Saturday, August 31, 2019

Research Paper on Statistics on Health Care Prescription Errors Essay

Research Paper on Statistics on Health Care Prescription Errors Introduction Relation between Error in Healthcare prescription and the inconsistency in Technological information Background Information            A lot of errors are occurring within the healthcare field lately. They result from many factors. Among the principle causes of error are related to wrong prescriptions. As indicated by Benjamin (770), one of the elements that play a critical role in this is the use of advanced technological methods. Computers have been used to aid in the computerized entry of prescription orders. For instance, Walgreens pharmacy, where I work is an online drug store that allows customers to purchase drugs over the internet. This poses a great danger of wrong order interpretations, inconsistencies and misfills. In the past, these have resulted in the possession of dangerous drugs, dosing errors and other mix-ups.Depending on the intensity of the prescription, they can result in severe injuries on the patient or even lead to fatality incidences. In turn, they lead to unnecessary court cases and legal suits that eventually cost many healthcare institutions and practitioners a lot of f unds that are paid to cater for the damages (Carroll 52-8). For this, there is a necessity to examine the main causes of faulty prescriptions to ensure that such avoidable consequences are kept at their possible minimal rates. This paper explored the occurrence of prescription errors as a result of order entries at Walgreens. The principleconcerns that were dealt with in this study include: What are the common causes of drug inconsistencies at the pharmacy? What kind of information technology is used in the provision of proper prescription? Are there specific actions that are related to inconsistently provided information in the same prescription order entry? What dispensing errors are most likely to occur in an online drug store? Methodology            The study was prospective as it was comprised of 20 pharmacists from medical centers and Walgreens chemist, which is an online store based in Wasilla in Alaska. For approximately 2 months, they issued a report about the inconsistent order entry of prescriptions. It was principally based on communication. As such, both primary and secondary data collection methodswere employed. Therefore, it included the use of surveys for the collection of first-hand information. In this sense questionnaires and interviews from the participantswereused to gather information for the data. For accuracy and proper validation, these were combined with secondarysources such as the national health statistics (Wu, Pronovost, Morlock 88). It involved the selection of 30 electronically retrieved prescriptions from the free text field for any comments on prescription errors with regard to Walgreens pharmacy. Thus, the study entailed the overall evaluation of 60 prescription records. Data collection            The data was used to capture the medication, focus dispensing errors and the types of inconsistencies in error. Among the elements to considered included dosage, incorrect drug, wrong quantity, inappropriate, inadequate and incorrect labelling. The other elements that caused inconsistencies were inadequate directions for use, inappropriate packaging, preparation and storage of medication before dispensing. It was necessary to use predictive values to determine when the prescriptive errors are likely to be higher. Data analysis            The data was entered in a Microsoft database. 30 records were selected randomly to validate the data. From research, 99.7% of these are expected to be correct. Descriptive statistics characterized inconsistency. Some of the determinants of error such as inpatients and outpatients, analgesics and antibiotics, those that are less frequently prescribed and those on high alert wereanalyzed. They will be provided for harm categories where t tests and χ2 tests will be used. Categorical variables made use of the Fisher test for categorical variables of 2 levels and the χ2 for those with more than 2. Statistical significance or ÃŽ ± =.05 were applied to test predators with the Wald χ2 test. In this study, the regression model of multivariantlogistics method of data analysis will be used. The method will mainly identify different factors in communication prescriptive errors in relation to their severity. It will make use of a generalized approach with estimated equations. Results            The results were filled in the table below:            Similar names and packages Medications not commonly used or prescribed Commonly used medication where patients are allergic Medication that need proper testing for proper therapeutic administration Entry and confirmation of prescription Zeros and abbreviations Organized workforce and reduction of distraction and stress Patient counselling Storage            Dispensing incorrect drug 40% 20% 2% 2% 10% 5% 10% 11% Dose 20% 30% 10% 5% 20% 10% 5% 5% Dosage form 8% 2% 1% 5% 50% 10% 20% 4% Quantity 1% 20% 1% 3% 10% 30% 20% 15% Administration time 1% 5% 3% 2% 10% 30% 40% 9% Wrong labeling 30% 30% 5% 2% 10% 5% `10% 8% Inadequate directions 5% 20% 10% 10% 5% 2% 10% 38% Inappropriate preparation, packaging and storage 20% 40% 5% 1% 1% 5% 29% 1% Graphical Representation of the results Findings            It was discovered that at a pharmacy such as Walgreens where about 250 prescriptions entries are made in a day, about 4 errors occur. Reports relate these to a higher rate of inconsistent communication. The principle cause was drug dosage. There were also some drugs that were associated with a higher rate of overdosing and incorrect prescriptions when compared to others. Thus, in relation to this study, it was evident that medical centers that have a higher flow of patients and the chances of admission have higher rates of errors when compared to other private clinics and chemists. Conclusion            It is important that the laid down professional ethics are adhered to in different fields. This is especially within the medical field where a slight mistake can lead to devastating consequences. Therefore, healthcare providers are always obligated to use the knowledge that they acquired in their studies as well as new knowledge and practices appropriately. They should ensure that drugs are prescribed in the most appropriate ways to avoid errors. In particular, computerized drug entries should be counterchecked to eliminate disparities. However, owing to the continuous change in the nature of disease processes and hence the production of advanced drug formulas, there is need to conduct more research. These will provide more guidance to guarantee safe drug prescription by providers of healthcare services using new technological methods. Recommendations            The employees at Walgreens need to reduce the rates of prescription errors to help retain customers and avoid unnecessary lawsuits. Some of the steps they can take are to ensure the correct entry of prescriptions. These should be confirmed. They should be careful with drugs that look alike and sound alike as well as take care with zeros and abbreviations. They should make the workplace organized and reduce distractions, stress and heavy workloads as much as possible. They should also ensure that drugs are stored properly and check all prescriptions. The most important thing is to ensure that patients are cancelled before taking the drugs. References Benjamin, D. M. Reducing medication errors and increasing patient safety: case studies inclinical pharmacology. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.2003;43:768–83. Carroll, P. Medication issues: the bigger picture.RN. 2003;66(1):52–8. Wu, A. W., Pronovost, P., and Morlock, L. ICU incident reporting systems.Journal of CriticalCare. 2006;17(2):86–94 Source document

