Siemens Case Study. Exam Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Siemens . Exam - Case Study Example Further investigation into the corruption cases involving Siemens shows that there are more cases in its overseas branches where the company maintains slush funds for the purpose of paying bribes as was the case in Greece, where it had a large amount of euros set aside for bribes to win contracts and tenders. The cases involve different governments covering sensitive areas such as intelligence and surveillance. In this cases, top government official in Greece reaped massive gains. Other counties involved in the scandal other than Greece include Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the USA for paying large sums to win contracts. Defenses by the company towards the bribery charges indicate the lack of ethics and it actually admits to have paid bribes to different companies and different government officials. One of the main defense claims was that it was never a crime to bribe a company outside of Germany, in the cases that occurred prior to 2002. This covered cases that occurred from 1999 and up until 2002, in which case the bribery became public knowledge in 2003. The validity of the claims made by Siemens were questionable and were deemed to be invalid following the existence of regulation outlawing bribery of companies outside of Germany before 2002 as it was still effective before 1999. The ethical standing of Siemens in this case indicates that the company is ethically corrupt when a utilitarian approach is used to define the case of Siemens. This is where the company overlooked the effects of its action towards other well deserving companies prior to bribery to win foreign contracts. As such, the company sought the cheapest way to bring business to itself while ruining other companies instead of following the right channels as expected. The main concern for the company lies with the shareholder and its ability to maintain their wealth as well as increase it. Therefore, this drives the company towards bribery as the immediate economic benefits are appealing and rewarding, while the long-term can be borne by future leaders of the same company saving shareholder a lot of immediate trouble in poor share sales. Using the different theories of ethics to discern this issue brings utilitarianism into perspective, as it is the only theory that focuses on the product and not on the means through which it is achieved. In any case, when it does pay attention to the means through which objectives are achieved, it only does so in relation to the cheapest and most convenient way and not on its impact on others. Thus, Siemens paid attention to the utilitarian theory that saw it ignore fundamental knowledge on bribery to bring unfair advantage and profits to itself denying other firms their own fair chance at winning contracts the legal way. In addition, the company could have used other means to secure contracts in foreign countries without having to pay bribes such as improving their own conduct, as considering the amount of funds used in bribes and com paring it to the profits, legal business would result in better returns. This denies the executives a proper defense since it does not even safeguard the interests and needs of the shareholders since when caught

According to Paul Cezanne Essay Example for Free

According to Paul Cezanne Essay Paul Cezanne’s paintings are regarded today as being of considerable importance to the development of modern art. Cezannes use of colour as tone and his heavy interest in the formal elements of composition paved the way for artists following on from him to question what they were perceiving and their ability to visually represent what they saw through painting. This essay will be examining the influence that Paul Cezanne had on Cubism and how this elevated the picture into an autonomous object rather than a mere representation of nature. The French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, although heavily ignored by the mainstream art sphere centered within Paris, had a considerable impact on Cubism as he laid out the fundamental ideas from which the cubists would create their works. One of the main key points that was central to the cubists was faceting, this reduction of form within the external world and transforming them to geometrical facets, ‘Nature should be treated as cylinders, spheres and cones.’. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Cezanne’s manner of depicting reality with inaccuracy and multiple viewpoints divorced itself from the laws of perceptive construction and allowed him to interpret what he saw in a subjective way, he wasn’t interested in merely imitating what he saw onto the canvas but rather to re-think the conventions which restrict traditional painting. A clear departure from traditional painting as a representational phenomenon has taken place, it’s no longer mimetic of nature or reality but rather holds its own reality within itself and painting and art in general is made autonomous through Cezanne’s unique approach. Where other painters saw transient effects of light Cezanne had the ability to perceive geometric structures and thus from his search for underlying structure of composition came Cubism and then Abstraction. In the impressionist movement, and other predecessors to cubism and post-impressionism, artists weren’t concerned in dealing with matters of inner meaning within their paintings, they were simply responding to what they saw which in turn gave little for the viewer to think about. It is here that we see Cezanne’s more conceptual manner of depicting reality by breaking things into obscure shapes and abstracted form, he projects his inner emotion and consciousness onto the canvas to represent a state of mind, ‘The painter’s idea cannot be conceived apart from the means he uses, for it is meaningful only so far as it is embodied in those means, and the deeper his idea the more complete they must be. I am unable to distinguish between my feelings for life and my way of transposing it. A painting must carry all its meanings within itself, and impose it on the viewer before he identifies the subject matter.’. This parallel of representing nature and self by use of facets and high-keyed colour (colour as a subjective device) is something that’s echoed throughout the works of the cubists, specifically the initial stages of this movement. It seems from this point onwards the painting has become a picture object, it’s removed from the shallow confines of our perception and begins to contribute to reality by adding other aspects and elements, ‘ He was, in fact, the first Post-Impressionist to make, as did the Pointillists and eventually the cubists, as structural analysis of nature, producing an art of the mind concerned with emotional apprehension of formal qualities in mountains, women or onions and totally unconcerned with the evanescent effects of light, shade and atmosphere.’ . This manner of painting had seeped into the consciousness of Pablo Picasso and George Braque, although they had obviously added their own elements to form their own individual styles Ceza nne had laid out the basis from which the cubists could build upon. Although Cubism can be categorised into three key phases: Analytical, Hermetic and Synthetic, it is all somewhat representational of reality. Pushed and stretched to its very limits reality has been distorted and forms are no longer instantly apparent, the viewer must project apart of themselves in order to make sense of what is happening within the painting. From the painters view the cubists applied an aspect of analysis in their paintings by which forms became increasingly fragmented, this way of depicting objects, landscapes and people was similar to Cezanne’s work in the way he represented nature. He was looking beyond the mere surface and impressions which met his gaze and focussed on the inner structures that made up things around him, this of course implies careful consideration and a process of analysis. This is something which resonated with Picasso’s work and contributed to his painting Demoiselles d’ Avingon 1908, ‘He took his cue in this partly from Cezanne’s efforts to fashion a way of painting that would lay bare – or at least open up for exploration by the viewer – the complex process of pictorial representation’. Upon looking at the works of Picasso’s Demoiselles d’ Avingon 1908 and even George Braque’s Houses at L’Estaque 1908, we can indicate a clear influence that is derived from Cezanne’s style of this alignment of nature and the artist. In Braque’s painting we note a visible colour palette which has been simplified and the use of structure that has been used in order to re-create nature, all of which is comparable to Cezanne’s painting Mont Sainte-Victoire 1902-04. However, Braque has accentuated certain elements resulting in a more systematic , clean and simplified style, ‘Yet unlike Cezanne, Braque pushes the juxtaposition of different perspectives to the point of contradiction, and underscores it with a quite arbitrary distribution of light and shade; rooflines fail to meet walls, spaces and solids are elided, buildings are stacked up against one another like playing cards, and in the absence of a horizon the landscape is compress ed into the space of a low relief.’. (FOOTNOTE: Movements in Modern Art Cubism, David Cottington, pg. 22)We notice a clear direction towards further abstraction in terms of form and colour and as cubism progresses these abstractions are further emphasised until reality is barely visible and only signals and indications of things are implied to the viewer. In addition, Picasso’s painting held similar elements of Cezanne’s style and although his painting Demoiselles d’ Avingnon is regarded as more of a proto-cubist artwork in a way it planted the seeds of his style which would later blossom and carry the cubist movement. He is still referencing Cezanne in terms of geometric shapes, limited colours, the fusions between negative and positive shapes and also the arbitrary use of light as he sees fit. Moving away from Demoiselles d’ Avingnon and focussing on Cottage and Trees (La Rue-des-Bois) 1908, again we see a direct correlation in terms of style to Cezanne’s and even Braque’s painting Houses at L’Estaque, in terms of subject matter it’s quite similar; fragmented shapes are used to signify a landscape with houses and contorted trees, however this use of shapes is further abstracted from that of Cezanne’s and Braque’s and again we see the use of colour being completely redundant in terms of imitating the world. The painting has become a complex of invented forms, singular viewpoints, accurate proportions and visual representation are no longer necessary, ‘Picasso independently emphasises each elemnt – volume, line, plane, light and shade – even at the expense of compositional unity. The effect is to maximise the dynamic effect of the painting.’. The emancipation of pictorial elements of line and colour elevated the painting to the picture object, as these elements no longer needed to be used objectively to depict the reality in which we are all submitted to, rather the artists can form the basis of a painting from reality and meet it halfway through his use of representing the internal reality which he is mentally experiencing. Cezanne used a process of analysis and reflection in creating his work which then influenced the cubists to constitute their own individual reality and project it onto the canvas. The result being fragmented geometric shapes which accentuate certain elements of figures, subjective and limited use of colour and an overall less naturalistic representation of what is directly being observed, this in turn helped painters like the cubists to re think what they were painting and also to think of what painting in general could be.

