Oral Feeding Readiness Preterm Infants Health And Social Care Essay

What is meant by â€Å" unwritten eating preparedness in preterm babies? † This peculiar construct is frequently elusive, contextual, subjective and really complex when used with the preterm population of babies. It has besides been a subject of involvement for many old ages within the scene of the neonatal intensive attention unit ( NICU ) . The ability of a preterm baby to entirely unwritten provender is non merely a mark of competent unwritten eating accomplishments but is a necessary criterion for discharge preparedness from the NICU ( McGrath & A ; Braescu, 2004 ) . For nurses in the NICU the ability to orally feed a preterm baby is a many-sided undertaking necessitating successful attainment of a battalion of accomplishments: the proficiently to measure preterm baby eating accomplishments, clinical proficiency at preterm baby eating and proficiency in finding unwritten eating preparedness. On the other manus, the ability to orally feed is a complex undertaking for the preterm baby in the NICU every bit good. Questions often arise in the clinical sphere related to unwritten feeding preparedness of the preterm baby including those of physiologic adulthood, motor and province stableness, and the baby ‘s capableness of interactions with the environment and health professionals. All of these factors contribute to the underlying conceptual inquiry: should oral eatings be attempted? In embarking to reply this inquiry, a figure of instruments have been developed over the old ages to mensurate unwritten feeding preparedness of preterm babies in the NICU scene. Most of these instruments refer to the conceptual facet of unwritten feeding preparedness without specific usage of any theory as a footing for formal instrumentality. However, each of these tools was designed to help in supplying a clearer apprehension of the indispensable elements of unwritten feeding preparedness in the preterm baby as they apply to daily eating patterns. By integrating unwritten eating preparedness into NICU nursing pattern, intercessions that are grounds based can back up day-to-day nursing intercessions and will finally ensue in results that support infant good being and preparedness for discharge to place. Description of Instruments The unwritten eating preparedness tools being described were identified by seeking the PubMed, Ovid Medline and CINHAL databases for articles written in English and published between 1980 and 2011. The keywords used for the hunt were unwritten eating, preparedness, preterm, preterm eating measuring, feeding assessment tool and feeding instrument. The footings were used separately and in combinations. Electronic hunts produced three eating tools for preterm newborns related to bottle eating as the primary method of unwritten eating: the Early Feeding Skills Assessment ( EFS ) ( Thoyre, Shaker & A ; Pridham, 2005 ) , the Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale ( NOMAS ) ( Braun & A ; Palmer, 1986 ) , and the Oral Feeding Skills in Preterm Infants ( OFS ) ( Lau & A ; Smith, 2011 ) .The Early Feeding Skills Assessment for Preterm InfantsTheoretical Underpinnings The Early Feeding Skills Assessment ( EFS ) for preterm babies is a checklist for profiling a preterm baby ‘s developmental phase sing specific feeding accomplishments. It has been described as an â€Å" evidence-referenced tool † ( Sheppard & A ; Fletcher, 2007, p. 206 ) for detecting unwritten eatings by chest or bottle. Items on the checklist refer to theoretical facets of unwritten feeding preparedness: unwritten eating preparedness, ability to stay occupied in feeding, ability to organize swallowing and external respiration, ability to form unwritten motor operation, ability to keep physiologic stableness and unwritten eating recovery ( Sheppard & A ; Fletcher, 2007 ) . There is no published information sing a connexion between a peculiar theory and the beginning or design of the EFS. Instrument Data Collection The EFS is a thirty-six point experimental measuring tool that can be used from the â€Å" induction of unwritten feeding through ripening of unwritten eating accomplishment † ( Thoyre et al. , 2005, p. 8 ) . It is divided into three subdivisions: unwritten eating preparedness, unwritten eating accomplishment, and unwritten eating recovery. The EFS is scored based on observation of an full eating with each point holding scaled picks of yes-no, never-occasionally-often, or all-most-some-none. The first subdivision is the unwritten eating preparedness subdivision. This subdivision consists of five points and assesses whether the baby has province and motor control to back up orally feeding. If all replies to the five points are yes, the baby is fed orally. If the replies are non all yes, intercessions to fix for unwritten eating can be recommended and accordingly provided. The following subdivision is the unwritten eating accomplishment subdivision. This subdivision assesses four countries felt to be critical for successful eating: the ability to stay occupied during feeding ( three points ) , the ability to form oral-motor operation ( seven points ) , the ability to organize suck-swallow-breathing ( six points ) , and the ability to keep physiologic stableness ( 11 points ) . The unwritten eating recovery subdivision is three points that are completed five proceedingss after the eating session has ended and evaluates the impact of the eating on the baby ‘s province, motor and physiologic control. The EFS besides provides an country at the terminal of the signifier for feeding forms ( e.g. , type mammilla, length and volume of feeding ) and caregiver feeding schemes ( e.g. , chin support, cheek support ) . The method of hiting is non available in any of the published articles depicting the tool, nevertheless a preparation class for usage of the EFS is offered nationally by the instrument developers. Dependability and Validity Thoyre et Al. ( 2005 ) study that content cogency of the EFS â€Å" has been established with adept neonatal nurses and unwritten eating research workers † ( p. 8 ) and that â€Å" intra- and interrater dependability have been found to be stable and acceptable † ( p. 8 ) . The instrument ‘s developers besides report that prognostic, coincident and concept cogency are presently being tested. To day of the month, no informations sing any of these facets of the EFS has been published. Related Surveies Although this instrument has been available for usage since 2005, no surveies using or measuring the unity of this instrument were located in an electronic hunt of PubMed, Ovid Medline and CINHAL databases.Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment ScaleTheoretical Underpinnings The NOMAS was designed to place and quantify neonatal non-nutritive and alimentary oral-motor sucking forms by professionals that are specifically trained to utilize this instrument as a method of quantifying an baby ‘s oral-motor accomplishments. The theoretical underpinnings are those related to infant sucking accomplishments: most feeding troubles in preterm babies are caused by immature or unequal suck-swallow-breathe coordination and direct appraisal of suction and sup can be described by agencies of assorted non-invasive, experimental steps of physiologic parametric quantities. These theoretical underpinnings are the footing for the undermentioned three premises sing instrument result measurings of the NOMAS: ( 1 ) normal suction forms are displayed by babies who display coordinated suction, sup and breathe mechanisms during alimentary and non-nutritive suction, ( 2 ) a disorganised suction form may be displayed in the presence of an baby ‘s inability to organize su ction, sup and breathe mechanisms, and ( 3 ) a dysfunctional suction form may be displayed by baby ‘s exhibiting unnatural jaw and lingua motions, as is the instance with babies diagnosed with neurologic upsets ( Costa & A ; Schans, 2007 ) . Instrument Data Collection The current NOMAS instrument consists of a 28 point checklist placing features of jaw motion and features of lingua motion which organizes a newborn ‘s oral-motor forms during alimentary sucking into one of three classs: normal, disorganized or dysfunctional. The baby ‘s suction accomplishment is assessed by a trained NOMAS perceiver for two proceedingss during non-nutritive sucking anterior to feeding and during the first five proceedingss of regular eating. The trained NOMAS perceiver does non touch the baby, but simply observes the figure of sucking motions during one sucking explosion and the continuance of intermissions between turns of sucking. Jaw and lingua motions are besides analyzed as a constituent of the checklist. Observed oral-motor forms are marked on the listed behaviours and babies are classified into normal, disorganized or dysfunctional harmonizing to the behaviours that are marked. The hiting method has been revised several times since it was foremost reported by Braun & A ; Palmer in 1985 and badness evaluations for the disorganised and dysfunctional classs were included in the revised version, nevertheless, no numerical marking method is used to day of the month ( Howe, Lin, Fu, Su & A ; Hsieh, 2008 ) . Dependability and Validity In several dependability surveies, inter-rater dependability utilizing Cronbach ‘s i was found to be 0.93-0.97 ( Case-Smith et al. , 1988 & A ; Palmer et al. , 1993 ) . Test-retest dependability was determined by Case-Smith ( 1988 ) to be 0.67 – 0.82 when used in a survey of 26 babies with feeding jobs. Construct and prognostic cogency has been supported by multiple surveies for all classs of the NOMAS ( Braun & A ; Palmer, 1985 ; Case-Smith et al. , 1989 ; Howe et al. , 2007, & A ; Palmer & A ; Heyman, 1999 ) . Related Surveies There are several documented surveies that utilize the NOMAS instrument. The three that will be described here are current surveies that have been published within the past five old ages and are relevant to the usage of NOMAS with the preterm population of babies. In the 2007 survey by Howe, Sheu, Hinojosa, Lin & A ; Holzman, the NOMAS was used to mensurate unwritten motor accomplishments in order to find factors related to bottle-feeding public presentation in preterm babies. A sum of 116 preterm babies were included in the survey and research workers found that babies who need more unwritten support during eatings and those who have disorganized oral-motor accomplishments tend to take lower volumes of eatings orally. In contrast, babies with more feeding experiences are able to take higher unwritten volumes. These findings are of import in the designation of feeding experience and feeding techniques as being built-in constituents of a preterm baby ‘s unwritten eating public presentation. In Howe, Sheu, Hsieh & A ; Hseih ‘s 2007 survey sing the psychometric features of the NOMAS in healthy preterm babies, the writers examined the dependability, cogency and reactivity of the NOMAS in healthy preterm babies as the intents of the survey. The survey consisted of 147 medically stable preterm babies. Feeding public presentations were assessed and documented by an occupational healer trained in the disposal of the NOMAS. The writers concluded that the NOMAS demonstrated acceptable degrees of cogency and reactivity in preterm babies from 32 to 35 hebdomads postmenstrual age ( PMA ) but hapless cogency for babies 36 hebdomads PMA in the normal and disorganised classs. The writers suggested farther proof research in response to the findings of this survey. In Bingham, Ashikaga & A ; Abbasi ‘s survey ( 2010 ) using the NOMAS, 51 preterm babies were evaluated for correlativity of non-nutritive sucking accomplishments with subsequent feeding public presentation. The NOMAS marking was performed by NOMAS-certified healers and NICU nurses within 72 hours of successful induction of unwritten eatings. Findingss were implicative that NOMAS hiting at the induction of unwritten eatings was non significantly associated with the accomplishment of feeding milepost results being measured in the survey including clip from induction of unwritten eatings to clip of sole unwritten eatings.Oral Feeding Skills in Preterm BabiesTheoretical Underpinnings The developers of the OFS tool identify two basic theoretical underpinnings of unwritten eating that health professionals are faced with when turn toing the determination of unwritten feeding preparedness: the ability of the baby to finish the eating safely and the appropriate rate of promotion to sole unwritten eating. They propose that the OFS tool offers an nonsubjective index of an baby ‘s ability to orally feed by combing proficiency of unwritten feeding with minimum weariness and rate of milk transportation as a contemplation of feeding accomplishment ( Lau & A ; Smith, 2011, p. 64 ) . They do non depict a peculiar theory in connexion to the beginning or design of the OFS tool. Instrument Data Collection Data aggregation for the OFS is comparatively simple and no specialised preparation is needed. Caregivers document the prescribed volume of a eating in millilitres, the volume of feeding taken orally at 5 proceedingss into the eating, the full unwritten volume that is taken and the clip in proceedingss that it takes an baby to orally feed in that peculiar eating session. Proficiency ( PRO ) is calculated as the per centum entire volume taken in the first 5 proceedingss divided by the entire prescribed volume. The rate of milk transportation ( RT ) is calculated as the volume in millilitres ( milliliter ) that is taken orally divided by the figure of proceedingss to take this volume. PRO is so used to index existent eating ability when weariness is minimum ( within the first five proceedingss of unwritten eating ) and RT is used as an index of endurance ( being affected by weariness ) . The OFS tool is divided into four degrees runing from degree one to level four. Level one is low pr oficiency and low endurance, degree two is low proficiency and high endurance, degree three is high proficiency and low endurance and degree four is high proficiency and high endurance. A PRO greater than 30 per centum is defined as high proficiency while a PRO less than 30 per centum is defined as low proficiency. An RT greater than one and a half milliliter per minute is defined as a high endurance while an RT less than one and a half milliliter per minute is defined as low endurance. Potential intercessions are recommended for unwritten eating therapy at each accomplishment degree with the end of heightening existent eating accomplishment. Dependability and Validity To day of the month, no information sing dependability or cogency of the OFS has been published. The 2011 survey by the developers did show that OFS degrees had a important positive correlativity with an baby ‘s feeding public presentation and gestational age strata ( p & lt ; 0.001 ) and had a important opposite association with yearss from the start of unwritten eatings until independent unwritten eatings ( P & lt ; 0.002 ) ( Lau & A ; Smith, 2007, p. 68 ) . Related Surveies This instrument was ab initio described in 1997, nevertheless, the prospective survey published by the developers in January 2011 was designed for the intent of utilizing the EFS as an nonsubjective tool for the appraisal of a preterm baby ‘s unwritten eating accomplishments. No other surveies using or measuring the unity of this instrument beyond the initial development were located in an electronic hunt of PubMed, Ovid Medline, and CINHAL databases. DecisionRelevance to Future StudiesEach of the instruments antecedently described has advantages and disadvantages as an instrument for measuring unwritten eating preparedness. Both the EFS and the NOMAS necessitate specialised preparation in order to be able to utilize them as a valid instrument of unwritten eating ability, whereas the OFS is a simple tool that is designed for usage by any caretaker of preterm babies having unwritten eatings. Neither the EFS nor the OFS has been used in any published clinical survey nor do they hold published dependability or cogency grounds. The NOMAS, on the other manus, has been examined more thoroughly and has multiple internal consistence, dependability and cogency surveies to back up its usage. Another concern of all three instruments is that they differ in both the designation of measureable factors that contribute to readiness for unwritten eatings and in factors lending to success at unwritten eatings, doing comparings between these instrum ents hard. One common happening when measuring each of these tools, nevertheless, is the fact that unwritten eating preparedness is a complex construct affecting a battalion of factors for consideration. Instruments to help with the measuring of this construct demand to be consistent with their theoretical underpinnings and construct analyses in order to be able to supply consistent, valid and dependable results that can be farther utilized for future research and farther construct elucidation. Well-designed surveies are needed to measure the cogency and dependability of both the EFS and the OFS as instruments of mensurating unwritten eating ability. Research workers should besides see utilizing one of these instruments in future surveies to prove the feasibleness and effectivity of intercessions that are designed to back up unwritten eating preparedness. Awareness and understanding of indispensable elements of the construct of unwritten feeding preparedness in preterm babies is necessary and w ill supply for farther elucidation of unwritten eating preparedness. It will besides take to greater consistence in the proviso of evidence-based nursing attention during feeding times for preterm babies hospitalized in the NICU.Greatest LearningThis activity was much more complex and involved than I originally thought it would be. I was cognizant of the fact that there were several instruments to mensurate unwritten eating preparedness in preterm babies, but was non cognizant of the changing theoretical underpinnings and by differences between these instruments in really mensurating unwritten eating preparedness and differences in general construct elucidation. I was besides non cognizant of the preparation involved for the usage of some of these instruments, either. The necessary preparation is non merely an added disbursal, but it adds to the trouble in being able to implement their usage in a big NICU scene such as the one I presently work in. We have a staff of 127 staff nurses who routinely orally feed babes as a constituent of clinical nursing attention. It would be really hard, every bit good as dearly-won, to develop every nurse in a sensible sum of clip without even sing turnover rates and the demand to develop new staff every bit good. A simpler instrument such as the OFS would be of greater benefit to nursing staff given current staffing tendencies and nurse to patient ratios at feeding times. I besides now realize that in order for an instrument to be able to sufficiently mensurate a construct, the construct must hold been sufficiently analyzed and the instrument must be valid and dependable as a measuring of the construct at manus every bit good as being simplistic to utilize. If this does non go on, consequences have a much higher chance of being erroneous and so the construct that is being measured merely becomes more ill-defined.