Friday, August 30, 2019

Econometrics Project

Personal Consumption Expenditures, Personal Income, and CPI 1980 – 2011 April 24, 2010 Abstract The goal of this paper is to estimate the relationship between personal consumption and personal income among all Americans over the past 30 years. The data includes annual records for the four variables between the years 1980 and 2011. I have analyzed this data using the Ordinary Least Squares Method and ran a regression analysis in order to observe the relationship between my variables.In my model, I have used Real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) as my independent variable, while the dependent variable is Real Disposable Personal Income Per-Capita. As well, I included two explanatory variables in my model which are the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and a Coincident Index. The model finds a positive relationship between personal consumption expenditures and personal income. It also shows that inflation is positively related to the independent variable of personal consumption.H owever the model demonstrates that there is an insignificant relationship between personal consumption and the Coincident Index. We can conclude that personal income has an effect on personal consumption and that there is a positive correlation between these two variables. Therefore, in general, we can assume according to this model that as personal income increases, personal consumption also increases. 1. Introduction Our economy is an ever-changing system that is affected by an infinite number of factors. Some of these factors include personal consumption, personal income, and inflation.I have chosen to look at how these factors may influence one another within the American economy. More specifically, I have chosen to research the influence of income, inflation, and the Coincidence Index on Americans’ consumption expenditures. I believe that individuals’ consumption expenditures may vary based on two main factors: A change in these individuals’ income and a ch ange in inflation. Many believe that as income increases, people will have more and will therefore spend more money and consume more.Some research suggests that larger household wealth is associated with higher personal consumption (Slacalek, 2009). In terms of inflation, some theories suggest that as prices rise and rates of inflation create uncertainty for the future, people will lower their consumption expenditures (Springer, 1977). However, since prices are higher, the total Personal Consumption Expenditures may still increase along with inflation. 2. Theory and Hypothesis In March, 2011, personal income increased by 0. 5 percent, while personal consumption expenditures for Americans increased by 0. 6 percent (Cohen, 2011).Based on this information, it can be concluded that the percentage increases for these variables increased nearly proportionately. I believe that this is not just a coincidence and that these variables actually share a relationship. Although this data is only for one month of one year, I hypothesize that this relationship would stay true if these statistics were to be taken over a period of several years. I believe that as Real Disposable Personal Income Per-Capita increases and individuals make more money, that people will spend more and consume more, meaning that PCE would increase.Since people would be making more money I expect that since they are more capable of spending money that they will indeed spend and consume more. I also theorize that CPI will have an effect on personal consumption. CPI, which is an indication of inflation, is an increase in prices in an economy relative to the money available in that economy. Since inflation means that you must pay more for the same goods, I hypothesize that as inflation increases, and prices rise, people will spend less, and therefore PCE will decrease. I also theorized that as the Coincident Index increases, PCE would also increase.This is because I believe that if the Coincident Index, w hich describes current economic conditions, goes up, then people will consume more while economic conditions are better. 3. Empirical Model and Data Using a multiple regression model, I estimated the relationship among my time-series data in order to learn more about my hypotheses. C = ? 0 + ? 1 *RDPI + ? 2*CPI + ? 3*CI C = -3. 540 + 3. 339(RDPI) +6. 888(CPI) +2. 315(CI) + ei Where: C= Personal Consumption Expenditures RDPI= Real Disposable Income: Per-Capita CPI= Consumer Price Index (Inflation) CI= Coincident IndexUsing Tinn-R, I came up with the following results. The Coefficients for this model are as follows: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) (Intercept) -3. 540e+03 3. 383e+02 -10. 466 3. 49e-11 *** RDPI 3. 339e-01 3. 903e-02 8. 555 2. 68e-09 *** CPI 6. 888e+00 3. 061e+00 2. 250 0. 0325 * CI 2. 315e+00 4. 713e+00 0. 491 0. 6271 As can be observed through these results, the t-values for both RDPI and CPI are greater than |1. 96|. Therefore, both of these variables are statist ically significant and consequently have an effect on Personal Consumption Expenditures.However, the t-value for the coincident index is not statistically significant, which means that we cannot conclude that it affects consumption. It can be assumed through this regression model that as personal income increases by 1 unit, consumption increases by 3. 339 units. As well, as PCE increases by one unit it can be assumed that PCE will increase by 6. 888 units. Therefore, I can conclude that my hypotheses regarding the relationship between consumption and income and consumption and inflation are accurate according to me regression model. However, these results may vary if other factors were to be considered in my model.As well, the results may be slightly off due to including the insignificant factor, the coincidence index. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, I have found the majority of my hypotheses to be true. I have found that both Personal Income and Inflation have an effect on Personal Co nsumption Expenditures and that both income and inflation have a positive relationship with consumption. However, based on my model, the Coincident Index does not share a relationship with PCE. I believe that this hypothesis of mine may be incorrect because the economic conditions of an conomy may not play a significant enough role on individuals’ consumption expenditures in order for this model to show that a relationship exists. Further research would need to be conducted in order for me to examine this relationship more closely. For example, other factors such as personal saving may influence personal consumption as well. In order to gather more clear and accurate results in the future, I would conduct more models, using more economic variables related to consumption in order to see what other potential factors may influence Personal Consumption Expenditures.References * Amadeo, Kimberly. â€Å"How Inflation Affects Your Life – The Impact of Inflation on Prices and Treasury Bonds. † US Economy and Business – US Economic Indicators – US Economic News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey tells the story of Randle McMurphy, a rebellious, boisterous and overtly sexual man who utilizes his extroverted qualities to win over his fellow patients in the mental institution. McMurphy’s confident nature and non-conforming attitude brings hope to everyone living in the ward. Ultimately, he sparks dissent and inspires them to go against the oppressive head nurse, Nurse Ratchet. McMurphy’s confidence does not waver until he realizes that Nurse Ratchet will always have the upper hand over the patients. Nevertheless, this does not stop him from concocting plans to provoke and get rid of her. McMurphy receives many harsh punishments for his actions and eventually loses the battle against the head nurse. Not only does he lose against Nurse Ratchet, but he eventually loses himself through the process. Additionally, in the film The Experiment, the protagonist Travis, undergoes an adversity which is comparable to what Mc Murphy faces in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The development of both characters can parallel each other through the similarities of their actions. Kesey first introduces McMurphy to readers when he is brought to the mental institution. At first glance, McMurphy can be viewed as a con man. He committed the crime of statutory rape but instead of accepting a jail sentence he convinces the judge that he is not straight in the head and is thus sent to a mental institution. Most patients at the ward are unresponsive, yet when he first arrives at the institution, he introduces himself to everyone. The patients and nurses are taken aback by McMurphy’s feisty attitude. Unlike the other patients, McMurphy is loud, arrogant, and capable and it is evident to everyone that he does not belong in a place like that. After the wards group meeting, McMurphy sees firsthand how Nurse Ratchet abuses her power as head nurse. He makes a bet with all the patients in the ward that he can make lose her temper. The patients warn him and insist that Nurse Ratchet not one to be messed with but he still acts otherwise. In this instance, McMurphy’s rebellious nature shines through. It is made clear to readers that he will not allow Nurse Ratchet to win over the patients for long. He wants to give her a hard time and hopefully get rid of her. Nurse Ratchet sees McMurphy’s deviance and knows that she must break him, just like she broke all the other patients so she can continue her oppressive leadership over the ward. After numerous confrontations between McMurphy and Nurse Ratchet, the patients in the ward find the incidents quite amusing. Eventually, McMurphy is able to rile up all the patients and encourage them to watch the World Series on the television. Although it was not their allotted time to watch the television, they all participate in the rebellion. Through McMurphy actions, the patients see that they should not view Nurse Ratchet as an oppressive and domineering force. They begin to feel hope inside themselves and begin to envision that living in the ward will not be as miserable as it once was. Nurse Ratchet’s patience begins to wear thin and once McMurphy physically attacks her, she quickly makes the decision to have him lobotomized and leaves him neurologically disabled. After this event, the patients can no longer live in the ward. McMurphy was a friend to all and they could not stand living under Nurse Ratchet’s rule. She loses all control and the patients transfer to other wards or check out of the institution completely. McMurphy’s eventual destruction and death was not out of vain as he was able to transform the patients into believing that each person was an individual and should be able to freely express themselves. He left them with a belief that would aid them for the rest of their lives. Randle McMurphy’s feisty and strong-willed character can easily parallel many dominant male characters in films. For example, in the 2010 film The Experiment, Paul T. Scheuring directs the story of 26 men who are selected to take part in a 14 day experiment where some participants act as guards and others as inmates. The guards have only one rule to follow – they must make sure the inmates obey the basic rules of living in a prison. Eventually the power wielded by the guards gets to their heads. They abuse their roles and exploit and humiliate the inmates. They become great oppressors and being to forget that the inmates are only human. Violence begins to ensue. The protagonist, Travis, is selected to be an inmate in the prison. From the beginning, it is made apparent that Travis is not buying into the whole prisoner concept. Just like McMurphy, Travis acts out as an individual. He is not one to follow others and ceases any opportunity to give the guards a difficult time. He then begins to act out in defiant ways. He mobilizes the inmates and leads rebellions against the guards. He and many other inmates firmly decide that they will not be silenced into submission. Eventually, the experiment goes wildly out of control and is stopped by researchers. Like Randle McMurphy, Travis fights back against the oppressors. He did not like seeing his fellow inmates get taken advantage of. Travis begins rebelling and disobeying the rules in small ways, such as refusing to eat his meals. Eventually, he uses physical force to end the tyranny in the prison. Randle McMurphy and Travis are similar characters in many ways. They both were able to unite the group of men that were facing the same adversity. They did not like seeing any of their own getting harmed. Furthermore, just like McMurphy, Travis acts in defiant ways to get into the guards heads. And finally, both use physical force to hurt their oppressors at the very end. To sum it up, they are the spark that brings hope to the oppressed and lead the rebellions against the oppressors.

Academic presonal statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Academic presonal - Personal Statement Example Even the global forces are demanding more from the agriculture industry. The high demand is due to the world’s growing population. The mixture of all the elements makes the subject more interesting, it is not limited and with time the demand and scope of the business also increases. There is much more to do in the field, as the demand for food is increasing over the years. This increase in demand has led to increase in the production of animal along with the production with animals the sources of food also needs to increased. An Animal Scientist takes both the subjects into account. It also focuses on an area where minimum focus is being given, everyone is more occupied with technology and that is why very few people in the world are working for the cause and I want to make a name in an area which could substantially contribute to the survival of the world. I am the right candidate for the study, not only because I have high interest in the field of subject but at the same time I have contributed much of my life in learning about the concepts. I have done my bachelors and masters in Animal Science. During my graduation I learned the concepts about the subject that I would be able to apply later in life if given the opportunity to do practical work. Along with my academic background I have also worked in the field with Alghabal Algharbi, in their head office of Animal production. Along with working at the department for research work I have also worked as a lecturer in the name university. I find it very interesting to work in the field of genetic improvement as using selection to improve animal production. Along with my interest in working in the field of animal science I am very much fond of studying the effect of feed activity on animal reproduction under different circumstances. Another area of my interest is using bio and mental fe ed additives to improve feed efficiency, digestion and metabolism and their

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

An outline for my methodology chapter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An outline for my methodology chapter - Essay Example It is a naturalistic approach that seeks to study and develop intervention impacts in both learning and teaching, and unfolds in four phases: informed exploration, enactment, local context evaluation, and design principle development. In addition, it will offer this research study a potential for better comprehension, improved learning and practice, and generation of theory by using multiple methods, as well as ongoing assessments of change impact (Reeves, 2005). Design based research as used in this research study is important because it provides a methodology for design and assessment of ESL innovations, in this case the use of Adobe Connect. It is also iterative and systematic, which is in line with the emerging comprehension of how ESL students learn. In addition, it is based on educational situations in real life, which makes it relevant for design and teaching practitioners, such as in this study (Celce-Murcia, 2011). Finally, design-based research will also encourage the researcher to work collaboratively in the creation and assessment of what impact the solutions to the learning issues have on the students. Design-based research will act as an analytical technique set that balances interpretivist and positivist paradigms while also attempting to bridge practice and theory in ESL. Design-based research, as a combination of theory-driven learning environment design and empirical educational research, will be important in understanding the manner in which educational interventions practically work (Norwich & Ylonen, 2013). Design-based research seeks to uncover underlying relationships between practices, designed artifact, and educational theory. In aiming to explain the connections between practice, tools, and theory in ESL, design-based research has dual objectives intending to respond to the needs of the learning environment and striving to increase the researcher’s comprehension of teaching (Ellis, 2013). In

