Competitive Education Essay

In my opinion, Education is a holistic process of learning and development in an individual’s lifetime. While competitiveness, is the result of the basic survival instinct already inherent in an individual, or for that matter all living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For this reason, I believe education as a system shouldn’t undermine the importance of â€Å"competition† as a valuable tool employed to enhance the learning process, undermining which might consequently hinder the natural progress and development of a student. The need for a competitive education becomes all the more vital in preparing a student for the cut-throat competition that takes place in the real world, and in which â€Å"survival of the fittest† phenomenon applies in every aspect of an individual’s life. It starts early from sibling rivalry at home, to parents ensuring that the individual gets into the best school, again enrolling into the best college of choice, applying for scholarships, vying for the attention of the opposite sex, finding a suitable job, choosing the best prospective bride or groom, starting an enterprise and competing against other enterprises in the market etc. For better or for worse, â€Å"competition† is not limited to our personal lives but also thrives in our collective social, political, economic environment and not to forget in the field of sports. For instance, we all saw and openly displayed our enthusiasm and support for our department i. e. ITB during the cricket tournament and our players also felt motivated to outscore other Departments. Therefore, if competition is considered a positive and integral element in our progressive society, the question that arises is why should it be perceived as anything less or a threat in our education system? Competitive education system empowers a student to face challenges and not to shy away from them. It helps a student identify his/her strengths and weaknesses and further provides the necessary motivation to focus on the strengths and overcome the weaknesses. In academics a student will be able to assess what he/she has learnt so far in the class through oral and written examinations. In co-curricular activities, a student might be poor in sports but may be exceptional in painting. Through the means of competition, this student will be able to discover what he/she is good at and then focus on refining that particular skill, thereby a student will feel motivated to strive for excellence in the activity that brings out the best in him. Yes its true, in a competitive environment there is room for only one winner and for every winner to win the prize there must be a loser to take the fall, because failure is the much needed contrast to success and vice versa. Having said that, one can argue that â€Å"competition† is not about winning or losing but about giving our best. Salman Rushdie in his novel â€Å"midnight children† wrote: All games have morals; and the game of Snakes and Ladders captures, as no other activity can hope to do, the eternal truth that for every ladder you climb, a snake is waiting just around the corner; and for every snake, a ladder will compensate. † Therefore, a student in a competitive education system, in keeping with the spirit of competition can learn an important moral lesson of life: handling failures gracefully and perceiving it as a stepping stone to success. Ultimately, learning these crucial lessons from a competitive education system the easy way is better than learning from the unforgiving real world the hard way.

Visual Argument Analysis: Pedigree’s Otis

Pedigree’s adoption drive advertisement is an emotional appeal aimed towards consumers that own pets. Through an argument based on emotion and values, the advertisement successfully proposes a plan of action towards the consumer audience to help dogs find a home. In essence, the advertisement logically reasons, â€Å"If you buy our food, we will donate money to dogs without a home. If we donate money to dogs without a home, you will save dogs.† Through clever techniques such as direct contact in camera orientation and a personal anecdote of the puppy, Pedigree convinces the audience through appeals to emotion and values that buying their products will, indeed, save a dog’s life. Pedigree’s advertisement’s intended audience is the consumer public. However, the advertisement’s actual audience can be considered one of all ages and all backgrounds rather than simply the consumer public. For example, a child can easily be persuaded by the emotional advertisement. Once the child has been persuaded, he or she will most likely tell his or her parents to buy the product rather than a different brand simply because of the cute puppy he or she saw on the print advertisement. Ultimately, through the emotional image and story, Pedigree breaks existing consumer loyalty that competing companies have by stealing the hearts of consumers, convincing them that by buying this product, the consumer will contribute to a larger change in the world rather than simply feeding their dog. Also, by using the name Otis for the Pug’s name, an older audience is aimed towards to evoke traditional, and emotional responses. One significant factor to understand when reading the print advertisement is to have watched the move The Adventures of Milo and Otis. The movie, in short, is about a cat and a dog that helps each other survive and find mates and homes together. Obviously being an emotion-evoking movie, it is important when a reader comes across the advertisement. Pedigree’s clever decision to name the Pug Otis causes the reader to recall the movie and automatically feel emotionally attached to the puppy, making it easier for Pedigree to convince its audience to purchase the product. Through the personal anecdote and image of the dog staring through a fence, Pedigree intends to make the audience feel compassion for the dog and hopefully buy the product that is said to help the dog. The argument is carried out by using an appeal to both emotions and values. The direct gaze of the dog makes the audience feel as if it is staring directly at them. Through this, the audience is put on a guilt trip that makes them think, â€Å"I must help this dog.† If the picture is not convincing enough, the audience may move on to the text. Already a large factor in the print advertisement because of its bright yellow color, the text is an anecdote of the average day for a homeless dog like Otis. The uneventful, despairing schedule causes the audience to pity the animal making room for Pedigree to further force the audience to take action and buy the product. Essentially, the advertisement tugs at the heart’s strings in order to promote the product. One last significant technique Pedigree uses is the final sentence within the text. It says, â€Å"Help us help dogs.† Being a very abrupt, short statement, Pedigree draws attention to the sentence by making it shorter than others and putting it in a bold face. Through reading the sentence, Pedigree makes the audience feel as if they are included in Pedigree’s movement of getting homeless dogs adopted. The audience is then provoked to feel as if they can contribute their part in the movement if they buy the product to help animals find â€Å"loving homes.† All in all, Pedigree utilizes appeals to emotion, values, tradition, and reason in order to persuade the audience to buy their product. Through these, Pedigree convinces the audience that buying their product will help them save a homeless dog. Pedigree chooses to use an emotion-evoking picture, personal anecdote, background information, and loaded text in order to persuade the audience that buying Pedigree pet food will ultimately help homeless animals.

An Analysis of the Categories of Qualitative Research Methods Used By the Coca-Cola Company

An Analysis of the Categories of Qualitative Research Methods Used By the Coca-Cola Company Numerous organization have used organizational development techniques to achieve organizational effectiveness. According to Najmin (2012), organizational effectiveness makes use of applied psychology to bring change to different aspects of the organization. Such elements include culture, management styles, as well as communication techniques in a business. Similar techniques apply to Coco Cola Company that have had poor use of its staff leading to high employees’ turnover. Moreover, the company had little innovative strategies until lately when there has been a change in the soft drinks market driven by sensitive health companies. Accordingly, the company requires organizational development interventions that would enable it to achieve higher levels of effectiveness. Given that, research reviews other researchs on organizational development as well as an evaluation of other organizations that have used OD interventions to achieve organizational effectiveness. The current research will make use of three qualitative research methods to capture relevant data that will help identify the best OD interventions that Coco Cola might use. First, the study will interview executives, middle-level managers, and general level employees of organizations such as JetBlue and Google that have had successful OD interventions at their workplace with permission from the top executives. During the interviews, I will record respondent’s responses into a paper and after that into computer files for analysis purpose. Moreover, there will be an option for over-the-phone interviews or busy managers that I will record and store in a computer in an electronic format. Secondly, I will use questionnaires to reach general-purpose employees on their view of their organization’s OD interventions. Lastly, I will obtain information from secondary sources such as peer-reviewed Journals and textbooks to decipher the best interventions applicable to Coco Cola In c. The research had four central hypothesis. First, interventions that were successful in other organizations are relevant at Coco Cola Inc. Most OD interventions apply to numerous organizations, as they tend to target human behavior as an agent of organizational change. Consequently, interventions that worked in other agencies could also work for Coco Cola Company. Secondly, the research would establish that the top management had significant influence on the success of the OD interventions. According to Najmin (2012), most ineffective organizations have weak leadership. As such, the top leadership has to change so that junior employee can follow in their steps. Moreover, through evaluation of other researchs on organizational development interventions, it would be possible to find interventions that would work for Coco Cola Company. Most of the researchs under evaluation had evaluated interventions from different companies working in various part of the world. The findings would offer invaluable insight to the type of interventions that would work for Google given it is a multinational company. Lastly, the paper anticipates finding that some interventions are only effective to certain companies while non-applicable to others. For instance, interventions applicable to Apple Inc. might not apply to Coco Cola Inc. since the two firms operates in different industries hence serving customers with different needs. I conducted two interviews in different places. The first one was at Facebook Inc. at its Menlo Park, California Headquarters. The interview was on 16th of October 2015 from 11 am. During the discussion, three middle-level managers and five junior employees gave their responses. The interview had the permission of the company’s vice president making the process very smooth. Moreover, the employees were very free to share with a student. A week later, I conducted another interview at JetBlue headquarters in Long Island City, New York. The interview was on 23rd October 2015 from 9 am. Due to its great organizational development interventions key to the research, five senior managers, and ten middle-level managers gave their responses. Moreover, ten junior employees also gave their answers. There were several comments from the qualitative research. First, the respondents from both companies seemed eager to share different interventions applied in their organizations and the favorable change that came afterward. My interpretation was that the interviewees felt the pleasure of sharing a success story of positive change in their organization’s life due to OD interventions. Secondly, respondents in both cases decried the high level of resistance emanating from managers during induction of OD interventions. My interpretation was that most managers felt they were losing some power since most OD interventions require managers to collaborate with junior workers to realize the company’ goals. Lastly, I noted the warm relationship between junior employees and their managers in both companies. Najmin (2012) indicates that OD interventions promote collaboration between managers and their juniors. As such, I interpreted the cordial relationship between different levels in the companies as the fruits of successful application of OD interventions that are making the companies efficient. The qualitative research supports my thesis statement in different ways. The thesis statement of my paper is to find various OD interventions applicable to Coco Cola Company. As such, the qualitative research assists in identifying interventions that have worked in other companies and are the applicable to Coco Cola Inc. case. Moreover, it offers insight to some of the challenges that Coco Coal might have to encounter as it endeavors to achieve effectiveness using OD interventions. Such information would be imperative in helping the company design contingency plans. Qualitative research make is essential as it uses theoretical frameworks to provide accurate conclusions. From the research, companies such as JetBlue and Facebook have used OD interventions to achieve effectiveness. Such responses offer an insight to the type of interventions that Coco Cola might adopt to realize efficiency.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 64