Comparison of Indirect Cost Multipliers for Vehicle Manufacturing Essay

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The University of Chicago, nor any of their employees or officers, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of document authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof, Argonne National Laboratory, or The University of Chicago. COMPARISON OF INDIRECT COST MULTIPLIERS FOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURING INTRODUCTION In the process of manufacturing and selling vehicles, a manufacturer incurs certain costs. Among these costs are those incurred directly as a part of manufacturing operations and those incurred indirectly in the processes of manufacturing and selling. The indirect costs may be productionrelated, such as R&D and engineering; business-related, such as corporate staff salaries and pensions; or retail-sales-related, such as dealer support and marketing. These indirect costs are recovered by allocating them to each vehicle. Under a stable, high-volume production process, the allocation of these indirect costs can be approximated as multipliers (or factors) applied to the direct cost of manufacturing. A manufacturer usually allocates indirect costs to finished vehicles according to a corporation-specific pricing strategy. Because the volumes of sales and production vary widely by model within a corporation, the internal corporate percent allocation of various accounting categories (such as profit or corporate overhead) can vary widely among individual models. Approaches also vary across corporations. For our purposes, an average value is constructed, by means of a generic representative method, for vehicle models produced at high volume. To accomplish this, staff at Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL’s) Center for Transportation Research analyzed the conventional vehicle cost structure and developed indirect cost multipliers for passenger vehicles. This memorandum summarizes the results of an effort to compare and put on a common basis the cost multipliers used in ANL’s electric and hybrid electric vehicle cost estimation procedures with those resulting from two other methodologies. One of the two compared methodologies is derived from a 1996 presentation by Dr. Chris Borroni-Bird of Chrysler Corporation, the other is by Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. (EEA), as described in a 1995 report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), Congress of the United States. The cost multipliers are used for scaling the component costs to retail prices. ANL METHODOLOGY The ANL methodology described here is based on an analysis concerned with electric vehicle production and operating costs (Cuenca et al. 2000; Vyas et al. 1998). The analysis evaluated the cost structure for conventional vehicle manufacturing and retailing and assigned shares of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to various cost contributors. Multipliers developed from the ANL methodology are applied to the manufacturing cost of an individual component in order to scale the component cost to the retail price. Several cost contributors are included in the methodology, as summarized in Table 1. Some of the vehicle components for electric and hybrid electric vehicles would be procured from outside suppliers. This assumption is applied to electric drive components, excluding the battery; the vehicle manufacturer would produce the rest. Thus, two cost multipliers, one for the components manufactured internally and the other for outsourced components, are necessary to estimate the price of electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Outside suppliers would incur some of the costs normally borne by the vehicle manufacturer. In the ANL methodology, we assume that the costs of â€Å"Warranty,† â€Å"R&D/Engineering,† and â€Å"Depreciation and Amortization† are borne by the Page 1 suppliers of outsourced components. The outside suppliers would include these costs in their prices. The following two cost multipliers are computed by using â€Å"Cost of Manufacture† as the base: Cost multiplier for components manufactured internally = 100/50 = 2. 00. Cost multiplier for outsourced components = 100/(50 + 6. 5 + 5. 5 + 5) = 1. 50. Table 1 Contributors to Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price in ANL Methodology Cost Category Cost Contributor Relative to Share of Cost of Vehicle MSRP Manufacturing (%) Vehicle Manufacturing Cost of Manufacture 1. 00 50. 0 Production Overhead Warranty 0. 10 5. 0 R&D/Engineering 0. 13 6. 5 Depreciation and Amortization 0. 11 5. 5 Corporate Overhead Corporate Overhead, Retirement and 0. 14 7. 0 Health Selling Distribution, Marketing, Dealer 0. 47 23. 5 Support, and Dealer Discount Sum of Costs 1. 95 97. 5 Profit Profit 0. 05 2. 5 Total Contribution to 2. 00 100. 0 MSRP METHODOLOGY DERIVED FROM BORRONI-BIRD PRESENTATION In his presentation, entitled â€Å"Automotive Fuel Cell Requirements,† at the 1996 Automotive Technology Development Customers’ Coordination Meeting, Borroni-Bird included charts on the â€Å"Typical American Automobile: Price/Cost Breakdown. † The charts provided a graphical breakdown of vehicle price, showing cost contributors and profit. We used the charts to arrive at percentage shares of vehicle price by various contributors. Table 2 shows the resulting allocation. Page 2 Table 2 Price/Cost Breakdown Based on Borroni-Bird Presentation Cost Category Cost Contributor a Vehicle Manufacturing Fixed Cost Selling Sum of Costs Profit MSRP a Material Cost Assembly Labor and Other Manufacturing a Costs Transportation/Warranty Amortization and Depreciation, Engineering R&D, Pension and Health Care, Advertising, and Overhead Price Discounts Dealer Markup Automobile Profit. Relative to Cost of Vehicle Manufacturing 0. 87 0. 13 0. 09 0. 44 Share of MSRP (%) 42. 5 6. 5 4. 5 21. 5 0. 10 0. 36 1. 99 0. 06 2. 05 5. 0 17. 5 97. 5 2. 5 100. 0 These two contributors are scaled to sum to 1 in the third column, as in Table 1. In his presentation, Borroni-Bird did not evaluate the treatment of in-house or outsourced components. His methodology does not lend itself to easy computation of cost multipliers comparable with those in the ANL methodology, unless we make a few assumptions. We have assumed that â€Å"Material Cost,† taken together with â€Å"Assembly Labor and Other Manufacturing Costs,† would form the â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† base for the in-house components. The costs of â€Å"Transportation/Warranty,† â€Å"Amortization and Depreciation,† and â€Å"Engineering R&D† would be borne by the suppliers of outsourced components. However, â€Å"Amortization and Depreciation† and â€Å"Engineering R&D† costs were merged with â€Å"Pension and Health Care,† â€Å"Advertising,† and â€Å"Overhead† costs by Borroni-Bird. We assumed that half of the costs under this category would be borne by the suppliers of outsourced components. Our assumptions led to the following cost multipliers: Cost multiplier for components manufactured internally = 100/(42. 5 + 6. 5) = 2. 05. Cost multiplier for outsourced components = 100/(42. 5 + 6. 5 + 4. 5 + 10. 75) = 1. 56. These cost multipliers are very similar to those computed with the ANL methodology. Comparison of ANL and Borroni-Bird Methodologies The information from Tables 1 and 2 is shown in terms of cost categories in Table 3. Both methodologies use vehicle manufacturing cost as the base and add other costs to it. The share of MSRP attributable to â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† is 50% in the ANL methodology, compared with 49% in the Borroni-Bird Methodology. Borroni-Bird combined several cost contributors under â€Å"Fixed Cost. † These contributors include (see Table 2) â€Å"Amortization and Depreciation,† â€Å"Engineering R&D,† â€Å"Pension and Health Care,† â€Å"Advertising,† and â€Å"Overhead. † Except for the inclusion of â€Å"Advertising,† â€Å"Production Overhead† and â€Å"Corporate Overhead† in the ANL methodology can be combined to form an equivalent category. ANL’s total of 24% by production Page 3. and corporate overheads is slightly lower than the total of 26% by Borroni-Bird. The ANL category of â€Å"Selling,† which includes â€Å"Distribution,† â€Å"Marketing,† â€Å"Dealer Support,† and â€Å"Dealer Discount,† is broader than that of â€Å"Price Discounts† and â€Å"Dealer Markup† specified by BorroniBird, and this category’s contribution is understandably slightly higher in the ANL methodology. The share of MSRP by â€Å"Profit† is the same in both methodologies. The absolute differences, computed as ANL value minus Borroni-Bird value, are 1% for â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing,† –2% for â€Å"Fixed Cost,† and 1% for â€Å"Selling† cost. Table 3 Comparison of Vehicle Price/Cost Allocation by ANL and Borroni-Bird Methodologies ANL Methodology Cost Contributor or Category Vehicle Manufacturing Production Overhead Corporate Overhead Selling Sum of Costs Profit MSRP EEA METHODOLOGY The methodology of Energy and Environmental Analysis is summarized in the OTA report OTAETI-638, entitled Advanced Automotive Technology: Visions of a Super-Efficient Family Car, published in September 1995. The values of some cost contributors are not listed in the report. Moreover, depreciation, amortization, and tooling expenses are assumed to be case-specific and therefore must be computed for each case. In order to make the EEA and ANL methodologies comparable, some assumptions were necessary. These assumptions are described in the summary below. The EEA cost equations can be simplified as follows: Cost of Manufacture = Division Cost ? [1 + Division Overhead] Manufacturer Cost = [Cost of Manufacture + Assembly Labor + Assembly Overhead] ? [1 + Manufacturing Overhead + Manufacturing Profit] + Engineering Expense + Tooling Expense + Facilities Expense Retail Price Equivalent = Manufacturer Cost ? [1 + Dealer Margin] Borroni-Bird Methodology Share of Cost Contributor or Category Share of MSRP (%) MSRP (%) 50. 