The Role of Parental Involvement in Student Achievement

The Role of Parental Involvement in Student Achievement The Role of Parental Involvement in Student Achievement The role of parent involvement in student achievement has long been researched and documented. Of course, one cannot ignore the role of a student’s inherent drive, determination, and perseverance as a factor in success; however, more often than not, when one sees a successful lawyer, doctor, businessman, or teacher, a strong foundation of parental support has been deeply rooted.Some of the most successful ways parents can get involved is through: expressing high but realistic expectations; encouraging their child’s development and progress in school; and modeling the value of learning, discipline, and hard work (Elam, 2002). The theory that if one sets high expectations for oneself, one will fulfill those expectations is not a new one. Studies have shown that students who have parents that have instilled high expectations into them are more successful than tho se than do not.Catasambis found that when parents guided their children towards classes that would enable them to successful post education programs, students were more likely to be successful. â€Å"When families knew about and guided high school students to classes that would lead to higher education, students were more likely to enroll in a higher-level program, earn credits, and score higher on tests. Regardless of family background, the issue of parent expectations had the strongest effect on grade 12 test scores in all subjects† (qtd. n Devarics & O’Brien, 2011). The higher the expectations the parents set for their children, the better their children performed. In addition to setting high expectations, successful parental involvement requires parents to be involved in their child’s development and progress in school. The Michigan Department of Education found that 86% of the general population believes that parental support is the best way to improve scho ols, and lack of this involvement is the biggest problem (Elan, 2002).Parental involvement includes being present and active in the school’s PTA, familiarizing themselves with options for classes, understanding the standards that need to be met for their children, encouraging their children to meet those standards to be successful. Research has shown that when parents are involved in the schools and monitoring their children’s progress, the results are: higher grades, better school attendance, better self-esteem, and decreased use of drugs and alcohol (Elan, 2002). Along with the monitoring of students’ development and progress in school comes student success.Parents are the first role models that children have. By modeling the value of learning, perseverance, and hard work, parents are laying the groundwork for successful students. An inner-city parent involvement program began parenting workshops where parents were given the opportunity to improve their own re ading and writing skills in order to help their children. This example set by the parents, increased the students’ interest in education and learning and enhanced students’ self-esteem as reported by teachers and parents (Hara & Burke, 1998).This modeling of the value of learning, self-discipline, and hard work leads the way for a successful academic career for their children. The success of the future generation lies with the parents of school-aged children. Parents have a responsibility to their children, in addition to the burden that society has places on our schools. Some of the most successful ways parents can get involved is through: expressing high but realistic expectations; encouraging their child’s development and progress in school; and modeling the value of learning, discipline, and hard work.It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children are equipped with the tools and knowledge to be able to make it in this world. References Der varics, C. , & O'Brien, E. (2011, August 30). National school boards association. Retrieved from http://www. centerforpubliceducation. org/Main-Menu/Public-education/Parent-Involvement/Parent-Involvement. html Elam, R. (2002). What research says about parent involvement in children’s education in relation to academic achievement. Retrieved from http://www. michigan. gov/documents/Final_Parent_Involvement_Fact_Sheet_14732_7

Competitive Strategy Southwest Airlines Essay

The domestic US airline industry has been intensely competitive since it was deregulated in 1978. In a regulated environment, most of the cost increases were passed along to consumers under a fixed rate-of-return based pricing scheme. This allowed labor unions to acquire a lot of power and workers at the major incumbent carriers were overpaid. After deregulation, the incumbent carriers felt the most pain, and the floodgates had opened for newer more nimble carriers with lower cost structures to compete head-on with the established airlines. There were several bankruptcies followed by a wave of consolidation with the fittest carriers surviving and the rest being acquired or going out of business. Analysis of the airline industry To determine the profitability of the airline industry, we will do an industry analysis using Porter’s five-forces framework. This industry analysis will help us in understanding the size of the Potential Industry Earnings (PIE), and how much of this th e different participants can extract. Rivalry among competitors There is intense rivalry among different airlines. In the pre-deregulation days, airlines competed mostly on things like service, meals and in-flight movies etc., since prices were mandated by the Civil Aeronautics Board. In the post-de-regulation era, this rivalry has taken on the form of severe price competition, with airlines ruthlessly undercutting each other with fare promotions. There are a number of airlines making the airline industry fairly crowded. Even though the 3-firm concentration in 1992 was 50%, and the 8-firm concentration was 92%, the fact that the airlines competed on price made the industry much more competitive than the numbers might suggest. The service the airlines sell (air transport) is pretty homogenous, and there is not much product (in this case, service) differentiation. The major differences between the services offered by different airlines include the total time spent on an airplane and the number of connections. While time-sensitive business travelers may prefer shorter, direct flights, most leisure t ravelers don’t see this as a big differentiator when the price is factored in. Buyers (both business as well as leisure travelers) have low switching costs and there is very little relationship-specific investment that travelers make. Although the airlines made an effort to create customer loyalty by offering frequent flyer programs, most of the competitive advantage this provided was quickly eroded by almost all airlines offering such programs. Moreover, leisure travelers are motivated to shop around for the best price. The airline industry is also characterized by very high fixed costs. The majority of the operational costs (labor, landing fees, cost of aircraft etc.) are fixed regardless of how full the planes are, and the marginal cost of adding an extra passenger is almost negligible (just the cost of food plus an insignificant amount of extra fuel). Thus, on the margin, every extra seat sold contributes directly to the bottom line. This motivates airlines to undercut each other till price approaches marginal cost. Intense competition also lead to excess s eat capacity in several markets. This, combined with periods of declining demand because of macro-economic factors, and the high fixed costs and low marginal costs make the airline industry very price competitive. Things like access to Computer Reservation Systems and innovative pricing coupled with yield management were competitive advantages for a little while before they become a staple of being in business as an airline. Entry Entry into the domestic airline industry is relatively easy since there are no significant barriers to entry. Inputs such as aircraft maintenance, food service, ground services, reservations etc., could be outsourced. Airplanes could be leased, thereby defraying large initial capital investments, and rights to use gates could be leased at market rates. The minimum efficient scale was not very high since airlines could choose to compete in a few markets, and costs were more or less proportional to the number of flights offered and the number of markets the airline wanted to operate in. The main consideration for profitable entry seemed to be the ability of airlines to fill their airplanes above the breakeven point. In an industry fraught with price competition, brand identity and reputation did not have significant value either. In the airline industry, exit costs are not very high either. Planes could be easily redeployed to other markets, or sold off, and gates and landing rights could be sub-leased to other carriers. Substitutes There are a number of substitutes to air travel, especially over short distances. These include taking other modes of transportation such as driving, taking the train etc., or not traveling at all. The use of technology (like WebEx, NetMeeting, video-conferencing etc.) that facilitates remote virtual collaboration is becoming a good substitute for business air travel as well. Supplier Power The primary inputs to the airline industry include airplanes, labor and fuel. There are only two major manufacturers (three at the time of the case – Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas) for large commercial aircraft. This, along with the relationship specific investment t hat the airlines make in the form of trained mechanics, existing stock of aircraft etc., is likely to give the aircraft manufacturers some supplier power. A mitigating factor for this supplier power is the lumpy nature of aircraft sales, where there are a few high-value orders placed by airlines with deliveries spanning several years. Labor such as pilots, cabin crew, ground personnel, gate agents etc. are typically unionized and have some bargaining power. However, many airlines especially in the post-deregulation era have used the threat of Chapter 11 bankruptcy to re-negotiate unfavorable labor contracts. Aviation fuel is a commodity and its prices are determined largely by market forces and geo-political factors. Buyer Power The power that airline customers have varies based on the options available to them and the origin-destination city pair. As the General Accounting Office report in 1989 found, fares were 27% higher in monopoly or duopoly hubs than at competitive airports. Sophisticated yield management techniques and competitive pricing have allowed airlines to extract significant consumer surplus in smaller remote markets whe re travelers don’t have much choice and for direct long-haul flights that are preferred by business travelers. Even though there are pockets where some airlines have pricing power, the overall airline industry in characterized by significant buyer power stemming from the intense price competition among airlines. Industry profitability Exhibit 1 provides a summary of this industry analysis. As highlighted by the preceding analysis, the domestic US airline industry is not very profitable. Even though the Potential Industry Earnings seem high (given the volume of air travel and the higher willingness to pay and inelasticity of demand of business travelers), airlines are not able to capture much of these potential earnings. Several factors including intense price competition, excess capacity, high fixed and low marginal costs, along with low barriers to entry and exit, moderate supplier power and significant buyer power contribute to low industry profitability. Southwest’s success for twenty years In spite of a rather gloomy industry outlook, Southwest Airlines has managed to be successful for over twenty years. Southwest has outperformed its competitors by pursuing an operational model that is very different from the traditional larger carriers. Southwest was able to create a differentiated product in an industry dominated by undifferentiated offerings. Southwest took a simple, no-frills approach to flying with no meals and no assigned seating. It flew out of secondary airports where landing fees and costs of operation were much lower. These secondary airports also typically had less traffic so passengers could get to and from the airport with greater ease. Southwest broke the hub-and-spoke model and instead opted to fly frequent flights point to point. By avoiding the hub and spoke model, Southwest did not have to make the massive infrastructure investments that a lot of its competitors had to make. Not having to wait for feeder flights at hub airports, along with the 15-minute turn-around time of aircraft allowed Southwest to better utilize its fleet by keeping its planes in the air for a longer time (11 hours per day as opposed to the industry average of 8.5 hours per day). Southwest also owned only one model of aircraft – the Boeing 737, and was therefore able to achieve economies of scale in stocking components, and training mechanics. All of these measures gave Southwest the lowest cost per Available Seat Mile of 7.1 cents. As a consequence, Southwest had a much lower break-even point than it’s competitors and was able to make money even at lower load factors. With this unique operational model, Southwest not only kept costs down, but also provided customers just what they were looking for – cheap, efficient, timely transportation with high-quality service from a cheerful, motivated staff and without having to wait for connecting flights at hub airports. Southwest offered the lowest prices to price sensitive airline passengers for whom cost was a significant decision criterion. Southwest’s culture Herb Kelleher leveraged one of Southwest’s key resources- its employees to create a set of organizational capabilities, which in turn gave Southwest a competitive advantage. Kelleher institutionalized a culture of having fun while working, and inspired a deep sense of loyalty to the company fr om his workforce. Southwest’s workforce is 90% unionized, but owns 11% of the company. This led to compatibility in incentives between Southwest and its employees. Southwest’s employees did a variety of jobs in contrast to the other major carriers where employees had designated jobs and were reluctant to do anything beyond their strictly defined duties. Having a motivated workforce helped Southwest turn an aircraft around in a record time of 15 minutes. The beauty of Southwest’s operational model was in how each of their steps reinforced the other. A simple, no-frills approach with short haul flights and standardized equipment leading to lower costs, which in turn lead to lower fares in an industry which was extremely price competitive. A well-compensated, highly motivated workforce whose incentives were aligned with those of the company also ensured that things were operating at peak efficiency. A huge part of Southwest’s success in the 20 years since its inception can be attributed to this simple, but remarkably effective model. Threats to Southwest’s continuing success Threats to Southwest’s continuing succ ess include the threat of entry from other low-fare airlines and spin-offs from major airlines that seek to imitate Southwest’s model. With the airline industry bleeding with red ink, the government might step in and start reregulating the industry. In general, regulation and price-setting by the government interferes with free market forces, and breeds inefficiency by creating misaligned incentives and dead-weight losses. Any such re-regulation and government mandated prices would severely hurt Southwest. Other threats to Southwest include the loss of its existing competitive advantages. In particular, any event that triggers the loss of employee morale might lower the operational efficiency at Southwest and erode its cost advantage. Southwest’s go-forward strategy Southwest has designed its strategy around its most important resources and capabilities. It should thus limit its scope to those activities where it has a clear competitive advantage. Southwest should try to grow by replicating its success to new markets and achieving greater economies of scale and organizational learning. Southwest should not try to change its model and try to compete with other traditional airlines by flying long-haul flights and setting up hubs. Doing so would dilute Southwest’s focus and prevent it from leveraging the competitive advantages that have served it well for over two decades. In order to continue to succeed and grow, Southwest has to be able to sustain and build upon its existing competitive advantages. Southwest must focus on making its resources and capabilities (that give it a huge competitive advantage) durable, difficult to identify / understand, and hard to transfer and replicate. Durability: Southwest must focus on making its capabilities more durable than its resources. The airline industry is notorious for its back-to-back boom and bust cycles, and long-lasting advantages such as brand recognition and reputation just do not exist in this industry. Thus, Southwest must constantly focus on making its existing first mover and other advantages durable by keeping its employees motivated and keeping its focus on offering simple, no-frills air travel. Transparency: This refers to the speed with which other firms can imitate Southwest’s strategy. While running an airline is not rocket-science, Southwest does seem to have cracked the code in terms of figuring out the right mix of operational procedures and employee motivation to run a successful profitable airline. To enhance its competitive position, Southwest must focus on capturing and codifying its learning so that its formula for success is harder to identify and understand. Transferability and Replicability: Southwest must focus on making its capabilities less transferable and replicable. Thus, even if a competitor were to acquire the same resources (airplanes, employees etc.) that Southwest has, its capabilities must be hard to transfer and replicate. Southwest has created a unique organizational routine, and has acquired the ability to motivate its people to operate with consistently outstanding cost efficiencies and high levels of service. To build on this, Southwest must continue to focus on its core competencies, reinforce its core values and must continue to align the incentives of its employees with those of the company. In an industry with cut-throat competition and limited profit-making potential, Southwest has successfully pursued a resource based approach to creating sustainable competitive advantages. To continue to succeed and grow, Southwest must focus on identifying and filling resource gaps and continue to offer a differentiated product by exploiting its past organizational learning and its unique characteristics.

