Managing People and Change Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing People and Change - Case Study Example These reforms included having a financial budgeting that was strict. The job specifications were revised. Fund holding was also reintroduced by the Blair government. The Blair government emphasized outsourcing of medical services. (Rudolf, 2006) Research shows that the medical staff are demoralised since the Blair government came to power. This is because of the NHS redundancies and staff cuts. The NHS has encountered problems since the initiation of the Blair reforms. This is in relation to IT innovations and incorporation into the organization. The National Programme for IT was though to be the worlds largest. This project had conflicts with programme contractors and the Blair government. The estimated budgets for this program kept on rising from 2.3 billion to 30 billion. (David, 1989) The National Health Service Act was passed in the year 1946. It was implemented in the year 1948. Nigel Lawson described it as a national religion. The services in the NHS are free of charge. After the World War II there were great reforms which were initiated by William Beveridge. Large sums of money were used by the NHS in funding. During the 1980s there was the reformation of the management processes in NHS. This organization had tough strains in financing until the year 1987. During this year the government provided 101 million for use in NHS. There are various NHS agencies such as NICE and SIGN. (Allyson, 2004) Improvement agencies role in health sector used to implement changes in NHS The role of the modernization agencies is to give assistance to the local clinicians. They help in the redesigning of the local services in the health sector. They ensure that the health sector provides services that are patient oriented. They also provide clinical governance services to the health sector. Modernization agencies help in leadership development in the health sector. They ensure that there is the improvement of the services that are given to patients and other customers in the health. There is provision of a regulatory oversight that is independent. (DoH, 1997) Improvement agencies have helped in implementing various changes in the NHS. These include ensuring that the length of waiting time for the patients is greatly reduced through variations in the discharging of the patients. The admission process of the patients is also changed. The patients follow up has been changed such that it is only done when necessary. There is the reduction of the queue numbers such that patient access to the services is greatly improved. (DoH, 1999) Care & Repair England This health improvement agency established with an objective of meeting the health needs of older and disabled citizens. Its roles are; to act as agents of service users in the health sector. It also provides the necessary policy framework for the other agencies within the mandate offered by the department of health. (Rampton, 2003) Organisational change models used by improvement organizations NIATx process improvement model This process model is based on some key principles which entail; involving and understanding the customer, fixing key challenges for the chief executives, picking powerful change leaders, adopting rapid-cycle testing procedures and obtaining ideas from partners outside the organizational field. (Burnes, 2004) Penn State improvement model

Glow Essay Example for Free

Glow Essay Investigation of the effect of cold temperatures on the lasting time of glow sticks. Aim: to investigate whether freezing a glow stick will affect its longevity. Hypothesis: The glow sticks will last longer when they are frozen than when they are at room temperature. Background information: Glow sticks are made of hydrogen peroxide, a phenyl oxalate called ester, and phosphorescent dye. The ester and phosphorescent dye are kept in one part of the glow stick, the hydrogen peroxide in the other, separated by a piece of glass. No chemical reaction occurs until the glass breaks, combining the chemicals together inside the tube. Cooling a glow stick slows the reaction a slightly and causes it to last longer, but the light is dimmer. This can be demonstrated by freezing an activated glow stick. When it is reheated, it will begin to glow again. However, if the chemical reaction has already occurred and the glow stick has already gone out, freezing the glow stick will not cause it to begin glowing again. A high quality glow stick will last 8-12 hours, provided there is no otherwise interference. It will glow faintly for about one day after this time period is over, however the primary glow will have gone out. Other factors, such as the color of the glow stick (Green, yellow and orange are the brightest colors and therefore last the longest. ), the previous treatment of the glow sticks (Sometimes, a glow stick will have been accidently activated by being knocked over or bumped before the activator intends to, meaning that the chemical reaction may have already occurred by the time it is intended to be activated. ) and the amount of light they are exposed to and for how long. (Being hit with direct light damages the glow stick, lessening its longevity. )

The Truth about Hackers Essay -- Hacking Computers Crackers Essays

The Truth about Hackers The Truth about Hackers In the winter of the year 2000 an eighteen year old hacker, who went by the name Curador accessed about 26, 000 credit card numbers and put them on the internet. With the help of an ex-hacker, Curador was eventually tracked down and sentenced. All of this was explained in a frontline interview with Curador himself also known as Raphael Gray. Who are these so called hackers? Are peoples assumptions about teenage hackers correct? In 1995 the movie Hackers portrayed the images and lifestyles of hackers similar to the one mentioned above. The characters in Hackers show a media example of finding themselves in cyberspace by forming a community which creates their own boundaries. According to Coppin, hacking is the process of writing and reading code. People who code in an open range of society are hackers. The term a hack is often meant as a fast and dirty solution. Hackers are often confused with hackers are crackers. Crackers are people who break into or crack co mputer security systems (Coppin). In Hackers, high school cyberpunk teenagers get together and associate with the rave lifestyle known as techno. Due to the medias portrayal of the average hacker, people constantly associate hackers as teens with a love for techno music and rave-like gatherings. This is not necessarily true. Anyone can be a hacker. Even those with a family, a job, and an ideal lifestyle, including females have the potential of being a hacker. Therefore, no stereotypical labels should be placed on hackers due to their possible diversity. Hackers influences the way people tend to associate how everyday hackers are supposed to be. Hackers also show how hackers form their own cyber communities. They share simil... ...se would not have been solved. Work Cited Coppin, Sharon. Computer Hacking Statistics. August 2003. 30 September 2003. Gordon, Sarah. Studying the Psychology of Virus Writers and Hackers. March 2003. 30 September 2003. Gray, (Curador) Raphael. Who are Hackers? March 2003. 30 September 2003. Hackers. Dir. Iain Softly. Metro Goldwyn Mayer, 1995. Holeton, Richard. Composing Cyberspace Identity, Community, and Knowledge in the Electronic Age. The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. 1998. Reid and Count Zero. Cult of the Dead Cow. March 2003. 30 September 2003.

Management 1st Year Assignment

Wakaberry Assignment Anthony Smit SN: 2011041007 Section A: Question 1 1. 1. ) a) Social and cultural forces from the macro-environment should be taken into account and a variable from the macro-environment that has influenced the Wakaberry business is the Healthier Lifestyle variable. People today are more health conscious than ever. This has influenced Wakaberry to create yoghurt that is 98% fat free. The impact of this variable is shown from this excerpt in the case study: â€Å"Wakaberry offers 100% REAL frozen yogurt, which is 98% fat free; perfect for health-conscious consumers. † 1. ) b) Another macro-environment variable that has influenced the Wakaberry business is that of the Technological Environment. Technology is improving constantly and new products and services are born at an astounding rate. Wakaberry’s usage of the technologies from Foshan Taike Refrigerant Technology Company shows this. This technology is a unique self-service machine in every store. T he impact of this variable is shown from this excerpt in the case study: â€Å"Wakaberry has developed a competitive advantage by strategically forming an alliance with Foshan Taike Refrigerant Technology Co. o incorporate the unique self-service machinery in all stores. † 1. 2) a) An element of the market environment that has influenced Wakaberry is the competition between product forms. They have given consumers the ability to customize their products to their liking giving them the power over their product form. This influence from the market environment forced them to use something original to increase their competitive advantage.The impact of this variable is shown from this excerpt in the case study: â€Å"These machines allow consumers to be in full control of their own creations and providing the company with an opportunity to cater to consumer’s needs, thereby creating a unique store experience. † 1. 2) b) Another element from the market environment tha t influenced Wakaberry is the competition between the needs of consumers. This completion of needs of consumers has led Wakaberry to aggressively promote their product where they are situated trying to influence consumers to buy their product.The impact of this variable is shown from this excerpt in the case study: â€Å"The business has been very creative in tempting consumers to try the Wakaberry flavours, by offering free samples and product pamphlets outside various stores and at special events. In addition, to encourage purchases, first-time customers are provided with a 10 % discount†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2) Wakaberry operates in a Monopolistic competition market structure. There are many sellers, many buyers and no entry barriers but it is monopolistic and not perfect because the basic product is set – frozen yoghurt.The reason this market structure was chosen is because there are many firms with a small proportion of the market share with slightly differentiated products. Th e following excerpt from the case study prove this: â€Å"In order to stand out amongst the many yogurt and ice-cream providers in the industry, including the likes of Fresko, Marcel’s, Nanci’s and Yogurtiamo†(large market)†¦ â€Å"In addition, the business offers a wide variety of toppings and flavours, at an appealing price†. This links to differentiation) 3) a) The first skill I think that would be required for the tasks is Interpersonal skills. This refers to the person’s ability to communicate with, understand and motivate others and is thus of paramount importance for sufficiently completing this task set out in the case study: â€Å"Interact with staff members and Bloemfontein customers, ensuring that all involved with Wakaberry feel part and parcel of the ‘Waka’ family. b) The second skill I think that would be required is technical skills. This refers having knowledge of the matter at hand. In this case it could be knowl edge of the product and all or the relevant labour positions on the floor (cashier, store assistant, brand promoter). This skill would thus be important to effectively completing the following task set out in the case study: â€Å"Training of the new store staff including; cashiers, store assistants and brand promoters. †