Essay Example The resultant contrasting views portray China as one rapidly growing superpower with the largest economy. On the hand, this view regards China as a brutal and authoritarian regime that is a threat to the economies and geo-stability of the western industrial world (Peerenboom, 2007).This study analyzes China’s modernization to assess if it is a threat to the west or a model to the rest in the context of its legal system and the rule of law. The two conflicting views are directly parallel to any existing literature on the rules and laws of modernization and economic development. The positive view of China’s modernization presents China as a paradigm for the gradually developing nations and the envy of other industrialized countries that are busy catching up with its high growth rates; in this globalization era. The second view criticizes this modernity as a challenge to the dominance and legitimacy of the so-called western states. This criticism is in relation to free markets economic policies, constitutional democracy, rule of law, human rights interpretation and governance. The subsequent sections of this study analyze the two views separately to establish the legal perspective of China’s modernization. According to a majority of people, China has enjoyed a wave of tremendous growth over the past decades and has done this without the influence of the rule of law or the rights of property. This success rate puts a question on why other countries found in Euro-America should go ahead and spend millions of dollars in an effort to promote the rule of law and governance. This perception is because not only do the developing countries like China assume the World Bank proposed rule of law, but they also assume the preexisting harms that extract the same legal rules would do. China has faced a lot of blame for not considering and dealing with the legal issues that concern property ownership and conflict resolution. Consequently, this means that any attempt

Western States University Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western States University Hospital - Essay Example Lack of communication between the nursing staff and staff working in the admitting and patient accounting departments seriously interfered with timely patient entries and investigatory requirements. The nursing staff not being able to inform the managers after transferring a patient resulted in delayed patient entries. Moreover, groundless obstinacy showed by the managers working in the admitting and patient accounting departments regarding who would be in charge of patient census management and not letting the nursing staff understand the crucial details about the new patient accounting and order-entry system also heavily interfered with recording foolproof patient entries, patient transfers to different location, and ordering laboratory tests. There is undeniably an opportunity for improvement in this system if the nursing staff is taught about fulfilling the requirements of the new management system and if the problem of lack of communication between the nursing staff and managers could be resolved. Regarding the dissatisfaction faced by the hospital’s employees and nursing staff in the case study, a performance improvement team is required in this case. An understanding, compassionate and communicative PI team can bring phenomenal changes within the hospital organizational setup and heavily influence the performance. Majority of the problems in any hospital result from the groundless biases, prejudices and cultural or racial conflicts between the hospital employees. Highlighting the gravity of these factors in a hospital by members of the PI team can effectively help in evaluating the nature and level of danger a hospital’s performance is in. Relating the facts exposed by Yales University research, Chen (cited in Gill) claims that a heart attack patient may return to the hospital after being operated a few days before owing to the mistake that he/she might have been discharged without a prescribed diuretic. Such blunders lead the doctors, nurses, and managers on the front lines to blame each other while the hospital leaders remain uninvolved in such a chaotic situation. The PI team should be such that its every member should be able to recognize such difficulties in the hospital setups that mostly result from lack of communication between doctors and nurses. Also the nursing staff should be guided by the PI team to inform the managers working on the order-entry system each time they enter or discharge a patient so that data could be recorded correctly. Such a PI team would be appropriate for the hospital mentioned in this case study. Answer to Q# 3: Regarding an ideal or close to perfection hospital organizational structure, some employees from nearly every department in the hospital apart from the managing and nursing staff should be on the PI team, so that every active hospital employee could participate in enhancing the performance. The rationale for including some employees representing every department in the hospital in the PI team is that this way problems and difficulties faced by every hospital department could be highlighted and resolved. The members of the PI team should

The Impact of Mobile Computing Technology on Traditional Mobile Dissertation

The Impact of Mobile Computing Technology on Traditional Mobile Telephony - Dissertation Example The researcher would like to thank his supervisor for guiding him at every step along with supporting him in the due process. The support and guidance of all professors has been phenomenal and commendable that enhanced the overall appeal of the research in a great manner. The researcher would also like to thank his University for offering great support in accessing the library and other electronic sources. All these helps proved to be beneficial in enhancing the overall beauty of the research. The researcher would also like to thank his family for all the support, care, cooperation that made it possible to put extra hours in order to come up with a desired piece of splendid research work. They acted as a source of motivation and pillar of strength that added value to the research. The help and support of friends in terms of sharing views and opinions broadened the overall mindset of the researcher along with thinking from different point of views. Overall, the researcher is thankful to everyone who played a direct and indirect role in enhancing the overall purpose of the research along with adding value to it through compassionate support and guidance. The researcher is full with gratitude towards them and wishes them all the best in their life. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 4 Chapter 1.Introduction 5 1.1Reserach Aim 8 1.2 Research Objectives 8 1.3 Research Questions 8 1.4 Rational for the Research Topic 9 1.5 Scope of the Research 10 1.6 Structure of the Research 11 1.7: Summary 13 Chapter 2.0 Literature Review 14 2.1 Introduction 14 2.2 Mobile Computing Technology 14 2.3 Expanding Networks and Opportunities 16 2.4 Mobile Computing Technology in the Modern World 17 2.5 Dawn of Mobile Computing Technology 19 2.6 Benefits of Mobile Computing Technology 21 2.7 Limitations of Mobile Computing Technology 22 2.8 future of Mobile Computing Technology 23 2.9 Summary 23 Chapter 3.0 Comparative Analysis of Nokia and Apple 24 3.1 Introduction 24 3.2 An Overview of Nokia 25 3.3 An Overview of Apple 26 3.4 Comparative Analysis of Nokia and Apple 27 3.5 An Analysis of iPhone and Nokia Lumia 34 3.6 Future Analysis of Nokia and Apple 35 3.7. Future Trends 36 3.8: Summary 37 Chapter 4.0 Research Methodology 38 4.1 Introduction 38 4.2 Research Philosophy 38 4.3 Research Approach 39 4.4 Research Strategy 40 4.5 Data Collection 40 4.6 Sampling 41 4.7 Sample Distribution 42 4.8 Questionnaire 43 4.9 Data Analysis 43 4.10 Ethical Considerations 43 4.11 Strengths of the Methodology 44 4.12 Limitations of the Methodology 44 4.13 Summary 45 Chapter 5 Findings and Analysis 46 5.1 Introduction 46 5.2 Questionnaire Analysis 46 5.3: Critical Analysis 56 Chapter 6 Discussion 58 6.1 Introduction 58 6.2 Summary 65 Chapter 7 Conclusion and Recommendations 66 7.1 Introduction 66 7.2 General Conclusions 66 7.3 Recommendations for Future Research 72 7.4 Recommendations for Apple and Nokia 74 7.5 Final Conclusion 76 References 77 Appendices 80 A: Questionnaire 80 B. Consent For m 82 ABSTRACT The importance of mobile computing technology in the success and development of mobile manufacturing organsiations is not a hidden fact. The research presents a thorough analysis of impact and influence of mobile computing technology on the success and development of organsiations like Apple and Nokia along with conducting a comparative analysis over their hardware and software

Child labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child labor - Essay Example Many children along with their parents suffered life-threatening injuries – punctured eyeballs, scarred legs and missing limbs – from the sharp blades and machines in the field. (Buckley para. 1, 2 http://www.commondreams.org/views/031600-102.htm) Several child laborers experience harsh living conditions. They are locked, sometimes chained, in crowded rooms for long hours like prisoners. Many develop illnesses and diseases like silicosis and tuberculosis. Some are kidnapped and later sold to flesh traders as slaves. Employers at times abuse the children by beating them, branding them with hot irons like livestock, torture them, or deprive them of food. In worst cases, they get killed while at work. (Kalmes para. 6 http://www.ilstu.edu/~jnassar/child.html) Probably the major cause of child labor in some, if not all, of the countries is poverty and underdevelopment. Child labor makes it a necessity for economic advancement. Another problem is the differences in culture. For example, some Hindi societies have a natural division of labor called castes, and because children are better at tasks that need little to no experience, they are deprived of schooling and are made to work instead. Furthermore, putting a stop to child labor does not assure a better life for the child. These children, and their families, work to live. This circumstance might push them to enter dangerous jobs. (Kalmes para. 3 http://www.ilstu.edu/~jnassar/child.html). One of the causes of child labor may be in relation to the global market. Third World countries prefer to use child labor to fit their economies. Because of globalization and the growing economic condition worldwide, the demand for exports in the developing countries increased. To provide an adequate supply for that demand, however, these countries have opted to find cheap labor to cut production costs, and this