The Effects of War and Peace on Foreign Aid Term Paper

The Effects of War and Peace on Foreign Aid - Term Paper Example Before a state donates I suggest its’ leaders consider carefully what goals it wishes o accomplish with their donation and assess critically the prospects for accomplishing these goals. For example, aid may be siphoned off by an elite and not reach the intended beneficiaries, or it may not be the best way to help the recipients develop their own resources. Or the provision of aid may have unintended adverse consequences. For example, Rwanda has received considerable foreign aid and although by some criteria it has benefited from this aid, much of the population has not profited. In fact, it has helped perpetuate and even exacerbate sectarian inequalities which could easily bring a return to the civil war and genocide of 1994. While there is no longer a genocide or overt civil war in Rwanda it can by no means be described as a peaceful country. Hostility and distrust continue to prevail between the ruling minority urban Tutsis and the majority impoverished rural Hutu. And overt civil war could break out at any time long after the 1994 genocide. Thus although Rwanda has received a massive infusion of foreign aid this has disproportionately benefited the elite Tutsis. On the positive side, Rwanda is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa on track to meet all health-related UN goals including reducing under5 mortality by two thirds. Also since 1994 per capita income has almost tripled and GDP quadrupled. ( Farmer 2013) However, these positive statistics hide significant disparities in ethnic aid beneficiaries. More than half of the aid received is distributed through Tutsi dominated government institutions so that it benefits mostly already comparatively better off Tutsis rather than the impoverished Hutus ( Farmer 2013)) Thus even though statistics indicate overall per capita income and GDP have risen rural Hutus who make up 84% of the population remain impoverished, (Endless and Hakizimana 2009).

Character analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Character analysis - Essay Example Sammie was identified specifically to be 19 years old; therefore, still a teen-ager but on the verge of being an adult. Concurrently, Queenie, was also a teen-ager, together with her two other friends, Plaid and Big Tall Goony Goony, whose vivid descriptions were effectively narrated by Sammie. They were initially described as wearing just their bathing suits and were not even cladding any footwear. It was evident that they share the same age ranges since Sammie’s description included physical features that enhance feminine curves and emphasize their sexualities. This is consistent with Worsley’s (2011) findings that â€Å"the observed relationship between females' perceived weight status and their self-concepts suggest that body image may be of greater importance for girls than for boys of this age† (Worsley 231). Likewise, both manifested a rebellious attitude through defying traditional values. Sammie immediately quit his job with the hope that the teen-aged g irls would hear his open assertion of siding on their behavior, despite the manager’s antagonistic remarks. ... Sammie’s quitting his job for the sake of showing off for the sake of the teen-aged girls was done without regard for his parents feelings. Likewise, Queenie’s open display of their physical traits through wearing only bathing suits in a shopping center could be a product of outright spur of the moment decisions that would obviously earn the ire of her parents, should they have known about this. Finally, when confronted with a challenging situation, Queenie, who was admonished by the manager for wearing bathing suits in A & P, tried to rationalize that she was being requested by her mother to pick up an important item. As such, having said her piece, she left instantaneously and was even indifferent to the supposed bravery of Sammie for having defended their stance. Sammie was apparently mirroring their behavior of deciding at the spur of the moment, by quitting his job, in response to the situation. His lack of extensive maturity and rationality left him alone in the e nd, with the teen-aged girls nowhere to be found – his defensive stance in their behalf, apparently being disregarded. On the contrary, these two characters exhibit disparities in terms of exuding an air of unrestrictedness and freedom. While Queenie was obviously enjoying the ability to do whatever she wants through wearing a bathing suit, with friends, in a shopping mall; Sammie has to contend working at A & P which could have been perceived as confining and restrictive. Queenie allegedly exemplifies possess more independence; while Sammie, despite having a job, could be interpreted as doing so for the sake of his parents’ wants – thereby indicative of being dependent on their preferences. The rationales for their behaviors were premised from the concept that â€Å"adolescents aren't reckless

