can address specific needs and concerns as they manage the business across different cultures.Happy and satisfied employees will result to quality in service and products. B. Local Challenges in Foreign Market Entry Starbucks should conduct marketing research and environmental scanning as it enters foreign markets. They have to take into account the importance of economic and political environment and how it can greatly influence the operation of its business. They should be aware of the economic situation of the market and assess how it can affect the purchasing power of the market. They must be aware of the legal factors that would affect the way it operates its business overseas.They should also conduct a different marketing strategy for different markets since one strategy in one market will not guarantee the success in another. There will be a daptation in marketing approach and local operations to cope up with the foreign market’s needs and external environment. C. Specific Target Audience Since the company intended to reach a specific target market, it ended up catering to different markets as it grows rapidly. As they continually use the â€Å"Youth Appeal† because it gained success as they enter foreign markets, it cannot still be considered as a global strategy to enter the market to other countries.Starbucks should make a study about coffee culture before it enters the market and formulate a strategy that would simply meet the demands of the potential market. They should carefully position the brand in accordance to what they want the market to perceive. As with the case of Starbucks to its home market, the brand was associated with being pretentious. They should associate positive and sophisticated value with the brand. D. Venture to Food and Non Food Items Limitation to product choices restricted the business growth of Starbucks and there is a tendency that customers might get bored and switch to other others.As Starbucks is going abroad they should not focus only to their core products but also find ways on how to improve the quality of their coffee, the services and their environment. This will be very helpful especially if they want to capture the market in France and Italy. They can also venture into bringing some new products especially food and non food items to its menu that would help fulfil the current and local demand of the market. IV. Recommendations A. Employee Discontent * Employee Survey Starbucks needs to conduct an internal employee survey to know the needs of their employees and what makes them content.They should also initiate personality test to all employees especially with their branches abroad. This may be costly but if the results will be interpreted in the right way then the company could address the needs of the employees. This will also help them mana ge human resource despite the difference in culture and will help them appropriately design compensation and benefits to the employees. * Corporate Communication of Company Vision and Mission Since the employees feel less connected with company mission, Starbucks should promote awareness within the employees about the company’s Vision and Mission.This will make the value the corporate values set by the company. The importance of achieving the company Vision as it delivers quality service and product. This will make them brand hearted and will have this sense of connection with the mission of the company. B. Local challenges to Foreign Market Entry * In-depth Marketing Research and Environmental Scanning The company should be knowledgeable to all the factors in Macro and Micro Environment that could affect, influence and help them in their business operations. The company should always be updated with the data so that they could be prepared with the changes that may happen. Do mestically designed Marketing Mix To avoid the errors to Ethnocentrism, the company should adapt to local cultures and needs of their foreign market. They should be able to use the approach as they communicate with their customers while implementing their market strategies. As for the case in France and Italy, the company should also create products that would suite the local taste of the market and recognize the market’s own unique culture. C. Specified Target Audience * Marketing Research Starbucks should be able to properly address the demands of the local market they have in various countries.The company should not only focus one approach as it enters foreign markets. In some countries, â€Å"Youth appeal† worked, but in other countries the target market of Starbucks are adults. They have to sensitive with the target market that they serve in every country because for some Starbucks is unaffordable and pretentious. They should know more about what attracts the loca l market, purchasing power, buying behaviour. In other countries, pricing is not a barrier but they are more on value, ambience and status. Others are more on practicality and benefits. D.Venture to Food and Non Food Items * Adaptation to local culture, demands and tastes Starbucks should introduce new products either food or non food items that would cater to the local demands of the market. They should blend with the local taste of the market. They could also recognize the culture of the market and include it on its menu. One example is in Italy, they could launch one product like a local espresso as part of the menu so that local customers would feel that it’s not just an American coffee, Starbucks are also sensitive to their local taste.