International financial market INDIVIDUAL 5 Essay

International financial market INDIVIDUAL 5 - Essay Example Using the above percentages on $100 Million portfolio we find that: The investment seeks current income with a secondary focus on capital appreciation. The fund invests in equity securities, bonds and money markets instruments. The target asset allocation of approximately 5% cash, 40% equities and 55% fixed income is enhanced. The actual asset class allocation can deviate from time to time from these targets as markets conditions warrants. The implementation of asset may involve the extensive use of equity and fixed-income exchange-traded funds. The investment policy based on moderate conservative allocation can be summarized in the table format below: Type of investment Percentage asset allocation Value Fixed-income 55 55 Cash and equivalents 5 5 Stocks 40 40 Total %100 $100 The multinational corporation can raise money for long term investment through primary capital markets. The decision can be made either to invest through bonds or shares. To avoid increasing its debt, expertise help is required. Shares offer the potential for higher returns and capital gains if the company is successfully progressing. (Davis, 1995). On the other hand if the corporation is doing poorly then bonds are safer as they are not susceptible to fall in price and in the event of bankruptcy bond owners are paid before shareholders. Raising finance from primary markets involves the process of face-to-face meetings. In the event that shares or bonds are chosen, the corporation will

Compare and contrast a drama's device with those of a poem or short Essay

Compare and contrast a drama's device with those of a poem or short story - Essay Example While most dramas are written to be performed, there are also some which are written just for reading while short stories and poems are made to be read, whether silently or orally. The plot of the drama is understood through the conversations of the characters and, to some, with the help of a narrator. Most of the meat of the story is understood through the delivery of the drama that it is very important for performers to follow instructions to the letter especially with their facial expressions and actions. For those which are purposefully for reading, writers express emotions with short descriptions written in parentheses before or after the lines of the characters to give life to the story in the minds of the reader. Short stories and poems on the other hand similarly present the plot as they present their characters. Generally speaking, dramas affect the senses of hearing and sight while short stories and poems are limited to the sense of sight. However, the three different forms of literary pieces all stir the imagination and emotion of audiences as they present the characters and plot of the story.

Analysis of Conan Doyles work Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Conan Doyles work Essay English coursework : A comparative essay on 2 Sherlock Holmes stories  The world has chosen to remember Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chiefly for his creation of the fictional master detective, Sherlock Holmes. This prestigious character has been hugely popular for over one hundred years shown in many different ways, whether it be books, television series, magazine articles, and so on.  Conan Doyle himself was born in Edinburgh, rather than the London setting that Sherlock Holmes lives and works. He actually set out to be an oculist, however when no patients came he had plenty of time to write his stories. Around the same time, The Strand magazine was first published, and Sherlock Holmes was printed for the first time in its pages. His stories were not long enough to be books of their own, and thrived as a regular part of their magazine. The Sherlock Holmes stories are written in a very upper class setting. Watson and Holmes take cabs everywhere, and have very high class mannerisms and habits, such as leaving a calling card if the person they have visited is not there. And Holmes himself carries round a cane with him a rather posh acquirement thought to be that of a gentleman. They also have a resident in the home to look after them both, and take care of the household, which could of course only be afforded by those of the higher class.  The fact that these stories were written in such a way is easily explained. The stories were written for the magazine, The Strand. In those times, very little people read magazines, and could afford to subscribe. Most people read newspapers, but these magazines were aimed at the higher class, and particularly for the gentleman, because a very small number of women were expected to be able to read, and so they did not benefit from such a publication. The Speckled Band and, The Red-Headed League are both very interesting stories. The structures of both are much the same, but that accounts for all of Conan Doyles creations in accordance to the Sherlock Holmes stories.  In accordance to this structure, The Speckled Band begins with a visit to the house from someone needing Holmess help. An element included right at the beginning of the story is the deduction Holmes makes of Helen. This is extremely typical of Conan Doyle as it is a feature he nearly always adds as each of his stories unfold. In The Speckled Band Holmes instantly deduces that she travelled early by dog cart on heavy roads to the station before travelling by train to London. The next lines describe Helen giving a violent start and staring at Holmes in bewilderment. This is also underlyingly very typical of Conan Doyle to include such a description, as it what he includes in all of his stories at this point. In direct comparison, The Red Headed League features a swift deduction of Jabez Wilson in which he concludes that the man done at some point manual labour, takes snuff, has a freemason, has been in China, and has done a considerable amount of writing recently. The line directly following on from that is set out exactly the same as in The Speckled Band and describes Jabez to Start up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the paper, but his eyes upon Holmes So we can conclude from this that this is an element Conan Doyle likes to include in his stories which also suitably gives a first time reader an idea of the way Holmess mind works.  Following on from that, a long monologue is heard which tells every detail of the story. This is unusual in stories written now. We can note that in real life no one tells a story in such detail, uninterrupted, and this reflects tracts of today. But it is actually very typical of writings at the time.

Importance of Human Resource Management

Importance of Human Resource Management Lexi Childs The activity of human resource management is very important in the management of organizational activities. This is because all the activities in an organization are managed and controlled by human activities. With the advancement of technology and passage of time, the role of human resources management has become more strategic. The article mainly focuses on the functions of human resource management in the 21st Century. It aims at finding out the advantages of human resource management, functions of human resource managers and factors influencing human resource management. In the articles, there are emerging trends, challenges facing the human resource management and other related relevant practices. Human resource management entails activities such as recruiting, managing and instructing people on how best to work in a given organization. It also deals with issues such as wellness among organization, safety, employees motivations through incentives, training, and organizational development. Through human resource management, the following activities can be done efficiently and effectively. Recruiting employees, this is an activity done by an HM manager who does the work of employing new workers in an organization. Recruiting should be done after considering the capability of the employees and those that have qualified for a given work needs to be recruited through the objective interview. Human resource management also helps in compensating the employees in case a contract is being terminated or in case employees are being laid off.   Compensation can be done by giving money or through a golden handshake. Safety in the workplace. Human resource manager also ensures there is safety in the workplace by adhering strictly to the occupational safety and health practices. These regulations when implemented can minimize the risks and hazards in the workplace and ensure safety. The motivation of employees. Employees can be motivated to work harder through activities such as the provision of incentives which would encourage them to worker harder. This would in turn help to active the organizations goals and objectives. Human resource department also ensures that there are wellness and benefits among the employees. This is achieved through honesty and accountability. All these can be implemented through giving employees commissions whenever necessary, promotion and increment in salaries. In the 21st century, there are new ways of human resource management such as outsourcing services. This has made the companies of nowadays to be more adaptive to changes such as technological advancement and changes in the market patterns such as advertisement mechanisms etc. Most of the companies today are customers centered in the sense they aim fully to satisfy their customers needs. Therefore, there are new departments in the human resource management called customer care department whose work is to attend to adapt to the grievances channeled by the customers. This improves the customers loyalty to a company. Human resource department of the 21st century helps to keep workers motivated which would improve the success of that company. The following are some of the challenges of human resource management in the 21st century. Selection of the best employees who best suit and qualify for the job. Most of the people in the 21st century are aware and informed on the current trends of most companies and thus it becomes very difficult for a human resource manager to choose the best-talented people who are suitable for the job. It is very difficult to come up with a decision. This is because; the human resource department is made up of people from different diverse cultural and ethnic origin. These people come with different views with are difficult to form one solid idea for an organization. Adoption of new rules and policies to govern the organization activities. It is very difficult to come up with new rules and regulations which would govern the employees and to make them suitable and unique as compared to other organizations.   Implementation of these rules would not sound relevant to other employees. For example, rules governing the occupational health and safety rules. Upholding business ethic and values. This needs to happen considering the changing workplace ethic and competition among the competitors. Workplace ethic would also make the management of employees easy and possible since ethic would accept their diversity and opinions.

Vertical integration in studio system Essay -- Economics

Vertical integration in studio system The term "vertical integration" refers to the structure of a marketplace, which is integrated (rather than segregated) at a variety of crucial levels. In the case of the motion picture industry, the studio system established a market in which the studios owned production facilities, distribution outlets, and theaters. In other words, the studios controlled every level of the marketplace from the top down, from production to exhibition. "Vertical integration" began in the 1910s and inspired the postwar consolidation of the studio system as national distribution companies, such as Paramount merged with production companies, such as Famous Players and Lasky and subsequently began purchasing theater chains. All of the major studios in Hollywood (Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., etc) owned theater chains; the minors, Universal, Columbia, and United artists, did not. The minors, distributed their pictures, by special arrangement, to theaters owned by the majors. The majors booked one another's films in their theaters. Vertical int...

The Forgotten Female in the Works of Ernest Hemingway Essay -- Biograp

The Forgotten Female in the Works of Hemingway      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway has often been accused of misogyny in his treatment of female characters (and, perhaps, in his treatment of women in his own life). "It is not fashionable these days to praise the work of Ernest Hemingway," says Frederick Busch. "His women too often seem to be projections of male needfulness" (1). Many of his stories are seen as prototypical bildungsroman stories--stories, usually, of young men coming of age. There are few, if any, stories in the canon of women coming of age, however, and Hemingway is not the first to suffer the wrath of feminist critics. But is this wrath justified?    In his dissertation, Mark G. Newton reviews some of the critical literature that places Hemingway within the misogynist genre. "Cliches [sic] abound," he says. "Hemingway was in search of his manhood (an ignoble quest?); he hated women; he had a "death wish" and a "thin persona"; he was the archpriest of violence, etc." (6). However, Newton sees women in Hemingway's works as the "positive life-directed force which transports the male Hemingway hero away from a debilitating wound" (2), and he places them into "[t]he roles manifested by Hemingway's women in aiding the hero": "Ideal Women," "Sister Guides," "Icons and Dream Visions," "Wicked Women Who Also Serve," "Feminine Points of View," and "Full Cycle." My problem with Newton's approach to the feminine in Hemingway is that Newton seems to accept that, in presenting women as archetypal Eve's, the woman as "help-meet"-type image, that Hemingway is somehow presenting women favorably.    A somewhat similar view is presented by Jeryl J. Prescott in "Liberty for Just(Us): Gender and Race in ... ... of Melville, Twain, and Hemingway. New York: Peter Lang, 1984. Kennedy, J. Gerald. "Hemingway's Gender Trouble." American Literature 63:2 (1991): 187-207. Miller, Linda Patterson. "Hemingway's Women: A Reassessment." Hemingway in Italy and Other Essays. Ed. Robert W,. Lewis. Praeger, 1990. Newton, Mark G. Beyond the Wound: The Role of Women in Aiding the Hemingway Hero. Dissertation: U of S. Florida, 1985. Penn Warren, Robert. "Ernest Hemingway," Introduction to Modern Standard Authors edition of A Farewell to Arms. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1949. Prescott, Jeryl J. "Liberty for Just(us): Gender and Race in Hemingway's To Have and Have Not." College Language Association Journal 37:2 (1993): 176-88. Willingham, Kathy. "Hemingway's The Garden of Eden: Writing with the Body." The Hemingway Review 12:2 (1993): 46-61.   