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Hills like White Elephants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hills like White Elephants - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that most common aspect of Ernest Hemingway’s writings is extraordinary complexity. He presented the themes in a very complex manner, for instance, we can notice the underlying story â€Å"Hills like White Elephants†. In the story, several themes are used such as stressful romance, undesired pregnancy, communication collapse between the couple that further became a cause of the pregnancy abortion (tragedy) and symbolism (hills, elephants etc.). Hemingway utilized numerous literary devices to communicate the themes of the story but here I am going to analyze three out of those: imagery, dialogue and narrative style used in the story. The simplest form of imagery used in the underlying story. Simplicity is reported because Hemingway did not use the complete form of imagery to elaborate the stylistic themes of the story; rather he drew the beauty by incomplete imagery. Hemingway illustrated that unsaid is more influential compared to what is expressed especially in the fiction writing. The writer has described that the hills were white but he did not express the reason for this color: whether the hills are white because of winter season snow or the rocks were naturally white? He left the imagination over the readers accordingly. This implies to the implicit complexity in the story. In the same way, it can be derived that hills are denoted as the curved in a woman that is., breasts and swelled belly of the woman because of pregnancy.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Baw.Grop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Baw.Grop - Essay Example If the trade bloc comprises of geographically proximate countries, the trade agreement is known as ‘regional trade agreement. Most of these trade agreements are done to enhance the business situation in a region by the coordination offered by each of the member states. Back in 2006, on the first day of January, the agreement on South Asia Free Trade Agreement came into force. Out of their members India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are known as Non Least development Contracting state (NLDCS) and Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives are Nepal are referred as Least Developed Contracting States (LDCS) (Commerce, n.d.). The member countries of this agreement are able to avail a number of trade opportunities which are specifically available to the member countries of this agreement. These agreements have emerged to promote multilateral trade with a commitment to offer higher rate of economic growth worldwide. However, the spread of these regional blocs has denied allowing the non member countries to take the advantage of free trading. To enjoy the benefits of free trading which include enhanced resource allocation, improved level of efficiency, exposure to new innovative ideas, technologies and products the South Asia countries must ensure trade facilitation, econom ic cooperation to other Agreements and higher investment across the countries in that region. Despite of the fact that South Asia Association for regional Cooperation (SAARC) is being into existence for the last 25 years, still in 2004, the percentage of intra regional trade was only of 4 % of the total trade amount (Kemal, 2004). In a review, World Bank has revealed that all the regional grouping does not boost the trade and enhance the growth automatically. Although, the objective of these regional trading groups is to promote inter regional trade and economic growth, a large no of groups fail to achieve the same (Kemal, 2004). SAFTA has allowed

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Time Warp 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Time Warp 2 - Essay Example This tool helped me achieve my goal of yielding higher profits for Handheld, Corp. In this report, I included my analysis, the strategies I used, and what factors affected revenues for product X5, X6, and X7. Time Warp 1 Maribel P. Jabido Academia Research May 8, 2011 Analysis On the PDA simulator I had a final score of 1,185,800,553. I did better than Joe Schmoe by 20,890,196. I have observed that Joe’s strategy was a â€Å"lazy† implementation of marketing. If he took the time to analyze the performance of a product and what prices were appropriate to set, he would yield higher profits. I have made numerous attempts using a simulator to prove that my strategies worked better. I followed the advisor’s analysis and used it as my guide in pricing and allocation of R&D. One strategy I used for marketing handheld products is market segmentation. This is implemented by providing handheld products in different categories (X5, X6, and X7) to serve specific needs of tar get customers and increasing market share. Even with the discontinuation of X5 handheld in 2009, it was a strategy to market better available products to attract buyers. Pricing strategy was also what I’ve used relative to R & D allocations to generate profits. For instance, X5 sales were starting to decline. In 2008, I did not drop the price significantly or I would lose a lot of money. I was able to keep customers who purchased the X5 handheld for $240. Then, I decided to discontinue the product the following year to avoid more losses. R&D allocations were a bit tricky. I used the advisor’s analysis to manipulate the allocations. For example, when X5 was discontinued in 2009, I kept the same prices for X6 and X7 as of 2008 in 2009 and increased their R&D allocations to 30% and 70% respectively. The tremendous Jabido 2 increase in R&D had a positive impact on revenues. However, in 2008, I decided to distribute R&D of 25% equally to X5, X6, and X7 handheld products. Wh en I tried to reduce X5 R&D to 10%, I had a higher loss. With 25% R&D I was able to avoid the loss of -9,870,920 and reduced it to a loss of -$6,176,598. If I didn’t adjust that 10% R&D, it would affect profits for 2009. I also based my analysis on the product performance and on what level they are in terms of sales. For instance, X7 handheld was in the ‘growth phase’ in 2006 with a profit of $3,199,108. The following year, I reduced its price to $200 and allocated a higher R&D of 25%. The result was phenomenal. I had a profit of $23,555,939. Maintaining the price and R&D the following year, the profit for X7 was more than doubled. Here’s the breakdown of prices, R&D allocations, and profits for X5, X6, and X7: 2006 I increased the prices for all handheld products and decreased their R&D. As a result, advisory said X7 handheld was in the growth phase and potential X7 customers were new customers. X7 handheld performance was holding steady while X6 was pric ed the same as other competing products. Joe gained a higher profit of $295,185,249 in 2006. He performed better with all X5, X6, and X7 handhelds because the prices were lower although it was temporary. Jabido 3 2007 Since X6 performance was better than that of competition, I decided to maintain the price and R&D and it paid off as I had a higher profit. Joe sold X6 for only $400 this year which he could’ve made profit by selling them slightly higher. However, X5 sales were declining so I slightly lowered the price which is

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Islamic Faith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Islamic Faith - Essay Example This was the beginning of Islam. One day, while was meditating in the cave, Angel Gabriel came on God’s orders and recited: â€Å"In the name of thy Lord who created, created man from a clot of blood† (Religion, 2012) The message of Islam was revealed by Muhammad to his friends and family at first. After that, as the number of revelations on him begin to increase, celebrating the oneness of God, preaching of Muhammad augmented. It was the destitute slaves who were revealed at first, but the revelations spread finally to whole of Mecca including the rich.The revelations are integrated in Quran, which is the Scripture of Islam. Not everybody at that time accepted the message of God brought by Muhammad. Even the people from his own clan rejected the teachings and message and many traders and merchants were on the forefront in opposition. However, the hostility helped to sharpen the sense of mission and understanding of religion brought about by Muhammad on how precisely Is lam is different from paganism (Religion, 2012) The paramount of Islam is belief in unity of God and this is the basis of religion Islam. The verses of Quran also stress upon the uniqueness of God, and warn people of warnings that God has given if they don’t follow the right path. Quran also announcing the punishment people will receive if they disobey God after their death. After the death, people will be judged among the rights and wrongs they did in the world and will be given punishment or great success by God as Quran promises. On the Day of Judgment, everyone will be gifted according to the deeds they performed on Earth. God will measure their faith and faithful will be rewarded while sinful punished. Polytheism is refuted in Islam as practiced by Meccans of that time (Religion, 2012) Five Pillars The five pillars of Islam are as follows: 1. Faith The faith is that there is no other god except Allah (God) who should be worshipped and Muhammad His messenger, or Prophet. The statement of faith is known is known as Shahada, an easy formula that faithful acclaim. In Arabic, first part of Qalima is la ilaha illa Llah which states there is no god except Allah (God) and the other part Muhammadur rasulu’Llah which means Muhammad is God’s messenger on earth (Islamic City, 2013). 2. Prayer Salaat is an Arabic name for Prayer is the compulsory prayer for all followers of Islam. It is the best connection between worshipper and God and also the shortest one. Islam negates hierarchy and prayers are led by someone who has profound knowledge of Quran. This person is chosen by the congregation. The prayer timings are dawn, mid-afternoon, noon, nightfall, and sunset. Prayers set the rhythm of entire day for a Muslim (follower of Islam). These prayers contain Quranic verses and are delivered in Arabic. Salat is an Arabic word which is also called Namaz (Islamic City, 2013). 3. Zakat One of the eminent principles of Islam say that wealth given to human beings by Allah is a trust upon them hold by Allah. The word Zakat means growth and purification. By giving Zakat, all the belongings of a man are purified as Zakat believes in giving others and is like giving water to plants where your reap good results, cutting money and balances encourages growth and prosperity for the people. Each Muslim (follower of Islam) calculates Zakat by himself or herself. For most reasons, the payment of Zakat is every year of 2 and a half year of one’s own capital. Zakat, according to Islam, keeps money flowing in a

Friday, August 23, 2019

Ford Explorer Defective Tires Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ford Explorer Defective Tires - Essay Example It is imperative to note that it is both a legal and social obligations for companies to engage in such Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. Consequently, most organizations focus on similar responsibility actions for example supporting activities that seem to protect the environment. In addition, there are many strategies, which companies employ in order to execute the above CSR phenomenon in a successful manner. For example, a business organization could opt to outsource a company, which in turn assists in the company’s societal responsibility. Alternatively, the company could include a permanent department in its structure. Such a permanent structure could perform all activities, which involve improving the public relations of the company. Evidently, the aim of most activities is to increase the individual company’s profits by improving its diverse public image. Finally, individuals who benefit from activities of corporate responsibility always aspire to engage in business deals with the respective companies hence the importance of CSR. According to Charles, & Hill, Carroll’s model is a detailed development of an early model of CSR by Sethi. Evidently, Carroll’s model gives a highlight of such facets of responsibility as economic, legal ethical and philanthropic orientations. Consequently, the above facets follow a universal pyramid of significance. Most reports indicate that in the past companies displayed bias in choosing the corporate responsibility activities hence the relevance of Carroll’s Model.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Literacy in America Essay Example for Free