Context Analysis and IMC Recommendation Assignment

Context Analysis and IMC Recommendation - Assignment Example Mainly Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) technique will be used to serve the purpose. Different techniques of marketing communication can be used by VOLVO, but selecting a communication strategy which has right blend of clarity, large communication impact and consistency can be a challenging task. The next half of the project will discuss about the features of the product. VOLVO MOVE is a seven-sitter MPV which has already won NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) status according to European safety standard. Fuel consumption rate is very low for this car and applications like satellite navigation and park assist facilities are also offered along with their standard model. Moreover, the product is also priced at an affordable rate of ?24, 995. VOLVO has also successfully positioned itself as a car that offers safety and durability to the customers. SWOT analysis for VOLVO MOVE Strength VOLVO is perceived as a reliable and durable brand that manufactures durable cars. The company gives high value for safety and. Likewise in the process of manufacturing MOVE; the company has implemented all such measures. VOLVO has already created a group of customers who strive for safety and in the same way their new product can target the families and elderly people. Weakness Factor like traditional design can create a negative image in the mind young people and unknowingly VOLVO is de-marketing their product for their target young customer (D'Amico, â€Å"Demarketing e turismo sostenibile†). VOLVO lacks the technology to design stylish cars which is the reason why they cannot compete with the car brands like BMW, Cadillac and Lexus in terms of style quotient. Opportunity VOLVO MOVE can change its marketing strategy by using social media marketing to fulfil the primary intention of spreading their message for test driving. VOLVO MOVE can enhance technical features along with better design. VOLVO can use their previously satisfied customer groups to generate word of mouth promotion via online social interaction. Threat VOLVO is not a premium car brand and rather it competes with car brands like Infinity, Lexus and others. VOLVO MOVE has to change their marketing communication strategy constantly otherwise their competitor can copy their move. VOLVO MOVE needs to improve their research and development program on a regular basis to match with customer’s requirement. There is a threat for the car brand in the form of its old fashioned design. However it needs to change with respect to time. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) IMC is a strategic marketing communication technique and it represents four types of marketing communication modes. 1. General Advertising-General Advertising creates awareness about the brand and provides information to customers about different aspects and applications of the product. 2. Direct Marketing- This is an approach to create relationship with customers and delivering information about products to the customers. Direct marketing also helps to close sales cycle in a structured manner. 3. Sales Promotion-It is not a long term process. Incentives are there for both consumers and traders. 4. Public Relation- Companies can go for organizing public

Marketing phychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketing phychology - Essay Example stomers for instance, internet marketing, relationship marketing, industrial marketing, personalized marketing, social marketing, and attractive branding of products. Internet marketing was derived to capture digital customers and shun traditional marketing techniques. E-marketing was specifically formulated to target young and literate consumers because they have minimum time to watch televisions and listen to radios. Social media is profoundly used because it displays the picture and description of products. Relationship marketing always target reputation the company products have on the consumers. Customer loyalty is paramount for the prosperity of a business entity. Relationship between suppliers and consumers must be robust and sturdy to keep rival firms at bay (Napier, H. Albert, 2006, 21). Business flourishing is dependent on good marketing strategies that are directed towards target customers. Apple Company owes its success to availability of market niche that it capitalized on effectively for instance, there were few organizations that offered mobile phones and tablets at a cheap price. Segmentation element helped Apple identifies places, and customers that buy their products. Areas with low customer turn over however, require frequent advertisements, and after sale services for example, discounts to make them turn up in large numbers (Russell & Stern, 11). Alternative products greatly influence the nature of marketing to undertake because it provides customers with a better option when company’s goods and services are not appealing. Similarly alternatives create a boundary of differentiation between every company’s goods and services. This helps in guiding potential and new customers to the organization to avoid unhealthy competition. Consumer psychology mainly deals with personal tenets that drive consumers to choose the type of products, businesses and services they want in a market full of suppliers and retailers. Consumer psychology is

Wireless management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wireless management - Essay Example In such cases, you would use a WLAN Router, often available as combination unit of WLAN-router and DSL / ADSL modem. Using a Wireless Access-point, networks can be configured with systems connected via cables and via Wireless connections. (WLAN, 2006). If we analyze an overview of the content manager we would come to know the role "content manager" plays in managing various services. It enables you to edit services, including mobile services. These reusable services can be invoked as a normal service, or by another service to return a result to that service. Wireless provides several mobile services that are ready for deployment, including those for such Personal Information Management (PIM) tools as calendar, address book, fax, and mail. (Oracle 9i, AS).Today wireless data networks exist in such a wide variety that it is difficult to compare and categorize them separately. Some wireless data networks run over wireless voice networks such as mobile telephone networks. Examples are CD PD (Cellular Digital Packet Data), HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data), PDC-P (Packet Data Cellular) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). Other wireless networks run on their own physical networks, utilizing anything from antennas built into handheld devices to large antennas mounted on towers. Examples are 802.11, LMDS and MMDS. A few wireless networks are intended only to connect small devices over short distances. Blue tooth is an example. (Wireless, 2006).Here we would discuss about managing Wifi or 802.11 networks. ... The speed at which data can be transmitted over a modulated carrier depends on a number of factors, including available bandwidth and the specific type of modulation used. Complex modulation schemes, such as 64-Quadrature Ampliture Modulation on 54-Mbps 802.11 WLANs, carry more bits per unit of time than simpler schemes, like the Differential Binary Phase Shift Keying used on 1-Mbps WLANs. If a complex modulation scheme isn't supported by high-quality RF signals, errors will occur. Because signal quality decreases over the RF medium, there's always a trade-off between speed and distance. Radio waves that travel through the air attenuate faster than RF signals carried by cable modems running over a hybrid fiber-coax cabling system. (Network Computing, 2006) Wi-Fi networks use radio spectrum designated by the FCC and other regulatory bodies for unlicensed operators. This "buy, install and run" approach is one thing that makes Wi-Fi so appealing. Although you don't need a license to operate a Wi-Fi system, vendors' products must be certified to ensure they adhere to FCC rules. (Network Computing, 2006) FCC regulations govern the use of 83.5 MHz of spectrum between 2.4 and 2.4835 GHz, known as the 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band, as well as the 300 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz UNII (Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure) bands. The 5 GHz UNII bands include 200 MHz between 5.15 and 5.35 GHz and 100 MHz between 5.725 and 5.825 GHz. Each Wi-Fi device, whether it's a PC card, a NIC or an AP (access point), acts as a transceiver that transmits and receives radio signals. Since all Wi-Fi systems use high-frequency microwave signals, the signals attenuate rapidly. Higher-frequency 5-GHz 802.11a signals experience s omewhat greater

IKEA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IKEA - Case Study Example Now, employees need motivation because it gives them more reason to work, other than the fact that they need to earn their fixed salaries. They need to have more reasons to get up everyday, go to work and try their best in their tasks. It is important to understand employee behavior because without this, companies would definitely lose profit and gain a deficit in their output. IKEA, a Swedish home furnishings retailer, is known as the world's largest designer and retailer of well-designed, inexpensive, and functional furniture for the home. (IKEA: A Natural Step Case Study 1998) A Dutch-registered organization runs IKEA and it has put in 15% improvement annually in this past ten years. INGKA Holding BV (the umbrella company of IKEA) is wholly owned by the Stitching INGKA Foundation, a non-profit foundation registered in the Netherlands. Millions of customers visit their 378 stores in about 36 countries, with 30 more set to open this year. Most of these stores are located in Asia, Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States. About 11, 000 products in IKEA's line are shown in the 80 million catalogues that they distribute. As for the manufacturing itself, IKEA does this in their own production facilities with the help of their 2400 suppliers in 65 countries. IKEA also boasts of having a hold of employees totaling to 36, 400. In 1943, IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad, then a 17 year-old boy in Sweden. IKEA is an acronym comprising the initials of the founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his home county (Agunnaryd, in Smland, South Sweden). (Wikipedia 2008) Kamprad shortly transformed his venture into a mail order service which sells furniture. In 1953, he opened the first IKEA showroom. His primary strategy was to allow for the creation of ground-breaking furniture which would give customers the ease to construct the products themselves and purchase them at an affordable price too. Now, the IKEA employees are at the customers' disposal for inquiries and such but the customers are free to select, order, take and construct what furniture they pick. The money saved by IKEA in expenditures was used to give customers discounts. Not long after, the stores got bigger and eventually started to carry eating places like restaurants and recreational facilities for children like play areas. Kamprad distinctively said in December 1976 that "What is good for our customers is also good for us in the long run." (IKEA: A Natural Step Case Study 1998) What IKEA does Since 1990, IKEA has shown interest and action in putting forth an environmental thrust. With their Natural Step Framework, they aim to create a proper environmental plan. The said plan in effect brings about changes in IKEA's products and services in order to conform to their frameworks principles and demands. In 1992, the environmental policy was transformed into an Environmental Action Plan describing concrete and practical measures for the mid-1990s. (IKEA: A Natural

Nursing Diagnosis Handbook Essay Example for Free

Nursing Diagnosis Handbook Essay â€Å"It isn’t fair. I’ve worked so hard all my life, I don’t deserve this,† thought Mrs. Ross as she looked down at her right leg where a large wound gaped open. Two weeks ago, she had a femoral-popliteal bypass, which got infected. The wound was opened up and was healing slowly by secondary intention. It was painful, raw, and frightening. She put a hand on her chest and raised the head of the bed higher so she could catch her breath and stare out the window. Nursing Assessment Including Client Story Mrs. Ross is a previous landowner and farmer’s wife with extensive acreage. Her husband died 2 years ago, and the land was sold. She lives alone in the farmhouse and has help coming in two times a week. As she grew older, she isolated herself in her home and rarely went out. She has had multiple health problems. In her 30s, she attempted suicide and was rescued. She speaks rapidly and seems unable to hold still. Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but she continued to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. Five years ago, she was diagnosed with heart failure, yet still she continued to smoke. Two years ago, she developed disabling pain in her right foot and leg. She stopped smoking and worked hard to get healthy. Her right foot turned almost black, she could no longer walk, and she agreed to have a femoral-popliteal bypass. After surgery, when the infection set in the leg, she was very angry and sputtered at everyone. She was transferred to the long-term care section of the hospital. Vital signs are: BP 96/62; pulse: 99 to 122 beats per minute and irregular; respirations: 20 breaths per minute. Heart sounds are irregular and distant; peripheral pulses are very weak; dorsalis pedis pulse is present in both legs but weak; lung sounds include wheezes and coarse crackles throughout; and oxygen saturation is 88% to 90%, on oxygen at 3 L. A wound vac is attached to the wound to help close the large opening. Mrs. Ross has not been out of bed for 4 days. She is eating minimally.