Management Planning and Ethics :: Business Management Coursework

Planning is concerned with the future impact of today’s decisions. It’s easy to postpone planning and therefore plans are seldom made. In the company I work for, the need for planning becomes apparent long after a decision has been made. Due to the lack of planning, short-run solutions are constantly put into place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In our organization, planning is usually what takes the most time, which we are not given much of when it comes to projects. Even when we get to plan, we don’t get to plan as much as we’d like, usually. On the same token, I believe that there should be a cutoff point for planning as it can definitely suck up all of the time needed to execute a project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I as a manager, I attempt to plan things as well as I can with my staff, but find that my requested timeline in accordance to the timeline given by my upper management, and to the timeline promised to the executives, find it very difficult at times. It is mentioned in the text that organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling functions in management stem from the planning function. This would explain another tribulation we have at work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We find that we are sometimes disorganized and understaffed. For the most part I maintain the leading and controlling function with what resources I have. This is really never accomplished up to par because of what is lacking in the other areas. Goals and plans to reach them has been the main project on my plate, because of how difficult it is. For the most part, I’ve used my own management instinct to lead the group, and have been successful, to certain degree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But my influence on the group is quite limited as I struggle to plan for goals and methods of achieving them. My measurement of the completion of our goals has hap hazardously been reported on Monday mornings as second priority to certain tasks that need to be completed before I could even call my group successful. Sometimes this act is confusing and doesn’t appear to serve a purpose to me, immediately. Although, I know that it does in the long run.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have grown to understand how important planning is at all levels of management. I’ve also noticed that its characteristics vary with every level of management. Sometimes it appears as though the higher level of management isn’t really putting the planning function of management into use, causing just as difficult a time for me to plan as I’m currently having. Management Planning and Ethics :: Business Management Coursework Planning is concerned with the future impact of today’s decisions. It’s easy to postpone planning and therefore plans are seldom made. In the company I work for, the need for planning becomes apparent long after a decision has been made. Due to the lack of planning, short-run solutions are constantly put into place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In our organization, planning is usually what takes the most time, which we are not given much of when it comes to projects. Even when we get to plan, we don’t get to plan as much as we’d like, usually. On the same token, I believe that there should be a cutoff point for planning as it can definitely suck up all of the time needed to execute a project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I as a manager, I attempt to plan things as well as I can with my staff, but find that my requested timeline in accordance to the timeline given by my upper management, and to the timeline promised to the executives, find it very difficult at times. It is mentioned in the text that organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling functions in management stem from the planning function. This would explain another tribulation we have at work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We find that we are sometimes disorganized and understaffed. For the most part I maintain the leading and controlling function with what resources I have. This is really never accomplished up to par because of what is lacking in the other areas. Goals and plans to reach them has been the main project on my plate, because of how difficult it is. For the most part, I’ve used my own management instinct to lead the group, and have been successful, to certain degree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But my influence on the group is quite limited as I struggle to plan for goals and methods of achieving them. My measurement of the completion of our goals has hap hazardously been reported on Monday mornings as second priority to certain tasks that need to be completed before I could even call my group successful. Sometimes this act is confusing and doesn’t appear to serve a purpose to me, immediately. Although, I know that it does in the long run.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have grown to understand how important planning is at all levels of management. I’ve also noticed that its characteristics vary with every level of management. Sometimes it appears as though the higher level of management isn’t really putting the planning function of management into use, causing just as difficult a time for me to plan as I’m currently having.

painting: the lost art? :: essays research papers

Painting: The Lost Art? I feel very strongly that there is an indifference to painting in today’s society. In today’s technology age, a high value is not placed on aesthetics such as painting. American society is drawn more to television programs and sporting events than to operas and art galleries. Very few paintings or other works of art would garner massive publicity in today’s society. The artwork would have to stimulate the mind in a negative way to receive any attention at all. It would have to spark a major controversy by being vulgar or politically incorrect in some other way to spark conversation about it. American society, in particular, is drawn to conflict as opposed to appreciating a work of art for its aesthetic brilliance. Painting is nearly dead in toady’s society. Most people view only music as an art form and place a high value on it. Painting is left to only school projects or murals on abandoned buildings. It is often overlooked and under appreciated. Painting cannot be appreciated by mainstream America because we are not educated on all of its intricacies. Public knowledge of painting and art as a whole is dismally low, and there is an indifference to painting mainly because people don’t understand it. Many people don’t know what to look at, or what to look for when observing a painting, and therefore cover up their lack of knowledge by overlooking painting as an art form. Many American critics of today’s society would not have been able to appreciate Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass or Monet’s Impression Sunrise, because of its impressionist style. It would be viewed as â€Å"ugly† or â€Å"unattractive† because so many fine details were left off. People of today’s society would not take the time to sit down and try to interpret the art that Monet was trying to display on the canvas. Americans of today want everything handed to them and would not have wanted to pick their brain to try to figure out exactly what Monet was trying convey to us as the viewer. Many Americans probably wouldn’t want so many of the details of Impressionism left off. They would want to look at it, interpret it at face value and leave it alone. They wouldn’t take the time to â€Å"read between the lines† of the painting, looking for hidden meanings and intricate details. I feel very strongly that in today’s society, painting has taken a backseat to the Internet and rock concerts.

Fire Department Essay

Mission Statement: To prevent and minimize the loss of life and property threatened by the hazards of fire, medical, and rescue emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and disaster situations within the community. History: Prior to the 1956 incorporation of Fremont, the area was comprised of five large unincorporated communities: Irvington, Mission San Jose, Centerville, Niles, and Warm Springs. Each of these communities had its own volunteer fire department and elected its own Chief Officers. Originally, the departments were just hose cart operations. When the City of Fremont incorporated in 1956 it had a population of 22,493 and it immediately implemented a Public Safety department. Two years later, the Public Safety department was disbanded, and the Fremont Fire Department was formed. At that time, the Warm Springs fire station was only staffed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. When the sole firefighter on duty at the Warm Springs station went home, he would answer a â€Å"hot line† at his home for any emergencies, then respond to the fire station to activate the siren, summoning the other volunteers. When they arrived, they would respond together to the emergency. Slowly, throughout the 1960’s, all firehouses began staffing 24 hours a day. In 1969, volunteer firefighters were pushed out and full time paid firefighters staffed all stations. Individual stations history: 1. Station 1 at the corner of Mowry and Argonaut was built in 1963 and provided coverage for the central business district. 2. Once the home of the bustling movie company Essanay Studios, Niles became the home to the present Station 2, which was built on Second Street in 1952. 3. Station 3, in the Irvington District, was first built in 1939 on Washington Boulevard, then relocated in 1979 to its present site on Chapel Way. 4. The district of Mission San Jose housed Station 4, first located on Anza Way in 1954, then welcomed its relocation at Pine and Paseo-Padre Parkway with a grand opening on Saturday, June 23, 1990. 5. Warm Springs’ Station 5, first situated on Warm Springs Boulevard in 1946, was rebuilt in 1992 at the same location but turned on the property to now be assigned a Hackamore Lane address. 6. The Centerville Station 6, built in 1954, became the fire department headquarters when the City formed in 1956, and housed the dispatch center until 1963. After more than five decades of faithful service, Fire Station 6 was decommissioned in January 2009 and a new Fire Station 6 was welcomed into service on Central Avenue. 7. Station 7, built in 1964 at the corner of South Grimmer and Durham, provided coverage for Fremont’s industrial area. Today, it includes a classroom which is used by the Explorers for continued training. 8. To keep up with the building boom of the early ’70’s, Station 8 was constructed on Darwin Drive in 1971. Originally, the building was planned for just two years of use but stayed in service for an additional 35 years. The Darwin Drive firehouse was finally retired from service in 2008 and replaced by the new Station 8 on Fremont Blvd. 9. Station 9, located on Stevenson Place, was placed in service for the first time at 10:33 p.m. on April 27, 1992. Engine Company 9’s first incident occurred 20 minutes later when they responded to a request for medical aid at the Fremont Jail. 10. Dedicated on November 3, 1990, and followed by a grand opening on Saturday, January 19, 1991, Station 10 on Deep Creek Road complemented the existing coverage in north Fremont. 11. In 2010 Station 11 was completed. Located in the industrial area of Fremont on Gateway Blvd. This new multi-million dollar station is currently out of service do to understaffing.

Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Free Online Research Papers An event I chose from Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut was from chapter six. The event I chose in the book was the day that the atomic bomb was going to hit Japan and Newt, the son of a scientist,writes a letter to John. There was a scence when Newt was sitting outside of his fathers work office on the carpet playing with his toy trucks. His father was one of the people who were involved in making the atomic bomb. While Newt was playing outside, his father came out with a string he got from a manuscript and tried to play with John. John’s father rarely even spoke to him or played any games so Newtwas surprised. â€Å"He had hardly ever even spoken to me(Vonnegut12). He made the string into a shape of the cats cradle and waved it in front of johns face. See?see?see? Cats cradle. See the cats cradle? See where the nice pussycat sleeps? Meow meow(Vonnegut12). Newt was not very interested in it and it seemed he was more interested in how his father looked like up close. His pores looks as big as the craters on the moon. His ears and nostrils were stuffed with hair. Cigar smoke made him smell like mouth of hell. So close up, my father was the ugliest thing I have ever seen.(Vonnegut12). Whe n his father started to sing, John started to cry and ran away from his father. I found this funny and it kind of persuades me to go on and read more. This scene I chose from the book develops humor and rejection as a theme. I chose humor as a theme because Newts reaction toward his father after he tried to play with Newt made me laugh. â€Å"I burst into tears. I jumped up and ran out of the house as fast as I could go(Vonnegut12). It seemed that he got frighten by his father’s looks. I did feel bad for the father because he was really hurt by John’s reaction. â€Å"My sister Angela has told me many times that I really hurt my father that day when I wouldn’t admire the cats cradle, when I wouldn’t stay there on the carpet with my father and listen to him sing(Vonnegut13).and that’s when rejection comes in. When Newt ran away crying from his father scared, the father was basically rejected by his son. It seemed like Newt didn’t want to play with him because he was frighten by how ugly his father looked . I also find this pretty weird because Newt realizes how his father looked when he saw him up close. I think this scenes purpose was to catch the readers’ attention and it worked. It interested me and I read on longer. How he thought of his father and especially his reaction towards it. I think it gives the readers a laugh. Rejection is also important in this scene because no one wants to be rejected by their children and Newts father felt rejected when Newt ran away crying from him. Overall, humor and rejection are what sets a theme in this scene. Newts reaction toward his father was funny, and Newt running away from his father gave off this rejected feeling. I picked this scene because I was getting bored and it caught my attention to read on. Research Papers on Cat’s Cradle by Kurt VonnegutBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyWhere Wild and West MeetComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHip-Hop is Art19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Spring and AutumnTrailblazing by Eric Anderson