Literacy in America Essay America, the most technologically advanced and affluent of all nations on the earth, seems to have an increasingly larger illiteracy rate every year. This has become and continues to be a critical problem throughout our society as we know it. According to the National Adult Literacy survey, 42 million adult Americans cant read; 50 million are limited to a 4th or 5th grade reading level; one in every four teenagers drops out of high school, and of the students who graduate, one in every four has around an 8th grade education. Why? You ask. This problem will never fix itself and will take quite a bit of time to overcome. We need to make sure that everyone is aware of the social problems, poverty and lack of family interaction that occurs everyday in many, if not all, communities throughout America. â€Å"Nearly a billion people, two-thirds of them women, will enter this world unable to read a book or write their names, warns UNICEF in a new report, The State of the Worlds Children 1999. UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, points out that the illiterate live in more desperate poverty and poorer health than those who can read and write. (Boaz). The most important factor that contributes to the outrageous statistics of illiteracy is that of poverty. Poverty is an issue that more and more of our nations children are coming face to face with and the price they must pay is unbelievably high. Poverty is considered a major at-risk factor (Leroy 2001). The term at-risk refers to children who are likely to fail whether it 2 be at school or life in general because of their lifes social circumstances. Some of the factors that may place these children at-risk are: dangerous neighborhoods; young, uneducated parents; unemployment; and inadequate educational experiences. Teachers need to be aware of the circumstances that their students face and be able and ready to help these children find a balance between the cultural values that they may have and values emphasized in school. By providing emotional support, modeling, and other forms of scaffolding, teachers can help students use their strengths, skills, and knowledge to develop and learn ( Marlowe and Page,9). The United States prides itself on being a free, democratic state. Jonathan Kozol’s essay â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society† states that the United States is not the democracy it claims to be. For democracy to work at its best, a true representation of the common interests and how the majority feels about those interests must be in place. According to Kozol, about â€Å"60 million people in the United States are illiterate. † For the United States to be the self-functioning democratic state it proclaims to be, it has to be a literate society. The people of the United States are not part of a democracy without the full capacity to make informed choices, and furthermore cannot reap the benefits that a democratic society has to offer if the best interests of the majority are not represented. Direct quote #2 (Madison)with signal phrase. Hypo-thetical example James Madison wrote that a â€Å"people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both† (Surowiecki, page 4). Voting is by far the most important aspect of a democratic society, and the percentage of people who do vote is a topic of much discussion here in the United States. If the number of people not voting is such a significant concern then the reasons they are not voting is 3 as well. An uneducated vote is not any better than a vote not cast at all. Imagine going to a voting booth and voting for a person or a ballot measure based on the ads you see on the TV only. In this circumstance, decisions are often made based on the negative ideas offered by both major political parties. If 60 million people in the United States cannot read, then they cannot cast a vote truly representative of their opinions. As Kozol claims, the United States has in fact become a government â€Å"of those two thirds whose wealth, skin color, or parental privilege allows them opportunity to profit from the provocation and instruction of the written word† (Kozol). The percentage of the population that is illiterate cannot choose which candidates make it onto the ballots, they cannot sign petitions, and they cannot choose which measures will pass or those that will fail. Direct quote #3 (Kozal), with signal phrase e. Of equal importance to a democratic society are the benefits that literacy provides to the public. When one is illiterate they are not able to reap the benefits of a free society. The freedom to choose enhances one’s chances of experiencing the best of anything. Illiteracy makes for a life of settling. An illiterate person has to settle for another’s interpretations of the world. According to the article ‘Democracy 101,† the ability to read opens a world that many people do not consider. The choice of where to live, what to eat, and where to work may all seem commonplace to the average literate person. Kozol uses the warning on a can of Drano in the opening of this essay to educate. It may take a moment for it to sink in but the reader will soon realize how much power reading and writing holds. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are supposed to be guaranteed to all citizens of this country. Those that cannot read or write do not have the capability to choose who are the best people suited for ensuring those rights. Perhaps more importantly the 60 million illiterate people in this country cannot make the choices necessary to make use of those rights (Kozol). References Boaz, David. Illiteracy The Bad News and the Good. Cato Institute. 20 Jan. 1999. Kim, J. K. NRRF Illiteracy: An Incurable Disease or Education Malpractice? Kozol, Jonathan, Illiteracy: The Enduring Problem. . Leroy. The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning. 2001 Surowiecki, James. The Dangers of Financial Illiteracy in America. The New Yorker.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Interpretations of our Culture and gender Essay Example for Free

Interpretations of our Culture and gender Essay Culture is a representation of many aspects ranging from indigenous practices, eating habits and even clothing, thus culture is expressed all the way through many and various ways, customs, habits and behaviors. Nevertheless culture is also identified through language. Culture and language are so intertwined and in that complexity, culture can neither be separated from language nor can language be separated from culture. The way people choose to use language in various phases of life affiliates them to a one specific culture from the other. In this context, cultures are very different from one another, for instance in some cultures women have no voice in society and there are roles that they are not allowed to play. However, (Embers 2007) note that, â€Å"it must not be forgotten that some people can create a class through stratification or class which may end in discrimination or segregation†. In this case there is class of the poor and another of the rich and through these classes; people develop a culture befitting them. In matters of sex or gender, some ethnic groups are very discriminative towards women and the class of women has been given lesser roles in society than men. Women do not make decisions or are not involved in decision making processes or procedures. However, it has dawned in many cultures that women play vital roles for the survival of many societies. Many rigid cultures that have rendered women voiceless have realized women at many a times make brilliant decisions than expected. So, what have they done? Women have been listened to and many have been given powerful leadership positions in such cultures to make impacting decisions. Currently, in many cultures women are leaders and they have performed. So far so good, there is no major disagreement and the way forward for many cultures is not to use gender or sex as a whip, but to be specific let girls and boys in any cultural setting get equal education, position and or all other favors, then give them equal opportunities. Reference: Ember, C. Ember, M. (2007). Cultural Anthropology, 12th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