Is it fair to blame investment bankers for the global downturn? Essay

It seems to be quite easy to jump on the ‘bank-wagon’ and blame investment bankers for the current global economical downturn. The current downturn in question is one which is generally accepted by the financial industry to have started in 2007, and was officially dated December 2007 by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).The question is, whether this industry and its bankers are the root cause, and if so, could they have avoided it? The word ‘bankers’ can imply different meanings to different people, so to clarify, when I use the word ‘bankers’ in this text, I am referring to investment bankers. The first article I analysed is by Jonathan Wang, Ph.D., and entitled ‘Real Causes For US Financial Meltdown and Global Recession’ (March 2009). Wang is the President of Amlink, a multi-million dollar company which provides links in trade and politics between China and the United States of America (USA). He is based in Michigan, USA. I will be comparing it to John Gapper’s ‘Promises that proved ultimately empty’ (January 9th 2012)[1]. Gapper is the assistant editor and chief business commentator for the Financial Times newspaper and website. He is based in New York, USA. Wang has an opinion that the bankers are unaccountable as the blame is with the governments whereas Gapper has an antipodal view in line with the assessment Wang gave, stating ‘it was within banks where the crisis emerged and where its heart still lies’. Wang seems to have a widespread knowledge of many fields. He has a Ph.D in geosciences from the University of Michigan. Geosciences have no relevance to economist articles on the banking industry but this Ph.D allowed him the expertise to start Amlink a year later, as he originally focused on importing and exporting high quality marble between US and China. He increased his links with the two countries by giving financial & trade advice (business consulting), intervening in politics, research & development, manufacturing and IT services. This how we gained his expertise. This expertise of 19 years strengthens his perspective as he has gained the relevant knowledge and skills to talk about this topic with credibility. However, his trade is between (mainly) US and China thus may so it is questionable to whether his experience can be applied to Europe, where many economies collapsed, such as Greece. Gapper currently works for the Financial Times (FT) since 1987, an international daily broadsheet newspaper and website, available in 24 countries. They have a daily readership of 2.1 million and 5.7 million online subscribers. His position is associate editor and chief business commentator. He was trained by the Mirror Group and worked for the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail & Daily Telegraph newspapers in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he has worked as columnist for the BBC, UK & Worldwide. His resume also lists New York Magazine, CNBC & CNN among his employers. This striking list of employers may show, at first glance, that he is not politically bias possibly leading him to be known as a highly reputable columnist. the Conservative Party, one that is centre-right; The Daily Mail is also a Conservative supporter; and However, his political stance may be more Conservative as the FT is a public supporter of the Daily Telegraph has been nicknamed the ‘Torygraph’ due to its support of the Conservative party. He has previously worked for politically independent media but his main contract of employment has been with FT since 1987. This political bias may narrow his perspective. Additionally, in 2011, he won four awards in multiple countries. In the United States he was awarded the Best Columnist Citation by the Society of American Business Editors & Writers; and in the UK he was award with the Best Business Columnist at the Comment Awards. He also has a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University. Both articles have strengths and weaknesses, and it is better to analyse these sections rather than attacking the author (ad hominem). The chain of argument in both articles has been constructed quite rigidly, and allows the statements made by the respective authors to reach their necessary conclusions. Wang concludes that increasing tax on the top income groups becomes necessary as the government must focus on stabilization rather than expansion. His main reasoning for this is ‘when the share of total income going to [the] top 10% reached 50%, the capital market crashed in the United States’. He also has an intermediate conclusion that the ‘Government’s improper interventions in the capital market before both episodes of crisis had accelerated the extreme inequalities and ultimately intensified the crisis.’ Wang reasons that ‘It is the extreme inequality that has resulted in the great depression in 1929 and again caused the global recession today’. This is fallacy of the single cause as the recession in 1929 has three are three general theories on what caused the 1929 depression, Keynesian, Monetarist & Austrian. None of these theories are based on inequality. The Monetarist view blamed the Federal Reserve for ignoring the importance of money, who themselves agreed with this and apologised on the 8th of November 2002 via Chairman Ben Bernanke[2]. It may be that the recession is part of the business cycle, and happens quite frequently whereas a depression is a sustained, long term economical downturn. The NBER stated that ‘The expansion [from November 2001 onwards] lasted 73 months’ which then strengthens Wang’s reason that ‘two major economic expansions led to two episodes of extreme inequalities in the United States. Both ended in severe economic depression.’ [3]Elizabeth Allgoewer (2002) states that this was the cause of the Great Depression, however the true cause is still being debated by economists, with around a dozen other heterodox economical theories such as non-debt inflation or population dynamics. His reasoning here needs further clarification or research before this can be fully taken as evidence. Gapper states that ‘driven by the rise of derivatives, the loosening of regulation and capital standards, and a hubristic belief that they had somehow broken their old habit of losing billions of dollars in downturns’. He does not strengthen this with any evidence on the ‘loosening of regulation’ etc., and deserted his statement. He also quotes credible sources such as Ranu Dayal, senior partner at the world’s leading advisor on business structure, the Boston Consulting Group – ‘There is a deep question of legitimacy that banks need to face up to’. However one of his sources is credited as being a Professor but in fact he is only an Associate Professor, a position which still has very high credibility, but of less than the one quoted by Gapper. Also, Gapper does not give any conflicting perspective, the only views you read are the ones that agree with him. This weakens his argument as he has not considered alternative perspectives. After analysing both articles, my view is still similar to Gapper and I already thought that it was fair to blame investment bankers for the 2007 downturn. Whilst I note that they dealt with a lot of money and it was not handled in a correct manner by anybody who had access to it (including the Federal Reserve), I also can see where Wang‘s concept bases its format. His perspective of social inequalities is only US based but I can understand his assumptions that expansion was high and the consequence of this led to social inequalities. This has happened elsewhere, such as during the Chinese Mao era of 1949-1976, in particular during the Great Leap Forward (1958-61). Gapper’s perspective has persuaded me that he is of more expertise than Wang as he is so influential in finance media. His analysis was concise and constructive. He quoted many important figures in his article including an executive director of the Bank of England; Chairman of the Financial Services Authority; and a Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan school. His arguments are quite strong however he does go a stage of a circular argument where he should be concluding his article. His evidence did strengthen my perspective however Wang’s comments led me to read more into financial theories, especially of those surrounding the 1929 Great Depression. He managed to intrigue me into the history of the financial world and I do believe that 1929 and 2007 are very similar in the cause, but the cause is the banking industry, not the housing market. Wang has only commented on the United States but his views may apply worldwide however his lack of evidence weakens his perspective as it is too narrow. My final conclusion is that investment bankers were the major, not the only, cause of the global downturn which started in 2007, and we have to share the blame for the current economical state

During the Wind and Rain Language Anaylse Essays

During the Wind and Rain Language Anaylse Essays During the Wind and Rain Language Anaylse Paper During the Wind and Rain Language Anaylse Paper During Wind and Rain During Wind and Rain by Thomas Hardy, a poem based on Time and Death, exploring the notion that in spite of the fact that life affects Joy and happiness, the years will catch up to us and take these moments away. Hardy uses a range of literary devices to enhance the sense of the nature of death and time to the reader. He uses Imagery In the form of metaphors to show that Time and Death work together to bring about the worst of an end to ones life. Sick leaves, white storm birds, rotten rose, and carved names are metaphors that conspire gather to represent death; the sickness of the leaves only occur at the end of Its time, birds are known to flee in the presence of a coming storm or natural disaster, the rotting off flower is the lowest of a roses life, for it is beautiful for the duration of Its life, other then when It meets Death and begins to become deformed and disintegrate. In his use of figurative language, Hardy also has a continuous structure to match hi s theme of Death and Time. The structure appears to stay regular, continuous in its appearance of four stanzas, with seven lines in each stanza with a unvarying ABACA rhyme scheme, which does not complement the to the theme. Hardy uses ellipses in each stanza, on every fifth line, giving a sense that the moment is left unfinished. This fits with the theme as its reflects the presence of Death, that it appears unnoticed and It does not matter how happy you become, you will always be taken away from it. It strengthens the point that Death prevents us from completing everything we want in life, ending the poem with the hint of an inevitable demise. In the end, the poem conjures a sense of transience, imprinting the image that peppiness is fleeting. Hardy gives the impression that he is a fatalist in this piece and his other pieces as he has continuously the repeating theme of Inevitable death and despair. It is implicated that his pessimistic attitude makes him believe that pleasure and contentment is only present for a moment before time catches up with you and you are captured by Death. What I also noticed was that Hardy never refers to himself in this poem; although he believes that Time and Death with catch up on everyone, he does not gives the impression that this would happen to him, as though e can accept everyone elses fate, but not his own. This is reflected In his use of the putting there as the first word of each stanza rather than *we. In essence there Is a repetition of the same effect of tone throughout the poem; of It being consistent till the end of the piece, but there is a shift half way through each of the four stanzas. At the beginning of each stanza there is an aura of contentment and never ending euphoria radiate from his words, with the first five lines being very idyllic. However, in the last two lines of each stanza, there is a shift in tone, making he scene more bleak and conjuring up images of desolation, death, disaster and unavoidable end to each stanza, and the poem itself. Neutral Tones Neutral Tones by Thomas Hardy, is a poem about the meeting of two past lovers, who lack the emotion of which they once felt towards each other. This absence of sensitivity is reflected not only in the facial expressions of the unknown couple, but also in the atmosphere surrounding them. Hardy uses a range of literary devices to project the true feelings, which are radiating from the narrator and his ex-lover. He uses imagery in the form of pathetic fallacy to enhance the lack of emotion in the poem. Although the poem is based on the feelings of which emit from the poem, or deficiency of it, the first and last stanza mainly consist of emphasizing the effect the surroundings play in the scene. The image of the pond [on a] winter day gives the image of a frozen surface; this reflects the emotions as like the still, unmoving, cold water, the feelings between the couple are also frozen and unable to return to how it once was. Hardy also inflicts the image of he sun being white, this not only emphasizes the lack of emotion, but having described it has being chide of God gives the effect that like the sun, their relationship is also cursed. Leaves lay and starving sod are two examples of alliteration and imagery that Hardy had used to accent the themes; leaves lay gives a very dragged out sound when read aloud, while starving sod gives a more staccato and forced effect on the tongue. The use of sibilance enhances the image that like the ground, their relationship is also starving from emotion. The leaves also being gray, shows the lack of bright colors in the surroundings, like the lack of a spark in the couple. In the third stanza, Hardy describes the womans smile to be the deadest thing; the bluntness of the word dead shows the end to the love they once shared, and with it to be alive enough to have the strength to die shows the extremities that has resulted because of their relationship. He uses similes to say that the grin of bitterness swept thereby was similar to the act of like an ominous bird a-wing. , which gives the image of a smooth motion that came easily to the woman. With the bird being ominous emphasizes the idea that for their relationship to continue would be lead to a bad future. With the last three lines of the final stanza reflecting the first stanza shows the effect of the atmosphere on the lack feelings and emotions between the couple. The structure appears to conspire with the theme, as it stays consistent throughout the poem. The poem is formed with four stanzas, with the syllable scheme being it resembles that of a sonnet. It has four lines per stanza with an ABA hymen scheme. This collaborates with the poem as there s no change in emotion throughout the poem, the feeling stay neutral and obvious from beginning to end. However, the poem also appears to be irregular with the use enjambment being random in each stanza and the ellipse at the end of the third stanza leaving the moment unfinished. In the end, the poem summons a sense of apathy in the female character of the story the African tribe of herringboning originated in the BBC, along side where the gods who are still alive since the beginning of man.