Freuds Oedipus Complex Theory essays

Freuds Oedipus Complex Theory essays Everyone goes through an incestuous period in their life. Well at least that is what Freuds Oedipus Complex theory suggests. This theory along with many others such as the Electra theory(Iverson) has been around for many years and has multiple researches done on it with mixed results. Personally I believe that Freuds theory is correct. Freud formed the Oedipus Complex from the Greek mythology story Oedipus Rex by Sopholces. In Oedipus Rex, an oracle reveals that Oedipus will unknowingly kill his father and take his mothers hand in marriage. The family tries to prevent the parricide/incest from happening much like how most parent will try to break their child of their Oedipus Complex, but the process cannot be prevented or it may seriously affect the childs well being. The actual story of Oedipus differs slightly from Freuds theory. In this theory a male child, age three to five has sexual feelings towards his own mother. These feeling are so strong that he will feel a sense of compaction from his father and want to eliminate him. There is also another theory much like the Oedipus Complex in which girls have a similar sexual desire for the father which is repressed in analogous fashion and is called the Electra complex (Iverson). These are both stages that everyone is believed to go through in their adolescence. Many researchers believe so firmly in Freuds theory that they think that the book Oedipus Rex, illustrates a formative stage in each individual's psychosexual development(Felluga). It is said that if a child is some how prevented from having or having the Oedipus Complex for an extended amount of time could severely effect that persons sexual growth in the future. Freud has done research that traces virtually all mental disorders to some problem with the transition through the Oedipal stage( Freud: On Narcissism). The ...

Lucent Technologies essays

Lucent Technologies essays Splitting with communication giant AT Lucent has seen its former organizational layout lead down a path of miscommunication and loss of profits. With these issues staring them in the face, Lucent had no choice but to completely revamp its corporate layout. It found itself using smaller focus groups to find problems or new ideas in production. Managers now are forced to have a new outlook on many past stigmas such as top-level bureaucracy. This organization has decided that with declining profits and market share, it needs to become more employee and consumer focused. New managers were brought in to replace its horizontal structure with a more vertically focused organization. An organization that wasnt afraid to listen to new ideas and even implement them into their production processes. The overall strategy to these changes was to improve sales and cut costs. Jeong Kim was selected as the new head of optical networks to improve performance. Delivery time was to be improved by 30% within Kims 100-day plan. Even though Lucent has decided to focus more on employee needs, 5000 more people will be laid off in order to further lower operating expenses. We as a group believe that while Lucent aims at creating bridges between management and its wor ...

The Manhattan Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Manhattan Project - Essay Example ts of Manhattan Project lie in the soil of Germany but Hitler through his brutality and arrogance uprooted the tree of nuclear physics unconsciously and handed it to America. The scientist and the physicists who left Germany and Europe came to America to look for new arenas of opportunities and gave impetus to the Manhattan project. It was already known that a single atom possesses energy and this energy if projected in the required direction can become a bomb. The Germans were already working on development of such a device that could use atomic energy to produce massive destruction but at what pace was unknown. Alexander Sachs (1893-1973), who was a close friend of the then American president Roosevelt D. Franklin brought him the letter from Albert Einstein telling about the massive energy that an atom possess and the German plan to build a bomb from it, the project started with the name of â€Å"The Manhattan Military Engineering District†. October 11th 1939 was the day whe n president Roosevelt D. Franklin has formed the advisory committee in uranium, which worked as the launching pad of this project. He also wrote back to Einstein on October 10th 1939 that he had sent up a committee comprising army personnel to study uranium. (Cynthia C Kelly. The Manhattan project: the birth of the atomic bomb in the words of its creators, eyewitnesses, and historians.) USA was at that time had the policy of no intervention in the Second World War and not much attention was paid to this at first. The project was to create something that was only theoretical and from the material that could not be seen. With some time, the president felt the gravity of the situation that if in case the Germans were able to develop a bomb that can cause massive destruction, he immediately made the project a top priority military project and allocated massive funds for the development of the bomb. Strange it may seem, but it was the most highly budgeted and top secret military project at that

Discourse, Field-Configuring Events, and Change In Organizations Shell Essay

Discourse, Field-Configuring Events, and Change In Organizations Shell - Essay Example In an attempt to determine the safest and environmentally friendly way to dispose its spar, the company considered to dispose its Brent Spar by sinking it in 6000 feet of Atlantic water. This move was undetermined since the disposal could possibly contaminate other seawater thereby leading to human and environmental dangers (Wheeler et.al, 2009, p. 19). Intentionally, the company ignored critical assumptions made by environmentalist regarding the disposal of this waste. The company was therefore faced with an environmental problem allegation mainly from Greenpeace. This includes regular oil spills, drainage of harmful water into a canal and emission of dangerous gases from the pump. Crime and unemployment were external ethical issues that faced the oil industry. It is cited that the Nigerian government did not utilize the profit earned from the company in infrastructural development and other economic activities that tend to improve economic growth. Instead, the government channels these funds to finance political party’s activities. Unemployment created insecurity within the nation. The government and the system of public officials were cited as the most corrupt in the globe. This was due to misappropriation of government funds, thereby increasing crime in the country. The Nigerian government has the largest number of shares in the company formed collaborations with other industries thereby diluting company’s operations. In this perspective, this strategy was against the will of other shareholders. Considering the initial attempts to take over the company, any collaboration made between the company and United State oil companies placed the company at risk, but the Nigerian government did not put into consideration the decisions of other shareholders when initiating this partnership. It therefore sets up joint ventures with other multinational oil companies (Wheeler et.al, 2009, p. 34). After negotiation and a long debate on proposed

The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly Thesis

The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and a thousand other things well Hugh Walpole - Thesis Example While there are many such people in the market, only few of them succeed. Google set a new milestone in online searching, Microsoft paved the way for home computing and the Body shop by Anita Roddick succeeded only because it focused on eco-friendly beauty products. History speaks volumes about the above quoted words too. Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor and businessman succeeded in giving the world the light bulb only because he was interested in one thing profoundly. He was keen on experimenting and continued to do it with great passion. Records stated that when Edison failed for a thousand times, he did not say he failed. He said that he knew of a thousand ways not to make a light bulb. Had it not been profound interest for one thing, Edison would have given up his experiments and considered his life a failure. We would not have benefited so soon from a light bulb and would not have remembered him with the great reverence that we do today. Even great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi could help India gain freedom only through constant interest in working towards it. Had these men been diverted with various interests, they would never have been able to put their heart and mind into huge successes. The quoted words hold good in our personal lives too. Success is achieved when one does not spread oneself too thin, staying focused on work helps accomplish it and the secret of living life to the fullest and to the happiest comes only from being the king of one's empire. Antithesis While the above statements portray the goodness in Hugh Walpole's statements, the same is not always true. In today's changing times, where there is throat cutting competition and one has to be ahead of the other in the mad race of life, statements like the one made by Hugh Walpole have their own shortcomings. If we were to be profoundly interested in one thing with a general interest in other things we would not get ahead in life. If a businessman, for example, just takes deep passion for selling cell phones, he would do well. However in order to succeed, he would need to take an equal interest in understanding the needs of the market (business researching), new product launches (technology), caring for employees (organizational behavior), caring for customers etc. Unless all these aspects are not looked after, with equal interest and enthusiasm, the organization and the businessman are doomed to lesser degree of success. Thus while the above examples of Google, Microsoft and the Bo dy shop did take into consideration their core areas, they gave equal importance to a million other issues. That is also the reason all large organizations have different departments (like HR, research, marketing, product development, customer care) and equal importance is given to all of them. History also leads us to believe this to be true. Thomas Alva Edison could give the world great inventions because he had profound interest in one thing. But let us not forget that even during his times, when there was not much competitiveness, he had profound interest in business too, which led him to form the General Electric. Had he not been able to let the world know of his inventions and market them through the organization, it would have possible that someone else would have taken the credit for

Organizational Change and Stress Management Essay

Organizational Change and Stress Management - Essay Example WIlis, Stephen D Mastrofski, David Weisburd, and Rosann Greenspan is analyzed. Introduction of COMPSTAT in Lowell As Willis, Mastrofski and Weisburd (2003) point out, department heads conducted regular meetings with their district heads and discussed crime trends. Also, their responses to crimes were collected and future strategies were developed. Thus, it allowed the systematic use of hard data and heightened accountability to reduce crime in society. (Worcester Regional Research Bureau, 2003). However, its implementation in Lowell was not free from errors and hence, after the initial success, the program failed. The program was introduced in Lowell by Superintendent Davis. As a part of the program, there were a number of changes in Lowell. First of all, it divided the entire Lowell into three sectors and each sector captain was solely responsible for the crimes within the area under his control, and the sector captain remained accountable to the top brass. Willis, Mastrofski, Weisb urd and Greenspan (2003) note that according to the plan suggested by the superintendent, the sector captain from one of the three sectors had to submit his report in every biweekly meeting. The biweekly meeting usually contained twenty to thirty members including the superintendent, the top brass of the police department and some invited guests, sergeants and patrol officers. The captain who had to submit the report explained all the details of his area and, had to answer questions and suggestions from the meeting members. Any perceived defect in the strategies he adopted was met with criticism from the superintendent and other members in the meeting. So, instead of improving communication and cooperation, such meetings became ‘pressure cookers’ for the sector captains. In addition, as the COMPSTAT did not suggest any formal way for them to communicate the issues with the officers below them, they found it almost impossible to achieve what the top brass suggested. Behn (2008) reports that COMPSTAT brought autocratic power, orders, close observation, and negative reinforcement in the police force instead of the perceived decentralization of power. The Resistance from Employees Admittedly, COMPSTAT did not come into existence without any resistance. The changes were not acceptable to most of the officers. The first effect of the change was that the middle layer officers, that is, the sector captains, stopped divulging important details to the COMPSTAT as they find it dangerous to their own individual careers. First of all, if they revealed any shortcoming or lack of efficiency from their part, it was met with stiff criticism from the top brass. Secondly, there evolved rivalry among sectors as the improvement in one sector means criticism for the remaining sectors in the COMPSTAT meetings. Barkan and Bryjak (2011) reflect that middle layer officers resisted this move through deficient exchange of information. The second point of resistance came from the rank-and-file as they found themselves out of the decision-making process. Though it was claimed that the decision-making power goes to the lower end of the system, what happened in practice was quite the opposite. Only the top brass possessed the power to take decisions, and the ones taken by middle order were highly criticized if went wrong. Thus, the rank-and-file category found it unimportant to cooperate with the innovative system and