BT Global Services Strategic Analysis

BT Global Services Strategic Analysis In the past BT Global services strategy has experienced hard times, resulting in the company incurring high levels of debt through the heavy use of joint ventures. In recent times, BT Global Services have adapted from this past by offering more homogeneous products, leading to a needs-based strategy focusing on multinational corporations instead of products intended for domestic use, as they offer in the UK. Their strategy is based on their strategic position in the telecoms industry: Hard for new competitors to enter, however they have a competitive parity with their main competitors ATT, Verizon Business and Orange Business Services. Their large client base and brand image has played a key role in their strategy for targeting multinational corporations and world governments. However, they show a weakness that they have a relatively high senior management turnover which may have had a negative effect on their strategy formation process. Due to the size of BT Group, it is difficult to judge the success of BTGS strategy in relation to the whole of the corporations operations. However, as a business unit, their financial results are inconsistent potentially showing that improvements are needed to be made. Recommendations made relate to maintaining key senior management staff; truly differentiating themselves by innovating to create a temporary competitive advantage; and to focus on European based multinational corporations to take advantage of BTs brand power that it has developed in that region. 1. Introduction to the report This report contains a strategic analysis of the international company BT Group (BT) focusing upon its business unit BT Global Services (BTGS) through the lens of strategic formation. The report starts with an analysis of BT Groups overall strategy, then their subsidiary BT Global Services global strategy, then the report progresses onto conducting an external and internal analysis before concluding with recommendations. 2. Introduction to the Company British Telecommunications (BT Group) is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the FTSE 100 at the present time, with a market capitalisation of  £ 13,818 million (London Stock Exchange, 2011). The company operates in the telecommunications industry supplying various products ranging from Broadband to Ethernet to Voice. From humble origins as a subsidiary of The Post Office and its initial public offering in 1982, BT has grown into a large multi national company whilst maintaining itself as the market leader in the UK. Since its flotation, BT has been prevalent on the international scene, entering joint ventures with many overseas corporations, most notably ATT. (BT Plc, 2011) 3. BT Group Overall BT Groups strategy has been focused on standardisation of their products and services; since 2009 they have decreased their range of products from 3,500 to 1,400 (BT, 2011). In the future BT are planning to combining their global networks into one standard network, by doing this they aim for a cost transformation (BT Plc, 2010). Since Global Services expansion abroad, BT Group has had to change its strategy to protecting its dominant market share in the UK after deregulations in the UK and the subsequent emergence of foreign competitors has posed a threat (Turner and Gardiner, 2007). BT Groups strategy for their domestic marker involves diversification into new markets such as Broadband, Online gaming, Voice, TV and IT services (BT Plc, 2010). 4. BT Global Services BT Global Services have experienced some large changes over the past decade, they have just recovered from incurring large losses standing out from BT groups improving subsidiaries financial achievements: their pre-tax profits fell 45% in three months (BBC, 2009). These large losses were contributed to BTGS bad global strategy during the period of 1994 to 2004. During this period BT set out to become the largest supplier of telecommunications, therefore its strategy was to expand globally. The companys target market was multinational corporations who have operations in a variety of regions. However, due to BTs industry, heavy investment in physical infrastructure would be needed. To overcome these market entry barriers, BTs strategy had to involve forming strategic alliances with foreign companies: BT committed itself to numerous joint ventures. By creating a truly global network, they hoped to posses a unique and rare product to gain the advantage over their competitors who could not offer such a large network (BBC, 1999; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). Nevertheless, this did not succeed. Reasons for this could be attributed to their strategic alliance partnerships. BT failed to maintain stable relationships, such as for example, in their joint venture Concert originally with MCI but due to flaws in a takeover bid, this failed. BT then set up a new joint venture called New Concert with another US telecoms giant ATT. Yet this failed again. These flaws in BTs joint ventures, couple with the huge amount of debt that BT built up acquiring them, lead to BTs large losses (BBC, 2001; BBC, 2001; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). In response to these failures, BT radically changed its strategy. This strategic renewal saw BT initiate a radical withdrawal from the majority of its international markets, to consolidate their UK and EU market to protect their main source of revenue, the UK market (Forbes, 2010; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). At present they are forecasting a result of  £100m in operating cash flow this year, which is evidence that their current strategy is effective and that they have learned from their mistakes in the past. Their change of strategy can be seen by their offering of an increasingly homogeneous service around the globe (BT, 2011). Levitt (1983) highlights the importance of multinational corporations operating in a consistent manor, in BTs case, by offering the same service globally, by doing this BT can operate at a relatively low cost. BTGS are differentiating themselves by utilising a needs-based strategy. By focusing on meeting the needs of large multinational corporations that are constituents of strong global sector industries, they can differ from their competition by using their breath of scope, thanks to their large multi-protocol switching network (Porter, 1997; BT, 2011). One could say, that BTGS strategy formed itself out of an adaptive mode, in which their strategy was decided by many managers with conflicting views compromising over issues to produce their final decision; Turner and Gardiners (2007) case study outlined poor management behaviour as a cause for their initial strategys shortcomings (Mintzberg, 1978). BTs intended strategy was to replicate its business in the UK globally, however through the pattern in a stream of decisions, the realised strategy became focused on consolidating their home market and the European market, whilst taking on lighter activities worldwide. Their strategy has been formed through the environment of the dynamic telecommunications market, influenced by many changes in leadership (BBC, 2001; Mintzberg, 1978). 5. External Analysis De Wit and Mayer (2004) state that external and internal assessments are necessary for the diagnosing aspect to a realised strategy. Using Porters (2008) five forces, focusing on potential entrants of new competition and direct competitors, one can see how the competitive environment has affected BTGS strategy formation. Threat of new entrants The need for infrastructure to enter the market makes it very difficult for small firms to enter because of the huge amount of investment required. This point can be emphasised because one can see the problems BT experienced when they attempted to set up their own global system with joint ventures. Therefore all of BTs competition is from other large multinational telecommunication companies. New competitors may also find a difficulty to establish a market share due to brand issues; multinational corporations have high prerequisites and need established companies that have a track record of consistent and reliable services (Gardiner and Turner, 2004). However the global telecommunications industry has an estimated worth of 3.7 trillion dollars which may attract large multinational companies that have the resources to diversify their operations, such as Virgin group has done in the past in different markets (Plunkett Research Ltd, 2010). Direct competitors The global telecommunications market is made up of large competitors which have access to a large pool of funds for extensive advertising campaigns. These multinational corporations such as Orange Business Services, ATT and Verizon Business are strong competitors with strong brand images in their own right; however Ovum (2009) reports that the BT brand is dominant when compared. Since ATT was granted an operating licence in 1994, they have been in competition for BTGS MNCs but also BT groups domestic client base (Fagan, 1994). BTGS competitor ATT, have a similar strategy of differentiated their products to multinational corporations. Before Concert ATT strategy had involved leasing out its use of networks from BT, however they began to offer the same standardised service as they offered when cooperating with BT in Concert joint venture, supplying businesses with their own global IP network (ATT, 2011). This is very similar to BTs strategy of targeting MNCs, and so poses a great threat; their joint venture in the past had a negative affect on BTGS performance (BT Plc, 2002). Since the end of the joint venture, ATT have been heavily investing in improving their global infrastructure, and in product innovation (Pappalardo and Mears, 2002). Cooperation with this competitor in the past has proved troublesome, however BT and ATT have joined an additional strategic alliance by interlinking their video-conferencing product network (Taylor, 2010). By using this strategic alliances, BT have been able to stem competition from ATT and maintain their MNC client base. 6. Internal Analysis Following on from the external analysis using a SWOT analysis, focused on BTGS strengths and weaknesses, one can further inspect the diagnosing aspect of strategy formation. Strengths BTGS has an increasing brand power, which BTs management have been focusing on customer service (Servicedesk, 2009). The image that BT has built upon over the decades have given BT Global Services a good foundation in which to build and maintain its own. BTGS has a large client base comprising of MNCs such as Siemens and BNP Paribas, these providing BT with large volume sales. BT Global Services have also managed to secure key exclusive contracts, such as supplying Unilever with a four year contract. By securing these contracts, BT have pushed out the competition and have created an opportunity for them to extend these contracts in the future (Harris, 2010;International, 2010;BT Plc, 2009). Weaknesses A large weakness that BTGS possess is relatively high executive management turnover, since 2001 BTGS has seen many changes in management which may have diluted the companys strategic vision (BBC, 2001; BT Plc, 2010; Servicedesk, 2009; Glick, 2008). Finally, the need for an extensive global network is a necessity for BTGS, without it they have no value on their products from their clients perspective. These network infrastructures carry high maintenance costs and must be constantly innovated to compete effectively. 7. Evaluation of Strategy Overall BT Global Services strategy seems to be overdependent on joint ventures which have led BT into large debt problems. Evidence for this can be seen in their financial reports as they coincide with the break up of their joint venture New Concert; BTGS suffered a loss of  £1,459m in 2003 surprisingly after they recorded their largest profit of  £8,911m in 2001 (FAME, 2011). Whilst their turnover has been steadily increasing from 2006, BTGS management have been unable to make consistent gains on their return on total assets (FAME, 2011). This could be because of the senior management not efficiently utilising their assets. Their trade-off of excluding offering domestic telecommunication products globally has, in my opinion, been a good strategic move because, for example the US market for Ethernet services is saturated with fierce competition (Vertical, 2007). Their strategy of focusing on multinational corporations fits well with their other operations The deregulation of telecommunications has had a large impact on their global strategy as governments in developing countries lift competition rules to end state owned monopolies (Poh, 1994). This deregulation has allowed BT to branch out internationally and to set up global networks to offer their prospective clients. Since the banking crisis, BT Groups share price has been steadily rising, however this may not be due to Global Services but other operations of the group such as BT Retail or BT Innovate, therefore it is difficult to judge BTGS strategys success on the groups overall share performance (London Stock Exchange, 2011). 8. Conclusion In conclusion, BT Global services strategy can be viewed as insufficient. Their strategy has proved successful in the fact that they are acquiring exclusive contracts; steadily increasing their total revenue over the past five years and maintaining themselves as one of the largest international telecommunications company. One the other hand, they have been incurring large losses and sub optimal return on assets shedding a pessimistic view on the strategys success. Their external and internal environment can be seen as contradictory; the limited threat to new entrants and their large client base show a favourable business environment, however their current competitors and the need to maintain such a large infrastructure pose a great threat. 9. Recommendations Taking into consideration BT Global Services past strategic history and their internal and external environment, recommendations to improve their global strategy would include: Creating and sustaining a clear strategic vision by maintaining key senior management staff, by doing this BTGS will be able to maintain their objectives in accordance to their joint ventures, a problem they had with Concert. Truly differentiating themselves from ATT and Verizon Business, these two companies offer very similar IT and telecoms solutions to multinational corporations: Innovating will help create a temporary competitive advantage. Focusing on the European telecommunications market to continue securing key exclusive contracts with multinational corporations head-quartered there to take advantage of the strength that the BT brand has in that region. 10. References Andersen, T. J. (2004) Integrating the Strategy Formation Process: An International Perspective. European Management Journal, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 263-372 Ansoff, H. I., Avner, J., Brandenburg R. G., Portner, F. E., Radosevich, R. (1970) Does Planning Pay? The Effect of Planning on Success of Acquisitions in American Firms. Long Range Planning, December ATT (2011) Our Global Story. [Online] [Accessed on 01/02/2011] http://www.corp.att.com/globalnetworking/our_global_story.html BBC News (2001) BT chief quits early. BBC [Online] 31st October [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1629621.stm BBC News (2001) BT plans to break losing streak . BBC [Online] 4th December [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1691580.stm BBC News (2001) BT to ditch ATT venture .BBC [Online] 20th April [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1287589.stm BBC News (1999) Business: The Company File BT expands into China. BBC [Online] 8th April [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/314264.stm BBC News (2009) Global IT unit knocks BT profits. BBC [Online] 30th July [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8176033.stm BBC News (2001) QA: What now for BT?. BBC [Online] 10th May [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1323096.stm BT Plc (2010) Annual General Meeting. BT Group Plc. [Online] July [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.btplc.com/Sharesandperformance/AGMs/AGM2010/AGM2010slides.pdf BT Plc (2011) Around BT: Global Services. BT Today. February 2011. pp 39-41. BT Plc (2009) BT Global Services provides full IP convergence project for Roberto Cavalli Group. BT Press releases [Online] 19th November [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/Showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=A0C112A6-D3B5-47C5-B26D-383B12658748 BT Plc (2010) Investor Day Part 1. [Online] [Accessed on 26/02/2011] http://www.btplc.com/Sharesandperformance/Quarterlyresults/Financialpresentations/q410Investor1.pdf BT Plc (2010) Jeff Kelly joins BT as CEO BT Global Services [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.btplc.com/news/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=0D9B24BA-B757-4880-95AB-5B0820E975A5 BT Plc (2002) Risk Factors. [Online] [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.btplc.com/report/risk.shtml BT Plc (2011) The historical development of BT. [Online] [Accessed on 27/02/2011] http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/BTsHistory/History.htm De Wit, B and Meyer, R. (2004) Strategy: Process, Content, Context. 3rd Edition. London Douglas, S., Wind, Y. (1987) The Myth of Globalisation. Columbia Journal of World Business, Winter Fagan, M. (1994) ATT readies for battle with BT: Granting of licence to US giant sets scene for new wave of competition in British telephone services. The Independent. [Online] 9th July [ Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/att-readies-for-battle-with-bt-granting-of-licence-to-us-giant-sets-scene-for-new-wave-of-competition-in-british-telephone-services-1412595.html FAME (2011) Company report: BT Global Services Limited [Online] [Accessed on 03/03/2011] Available from: FAME Forbes, C. (2010), Strategic Change, Lecture/Class, Manchester Metropolitan University, unpublished. Gardiner, P. D., Turner, C. (2007) De-internationalisation and global strategy: the case of British Telecomunications (BT). Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, Vol. 22 Iss:7, pp 489-497. Glick, B. (2008) BT Global Services chief quits after profit warning [Online] Computing.co.uk [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/1859249/bt-global-services-chief-quits-profit-warning Harris, N. (2010) BT will continue providing the phone and internet services for the Department for Work and Pension. [Online] ITPro [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.itpro.co.uk/620347/dwp-extends-bt-service-contract-worth-237-million Horsburgh, S. (2011) Strategy Formation. Lecture/Class, Manchester Metropolitan University, Unpublished. International Business Times (2010) Unilever signs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬173 million IT services contract with BT Global. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/35898/20100715/unilever-signs-it-services-contract-bt-global.htm Levitt, T. (1983) The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review. May-June London Stock Exchange (2011) BT Group PLC ORD 5p [Online] [Assesed on 26/02/2011] http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB0030913577GBGBXSET1 McIntosh (2000) BT wrestles with internal divisions over strategy The independent [Online] 19th September [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/bt-wrestles-with-internal-divisions-over-strategy-700126.html Ovum (2009) BT Global Services Scores First [Online] [Accessed on 03/03/2011] www.globalservices.bt.com/static/assets/pdf/Insights%20and%20Ideas/Ovum%20Research%20-%20BT%20Global%20Services%20Scores%20First.pdf Pappalardo, D. and Mears, J. (2002) ATT spells out international strategy. Network World [Online] [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.networkworld.com/news/2002/129527_01-28-2002.html Plunkett Research Ltd (2010) Telecommunications Industry Overview. [Online] [Accessed 28/02/2011] http://www.plunkettresearch.com/telecommunications%20market%20research/industry%20statistics Poh, L.C. (1994) The Liberalisation and Privitaisation of Telecommunications in Singapore. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20050727180231.aspx?getPagetype=21 Porter, M.E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard business Review, July/August 1997 Porter, M. (1996) What is Strategy?. Harved Business Review, November-December Pritchard, J., Armistead, C. (1999) Business process management lessons from European business, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 5 Iss: 1, pp.10 35 Servicedesk360 (2009) BT Global Services welcomes new chief. [Online] [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.servicedesk360.com/archives/?p=937 Vertical Systems Group (2007) Ethernet Services Market Update. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.twtelecom.com/Documents/Announcements/News/2007/VSG_TWTC_Mid_year07Ethernet.pdf