Explaining the Writing Experience Through Metaphors

Explaining the Writing Experience Through Metaphors Writing is like . . . building a house, pulling teeth, pounding a wall, riding a wild horse, conducting an exorcism, throwing a lump of clay on a potters wheel, performing surgery on yourself without anesthesia. When asked to discuss the experience of writing, authors often respond with figurative comparisons. Thats not too surprising. After all, metaphors and similes are the intellectual tools of the serious writer, ways of examining and imagining experiences as well as describing them. Here are 20 figurative explanations that aptly convey the  writing experience  from famous authors. Bridge BuildingI wanted to try to build a bridge of words between me and that world outside, that world that was so distant and elusive that it seemed unreal.(Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1975)Road BuildingThe maker of a sentence . . . launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, creative delight.(Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals, December 19, 1834)ExploringWriting is like exploring. . . . As an explorer makes maps of the country he has explored, so a writers works are maps of the country he has explored.(Lawrence Osgood, quoted in Axelrod Coopers Concise Guide to Writing, 2006)Giving Away Loaves and FishesWriting is like giving away the few loaves and fishes one has, trusting that they will multiply in the giving. Once we dare to give away on paper the few thoughts that come to us, we start discovering how much is hidden underneath these thoughts and gradually come in touch with our own ric hes.(Henri Nouwen, Seeds of Hope: A Henri Nouwen Reader, 1997) Opening a ClosetWriting is like opening the closet you havent cleared out in years. You are looking for the ice skates but find the Halloween costumes. Dont start trying on all the costumes right now. You need the ice skates. So find the ice skates. You can go back later and try on all the Halloween costumes.(Michele Weldon, Writing to Save Your Life, 2001)Pounding a WallSometimes writing is difficult. Sometimes writing is like pounding a brick wall with a ball-peen hammer in the hope that the barricade will evolve into a revolving door.(Chuck Klosterman, Eating the Dinosaur, 2009)WoodworkingWriting something is almost as hard as making a table. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood. Both are full of tricks and techniques. Basically, very little magic and a lot of hard work are involved.(Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez, The Paris Review Interviews, 1982)Building a HouseIt is helpful to me to pretend that writing is like building a house. I like to go out an d watch real building projects and study the faces of the carpenters and masons as they add board after board and brick after brick. It reminds me of how hard it is to do anything really worth doing.(Ellen Gilchrist, Falling Through Space, 1987) MiningWriting is to descend like a miner to the depths of the mine with a lamp on your forehead, a light whose dubious brightness falsifies everything, whose wick is in permanent danger of explosion, whose blinking illumination in the coal dust exhausts and corrodes your eyes.(Blaise Cendrars, Selected Poems, 1979)Laying PipeWhat civilians do not understandand to a writer, anyone not a writer is a civilianis that writing is manual labor of the mind: a job, like laying pipe.(John Gregory Dunne, Laying Pipe, 1986)Smoothing Ripples[W]riting is like trying to smooth ripples from water with ones handthe more I try, the more disturbed things get.(Kij Johnson, The Fox Woman, 2000)Renewing a WellWriting is like renewing a dried well: at the bottom, mud, muck, dead birds. You clean it out well and leave room for water to spring up again and ascend almost up to the brim so clean that even the children look at their reflections in it.(Luz Pichel, Pieces of Letters From My Bedroom. Writing Bonds : Irish and Galician Contemporary Women Poets, 2009) SurfingDelay is natural to a writer. He is like a surferhe bides his time, waits for the perfect wave on which to ride in. Delay is instinctive with him. He waits for the surge (of emotion? of strength? of courage?) that will carry him along.(E.B. White, The Paris Review Interviews, 1969)Surfing and GraceWriting a book is a bit like surfing. . . . Most of the time youre waiting. And its quite pleasant, sitting in the water waiting. But you are expecting that the result of a storm over the horizon, in another time zone, usually, days old, will radiate out in the form of waves. And eventually, when they show up, you turn around and ride that energy to the shore. Its a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If youre lucky, its also about grace. As a writer, you roll up to the desk every day, and then you sit there, waiting, in the hope that something will come over the horizon. And then you turn around and ride it, in the form of a story.(Tim Winton, interviewed by Aida Edemariam. The Gua rdian, June 28, 2008) Swimming Under WaterAll good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.(F. Scott Fitzgerald, in a letter to his daughter, Scottie)HuntingWriting is like hunting. There are brutally cold afternoons with nothing in sight, only the wind and your breaking heart. Then the moment when you bag something big. The entire process is beyond intoxicating.(Kate Braverman, quoted by Sol Stein in Stein on Writing, 1995)Pulling the Trigger of a GunWriting is like pulling the trigger of a gun; if you are not loaded, nothing happens.(attributed to Henry Seidel Canby)RidingWriting is like trying to ride a horse which is constantly changing beneath you, Proteus changing while you hang on to him. You have to hang on for dear life, but not hang on so hard that he cant change and finally tell you the truth.(Peter Elbow, Writing Without Teachers, 2nd ed., 1998)DrivingWriting is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that wa y.(attributed to E.L. Doctorow) WalkingThen wed revise, make the words walk slowly on the slippery trail.(Judith Small, Body of Work. The New Yorker, July 8, 1991)

List Building Tricks to Get 10,000 Subscribers Fast (Bryan Harris Interview)

List Building Tricks to Get 10,000 Subscribers Fast (Bryan Harris Interview) List Building Tricks to Get 10,000 Subscribers Fast (Bryan Harris Interview) We’ve all been there. One minute we’re sitting at our desk (or shower or in our car) when we’re struck by a genius idea that HAS to get out. We start to write and create without any thought to things like marketing or list building.Bryan Harris, serial entrepreneur and founder of Videofruit.com, calls this â€Å"writing in a cave.† He says writers/entrepreneurs need to avoid the â€Å"cycle of guaranteed failure† by really thinking about what needs to be done leading up to your book. If your book is something that only your mom and grandma know about, then your book launch is in trouble. Bryan stumbled upon his professional passion when he discovered the world of video editing and fell in love with the industry. Since then, he says that he’s been going crazy growing his new business. Through his business trials and tribulations, Bryan has gained valuable insight on how to grow an audience and launch your first book. Bryan learned that a lot o f strategies don’t work, but he’s developed some time-tested list building tricks that do work.Bryan says you should â€Å"Think of your list as a group of people eagerly waiting to buy from you. If you build it and nurture it right, you will have lifelong fans.†Ã‚  Debunking 3 Popular MythsBryan debunks three popular myths about growing your list and number of subscribers.Myth 1:You have to have the perfect idea.There’s the myth of waiting until everything is perfect to take action. The problem with this is that perfection is unattainable. If you wait for everything to be perfect to start a project, you’ll never start anything. You don’t find customers for your product, instead find products for your customers. Get people and an audience first, then the rest will follow. Myth 2: You have to be an expert in something before you can build your list and launch your book. A second common myth is that you need to establish yourself as an expert before you launch your book. Don’t fall prey to this myth. We caution you about attempting to play the part of guru. It’s far more effective to take a learn out loud approach. Take a topic and ask, â€Å"Are you curious about the topic? Can you share what you learn? Are you able to be humble, kind, and giving?† You can then share this information by phrasing it as, â€Å"Here are lessons you learned †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and your audience will respond. Myth 3: You don’t have to have a lot of extra time. Extra time is an imaginary construct. There will never be enough of it. Don’t lose the chance to achieve your dreams by waiting for the elusive moment when you have plenty of time.Rather than waiting for an excess of time (which will never happen!), make an effort to do what you can, when you can. Commit to doing the right things in the right order, and little by little, you’ll make headway. 4 Tricks to Grow Your List (Plus a Bonus!)Trick 1: Upside Down HomepageAn upside down homepage is the first step to getting your first  100 subscribers. Allocate at least five hours for this update. What is the single obvious thing you want people to do when they come to your page? It’s not what you may think. It’s not the sidebar, not the social media buttons, not the menu it’s the above-the-fold call to action!Use this space to encourage people to subscribe, not to go to other pages. With this tactic, you can boost your subscriber rate from  1% (with a traditional homepage) to 13-15% (with an upside down homepage).Trick 2: Pick Your List GoalThe single most important strategy to boost your list is to select your list goal. This will take you just two minutes to do, but it’s crucial. You have to focus on this to be successful! Here’s what you do: Pick your number goal, then write this goal down on paper. Next, tape this on your wall to keep you accountable. Visual reminders help keep you on track. Even if you’re a writer, ultimately you’re still an entrepreneur. Don’t forget what you are working toward! Don’t get distracted and you’ll later reap the rewards of your efforts. Trick 3: Launch Team Strategy Another key component to your success is your launch team strategy. You have 24  hours to implement this strategy.Here’s how you tackle building a launch team. First, start with a group of people. You should make a list of five people you know. Then, personally invite these five people to join your list. Next, you’ll then reach out to everyone you know. You want to make this process personal, so people will feel as though they are invited to something special. Personally invite each and every person who’s on your list. Continue to write names and email addresses down on paper. Start simple and repeat until you run out of people to ask. Your goal is to get to 100  invitees. Trick 4: Poster Boy Formula The Poster Boy Fo rmula should take just 30  minutes per week, but can yield huge results toward boosting your list.Step one is to make a list of five products you purchase, blogs you read, or podcasts you follow. Write down one big win you’ve experienced from using their product. Let them know about your  results and thank them. Also, share testimonials and link back to your shares.The Poster Boy Formula can get you shout outs, inclusion on emails, social media sites, and guest posts. Ultimately, all of this goodwill can earn you subscribers.Bonus Trick: Create a Smartbribe A final trick to consider is to offer a â€Å"Smartbribe.† This tactic is simple to implement. Just install smartbribe.com as an enhancement to your current opt-in service. This easy to use feature asks people to share on social media in exchange for a bonus offer you create and â€Å"bribe† them with. This simple step can help grow your list even faster.Bryan Harris offers his best list building tips and tactics to help you grow your list and earn subscribers. Before you know it, you’ll on your way to earning 10,000 subscribers FAST!