0 Vehicle Manufacturing 49. 0 17. 0 Fixed Cost 26. 0 7. 0 23. 5 Selling 22. 5 97. 5 Sum of Costs 97. 5 2. 5 Automobile Profit 2. 5 100. 0 MSRP 100. 0 Page 4 The report lists the following values for overhead, profit, and dealer margin: Division Overhead = Supplier Overhead = 0. 20 (We assume that division and supplier overheads are equal; only the supplier overhead is given in the report. ) Manufacturing Overhead = 0. 25 Manufacturing Profit = 0. 20 Dealer Margin = 0. 25 Because the documentation in the OTA report does not provide values for â€Å"Assembly Labor,† â€Å"Assembly Overhead,† â€Å"Engineering Expense,† â€Å"Tooling Expense,† and â€Å"Facilities Expense,† cost multipliers cannot be computed directly from these data. The â€Å"Assembly Labor† and â€Å"Assembly Overhead† share of MSRP is 6. 5% in Borroni-Bird’s presentation. The engineering, tooling, and facilities expenses can be taken as the sum of â€Å"R&D/Engineering† and â€Å"Depreciation and Amortization† from the ANL methodology, at 12% of the MSRP. In deriving the division cost and price relationship below, we use the term Retail Price Equivalent (RPE) from the OTA report instead of MSRP. The RPE can be computed as follows: RPE = = = {[Division Cost ? 1. 2 + 0. 065 RPE] ? 1. 45 + 0. 12 RPE} ? 1. 25 Division Cost ? 2. 175 + 0. 268 RPE Division Cost ? 2. 175/(1 – 0. 268) = Division Cost ? 2. 97 Putting ANL and EEA Methodologies on a Common Basis As it was described in the OTA report, the EEA methodology did not provide enough data to compute the cost multipliers. We assumed some cost shares to be the same between the EEA, Borroni-Bird, and ANL methodologies while developing the above relationship between Division Cost and RPE. The EEA methodology is based on the material and labor costs of a division of the vehicle manufacturer, with other costs added on. The ANL methodology evaluates an assembled vehicle, using the vehicle manufacturing cost as the base cost. The ANL methodology also assigns additional costs to the outsourced components, whereas the treatment of such components is not clear in the EEA methodology. We have attempted to develop a common basis for the ANL and EEA methodologies by assigning shares of the final vehicle price, RPE in the EEA methodology, to individual cost categories similar to those listed in Table 1. Table 4 presents such a summary for the EEA methodology. Three cost contributors, â€Å"Division Cost,† â€Å"Division Overhead,† and â€Å"Assembly Labor and Overhead,† are combined under the â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† category. Two cost contributors, â€Å"Manufacturing Overhead† and â€Å"Engineering, Tooling, and Facilities Expenses,† combine to form the â€Å"Overhead† category. The â€Å"Dealer Margin† in the EEA methodology represents a factor applied to all manufacturer costs and profit. We assumed that this factor represents all costs of selling the vehicle. Although the profit is computed at the manufacturing level by EEA, we moved the profit to the bottom of the table to be consistent with prior tables. The cost allocation in Table 4 allows us to compute the in-house components cost multiplier as follows: Cost multiplier for in-house components = 100/(33. 7 + 6. 7 + 6. 5) = 2. 14 Page 5 To compute the cost multiplier for an outsourced component, one more assumption is necessary. In the ANL methodology, we assumed that the supplier will bear the costs of â€Å"Warranty,† â€Å"R&D Engineering,† and â€Å"Depreciation and Amortization. † However, the EEA methodology does not identify the warranty cost separately. We assumed it to be half of â€Å"Manufacturing Overhead† at 5. 05%. This, with the earlier assumption related to â€Å"Engineering, Tooling, and Facilities Expenses,† led to the following computation: Cost multiplier for outsourced components = 100/(33. 7 + 6. 7 + 6. 5 + 5. 05 + 12) = 1. 56 These multipliers, adapted from our extension of the EEA information on vehicle costs, are very close to those derived from the ANL and Borroni-Bird methodologies. Table 4 Contributors to Retail Price Equivalent in EEA Methodology Cost Category Cost Contributor a Vehicle Manufacturing Overhead Selling Sum of Costs Profit Manufacturing Profit Total Contribution to RPE a Division Cost a Division Overhead Assembly Labor and a Overhead Manufacturing Overhead Engineering, Tooling, and Facilities Expenses Dealer Margin Relative to Cost of Vehicle Manufacturing 0. 72 0. 14 0. 14 0. 22 0. 26 0. 49 1. 97 0. 17 2. 14 Share of RPE (%) 33. 7 6. 7 6. 5 10. 1 12. 0 22. 9 91. 9 8. 1 100. 0 These three cost contributors are scaled to sum to 1 in the third column, as in Table 1. Comparison of ANL and EEA Methodologies The information from Tables 1 and 4 is presented in terms of cost categories in Table 5 for easy comparison. The â€Å"Vehicle Manufacturing† cost share is 46. 9% in the EEA methodology, compared with 50% in the ANL methodology. EEA’s RPE share of 22. 1% by overhead is lower than the ANL value of 24%. The cost of selling is 22. 9% in the EEA methodology, which is close to the ANL value of 23. 5%. The largest difference is in the RPE share by profit, which is 8. 1% in the EEA methodology, more than three times the ANL value of 2. 5%. According to Economic Indicators: The Motor Vehicle’s Role in the U. S. Economy (American Automobile Manufacturers Association 1998), the average net income before taxes for the three domestic manufacturers was 3. 9% during 1994-1997. Aside from vehicle sales, this value (3. 9%) includes income from spare parts sales and vehicle financing. Thus, the profit share appears very high in the EEA methodology. The absolute differences – computed as ANL value minus EEA value – are 3. 1% for component/material cost, 1. 9% for overhead, 0. 6% for selling, and –5. 6% for profit. Page 6 Table 5 Comparison of Price Allocation by ANL and EEA Methodologies ANL Methodology Cost Contributor or Category Vehicle Manufacturing Production Overhead Corporate Overhead Selling Sum of Costs Profit MSRP SUMMARY An attempt to put three methodologies for automobile cost allocation on a common basis is presented in this technical memorandum. This comparison was carried out to verify the reasonableness of the cost multipliers used in ANL’s cost models for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. When put into a common format, by means of certain assumptions, the three approaches yielded the cost multipliers provided in Table 6. Table 6 Summary of Cost Multipliers Computed on a Common Basis Multiplier for In-House Components Outsourced Components ACKNOWLEDGMENT Funding for the analysis presented here was provided by the Planning and Assessment function of the Office of Transportation Technologies of the U. S. Department of Energy, managed by Dr. Philip Patterson. This technical memorandum is produced under U. S. Government contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38. REFERENCES American Automobile Manufacturers Association, 1998, Economic Indicators: The Motor Vehicle’s Role in the U. S. Economy, Detroit, Mich. Borroni-Bird, C. , 1996, â€Å"Automotive Fuel Cell Requirements,† Proceedings of the 1996 Automotive Technology Development Customers’ Coordination Meeting, U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Transportation Technologies, Washington, D. C. ANL 2. 00 1. 50 Borroni-Bird 2. 05 1. 56 EEA 2. 14 1. 56 EEA Methodology Share of Cost Contributor or Category MSRP (%) 50. 0 Vehicle Manufacturing 17. 0 Overhead 7. 0 23. 5 Selling 97. 5 Sum of Costs 2. 5 Profit 100. 0 RPE Share of RPE (%) 46. 9 22. 1 22. 9 91. 9 8. 1 100. 0 Page 7 Cuenca, R. M. , L. L. Gaines, and A. D. Vyas, 2000, Evaluation of Electric Vehicle Production and Operating Costs, Argonne National Laboratory Report ANL/ESD-41, Argonne, Ill. (to be published). Vyas, A. , R. Cuenca, and L. Gaines, 1998, â€Å"An Assessment of Electric Vehicle Life Cycle Costs to Consumers,† Proceedings of the 1998 Total Life Cycle Conference, SAE International Report P339, Warrendale, Penn. , pp. 161-172.