George Washingtons Advice to the American People Essay Example for Free

George Washingtons Advice to the American People Essay George Washington’s farewell letter, it is almost impossible for me to choose his most important piece of advice. His points seem almost haunting while reading them with our country in its present condition. Washington had such foresight and wisdom. The sad reality is that we as a country have so strayed from his advice. He made multiple points that I think are vastly important. Washington warned against political parties. He pointed out that they only cause disagreements and disunity among the people. Instead of Americans being one unified people, we have become defined by our political party. Republicans and democrats are in constant struggle over views and agendas. Washington warned us to flee from these and hold fast to unity. Washington also emphasized the importance of religion and morality. He held tightly to the belief that a person’s spiritual life had effects on one’s decisions in everyday life. With morality as the heart of an issue, people are more likely to treat each other fairly and be unified in spirit. One of the most outstanding pieces of advice from our first president sends chills down my spine. Washington encouraged sparing use of credit. He did not believe we as a nation should be in debt to anyone, which is also Biblical. He warned us to take heed of falling into debt. This is great advice that has so obviously been forgotten it is maddening. Our country is currently 16 trillion dollars in debt. We spend more than we take in, and we are putting our future in the hands of government of foreign lands. This reality speaks wholeheartedly to Washington’s next piece of advice. The last two pieces of advice I believe go hand in hand. Washington spelled out plainly that we did not want to be overly involved with other nations; in fact, he discouraged permanent alliances with any foreign nation. By doing so, we put our national security at possible risk. In regards to national security, Washington believed that we should have a strong military force. Being in the military, Washington understood to need for men purposed to fight for our freedom. This is yet another issue we face today with our current president wishing to downsize our military. I truly believe if we will begin to follow Washington’s advice, at least in part, we can improve the future of our country. Lastly, I believe Washington encouraged unity in almost every point he made. He was passionate for our country, for our freedom, for our future. In his farewell address he stated that at the mere thought of the honor and privilege of being an American, the spirit of patriotism should unite us all to action. The pride of being an American should link us like no other nation before or since.

Why does organisation undertake market research?