Government's Influence on Career Choices in Public or Private Sector Research Paper

Government's Influence on Career Choices in Public or Private Sector - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that the government usually does serious marketing for the less preferred jobs such as the army. The marketing campaigns make the compensation and conditions for an average US army official very lucrative and tempting. Whenever government faces a shortage of labor, they embark to marketing just like the private sector. The continued positive branding of some careers may have an enormous impact on individual’s career choices. This paper makes a conclusion that the government international relations have an influence on an individual’s career path. Some career paths may demand that one flies to a foreign country to further studies or just to carry out the job itself. Consider a scenario where a US citizen has landed a prime job in a foreign country. If the US government is not in conducive international terms with such a country, say Iran, an individual may not have the urge to pursue his career in such a hostile foreign environment. It goes without saying the immigration department, and the federal laws governing US workers in foreign countries will not be lenient enough to make some happy to take up the job in the said country. In fact, US after warning its citizens not to head to certain places in pursuit of careers may decide to play a passive role in the case of an incidence. Therefore, international relations and government labor laws concerning working in foreign nations may have an effect on the decision one makes career wise.

Chinese and US Negotiation Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Chinese and US Negotiation Styles - Essay Example This stems from the fact that cultures, objectives and situations may influence people's behaviour. There have been certain characteristics that are distinctly common among certain negotiators. This means that one can identify particular countries with particular negotiating styles. This particular essay will focus on the characteristics prevalent among the American negotiations and the Chinese. This is because the latter parties are quite different. There have bee major conflicts that have arise from those differences. However, one must not under estimate the fact that there are in deed some similarities between these two groups. (Bazerman & Carroll, 1987) Sun Tze is undoubtedly one of the most influential war strategists and authors in the Chinese traditional culture. His teachings shaped the cultural beliefs held by the natives of his homeland. In his book, the Art of War, the author stresses the fact that real prowess is depicted when an opponent uses wit to subdue his enemy rather than direct confrontation. The main message behind his teachings was psychological manipulation. This is something that has been adopted by Chinese negotiators and businessmen. They usually engage in psychological warfare of wits where they attempt to change their adversary's state of mind through the use of intellect. Sun Tze' came up with thirty six proverbs that brought about one hundred Chinese characters. These are still features eminent when conducting negotiations with them. (Sun Bin Tze, 2001) Agrarianism versus urbanism In present day, most of the Chinese inhabitants live in the country side. This is deduced from the fact that close to sixty seven percent of the population is largely a labouring one. This implies that those inhabitants are largely influenced by their agrarian values. There are certain features that are necessary in order to survive in that system. First of all, there is a strong sense of loyally among them. On top of this, the whole system is holistic rather than individualistic. There is a need for a lot of harmony and cooperation for the agricultural community to achieve success. These farmers remain true to their family hierarchies. Consequently, these values and beliefs trickle down to most members of the population. It should be noted that even those people residing in the City, were brought up in the country side and most of them still hold true to agrarian values. (Zhang and Yang, 1998) Agrarian values take up greater precedence than business values as highlighted by some Chinese philosophers like Fung Yu-Lan. He believed that agriculture symbolised the roots while commerce symbolised the branches. Even economic and social theories were more biased towards the roots than the branch. This is the reason why merchants who mainly dealt with 'branch' issues were not held in high regard as compared to others. In contrast, most of the US population is largely urban. Consequently, their values will depict the urban culture and beliefs. However, when one traces American culture, there is a large influence from the cowboy culture. In this sort of culture, there was a tendency to jump into issues head on. For example, cowboys were notorious for shooting suspicious characters on sight even before finding out where they were coming

Discuss How Benedict's Work Developed Boas Vision of Anthropology And Essay

Discuss How Benedict's Work Developed Boas Vision of Anthropology And Whether It Also Represented a New Direction In American Anthropology - Essay Example This anthropological method is still considered to be highly effective today, as it reduces bias in analysis (Young, 2005). The idea of cultural relativism is also much championed in the work of Boas. Like Benedict after him, Boas held the belief that each cultural system only has meaning when studied as a whole, apart from other cultural systems. The moral compass of that particular culture should not be judged against our own moral compass, because they have to be seen relatively (Herskovits, 1973). Additionally, both Boas and Benedict understood that culture and cultural systems change over time, which means that there is an element of historical relativism found in both their works (Herskovits, 1973). This means that an anthropologist should look at a culture as an entity in both time and space to fully understand the rituals and symbols found within it (Herskovits, 1973). It is interesting to see how Benedict took these original ideas about cultural anthropology from Boas and de veloped them with her own fieldwork and evidence. For example, some of Benedict’s early fieldwork was a continuation of Boas’, working with the Kwakiutl Native American group. Benedict began gathering evidence that, whilst the customs of the Kwakiutl may seem strange, they are intelligible when considered as a part of the whole. This thought was followed on with her own fieldwork on the Pueblo group, found in New Mexico. Again, many of the customs and symbols found in Pueblo culture may seem alien to those reading â€Å"Patterns of Culture†, but Benedict (like Boas before her) encouraged the reader to think outside of their own culture to aid... This paper approves that the cultural relativism which was so promoted by Boas and developed by Benedict has come to be a cornerstone of most academic anthropology. Many academic textbooks promote the idea that a degree of neutrality is needed for true anthropological research. It is easy to assume that all cultures share the same moral and ethical values as our own, but many do not. Many make the mistake of assuming that other cultures are somehow ‘wrong’ for not adhering to ‘our’ values, which ruins empirical fieldwork. In this sense, Boas and Benedict had a huge impact on American anthropology and how it has developed into the scientific field that it is today. Thisreport makes a conclusion that Benedict built on these strong foundations to develop her idea of cultural identity and national personalities, including some of Boas’ fieldwork in her own research. Overall, the work of Boas and Benedict have been highly influential in the field, having been incorporated into the work of important anthropologists such as Margaret Mead. Particularly important are the emphasis that Boas put onto cultural relativism, suggesting that anthropologists need to be careful when examining other cultures to take the culture as a whole without judgement using personal morals and ethics. Additionally, Boas was highly critical of racism within the field, something which is generally championed by anthropologists working in the field today.