My Thoughts on Pygmalion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Thoughts on Pygmalion - Essay Example In order to come to a proper personal conclusion on Shaw's Pygmalion, one must critically evaluate not only the seen plot and sequence of events in this play, but as well how the actual play was written, and in what context it was expected to be presented in. Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion is a play in which there are many different issues that take place, however most of them are actually incredibly subtle, and so they are often missed by some who view it. The main issue of the play however is one which is certainly not subtle, and that is in regards to the relationship that grows and becomes more imminent between Higgins and Doolittle; we see Higgins at the beginning as being a rather arrogant and cocky man, as he makes a bet regarding someone that did not even know they were involved; as well, we see that although at first Doolittle obviously does not purposely want to be interested in him, she does end up having feelings for him but then goes contrast to that and declares that she is going to marry someone else. Despite the intense central relationship that takes place between Higgins and Doolittle, the play ends up with her leaving t

Marketing Strategy Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Strategy Proposal - Essay Example Mostly strength and weaknesses involves the evaluation of factors related to internal business capabilities, Opportunities and threats keenly deal with the external factors that somehow affect the business. Companies always design a strength assessment to measure their competencies.Here, a business thoroughly evaluate its marketing and promotion objectives for it strength based on its internal capabilities (Lussier, 2012). To optimize the development occurring in the beverage market, Starbuck has failed to perfectly match its strength to the existing opportunities. With its reputation of producing high quality products, which attract potential customers daily, the company has to effectively assign resources to exploit this business. Starbucks need to develop efficient strategies that inform its potential client of its reputation for quality and its close proximity.Secondly, Starbucks should ensure it gives its best sales representative the responsibility to sign up new businesses it has created with its new customers. The company should intensively research on its new prospective customer’s preference (Levy & Weitz, 2007). This will help it appear as if there is a natural match with the new customers thus increasing their loyalty to the company’s product. ... In a SWOT analysis, companies always assesses their internal weaknesses to identify what they are not able to do based on their existing abilities.Starbuck, in many countries has been facing market penetration challenges. This has solely been blamed on weaknesses of its sales approach. The company need to address this identified weakness by fixing or completely eliminating it. Though it can’t completely eliminate its sales approach, the company can opt to train its sales personnel and allocate them some extra tools (Kotler & Lee, 2005). Secondly, to overcome this marketing problem, Starbucks need to invest in customer relationship management softwares, and then ensure it avails them to its sales personnel. This will encourage the sales people to use the vital available customer information for their sales call. The company should also consider offering training to its sales personnel on the use of CRM applications as this will help them strengthen their sales approach. Many of coffee lovers customers are with time becoming more environmental conscious with their purchasing habits (Ottman, 2011). This is a great opportunity for Starbucks to come up with a comprehensive promotional plan to markets the green initiatives of this company. With such a marketing initiatives Starbucks will perfectly find a favorable placement in the market. Starbucks faces a great market threat from its competitors. To address this threat from SWOT analysis, the company can opt to strengthen itself to meet these prevailing threats (Kotler & Lee, 2005). With its much resource focused to controlling its home market, Starbucks will be stretched to meet the low cost competition from its oversea markets. So, to

Women's misrepresentation in media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women's misrepresentation in media - Essay Example Advertisers usually objectify women in their ads; they portray them as sexual objects. In addition, media value women neither for their achievements nor for intelligence. They are valuable for their youth, look and beauty. Jean Kilboune in and Carmen Sering share the same idea that media tend to represent women inappropriately. In Kilbourne’s work â€Å" Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt†, the author shows us how these ads attract consumers, then she starts to explain how these ads affect us more than we think. She claims that bodies are portrayed as objects, which leads to sexual harassment. Jean emphasizes that pornographic ads objectifie women. Providing many examples of different ads she proves how ads portray women in inappropriate way, which shapes the attitude towards women in the communities. For instance, an ad for MTV presents young lady with exposed breasts, and the word â€Å"Bitch† under her bosom. Like Jean Kilbourne, Carmen Siering’s work â€Å" Taking a Bite out of Twilight† discusses how the main character Bella is misrepresented. The author also mentions that there are two teams, which are Edward’s and Jacob’s. But there is no team for the girl Bella. Siering writes about how Bella, the main character of the novel, cannot take care of herself. In addition, Bella always needs someone to help her out making her decisions. The idea of â€Å"Taking a Bite out of Twilight† goes against the feminism. Furthermore, the author writes about how women are manipulated by men. Bella is represented in the novel as an object or a prize. Siering continues explaining that Stephanie Meyer, who is the author of Twilight, does not comsider Bella to be a personality. These two works, â€Å"Two Way a Woman Can Get Hurt† by Jean Kilbourne and â€Å" Taking a Bite out of Twilight† by Carmen Siering, share the same idea, which is the misrepresentation of women in media. Meg Kamerick also talks about the misrepresentation of women in the work â€Å"Woman Should Represent

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example The third objective is to increase customer loyalty significantly and turn at least 30 percent of its customers into repeat customer during the season. The company will use television advertisements, bill boards, and social media to market its brand to its main target market which is the young population of Hull City. The strategy of market penetration will be adopted by the company to increase its market share. The company will also use the occasion of Christmas and the tradition of gift giving in its marketing messages to the young population of Hull City. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 SWOT Analysis 4 Marketing Objectives 5 Target Markets 6 Product Offering 7 Brand Positioning 8 Marketing Strategies 9 Consumer Behavior 9 Marketing Mix for the Marketing Strategy 10 Implementation and Control 13 Budget 14 Appendix 16 Figure 2: Balance Scorecard of Chocolate Industry UK 17 Source: Trading Vision 17 Introduction The Christmas season is good for the retail industr y as it is a season where people exchange gifts. The season offer immense opportunities for businesses all over United Kingdom. Chocolate industry like other similar industries also experience significant increase in sales in the Christmas season (Holmes, 2009). Thorntons is a famous chocolate company of United Kingdom having presence all over the country (Thorntons, 2012). ... A detailed budget will also be presented in the marketing plan. In the marketing plan specific steps will be discussed that the company can use to increase its sales in the Hull City. The marketing plan will aim at increasing the sales of the company in the Christmas season. SWOT Analysis s Strengths Weaknesses Established Brand Name (See figure 2 in Appendix) Rich History Established Infrastructure in Markets Good Public Image Reduced Sales Confused Pricing Strategy Consistent Profitability issues Issues in Distribution Opportunities Threats Growing Chocolate Industry Young population of Hull City Seasons like Christmas and Easter Governmental regulation regarding food marketing and chocolate sizes Increasing competition in the industry Ethical issues reading Cocoa farmers Marketing Objectives The main marketing objective of Thorntons is to increase its sales in the Christmas season in the Hull City. As discussed above the sales of chocolate increase significantly in the Christmas s eason (Sweet Retailing, 2011) and therefore the company has a vast market in front of it. Thorntons should follow the strategy of market penetration in order to increase its sales in the Christmas season. Market penetration strategy helps the company increase its market share (Proctor, 2000). The strategy of market penetration is very appropriate for the company at this particular point because its overall sales are reducing and this strategy will help the company remedy this weakness. The company also has a rich history and well established brand name in the market and it can use it to attract more sales. The company should have three specific marketing objectives. The first objective should be to increase its sales by at least 25 percent from October to December. This is