Why does organisation undertake market research? 1) Why does organisation undertake market research? What methods could they use? 1) The collection, analysis and communication of market to assist decision making in marketing is market research. Methods of market research: 1) Primary research: primary research includes getting such data that is not already used by any other organisation. It is especially made to get answer of some specific question that an organisation wants to procure. To get primary data a business should carry out field research: Face-to-face interview- Interviewer gets information from people. (Example-by visiting different houses on different streets) Telephone interviews- Same question like face-to-face interview are asked although often shortly. Online survey- Using internet is prominent way of getting primary data and it is also less expensive than other sources to get primary data. Questionnaires: Questionnaires are sent in post to get the information. Advantage of primary search- A) up to date B) Specific to the purpose C) No other business has access to collected data Secondary data- includes data that is already available. This data has been collected by someone else for another purpose. Secondary research involves exploration of secondary sources of data. Source of secondary data can come from within the firm itself. This is also known as internal secondary data. External secondary data is data that has been published by other firm. Advantages of secondary data: A) Ease of access B) Low cost of acquire C) May answer research question Types of market research: 1) Quantitative research- Statistical basis gathers statistically valid, numerically measurable data Usually related to data on market-size, market shares and growth Sampling plays a key role Data is gathered through surveys Concerned with obtaining hard copy 2) Qualitative research Subjective and personal Concerned with finding out soft information Main purpose is to understand consumer behaviour, perceptions and attitudes Obtained by methods designed to get detailed responses e.g. interview Research topic are usually explored in some depth There are two main qualitative methods- A) Depth interviewing: In most business markets depth interviews are very important form of qualitative research. B) Depth discussion: Focus groups are the main stay of consumer research. Here several customers are bought in discussion. These groups encourage creative ideas from participants. Purpose of market research To gain an understanding of markets To identify changes in the market To improve market answers To gain an understanding of customers needs To reduce the risk and uncertainty To forecast market trends To provide a sound basis for marketing decision To support marketing planning Importance of market research Research is not only used for learning. It is also used to make good decision. While research is key to Decision Making. It does not always to be effective. Some time small efforts such as doing research on internet provide needed information. Marketing research is becoming more important day-by-day by which the firm can get more profits. By market research firm get know about their customer taste what the customer want how much they can pay for the product. By doing market research we get information about other products their pricing and what needs to be done for a good promotion. Conclusion: From above discussion we can say that market research is way to get information about the product, customer and market. There are couple of method for market research such as discussed above primary research and secondary research. In primary research data is collected by face-to-face interview, telephone interview, online survey and questionnaires.   Secondary research is data which is already gathered by someone for another purpose. There are two types of market research as discussed above quantitative research and qualitative research. There are two type of qualitative method depth interviewing and depth discussion. With help of market research firm can procure a lot of information about the market, products, promotion, and distribution and so on that can be very helpful in taking marketing 2) What are they major factors affecting the pricing strategy of firms? What is pricing? Pricing is a method adopted by firm to set price of their product. It usually depends on average cost of product. Different pricing methods place varying degree of emphasis on selection, estimation and evaluation of costs and market situation. What is pricing strategy? Pricing strategy is activities aimed at finding products optimum objectives, consumer demand, market, economic trend and product price, typically including overall marketing. 1) Internal factors- A) Marketing objective- There are some marketing objective given below- To set a price in aim to cover just variable and fixed cost of a product. To set such price that cultivates optimum profit. To decide the price of product in such a way that they can procure leadership in market share. To set high prices in order to get quality leadership in market. B) Marketing mix In marketing mix, there are especially two alternatives as given below 1) Price positioning- In this, an organisation decides the price of any particular product first and then they take other decisions of marketing mix. 2) Non price positioning- In this process,organstions dont decide price first they opt different kind of marketing mix tools because they think customers dont always go for products of low prices. They opt high prices product in aim to get optimum quality and to show prestige and dignity. 2) External factors: Market and demand factors- In this, the price of a particular product depends on demand of product in the market. If products demand is higher than price can be kept higher but on the other hand if demand is lower than price must be lower to attract a certain range of customers. Competition: Almost all marketing decision including pricing will include an evaluation of competitors offerings. The impact of this information on actual setting of price will depend on the competitive nature of market. Government regulations; There is some governmental regulation that applies in deciding the price of any particular product. Marketers cant be price dictators they have to follow some rules and regulations made by government. Government have decided a certain level of price limit that cant be crossed or overcome by any marketer. Conclusion:- From the above discussion we can conclude that pricing is method to set a price of product by a firm to get higher profit or to survive in market. Pricing strategy is activities finding product optium, consumer demand and market needs to set a price. There are several factor affect price decision internal and external factor. Internal factor include marketing objective and marketing strategy. External factors include nature of market, demand competition and government regulations. All these factors play a vital role in pricing strategy of firms. 3) What are the main criticisms against marketing? To what extent are these criticisms valid? Marketing have thousands of benefits but even after that it is criticized due to some reason. There are some common criticisms against marketing. Marketing encourage people to purchase what they do not need: Possibly the criticism most frequently made about marketing is that marketers are only concerned with getting customer to buy whether they want the product or not. As we will discuss, while many marketers are guilty of manipulating customers into making their mind to buy products which they dont need. The vast majority understand that undertaking such method will not lead to loyal customers and is unlikely to lead to longer term success. Marketers adorn product claim: Marketers are often criticized for exaggerating the benefits offered by their product. This is especially the case with part of marketing that engages in customer communication. Such as advertising and sale people. the most serious problems arise when product claim are seen as misleading customers into believing a product can offer a certain level of value but it was not. But few times there is a fine line between what a rational person should accept as a ‘reasonable exaggeration and which is considered as downright deceiving. Fortunately, many countries offer customers some level of protection from misleading claims since such business practise may subject the marketer to legal action. Again using this method is likely to lead to marketing failure as customers dont like anything and will likely not return the product. Yes I think criticism is valid in marketing because marketers only wants to sell the their products they dont want customer to satisfy with the product their mean of selling product is only selfishness they only want profit nothing more than it. In some countries customer cant claim product if he/she is not satisfied with product this is because in some countries people buy products for occasionally use after that the occasion they claim the product and get money   back due to this marketers dont want be loss so they kicked claim policy in some countries but by this customers are always think twice before buy product in that country where we cant claim product so by this some real claim are disclosed due to no claim policy by which customer are dissatisfy so criticism is valid up to   high level in marketing I think so. Conclusion:- From the above discussion we can say that market is seen as benefits to firm and society there are a number of criticisms against marketing like to create a need where there is no need, so much exaggeration about products and false promises to the customers in aim to just increase the sale. So up to some extent these criticisms are valid but not all are alike. Has Feminism Achieved its Goals? Has Feminism Achieved its Goals? This essay will assess the question: has feminism achieved its goals? The essay will outline the three strands of feminism. The first section focuses on Liberal feminism which asserts the idea that in order for feminism to achieve its goals it must create equality among men and women. The second section turns to socialist feminism that believes that the only way feminist goals can be achieved is with the overthrow of the capitalist system and that of patriarchy. The Third and final section analyses radical feminism that advocates the goal of political lesbianism. This essay will conclude that feminism has not achieved its goals, however Liberal feminists believe their aim for equality is achievable in the near future. Has Feminism achieved its goals? Feminism as an issue first became prominent in the 17th and 18th century in France and America. It was not until the suffragette movement of the 19th century that feminism was seen as important in Britain. The scholar Estelle Freedman compares first and second-wave feminism saying that the first wave focused on rights such as suffrage, whereas the second wave was largely concerned with other issues of equality, such as ending discrimination.  [1]  Feminism is a contested issue, therefore difficult to define, due to the fact that feminism has a directory of meanings, however the term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. Within feminism there are many strands, the most important and commonly known strands are Liberal, Socialist, Radical and more recently Post-modernist. Within these strands there is an on-going argument of whether or not feminism has achieved its goals. Early feminism was heavily influenced by liberalism. Liberal Feminists main goal comes from the liberal idea of equality of opportunity, freedom for the individual. The idea that everyone, both men and woman deserve to be considered to be of equal worth. However these liberal feminists take into consideration that this is not the case in society. Their goal thus being to create a society consisting of a culture of equal rights. They believe that womans subordination is a product of stereotyping, for instance seeing a woman as a mother only. It is often implied that feminine behaviour is a weakness meaning that men are seen as the stronger part of society, creating this inequality. Friedan sees this as the feminine mystique which she refers to as a cultural myth.  [2]  This is the idea that woman see certain things as more important; for instance the need for security and love is typically seen as feminine, whereas success and superiority is typically seen as masculine. This assum ption thus disadvantages women and separates them from entering employment. Liberal feminists therefore dismiss the notion that biological differences make women less competent than men, and believe that societies socialisation patterns need to change, so that gender socialisation does not occur, in other words males and females need to distance themselves from stereotypical roles. As both men and women our humans, they should have the same type of freedom and rights. Wollstonecraft asserts this view claiming that the distinction of sex would become unimportant in political and social life  [3]   Liberal Feminists believe that they can achieve this goal of equality through reform, for instance laws against sex discrimination in employment secures equal opportunities for woman. Added to this, they have the belief that society should not be organised by gender, but as Mill puts it: according to the principle of equality  [4]  and that accidents of birth like the sex of the child should be irrelevant, thus suggesting that women should be open to all the aspects of society, just like men, having all the rights and liberties that men enjoy such as the right to vote. Liberal Feminism is an optimistic theory, and overall believes that the goals of feminism are progressing and that over time gender equality will become the norm. This progression can be seen through different rights such as the right to initiate divorce proceedings and the reproductive rights of women to make individual decisions on pregnancy. Thus they believe that the goals of feminism may not be achieved at this moment in time, but the changes in society mean that soon they will be. Liberal feminists have been criticised for this over optimism, they see the obstacles to equality as simply the prejudices of individuals or irrational laws, ignoring the possibility that there are deep seeded structures causing womens oppression, such as patriarchy. Socialist and radical feminists criticise liberal feminists stating that one needs to recognise the underlying causes of female subordination, and that it is naive to believe that changes in the law will be enough to bring equality. Instead, they believe that revolutionary changes are needed. Socialist feminists connect the oppression of women to Marxist ideas about exploitation, oppression and labour. They think unequal standing in both the workplace and the domestic sphere holds women down. Socialist feminists see prostitution, domestic work, childcare and marriage as ways in which women are exploited by a patriarchal system that devalues women and the substantial work they do. They focus their energies on broad change that affects society as a whole, rather than on an individual basis. They see the need to work alongside not just men, but all other groups, as they see the oppression of women as a part of a larger pattern that affects everyone involved in the capitalist system. Socialist feminists dismiss the liberal feminist view that womens subordination is due to stereotypes. They see womens subordination as rooted in capitalism; although men may benefit from women, the main beneficiary is capitalism. For them the tension between men and women is due to the economic structure of society and only by overthrowing capitalism will women be equal to men. Thus their goal is: a revolution- that is they believe that the subordination of women can only be understood in terms of economic factors, for instance the idea that women are unpaid workers in the home. This subordination performs a number of functions for capitalism: women reproduce the labour force; women absorb the anger of men. Ansley for example describes wives as takers of shit  [5]  . It is for these reasons that womans interests and thus their goal should be the overthrow of capitalism. If this is their goal, then it is quite clear that feminism, according to the socialist feminist side has not achieved its goals. However modern socialist feminists refuse to look at the status of women in terms of economic factors and instead focus on the cultural roots. Mitchell suggests women perform four functions in society: 1) members of the workforce, 2) reproduce the human species 3) responsible for socialising children 4) sex objects.  [6]  Looking at this, the only way according to modern socialist feminists to achieve their goal is if they separate themselves from each of these areas, not just the idea of capitalism being replaced by socialism. This has yet to be achieved. Many criticisms have been made of socialist feminists. For some, they fail to explain womens subordination in non-capitalist societies. As womens subordination is also found there. Unpaid domestic labour may benefit capitalism, but it does not explain why it is women and not men who perform it. They place insufficient emphasis on the ways in which men and not just capitalism oppress women and benefit from their unpaid labour. Radical Feminism dismisses both liberal and socialist feminism, focusing on gender as the reason for all social divisions. They consider the male controlled capitalist hierarchy, which it describes as sexist, as the defining feature of womens oppression. Radical feminists believe that women can free themselves only when they have done away with what they consider an inherently oppressive and dominating patriarchal system. For them the key concept is Patriarchy: which literally means rule by fathers and is seen process of gender oppression. Patriarchy has come to mean a society where men dominate women, that there is a male-based authority and power structure and that it is responsible for oppression and inequality. As long as the system and its values are in place, society will not be able to be reformed in any significant way. Patriarchy is universal, existing in all societies. According to Firestone the origins of patriarchy are in biology; women bearing children makes them more dependent on men. However this is criticised by De Beauvoir who believes that the position of women is based not on natural factors but social factors, showing a critique of patriarchal culture. The basis of radical feminism is the idea that sexual oppression is the biggest feature of society and that other forms of inequality for instance class exploitation take a back seat. For radical feminists patriarchy is the biggest form of inequality, men are womens main enemy. Most radical feminists advocate the idea of separatism and Political lesbianism. Separatism refers to the idea of living apart from men creating a culture of female independence. Political Lesbianism is the idea that women become involved in lesbian relationships for political reasons. Many radical feminists argue that lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality; feminism is the theory; lesbianism is the practice  [7]   The relationship between men and women must be transformed if women are to be free. Radical feminists argue that women and men should be separate, women should raise their consciousness about womens oppression in women only groups and they stress that political lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality. Thus, this means that the goal of radical feminists is to live separate lives from men. However they recognise that this will not solve all the problems of the patriarchal society. Some radical feminists see no alternatives other than the total uprooting and reconstruction of society in order to achieve these goals. These goals have clearly not been achieved as heterosexual relationships are still the norm, although having said this there has been a rise of homosexual relationships in the last thirty years. Socialist feminists argue that class, not patriarchy, is the primary form of inequality. They also argue that capitalism is the main cause and beneficiary of womens oppression, and not men. Radical feminism offers no explanation of why female subordination takes different forms in different societies. It assumes that all women are in the same position and ignores class, ethnic differences. Liberal feminists argue that womens position has improved greatly and that women are now more equal to men. These three strands represent the different views and ideas of different feminist theorists. Although they all have different opinions, having considered all the arguments it is clear that they all believe that feminist goals have not been achieved. Liberal feminists believe that they are well on their way to achieving equality, whereas both socialist and radical feminists disagree. Socialist feminists asserting the view that an overthrow of capitalism is needed, whereas radical feminists assert the view that in order to be free they need to live separate lives from men.