My most attractive adversary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My most attractive adversary - Essay Example I think it is not fair when men do this, because it is not the fault of women that our world gives so many advantages to men. Part of the problem lies in the fact that there are more men than women in senior positions in the workplace. For many centuries men have been the ones to hold all the power and money in society and now things are gradually changing. It seems to me that some of the remarks that men make are an example of jealousy and fear. Men who make flattering remarks to women want to show that they are in control and part of the dominant group. By making women different, they are excluding women from the group. This essay reflects the cultural values of the United States. In some countries, such as in the Middle East or parts of Asia, for example, very few women take up senior and professional roles. It may be that in future both men and women in these countries will also have to rethink their use of language in relation to issues of gender in the

Organizational Change and Stress Management Essay

Organizational Change and Stress Management - Essay Example WIlis, Stephen D Mastrofski, David Weisburd, and Rosann Greenspan is analyzed. Introduction of COMPSTAT in Lowell As Willis, Mastrofski and Weisburd (2003) point out, department heads conducted regular meetings with their district heads and discussed crime trends. Also, their responses to crimes were collected and future strategies were developed. Thus, it allowed the systematic use of hard data and heightened accountability to reduce crime in society. (Worcester Regional Research Bureau, 2003). However, its implementation in Lowell was not free from errors and hence, after the initial success, the program failed. The program was introduced in Lowell by Superintendent Davis. As a part of the program, there were a number of changes in Lowell. First of all, it divided the entire Lowell into three sectors and each sector captain was solely responsible for the crimes within the area under his control, and the sector captain remained accountable to the top brass. Willis, Mastrofski, Weisb urd and Greenspan (2003) note that according to the plan suggested by the superintendent, the sector captain from one of the three sectors had to submit his report in every biweekly meeting. The biweekly meeting usually contained twenty to thirty members including the superintendent, the top brass of the police department and some invited guests, sergeants and patrol officers. The captain who had to submit the report explained all the details of his area and, had to answer questions and suggestions from the meeting members. Any perceived defect in the strategies he adopted was met with criticism from the superintendent and other members in the meeting. So, instead of improving communication and cooperation, such meetings became ‘pressure cookers’ for the sector captains. In addition, as the COMPSTAT did not suggest any formal way for them to communicate the issues with the officers below them, they found it almost impossible to achieve what the top brass suggested. Behn (2008) reports that COMPSTAT brought autocratic power, orders, close observation, and negative reinforcement in the police force instead of the perceived decentralization of power. The Resistance from Employees Admittedly, COMPSTAT did not come into existence without any resistance. The changes were not acceptable to most of the officers. The first effect of the change was that the middle layer officers, that is, the sector captains, stopped divulging important details to the COMPSTAT as they find it dangerous to their own individual careers. First of all, if they revealed any shortcoming or lack of efficiency from their part, it was met with stiff criticism from the top brass. Secondly, there evolved rivalry among sectors as the improvement in one sector means criticism for the remaining sectors in the COMPSTAT meetings. Barkan and Bryjak (2011) reflect that middle layer officers resisted this move through deficient exchange of information. The second point of resistance came from the rank-and-file as they found themselves out of the decision-making process. Though it was claimed that the decision-making power goes to the lower end of the system, what happened in practice was quite the opposite. Only the top brass possessed the power to take decisions, and the ones taken by middle order were highly criticized if went wrong. Thus, the rank-and-file category found it unimportant to cooperate with the innovative system and

Supply Chain and Operations Management Assignment - 1

Supply Chain and Operations Management - Assignment Example According to the AIMS' Institute of Supply Chain Management, it is a management of a global network used to deliver products and services from raw materials to end customers through an engineered flow of information, physical distribution, and cash.Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the management of the relationship between the supplier's supplier and the customer's customer through the supply chain participants (Distributor/Wholesaler and Retailer) between them, mainly using information flow and logistics activities to gain Competitive advantage and customer satisfaction.A supply chain, as opposed to supply chain management, is a set of organizations directly linked by one or more upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, or information from a source to a customer. Supply chain management is the management of such a chain.[7]In many cases the supply chain includes the collection of goods after consumer use for recycling. SCM is a cross-functional approach that in cludes managing the movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and toward the end consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they reduce their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other firms that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively.

Strong type of sympathy Essay Example for Free

Strong type of sympathy Essay The novel, Frankenstein, was written in 1815, when the author, Mary Shelley, was 19 years old. Marys family took her on a holiday throughout Europe. One night, in Geneva, the travelling group were quite bored, so they decided to tell ghost stories. Mary couldnt think of a story, so she went to sleep and dreamt the story of Frankenstein. There were also other influences for Frankenstein. Shelley liked the new technologies, and she always went to see the best shows. She was also interested in Luigi Galvanis work. He tried to prove dead and alive muscle used electric impulses. Shelley also liked Romantic writing, which is the concept of worshiping things natural. In the novel she shows her respect for natural beauty by showing the Artic as a place that Walton admires. She also created the gothic style of writing, which expresses a concern for identity, with the monster that has no name that wanders pointlessly. To give him a name is to give him power. Frankenstein is a story about a man from Geneva, Victor Frankenstein. He is a wealthy man that has a love for the woman he grew up with, Elisabeth. He moves to Ingolstadt to study Science and Medicine. He gets so obsessed with his ambition of finding the secret of life that he creates a monster from dead body parts. He runs from it and it plots is revenge by making Victor suffer as he did. As he follows him and tortures him, Victor meets Walton, our narrator. He sends many letters to his sister. He is similar to Victor and slightly the monster, in the way that they wish to achieve, but Victor prevents the loss of lives on Waltons ship. The monster, meanwhile, wants, but probably never will have a companion. Victor does, however, achieve his dream of finding the secret of life, although it goes horribly wrong. Neither of the protagonists dreams are what they thought they might be. Walton is an explorer that wants fame and fortune, but he also wants someone similar to him, a friend. Even though, as a Captain, he has his crew, they are expendable. He is willing to achieve by breaking any boundaries. On his deathbed, Waltons father begged him not to become an explorer, but as Walton has a rebellious behaviour, he disobeys his fathers last wish. At meeting with Victor, he changes for the better. He finds an admirable figure, someone that thinks the same way as him. Victor has already been through the pain of ambition seeking. He convinces Walton to save his crews lives and heads home. One of the lines that convince Walton is Do you share my madness? What he means is that his ambitions are madness, as they only end in disappointment. Also, as the narrator, he writes the letters to his sister, and therefore the novel, in corrupt narrative, which, in this novel, means that the story was first said by the monster, then edited by Victor to make him look like the victim, then, finally, the reader gets Waltons version on the story, who prefers Victor as he knows him and because he is similar to him. He also speaks in a romantic style, as he speaks in a way that shows the Artic as a place of beauty, whereas the other characters see it as a desolate place, with no life. Victor Frankenstein, the main character, or protagonist, is an ambitious man from Geneva. He dreams of finding the secret of life. Once he arrives in Ingolstadt, his university, he finds his work uncontrollably consuming his life. He begins with research, how he can make the perfect man from dead flesh. He decides he can sew the perfect limbs together. Then he uses the natural power of lightning (with pathetic fallacy as storms are intimidating and come on only dreary nights [It was a dreary night in November]) to put an electric shock into the dead body. This is what he believes is the secret of life. He believes his task is filled with delight and rapture, this means that before he sees the monster alive, he believes that he has already had great success over so much labour. Shelley also puts his actions into a god-like figure, which can create and destroy life as he wishes. Shelley also uses religious words, such as rapture, creator, species and even later on, demonical. Victor soon realises that his experiment is a massive failure. He expected a perfect, clever human to be produced, but he got a scarred monster that he describes as wretch. He inflicts pain, mainly emotionally, on it, by running away. As it cannot speak, the monster is left alone for dead. Victor learns that being a god isnt so easy, as when he creates the monster, he finds that he is more of a father than a god. He has responsibilities although he does not help the monster and prays cholera kills him. This shows Victor in his true form, selfish. Victor also uses romantic language to describe life. He shows that by creating life, he is doing the world good, creating an almighty species that nature will accept: A new species would accept me as its creator exclaims Victor. Shelley also portrays, as previously mentioned, the three protagonists all having similar dreams. They all just want companions. Victor wishes for Elisabeth, the monster, someone similar to him and Walton, his sister. The monsters dream is to be accepted by one person. He doesnt want money or fame, just someone that looks like him. Even at the creation of his life, all he wanted was to be accepted by everyone, but later, he saw this as being impossible. He believes that as Victor has caused him so much pain, all he wants is for Victor to experience it by having no one to love him. The monster also believes that Victor has acted with cowardice and selfishness, by running away and leaving the monster to a horrible fate. Even when the monster begs for a companion, Victor eventually rejects his offer and selfishly abandons him on his own, crushing his dream. The reader eventually gets to like the monster, as they start to feel sympathy for him, as he has nothing to hope for and no one to share his life with. Even after the monster attempts to learn English, which he thinks is a gift from gods, (from the quote Godlike Science)only two people experience his education fully, the blind De Lacy man and Victor. The monster is also quite secretly persuasive; he wishes for Victor to make another monster, he also attempts to make the reader feel sympathetic towards him with lines like Was I then a monster, from which all men fled? which make the reader wish they were in the story to help, which proves it is quite a strong type of sympathy. Shelley also uses the monster as a way of pointing out human flaws. She shows that no matter how different someone is, another person will always find faults or be intimidated by someone else. Frankenstein also has a subtitle; it is also named The Modern Prometheus. The classical story is about a human named Prometheus, who steals fire from the god Zeus to have an advantage over animals. This causes only pain and suffering for animals. In the modern Prometheus, Frankenstein is Prometheus as he defies the gods and takes their role as creator. As comeuppance, he is chained to a rock and his liver was eaten by an eagle every night, just to be healed at daybreak. This is a symbol for the ongoing pain of both Frankenstein and the monster. Even though, as the novel says, ambitions results in nothing other than pain, the advancement in modern medicine is an amazing feat. It has, meanwhile, sparked controversy, with subjects like stem cell research that could potentially be harming living organisms. The character that I favour most is the monster as he has been through nothing but pain throughout his entire life, whereas the other protagonists have been fed with a silver spoon. I think that the novel of the story is that if you are willing to put everything at risk to succeed, be prepared to fail.