Emotional intelligence is an overlooked aspect of transformational Essay

Emotional intelligence is an overlooked aspect of transformational leadership - Essay Example Several researches have discovered links among emotional intelligence and end result variables of interest to managers. It is very common to recognize community, management and leadership pressure that are parallel in the human history; though, the principle of scientific techniques to the development of knowledge regarding leadership is mainly a twentieth century fact (Cherniss, 2000). The idea that an individuals personal or physical activities or actions might elucidate or estimate leadership capability continued to have prevalence well into the twentieth century. Comprising misconstrued the character of traits in management and before missing the statistical tools to put together self-governing parallel coefficients, trait theory was mainly directed aside in the mid-twentieth century in supporting the behavioral and possibility approaches. A spotlight on what behaviors influential in fact occupied in subjugated leadership study and accounted for important progresses in the accept ance of social control and leadership in the course of the middle to late 1900s (Prati et al, 2003b). Directed by hypothesis, the consideration of transformational leadership has been, comparable to approximately all management examine, paying attention on leader-follower relations. Concentration to transformational leadership has conquered the scientific techniques to the understanding of leadership for just about two decades. As the significance in charismatic and transformational leadership approaches has built-up and developed, a variety of calls have been heard for new holistic techniques to the deliberation of leadership capability and the leadership procedure. One option is to look at leadership not immediately as relations, although moderately as a meaning of a proficiency set possessed and positioned by the individual leader (Cherniss, 2000). While the reality and significance

Questions on Eu Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Questions on Eu Law - Essay Example Freedom of establishment shall include the right to take up and pursue activities as self-employed persons and to set up and manage undertakings, in particular companies or firms within the meaning of the second paragraph of Article 48, under the conditions laid down for its own nationals by the law of the country where such establishment is effected, subject to the provisions of the chapter relating to capital. On the other hand, Article 49 of the EC Treaty reads as follows: Within the framework of the provisions set out below, restrictions on freedom to provide services within the Community shall be prohibited in respect of nationals of Member States who are established in a State of the Community other than that of the person for whom the services are intended. The Council may, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, extend the provisions of the Chapter to nationals of a third country who provide services and who are established within the Community. The fundamental difference between the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services with respect to nationals of an EU member state working in another EU member state is that the former contemplates â€Å"permanent installation† in order to pursue an economic activity, whilst freedom to provide services means the freedom simply to perform services for profit without the primary place of business being in the country where the services are being performed. However, both freedoms require that the country in which the services are being rendered impose no discrimination on the individual and furthermore, that the authorities and the courts country in question amend its domestic legislation and policies so that it conforms to the treaty standards. A key... The fundamental difference between the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services with respect to nationals of an EU member state working in another EU member state is that the former contemplates â€Å"permanent installation† in order to pursue an economic activity, whilst freedom to provide services means the freedom simply to perform services for profit without the primary place of business being in the country where the services are being performed. However, both freedoms require that the country in which the services are being rendered impose no discrimination on the individual and furthermore, that the authorities and the courts country in question amend its domestic legislation and policies so that it conforms to the treaty standards. A key distinction is that there must be a contribution to the economic life of the host state, in the case of established persons. As stated in the case of Gebhard â€Å"The concept of establishment within the meaning of the Treaty is therefore a very broad one, allowing a Community national to participate, on a stable and continuous basis, in the economic life of a Member State other than his State of origin and to profit therefrom, so contributing to economic and social interpenetration within the Community in the sphere of activities as self-employed persons.† If there is no such participation, or if the participation is not on a stable and continuous basis, then it cannot be said that establishment attaches.

Emotional intelligence is an overlooked aspect of transformational Essay

Emotional intelligence is an overlooked aspect of transformational leadership - Essay Example Several researches have discovered links among emotional intelligence and end result variables of interest to managers. It is very common to recognize community, management and leadership pressure that are parallel in the human history; though, the principle of scientific techniques to the development of knowledge regarding leadership is mainly a twentieth century fact (Cherniss, 2000). The idea that an individuals personal or physical activities or actions might elucidate or estimate leadership capability continued to have prevalence well into the twentieth century. Comprising misconstrued the character of traits in management and before missing the statistical tools to put together self-governing parallel coefficients, trait theory was mainly directed aside in the mid-twentieth century in supporting the behavioral and possibility approaches. A spotlight on what behaviors influential in fact occupied in subjugated leadership study and accounted for important progresses in the accept ance of social control and leadership in the course of the middle to late 1900s (Prati et al, 2003b). Directed by hypothesis, the consideration of transformational leadership has been, comparable to approximately all management examine, paying attention on leader-follower relations. Concentration to transformational leadership has conquered the scientific techniques to the understanding of leadership for just about two decades. As the significance in charismatic and transformational leadership approaches has built-up and developed, a variety of calls have been heard for new holistic techniques to the deliberation of leadership capability and the leadership procedure. One option is to look at leadership not immediately as relations, although moderately as a meaning of a proficiency set possessed and positioned by the individual leader (Cherniss, 2000). While the reality and significance

Current issues in dissability studies activity 10 Essay

Current issues in dissability studies activity 10 - Essay Example to attend to their constant needs: these include but not restricted to the building of more nursing homes, recreational facilities for the ages, hospitals, and more avenues to supply the increasing services needed by the seniors in our societies. Here is an important question: does disability make people get older quickly? The answer is no, because the recent survey and research have indicated that people suffering from intellectual, for instance, do not necessarily get older than their contemporaries. Interestingly, they even seem to outlive in some circumstances. Similar physical changes are observable in both the disabled and non-disabled old people (World Health Organization, 2000). People with disabilities need some specific services that may or may not necessarily isolate them from the general population. Normally, aged people need housing, nursing homes, hospices, medical services, recreational services and so on. The only difference in the case is the problem of communication that usually affected diagnosing disabled people—some of them could not talk or properly explain to the doctors the actual sickness or illness they are suffering. This constitutes a great hindrance to their ability to solve disabled people’s medical needs (Bigby, 2000). Therefore, the disabled aged people require intensive cares and guidance for their problems to be successful attended to, what non-disabled old people may not require. The most interesting about this week readings (1 &) is that they pinpoint the developmental requirements needed for a disabled person to grow into his or her adult self without parental influences in decision-making and personal cares (Bigby, 2000). While the second reading highlights the policies and programs put in place by the government, private organizations and communities in helping the disabled people grow old successfully (Bigby, 2004). The two readings are compendium for any student to turn into expert on disability

Simple to carry around Essay Example for Free

Simple to carry around Essay Super computers are the fastest computers and the most expensive computer in the world; these are at least 100 millions pounds. They are mainly used for superior scientific investigations, weather forecasting or advanced engineering applications Mainframe computers can contain massive amounts of data and are capable of processing them. Large utility companies such as gas suppliers and banks etc would these computers to save masses of data in it. Minicomputers are used by smaller businesses to handle their data processing or to run something similar to a city traffic control system. Desktop computers would naturally be supplied with the computer itself (complete with hard disk drive and floppy disk drive) and peripherals such as a screen, a mouse, a keyboard and a CD or DVD drive. These are comparatively cheap and easy to add development cards to. The only disadvantage is that it takes up lots of space and is not easily moved. Notebooks (Laptops) These are little, light and simple to carry around. You open it by his hinges and has a screen on its inside, keyboard and mouse controls. These are really expensive because of their processing power and you cannot use standard expansion cards. Keyboards and screens not as good for extended usage. They are designed to run on rechargeable batteries or the mains and can contain many of the description available on a desktop computer. Touch pads or a button are usually used to control the screen pointer. These are also portable due to their size and ability to run on batteries Palm-tops PDAs (personal digital assistants) These are very portable, small hand-held computers. They are usually supplied with software such as a diary, a contacts database, and some form of word processor. Many now have email facilities and even spreadsheets and databases. They either use a little keyboard or a touch-sensitive screen and writing recognition software. They can be linked to larger computers straight by cable or through a docking station or using an infrared link. These are relatively expensive, limited expansion; non-keyboard versions can be slow to input data. Embedded computers have a vast number of modern devices contain some figure of built-in computer. Examples include: washing machines; camera, hi-fi systems; telephones; microwave ovens; missiles. The inputs are usually sensors so a keyboard may not be needed. The outputs are usually simple displays or motors and relays to control something.

Effectiveness of Point of Care System (POC)