Essay --

Article – Online Herbs Tittle – Natural Herbal Medicine to Control Cholesterol – Abana Himalaya Keywords - Natural Herbal Medicines Have you ever been diagnosed with high cholesterol ?? Is reducing the level of cholesterol your main concern?? Then let's go through the following factors that would help us understand the causes and effects of cholesterol What is cholesterol – Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) made by your body and is found in all cells of your body. It is required for proper functioning of the body.The body’s cells walls or membranes need cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help in fat digestion. However, the body needs cholesterol only to some extent. High cholesterol levels cause various diseases. Facts – An average American has cholesterol levels that are extremely high and 1 in 6 has a high level. Types of Cholesterol Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein. This combination of cholesterol and protein is called lipoprotein. 1. Low density lipoprotein - This can cause a buildup of plaque on the walls of arteries.The more LDL in the blood, greater the risk of heart disease. 2. High density lipoprotein - This helps the body to get rid of bad cholesterol in the blood. Higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the better. 3. Very low density lipoprotein - VLDL contains more fat and less protein.It is similar to LDL. Causes of High Cholesterol †¢ Diet high in saturated fat †¢ Lack of exercise †¢ Smoking †¢ Age and Gender – The cholesterol levels increase with increase in age and also depends on the gender †¢ Obesity †¢ Excessive alcohol consumption †¢ Diabetes †¢ Hereditary †¢ Liver diseases such as hypothyroidesim †¢ Use of medicines such oral contraceptives, steroid... ...the best option. †¢ Physical Activity - Regular physical activity may lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. †¢ Alcohol - Alcohol intake increases HDL ("good") cholesterol but does not lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Drinking too much alcohol destroys the liver and heart muscle, leading to high blood pressure, and raise triglycerides. Cholesterol Medication – Natural herbal medicines are generally recommended when you are already suffering from a cardiovascular disease or are at a risk of suffering it. Thus,in certain cases doctors advice herbal medicines like Abana/Heartcare from Himalaya. It is a multidimensional cardioprotective, beneficial for people who are overweight, stressed out or smoke. This herbal drug prevents all types of heart diseases by maintaining the normal lipid level and cholesterol level.Take Care. Essay -- Article – Online Herbs Tittle – Natural Herbal Medicine to Control Cholesterol – Abana Himalaya Keywords - Natural Herbal Medicines Have you ever been diagnosed with high cholesterol ?? Is reducing the level of cholesterol your main concern?? Then let's go through the following factors that would help us understand the causes and effects of cholesterol What is cholesterol – Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) made by your body and is found in all cells of your body. It is required for proper functioning of the body.The body’s cells walls or membranes need cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help in fat digestion. However, the body needs cholesterol only to some extent. High cholesterol levels cause various diseases. Facts – An average American has cholesterol levels that are extremely high and 1 in 6 has a high level. Types of Cholesterol Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein. This combination of cholesterol and protein is called lipoprotein. 1. Low density lipoprotein - This can cause a buildup of plaque on the walls of arteries.The more LDL in the blood, greater the risk of heart disease. 2. High density lipoprotein - This helps the body to get rid of bad cholesterol in the blood. Higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the better. 3. Very low density lipoprotein - VLDL contains more fat and less protein.It is similar to LDL. Causes of High Cholesterol †¢ Diet high in saturated fat †¢ Lack of exercise †¢ Smoking †¢ Age and Gender – The cholesterol levels increase with increase in age and also depends on the gender †¢ Obesity †¢ Excessive alcohol consumption †¢ Diabetes †¢ Hereditary †¢ Liver diseases such as hypothyroidesim †¢ Use of medicines such oral contraceptives, steroid... ...the best option. †¢ Physical Activity - Regular physical activity may lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. †¢ Alcohol - Alcohol intake increases HDL ("good") cholesterol but does not lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Drinking too much alcohol destroys the liver and heart muscle, leading to high blood pressure, and raise triglycerides. Cholesterol Medication – Natural herbal medicines are generally recommended when you are already suffering from a cardiovascular disease or are at a risk of suffering it. Thus,in certain cases doctors advice herbal medicines like Abana/Heartcare from Himalaya. It is a multidimensional cardioprotective, beneficial for people who are overweight, stressed out or smoke. This herbal drug prevents all types of heart diseases by maintaining the normal lipid level and cholesterol level.Take Care.

Essay --

From scandalous to classy, the waltz is a famous type of traditional ballroom dancing that has greatly influenced dance styles around the world. Throughout history, this lovely couples’ dance waltzed through the hearts of millions of people of all backgrounds. Evolution of the waltz from the landler Although the waltz has been around for hundreds of years, the steps used today are not a part of the original dance. It is widely accepted that the exact origins of the waltz are fairly obscure. However, it is theorized that the waltz was a product of evolving from a dance called the â€Å"landler.† As like many other dances, the waltz has evolved with cultural advances. Before the waltz even existed, there was a couple’s dance called the â€Å"landler.† Styles of dancing were often influenced by the exchanges of dances between the royal court and the peasants. Often the people would mimic dances such as the Landler, and bring it to their class of people. As the Landler grew more and more popular, there was much controversy over whether or not to dance this in social settings. Because of the close body contract between the men and women, the Landler was seen as sinful and erotic. The church responded harshly, trying to forbid the Landler (Watson). Description and history of the landler Created in the countryside of Austria, the landler was a type of couple’s dance that became popular in the late eighteenth century when composers began creating music for dance halls. The dance is basically a slow version of the waltz with the man’s hands rested on the woman’s waist, and the woman’s hands on the man’s shoulders (Knowles). At the end of the song, it was typical during the landler for the man to throw the woman into the air and then catch her. Jo... ...r bar. It is not unusal to see a waltz pice with multiple melodies. Famous composers and songs of waltzing music The most talked about waltz music composer is an Austrian composer called Johann Strauss the Elder (1804 - 1849). Along with his talented orchestra, he created 152 compositions that proved to become very successful in not only the waltzing world, but also in classical music. Together, Strauss and Lanner helped bring popularity to the waltz by creating various melodies for the Viennese waltz (Nair.) Modern waltzing music As unconventional as it may be, there is also â€Å"pop waltz music.† Modern music artists that have created music in the waltzing time include Adele, Lifehouse, Kelly Clarkson, and Pink. Because of popular television shows such as â€Å"Dancing with the Stars,† modern waltzing music had made a more vital appearance in the music world. Conclusion

Is Walking Better Than Traveling by Car?

carCars revolutionize transportation but walking is still the best. Automobiles use gas that emits carbon dioxide which causes the world to heat up. Big powers come with big responsibilities; there is no surprise that the car has many financial responsibilities. Cars require practically no work to make it move and it resulted in losing health related benefits. Walking is better than driving because it is environmentally friendly, it has financial benefits, and it has far more health advantages. First, driving ruins the environment.For an automobile to function, it requires gas, and when the gas is used up, it becomes carbon dioxide that traps heat near the Earth’s surface. Greenhouses gases are necessary for influencing the amount of the sun’s energy being absorbed into earth and being radiated back into space. However, the overload of the greenhouse gases, which is caused by the increase in gas emissions, can cause the earth surface to heat up. This is called global wa rming which will raise the sea level by 18 to 59 centimeters if all the glaciers melt.This change in ecosystems and destruction in habitats caused by the rising sea level will also result in the extinctions of many species. Since cars release greenhouse gases, walking is therefore a better choice because it won’t exacerbate the tragedy of global warming. Additionally, driving has financial disadvantages compare to walking. Walking requires only a person’s two legs, while driving requires a car. The cheapest car one can purchase at a car dealership is at least ten thousand dollars.Adding to that expensive fee, there are other expenses like car insurance, gas expense, repair expenses, and maintenance expenses. Respectively, they are needed to be financially secured from accidents, to make the car function, to follow the law and to prolong the performance of the car. Hence, walking is better than driving due to its financial-freedom. Lastly, walking is better than driving because it is better for one’s health. Walking is a physical activity that trains the heart.According to a recent Harvard study, walking can reduce heart risks, chances of cancer, type 2 diabetes, anxiety and depression. As a matter of fact, walking at least 30 minutes a day can increase the life expectancy of people suffering from obesity or high blood pressure. On the other hand, driving is dangerous which is proven by the following statistics. In 2005, United States of America had 6, 420, 000 car accidents with 2. 9 million people injured and 42, 636 people killed. Thus, walking is better than driving because it is a hysical activity that promotes living and doesn’t risk common, dangerous accidents. Walking is carbon free which does not contribute to global warming and therefore it is better than driving. Also walking doesn`t cost a single cent unlike driving. Furthermore, walking can prolong a person`s health while driving can shorten it. Clearly from, walking is better than driving because it doesn`t affect the heating environment, it requires practically no money, and it has health benefits.