Overview Of The Presenting Condition Nursing Essay

Overview Of The Presenting Condition Nursing Essay This case study is intended to explain pulmonary oedema through Mr. Toscanas case. It will discuss the pathophysiology of pulmonary oedema and how Mr. Toscanas chronic renal impairment is related to this specific condition. Also, Mr. Toscanas ECG, aerial blood gas results and blood tests result will be analysed and explained. Moreover, a nursing plan based on Mr. Toscanas condition will be made. Overview of the Presenting Condition Pulmonary oedema is a serious condition of the pulmonary system. In simple terms, it is actually excess fluid in the lungs (skinner Mckinner 2011). To be more specific, it is fluid that moves out from capillaries into the extravascular spaces and causes additional pressure to the lungs (Craft, J 2011). Pulmonary oedema is affecting about 1% of people over the age of 65 (Johnson 2009). It is a worldwide condition and the mortality rate is about 40% within a year of diagnosis (Parissis et al. 2010). The accumulation of the fluid can be in a slow process for patients with chronic renal failure. It can also occur fast for patients who suffer from myocardial infarction (McPhee Hammer 2010). There are two types of pulmonary oedema, one is cardiogenic pulmonary, and the other in non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (Craft, J 2011). Pulmonary oedema is defined as alveolar or interstitial oedema, and such a condition can be identified by chest X-ray (Johnson 2009). And often patients oxygen satur ation is less than 90% on room air (Johnson 2009). Also severe respiratory distress, with crackles over the lungs and orthopnoea, is often associated with acute pulmonary oedema (Parissis et al. 2010). The most common cause of pulmonary oedema is untreated heart failure (Johnson 2009). The acute respiratory distress syndrome and capillary vessel injury are other common causes of pulmonary oedema (Craft, J et al. 2011). Its signs and symptoms often include dyspnoea, hypoxaemia and increased work of breathing (Skinner Mckinney 2011). In severe cases of pulmonary oedema, patients often bring up pink frothy sputum when coughing and their carbon dioxide level increases while oxygen level decreases (Craft, J et al. 2011). Pathophysiology that Underpins the Presenting Condition As mentioned before, pulmonary oedema is excess fluid in the extravascular space and according to McPhee Hammer (2010) the extravascular space is constituted by the interstitial space and the airspace (alveoli and airways). The excess fluid can be found in one or both spaces in patients with pulmonary oedema (McPhee Hammer 2010). Moreover, both spaces have different barriers to stop fluid from entering into them (McPhee Hammer 2010). The intersitital space is protected by the pulmonary capillary endothelium, i.e. inside layer of capillary and airspaces are protected by alveolar epithelium, namely surface of alveoli (McPhee Hammer 2010). It is normal for blood vessel to leak and about 0.01% of pulmonary blood flow will leak into interstitial space every hour (McPhee Hammer 2010). There are several factors that may influence the amount of fluid leaking into interstitial space and the most important one is net pressure (transmural pressure) (McPhee Hammer 2010). The transmural pressure maintains the balance between the net hydrostatic pressure that moves fluid out of the capillaries, and the colloid osmotic pressure that keeps fluid inside the capillaries (McPhee Hammer 2010). Any imbalance of these pressures can lead to pulmonary oedema. Pulmonary oedema can be divided into two types: the cardiogenic and the noncardiogenic. The former is caused by increased transural pressure (hydrostatic or osmotic) while the latter is caused by increased permeability (damaged alveoli and/ or airways) (Copstead Banasik 2010). Increased pulmonary venous pressure, increased alveolar surface tension, or decreased capillary colloid osmotic pressure can all lead to cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (Copstead Banasik 2010). Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema is normally caused by an acute respiratory distress syndrome, which often results from injury, infection or inhaled toxins (Copstead Banasik). In this case study, there is no evidence of injury of the lungs nor inhaled toxins, nor infection of any kind. Thus, Mr. Mario Toscanas condition is more likely to be cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. Although the case study does not address any cardiac problem based on his age and/ or history of chronic renal impairment, Mr. Toscana is prone to cardiac d iseases. In patients with chronic renal diseases, there are damaged nephrons that cannot be regenerated (Craft, J et al. 2011). Due to slow losses of nephrons, the remaining nephrons have to take the burden and try to maintain the normal function of the kidneys (Craft, J et al. 2011). However, over time this compensation will increase the loss of nephrons and the kidney will lose its normal function (Craft, J et al. 2011). This loss of normal function can result in electrolyte imbalance, which leads to various conditions (Craft, J et al. 2011). Fluid over load, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, congestive heart failure and pulmonary oedema are all the common conditions of chronic renal diseases (Craft, J et al. 2011). Cardiovascular diseases often presents in patients with chronic renal diseases and they have a very high morbidity and mortality rate (McPhee Hammer 2010). Hypertension can be caused by excess sodium and fluid, and vascular calcification by decreased glomerular filtration rate (Craft, J et al. 2011). Moreover, vascular diseases can lead or contribute to coronary heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure and stroke. Heart failure is defined as a complex syndrome, which comprises of several cardiac dysfunctions and causes inadequate cardiac output (McPhee Hammer 2010). The common type of heart failure is the left heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure (Craft, J et al. 2011). Additionally, congestive heart failure can result in both systolic and diastolic heart failures, and any of the two can cause pulmonary oedema (Craft, J et al. 2011). In systolic heart failure, the contractility of the heart decreases because of the disease and it can result in the i ncrease of preload (Craft, J et al. 2011). Eventually, the combination will lead to decreased cardiac output and result in increased afterload (Craft, J et al. 2011). Due to the reduced cardiac output, renal perfusion diminishes and plasma volume increases (Craft, J et al. 2011). Patients with systolic heart failure often present with decreased urine output, oedema and pulmonary oedema (Craft, J et al. 2011). And patients with diastolic heart failure can maintain a normal stroke volume and cardiac output (Craft, J et al. 2011). However, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure is still increased by the decreased compliance of the left ventricular, and the abnormal diastolic relaxation (Craft, J et al. 2011). The pressure pushes fluid to go back to the lungs and causes pulmonary oedema (Craft, J et al. 2011). ECG Examination An ECG can provide information on the electrical movement in the heart and ECG graphs give information such as heart rate, rhythm and any abnormality that may involve the heart (Jevon 2010). With the method proved by Jevon (2009), Mr Toscanas heart rate can be calculated, which is 120 beats per minute. According to Jevon (2009) heart rate over 90 beats per minute is defined as tachycardia. Based on his other presenting conditions, Mr. Toscanas tachycardia is most likely caused by hypoxia. Hypoxia is resulted from hypoxemia, which is the decreased level of oxygen in the blood (Craft, J et al. 2011). In order to meet the oxygen demand, the heart is trying to pump harder and faster to bring up cardiac output (Craft, J et al. 2011). On the one hand, hypoxemia can cause dilation of arterioles, capillaries and venules, in order to increase the blood flow through them (Copstead Banasik 2010). Therefore, peripheral blood flow is increased as well as venous return (Copstead Banasik 2010). Ven ous return is a major factor that influences preload and the increased venous return means increased preload (Copstead Banasik 2010). Preload is one of the factors that determines stroke volume, and when preload increases, stroke volume increases as well (Copstead Banasik 2010). On the other hand, the cardiovascular system is controlled by medulla oblongata of the brainstem and the neurons communicate with the heart via autonomic nervous system (Craft, J et al. 2011). The Bainbridge reflex causes increased heart rate with increased venous return at the same time (Craft, J et al. 2011). Mr. Toscanas ECG shows elevated ST segment and tale T wave as well. They are both signs of hyperkalaemia (Humphreys 2007). This condition can also be confirmed by his potassium level. The normal range of potassium is 3.5-5mEq/L, and his potassium is 5.8mEq/L (Humphreys 2007). Interpretation of Pathology Tests Mr. Toscanas Arterial Blood Gas Result shows that pH is 7.34 and the normal range is 7.35-7.45, which means his pH is lower than normal range. Hasan (2009) states that pH lower than normal range represents acidosis. According to Cowley, Owen Bion (2013) that high level of blood carbon dioxide means respiratory acidosis, and low level of bicarbonate means metabolic acidosis. The Arterial Blood Gas Result of Mr. Toscana shows blood carbon dioxide and bicarbonate is 51mmHg and 18mmol/L respectively. The normal range of blood carbon dioxide is 35-45mmHg and that for bicarbonate is 22-28mmol/L. Thus, his blood carbon dioxide level is higher and bicarbonate level is lower, which explains that Mr. Toscana is suffering both respiratory and metabolic acidosis (Hasan 2009). Besides, Mr. Toscanas blood oxygen level is 70mmHg and the acceptability range is 75-100mmHg. According to Hasan (2009) low blood oxygen level indicates hypoxia. SaO2 (saturation of haemoglobin by oxygen) is the most common way to monitor oxygen level in the body. For a healthy person, SaO2 below 95% shows lack of oxygen in the body and can lead to hypoxia (Humphreys 2007). There are many causes of metabolic acidosis, such as hyperlactataemia, ketoacidosis and renal tubular acidosis (Halperin, Kamel Goldstein 2010). In this case, based on his history of chronic renal impairment, the cause of his metabolic acidosis is more likely the renal tubular one (Halperin, Kamel Goldstein 2010). One of the functions of the kidneys is to clear the bodys acid load (Halperin, Kamel Goldstein 2010). However, for patients with chronic renal impairment, their kidneys are already damaged and they are losing normal renal function (Craft, J et al. 2011). Therefore, kidneys cannot remove acid out of body in an adequate rate. When the acid builds up in the body, it will neutralise with bicarbonate and generate carbon dioxide (Halperin, Kamel Goldstein 2010). Normally carbon dioxide will be exhaled. However, in this case, because Mr. Toscana suffers from an acute pulmonary oedema, he cannot exhale carbon dioxide effectively (Craft, J et al. 2011). One of the symptoms of pulmonary oedema is hypoxemia, which is low level of blood oxygen in the body (Craft, J et al. 2011). This occurs as the excess fluid builds up in the extravascular spaces, and impairs normal gas exchange in the lungs (McPhee Hammer 2010). Moreover, pulmonary oedema can cause dyspnoea, which is a difficulty of breathing and eventually it can damage alveoli (Craft, J et al. 2011). Both dyspnoea and the damaged alveoli can worsen the inadequate gas exchange (Craft, J et al. 2011). Based on Craft, J et al. (2011) when inadequate gas exchange occurs, oxygen in the alveoli cannot get into vessels and the carbon dioxide cannot go in to alveoli to be exhaled. While carbon dioxide accumulates in the body, pH decreases and respiratory acidosis occurs (Halperin, Kamel Goldstein 2010). In this case, besides the inadequate gas exchange, the chronic renal impairment also contributes to the increase of carbon dioxide in the body. The blood test results show both high level of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Based on Thomas Thomas (2009) creatinine results from muscular metabolism and will be cleaned out of the body by the kidneys. Urea nitrogen is resulted from protein metabolism and it will also be cleaned out of body by the kidneys (Thomas Thomas 2009). The reason for the increase in both creatinine and urea nitrogen levels is because of the decreased glomerular filtration rate, which is an indication of chronic renal disease (Craft, J et al. 2011). Holistic Plan of Nursing Care The first nursing care for Mr. Toscana is in fact to provide a reassurance to him as he is distressed by the tightness of CPAP mask and his difficulty in breathing. There is a very high chance that he will remove the CPAP mask. If CPAP is removed, it will make it even harder for him to breathe (Ducros et al. 2010). Nurses can educate Mr. Toscana on the use of CPAP and explain to him that by using CPAP, he can breathe more easily (Nehyba 2006). Nurses can also get his family involved to give reassurance to Mr. Toscana. Then, because Mr. Toscanas oxygen saturation is lower and he is presenting respiratory acidosis, nurses need to keep his oxygen saturation up (Lemone Burke 2011). Due to his acute pulmonary oedema, CPAP is a more effective way to deliver oxygen and open up more air ways, which in return improves his gas exchange in the lungs and reduces work of breathing (Ducros, L et al. 2010). Nurses need to remind themselves of a few things while looking after patients breathe with CPAP. First, CPAP mask needs to be sealed properly and tightened to provide a positive pressure air (Ducros, L et al. 2010). Second, nurses need to monitor the patients closely for any change in oxygen saturation and respiratory rate (Ducros, L et al. 2010). Third, they should allow breaks in between sections of the treatment so that patients can cough, drink or eat (Nehyba 2006). Also, breaks can release the pressure caused by CPAP mask and decrease the risk of pressure ulcer. Finally, like any other medical procedure, CPAP also has its adverse effects. When a full mask is used, CPAP therapy can lead to gastric distension (Nehyba 2006). In addition, some air can go into stomach and cause discomfort, splinting of the diaphragm and reduce lung expansion. Therefore, nasogastric tube may be required at some stage (Nehyba 2006) Monitoring Mr. Toscanas fluid intake and urine output is also important, as he has a history of chronic renal impairment and presenting pulmonary oedema (Lemone Burke 2011). A fluid balance chart can be used. If there is a negative balance, doctors need to be notified accordingly (Lemone Burke 2011). Nurses need to educate Mr. Toscana on adequate fluid intake. His vital signs also need to be monitored, especially his oxygen saturation and respiratory rate (Lemone Burke 2011). He is presenting signs of hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis, which can lead to respiratory failure (Craft, J et al. 2011). Therefore, closely monitoring his oxygen saturation and respiratory rate can identify any trend towards respiratory failure so as to intervene earlier to prevent it from happening. Cardiac monitoring is also required for Mr. Toscana because of the following reasons. First, his ECG shows heart rate of 120 which means tachycardia. Second, the most likely cause of his acute pulmonary oedema is heart failure. Third, abnormal potassium level can cause cardiac arrest (Humphreys 2007). Moreover, nurses need to check for any new arterial blood gas results and blood test results to be aware of any changing situation of the patient. Finally, as Mr. Toscana has a history of chronic renal impairment and both his arterial blood gas results and blood tests result show trend of renal failure, acute dialysis may be needed for him (Daugirdas, Blake, Ing 2012). For patients with chronic renal disease, their renal functions are impaired and some toxic wastes cannot be removed from their bodies (Craft, J et al. 2011). Dialysis is the only effective way to help them to remove these toxic wastes (Daugirdas, Blake, Ing 2012). Nurses cannot order dialysis. However, they can discuss patients conditions and tests result with doctors to arrange dialysis if necessary. Summary Pulmonary oedema is a crucial condition that can lead to respiratory failure. This condition can be caused by heart failure and worsen by chronic renal diseases. Procedures such as ECG, arterial blood gas test and blood tests can help nurses to understand patients conditions can identify any trend of deterioration. A detailed, holistic nursing care plan can help nurses to provide better care for patients.