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics - Essay Example In 2010 the government debt was at 1105.8 billion pounds, which was 76.1% of the GDP. Of that public sector net borrowing was 10.3 billion pounds in 2010 and the public sector net debt was at 58% of the total GDP (Economic Indicators, 2011). The growth predictions by IMF have been 1.75% in 2011 and the interest rates in 2011 have been at a record low at 0.5% (UK interest rate held at record low of 0.5%., 2011). The British Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans to reduce the government spending in public sector. Restrain will be enforced on government spending like benefits for the retired, higher education, flood defenses (Spending Review 2010: George Osborne wields the Axe., 2010). As part of the plan some surgery procedures will be restricted like cataract operation, some common orthopedic surgeries. Nursing homes for aged people will be closed and funds will be rationed for IVF procedure and obesity cures (Donnelly, L. ,2010). There will be other austerity measures like bu dget cuts for many facilities like libraries, trusts, theatres, counseling and advice centers on the country (Pubic Sector Cuts: Where will they Hit?, 2011). Prior to the budget the Chancellor had said that with this budget he wanted to take the country from a course of rescue to the course of reform. According to Cameroon the level of debt and the credit crunch are the main causes for the recession. So he preferred the strategy of monetary activities to control the recession. There was a tremendous opposition for the reduction in VAT by the Gordon Brown government, which led to a loss of revenue for the government facing a shortage of fund. On the contrary, the previous government relied on borrowing to increase government expenditure. According to them it would push the economy back on a path of growth. The Gordon Brown government strongly believed in adopting fiscal changes to tackle the recession. The key features announced by Gordon Brown were a 500 billion pound plan to save t he banks and 21 billion pound of tax cuts and increase in government expenditure (Sparrow, 2009). Gordon Brown reduced the VAT by 2.5% from 17.5% to boost the household consumption. This reduced 12.5 billion pounds of tax revenue from the treasury annually. The other cuts announced by the then Chancellor Alistair Darling included extending the 120 billion pound annual rebate for the people paying tax at basic rate. Increases in the excise duty for vehicles were delayed. To discourage the foreign companies from shifting their businesses abroad tax was exempted on foreign dividends. Billions of pounds were assigned to construct roads, schools and housing projects. All these policies were framed keeping in mind the Keynesian theory of Aggregate Demand. The Aggregate Demand is the total demand for goods and services in the economy. The right hand side of the following equation gives it. Y + T = C(Y-T) + G + I(r, (Y-T)) + (X – M) Where, Y = Real Income T= Tax C(Y – T) = Con sumption which is a function of real disposable income, i.e., difference between real Income and tax. G = Government Expenditure which Is Exogenous I = Investment which is a function of real disposable income and interest rate r = rate of interest which can be flexible (endogenous) or fixed (exogenous) X = Export Income M= Import Income Therefore, (X – M) = Balance of Payment. So if we consider the price level in the vertical axis and the national output in the horizontal axis and plot the aggregate demand curve, it will be downward

Job Satisfaction Statistical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Job Satisfaction Statistical Analysis - Essay Example As the paper stresses the statistics presented at this stage did not contribute to the validation of either the null or the alternate hypothesis but more generally fortified the claim that job dissatisfaction was high among practitioners of this particular profession. Therefore, at his point, one can critique the mentioned research on the basis of its having including statistics which may be deemed irrelevant with the context of the hypothesis set. This essay declares that the criticism here is the same as above. In brief, the statistics cited are relevant to neither the null nor the alternate hypothesis. Certainly, the researchers proved the existence of a problem within the profession as indicated by statistics signaling that the greater majority planned to retire the profession. However, while one may logically assume that the stated intention is reflective of job satisfaction, the fact is that this is an unproven assumption, unsupported by the set of statistics provided by the re searchers. Hence, within the context of this particular research, the statistical data employed proved high turnover ad a lack of organizational commitment but neither proven the null nor the alternate hypotheses. The null hypothesis, that positive work experience is positively related to job satisfaction was supported through statistical data collected from quantitative questionnaires distributed among the sample population.

Research Findings, Statistical Analysis and interpretation for Essay

Research Findings, Statistical Analysis and interpretation for Etisalat Telecom Corporation - Essay Example The developed or developing world countries are the major victims affected by the dynamics of the demographic splits. The main concerns relating to the identification of the developing and developed countries gets connected from the populace records (Lovie, 2005). The median age, raises the majority of populace in developed countries, whereas median age falls in developing countries therefore affecting the demographic splits of financial busting by a great percentage. Therefore, the median age in developed and developing countries need analyzation with great concern to the dynamics that they create in business financial status particularly the effects of demographic splits that they establish from their populace. Companies must come up with new product portfolios to meet the need of these new growing demographic needs established by the median age both in developed and developing world countries. The new products will establish new markets that meet the customers’ tastes and p references in the demographic splits. Identification of the new products concerns the median age in the developing and developed world countries. Additionally, companies must develop new methods of marketing messages and the method of packaging. The packaging of Old consumers should be one that is easier to open compared to the packaging of new consumers. Eventually, quick reactions to these changes in the demographics can bring significant growths in different companies that create greater opportunities for expansion and profit development (Lovie, 2005). Independent T-Test Independent T-test using SPSS compares the relation between two groups connected in any way but are on the same progressive, dependant variable. Independent t-test has two variables, the dependent variable and independent variable, manipulated in different ways to come up with variables that determine the independent t-test. Besides, ones data must meet certain assumptions to come up with comprehensive independen t t-test results. The assumptions establish valid t-test results using your data. According to Lovie, using an independent t-test, one of the major processes involves checking analyzed data if it actually uses an independent t-test. The main reason for checking is to be sure and appropriate that the independent t-test data passes the required six assumptions required an independent t-test to give valid and reliable results. The six assumptions determine the validity of independent t-test results by adding a little more time to the analysis. It requires checking and using keys in SPSS while performing the analysis as well establishing more ideas and thoughts about your data. When analyzing the data some of these assumptions are violated despite the fact all the six assumptions are valid and used in when analyzing data of the independent t-test. This is mostly common when working with data that is real rather than data found in the textbooks. Using the real world data, allows for the use of data that often shows you how to handle out an independent t-test when everything concerning the anayzation of the data goes in a professional way. In contrast, when the data fails to meet all the assumptions there is still a solution to overcome all this. The six assumptions that are considered in the independent t

Antigones Relations Essay Example for Free

Antigones Relations Essay In the two Antigone plays that we read, Anouilhs 1940s modern version and Sophocles version, there are many contrasts. Everything from the setting to the message is different, however the relationship between characters is the most striking difference; relationships with Antigone in particular. In Sophocles version, the character relations are rather underdeveloped, which is an extreme contrast from the relationships shown in Anouilhs version of Antigone. The relationships that are the most different between the two plays are Antigones relationship with Creon and with Haemon. Antigones relationship with Creon in the Sophocles version differs greatly from the Anouilh version. The most obvious difference is that in the Anouilh version Creon doesnt want Antigone to die and tries every way he can to keep her alive. He exhausts just about every argument possible, starting and frequently returning to the similarities between her and her father. He tells her how idiotic her father was and that she would be wise to not make the same mistakes even though she carries the same characteristics that lead Oedipus to his death. Then he switches tactics and half orders her to not be put to death because she has to marry Haemon, and when that doesnt work, he pulls a pity plea of how much he would like to bury Polynices but simply cant because of his duties as a king and what it would cost him if he bent to Antigones will. None of these arguments work, even when Creon, in a last desperate attempt to sway her, reveals to her how horrible her precious brothers actually are. Really in this version, Creon does care about Antigone; he has nothing to gain from keeping Antigone alive besides that she would marry Haemon, and her sister Ismene is still around to marry him if Antigone is put to death. In contrast, the Sophocles version doesnt present such a caring- if you could call it that in Anouilhs- relationship. In this relationship all Creon wants to do is see Antigone put to death. He is unswayed by any argument that his son Haemon throws out there. In this version things are simple. Antigone went against Creons edict and buried her brother, so therefore she must be put to death, no ifs ands or buts about it. There is no room for argument or feeling, and no real relationship development. While the relationship between Antigone and Creon in the Sophocles version is very underdeveloped when compared with the Anouilh version, the relationship between Antigone and Haemon is even more so. In the Sophocles story, there is no indication of the great everlasting love between the two that would drive Haemon to kill himself over finding Antigone dead. There is almost no feelings of anger or sadness at her sentence to death until Haemon suddenly flies into a rage at the very end upon seeing Antigone dead and shoves a sword through his body. To Haemons credit, he does show a little bit of rebellion when arguing with his father about the outcome of Antigone. He comes through with a little bit of strength after all of the oh father, you are so wise junk, and tells him that maybe he should bend just a little for her for his own benefit. And when Creon doesnt listen to his advice, he implies with his last words to his father †¦ And you will never see my face again†¦ (Sophocles, scene 3, line 133) that he may in fact take his own life. But thats as far as it goes, and it seems to be more out of anger at his father than of his love for Antigone. In Anouilhs version of the story, Haemon and Antigone have a much more developed relationship. Its plainly clear that Haemon loves Antigone and wants to be with her, even if she doesnt fully understand why he chose her over Ismene. The fact that he did chose her over Ismene shows more than anything else that he does indeed love her. Anouilhs added scene with Haemon and Antigone develops the relationship so much more and gives one a more believable basis for Haemon killing himself over Antigone. The scene is an intimate look at a couple in love, instead of in the Sophocles version a relationship that seems to be arranged for convenience at best. The changes in scenes which enhance and develop the relationships of Antigone with Creon and Haemon greatly improve the Anouilh version. Without the added scenes and implications in the scenes, the Sophocles version is rather dry and doesnt inspire much catharsis. However, in the Anouilh version, the reader is actually made to feel for the characters through their trials and tribulations, and therefore to be angry at Creon for killing her, disbelieving of Antigone for her stubborn pride, and sad for all involved when everyone except for Creon end up dead. So although both versions are supposed to be the same story, the relationship developments are so  contrasting that they are different stories altogether.