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Dylan Thomas Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Dylan Thomas Dylan Thomas was born in Wales during the First World War. Raised in Swansea, "the smug darkness of a provincial town"(Treece 37), Thomas was educated as an Englishman. At the age of seventeen, Thomas left school and opted to forgo the university and became a writer immediately. He published his first book, 18 Poems, in 1934. His skill and artistic ability astounded critics. This "slim, black covered, gilt-lettered bardic bombshell"(Treece ix) put Thomas on the literary map. Unfortunately, this poetic genius succumbed to alcoholism at the age of thirty-nine. In his short lifetime, Thomas published some of the most disturbing and touching literature of the century. The poetry of Dylan Thomas is his way of expressing and confronting the good and evil aspects of the world that troubled him to the grave. In his youth, the poetry and folklore of his native Wales fascinated Thomas. He mimicked their styles and composed stories of his own. Although his father insisted that Thomas attend a university, he "adduced the example of Bernard Shaw"(Ellmann 510) and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a professional writer. He felt that continuing his education would only stand in the way of his dreams. Thomas’ first attempt at becoming a poet, 18 Poems, fulfilled this ambition. Packed "with enough poetic dynamite in it to shake young writers and critics for a decade"(Treece ix), 18 Poems supplies an excellent exhibition of Thomas’ struggle with reality. Its works are full of twisting and turning images that present the conflicts of the world. In "The Force That through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower," Thomas comments on the role of nature as both the creator and the assassin. As the creator, nature is "The force ... ...my individual struggle from darkness towards some measure of light"(Treece 39). It is poetry full of graphic, detailed images of nature and the duality of the world. Thomas saw the world in terms of good and evil. This belief forced Thomas to "stride on two levels"(Treece ix). It was not possible for him to discuss the beauty of nature without discussing its ugliness as well. As a result of this view of reality and the world around him, Thomas’ poetry is "an unconducted tour of Bedlam"(Treece ix). Works Cited Ellmann, Richard and Robert O’Clair. Modern Poems. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1989. Emory, Clark. The World of Dylan Thomas. Coral Gables: University of Miami Press, 1962. Thomas, Dylan. Quite one Early Morning. New York: New Directions Publishers, 1960. Treece, Henry. Day Among the Fairies. Los Angeles: Norwood Publications, 1978.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Globalization Essay -- Pros and Cons of

The notion of globalisation encompasses various different aspects of social, economic and political life. In order to answer the question of whether or not globalisation is a progressive or negative force, I must first define globalisation. Then I shall examine the impact of globalisation on the population and finally determine whether this is a positive or negative impact. There are five different aspects that I have chosen in order to define the phenomenon of globalisation. They are internationalisation, liberalisation, universilisation, westernisation, and deterritorialization. (Scholte, page 16) Internationalisation refers to the significant increase in relations between countries. Increases in economic trade and politcal relations between countries has led to increased interdependency between countries, especially on an economic level. There has also been increased movement of people, capital, and ideas between countries. International relations between countries have always existed, but in today's globalised world, these relations have become more important and more significant than ever before. Liberalisation refers to the loosening of government restrictions on movements between countries. It is easier for individuals to move between countries, and also for money and capital to move between countries. The main component of liberalisation has been economic. There have been increasing commitments on the part of nations to adopt free trade policies and allow the free movement of capital between states. There have been significant reductions in tarriffs and on foreign exchange restrictions. Capitalism has been adopted on a global level with companies competing against companies in other countries, and the in... ... has positive and negative effects as it does create for better awareness, understanding, and tolerance of other cultures, it has also eroded many tradional cultural values and this has caused resistance to globalisation. Lastly, globalisation has reduced the power of nation states and increased the power of international organisations and multinational corporations. Globalisation has positive and negative effects, but one certainty is that globalisation does exist and it remains to be seen how much further it will go. Bibliography Bamyeh, Mohammed A. The Ends of Globalisation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. Sandbrook, Richard. Civilizing Globalisation - A Survival Guide. Albany: State University of New York, 2003. Scholte, Jan Aart. Globalization - A critical introduction. International Politics Studypack for Term 2, 2006. The Benefits and Drawbacks of Globalization Essay -- Pros and Cons of The notion of globalisation encompasses various different aspects of social, economic and political life. In order to answer the question of whether or not globalisation is a progressive or negative force, I must first define globalisation. Then I shall examine the impact of globalisation on the population and finally determine whether this is a positive or negative impact. There are five different aspects that I have chosen in order to define the phenomenon of globalisation. They are internationalisation, liberalisation, universilisation, westernisation, and deterritorialization. (Scholte, page 16) Internationalisation refers to the significant increase in relations between countries. Increases in economic trade and politcal relations between countries has led to increased interdependency between countries, especially on an economic level. There has also been increased movement of people, capital, and ideas between countries. International relations between countries have always existed, but in today's globalised world, these relations have become more important and more significant than ever before. Liberalisation refers to the loosening of government restrictions on movements between countries. It is easier for individuals to move between countries, and also for money and capital to move between countries. The main component of liberalisation has been economic. There have been increasing commitments on the part of nations to adopt free trade policies and allow the free movement of capital between states. There have been significant reductions in tarriffs and on foreign exchange restrictions. Capitalism has been adopted on a global level with companies competing against companies in other countries, and the in... ... has positive and negative effects as it does create for better awareness, understanding, and tolerance of other cultures, it has also eroded many tradional cultural values and this has caused resistance to globalisation. Lastly, globalisation has reduced the power of nation states and increased the power of international organisations and multinational corporations. Globalisation has positive and negative effects, but one certainty is that globalisation does exist and it remains to be seen how much further it will go. Bibliography Bamyeh, Mohammed A. The Ends of Globalisation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. Sandbrook, Richard. Civilizing Globalisation - A Survival Guide. Albany: State University of New York, 2003. Scholte, Jan Aart. Globalization - A critical introduction. International Politics Studypack for Term 2, 2006.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Huck Finn Novel Analysis :: essays papers