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Essay example -- anaphylaxis

Imagine eating in the cafeteria and suddenly becoming short of breath as your throat starts to close up. There are 6 million children living in the world who are at high risk of experiencing this condition (Cianferoni, 2012). This condition is called anaphylaxis caused from an allergen. This can turn into a life-threatening situation. School systems need grants to provide adequate care to these students that experience anaphylaxis to prevent from lethal occurrences. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act is the answer to decrease the risk of these situations. The bill authorizes the Congress to give funding to the schools if they meet the following requirements: maintain an emergency supply of epinephrine, permit trained personnel of the school to administer epinephrine, and develop a plan for ensuring trained personnel are available to administer epinephrine during all hours of the school day (H.R. 2094, 2013). This bill can affect the overall healthcare system by providing a safe environment in the schools for children and providing peace of mind for the families of children with allergies. Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction that occurs suddenly and without warning. It is severe and can be deadly if not treated immediately. During anaphylaxis, the airways tighten and cause difficulty breathing, swallowing, wheezing, loss of consciousness and sometimes hives. Anaphylaxis can occur not only from food allergies, but also medications and insect bites (Kim & Fischer, 2011). In children, food allergies are the most common source of anaphylaxis (Kim & Fisher, 2011). Anaphylaxis is treated with a medication called Epinephrine. In Massachusetts, the department of health found that a fourth of the students who needed Epinephrin... ...reasonably believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction; and has in place a plan for having on the premises of the school during all operating hours of the school one or more individuals who are trained personnel of the school (H.R. 2094, 2013). This act is extremely important in the healthcare of the society. Without adequate funds and access to non-patient specific epinephrine during these situations could result in insecurity and possibly death in the school system. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine will provide families assurance that their children will be safe and protected and if the situation occurs, that they would be treated promptly and effectively. Not only will this act provide peace of mind for families and children, but also allow the society as a whole to trust the legislative system to provide for their healthcare needs when they arise.

The Reasons Behind Puerto Rican Migration to America Essay -- History

The Reasons Behind Puerto Rican Migration to America As a Puerto Rican who was born and raised in Hartford, I did not think much about how or why my parents are here in the United States. It was after reading the articles in Hist 247 Reader: Latinos in the USA that I began to question the reasons and conditions of my grandparent's migration. Many think that Puerto Ricans began to migrate to the United States after 1898 when the United States took over Puerto Rico but Puerto Ricans have been migrating to the US since 1840's. The Puerto Rican migration is best described in two different experiences. The first experience from later 19th Century to early 20th Century is the migration due to the economic and social situations in Puerto Rico while the second experience from 1940's to the present is mostly due to the chain migration and the thought that the United States will offer them a better life. Both waves of migration brought new experiences to the United States like the struggle of identity, politics, and power. The fundamental motive for leaving Puerto Rico was economic. The article "The Genesis of the Puerto Rican Migration" mentions that during 1878-1879 there was a major shift in capitalist mode from haciendas to sugar plantations. Around 1870 braceros and peasants began to leave the island to go to Santo Domingo, Cuba, etc... Under North American domination 1898-1901, Puerto Rico became an expansion in which allowed " for control of the means of production in the colony and the transformation of the "sugar islands" into exporters of products needed in the metropolis" (Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueà ±o 348). To the United States, Puerto Rico became a means to gain more capital and power in the Caribbean. I agree with C... ...which our early ancestors had to deal with we still have to deal with like discrimination, stereotypes, and unemployment but not as badly as they did. We need to become one instead of trying to compete with each other in order to achieve what our ancestors wanted. Our politics have gone from class politics, ethnic politic to identity politics. We need to keep fighting in order to be represented in government and for our voices to be heard. Bibliography Barradas, Efrain. "How to Read Bernardo Vega" Hist. 247 Reader Cruz, Jose E. Identity and Power: Puerto Rican Politics and the Challenge of Ethnicity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998. Dietz, James. "Migration and International Corporations: The Puerto Rican Model of Development" Hist. 247 Reader Figueroa, Luis, ed. His. 247 Reader. Department of History. Trinity College. Spring 1999 edition.