Four characteristics of Biomedical model Essay

1) biologistic – reduces illness to natural to natural biological processes – seeks out a single, clearly identifiable pathogen – loses sight of the social context of the disease 2) mechanistic – insists on a conceptual separation of body and mind – conceives of the body as a machine made up of interrelated parts – disease is attributed to malfunctioning part that requires fixing – loses sight of the whole subject 3) scientistic – regards the scientific method as providing the only means by which to access valid knowledge. – seeks to identify strict scientific principles or laws and hones in what can be directly observed and measured – loses sight of the meanings and feeling associated with the experience of disease 4) emphasis – seeks to care rather than prevent disease, and is therefore largely reactive in nature Five characteristics of Individualist Health Promotion (IHP) 1) is located at the conservative end of public health continuum – that is, it does not require or advocate significant structural change in society 2) focuses on behavioural patterns and lifestyle factors in order to explain the origins of ill health – that is, it looks upstream form biology, regarding diseases as the end product of the way in which people to lead their lives. Ultimately, it is consistent with a psychological orientation 3) aims to educate individuals about the risk factors associated with particular lifestyle choices; with a view to promoting healthy behavioural changes (eg. the ‘smoking kills’ campaign 4) encourage individuals to take responsibility for their health, that is , they are expected to take on board the information provided by health experts, and to use this to monitor numerous lifestyle factors, including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, exercise participation, stress level etc. this process involves ‘internalising the gaze’ of a range of health expert, and it renders more and more area of life ‘relevant’ to one’s health status 5) has a proactive preventative ( is opposed to reactive curative emphasis, whereby it seeks to prevent diseases from occurring by positively influencing health – related behaviours Social Medicine – The ‘radical’ end of the public health continuum – focuses on life chances and social structure – advocates the structural transformation of society – preventative emphasis 1) not only is health influenced by behavioural and lifestyle factors that exist ‘upstream’ from biology, it is also profoundly shaped y board social processes that occur even further ‘upstream’ , and which serve to structure behavioural and lifestyle ‘choices’ in the first place. 2) there is a clear social gradient in the distribution of most diseases , that is, as a general rule, the higher the location in the social hierarchy, the lower the incidence of disease, and vice versa 3) with heart disease, the standard biological predictors (cholesterol levels, blood pressure) and behavioural predictors (smoking, poor diet) account for only one-quarter to one-third of the identifiable social gradient. 4) To adequately explain the social gradient of disease, one must take into account the fundamental, although often subtle, social determinants of ill health. 5) It is not only absolute poverty that causes ill health, but also: – relative inequality (or one’s place in the social hierarch) – the amount of power and control one exercise; at work, and in life more generally – one’s degree of integration into a supportive social network 6) in the workplace and beyond, control over one’s destiny, is a pivotal factor in determining an individual’s health prospects and such control is socially mediated. Health Unhealthy Cause, Responsibility Biomedical model Fortunate Unfortunate No individual and social group is responsible – ill health is a product of nature or biology and is ultimately a matter of fate Individual health promotion Responsible Irresponsible The individual is responsible – ill health is the outcome of unhealthy behaviours and unwise lifestyle choice Social medicine Social Advantage Social Disadvantaged Social group who foster, and profit from, inequality are responsible, ill- health is the product of social organisation

SWOT analysis

This resulted in Telephone Interpretation being offered since that year. This service connects trained Interpreters via telephone to Limited English Proficient (LEAP) Individuals. Curaà §ao International Is one of those companies that provide critical translation and interpretation services. Worked full time there as an interpreter, which is a chance to gain some insight about the company's workplace as well as into the language service. Let's have a look back at history of the company and perform a SOOT analysis.HISTORY According to the company's homepage, Kevin J. Carrey and Mark Myers patented the first dual-handset phone and founded the company In Tucson, Arizona since 1995, which they named Severer. Three years later, the company's name was changed into Curaà §ao International with Jeremy Woman being Chairman and CEO. It created a subsidiary, Viviane, In 2009, there were 2 big events to the company. It first announced the calculation of Language Learning Enterprises, Inc. (LEE ) and second, opened the Tucson contact center. Its Phoenix contact center was next, In 2012.Like its competitors in the industry, Curaà §ao International Inc. (mentioned here as â€Å"Curaà §ao† or the â€Å"company†), is a diversified language services company, operates wrought Its two sections: Curaà §ao Is for clients In the field of healthcare: healthcare plans, clinics and hospitals, and Valance Is for bal and governments: Insurance, financial services, education, 911, utilities, telecommunications. The products include: Over-the-Phone Interpretation (POP), Video Remote Interpretation (IVR), On-site Interpretation, Document Translation, and Training and Assessment.This information is not quite accurate, at least at present. While working there in 2013 1 saw that clients had to pay $4 per minute and interpreters' received approximately $1 5 an hour ($10 for Spanish interpreters). No wonder Curaà §ao is placed within the Top 15 companies reporting an average ra te of growth of 72. 75 percent growth in 2008. (â€Å"Second annual ranking,† 2011) Weaknesses Firstly, at Curaà §ao there is hardly a strong organization culture. It seems that the company chooses to focus on the call center side of things rather than create one.Many interpreters are misled in thinking of a company that values intelligence and language skills, when it turns out later that they hire bilingual persons to apply their protocols only. Consequently, interpreters should be content with low salaries; this bob does not require a degree. And that is at the time of interviews. Next, there are distinct departments and lines of authority, work activities are designed around individuals. In this call center, 100% of calls are recorded and monitored and employees are required to follow extensive rules and regulations and to minimize formal contact with other employees if not functionally necessary.One supervisor sits at higher booth keeping an eye on 10 Interpreters. A ma nager of each department (that handles one language) walks around examining closely to ensure there are no deviations. Indeed, this is management in the survival mode and there is no workplace spirituality. And that leads the second weakness of Curaà §ao, High Employee Turnover compared to industry averages. Current HCI recruiter, Richard Arena, is a forever busy person. During the 2 years I knew him he was present at almost every Job fair in the Valley.Not only offering both part and full time Jobs, he made recruiters of other company in the fair to point any ethnic minority Jobsharers to his booth. Not only have Richard and his HER team worked really hard, but the company has had a long time policy that any employee gets a $200 reward after successfully bringing in a new interpreter to work for Curaà §ao. Apparently, something underlies the fact that the company is â€Å"Arizona fastest-growing Job creator in 2013 and second fastest in 2012 for creating over 800 Jobs in the sta te† as it claims in its homepage.Opportunities Executive Order 13166 are two out of many opportunities that the language service industry in general, and Curaà §ao in particular have encountered. Fortune Magazine views the approximately â€Å"9% of people in the U. S. Who don't speak English a sizable market waiting to be tapped† (wry. Fortune. Com/addictions). They are right, as according to the U. S. Census, a foreign migrant enters the United States every 22 seconds. These people need insurance, healthcare as well as other products and services†¦ Hill the agents and insurance carriers need the means to explain and sell them. This partly accounts for the phenomenon that language services industry having the growth and revenue numbers that resist recession. On August 1 1, 2000, then-president Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 13166 which â€Å"requires that the Federal agencies work to ensure that recipients of Federal financial assistance roved meaningful acc ess to their LEAP applicants and beneficiaries† (n. D. ).It is expected that that the total national cost of providing language assistance services to LEAP individuals could be as high as $1 to $2 billion annually (â€Å"Why executive order,† 2011). This resulted in the domestic market alone being surprisingly robust-and growing for Curaà §ao as well as other language service companies. Threats At Curaà §ao, it's hardly spoken within the call centers, but we employees all know that Languages Solutions is our long-term and strong competitor who may represent a wreath to future market growth of Curaà §ao.Languages â€Å"employs approximately 5,000 interpreters† (in compare with 1200 of Curaà §ao) (â€Å"Second annual ranking,† 2011). It provides the same products but much bigger quantities nationwide, for example, about 90 percent of the over-the-phone interpretations for 911 emergency calls. In fact, most important governments are clients of Languages. Just go to such offices as social security, CUSCUS, DES and you'll see the logo of Languages in a poster showing that free interpretation is available. Curaà §ao has to face this to say it hoses to focus on healthcare instead. SWOT analysis This resulted in Telephone Interpretation being offered since that year. This service connects trained Interpreters via telephone to Limited English Proficient (LEAP) Individuals. Curaà §ao International Is one of those companies that provide critical translation and interpretation services. Worked full time there as an interpreter, which is a chance to gain some insight about the company's workplace as well as into the language service. Let's have a look back at history of the company and perform a SOOT analysis.HISTORY According to the company's homepage, Kevin J. Carrey and Mark Myers patented the first dual-handset phone and founded the company In Tucson, Arizona since 1995, which they named Severer. Three years later, the company's name was changed into Curaà §ao International with Jeremy Woman being Chairman and CEO. It created a subsidiary, Viviane, In 2009, there were 2 big events to the company. It first announced the calculation of Language Learning Enterprises, Inc. (LEE ) and second, opened the Tucson contact center. Its Phoenix contact center was next, In 2012.Like its competitors in the industry, Curaà §ao International Inc. (mentioned here as â€Å"Curaà §ao† or the â€Å"company†), is a diversified language services company, operates wrought Its two sections: Curaà §ao Is for clients In the field of healthcare: healthcare plans, clinics and hospitals, and Valance Is for bal and governments: Insurance, financial services, education, 911, utilities, telecommunications. The products include: Over-the-Phone Interpretation (POP), Video Remote Interpretation (IVR), On-site Interpretation, Document Translation, and Training and Assessment.This information is not quite accurate, at least at present. While working there in 2013 1 saw that clients had to pay $4 per minute and interpreters' received approximately $1 5 an hour ($10 for Spanish interpreters). No wonder Curaà §ao is placed within the Top 15 companies reporting an average ra te of growth of 72. 75 percent growth in 2008. (â€Å"Second annual ranking,† 2011) Weaknesses Firstly, at Curaà §ao there is hardly a strong organization culture. It seems that the company chooses to focus on the call center side of things rather than create one.Many interpreters are misled in thinking of a company that values intelligence and language skills, when it turns out later that they hire bilingual persons to apply their protocols only. Consequently, interpreters should be content with low salaries; this bob does not require a degree. And that is at the time of interviews. Next, there are distinct departments and lines of authority, work activities are designed around individuals. In this call center, 100% of calls are recorded and monitored and employees are required to follow extensive rules and regulations and to minimize formal contact with other employees if not functionally necessary.One supervisor sits at higher booth keeping an eye on 10 Interpreters. A ma nager of each department (that handles one language) walks around examining closely to ensure there are no deviations. Indeed, this is management in the survival mode and there is no workplace spirituality. And that leads the second weakness of Curaà §ao, High Employee Turnover compared to industry averages. Current HCI recruiter, Richard Arena, is a forever busy person. During the 2 years I knew him he was present at almost every Job fair in the Valley.Not only offering both part and full time Jobs, he made recruiters of other company in the fair to point any ethnic minority Jobsharers to his booth. Not only have Richard and his HER team worked really hard, but the company has had a long time policy that any employee gets a $200 reward after successfully bringing in a new interpreter to work for Curaà §ao. Apparently, something underlies the fact that the company is â€Å"Arizona fastest-growing Job creator in 2013 and second fastest in 2012 for creating over 800 Jobs in the sta te† as it claims in its homepage.Opportunities Executive Order 13166 are two out of many opportunities that the language service industry in general, and Curaà §ao in particular have encountered. Fortune Magazine views the approximately â€Å"9% of people in the U. S. Who don't speak English a sizable market waiting to be tapped† (wry. Fortune. Com/addictions). They are right, as according to the U. S. Census, a foreign migrant enters the United States every 22 seconds. These people need insurance, healthcare as well as other products and services†¦ Hill the agents and insurance carriers need the means to explain and sell them. This partly accounts for the phenomenon that language services industry having the growth and revenue numbers that resist recession. On August 1 1, 2000, then-president Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 13166 which â€Å"requires that the Federal agencies work to ensure that recipients of Federal financial assistance roved meaningful acc ess to their LEAP applicants and beneficiaries† (n. D. ).It is expected that that the total national cost of providing language assistance services to LEAP individuals could be as high as $1 to $2 billion annually (â€Å"Why executive order,† 2011). This resulted in the domestic market alone being surprisingly robust-and growing for Curaà §ao as well as other language service companies. Threats At Curaà §ao, it's hardly spoken within the call centers, but we employees all know that Languages Solutions is our long-term and strong competitor who may represent a wreath to future market growth of Curaà §ao.Languages â€Å"employs approximately 5,000 interpreters† (in compare with 1200 of Curaà §ao) (â€Å"Second annual ranking,† 2011). It provides the same products but much bigger quantities nationwide, for example, about 90 percent of the over-the-phone interpretations for 911 emergency calls. In fact, most important governments are clients of Languages. Just go to such offices as social security, CUSCUS, DES and you'll see the logo of Languages in a poster showing that free interpretation is available. Curaà §ao has to face this to say it hoses to focus on healthcare instead. Swot Analysis SWOT ANALYSES SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is the most renowned tool for audit and analysis of the overall strategic position of the business and its environment. Strenghts * These drinks are low calorie yet tasty which is hard to find in every day drinks. * Neuro drinks are packaged in attractive bold coloured bottles which makes these drinks stand out to other bottled drinks. * The bottles in which Neuro drinks are packaged are fully recyclable.This is a big strength as people are becoming more aware of the earth and recycling. * No competitor in Irish market can compete as it’s totally new and different to other drinks in Ireland. There is no opposing brand with exactly the same purpose. * These drinks boost specific brain or body functions. So if a certain one of these drinks doesn’t suit one consumer another one will. * The company is a proud sponsor of SPIN's annual events held in Texas. * Strong, fresh ; fashionable brand identity Weaknesses Although Neuro drinks work they are only a temporary solution. So people cannot mistake them as a lifelong solution. * Neuro drinks contain caffeine which can become addictive resulting in the drink unhealthy for you. * These drinks are slightly higher price than your everyday energy/vitamin drink so families on a low budget may not be able to afford it. * We can’t stress enough how this drink should not be taken in place of a healthy diet. People may take it as that. It should be taken as part of a healthy diet. Neuro core benefits don’t fit into new trends , there are new trends to focus more on being natural, healthy ,new trends not only towards boosting body and brain but also memory ,intelligence ,lowers stress and depression accordingly RB seemsnot to be appealing to the next generation * over the past few years due to depreciation of the US dollar, American products have gained a competitive advantage in pricing; American products are l ess expensive for Irish and European consumers * Above average prices Opportunities Standard promotion and advertising will help to bring more customers attentions to these products, e. g. : Posters, surveys, sponsoring, and Articles. * We see a big opportunity for recognition through sponsorship of sports events. As one particular type of drink is made specifically to enhance and maintain sport performance. * Trust. We need out future customers to trust our drinks and us as a company. We intend to give out testers and create competitions for people to win and try our products. Hopefully a healthy image will be created of our product enough that people what to try. Potential opportunity to productline extension * The new cultural shift especially of guys towards body building and going to the gyms Threats * Company’s selling drinks along the same line. (e. g. Vit water, Red bull) are a big threat. We need to ensure our campaigning is enough to gain loyal customers. * However, Ireland’s GDP growth has been revised upwards from 0. 6% to 1% in 2013. And the inflation rate in Ireland was recorded at 1. 20%in December of 2012 * The fact it’s so new is a huge threat people have little knowledge about this product