Huck Finn Novel Analysis I. Setting The story of Huck Finn begins in his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Then the setting changes to Jackson Island because Huck decides to run away and live there. After that the setting changes to the Mississippi River and various towns alongside, when Jim and Huck decide they are heading to a state where Jim will be free. The setting immediately reflects the tone of the book because the book is written in a southern dialect and the story is set in the south. The setting is crucial to the actions in the book. If Huck lived in a state where slaves were free, then there would have been no need for Huck and Jim to travel the Mississippi looking for a state where Jim would be a free man. If they had not traveled up the Mississippi then there would not have been any adventures of Huck Finn. II. Characters The protagonist in this story is Jim, a runaway slave. He always looks out for those around him, especially Huck. The three other major characters in the story are Huck Finn, the king, and the duke. Huck Finn is the main character in the story and Jim’s best friend. The king and the duke are thieves who force Huck and Jim to let them on their boat. Jim and Huck are dynamic characters. Their personalities and feelings on issues change throughout the story. The king and the duke are static characters. They are greedy thieves only out for themselves and they remain this way throughout the entire story. Two minor characters in this story are Mary Jane and the Widow Douglas.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Types of Organizational Structures

Question 2 Would it be wrong of Rushton as a Group Managing Director of the organization to ask Walter about his health? Defend your answer by applying to moral principles. In the Kant’s Ethics, the Rushton is not wrong to ask Walter about his health, because Kant’s Ethics is saying a person doing their duty, means that person is right no relationship with the what result. Example Rushton as a Group Managing Director of the organization, this is his duty to ask for Walter about his health.Another, Rushton also is not wrong to ask Walter about his health, because in Utilitarianism Ethics is a theory in  normative ethics  holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility, specifically defined as maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. Simple said that it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.In this case Rushton is asking for Walter about his health, this will make the Walter unhappy, but in the most of Walter’s colleagues will happy , because they can be relieved in their working place. In conclusion, Rushton it not wrong to ask Walter about his health. Question 4 In what way, should the company address the problem of public fear and prejudice when employee with AIDS has direct contact with customers? In that way, the company should provide more relevant about AIDS information to customers.People simply touching someone with AIDS or being in contact with them do not transfer the disease. If there was contact between open or exposed flesh then that's a different story. AIDS will transfer the disease just has only a few ways, example during sexual contact, as a result of injection drug use and as a result of an occupational exposure. So the company can talk about AIDS transfer disease information to customers. This way can make customers know about AIDS knowledge and also can save customer’s worry.Another way, the company can transfer AIDS patients to ot her less direct contact with customers’ departments. An example of this case, the company can transferred Walter from senior operation manager into other departments such as financial departments, production department or quality control department does a manager. These departments are not directly in contact with customers. In these ways, the company can continue to employ talents and also can prevent customer’s fear and prejudice.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Managerial Accounting Essay

Due to positive turnout of many businesses, cross-functional integrated systems is not only becoming a trend but will be here to stay. The whole system provides savings from time, cost and quality compared to manually re-entering of data from one business function system into another system especially if it is still on a non-integrated environment. Thru the integrated systems, the managers can have direct access to relevant information significant to a decision. This also provides the needs of the customers, suppliers and business partners as well. In terms of operations, business enterprise runs smooth given the cross-functional systems. This saves times and dramatically improves the efficiency of total operation. it can act strategically #3. Which of the 13 tools for accounting information systems summarized in Figure 7.18 do you feel are essential for any business to have today? Which of them do you feel are optional, depending on the type of business or other factor? Explain. Essential : 1) Sales Order Processing- This is how orders are processed without this incoming and outgoing orders is not monitored. Since my company deals with fuel retailing it is very important that orders are managed and delivered to our customers. 2) Sales Analysis- This is very important since we have to analyze well if our sales are picking up or not, it is where we understand the needs and wants of our customers. This also helps us analyze what factors to consider in handling our products sales (such as supply and demand, margins, prices and market). 3) Accounts Receivable- This is where we monitor our receivables from our customers. Without this, we will not be able collect our sales. This is also a tool in monitoring our company’s profitability. 4) Accounts Payable – We also need to monitor our dues from our supplier and customers so that we can settle our payables to them. 5) Purchases- It is very essential for a business that purchases are monitored and managed (in terms of inventory, supply chain (since we do retailing), turn around time of our products, prices, margins, costs, payments and dues). 6) Inventory Processing- without taking note of inventory processing inventories, costs of the producst, prices will not be managed well. It is very essential that business nowadays have to have competitive advantage, for example, for us in retailing, we have to manage our inventory’s prices and turnover, our payables and our sales. 7) General Ledger- it is where we see the complete transactions of the company be it in inventory, accounts payable and receivables, and sales. 8) Payroll- Business cannot survive without employees, it is were employees’ 9) services are being compensated, with the systematize approach that we have employees are given salaries in no sweat since it is already organized. All the above mentioned systems are the common systems used in Business accounting and some of them are related to inventory which is I think is the major factor to consider in a business. Optional : 1. Billing- this is were we know the due of our customers and our suppliers. 2. Cash receipts- it were we manage dues and receivables, this helps us in managing our taxes also (BIR implications are being managed for recording). 3. Cash disbursment 4. Financial reporting- we have stakeholders and shareholders and the company as well have full view of the reports to know the company’s stability. 5. Timekeeping Those 5 systems are optional because it is part of the back end support on the main business. #4. What other solutions could there be for the problem of information  systems incompatibility in business besides EAI systems? Alternative to an EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) in performing data conversion and coordination, application communication and messaging services and access to the application interfaces are the following : First, for data conversion and coordination and all related to capturing data, a business can use a POS (point of sale) with a huge size of server as an alternative of EAI while for the communication and messaging services, a business can use the ECS (Enterprise Collaboration system) as an alternative tools in enterpise collaboration. #7. How can Internet technologies be involved in improving a process in one of the functions of business? Choose one example and evaluate its business value. Internet technologies has helped on improvements in capturing data to include conversion and coordination and also improvements in communication and messaging services. In our company, an example of this is the creation of dealer’s portal. Dealer’s portal consists of all related information of the dealer. This includes the online placing of orders, monitoring their deliveries, statement of account, online filing of technical request, training request and the status of all their reimbursements. In this improvement, this would reduce the communication chain and enable the real time transactions of request of each dealers. CHAPTER 8 Discussion Questions : #1. Should every company become a customer-focused business? Why or why not? Yes, a company is nothing without a customer. They are the bread and butter of the company. However, there are some companies that focuses for two main customers the internal (employee) and the external customers. They include internal because they consider their employees as their customers to gain their loyalty and for them to work harder which in result is customer satisfaction. #2.Why would systems that enhance a company’s relationships with customers have such a high rate of failure? Reasons for high rate of failure : 1. Poor coordination and communication prior to the release of the new system 2. Not properly implemented 3. Poor cooperation with some of the employees #4. How could some of the spectacular failures of ERP systems have been avoided? Things to consider to avoid failure of ERP systems : 1. Proper planning and coordination prior to the implementation 2. Planning should consider the possible problems that may be encountered during the implementation. 3. Proper training to all employees who will be using the system #7. How can the problem of overenthusiastic demand forecasts in supply chain planning be avoided? Things to consider to avoid the problem of overenthusiastic demand forecasts in supply chain planning: 1. Submission of moving dashboard (sales forecast) on a quarterly basis. 2. Assign a point person for each department involved 3. Weekly meeting to update activities for each department involved. 4. Proper analysis on the market trend

An Article on Facebook from the Times of India Essay

For once, I was ahead of the curve, and, having rarely been in this exalted place, I can tell you it feels good. The backlash against Facebook, the social networking site, has begun, with rumblings of discontent being heard from distant corners of the globe. Word is going round that it is time-wasting, trivial, and a pathetic substitute for meeting friends in person. This is precisely what I have been saying to my friends all along but they used to recoil in horror as though declining to open a Facebook account was like refusing to bathe. They muttered darkly about certain people being pig-headed. I was reated like a Luddite, vainly holding out against penicillin or the electric kettle. Every time i asked them what exactly was so wonderful about this site, they gave the same feeble answers. Oh, it’s a great way to keep in touch. You can post your photos on it. Through the links to other people’s pages, you can see what your ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands are up to. Well, according to me, this is a waste of time. I can barely keep in touch with the friends who really matter to me four to five at the most, at any given stage in my life much less maintain an online relationship with old college friends or colleagues from years ago. If one has never bothered to make contact with them in all these years, it’s because one has never needed or particularly wanted to. It means that they don’t matter hugely to me now. They did then, but now i’m in touch with another set of friends. My life is full enough with them. If one has a spare few hours, one would rather meet a friend over coffee or wine. That real-time, face-to-face conversation is contact, not exchanging trivia online. Why would i want to see a friend’s holiday snaps when i can barely summon up enough interest in my own to get them developed? Few things, bar waiting for milk to boil, are as boring as other people’s holiday pictures. Much as i love my friends in various parts of the world, i’m perfectly content with a ‘broad brush’ update. An occasional e-mail telling me they are fine, their teenage son hasn’t become a drug dealer and their dog’s arthritis is better is fine with me. Any more detail is redundant. I assume they are equally uninterested in the daily mundaneness of my life and that is exactly as it should be. Even assuming i wanted to sign up, i would never have the time. If i, blessed with two maids and only one child to look after, cannot find the time to go on this site, how do millions of others, particularly those in the West who have many household chores, do so? hurry! No wonder companies are banning this site. God knows what it is doing to global productivity. But even outside work, don’t people have to walk the dog? Check up on an elderly aunt? File their tax returns? The Facebook phenomenon has confirmed yet again what we have always known that human beings are sheep. They see someone going off in one direction and they follow blindly for no apparent reason beyond the comfort of numbers. All my efforts at persuading my 12-year-old son not to get onto Facebook failed. I spoke cogently about the charm of being different, of having the moral strength to resist peer pressure, of the infinitely greater pleasures of reading, but my efforts failed. His school friends looked at him as though he had gone soft in the brain. As for twitter, don’t even get me started. The very name cutesy and twee irritates the hell out of me. Facebook and twitter are fads. Like all fads, they’ll end up in the dustbin, not of history, but of history’s footnotes.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Ethical Issues in Managing Employee Behavior