Culture Art and Technology Essay

Among figures of religion, Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammed, and Siddhartha Gautama are some of the prominent individuals who have shared before the world their religious experiences with respect to their own religion. Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism have all received a great amount of fundamental advancement from the ideas and actions of these important individuals. Not only did they help shape the very religion they are attached to—they established it like no other. Yet even though their beliefs and characters are particularly unique from one another being human examples of the tradition in which they are a part of, they still hold one common strand—they all had religious experiences that were influenced by their family ties, geographical location and cultural background to name a few. Through the course of the years, history tells us that the raids later evolved into a struggle motivated by religious grounding— believers against non-believers. This indicates the idea that the spiritual experiences and conquests of Mohammed hold a central position in defining the religious practices of Muslims. While Gandhi espouses peaceful and non-violent methods in attaining the causes of Hinduism, Mohammed and Islam’s concept of jihad adopts the idea that religion itself can be the primary reason for engaging in violent measures in order to further the goal of Islam. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Mohammed’s role in the development of Islam as an established religion in many countries separated by geographical boundaries is crucial inasmuch as it cannot be denied. The same holds true for Siddhartha Gautama whose reputation in the religion of Buddhism is greatly acknowledged as essential both by believers and academic scholars. As Herman Hesse suggests, Siddhartha espouses the idea that, for one to know one’s quest in life, it is imperative to find the source from within and not from without, like a â€Å"flowing river† that attracts â€Å"a deep love for this flowing water† (Hesse 100). Introspection, or an inner contemplation, is one of the main precepts being pushed forward by Siddhartha which further suggests the idea that each individual must take time to isolate one’s self from others in order to be able to focus and to introspect. This idea can be rooted from one of Siddhartha’s life-transforming moments. The religious experience of Siddhartha began after his encounter with a sick man, a poor man, a beggar and a corpse that revealed unto him the idea that humanity is filled with sorrow brought about by the sufferings in life . Being isolated away from the outside world after being confined within his home for almost the entire duration of his early years, Siddhartha began to realize the deeper side of life after the experience. He decided to leave behind his previous lifestyle and pursued, instead, a life of intense asceticism. However, Siddhartha realized that to live one’s life is to neither live in excessive abundance of wealth and material possessions nor in extreme plainness after overhearing a teacher discussing music. In the end, he pursed the Middle Way, or the way of life that takes the middle path instead of the extremes . These aspects hold the key to understanding the Buddhists’ primary religious experience which is significantly felt, at least in modern times, in the social context of teaching others the way of living life in the Middle Path through a life of internal contemplation or personal reflection. As Siddhartha dedicated his life to pursuing the Middle Path after his yogic meditations, followers of the Buddhist religion later on adopted this method as one of the cornerstones or identities of their group. This suggests the idea that the religious experience of Buddhists in general is strongly tied to a personal level as its most basic foundation. Manifested through yogic meditations, Buddhist monks of today incorporate in their daily lives these principles . Moreover, it can be observed that Islam calls for a life that is centered on Allah while Hinduism, as exemplified by the life of Gandhi, calls for a life that should be dedicated towards the lives of others . It is religious imperative in Islam that Muslims should direct their lives towards revering Allah in every thought and action and that, correspondingly, the religious experience of every Muslim should all the more reflect their strong attachment to Allah (Boyd 69). As Mohammed himself is the foremost Muslim who has been able to fully actualize this thought, it remained an integral part in the lives of the millions of Muslims all around the world. This incorporates the idea that the religious experience of a single individual—the prophet Mohammed—has greatly affected the succeeding generations that came to follow the same path. While Islam essentially requires the primordial importance of Allah, Hinduism has been closely attached to the sense that it is a religion that is centered on others. The same holds true for Buddhism although the religion reflects reverence to â€Å"the Awakened One† or Buddha and that Hinduism itself has its own versions of celestial entities or â€Å"Devas† as well as the concept of â€Å"Brahman† which refers to the greater Self or God. These things constitute the belief that, although Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam have parallel ideas of higher beings or divine entities, it appears that Islamic treatment for a higher being supersedes those of the other two. This can be rooted out from the fact that the scriptures of Islam and its religious followers and believers put Allah above everything else while Hinduism and Buddhism, through their yogic meditations, allow or give due importance to the self as well. This is not to say that Islam as a religion does not give due importance to its believers. It only entails the idea that Islam treats man as a being that should be placed under Allah and that Hinduism and Buddhism illustrate a rather more salient consideration for the welfare of man. Mahatma Gandhi, for example, showed his concern for others by teaching the poor exploited peasants in the region of Champaran in Bihar about the satyagraha, inquiring about their sufferings, educating them to fight for their rights and at the same time to carry out their obligations to the nation as a whole . Siddhartha, on the other hand, lived his forty-five years traveling along the country, finding sustenance on the alms given by other people after teaching the people the means that will liberate humanity from worldly sufferings . Moreover, one of the notable religious experiences of both Gandhi and Siddhartha is pegged on the idea that they both waged a â€Å"battle† in terms of forwarding their beliefs in the context of their religion. While Gandhi strived for peaceful measures—passive resistance, for example—in order to achieve his aim for a peaceful world with equality among religions and Siddhartha pushed his ideologies of liberating humanity from the worldly sufferings they experience through teaching them the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Mohammed took a rather different approach. The fact that Mohammed engaged in jihad or in battles through the â€Å"sword† reveals the idea that Mohammed will take up arms in defending the religion against aggressors or in forwarding Islamic tenets. Thus, it can be argued that the religious experience of Mohammed, or at least the part in which he waged battles in his religious life, is distinctively different from those of Gandhi and Siddhartha. The differences in the religious experiences among the three can be largely seen on their corresponding actions and exploits during their existence and the resulting consequences it created on their religions. This also affects these religions view on disasters. Jihad is indubitably a central part of Islam; Yogic meditations play a significant role in Buddhism and Hinduism with former embracing the Middle Path and the latter guiding the lives of its believers through its sacred texts. The Qur’an greatly emphasizes the idea that Allah should be above everything else; Hinduism seeks to treat everyone and every other religion their due recognition in the sense that to each is his own truth or, at the most, God; and Buddhism’s goal is to free human beings from suffering and the cycle of rebirth and make them know the â€Å"truth†. Conclusion The religious experiences of Mahatma Gandhi, Siddhartha Gautama, and Mohammed all have a great bearing on the religions they belong to. These individuals have a large sum of contributions not only to the expansion of the reaches of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam but on the very central precepts of these religions. Although each of them has their own specific religious experiences and beliefs, and that while it may be true that each of them forwards distinctive approaches in meeting their religious goals, they all nevertheless share the parallel idea that religion is a significant section of their lives. In essence, however, their respective cultural background, geographical location, and family ties among many others have strongly shaped their religious experiences which, as a consequence, influenced their religion. Above all these, by comparing and contrasting the lives of Mohammed, Siddhartha and Gandhi, one is able to better understand some of the main—and oftentimes subtle—differences between these religions view on disasters in life. References: Aly, A. â€Å"The Life of the Prophet Muhammad†. 1999. (October 3, 1999): AT&T Knowledge Ventures. April 2008. . Borman, William. â€Å"Life, the Chief Value: Wrong Aims and Methods, and False Views. † Boyd, Stephen Blake. â€Å"Malcolm X’s Religious Pilgrimage: From Black Separatism to a Universal Way. † Redeeming Men: Religion and Masculinities. Ed. Stephen Blake Boyd. Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. 69. Gandhi and Non-Violence. Albany, N. Y. : State University of New York Press, 1986. 200. Gandhi, Mahatma. An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Long Island, N. Y. : Buccaneer Books Inc, 2007. Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam Classics, 1981. Levine, Marvin. â€Å"The Story of Siddhartha. † The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga: Paths to a Mature Happiness: With a Special Application to Handling Anger. Mahwah, N. J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. , 2000. 12. â€Å"Life of Siddhartha Gautama†. 2002. Human Ecology. April 2008. . Mahatma Gandhi: His Life in Pictures. New Delhi: The Central Electric Press, 1954. Neusner, Jacob, and Tamara Sonn. â€Å"Jihad (Islam). † Comparing Religions through Law: Judaism and Islam. New York: Routledge, 2002. 203. â€Å"Some Thoughts on the Power of Focused, Principled Hatred. † Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror. Washington, D. C. : Brassey’s Books, 2004. 6. Swenson, Don. â€Å"The Dilemma of Delimitation: The Study of Ethos. † Society, Spirituality, and the Sacred: A Social Scientific Introduction. Peterborough, Ont. , Canada: New York Broadview Press, 1999. 255. Yob, Iris M. â€Å"Growing up Buddhist. † Keys to Interfaith Parenting. Hauppauge, N. Y. : Barron’s, 1998. 79.