Abortion Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abortion has been around since ancient times as a crude method of birth control. Many religions during this time forbade the practice of abortion. Abortion was not illegal in most countries until the 19th century. The law against abortion during this time period forbade the procedure after fetal movement could be felt. However in the 20th century many nations began to relax their laws against abortion. Today, all types of abortions are legal except the partial birth abortion, which will be described later. This procedure is only allowed if the fetus is showing severe deformities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"An abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, or accompanied by, the death of the fetus†(Encarta Encyclopedia). Not all abortions are intentional- these are specified as miscarriages. A miscarriage is when the fetus does not develop properly or the mother has some type of injury or disorder that is harmful to the fetus and causes it to die. I will go into great detail about the abortions that are induced, because the pregnancy is unwanted or presents a health risk to the mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are different types of procedures that are used determining the length of the pregnancy. The age of the fetus, or the length of the pregnancy establishes the method that is chosen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first method uses two drugs that when put together cause the death of the fetus. Misoprostol and methotrexate, an anticancer drug, interfere with cell division. A doctor first injects the pregnant women with the drug methotrexate, and then a week later misoprostol. Misoprostol lead to uterine contractions and forces out the fetus. This combination is 95 percent effective is most women who consume them. Yet, with most drugs they cause side effects. The most common side effects are nausea, cramping, and bleeding. There are more serious side effects such as, arrhythmia, edema, and pneumonia, which affect the heart and lungs and further causes death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first four to six weeks of pregnancy, the procedure called preemptive abortion is done. Which corresponds with the method done the first six to eight weeks, early uterine evacuation. Both these procedures are done by the insertion of a narrow tube called a cannula into the cervix and then into the uterus. The cannula is then attached to a suction device, which could be a syringe or somethin... ...a Catholic high school I was taught the laws of the Church. Yet, I don’t know if I would be able to follow those laws if I was presented with that situation at this time in my life. I also feel that even if laws are passed making abortion illegal, it will still be present in our world. People will find a way to have the procedure done. Whether in a dark alley, or in a certified doctor’s office with a doctor who’s looking to make some extra cash. Once the idea is put into someone’s mind, it will never disappear. Someone will always be willing g to provide you, the women, with the procedure. This is also the case with many worldwide issues today. Such as, euthanasia, racism, and certain drug use. I know I sound as if I am contradicting myself by saying; no you shouldn’t kill because it is morally wrong, yet if I were to get pregnant I would seriously consider having an abortion. It really boils down to one point- I am not ready for such a problem. I do not have the authority to take someone’s life away from them, which is only to be decided by God but I’m not ready to bring a child into this world either. For now on I will be cautious, and put great thought into my decisions.

Musical instrument Essay

Trumpet The trumpet or cornet is the smallest and highest member of the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece. Clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et (meaning little) to the Italian word clarino (meaning a type of trumpet), as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed. In jazz contexts, it has sometimes been informally referred to as the â€Å"licorice stick.†[1] French horn A wind instrument usually of the lip-reed class. Horns for signalling have been made from conch shells, wood, animal horns etc as well as metal. Horns capable of many notes usually consist of a conical brass tube in a curved, coiled or folded shape. This article is concerned with the European orchestral horn, or french horn. Cello The cello is a string instrument and a member of the violin family. It is a wonderful instrument for a child to learn at an early age. It is the most versatile of the string instruments The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin but is larger in size and more variable in its proportions. A â€Å"full-size† viola’s body is between one and four inches longer than the body of a full-size violin (i.e., between 15 and 18 inches (38 and 46 cm)), with an average length of about 16 inches (41 cm). Small violas made for children typically start at 12 inches (30 cm), which is equivalent to a half-size violin Violin The violin is the smallest member of the string family. Sound is produced by drawing the bow across one of the four strings or by plucking the string with a finger. Flugelhorn Flugelhorns have a short, wide mouthpiece; three or four valves; and a flared bell. They range in size from bass instruments with wider bores (the bore is the inside diameter of the tubing) to small soprano horns in f or e flat. Tuba tuba is the largest and lowest pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or â€Å"buzzing† the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. Trombone he trombone is a member of the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by buzzing the lips into a mouthpiece. A unique feature of the trombone is the slide. While other brass instrument change pitches by pressing valves to change the length of the air flow, the trombone player simply moves the slide in and out to the change the length of the instrument.

Alfredo Jaar

The findings in this paper are based on an art publication article â€Å"Images of inclusion – installation art by Alfredo Jaar† which is written by Richard Vine. Alfredo Jaar is one of the uncompromising artists today. He is a film maker, artists and architect.He was born in Santiago, Chile in 1956 but he is currently working and living in New York. Alfredo was trained in film, photography, installations and community based projects. He is able to present events such as political corruption, military conflicts and imbalances of power in developing and industrialized nations in for of art. In his work it includes incidences of toxic pollution in Nigeria, genocide in Rwanda, boarder conflicts of United States and Mexico and Gold mining inBrazil. His work Awards and ExhibitionsAlfredo Jaar is an award winner of many art awards which includes John Simon Guggenheim Memorial foundation in 1985, MacArthur Foundation Award in 2000, in 1987 he worn two awards fellowships from n ational endowment for the Art and Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award.His work has been shown all over the world he has attended numerous exhibitions and the most renown once are in 1992 he attended to three exhibitions in new museum of contemporary art in New York, whitechapel in London and Museum of contemporary art at Chicago.   Alfredo Jaar Art is able to address highly controversial issues and be able to convey moral convictions without violating the honesty of the concept.He does it without misrepresenting the facts or the motive of the case. In most of the art which he has worked on his anger and sympathy is evident on how it is manifested. He ensures that he resist on any propaganda even in the most partisan pieces. In Jaar exhibition has a sense of beauty and professionalism his arts are attractive and has fur reaching effects on human relations especially on political and the differences of the developing and developed country.He has worked on highly politicized topic s which mostly addressed the issues of politics which are done without principles which mostly bring division and bad governance. All over the world cases of politics without principals attracts a lot interest in the public and other nations. So his advancement to present such an event in form of art people is able to relate to it.He also addresses issues of those who gain wealth without toiling and those who practice commercial activities without moral responsibility such as the pyramid schemes. His art also addresses those who gain knowledge without virtues and those who advance to scientific ventures with less considerations well its negative effects to humanity. The most prominent once are arts in commemorations of American civil movement of the early 1960’s; illegal Mexican immigrants into United States and none mechanized gold mining in Brazil.