Effectiveness of Point of Care System (POC) TITLE Effectiveness of Point of Care System (POC) in Decreasing Hospital Shouldered Costs for Health Care of Indigent Patients. AUTHORS Seurinane Sean Espanola MD (Principal Investigator), Ma. Elinore Alba-Concha MD (Co-author) INTRODUCTION Topic Background: The National Health Insurance Act of 2013 Section 6 states that all citizens of the Philippines shall be covered by the National Health Insurance Program prioritizing acceleration of provision of health services to all Filipinos especially those who cannot afford such services. All indigents not enrolled in the program shall have priority provided that they shall be subsequently enrolled in the program.1 It has been estimated that 77 million of more than 92 million Filipinos are covered by PHIC as of March 2009. And 72 percent of the 4.7 million indigent families are enrolled in the sponsored program.2 R.A. No. 7875 targets 100 percent coverage of the indigent population3 but despite national government appropriations, sin tax collections, local government sponsorships and other sources, a vast number of poor are not yet covered by PHIC hence a mechanism of enrolling these patients at the Point of Care was established to ensure that all poor that is in dire need of quality health services is covered by Philhealth. The Point of Care (POC) system will provide indigent patients or those belonging to Class C-3 to D availment of Philhealth benefits.4 Ensuring access of the less privileged members of society to health care is the main aim of the POC system and the additional aim is to offset hospital shouldered costs of free services to the uninsured hence assuring sustainability. This study then focuses on the latter and looks into the initial effects of the POC system on hospital shouldered costs. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE: Health care for all is a seemingly profound undertaking providing medical assurance for people from all walks of life however the question of sustainability and accessibility is still an ongoing issue. Despite the improving economy and work force, health care continues to remain less of a priority as finances are being concentrated to the basic needs of life. In a study by Tsilaajav in March 2009 focusing on costing study for selected Philippine hospitals, the average unit cost of outpatient visit is P378 while emergency visit is P552. The average inpatient discharge on tertiary public hospitals would range from 1,500 to 10,000 pesos.5 This considerable amount is threatening to low income families compromising their general health. There are several types of Insurance systems in the Philippines. Private health insurances works by giving coverage separately for hospitalization as well as emergency cases however premiums may be costly. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) which is the common managed care plan in the country covers basic medical expenses from preventive and outpatient setting aside from hospitalization. And the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC), reinventing consumer payment schemes since the establishment of Medicare, provides affordable health insurance for Filipinos at any age. Although these insurance systems may come free during employment, still there is a higher chance of discontinuity especially for those with average to low monthly incomes. And as insurance premiums may rise exponentially yearly, many of the insured in return will become uninsured. The uninsured or people with no insurance coverage are no different from those insured. They are struck with common diseases however receiving less preventive care and screenings foregoing medical care due to costs leading to higher mortality rates.6 Hence the government plays a pivotal role in providing access to medical care for everyone. The Aquino administration aims to provide accessible and available health services for all Filipinos through its Universal Health Care also referred to as Kalusugan Pangkalahatan. A health care that is accessible, efficient, equitably distributed, adequately funded, fairly finance and appropriately used by all. However despite efforts of the government to provide easy access to care especially to the poor, still there are vast majority who are uninsured hence faced with unaffordable medical bills during admissions, more out of pocket expenditures and with these thoughts in mind would later forego care because of costs and may defeat the purpose of the government of providing financial risk protection for all especially the poor. The PHIC last November 17, 2013 with Joint order No. 2013-0033 implemented the Point of Care Enrollment Program for Hospital-Sponsored Members to further strengthen the Aquino administration program of universal health care more so focusing on the indigents as stipulated on Republic Act 7875 which clearly mentions all indigents not enrolled in the program shall have the priority in the use and the availment of the services and facilities of government hospitals. 1 The Point of Care System caters to non-member who were assessed by the Medical Social Worker as class C-3 and class D and members who are not covered due to lack of qualifying contribution and classified as class C-3 and D. Patients enrolled under the POC will be covered with in and out patient benefits including the no balance billing policy. The premium amount will be shouldered by the hospital and the coverage of Hospital Sponsored Membership shall be from the first day of confinement month and shall end on the last day of the same calendar year. Sponsorship will be continued by the National Government if the applicant remains in the same class per year upon re-evaluation. Thru Point of Care System patients will be given enough benefits and be more confident in utilizing health care services without being burden of the costs and in return lessens the quality fee services and out of pocket expenditures and more importantly improve hospital reimbursements. However up to date this new system does not have local level analysis and there are no comprehensive studies up to date hence this study. RESEARCH QUESTION: The National Health Insurance Act through the National Health Insurance Program ensures health coverage for all. The point of care system covers class C-3 and D admissible or admitted patients. However to date there is still yet to be a study providing a local level analysis of the impact of Point of Care system. Additionally, it is still unknown how the system will impact the financial status of hospitals and its sustainability issues. Thus this research aims to answer the question: Will the POC implementation reduce hospital shouldered health care costs for indigent patients? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The Point of Care system has had an immediate effect on healthcare institutions and subsequently the health coverage. It aims to provide financial risk protection to all Filipinos especially the poor as implemented through the Aquino Agenda. As quality of patient healthcare is directly tied to the sustainability of hospitals, the point of care system will affect the finances and decision-making of hospitals and will directly determine whether or not financial risk protection for the poor is in fact being achieved. Hospitals will be able to identify the areas of concern and areas of growth the point of care will be providing regarding efficiency and sustainability and in return will encourage low-income patients to avail the system. OBJECTIVES: The general objective of this study is to compare hospital shouldered costs for patients admitted for common conditions seen in Family Medicine pre and post Point of Care. Specifically, based on secondary data provided by the Southern Philippines Medical Center, the study shall: 1. describe patients admitted in Southern Philippines Medical Center from June 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 in terms of a) demographic characteristics (age, sex, address) b) diagnosis c) MSW classification d) other external sources of health funds (CMAP, Lingap) e)length of hospital stay 2. compare the hospital revenue pre and post POC 3. compare hospital shouldered costs pre and post POC which includes cost of POC enrollment and additional subsidy on top of PHIC and other external sources’ reimbursement. 4. compare the hospital revenue pre and post POC. METHODOLOGY Research Design Retrospective Cohort Setting Southern Philippines Medical Center, Retrospective date covering June 2013 to March 2014 Inclusion The Department of Family Medicine caters to patients aged 14-60 years old only. Hence patients who fall on the age bracket admitted with following diagnosis AGE with moderate, DHF I, CAP moderate risk or PCAP-C enrolled in the point of care system and age group and diagnosis matched patients without insurance admitted for the said conditions that were not enrolled in POC will be included. Exclusion Charts and bills that could not be retrieved DEFINITION OF VARIABLES Age – refers to the chronological age of the admitted patient. Sex – refers to the biological sex of the admitted patient. Address – refers to admitted patients dwelling area. Philhealth Insurance Status – refers to patients PHIC membership status. Diagnosis – refers to patients identified cause of admission. Total Hospital Bill – refers to the total amount incurred during length of hospital stay. Total Out-of-Pocket Payment – refers to the amount paid by the patient not subsidized by insurance provider. Philhealth Reimbursement – refers to the amount refunded by the Philhealth Insurance System. Total Hospital Subsidized Costs – refers to the amount shouldered or written off by the hospital after PHIC reimbursement, reimbursements from external sources (CMAP/PDAF) and total out of pocket payments have been deducted from the total hospital bill. It would be computed as Total Bill – (PHIC Reimbursment + External Sources Reimbursement + Out of Pocket Payments.) Data Gathering Data gathering will commence as soon as approval from the DOH XI CERC is obtained. The principal investigator will gather the data using the charts and billing statements as the source and transcribe this in the data collection form seen in Appendix A. Charts will be gathered and will be segregated according to diagnosis and be separated as to with or without POC. Variables will be collected as follows: Variables Independent variables 1. Demographic data (age, sex, address) 2. Diagnosis 3. MSW classification 4. Other external sources of funding 5. length of hospital stay Main outcome measures and other dependent variables The main outcome measure for this study is the Total Hospital Subsidy given for pre and post POC patients. Other outcome measures of interest include the total hospital bill for pre and post POC patients, the PHIC reimbursements, and the total out of pocket payments and the reimbursement from external sources. The total out of pocket payment and total hospital subsidy, if not reflected from the total bill, will be cross checked from the database of cashier section or lingap using the patients complete name or hospital number. The co-author can randomly check the transcribed data with the original data sources to ensure data integrity. Data Analysis Data will be encoded in excel format and will be analyzed using Epi Info version 7.0. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize data. Comparison of continuous variable will be made using the t test and categorical variables will be compared using the chi-square test. Mean Total Bill – Gross Total Bill / Number of Admitted Patients under FM Mean Amount Reimbursed by PHIC – Gross Total Reimbursement/ Number of Admitted Patients under FM Mean Patient Out of Pocket Payments – Gross Out of Pocket Payments / Number of Admitted Patients under FM Mean Hospital Subsidy – Gross Total Subsidy / Number of Admitted Patients under FM Gross Total Bill – Total Bill of all Admitted patients under FM Gross Philhealth Reimbursement – Total PHIC Reimbursement of all Admitted patients under FM. Sample Size Calculation Using the following assumptions: alpha = 5 (two-sided) power = 80 m1 = 3000 m2 = 2500 sd1 = 800 sd2 = 800 n2/n1 = 1 A total of 82 participants (41 without and 41 with POC) per disease entity will be required for this study having a sum total of 246 patients. Estimates were made using the standard 5% alpha error and 80% power since there were no previous studies for reference. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Ethics Review The protocol of this research will be submitted for approval to the DOH XI Cluster Ethics Review Committee. Privacy Patient data will be anonymized prior to analysis. No personal contact with individual patients shall be made. Confidentiality Patient data for analysis will be anonymized. How will you keep the data and for how long? After initial analysis, the anonymized data will be stored electronically and will be retained for 5 years from the time of initial analysis under the custody of Dr. Seurinane Sean Espanola and Ma. Elinore Concha. Within this retention period, the investigators listed in this protocol may refer any number of times to the data for clarification, further analysis and/or re-analysis. How will you discard/dispose of the data? After the 5-year retention period, the electronic data will be permanently deleted. Who can access data? Only the investigators listed in this protocol will be given access to the raw data for reference and initial or subsequent analysis. Extent of use of study data Data shall be used solely for the objective of analysis of the Point of Care System, as stated in previous sections of this protocol proposal. No facts or information shall be released without the prior consent of the medical director of the hospital. Necessary steps shall be taken to assure that this information will not be made accessible to persons outside of the research team. Authorship and contributorship a. Who are the authors or contributors to the present paper? The authors and contributors to this study shall be given proper recognition in the formulation of the follow-up paper. Authors and Co-authors include Dr. Seurinane Sean Espanola and Dr. Ma. Elinore Concha respectively b. Acknowledgment of original data collectors Proper acknowledgment shall be given to the Southern Philippines Medical Center for original data collection. c. Written consent of original data collectors that the data can be used for further research Written consent for use of secondary data shall be requested from Dr. Leopoldo J. Vega, the Chief-Of-Hospital. Conflicts of interest The author and co-author hereby declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Publication Publication shall be pursued at the onset of writing of the paper for this study. Submissions shall be sent to relevant publishers who can help promote the awareness of this topic. Funding Dr. Seurinane Sean Espanola is presently seeking funds to cover the expenses for this research. Dummy Tables DUMMY RESULTS Table 1. Comparison of Baseline Characteristics *using t-test **using chi-square test Table 2. Comparative parameters between POC and pre-POC PhilHealth – sample (Note: separate tables will be made for the other medical case rate diagnoses) BUDGET Administrative expenses and supplies For office supplies and support expenses as requested by the Health Sciences Program. Funds would go towards providing computer and office space and travel if needed. TIMETABLE References 1. Philhealth. November 7, 2013 Manual of Operations and Procedures for the Implementation of the Point of Care Enrollment Program for Hospital-Sponsored Members. (Philhealth Joint Order 2013-0033) PHIC, Pasig. 2. Philhealth at a Glance. The National Health Insurance Program. Senate Economic Planning Office. November 2009. 3. Philhealth. October 14 2013. Implementation of the Point of Care Enrollment Program (Philhealth Circular 0032-2013). PHIC. Pasig 4. Philhealth. March 26, 2013. Enrollment of the Critical Poor under the Sponsored Program of the National Health Insurance Program at Point of Service. (DOH Department Order/Philhealth Office Order2013-0031). PHIC, Pasig. 6. The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. September 2013. Key Facts about the Uninsured Population. APPENDIX A POC Study Data Collection form Patient’s Initials: ______________________________________________ Hospital Record number: _________________________________________ Age: ______Sex: __Male __Female Diagnosis: ______________________________________________________ MSW Classification: __C3__D Date Admitted: ________________Date Discharged: ______________ Detailed Hospital Bill (attach if possible) 1