Effect of Consumption on Identity in Britain

Effect of Consumption on Identity in Britain We are what we consume. To what extent does consumption contribute to the construction of identity in contemporary British society? In order to understand the extent to which consumption contributes to the construction of identity in contemporary British society, and thus be in a position to comment on whether or not â€Å"we are what we consume† is a valid statement or simply hyperbole, it is important to first understand the sociological concepts behind the question being asked. â€Å"Consumption† in sociological terms does not simply mean the buying and consuming of goods and services. In particular, sociologists are interested in consumption as a means of conveying meaning. â€Å"Conspicuous consumption† is a term that was originally coined by Thorstein Veblen and it refers to the ways in which people convey the extent of their wealth to others in a society in which the traditional means of conveying meaning have largely disappeared. Veblen argued that in society, a person’s standing was directly related to their wealth. The manner in which this wealth had been accumulated was also important, with old wealth being more highly esteemed then new wealth. The wealthy individual had two ways in which to proclaim their social standing; conspicuous leisure and/or conspicuous consumption.[1] It is important to understand the historical background that has led to the current consumption patterns in contemporary Britain. The industrial revolution was a time of massive social upheavals. Historical bonds of servitude and deference were shattered and millions of people streamed into the UK’s cities. A consequence of this mass upheaval was that wealth creation was no longer tied to the land. Suddenly a person who owned a factory could potentially have the same amount of wealth as someone who considered themselves to be part of the upper classes and whose wealth came with status. Wealth, by itself, was no longer a sufficient means of separating the upper classes from the pretenders. This was especially so in the large towns that had been created in which people were constantly interacting with strangers who were unaware of a person’s social status. As such, conspicuous consumption came to be an increasingly important means of differentiating oneself from others.[2 ] The aspirational dreams unleashed during the industrial revolution meant that, in general terms, people belonging to a lower class could now potentially overcome the wealth divide simply through hard work. Overcoming the class divide was a little more difficult and it was achieved by essentially copying the consumption habits of that class to which a person aspired. Whether consumption drove the industrial revolution or whether the industrial revolution drove consumption may never be answered. The one thing that is certain is that each fuelled the other. The more people consumed the greater the flames of industry. The more exotic and fashionable the items produced, the greater the frenzy of consumption. However, what is clear is that traditional attitudes to work and consumption had to be overcome. Weber gives a interesting example that illustrates this point; â€Å"a man†¦ who at the rate of 1 mark per acre mowed 2.5 acres per day and earned 2.5 marks when the rate was raised to 1.25 marks per acre mowed, not 3 acres, as he might easily have done, thus earning 3.75 marks, but only 2 acres, so that he could still earn the 2.5 marks to which he was accustomed. The opportunity of earning more was less attractive to than that or working less. He did not ask: how much can I earn in a day if I work as much as possible? But: how much must I work in order to earn the wage, 2.5 marks, which I earned before and which takes care of my traditional needs?†[3] In the above example Weber seems to be lampooning this simple person who fails to understand that by working longer hours they can earn more money. In contemporary British society, it almost seems as though leisure time cannot be enjoyed without having first purchased the means of enjoying that time. Thus wide screen televisions, games consoles, international holidays, books, dvds, etc are all things without which people are made to believe they could not enjoy their leisure time. This should be contrasted to the person in Weber’s example who believed that simply being away from work was enough of a reward in itself. One suggested definition of a consumer culture, put forward in order to encompass conspicuous consumption in Third World countries, but also useful as a general starting point, is one, â€Å"in which the majority of consumers avidly desire (and some noticeable portion pursue, acquire, and display) goods and services that are valued for non-utilitarian reasons, such as status seeking, envy provocation, and novelty seeking.†[4] As such, any society in which consumption involves more than simply subsistence living (ie living to survive) will involve to some extent a degree of conspicuous consumption. Likewise, the concept of â€Å"identity† in contemporary sociological terms has developed beyond simply looking at a person’s occupation and class.[5] This move away from employment constituting the main source of a person’s identity splintered sociological thought. Whereas previously a person’s identity fell into several reasonably clear sociological categories and sociological theorists could hypothesis on the â€Å"macro† topics of relations between these groups, the shattering of the nexus between work and identity meant that sociologists now had to turn their attention to areas which had to that point been somewhat overlooked. The study of consumption by sociologists has relatively recent origins. While Marx and Veblen touched on consumption, their focus remained on class and occupational identities. That said, their early work in this area should not be discounted. Marx argued that by separating workers from ownership of the goods they produced and the means of that production, they were essentially being â€Å"estranged from their labour.†[6] As we will see below, this estrangement can lead to disillusionment in employees. However, it should be noted that consumption, being aspirational, actually thrives on feelings of disillusionment. As Weber’s example above illustrates, it is difficult to sell a person who is content an illusion. In their pioneering text on consumption, â€Å"The World of Goods†, Douglas and Isherwood noted with incredulity that, it is extraordinary to discover that no one knows why people want goods.[7] They went on to put forward the argument that â€Å"consumers use goods to construct an intelligible universe and to make and maintain social relationships.†[8] One could perhaps argue that in contemporary British society identity and consumption have become one and the same. As the wealth of society as a whole has increased and family bonds have slowly eroded, people look to advertisements, their peer group and celebrities to assist them in identifying themselves. However, by creating an identity which is outside of themselves and which relies on imported meanings, they run the risk of the identity they present to the world being itself an illusion. When such an illusion is shattered, it can have serious consequences for that person and those around them. Historically, British society has always been extremely class segregated. However, in modern British society, class wars have been to a large extent been replaced by battles of consumption. A particularly good example of this was the recent news that the Labour minister Ruth Kelly had made a decision to send her child to an expensive private school when a suitable state alternative existed. The arguments surrounding her decision clearly illustrate the extent to which choices about consumption can clash with a person’s public identity. The fact that Mrs Kelly is a Labour minister and former Education Secretary means to some people that she should not make decisions about her consumption of services which are contrary to party lines. A clear example of this thinking is set out in Simon Jenkins recent article in the Guardian.[9] He argues that: â€Å"To remove a child from the state school system is rarely an educational choice, whatever euphemism is customarily applied. It is a social statement. Across class-bound Britain, the exclusive school, whether state or private, reinforces the great divide.†[10] Other commentators from within the Labour party went on record to state[11]: I think it goes against the principles of the Labour Party. I am saddened by this and it makes me wonder about the sort of people who achieve high office who are in New Labour† (Birmingham Selly Oak MP Lynne Jones). I think we should expect Labour ministers to put their children through the state system. I deplore others transferring their children out of the system to go private† (Austin Mitchell, MP for Great Grimsby). What underpins these statements is the underlying belief that a person’s true identity is revealed by their consumption decisions. Furthermore, if one believes in a certain cause, not to support that cause through consumption decisions is akin to betray. While the Labour party may no longer be the â€Å"worker’s party†, it is still the party that most fervently advocates the role of public services and those less well off. The difficulty then for Labour ministers is that with their own increasing affluence, they are more likely to want to make consumption decisions which are more akin to the upper middle classes as opposed to their traditional support base. This naturally causes friction and inevitably calls of hypocrisy when the illusion is discovered. It should be noted that conspicuous consumption crosses divides of culture, race, age and religion. An interesting case in point is the Muslim Hijab which some women wear. These have now become â€Å"hot fashion items† for young Muslim women branded with for instance, Calvin Klein, Burberry, L’Oreal and Chanel logos. In this way, a Muslim woman can make the statment that while her religion is Muslim, her identity is Western. Likewise, Fulla dolls have replaced Barbie dolls in many Middle Eastern countries where the doll is a best seller.[12] The fact that Fulla’s popularity is about identity is clear in Mr Abidin’s (the brand manager behind the doll) statement: This isnt just about putting the hijab on a Barbie doll. You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to. Our advertising is full of positive messages about Fullas character. Shes honest, loving, and caring, and she respects her father and mother. While one may question what relevance the sale of a doll in the Middle East might have in contemporary Britain, the point is that in a global, inter-dependant marketplace, the West no longer dictates the consumption agenda as it once did. And as new ideas and aspirations emerge, these then filter back into the consumption patterns of British society as people in Britain seek to communicate those aspirations through their consumption. The interesting irony is the way in which a consumer society has managed to incorporate all these conflicting and competing ideas, some which even argue against consumerism, into nice, consumable packages. This is perhaps what is at the heart of the statement â€Å"we are what we consume†; that even if we identify ourselves as being anti-consumer, the only way to communicate that message to others is through consumption itself. Ritzer[13] suggests four changes that have occurred within society as a result of the process of consumption. These changes are first, that people no longer have to go to different shops to obtain the goods they wish to purchase but can instead go to supermarkets or shopping centres which cater for all their needs under one roof. While this does on doubt create a more convenient shopping experience, it also creates a more sterile one as everything is controlled and there is little chance of anything out of the ordinary occurring.[14] Second, many of what he calls the â€Å"cathederals of consumption† such as Disney Land and Las Vegas, have become destinations in their own right. People are just as likely to go there to enjoy the sites for what they are/represent as they are to go there to consume the goods and services offered by them.[15] Third, customers are more likely to do more of the things employees previously did for them, for themselves for no pay. Clear examples of this are the checkouts at supermarkets, with many British supermarkets now having some type of self-checkout service, self-service petrol stations, and cash points.[16] Finally, the process of consumption has altered social interaction to such an extent that a consumer is more likely to interact with the sites as opposed to any other people.[17] In many cases, the people with whom a consumer is interacting during the consumption process are so scripted in their role that interaction on a human level is close to impossible. To a certain extent, those employers are trying to break down the roles that their employees perform to such an extent that they can eventually be replaced by machines. In circumstances such as these, it is hardly surprising that many workers feel disillusioned and seek, in their leisure time, to escape from the monotony of their unfulfilled lives through consumption. In this case, perhaps consumption isn’t conspicuous but rather innocuous. Ratneshwar[18] looks under the illusion created by many of these â€Å"cathedrals of consumption† and in a scathing indictment argues that the â€Å"underlying rationality and sheer manipulativeness of these places are more likely to remain hidden from consumers.† However, people who work in these places quickly become disillusioned and come to see them as places â€Å"largely devoid of meaningful content.† [19] The interesting thing about modern consumption is that a person’s presence is never permanent. At the end of every day, everything is put back the way it was and when the shop/amusement park/cinema reopens the next day it is almost as if the previous day never happened. These places of consumption lack any historical or human dimension. They rely on people to give them meaning and yet, perhaps ironically, they themselves claim to be the givers of meaning. One could perhaps say that they sell back the meaning they have stolen from their customers (no doubt this would be Marx’s view). That said, it would be difficult to argue that a middle class person living in Britain today is worse off, or would willing trade places, with a person living in the middle ages. Even though that person in the middle ages may have had a clear identity about themselves and their position in the world, that certainty constrains them in a way in which a modern person would not be willing to be constrained (although it is arguable that this is slowly changing and that people are becoming more constrained). The fundamental feature in a society of consumption is that we are all complicit in the illusion taking place. As Ruth Kelly has shown, our consumption habits make hypocrites of us all. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bourdieu, P. (1977), Outline of a Theory of Practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Belk, R. W. (1988), Third World Consumer Culture, in Goodwin, N. R., Ackerman, F. Kiron, D. (1997), The Consumer Society, Island Press, Washington DC, pp.311-314 Bocock, R. (2001), Consumption, Routledge, London Corrigan, P. (2006), The Sociology of Consumption: An Introduction, Sage Publications, London The Daily Mail, Ruth Kelly named as Labour minister sending a child to private school, 8th January 2007, taken from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=427179in_page_id=1770 Douglas, M. Isherwood, B. (2005), The World of Goods, Routledge, London Goodwin, N. R., Ackerman, F. Kiron, D. (1997), The Consumer Society, Island Press, Washington DC Jenkins, S., Introducing the minister of no faith in communities, in Guardian Unlimited, 10th January 2007, taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1986631,00.html The New York Times, Bestseller in Mideast: Barbie With a Prayer Mat, 22nd September 2005, taken from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/international/middleeast/22doll.html?ex=1285041600en=72bb8cc089bf9435ei=5090 Ransome, P. (2005), Work, Consumption and Culture: Affluence and Social Change in the Twenty-first Century, Sage Publications, London Ratneshwar, S. Mick, D. G. ed. (2005), Inside Consumption: Perspectives on Consumer Motives, Goals and Desires, Routledge, New York Ritzer, G. (2005), Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption, Pine Forge Press Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed. (2003), Handbook of Social Theory, Sage Publications Ltd, London Storey, J. (1999), Cultural Consumption and Everyday Life, Arnold Publishing, London Veblen, T. (1994), The Theory of the Leisure Class, Dover Publications, Ontario Woodward, K. (2003), Social Sciences: The Big Issues, Routledge, London 1 Footnotes [1] Corrigan, P. (2006), p.17 [2] Corrigan, P. (2006), p.17 [3] Weber, M. (1976), pp.59-60 in Corrigan, P. (2006), p.66 [4] Belk, R. W. (1988), p.105 in Goodwin, N. R., Ackerman, F. Kiron, D. (1997), p.312 [5] Ransome, P. (2005), p.96 [6] Bocock, R. (2001), p.37 [7] Douglas, M. Isherwood, B. (2005), p.xxxi [8] Douglas, M. Isherwood, B., in Corrigan, P. (2006), p.17 [9] Jenkins, S. in Guardian Unlimited, 10th January 2007 [10] Jenkins, S. in Guardian Unlimited, 10th January 2007 [11] The Daily Mail, 8th January 2006 [12] The New York Times, 22nd September 2005 [13] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [14] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [15] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [16] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [17] Smart, B. Ritzer, G. ed (2003), p.424 [18] Ratneshwar, S. Mick, D. G. ed. (2005), p.305 [19] Ratneshwar, S. Mick, D. G. ed. (2005), p.305