Purity of Good and Evil in Ender’s Game Essay

The basis of human nature and the way we interact with one another and ourselves throughout our lives is deeply connected with the idea of good and evil in the human speciescut? This reoccurring theme is seen in all religion, mythology, and modern day stories which all have the constant moral compass of straying from evil and relating to the good through actions and emotions. While it is believed by many that people’s actions shape their internal identity, is that really the case? Ender’s game raises this question with Peter symbolizing evil and portrays ultimate actions of good and Ender symbolizing good while portraying the actions of evil. With the toying of the readers perception of the stereotypical good and evil, Card proves in his writing that emotions, especially remorse, is the factor in which separates good and evil and that the pure form of the two cannot be found in our species’ nature. Throughout Ender’s Game, Ender has a constant internal battle between the wrong that he is forced to do and the good that he naturally contains. Like his sister, he is inherently good, but because he is a genius and ultimately more that of an outcast, he is put in situations where his actions of killing are portrayed of that of Peter. Ender is shown going through three main cycles of violent behavior where he first is an outcast and is tormented by them, then faced with a life death situation, he has no choice but to fight full heartedly. The cycles are Enders fight with Stilson, his fight with Bonso, and his ultimate battle with the Buggers. In each cycle, Ender is unaware that he may and ultimately does kill his opposite. The fact that he is not aware of his doings until the end of the book and is ultimately referred to as â€Å"The Xenocide† His tittle sp is that of what the reader early on saw as Peter’s fate, not Enders, showing Card’s switch on the roles and actions of the good and evil roles within the book. Peter’s emotional development throughout the book does not change or get any less of that than evil, but Peter ultimately does good, showing the other half of Card’s skewing of the roles of pure good and evil. The character of Peter is introduced as a bully that has a main agenda of torturing Ender out of the jealousy that Ender has been chosen by command. After Ender leaves for command school, Peter is shown as a standard sociopath, with the torturing and killing of innocent animals; an early sign that is commonly linked to crime and murder in the child of study’s later life. While the reader would have guessed that Peter would be the one responsible for a genocide instead of Ender, somehow Peter falls into becoming a Great ruler of the Land. Although that is the case, Card doesn’t let the characters actions fool the reader, for Peter is still more on the evil side due to the fact that his sole reason for coming to power is a selfish yearning for control and power. Although both Peter and Ender fulfill their seemingly opposite destinies, they are very much different from one another, because they both remain true to their first intentions. Ender has taken on the role of Peter’s foretold destiny, Card does not show Ender as that of a mass murderer for he did not commit Genocide with no remorse to follow. He was unaware of the Genocide at the time he was committing it, for if he did, he would not have been able to go through with it. â€Å" Of course we tricked you into it. That’s the whole point..It had to be a trick or you couldn’t have done it†¦ We had to have a commander with so much empathy that he would think like the buggers, understand them and anticipate them. So much compassion that he could win the love of his underlings and work with them like a perfect machine, as perfect as the buggers. But somebody with that much compassion cold never be the killer we needed. Could never go into battle willing to win at all costs. If you know, you couldn’t do it. If you were the kind of person who would do it, even if you knew, you could never have understood the buggers well enough†(p.298), a quote said by Graff when explaining to Ender why they tricked him into defeating the Buggers in war. Ender shows compassion and love for his enemies and never fails to feel remorse after the confrontations. Through his cycles mentioned earlier, he never knew he killed anybody until after they were all completed, for if he knew, he would have never been able to fight again and would have been haunted by the fact that he had become as Brutal as Peter. â€Å"In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.† (p. 238) Ender reveals this to Valentine during their visit on land. Card shows that while Peter gets joy out of hurting and may have no real understanding of love, Ender is tortured by the doings unto his enemy for he falls in love with his enemies nature and finds them fascinating. The fact that Ender at the end of the novel goes back and fixes his wrong by repopulating the buggers is another example of his compassion. If there is any thought in the readers mind that Ender is in any way truly violent deep within, they are altered due to this action of reaching out to save the buggers. Card uses Valentine and the adults in the book as a standard to base Peter and Ender off of. Valentine is representative of the majority of human race, the majority that is between good and evil. While the human race is predominantly good, they can easily be swayed into doing things, often feeling remorse, just as Valentine feels when she is helping Peter. While visiting Ender on his leave, Valentine describes her self. â€Å"Two Faces of the same coin. And am I the metal in between.† (p. 236) She holds the two opposites together by being their common ground. The adults in the novel, while mainly absent from both Peter and Ender’s lives, are neither good nor evil for they are complex beings. Card’s use of Children is present because they are simplistic in their good and evil with not much to get in the way and disguise their true agenda. Cards separation between Ender and Peter’s actions from their true intentions shows that he believes that human intentions cannot be that of a pure form of simply the two ends of good and evil. They are skewed throughout lives with factors leading and morphing an individuals take on their internal emotion and what they do with it. While Ender and Peter were close to being the polar ends to our society’s obsession with good and evil, they prove that even the blank primal slate of children is molded. It proves that superheroes are truly immortal because it is impossible for a human to be that of a perfect being, doing no evil what so ever, and that humans are prone to making mistakes. Its how an individual deals with a mistake separates the good from bad.

My Own Theory of Personality Essay

The theories of personality are contributed to by different psychologist such as B.F. Skinner, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and many more. It has been a part of psychology which enjoyed great attention because of its close relation to human beings. The personality of a person is not something that can be easily taken away nor could it disappear into thin air. Everywhere a person goes, that person carries his/her personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To create a personal theory of personality, the author would mix the theories of B.F. Skinner, Abraham Maslow, and Sigmund Freud. First, it would bear the hierarchy of needs of Abraham Maslow. It would have stages from the deficit needs to the being needs. The first stage is the physiological needs which are the basic survival needs for a person. It includes the food, water, shelter, clothing, oxygen, and other essential life-sustaining minerals and vitamins. The second stage holds the safety needs, which are mostly the need to protect one’s self from danger. It also includes security in all aspects of life. The third stage is the love and belonging need where one person has the need to belong to a group and be accepted lovingly by that said group. The fourth stage will have the esteem needs where one aspires for respect, status, glory, and fame in this stage. The fifth and last stage would be the self-actualization where the people have the chance to gain a full understanding and fulfillment in their life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just the same, one can not push through to the second level without fulfilling the first level first. Then a person will proceed from one level to another as the current level is fulfilled. Deprivation from each stage would mean negative drawbacks from society and different coping mechanisms will be employed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another feature of this theory of personality would be that there are certain things in each level which serves as the reinforcer for people. These reinforcers would motivate them towards attaining the second level. People have this nature of longing for the things they are yet to have in life. As they see and feel the good things in the next level of the hierarchy of needs, these would make them act accordingly in order for them to reach the second level. This operant conditioning stage gets into work when there is a transition from a lower level to a higher level. For example, when a person has satisfied the needs present in the first level, the person would be conditioned to work towards the needs listed in the second level by the satisfaction he/she feels for each level. Moreover, even when the person already has achieved that need, he would respond the same way to the stimuli.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, people would work their way towards these needs in accordance with the societal norms and as dictated by their ego. There are impulses produced by the id but it is controlled by the superego for the person to stay directed in their path upwards and to avoid negative social drawbacks due to the non-attainment of the needs in each level.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I see these three particular constructs of Abraham Maslow, B.F. Skinner, and Sigmund Freud namely hierarchy of needs, operant conditioning, and personality structures respectively as important factors for the personality of the human beings. These are simple to explain theories which can be easily related to the everyday living and behavior of people. In addition to this, they are among the theories that are somehow related to form a theory of personality. Their relatedness proves them important and flexible in any environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The personality aspect of a human being is a very interesting field. More theories are added to it and it becomes a much enriched one. Soon, additional interesting theories will enter the field and make it a more colorful one and expand its horizon to accommodate the various personalities present today.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Case Study - Essay Example As can be seen from the market concentration of the web browser industry it is majorly covered by two players with Microsoft and Mozilla Firefox covering 84.7% market share. The entry and exit barriers are relatively higher and the product is mostly homogenous across all companies without much differentiation. This suggests an oligopolistic nature of the web browser industry. The companies are dependent upon others and shall take other companies actions and counter-moves of other companies wile making decisions (Melvin and Boyes, 2002). The oligopolistic nature of the web browser industry implies that there is a chance that companies might indulge in collusion to stabilize the market position. In such a situation, the role of Competition Commissions become important to stop the formulation of cartels as it may hinder the growth of the market. In the case of web browser industry, Microsoft is bundling the web browser with its operating system, thereby giving less chances for other players to launch their web browser and earn profits. As a result of the skewed market share of the web browser industry, the smaller players in the market have to try hard to gain market share and find innovative ways of doing the same. The Web Browser Industry has performed exceedingly well with the rise in the internet and the world wide web. Over the last few years, Google Chrome has shown significant growth in the market share. The growth in the market share of Chrome has resulted in a drop in the market share of Microsoft web browser. Companies have made new revenue streams such as online marketing. The competition commissions in its decision said that it is necessary for Microsoft to show the browser choice screen. The reason stem from the fact that when the windows is shipped, it is boxed with the internet explorer which roled to many users not making use of other web browser. In order to provide a level playing ground for all the web browser providers, it is necessary

Oil Exploration And Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Oil Exploration And Development - Essay Example Political, legal and economic conditions need to be researched in depth before deciding whether or not to join forces with the oil industry. Ruritania, considered a developing country, has been under the same dictatorship for over thirty years and their internal political asylum is very stable. However, neighboring countries that have Ruritania land-locked from large bodies of water, are not so predictable. Known as ‘the axis of evil’ by several peaceful governments, Urbania and Translavia border both sides of Ruritania, blocking export opportunities for the inland country. Creative negotiations will have to take place with one or both of these countries in order to work out land rights if a pipeline were considered. Intense study of oil exploration is a first step in realizing the right conditions for an oil trap. The right source rock and reservoir rock entrapment can only be done by an experienced team of geologists. The project/asset lifecycle that normally includes Field Development Planning, Conceptual/Feasibility, FEED, Detailed Design, Procurement, Construction Support and Commissioning can run into the tens or hundreds of billions of Dollars. Actual costs depend on such factors as the location of possible oil reserves, how large the oil field is expected to be, how detailed the exploration information must be and the type and structure of the rock below the ground.