Bulimic Behaviors Among wrestlers Essay -- Health Weight Loss Sports P

Bulimic Behaviors Among wrestlers The sport of wrestling places demands for- a slim, lean body build. Wrestlers are known for their extreme weight cutting practices in order to obtain this lean build. By "cutting" to a lower weight class, the wrestler is believed to gain an advantage against a smaller opponent. Used by wrestlers preparing to weigh in for competition, weight-cutting practices typically include fluid restriction (dehydration), caloric restriction, fasting, and increased exercise. More extreme methods employ saunas, rubber or plastic workout suits, vomiting, and drugs such as diuretics and laxatives. Weekly weight fluctuations frequently exceeding 2.5 kg occur during the 24 to 48 hours preceding the match and are often repeated 15 time in a season (Oppliger, 1993). Between the weigh-in and the competition, usually -five hours, the wrestler further engages in binge eating in an attempt to rehydrate. Weight-cutting and binge eating are not restricted to international or collegiate competition,.but are also practiced by young high school wrestlers who are still maturing. A growing concern among clinicians and researchers is what influence these weight-cutting and binging behaviors have on the potential for developing eating disorders. Weight-Cutting Methods and Their Prevalence In a study conducted by Steen & McKinney (1986), data was collected from forty-two college wrestlers representing two separate teams via diet recall, a food record, a written test, interviews/questionnaires, and anthropometry. The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional and weight-control practices of these wrestlers before, during, and after the wrestling season. Each wrestler was asked what me... ...the committees must also be changed in order for the problem to be more effectively solved. References Oppliger, Robert A., Harms, R.D., Herrmann, D.E., Streich, C.M., & Clark, R.R. (1995). The Wisconsin wrestling minimum weight project; a model for weight control among high school wrestlers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 27, 1220-1224. Oppliger, Robert A., Landry, G.L., Foster, S.W.,, & Lambrecht, A.C. (i993). Bulimic Behaviors Among Interscholastic Wrestlers: A Statewide Survey. Pediatrics, 91, 826-831. Rarikin, Janet W., Ocel, J.V., & Craft, L.L. Effect of weight lss and refeding diet composition on anaerobic performance in wrestlers. Medicine and Science in sports and Exercise, 28, 1292-1299. Steen, Suzanne & McKinney, Shortie. Nutrition assessment of college wrestlers. Physician and Sportsmedicine 14, 100-116.

Does Art Influence Culture, or Does Culture Influence Art Essay

Does art shape the mood and dependency of culture, or does culture shape the perspective of art? Art does not only mean the literal paintings, and physical art. Music, poetry, sculpting, and theatre, are also in the category of art, and people like William Shakespeare and Matsuo Basho have definitely left their mark on the past and present’s cultures with their expressions of art. Art and culture are not black and white concepts; there is no way to say that one affects the other absolutely. But they do affect each other, in many instances. For example, art reflects culture in that the society and environment in which the form of art was created may have affected the person, place, and reason behind why that piece of art was created. It can show the economic status of that nation in the art and the materials used to make it. On the other hand, culture reflects art, because art can act like a beacon or catalyst. It motivates and influences people, in the way that a good song can lift a spirit or induce feelings of sadness. Aristotle once said, â€Å"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.† People perceive art on a personal level, and relate it to themselves or their life in order to form a sort of connection. Art and culture are invariably linked, constantly pushing and pulling the advancement of one another. A good example of art reflecting culture in history is the Renaissance Era. During the Renaissance, Europe had an immediate renewal in art and learning. Europe was recovering from the bubonic plague; there was a rejuvenation of wealth in prosperity. There was a somewhat excess in wealth, which resulted in many people becoming patrons of the art, or wealthy people that sponsored artists to continue their craft. They could afford to spend their money and invest in an upcoming artist, or buy his paintings. Due to the sudden rise in patrons, artists were becoming famous, there were suddenly many more artists being employed to work in public buildings and sculpt people. For example, Michelangelo was paid to illustrate the Sistine Chapel, and also sculpted. The Renaissance scholars brought back the original, classical forms of artwork from the Roman and Greek times, because they grew tired of the simplistic, archaic methods of the Middle Ages. It also changed the subjects and ways that the artists created their  artwork. Before the Renaissance, everything had been about religion and ideological faith. The Renaissance brought about new ideas and concepts for artists, such as Michelangelo’s sculpture, David. It depicts David moments before the biblical battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, where he is depicted as powerful, yet graceful. Artwork like this began to show humanism, humanities achievements and potential. Also, the Renaissance changed the way that writers wrote their literature. Writer’s like Dante and Francesco Petrarch had begun writing in the vernacular, or their native languages, being Italian and Latin instead of only the traditional Latin. But art and culture are not only linked in the Renaissance they are also a large portion of the Muslim world at that point. Art was used in the Mughal Court, exceedingly so, in the form of illustration in scripts. They would have small, detailed paintings called â€Å"miniatures† in books. In times of wealth, artwork would invade the empire’s temples, market places, and mosques. The artwork reflected the deities of the mosques and temples, while the artworks in the more common places were adorned with art of different styles from different countries. While the art was beautiful and elaborate in India and other major Muslim empires, it was also extremely expensive. The people of the art-obsessed nations usually had to pay hefty taxes to help finance public art projects; which meant sometimes having taxation abused to pay for huge technically unnecessary architectural buildings. An example is the Taj Mahal, a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal that Shah Jahan, one of the rulers of India, dedicated to his lost love in her memory. This sentimental gesture cost the tax payers, and his people began to starve. Art in China was intricate and just as awe inspiring as the rest of the worlds, but this is a good demonstration of how culture reflects artwork. Artwork in Europe was more about perspective, and new ideas. Chinese art valued technique and diligence over creativity and imagination. Even in pottery, technical skills and experimentation won over creativity. Kabuki was a popular source of entertainment for families with low income. It unified Chinese society with a common past time, and taught about Chinese history and cultural heroes. In the later 1700’s, Japan also focused on  heatre by using kabuki. Kabuki was an elaborate show consisting of music, exaggeration, exciting costumes and dance. They also read haikus, which uses five, seven, and five stanzas to use the senses to describe senses, smells, feelings, or sounds. All in all, culture and art do affect each other. Culture shapes the texture and subject of art, such as religion and portraits. While art affects culture in that it uses art as a way to depict wealth, as well as used for decoration and symbolism, and as a catalyst and form of release for the philosophical savants of that era. Art was also used to preserve the times of those places, and to preserve the methods and customs of their cultures. People all over the world use art for the same reasons now, and will continue using art for the same reasons. The impact that the shaping and reflecting had on the arts from long ago is evident today from in caves, to the Taj Mahal, to the Sistine Chapel. If it weren’t for the mutuality of art and culture, the world would have developed in a completely different way, and it would be a very, very dull place without the history and depictions of the olden times. http://www.quotegarden.com/art.html – Aristotle’s quote World History: Patterns of Interaction, McDougal Littell

Historical Foundations of the United States Constitution Essay

The United States Constitution is an extremely valuable document .The constitution assisted in creating our modern day United States; The constitution assisted in establishing our administration giving inhabitants privileges and liberty. The Constitution was put in place to give citizens a voice on how the country should be run and to establish laws and principles. There were five manuscripts that were very important in establishing the constitution, (A)The Magna Carta,1215 (B) The Mayflower Compact 1620, (c) The Declaration of Independence 1776, and (D) The Articles of confederation 1777 and (E) The Federalists Papers 1787-1788. The first document was the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta of 1215 was an English Contract whose sole reason was to create boundaries for administrative power. The significant charter was thought to be one of the most significant manuscripts in the founding of equality. The Magna Carta had a profound impact that is plainly observed in the government’s bill of rights and our Constitution. This charter believed that a person was not guilty until the evidence proved that they were guilty. The Magna Carta also stated that a person should have knowledge about the accusations that is placed on them; additional beliefs were people will have the entitlements to have the ruling of their peers prior to sentencing and the entitlements to have a lawyer speak on their behalf. The Magna Carta was written to make sure everyone had equal rights. The next on record was the Mayflower Compact of 1620. The Mayflower Compact was created and autographed on November 11, 1620. The Mayflower compact was created because when the settlers came to what was called the new world they did not have and guidelines or rules to go by the mayflower compact was put in place while awaiting legitimate administration was created. This record was the basis of the united .States Constitution, for the reason that it was the number one form of administration in the united .States .territory. The mayflower compact gave the settlers entitlements, but was governed by the king of England. This type of administration was short lived. The third document was the Declaration of Independence of 1776. This very important manuscript was created to detach the settlements from the country of England. The Declaration of Independence contained five sections the statement of human rights, charges against the ruler and assembly, the preamble, charges against human rights and the statement of separation and signatures. The Declaration of Independence gave the settlements self-government. The Declaration of Independence stated that the settlers had life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that all men were created equal. This is inscribed in the constitution. This is the foundation of our present day government. The fourth document is the Articles of Confederation of 1781. The settlements were now federations and they were approved. In the Articles of Confederation there are three branches of government, the judicial, the legislative and the executive branch. The judicial branch gives congress important responsibility to decide the form and construction of the federal judiciary. The Legislative branch contains the House of Representatives and the senate which shaped congress. The executive branch contains the president of the United States and performs as the head of state. Although the administration was just starting to work they were still frail. This caused the government to start over and re- created the Articles of Confederation which became our Constitution. The Articles of Confederation was a very important part of our constitution. The last document is the Federalists Papers of 1787-1788. These papers were created to encourage electorates to approve the constitution. There are about 85 papers that will clarify in part the way our latest administration should precede and the reason why the people should elect to have it. It was unsure who created the federalist Papers but it was believed that John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison provided the majority of the essays. In order to comprehend the constitution it is a good idea to read these essays first. In conclusion In order to learn how our United States Constitution was born it is a good idea to read these five documents. This will open a window on the reason why the constitution was created and how it was created. This will show how the modern day government was created. These documents did not have large parts in how the constitution became the constitution. If we did not have these individual documents are country may not have equality or we may not be able to voice our own opinions.