Ethical issues for dealing with individual employees is difficult because managers on the front line are responsible for various accounts such as hiring and firing disciplining and performance evaluation also during all these procedures managers are responsible for employee supervision because managers are role models for their employees in their department it is critical the managers are able to ethically resolve problems within the organization but unfortunately it is not always the case. Employee behavioral problems that occur in the workplace can have a dramatic effect on the overall atmosphere.It is the manager’s responsibility to correct these problems in a morally right way. Doing so disrespectfully or unethically can result in even more problems and a decrease in productivity within the organization. The concept of ethics is a key practice that many organizations need to obey by. Managers and supervisors must develop strong ethical standards that are to be taken into c onsideration when employees are disrupting the workplace. What are ethics and business ethics? Ethics is defined as a code of morals practiced by a person or group of people.Ethics in business the study of what divides the right and wrong or the good or bad behavior in the workplace environment. An Organization has a group of people that work together to achieve a common purpose. The moral challenges that these men and women face each day along with a whole range of problems that could occur, are why ethics plays such an important role in business. Most large businesses have a written code of ethics, sometimes called a code of conduct to set the standards that employees are to follow.Many ethical decisions are based on morality, society’s accepted standards of behavior. Unfortunately it is not always clear cut what decisions are ethical and which are not, In many cases the law is used to determine the direction of our behavior, however the law is not always the best tool to u se because some things may be legal but not right. Ethics are what you stand for, not just about what is legal. Unethical Practices by employees can arise in three ways; The first are individual factors, because people bring to their jobs, tier own ideas of what is morally right and wrong.The second is organizational factors the scary thing about unethical behavior at work is that it is not necessarily driven by personal interests, sometimes ethical lapses occur because employees feel pressured to do what they think is best to help their company. Third is Management influence, the manager sets the tone and by his or her actions sends signals about what is appropriate behavior for example if the boss is seen taking a longer lunch break, you may not follow the directed time and take a longer lunch breakThere are three main reasons on why employees act unethically and it is becoming a rapidly increasing problem in organizations some of the more problematic and reoccurring issues are, E mployee theft, showing up late, disclosure of confidential information, on the job drug and alcohol abuse, false documents, employee discrimination and bullying, misuse of company funds, improper hygiene and a rapidly growing concern is using email and social media and cell phones for personal on work hours the only way to effectively make sure these issues are diminished or improved is for the manager to handle the situation ethically, but it is not a perfect world and people even managers can bend the rules.One of the first problems are automatic dismissal when it is not needed. Manager must have proof the employee has had been performing unethically, instead of setting up a meeting with written documentation and a third party to hear the conversation . Managers also know that if it is their word against the employees that there are good chances ofthem not even being questioned. Similar personality traits lead to managers that are power hungry and are too assertive when engaging w ith the employee, almost to the point where it is bullying. Even tho assertiveness is good and generates results it must not be aggressive. Managers who take pleasure in fear will use this tactic rather than understanding the issue.Managers who are considered bullies, have little interest in change and is the company likes the results that manager is providing they may have even less interest on how they are behaving. Managers will also bully to avoid accepting responsibility for their behavior and why it may have assisted in the employees unethical decision making and to divert attention away from their inadequacy . The same can be said for harassment the â€Å"fear† approach to fix things. Instead of dealing with the situation head on, they constantly call or think that checking over your shoulder will resolve employee behavior, and it may produce results but does that make it right, no. With the ever growing use of cellphones in the workplace managers may take advantage of the fact they can contact you at any given time.What can happen in a lot of cases is the harassing manager will scold any employee suffering from stress and see it as a weak and excuse for their poor performance for example constantly saying â€Å"get back to work† and always being on ones back. On the other side of the spectrum of dealing with employee behavior that is not accepted is managers can be passive, some managers have a difficult time disciplining employees for a number of reasons. They may feel insecure or akward about approaching employees.Some managers rather keep an employee who is producing results and and not behaving, then have to report them or even fire them and train another weather it is that they do not want their management skills questioned, or the cost and time and energy it takes to train. In some occasions managers believe the problem will resolve itself  or they may not have the assertive personality to discipline other adults. Ignoring conflic ts may also be because some especially new managers can find themselves at loss the first time a conflict arises and it doesn’t just sort itself out and have difficulty finding the right language and the right techniques to use at the time. Also managers who have tried to solve a problem and failed could Lose hope and a willingness to commit to problem solving are common responses when a manager feels that his efforts are all for nothing. If previous attempts at resolution haven’t gone well, they may feel others may have lost trust in their abilities. â€Å"I don’t know where to start.†Taking the time to assess a situation and make a plan burns up energy and attention. It’s smart to sit back and consider your next steps instead of jumping into a conflict willy-nilly, but inaction doesn’t get you any closer to resolution. Develop a plan with clear goals in mind, and get whatever help you need to put it into action. A common issue is the †Å"I have real work to do† approach. Addressing personnel issues is an important part of being an effective manager but in some organizations managers feel it is better dealt with by human resources, the same could be said it there is an accounting issue that the document is sent straight to the Accounting department.Although human resources managers are for recruiting, hiring and problem solving it is as equally important for the manager to be involved, you cannot manage properly if you are not fully aware or separate from what is going on in the organization, another issue is that managers will put blame on HR when the problem is not solved. Managers make mistakes while evaluating employees and their performance because of biases and judgment errors of various kinds spoil the process. When there is a behavioral issue managers will automatically assume that is not committed by â€Å"all-star† employees and spend so much time on the average joe in the organization the pr oblem is never solved or may even worsen , new issues and jealousies may arise if the employees feel pin pointed on. This would be an example of horn and halo effect.Personal Biases are very serious he way a supervisor feels about each of the individuals working under him – whether he likes or dislikes them – as a tremendous effect on how the employees are handled personal Bias can stem from various sources as a result of information obtained from colleagues, considerations of faith and thinking, social and family background and so on. They could be based on: Race and ethniticy which refers to broad division of people based on their biological characteristics such as colour of skin, colour of hair and their facial features. These differences developed among humans in prehistoric times due to different groups of people developing in different parts of the world isolated from each other. Ethniticy, Ethnicity refers to the common characteristics of a group of people that distinguish them from most other people of the same society. Ethnicity is based on commonality of ancestry, culture, language, nationality, or religion, or a combination of these things.Gender and sexuality – gender bias is unequal treatment in employment opportunity (such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges and resolution tactics, and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. As times develop sexual orientation is becoming more accepted but there are still judgements and labels placed. Managers may lie to employees who are not meeting up to standards Or, give out false deadlines. Nothing drastic, perhaps a day or two earlier than normal, just as long as they still has a reasonable amount of time to complete the task, but also enough time to handle anything that may pop up unexpectedly.Many employees will often say that rewards or bonuses were promised and never given, this happens a lot in major organizations when higher posi tions know that employees need this job and take advantage of that fact they are very confident that if these promises are not met the employee will not complain or quit. When issues arises managers may unevenly distribute the workload to employees that they know will get the task done and give the â€Å"slacker† less responsibility without notice or increase in pay. This quick fix is unfair and will only be a temporary fix. In most cases the employee with the increased workload will find themselves pressed for time and other responsibilities will be put on the back burner and could be completed incorrectly or rushed. That same employee may develop stress which can lead to absences, spoiled work environment, less production in work, stress leaves or at the last case the employee may quit.To ensure proper decision making, it is important to follow these basic steps ; step 1: Evaluate all the facts in the situation closely, it is very easy to distort information to benefit ones elf, getting outside input can help you see things that may have been overlooked . It is also very important to see the situation based on your values and the values of the people involved. Step 2: To make a fair prediction based on the facts gathered the reasoning for this is increasing your chances for better results. Step 3: Identify your feelings (or your inner conscience) to make sure you are rationalizing the situation properly Step 4: Ask yourself if you can live with the decision you are about to make ask questions like; – Would I be willing to tell others what I had done?– Would I feel worse or better about myself? – Would I feel proud about my decision making and would expect others to do the same under similar circumstances? – And would you want everyone to act the way you did Step 5: Would you be able to have evidence to justify your decision if questioned