Information Technology: Structures of Data Essay

The home page of the ITPRC Web site introduces it as â€Å"The Information Technology Professional’s Resource Center† (ITPRC, 2007). Originally created in 1999, the avowed purpose of the Web site is to provide a one-stop shop for IT professionals for technical information on data networking. The purpose is laudable because data networking is a vital function which underlies many of the devices and systems that make our modern life convenient and efficient such as computers, ATMs, cell phones, airline reservation systems, and the like. Any resource which aids the understanding by the concerned professionals regarding this body of knowledge is beneficial to society as a whole, directly or indirectly. On the other hand, the subject matter of this Web site is so highly technical, extensive and rapidly evolving that it must be very difficult to maintain it and keep it abreast of developments. Comprehensive Discussion The links in the home page are grouped into four main headings: (1) Career Management, (2) Technologies, (3) Operations and (4) Others. The ITPRC Web site may thus be considered as a portal that leads to other Web sites which might be of interest to the network engineer in the areas represented by the headings (Deitel, 2001, pp. 35-37). The meat of this Web portal is the Technologies group of links. Under this group the link titles roughly correspond to the OSI reference model for network architectures (Martin, 1988). This is a conceptual model which is well-known to networking professionals and even those at the student level. They are greatly aided by this grouping scheme in organizing their searches for resources on the Internet.   For instance, under the heading Technologies, we find the links â€Å"Physical†, â€Å"Data Link† and â€Å"Content Network†, while the OSI model has the bottom layers â€Å"Physical†, â€Å"Data Link† and â€Å"Network†. The Technologies â€Å"Physical† link points to Web sites on modems, cabling and other devices which a network engineer would expect to find under this topic. The other ITPRC links under Technologies roughly correspond to areas covered by the remaining layers in the OSI model, namely the Transport, Session, Presentation and Application layers (Martin). The Operations category of links provides information on organizations (business, government or NGO) which run networks, software tools for measuring network performance such as response times for messages sent over the Internet, and other software for monitoring security conditions or threats such as repeated hacking attempts. The links classified under Others point to a treasure trove of information in the form of Web sites containing dictionaries, glossaries and FAQs pertaining to computer and networking terms. And if the researcher’s mind is having difficulties in untangling the complexities of networks, there is the Humor link to Web sites which provide comic relief. A Helpful Chain of Links Suppose I were a graduate student who sets out to understand the evolution of the Internet’s TCP/IP message routing techniques. In the ITPRC home page under Technologies I will click on â€Å"TCP/IP FAQ†. This brings up a Web page where I will click on the link â€Å"Where can I find RFC’s?†[1] That leads me to the page on â€Å"The Definitive RFC Repository† which mentions the URL .   When I click on that URL – voila – out comes the RFC Editor Web site (RFC Editor, n.d.) which includes a search engine for all RFCs, from the earliest RFC dated 1969 to the latest one published in 2009. This is just one example of the richness of information sources that are accessible through the ITPRC portal. One could follow other chains of links to Web sites which eventually lead to the information sought after. A Useful Professional Resource The ITPRC has links to Web sites that meet a wide variety of the needs of data networking professionals. We have seen earlier how the portal could be useful to a graduate student. For an engineer on the job, it has links for finding information related to workaday matters such as the latest viruses circulating on the Internet. For a technology manager who is about to embark on an upgrade of the enterprise network, the industry news links would be useful starting points for learning about developments that could keep his company at par with or ahead of its competitors. Thereafter he could direct his staff to conduct in-depth research on the technology behind the new product offerings and the likelihood that the products have been thoroughly debugged. The network professional looking out for an opportunity to advance his career in another company would find the â€Å"Job Databases† links invaluable. Other Observations The links to some of the sites are no longer valid. Under the â€Å"Book Sites† link, the very first two Web sites no longer exist. The third Web site, â€Å"Half Price Computer Books†, does not live up to its title. You have to keep on clicking a number of Web sites in succession before you come up with any site that offers substantial discounts on computer books. Bottom Line The ITPRC site is a very useful portal for the data networking professional in the sense that beginning with just one Web site he is directed to the sources of tons of information in the data networking field.