An Adventurous Attitude was Characteristic of Roosevelt

â€Å"It is common sense to take a method and try it,† explained Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. â€Å"If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. † This adventurous attitude was characteristic of Roosevelt, who in his four terms as President, made boundless efforts to end the Depression of the 1930s, and to turn back the Axis Powers in World War II. Depression-stunned Americans first elected Roosevelt to office in 1932, after he promised them a new deal for American people. Roosevelt plunged into the Presidency determined to restore American confidence, because he felt that he national government had the final responsibility for the people†s welfare. Between March and June 1933, known as the First Hundred Days, Roosevelt easily persuaded Congress to create a series of New Deal agencies to combat the Depression. The agencies formed included the Civilian Conservation Corps, Federal Emergency Relief Administration, Agricultural Adjustment Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Farm Security Administration, Home Owners Loan Corporation, and following months brought the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Also enacted during the First Hundred Days was legislation such as the Emergency Banking Relief Act, and the The Civilian Conservation Corps was created to put jobless young men to work in state forests and parks, planting trees, and constructing roads and erosion-control dams. At its peak, 500,000 men between the ages of 18 and 25 were put to work by the Corps, and a total of 2. 5 million had seen service The most pressing problem facing Roosevelt when he took office was to aid the 13 to 15 million unemployed workers and their families. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration was created and given a $500 million ppropriation to provide food and other necessities for the unemployed. FERA led to the creation of the Civil Works Administration, which put millions of unemployed workers back to work through $900 million worth of maintenance and repair of local facilities, such as schools, airports, and sewage systems. The CWA was soon absorbed by the Public Works Administration, which concentrated on construction and conservation projects. To improve the situation of the American farmer, Roosevelt set up the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, whose solution was to boost farmers† ncome by reducing the number of crops. Farmers who agreed to limit their output of staple crops were given payments by the Administration. As the supply of crops decreased, farm prices increased. In three years, farm income increased from $5. 6 billion to $8. 7 billion. The Tennessee Valley Authority was created to develop the largely untapped resources of the Tennessee River and its tributaries. The purpose of the TVA was to control the river†s destructive flood waters, improve its navigational facilities, and produce low-cost electrical power for the surrounding area. Flood waters were contained through the construction of 32 dams, which opened up large tracts of land for agricultural and industrial use. Cargo shipping was increased by over 70 times the previous amount through constructing locks in 9 dams, which enlarged and deepened the channel, and encouraged the construction of port facilities. The TVA has also conducted an effective forestry program, replanting eroded timberland, and exploring new methods of fire prevention and forest management. The Great Depression caused more than two-fifths of the nation†s farmers o lose their farms, and become tenant farmers. To halt the decline in farm ownership, the Farm Security Administration was set up to provide low-interest, long-term loans that would enable tenant farmers to buy and operate their own farms and retire worn out land from use. The FSA also regulated the wages and hours of migrant workers, and helped nearly 40,000 Many homeowners were threatened with foreclosure as the Great Depression wore on, and the Home Owners Loan Corporation was established to help. The HOLC was authorized to use $3 billion in bonds which were exchanged for ortgages, which were then converted into monthly installments over 15 years at low interest rates. About 1 million homeowners were given financial aid, on approximately 20% of all urban dwellings. To enforce the Truth-in Securities Act, which required that all stocks and bonds offered for public sale be registered with the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission was established. Set up to stop an economic depression from occurring again, the SEC was empowered to license all stock exchanges and regulate the manner in which securities were The Emergency Banking Relief Act confirmed the President†s right to close banks, setting standards for their reopening, and giving the President broad powers over the nation†s money and banking systems. Banks began to reopen under strict new regulations and government supervision, and the export of gold was prohibited, and the US was taken off the international Gold Standard. The act soon led to basic reforms of the banking system. The National Industrial Recovery Act suspended anti-trust laws, permitting firms to ease competition by rationing production and making price greements. In exchange, they promised to improve working conditions, reduce the work week, abolish child labor, and guarantee the right of their employees to organize and bargain collectively. Tailored to meet an immediate crisis, these early New Deal actions, though failing to end the economic slump, greatly eased the burdens of farmers, workers, and industrialists. A series of Supreme Court decisions that struck down the AAA and the NIRA led Roosevelt to launch a Second New Deal, which included the Social Security Act, Wagner Act, and set up the Works Many older Americans saw their life savings wiped out during the Great Depression, and were forced to rely on their children for support. To alleviate the burden of the family, and to provide a measure of security for the unemployed and their families, the Social Security Act was passed. The Act provided survivors† and disability insurance, public assistance, unemployment insurance, and old age retirement insurance. Various welfare measures were also mandated such as aid to dependent children, and aid to The Wagner Act gave Congress jurisdiction over the labor practices of mployers engaged in interstate commerce. The Act upheld the workers† rights to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing. Under the Act, the National Labor Relations Board was established to deal with charges of unfair labor practices and to issue cease and desist orders. The number of unionized workers grew rapidly from 3. 5 million to about 15 million in the first years of the Wagner Act. The purpose of the Works Progress Administration was to reduce dependence on private charity and federal, state, and local relief by putting eople to work on a variety of needed projects. Over 8. million individuals were put to work on over 1. 4 million individual projects, including building schools, hospitals, and post offices. Hundreds of artists and writers also found work under the Federal Arts Program, which was created by the WPA. The last major reform of the New Deal was the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The Act abolished child labor, and provided for an initial minimum wage of 25 cents an hour and a maximum workweek of 44 hours. Hourly wages were gradually lifted to 40 cents and the workweek reduced to 40 hours, with ime and a half pay for overtime. These controls applied only to firms engaged in interstate commerce, and affected nearly 2 million workers. Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal committed the federal government to act forcefully to prevent future economic disasters through direct intervention in virtually every aspect of economic life-from agricultural prices to the workings of the stock exchange. The New Deal energized the labor movement, and so swelled the number of people in the Democratic Party that it remained the nation†s major political party for several decades.

Significance of Customer Portfolio Management in Modern Business Essay

Significance of Customer Portfolio Management in Modern Business Environment - Essay Example In order to identify the changing customer preferences, firms are to manage their customer portfolios. Many advanced technologies are available today that can manage customer portfolios and thereby keep in touch with changing customer interests. Keeping well planned customer portfolios can strengthen customer relations and thereby customer retention for a long term. A loyal customer is an invaluable asset of any organisation that contributes to the accomplishment of the firm’s long term goals and objectives. Scholars reflect that efficient customer portfolio management at different levels of an organisation is a fundamental driver of strategic as well as financial success. The concept of customer portfolio can significantly contribute to the firm’s efforts to retain the profitable segments of its customers because customer portfolio is a potential way to achieve enhanced customer satisfaction. According to experts, â€Å"in much the same way that we can examine a portf olio of products or brands, the importance of customers as assets and investment centres mandates a similar portfolio analysis† (Hooley, et al. 2008, p.436). This paper will explore the concept of customer portfolio management. ... Thorough analysis of customer portfolios can assist a company to identify how a specific customer group is performing. To illustrate, customer portfolios can be beneficial for a construction company to evaluate the account receivable of home builder customer group to obtain a clear view of the level of financial risk, in case there is a slowdown in the market for homes. A company’s customer portfolio is comprised of customers who are grouped together based on or more ‘strategically important variables’ (Ibid). Generally each customer is linked to just one particular group in the portfolio. At one point, each customer is treated as unique and at another point all customers can be treated as identical (Ibid, p.125). While observing the corporate world, most of the firms are strategically positioned somewhere between these two points. Referring to various customer management theories, it may not be a good strategy to manage all customers in the same way unless such a policy makes strategic sense for doing so. Customers vary on the grounds of revenues and cost profiles and each customer has different tastes, preferences, and expectations (Yang & Peterson, 2004). As a result, a company has to manage customers in different ways considering their particular needs and wants. To make it more clear, customized product and face to face account management may satisfy the interests of some customers in the B2B context whereas standardized product and web-based self-service would be more effective in meeting the needs of some other customers. Undoubtedly, customers constitute an invaluable asset of any organisation regardless of its size and nature (Conejo, 2013). Unlike what many people think it is not factors