The Context of Social, Cultural and Consumer Behaviour – Article Review

Gordon A. Haaland Summary People often behave differently. And since these behaviours are not identical, they are construed to parallel constructs such as learning, attitudes, influence and reference groups. The author has presented certain levels of analysis that provide for the source for interpreting and recognising the theory of social, cultural and consumer behaviour. Social behaviour can be appropriately conceptualized through these varying levels of analysis, which at different points of time, have been suggested by several social theorists. The problems encountered at various levels of analysis, has been illustrated by taking the example of the author’s experience of living in Norway for a year. In addition, the experience of being considered a ‘cultural stereotype’ has also been illustrated through the same example. To investigate the causes of such cross-cultural behavioural patters existing in a society that is moving towards rapid industralisation such as Norway and to conduct a research on the changes in the patterns of the interpersonal behaviour, the author has offered 11 propositions in order to address these issues. These propositions are centered on the varying levels of analysis that was put forth to study the different constructs of social, cultural and consumer behaviour. And the propositions do present a context for the analysis with a special concern for the type of culture that is being taken into consideration. Review The article suggests the context for studying the theory and the rationale of social and consumer behaviour. In doing so, the author has identified certain constructs that are perceived to govern social and consumer behaviour. He further suggests levels of analysis that would provide for an understanding into the inter-disciplinary factors of cross-culture and culture-specific behaviour. When the author cites the reference made by Kuhn (1962) regarding ‘paradigm’, i. e. social sciences needs a paradigm like that of natural science, it holds true when all of social behaviour is abridged to a set of related phenomenon. In that context, the author’s contention that when social behaviour is assumed a unitary phenomenon, then any of the given disciplines (disciplines often followed by social and behavioural scientists) can be paradigmatic also holds good. Various concepts suggested by various theorists, for the levels of analysis have been given importance for the insinuations provided for understanding social behaviour. Triandis, Malpass and Davidson (1973) argument that behaviour is a function of a person’s abilities, subjective culture, personal dispositions, physical environment, social structure and so on, most of the variables as pointed out by the author are prevalent in a contemporary set up. Hansen (1972)* says that an individual is also driven by ‘perceived individuality and value importance’ which also help affect decision making. More often than not, the effect depends on the degree of positive and negative reward that was previously associated with the value. It can therefore, be assumed that these two variables can also be considered as behavioural constructs. The issue of ‘culture stereotyping’ has been brilliantly explained by the author, by taking the example of no other that his own. The cross-cultural references had been drawn from his own experiences of his stay in Norway for nearly one year. But considering the social, economic, cultural and demographic arrangement in Norway, the example of being treated as a culture stereotype limits the study of interpersonal behaviour and crossculture between the Norwegians and the Americans. Similar constructs for analysis in different geographic locations may not hold significance, as the behavioural patterns and culture-specific stereotypes may be different. The propositions set out by the author have been arrived at after the research that was carried out by him during his stay in Norway. Though hypothetical, these propositions are meant to cut down the levels of analysis into ‘singular set of statements’ that would present a view on the concept from a broader perspective. Most of the propositions mentioned by the author, concentrate on the idea of social and consumer behaviour within the confines of a set up. A set up such as a workplace, a group of people sharing similar attributes (by interlocking normative behaviour of people within an organisation) or people who belong to a culture that has evolved for centuries with little or less change. The author also talks about the existence of ‘meaningful boundaries’, wherein he assumes cohesiveness in a group as a system. Group cohesiveness, by and large, is determined by the attributes of persons forming that group and the interests they share among one another. Boundaries as the author has pointed out refers to the units measured being naturally related and not the place or structure. Taking into account Berrien’s (1968) inferences about boundaries, it should be considered that boundaries transcend beyond natural levels. Certain other propositions that pertain to ‘time and place’ define the necessity of studying culture across various generational as well as geographic differences. Studies which are limited to only one time and place would also result in a single time and place analysis. The idea to study multiple levels of analysis across cultures by remaining within the constructs of a particular level of analysis is apt. Cross-cultural phenomenon that explain similarities in cultures as ‘etic’ and dissimilarities as ‘emic’ proves the importance of digressing from various levels of time and place and study social behaviour by delineating conditions of interaction with time and place. The other propositions that deal with selection of methodology and design questions for the level of analysis and the use of multivariate analysis and preparation of theoretical statements for a particular level follow suit. Propositions seven, eight, nine and ten provide with the details at each level, thereby giving a meaningful insight into the levels of analysis. The author talks about there being no ‘apriori’ basis for selecting a level for social analysis centered on consumer behaviour. This can be considered a valid statement since consumer problems are diverse and assume proportions of complexities when encountered in different scenarios and culture set ups. The propositions as put forth by the author do provide an insight into the varying levels of complexities in social, cultural and consumer behaviour, but these propositions could fall vulnerable to deeper investigation into the context of social behaviour. All the views and opinions expressed by the author may pertain to a particular generation, but the relevance of these propositions remain to be the same. It is all a matter of time, so to say, when cross-cultural insinuations and study of social behavioural patterns across different cultures could indeed present revealing analysis of consumer behaviour.

Business Intelligence System modeling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Intelligence System modeling - Essay Example In order to remain relevant in a competitive business environment, an organization should have a strong change management strategy that must influence all departments within an organization. In this business model, management processes, supportive processes and operational processes are interlinked to avoid departmental miscommunication. Centralization of information and data is vital in ensuring appropriate decision making process and implementation of an organization’s policy (Tennet &Economic group, 2005). Exponential Smooth This system modeling technique is essential in making future projections that are essential for risk aversion and developing financial strategies that can withstand economi9c shocks. A business may be affected by fiscal and monetary factors that may lead to inflation. As such, it is important for any business to develop computer programs that can utilize present performance of a business to detect future trends. One of the essential concepts that need to be applied is triple exponential smoothing. This business modeling technique takes into account seasonal changes when projecting possible business performance. This technique analyses the present business trends and uses them to make future projections. It takes into account the time variable (t), sequence of best time estimate for seasonal change (b), seasonal correction factor sequence c1, and the expected proportion of the forecasted trend (c2) (Tennet &Economic group, 2005). Data envelopment Data envelopment enhances productivity. It is essential in management and cost accounting department of an organization. This technique is used to measure the productive efficiency of decision making units in the organization. Data envelopment utilizes the cost variable such as labor cost in searching for the lowest unit in any given cost output in order to promote an efficient frontier. Any organization that does not have an efficient frontier is considered as ineffective in a competitive business environment. Different variables that include quality of service, number of employees, and safety of the environment can be analyzed and compared with other companies in order to determine strategies that can enhance business performance. The advantage of this technique is that it has the ability of accommodating a multiplicity of outputs and inputs. It is also essential in calculating efficiency by allowing the analysis of output level and size in determining efficiency. Cost management i s essential for any business because it maximizes profit and minimizes cost. Since one of the major factors of any business is to increase profit, data envelopment is useful because it promotes efficiency of costing techniques and developing managerial decision based on cost accounting data (Tennet &Economic group, 2005). Non linear programming This method uses mathematical optimization in solving non linear problems. It applies equalities and inequalities systems in determining long term business survival strategies. This technique is essential in forecasting an organization’s income statement to determine its profitability. In a typical non- convex problem, it can be used to optimize a specific expense among different forms of expenses to determine one that is economical. For instance, it can minimize transport cost by selecting a transport system that is economical. This technique is

Unions in China and Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unions in China and Germany - Essay Example The essay "Unions in China and Germany" talks about the time when Hitler ruled in Germany and the union between Germany and China. Under the rule of Hitler, Germany saw a transformation into a dictatorship from a republic through the coordination process. After 1934 August, it became a totalitarian state.The ACFTU is the only legal organization of trade unions. It is structured to suit the requirements of a socialist power economy. With the start of liberalization in China in 1978, the ACFTU experienced a turning point as it was fed by the peasant economy’s surplus labor. On the other hand, in Germany, Hitler realized that unions exercised more power than he could over the workers. Although he needed the workers to back him, he did not wish the unions to have so much power and, therefore, all unions were banned and the state assumed their roles. The German Labor Force deliberately masked in patriotism, replaced all unions. To gain the workers’ support, they were offered improved lifestyles and subsidized holidays, but the right to strike was taken away. Strikes became illegal. Leadership was from top to down, with the working class having no power of say. In China, the trade unions’ National Congress is the highest level of decision making, together with the ensuing ACFTU Executive Committee. It is worth noting that although only the ACFTU is legal, power is transferred to it from the top and distributed among other democratically elected offices. The unions at the grassroots allow dual leadership.; from the national level and at the local level. The National Congress holds a meeting after every five years and when it goes into recess, its powers are exercised by the Executive Committee, which takes charge of the unions. Through the Executive Committee, elections are conducted to choose a chairman, several vice chairmen and members of a Presidium, who form the Presidium that convenes the Executive Committee’s plenary session annually . When the Executive Committee goes into recess, the Presidium takes over power and holds plenary sessions quarterly. A Secretariat is created under the Presidium and it consists of a first secretary and a number of other secretaries who attend to the daily business of the ACFTU. Headquartered at the ACFTU is an auditing commission together with 12 other functioning departments ranging from finance to technical and legal. In the Federal Republic of Germany, associations for employers were reestablished with the founding of the republic, but did not achieve their status of power before the 1950s economic boom. Unlike China, several unions exist in Germany. Presently, there are a few hundred associations for employers and they are grouped under the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), Federation of German Industries (BDI) and German Industrial and Trade Conference (DIHT). The BDA is the labor unions’ negotiating counterpart in collective bargaining situations, while the BDI and DIHT influence the economic policy of the government. Labor in Federal Germany is further organized in three key centralized associations. They are the German Federation of Civil Servants, the German Union of Salaried Workers and the German Confederation of Trade Unions. The German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) is the largest by far. It represents the interests of its eight individual trade union members which, in turn, represent over six million workers. The position of the confederation pertaining to