Article critique Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique - Article Example states where same-sex marriage is prohibited. Research Objective The authors aimed to examine the impact of pro-gay marriage policies, enacted in 2003 in Massachusetts, on health care use and expenditures among gays and bisexuals. They postulated that if same-sex marriage policies can reduce health problems among gays, bisexuals, and lesbians, then such policies may have implications on the health care use and expenditures of sexual minority men. It was clear that the authors were only interested in examining the effect of pro-gay marriage policies on the health care use and expenditures among gay and bisexual men. Theory/Framework Although the theoretical framework was not explicitly presented, it is apparent that the study was anchored on the notion that same-sex marriage policies could improve the physical and mental health conditions of gays, bisexuals, and lesbians. They postulated that same-sex marriage policies reduce structural forms of discrimination against gays, bisexuals, and lesbians, resulting in the reduction of health care use by such groups of individuals. Methods The authors employed quasi-natural experiment method to examine the impact of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts on the health care use and expenditures among sexual minority men. This research design lacks random assignment of participants to comparison groups. Similar to a true experiment, a quasi-experiment has a control group and a treatment group, but the members of these groups are not explicitly or randomly chosen by researchers. Rather, these groups naturally arise from an exogenous event. Through random selection, research participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either control group or treatment group. Thus, the resulting groups are statistically identical at baseline, on both observed and unobserved characteristics. Any changes in such characteristics can be attributed to the intervention made. However, this is not the case for quasi-experi ments. Since the control and treatment groups are not randomly selected, the quasi-experiment method faces threats to internal validity. That is, a causal link between the treatment and outcomes may not clearly establish. Independent and Dependent Variables The independent variable is the same-sex marriage policies while the dependent variable is the health care use and costs. The factors measured were sexual orientation, partnership status, and health care use and costs. However, the measures or instruments used were not properly referenced and their reliability was not even mentioned. Study Design The authors employed a quasi-experiment design, which has threats to internal validity because the participants were not randomly selected to be assigned in either control group or treatment group. Hence, the participants’ groups in the study may not statistically comparable at baseline. Consequently, any changes in the observed and unobserved characteristics of the participants m ay not absolutely be attributed to same-sex marriage policies. Quasi-experiments can be utilized in studies where many variables are involved because this research design can control extraneous variables and may infer cause-and-effect relationships. However, if there are differences between the control and t

The case of Abercrombie and Fitch Co Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The of Abercrombie and Fitch Co - Case Study Example The only negative result being a minimal decrease in the profits per square foot at the end of that fiscal period (Berman & Evans, 2011). The company should increase its effort on increasing retail space. Though the number of Hollister stores is one-third more than A & F, it is believed that the larger profits realized by the latter is due to a greater average size. The uncontrollable factors within any business environment are known as external factors or macro environmental factors. Such factors are usually beyond the control of any company or organization but rather they have to adjust for them to cope. For A & F, the Economic turmoil of 2007-2009 affected their operations (Berman & Evans, 2011).The turmoil was caused by the significant decrease in demand for the company’s products as a result of the prevailing economic conditions. As a consequence, the company realized a dip in its revenue. The second factor has been the entry of new competitors in the apparel industry. A & F experienced a decline in sales in 2009, and this was brought about by increased competition from companies like American Eagle and Aeropostale (Berman & Evans, 2011). It therefore, has to develop mechanisms to cope with such competitors in order to maintain or improve its profit margins the market share. A retail strategy involved developing a plan that is to be followed by a retailer in relation to the actions. They usually span a period of one year and include the following; missions, goals, consumer market, overall and specific activities and control mechanisms (Berman & Evans, 2011).

What are the main justification for a health system funded largely Essay

What are the main justification for a health system funded largely through private and public taxation and what are the strenghth and weaknesses of the two opposing view point - Essay Example may be required to pay little fee that is not significant to their income, a factor that bridges potential differences in care access based on economic status. Healthcare is also budgeted for, resources availed through the formal budget and taxation policies, and this guarantees continuous availability of care services (Leatt and Mapa 2003, p. 49). A publicly funded healthcare system also ensures quality of care to citizens. This is because the system is organized and qualified professionals manage it. It therefore also offers a benchmark to private practitioners who must match the level of quality in order to attract and retain customers (Ho 2012, p. 68). The system is also comprehensive to meet diversified needs and is in some cases compulsory, a factor that motivates people to seek care and therefore ensures quality of health (Morfaw 2009, p. 109). One of the contrary viewpoints to justification of the publicly funded healthcare system, through taxation and through a special system, is its â€Å"inflexibility and bureaucratization† (Leatt and Mapa 2003, p. 49). The opinion is strong because such a scope may lead to regional scarcity of resources and restrained access but proper management through accurate forecast of needs undermines this criticism. Another criticism is that success of the publicly funded care system may be over-valued because it does not bear some of its costs such as time wasted on waiting lists. The cost may be significant to identify overestimation of the derived utility but such wastes may be inevitable and may also exist in privately funded care systems (Leatt and Mapa 2003, p. 49). Even though opposing views exist to the justification of publicly funded healthcare system, weaknesses of such opinions are more significant than their strengths. Justifications of the system are further more practical. The publicly funded care through taxation is therefore

Rhetorical Analysis Prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rhetorical Analysis Prompt - Essay Example Certain logos, ethos and pathos, are the techniques used skillfully to state the author’s point and to convince the audiences. The author bases his argument upon the fact that there has not been a definite answer to what the relationship between the human mind and the physical world could be. He claims that people should start viewing their perspective of consciousness differently because they have been unable to link the human mind to the physical world. He says that perhaps people do not possess an inner feeling in the manner they think they do (Michael 1). The author of the article seems not to understand how the human brain goes beyond its usual duty of information processing to a rather complex mission of being aware of information. He supports this claim by giving an example of how the human brain perceived white color. Newton discovered that the white light is an amalgamation of multiple colors of observable spectrum. He, therefore, fails to understand the brain process that purifies the white color or white light. He then concludes that people operate under the assumption that the white light or white color is pure as a result of the hypothesis of the brain. For this reason, he asserts that the theories of knowledge are based on peoples intuitions about awareness. Just like the assumption that while light or white color is pure, peoples intuitions concerning consciousness are derived from the unreal and incorrect information computed in the human brain (Michael 1). Michael’s argument about the relationship between brain activity and awareness is a convincing piece especially with the help of numerous argumentative elements applied in the article. For instance, the article captures rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos and pathos) in the sense that he makes the article worth reading. He captures the concentration of his readers and vivifies his arguments with the use of practical and evidence-based examples. The

Barriers to participation in sport to the inclusion of persons with Dissertation

Barriers to participation in sport to the inclusion of persons with disabilities - Dissertation Example ..........................................03 1.4 Barriers and facilitators in disability sports.....................................04 1.5 Strategy for Literature Review........................................................06 2. LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................08 2.1 Theoretical framework...................................................................08 2.2 Relevant researches......................................................................09 2.3 Findings.........................................................................................20 2.4 Discussion.....................................................................................24 3. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................27 REFERENCES LIST OF GRAPHS AND DIAGRAMS Page 2.1: Barriers faced by the disabled on sports participation.....................................21 3.1: Categories of barriers faced by disabled in sports participation......................28 ABSTRACT This paper aimed at identifying the barriers faced by disabled young adults and teenagers as they pursue participation into sports especially in the UK. The paper also aimed at identifying the gaps in existing knowledge about barriers faced by the disabled in sports participation. The research was based on a review of literature. Many relevant research studies available on different online data bases were reviewed and included in the study. Based on the data from findings, a content analysis was then conducted to identify the most common and less common barriers faced by the disabled in sports participation. The findings were presented in graphical form. Based on the discussion, the barriers identified were classified as internal and external and a model based on this classification was developed and diagrammatically presented. The paper concluded with some recommendations based on the gaps identified in the literature, for the future researchers in the field. 1. INTRODUCTION   This exploratory paper attempts to explore the possible existing barriers faced by the disabled young people as they seek inclusion in sports all over the world, especially in UK. There are two main aims of this study: one is to find out the barriers faced by disabled youth seeking inclusion and participation in sports and secondly, to identify the gaps in existing knowledge in the relevant field. Following is brief explanation of the meaning of sports, definition of the disabled, importance of sports for the disabled and barriers faced by the disabled as they seek participation in sports. 1.1 Sports Sport England (2010) follow and recognize the definition of sports determined by the European Sports Charter (1993). The definition says that â€Å"any form of physical activity, which via participation aims at expressing and improving physical fitness and mental well being, forming social relationships and obtaining results in competition at all levels is included in sports.’ (European Sports Charter, 1993; Cited in Sport England, 2004). Carefully conducted surveys by GHS (1993, 1996) cited in Sport England (2004) aimed at determining the rate of sports participation of people in different age groups identified a drop in the percentage of young people (aged: 16 – 19 years) who engage in sports. Another noteworthy finding of the survey was that this rate further decreases when young adults graduate and enter practical life, outside the

Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Essay The humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition, using methods that are largely analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural and social sciences. The humanities, such as classical and modern languages, literature, history, and philosophy, have the overall goal of the exploration and explanation of human experience. Some would include the fine arts (music, art, dance, and drama) in the humanities, but others view the arts as a separate category. (We include the interpretation of the fine arts in this course). In most disciplines in the humanities, written texts are extremely important, especially in history, philosophy, and literature. Historians attempt a systematic documentation and analysis of events related to a particular people, country, or period. Literary authors and artists attempt to capture for others their own human experiences and understanding of the world. The humanities involve inquiry into consciousness, values, ideas, and ideals as they seek to describe how experiences shape our understanding of the world. Humanities can be defined as educational courses that are aimed at teaching individuals about the human condition in a variety of forms. Important of Humanities The importance of humanities is that it is an academic discipline that studies the human condition, it includes ancient and modern languages, such as literature, philosophy, religion, and visual and performing arts such as music and theater, and it is also regarded as social sciences that include history, anthropology, area studies, communication studies, cultural studies, law, economics, and linguistics. All these subjects affect us a humans and has an effect on our historical development as well as where we are headed to. Humanities is the oldest area of study that revolves around the study of human beings, what makes us human, and our historical development and what we are expected to do. Significant use of humanities is that they help us to build up what we have inherited from previous generations. It is important we understand that all that we are today has taken centuries to build and us a society we have indeed been molded by our past. It is through this understanding that makes us not want to go back to  question our origin but build on our present to face the future. The other importance of humanities is that they help us as human being to reflect back on how the past generations tackled issues that are facing us currently. As opposed to the natural sciences that focus on quantitative explanations as well description of life events, humanities explicitly focus on explanations of value. Humanities are liken to arts but it’s important to note that they are intuitive rather than critical, analytical and not expressive, reflective and active. As a whole humanities look back on our curiosity about our human nature and human culture creation. The other importance of humanities is that they are the basis of learning. They involve the study of writing, reading, thinking and language. Branches of Humanities The branches of humanities consist of languages, the arts, literature, philosophy, religion and history. Languages This particular branch of humanities consists of learning the way people communicate in different speaking countries. It brings a sense of culture to individuals as they are likely to be taught the various history and origins of the languages they learn. The Arts The arts consist of theater, music, art and film. They are all mediums of self expression and these courses in particular encourage personal interpretation and analysis. Fine arts courses also come into this category; however, they focus more on the historical forms of art and their origins. Literature Literature refers to novels, short stories, plays and so on. Individuals attempt to decipher the meaning of texts and look into symbolism and themes. Literature courses delve into social aspects that may influence texts. Philosophy and religion These courses study human behavior and the age-old questions such as the meaning of life and the existence of God. They analyze various cultures and their religious beliefs as well as moral codes. History This is arguably the most facts-based course as individuals delve into past events such as war and politics and how societies and cultures have been affected throughout the years. References: http://writing. colostate. edu/guides/teaching/co301aman/pop6b. cfm http://education. blurtit. com/1978174/what-is-humanities-and-its-branches http://www. ask. com/question/importance-of-humanities http://humanitiesforums. org/2012/07/16/the-importance-of-humanities-as-a-discipline/.

IT Applications and Groupware Essay Example for Free

IT Applications and Groupware Essay Groupware Technology uses software that collaborate the work of different groups. It is based on internal networks and centralized storage space. The purpose is to facilitate fast communication without physical contact. Groupware includes email, workflow, calendaring, instant messaging and conferencing. Implementation Strategies The three main strategies for effective implementation and use of groupware are as follows: Understanding the Organizational Requirements This is the most important part for implementation any technology or group in an organization. Different organizations require different groupware products as they have different requirements. (Hills) A groupware that is good for one organization might turn out to be a disaster for another. Therefore it is necessary to understand the requirements of the organization before implementing any new technology. This involves the study of underlying business processes and work flows, mapping them and then identifying gaps and areas which need improvement or need to be automated. The goals of the company, its organization structure and size are important factors in evaluating what is best for the company. Large companies with great number of employees require higher level of collaboration as compared to small companies and therefore need more complex technology. The communication structure within the organization is also an important factor. Some organizations follow a strict and formal structure of conversing while others rely on less formal way. Thus the communication style needs to be understood before implementing technology to automate it. Lastly the new technology must blen d well with the existing systems. Most of the organization do not follow a sharing culture and people like to work independently and are reluctant to share information. Implementing Groupware technology in such an organization will not be effective as people would oppose any change that will be threat to their existing culture. The solution lies in first changing the organization culture and then implementing the new technology. The company should promote a collaborative culture that encourages people to work in teams and share their work and ideas. (Hills) Managing and Training People People are an important asset of any organization. If their needs and requirements are not satisfied then any change introduced in bound to fail.   Unless the technology is accepted by the users, any investment in that technology would be a complete failure. People usually oppose change because they like doing the things they have always been done. Therefore it is important to understand their concerns, problems and interactions before implementing the groupware technology. They need to be assured that the new technology is not to replace them but to make their work more efficient and fast. Employees most fear the loss of control and privacy as groupware makes everything available to everyone through a centralized system. These fears can be overcome by making people a part of implementation process and involving them as much as possible. Moreover people do not like to follow standard operating procedure and follow the more convenient methods. Thus the actual work practices need to be studied and incorporated in the groupware systems. (Hills) The success of any investment in technology depends on how readily it is accepted by the users. Therefore whenever a new technology is introduced the user must be trained to use it. They must be made to feel secure and assured that the technology is to improve their work. Organizations must hold training and interview sessions to cover all their needs and to involve them in the implementation process as much as possible. The purpose and benefits of the new groupware technology must be well communicated. 3. Using the Right Technology and Tools Once the organization and people requirements are well understood, the organization knows which technology is suitable for them. However other than the organizational structure and people, the technology infrastructure of the organization is also an important factor. There are four main factors to consider:  · Internal Network Structure The groupware technology is meant to provide a shared environment through collaboration and therefore require good understanding of the existing network technology. Network delays, User interface, audio/video quality, notifications and concurrency control are vital considerations since they all affect the user experience. (Brinck, 1998) If the existing Networks of the company are not up to the standard and face considerable delays and suffer from slow response time then implementing any new technology would do no good but will actually make things worse. Therefore organizations must upgrade their technology infrastructure including internal networks to utilize full benefit of the new technology.  · Collaborative tools One of the challenges in the collaborative environment is the tracking of shared documents. In a shared environment documents are used by multiple people and there exist multiple copies of the same document in different places. This makes hard to identify which the final version of the document. So Tracking and Version Control tools in groupware keep a record of all changes in a document and present the user with one final version. Features like Digital Signatures also help in tracking documents by storing information about who holds the document at what time and what changes were made. (Miller, 2005)  · Maintaining Privacy and Control Since collaborative systems allow sharing of information, thus Privacy and Security are the two major challenges faced by organizations implementing groupware. However some information is private and needs to be protected. The collaborative environment of groupware technology allows all information to be available to everyone at all time. This may lead to unauthorized access of information. One way to protect confidential information is to gives users control over what information they want to share. Also enforcing controls over what information a user can view saves private information to be seen by users who do not require it.   (Brinck , 1998)  · Consistency and Concurrency In groupware systems, one document is viewed by multiple users. Therefore it is important that consistency is maintained and all users view the same type of information. For example if one user has red color for a particular document and the other user has a blue color for the same document then this will create confusion. All users must be view the same data. To avoid this misunderstanding users must now what information is private and what information is shared. It is also important that users are provided customized view as all users don’t require everything. However customization requirements must not conflict with consistency. Every user must know how others are viewing the information. (Brinck, 1998) Concurrency is coordinating multiple tasks that are done at the same time. In a shared environment one document can be accessed by multiple users. This causes problems like one person accessing the document for all the time, unauthorized access and conflicting changes made by all users. To avoid such issues techniques like floor control, locking and merging is used. In this only one person can control over who accesses the document and for what time. The person who wants to access the document locks it so that other users can just view it without modifying. Similarly all users can edit the document during the time it is locked with them. In the end all the changes by different users are merged together so that the users have one final document at the end. (Brinck, 1998) Conclusion Technology infrastructure including the internal networks of the organization is important  issue that needs attention for any new technology implementation. However the social impact  cannot be ignored. It is highly required for successful implementation that the technology fulfills  the needs of users and is accepted by them.