Farmer, Political Boss, and Immigrant Essay -- American History

Farmer, Political Boss, and Immigrant Various people from the late nineteenth century held diverse opinions on political issues of the day. The source of this diversity was often due to varying backgrounds these people experienced. Three distinct groups of people are the farming class, the political bosses, and the immigrants, who poured into the country like an unstoppable flood. These groups of people also represented the social stratification of the new society, which had just emerged from rapid industrialization. These three groups had large differences in many aspects such as power, amount of money, and influence in political events of the day. The political boss dominated local city governments and pretended to be Robin Hoods of industrial society, but in reality were just petty thieves, attempting to earn large sums of money. The men involved in agricultural work were in a precarious situation. They experienced countless forms of natural disasters that constantly beset them and made it a formidable task to grow crops in such a hostile environment. Crops sold for ridiculously low amounts of money, and subsistence was a challenge, a challenge that many failed to overcome. The immigrants faced some of the greatest obstacles out of any class at the time. They were discriminated against by the â€Å"native-born† Americans and had to face sharp ethnic prejudice. Many immigrants were unskilled laborers and nearly all lived in poverty. These three diverse groups lived very differently from each other and held diverse views on important issues of the time period. The new emerging modes of thought contributed to the rise of new political organizations, such as the People’s or Populist party. The farmers faced tremendous... ...rked as unskilled laborers in the new factories. Most were poor, disgruntled, and found that America was not what they had expected when they left their native countries. The city bosses provided aid to these immigrants and then gained their political support. They unfairly took advantages of the immigrants to gain power, which helped them to gain the money they were seeking. The immigrants had a difficult life because most of them were crowded into ghettos and slums. They received low wages and faced dangerous and unhealthy working conditions daily. Concentration increased and living quarter size proportionately decreased. The immigrants experienced poor sanitation and contagious diseases and most did not have any plumbing or ventilation. They had a difficult and sad life, and many were more happy in their oppressive homelands than industrialized America.

Black & Decker Essay -- Business, Globalization

Black & Decker was recognized as the power tools international industry leader during the early1980’s. However, due to the maturity of its power tools business and competition from companies joining the global market, B&D shifted from a single business firm to a diversified company. Early success with acquisitions such as GE propelled the company to acquire Emhart, a highly diversified manufacturer of industrial products. The acquisition of Emhart is well documented and provides a roadmap for the internal and external challenges and opportunities companies face when attempting to gain market share, increase profits, and expand globally through diversification. Thus, the integration and globalization strategy B&D used after buying Emhart will be examined. Globalization Strategy 1. What do you think of Grunewald’s plan for creating a â€Å"global lock business†? Grunewald’s plan to gain market share by acquiring a company that will continue Black & Decker’s diversification strategy and provide inroads to other international markets had merit. It was, in fact, what he was hired to do- expand the business globally (Cummings & Worley, 2009). According to B&D CEO, Nolan Archibald, Emhart’s distribution channels and products such as Kwikset door locks, Price Pfister faucets, and Bostik adhesives, aligned with B&D’s product lines, in other words, it was a good fit (Deutsch, 1989). Moreover, both companies have international experience. B&D targets homeowners while Emhart’s target market is industrial (Deutsch, 1989). Also, the merger will increase B&D’s margin significantly. For example, Archibald estimates increased revenues of $50 million by moving products through integrated distribution channels (Deutsch, 1989). Finally,... ...its global strategy and be competitive with existing international companies (Yips, 1996). Conclusion The ability to compete globally is a problem all companies face. It requires a departure from traditional methods of operation and an awareness of external and internal forces that can undermine a company’s success. Thus, a clear strategic plan engineered by experienced and committed managers is necessary. B&D assumed that its past success with diversification and acquisitions inoculated them from making a mis-step. This bravado, if you will, caused B&D to ignore the warning signs when acquiring Emhart; a venture that took approximately ten years to recover from. Consequently, B&D returned to its core strategy of product innovation, quality, and concentration on profitable company acquisitions in order to remain competitive in the global market. Black & Decker Essay -- Business, Globalization Black & Decker was recognized as the power tools international industry leader during the early1980’s. However, due to the maturity of its power tools business and competition from companies joining the global market, B&D shifted from a single business firm to a diversified company. Early success with acquisitions such as GE propelled the company to acquire Emhart, a highly diversified manufacturer of industrial products. The acquisition of Emhart is well documented and provides a roadmap for the internal and external challenges and opportunities companies face when attempting to gain market share, increase profits, and expand globally through diversification. Thus, the integration and globalization strategy B&D used after buying Emhart will be examined. Globalization Strategy 1. What do you think of Grunewald’s plan for creating a â€Å"global lock business†? Grunewald’s plan to gain market share by acquiring a company that will continue Black & Decker’s diversification strategy and provide inroads to other international markets had merit. It was, in fact, what he was hired to do- expand the business globally (Cummings & Worley, 2009). According to B&D CEO, Nolan Archibald, Emhart’s distribution channels and products such as Kwikset door locks, Price Pfister faucets, and Bostik adhesives, aligned with B&D’s product lines, in other words, it was a good fit (Deutsch, 1989). Moreover, both companies have international experience. B&D targets homeowners while Emhart’s target market is industrial (Deutsch, 1989). Also, the merger will increase B&D’s margin significantly. For example, Archibald estimates increased revenues of $50 million by moving products through integrated distribution channels (Deutsch, 1989). Finally,... ...its global strategy and be competitive with existing international companies (Yips, 1996). Conclusion The ability to compete globally is a problem all companies face. It requires a departure from traditional methods of operation and an awareness of external and internal forces that can undermine a company’s success. Thus, a clear strategic plan engineered by experienced and committed managers is necessary. B&D assumed that its past success with diversification and acquisitions inoculated them from making a mis-step. This bravado, if you will, caused B&D to ignore the warning signs when acquiring Emhart; a venture that took approximately ten years to recover from. Consequently, B&D returned to its core strategy of product innovation, quality, and concentration on profitable company acquisitions in order to remain competitive in the global market.