Contemporary Issues In Health And Social Care Health Essay

Contemporary Issues In Health And Social Care Health Essay The NHS provides a vision of service that combines health care that is universal, comprehensive and free at the point of delivery to all in need. The NHS provides a vision of service that combines health care that is universal, comprehensive and free at the point of delivery to all in need. Critically evaluate this statement in light of current NHS policy. The founding principles of the NHS were to create a model of health care that met the needs of the population, whilst wiping out the inequality that occurred between the middle and poorer classes, that were highlighted by the Beveridge report in 1942 (Beveridge 1942). The Beveridge report was commissioned by the Conservative Labour coalition government, formed one year in to WW11 in 1940, to survey the existing national schemes of social insurance, and to make recommendations (Beveridge 1942). The report identified the 5 giant evils of society being; squalor, ignorance, want, idleness and disease, which lead to Beveridges guiding principles that social security must be achieved by co-operation between the State and the individual'(Beveridge 1942), whereby the State will establish and provide a national minimum. Although no recommendations were made at that time with regards to a National Health Service, Beveridge concluded that such a scheme was essential to a satisfactory system of social security (Beveridge 1942). This report could be seen as the catalyst for change in the welfare system that was the basis for the creation of the NHS. In 1943 Winston Churchill released a speech entitled After the War, describing the implementation of measures including a national compulsory insurance for all classes for all purposes from the cradle to the grave (BMJ 1995). This was met by opposition from the Labour party who were in favour of a state run National Health Service as opposed to local health centres and district hospitals (Beveridge 1953). The Coalition governments were agreed however, on not implementing any measures until after the war. Post war, in 1945, Labour won the general election, beginning the social collectivist era. With the country already used to state intervention during the war era with rationing and directed employment, a Keynesian economic model was adopted during post war economic expansion, increasing state intervention in social affairs and forming the basis of the Welfare State. The Welfare State was formed on several acts of parliament including 1946 national insurance act; 1946 National Health Service act (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1965/51). Ahead of these in 1945 Bevan presented the Cabinet with a slightly altered NHS framework the Tripartite Administration, in favour of the nationalisation of hospitals, with no responsibility filtering down below central government level (Ryan, M. 1972). On July 5th 1948 the National Health Service came into being, and although to the general public there were no noticeable changes, no new hospitals etc, services were now free at the point of access. Being financed solely from taxation, and reflecting Beveridges recommendations for the state to provide a national minimum of health and social care, the NHS addressed inequalities in the rich/poor healthcare divide through the rich contributing more than the poor for the same healthcare benefits. (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers.htm). This consensus between Left and Right secured the ethos, and future of the NHS, with both Conservative and Labour parties acknowledging the necessity for a national health service, making it Britains most successful nationalised undertaking (Hart 2006). In 1949 this changed however with the introduction of the Amending Act, which allowed prescriptions to be charged for. On 1 June 1952, charges were introduced for the first time and continued until their abolition on 1 February 1965. Prescription charges were reinstated in 10 June 1968 (http://www.bma.org.uk/health_promotion_ethics/drugs_prescribing/FundingPrescriptionCharges.jsp), more than likely due to prescription costs rising to a staggering 19 million per month in 1951(http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers.htm). This was the first major deviation from the founding principles of the NHS, followed by charges for Dental and Optical care in 1988, as patients were expected to pay upfront for non emergency medication. Despite the Guillebaud report of 1956 showing the NHS cost efficiency and that any decrease in funding would lead to a less comprehensive, reduced service NHS (Guillebaud 1956), the cost of running the NHS continued to rise. Politically, the Conservative party were prioritising a decrease in public taxation, however with NHS costs continuously rising, and direct charging deemed politically unacceptable (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers), the Conservatives passed the National Health Insurance act of 1957, doubling national insurance contributions in an attempt to not be seen to be raising income tax (Hall 2003). Doing this was the only way to ensure the future of the NHS, and maintain a service that is both comprehensive and free at point of access. This rising cost of the NHS was at odds with the Beveridge report projection that as people became healthier, the cost of running the NHS would decrease. In the 1962 Porritt Report, the medical profession whilst believing the philosophy and concept of a National Health System was sound, it was not encompassing, with the separation of the NHS into hospitals, general practice and local health authorities, and began the debate on the structure of the NHS (Porritt 1962). It could be argued that by keeping the areas of care separate, the government paved the way for the privatization of services and independent contractors that may increase costs and exploit the NHS (Pollock 2006). In 1964 Labour regained power. Prescription charges were initially abolished, but reinstated only a year later. In order to address the potential inequality in access to medicines for the poor means testing and certain exemptions had been introduced. Prescription charges were waived for certain chronic conditions, pregnant women, children under 16, adults over 60, and those on means tested benefits such as income support, jobseekers allowance, and the NHS low income scheme (http://www.bma.org.uk/health_promotion_ethics/drugs_prescribing/FundingPrescriptionCharges.jsp) thus leveling any disadvantage those in most need may face and continuing a universal service. 1979 saw the entrance of Thatcher and the Right Wing government. This period of Thatcherism held a strongly anti-collectivist view, encouraging healthcare autonomy, however even they never openly handed it over to corporate business (Hart 2006). The Griffiths report in 1984 suggested the restructuring of the NHS, with managers put in place to manage budgets without any training in public health or the principles of health care delivery (Pollock 2006), which began the decline into the business paradigm of the NHS, and the privatization of services. Between 1999 and 2003, Millburn the then Secretary of State for Health invited a bidding war between private firms to take over NHS clinical services, with the idea being to drive down costs and increase efficiency. A few years later junior minister John Hutton would argue that only by introducing competition and choice could Britain secure the values on which the Welfare State was founded (Hart 2006). However, with hospital fund holders now having to buy in external services, the same levels of care are not universally available, with patients now only having access to certain care if there was a contract in place for it. Some health authorities brought in limits to the amounts of available care and differences were made between health care and social care, the latter being charged directly to the patient for (Pollock 2006), and expensive conditions, those chronic or some transplants became increasingly unavailable. This defies the original principles of the NHS by being neither free at point of access, nor not included in what is supposed to be a comprehensive service. By allowing services to be bought and sold, Pollock believes that they accelerating erosion within the NHS and removing the right to healthcare, the basis on which the NHS was created (Pollock 2006). A potential turning point in health care came in 1980 with the Black report, which identified that for healthcare to be universal it was necessary to not only look at a medicinal model of health. Such a Cartesian view of the body will be reflected in the services provided, such that the health care services will give priority to such matters as surgery, the immunological response to transplanted organs, chemotherapy and the chemical basis of inheritance (Black 1980), and it is in fact necessary to evidence of a wide variety of health conditions and their social, environmental and psychological as well as physiological significance (Black 1980). Black placed increasing importance not just on the provision of medicines, but also on social strata, pay, living standards, levels of unemployment and education when considering the health of a nation. It became clear that even 40 years after Beveridges report there was still demonstrable deprivation occurring in Britain (Hills 1994). In 2008 health secretary Alan Johnson commissioned another report, which echoed the previous findings of Black in 1980, that healthcare will not be universal and comprehensive until the social gradients have been addressed by actions that must be universal, but with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to the level of disadvantage (Marmot 2010). The report recommended these 6 actions as ways of addressing the social gradient; Give every child the best start in life. Enable all children young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives. Create fair employment and good work for all. Ensure healthy standard of living for all. Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities. Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention. (Marmot 2010). However, 30 years on from the Black report, these social inequalities remain a problem, suggesting that whilst the awareness of these social factors exists, they have still not been overcome. As we can see from this graph, updated in 2009, there are still enormous gradients in health, with males from manual working backgrounds twice as likely to die as those from professional ones. http://www.poverty.org.uk/60/index.shtml These social gradients can be small or large scale, for example, government derivatives in Scotland and Wales have most recently deviated to a more encompassing service allowing free prescriptions to all, not just those in most need, making the service universal and comprehensive regardless of social classification, employment and pay. However by doing so, they have increased the difference in universal access between location, as it is now easier and cheaper to receive non emergency health care in Scotland and Wales but not for the population residing in England. Whilst this may be an ideal to aim for, it may not be the most feasible model of healthcare, due to the ever increasing percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that the NHS takes up, which currently stands at 8.5%, reaching an astounding 120 billion pounds (Harker 2011). In 1997 New Labour won the election mainly on the premise of their healthcare policy, advocating a social health model, with increased funding for better quality of services. In 1999 they opened NHS walk in centres where anyone could go for non emergency health care. This increased the universality of the health care system, as patients could now be seen same day, without an appointment, and without being placed on a waiting list. However, this could be seen as a response to the current governments cutting of any benefits for those purchasing private medical insurance (tax relief for the over 60s and employers exemption from National Insurance contributions), creating a fall of 440,000 in coverage, and thereby potentially increasing demand on the NHS (Emmerson 2001). This was most likely to hit the poorest areas of the country hardest, as data shows that, although private medical insurance was more common amongst the richer classes, they were also more likely to have an employer pay for it, so the changes in taxation affected them the least. Geography can play a vital role in access to care, as demonstrated by Gubb in 2007. There are real variations in the time waited by patients both geographically and across medical specialities. For example, just 25% of orthopaedic patients are seen within 18 weeks, compared with 79% of those receiving thoracic medicine; and just 33% of patients in the South East Coast SHA are treated within the target compared with 60% in the East Midlands SHA Gubb 2007. However, this is one target the Labour government at this time was aiming to reduce, as by decreasing waiting periods across the board the equality of the service was increased, thereby making it more universal in its nature. This was achieved, and by 2007, nearly 100% of patients were offered a GP appointment with 48 hours, compared to the 75% in 2002 (http://www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/download/waitingtimes.pdf). In 2009 the Department of Health released their 2nd quarter statistics, again showing a huge variation in appointed care between the different Strategic Health Authorities. In London, over 160,000 patients were waiting for a first outpatient appointment, with nearly 1,400 having waited a period of 12 weeks, in comparison, the North East SHA showed the lowest statistics with 46,000 patients waiting in total, but only 48 having waited for a period of 12 weeks. In terms of waiting times however, the West Midlands showed the highest proportion in length of waiting time, with 193 patients still not receiving an appointment at the 17 week plus mark. (http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/index.htm). It could be postulated that the patients in those areas waiting the longest for treatment, are not receiving the same level of service as those with faster access to services and treatment. The services provided are still comprehensive, but are not universal by nature if different areas of the country are receiving different standards of care. In addition, the 2008/9 NHS Atlas of Variation identified a distinct variation between the comprehensiveness of the service being offered. It showed up to a 50 fold variation in the levels of care in different Strategic Health Authorities (http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk/atlas/qipp_nhsAtlas-LOW_261110c.pdf). Whilst talk of post code lotteries remains something of an anathema, it is clear from this report that there is a huge variation in the quality and standard of care being offered between trusts. More importantly, however, it would seem that patients are not receiving the same basic care all round. For example, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence recommend all persons with diabetes to have a 9 key care process to assess the progression of their condition, and its impact upon their nervous system, central and peripheries, by monitoring weight, blood pressure, blood glucose and other checks, the treatment of which has been shown to reduce diabetic complications. How ever, there is a 35 fold variation between SHAs offering this basic standard of care. Taking this one step further, the lack of basic care increases the patients likelihood of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and limb amputation, and yet there is a two-fold variation amongst the SHAs in the incidence of major amputations per 1000 patients with diabetes, due to a lack of a specialized Multi Disciplinary Diabetic Team (MDT) in some authorities (http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk/atlas/qipp_nhsAtlas-LOW_261110c.pdf). In conclusion, the current NHS offers a service that is still free at point of access, and still comprehensive albeit not immediately nor to all locations. However it would be fair to say that the current arrangement provides the most promising way of promoting distributional equity (Bevan 1989). A continuum of care is still provided, covering patients from the cradle to the grave, and thus fulfilling the original philosophy, however, until the factors underlying social deprivation (class stratification, employment, education etc) are fully resolved the NHS cannot be completely universal. The WHO commission states that social injustice is killing on a grand scale (W 2008), and yet it seems to be the main factor standing between our vision of an ideological NHS, and the current reality.