Graduation Speech: Tonight We Cross the Finish Line :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Congratulations, County High Class of 2012, our thirteen-year marathon is over. Some of you may know I am a distance runner, part of an immensely successful cross-country and distance track program. We were fourth at the state cross-country championships, and we are the best senior boys team in the state. My involvement in athletics truly linked me with our school and granted me friends whom I will remember for a lifetime. One of the most important aspects of my time in high school was getting involved. Wherever your next journey takes you, don't sit back and watch the action. Take the initiative and you will experience the benefits. Just look around you. These are the people you grew up with, the people you were teammates with and the people you have survived dozens of classes with for the last four years. They are not merely faces in a yearbook. They are your people, your community, your family. They are the greatest benefit of being involved. Another concept I have learned from my participation in running is teamwork. No matter how hard we try, we cannot live our lives without others' help or without helping others. We must work together to succeed on the road ahead. This is the essence of teamwork. I know that even my personal success in cross-country and track is not solely mine. I know that my three district titles, one in cross country and two in track, in the 800 meter and 1600 meter runs, could not have been accomplished without my team's unequivocal support and for that, I thank them. However, along with the team element, we must remember one notion. Live life for you. Expect more out of yourself. Expect to reach the finish line, expect to finish first and expect to finish in one piece. Don't live your life striving to fulfill the expectations of your parents, your professors or your bosses. Live up to your own. Raise your expectations. Exceed them. Reach your potential. Now I have one thing to ask of you. Tonight, as we cross this finish line before us and set forth upon our next journey, strive to make a difference. Get involved to make our country a better place. Use teamwork to bring our people and the whole world together. I know to me personally, making a difference in our country and our world is paramount. Next week, I leave for the United States Military Academy at West Point, N. Graduation Speech: Tonight We Cross the Finish Line :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address Congratulations, County High Class of 2012, our thirteen-year marathon is over. Some of you may know I am a distance runner, part of an immensely successful cross-country and distance track program. We were fourth at the state cross-country championships, and we are the best senior boys team in the state. My involvement in athletics truly linked me with our school and granted me friends whom I will remember for a lifetime. One of the most important aspects of my time in high school was getting involved. Wherever your next journey takes you, don't sit back and watch the action. Take the initiative and you will experience the benefits. Just look around you. These are the people you grew up with, the people you were teammates with and the people you have survived dozens of classes with for the last four years. They are not merely faces in a yearbook. They are your people, your community, your family. They are the greatest benefit of being involved. Another concept I have learned from my participation in running is teamwork. No matter how hard we try, we cannot live our lives without others' help or without helping others. We must work together to succeed on the road ahead. This is the essence of teamwork. I know that even my personal success in cross-country and track is not solely mine. I know that my three district titles, one in cross country and two in track, in the 800 meter and 1600 meter runs, could not have been accomplished without my team's unequivocal support and for that, I thank them. However, along with the team element, we must remember one notion. Live life for you. Expect more out of yourself. Expect to reach the finish line, expect to finish first and expect to finish in one piece. Don't live your life striving to fulfill the expectations of your parents, your professors or your bosses. Live up to your own. Raise your expectations. Exceed them. Reach your potential. Now I have one thing to ask of you. Tonight, as we cross this finish line before us and set forth upon our next journey, strive to make a difference. Get involved to make our country a better place. Use teamwork to bring our people and the whole world together. I know to me personally, making a difference in our country and our world is paramount. Next week, I leave for the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.

Mariveles National Highschool Malaya’s 2013 Education Week

Mariveles National Highschool Malaya celebrated its 2013 Education Week last December 16-18. It is a whole week activity and celebration that aims to enhance and emphasize the role of education in empowering and developing the skills of the students by showcasing their outputs and projects through Bazaars and Exhibit. The school created a small booth to be able to show the different beautiful and pretty dress that was made by the students in dressmaking.Seminars and workshops were conducted to strengthen the cooperation among stakeholders in education to provide high quality of education. Team building for teachers and students is another activity which inspires educators to do more for children and ensure their future. Academic and Co-curricular contest were also established to enhance student’s knowledge while still enjoying and having fun with co-students.The school also facilitates Tree Planting and Tree Growing as part of the aim of school is to produce youth that are res ponsible and have love for the environment. Disaster Risk Reduction and Related Life skills preparedness is another seminar that was conducted that gives the students as well as teachers an awareness for the preventive measures and behaviors during and after disaster.As the last part of the week celebration, the students and teacher were able to run for education through helping the Typhoon Yolanda victims by raising funds through â€Å"PISO mo Tabang mo† a Piso sign for a cause. And to celebrate also the spirit of Christmas, the school facilitates the Pasko na Gift Giving were the beneficiaries are from poor community and orphanages.The school aims for the celebration of education week benefits not the just the school but also the students, teachers, community and environment and beneficiaries of the fund raising project where Education week is not just pure education but also interrelate to the spirit of Christmas which is gift giving.

Electronic Health Records and Our Government Essay

Electronic Health Records involvement in health care reform is at the main focus of lowering the cost to make care more affordable and improvement in the quality of care patients receive. The transition to electronic health records for the last couple years have been driven by offered incentives through the government. As the time pass by the popularity of electronic health record system increase more and more. EHR Systems involvement with government health care reforms in 2010 Financial incentives were aligned to encourage the adoption of EHR. To further support the transition to EHR funds were also provided to train health care professionals on how to us EHR in a meaningful manner. The incentives decline every year until 2015 when it will then be mandatory. After the deadline of 2015 not being in compliance will result in being penalized financially. In order to receive the incentives there are very specific guidelines and requirements that must be fulfilled. Some examples of requirements are EHR systems that record BMI (body mass index), patient demographics, as well as 40% of prescriptions must be submitted electronically. EHR Systems involvement with government health care reforms in 2011 The reporting year begins for eligible professions on January 1st. Medicare EMR incentive program registration began in January 3rd. In April Attestation began. In May Payments began. July 3rd was the last day for eligible hospitals to begin their 90 day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EMR incentive program. September 30th was the last day of reporting year ends for eligible hospitals. October 1st was the last day for eligible professionals to begin their 90 day reporting period for calendar year 2011. December 31st the reporting year ends for  eligible professions. Out of 57% of office based physicians that were using HER systems only 34% met the criteria to receive incentives. (CDC) EHR Systems involvement with government health care reforms in 2013 According to the CDC By this time fifty percent of doctors and eighty percent of hospitals were receiving incentives for using EHR meaningfully. Before the encouragement of transitioning to EHR by presi dent Obama only seventeen percent of physicians were using it. (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) It was predicted by the congressional budget office that â€Å"the federal government will be saving close to twelve billion by converting to electronic health records†.(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) WORKS CITED Hsiao, Chun-ju, and Esther Hing. â€Å"Electronic Health Record Systems and Intent to Apply for Meaningful Use Incentives Among Office-based Physician Practices.† Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2014. HHS. â€Å"News.† Doctors and Hospitals’ Use of Health IT More than Doubles since 2012. U.S. Department of Health &Humanservices, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014. Pear, Robert. â€Å"Standards Issued for Electronic Health Records.† THE NEW YORK TIMES. NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY, 13 July 2010. Web.Schiling, Brian. â€Å"Quality Matters.† The Federal Government Has Put Billions into Promoting Electronic Health Record Use: How Is It Going? THE Comonwealth Fund, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014. Feris, Nancy. â€Å"Electronic Health Record Standards.† Health Affairs. Project Hope, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.

Importance of Strategic Human Resource Management

Management in an organization and asses its purposes in the chosen organization By Assimilate 23 In present business environment â€Å"information technology' has become back bone of any business or organization, and they are integral part of day to day activities. Information technology which connects all the departments with each other which helps to increase efficiency, reduce communication time, production time, to improve, maintain the business flow. In short every industry and even companies within the industry can have different key success factors.It is important to select supply chain IT systems that are able to give us advantage in the areas most crucial to business success. Companies invest a good amount of their budget to develop new software's programs to improve their flexibility and responsiveness and competitiveness. In recent studies conducted by Food & Agricultural Organization (FAA) it was found that Food wastage across the world is alarming and $ 1 trillion of fo od is being wasted for the reason jack of technology, human error and facilities.In our pizza hut outlet Information Technology will play very important role which will connect all our operation. We being a fast food chain and products used are highly perishable and if a proper control on purchase, storage and production is not there then our business may end up in loss. As per below given diagram IT will be connecting all our departments Fig. 1 Logistics & Procurement: IT will help to collect data, tracking products inventory and reduce lifestyle which will help everybody involved in the process.Has the data will be readily available it will help to procure our raw materials as per the requirement and keep a track on the movements, storage and delivery. Operation: It will help in day to day activities by attending customers taking their orders placing them to our production and arranging to deliver. In addition to this it will help to maintain our financial track, bank accounts, pa yment schedule and other uncial obligations.Customer relationship: To improve our customer service, attend customer complaints and develop relationship with customer we need a proper IT support such as CRM