Barista Ccd Starbucks Costa Coffee

Building the Starbucks Brand So far, Starbucks has spent very little money on advertising, preferring instead to build the brand cup by cup with customers and depend on word-of-mouth and the appeal of its storefronts. The company was, however, engaged in a growing effort to extend the Starbucks brand and penetrate new markets. In addition to expanding internationally, venturing into ice cream with Dreyer's and into Frappuccino with Pepsi, partnering with licensees, and developing specialty and mail-order sales. STARBUCKS MISSION â€Å"To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time. EXPERIENCE is about these 3 P’s: 1. People- the baristas and their connection with customers. 2. Place – the physical stores, their design and aroma 3. Product – the beverages, food, and merchandise 4. Price – 5. Promotion – 6. Physical Evidence – 7. Process – †¢(People & Product) Customer connectio n and a fresh, hand-made beverage. The newer automatic machines that replaced the La Marzoccos are faster, but blocked the visual sight line the customer previously had to watch the drink being made, and for the intimate experience with the barista. It seems that the personal connection between the baristas and the customers is the core of their experience. †¢(Place) The Aroma. â€Å"†¦ The loss of our people scooping fresh coffee from the bins and grinding it fresh in front of the customer, †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some say the sale of hot food has detracted from the coffee aroma that customers attach to Starbucks stores. †¢(Place) Store Design. Design of their stores has taken on a more streamlined feel to gain efficiencies. But that resulted in the stores losing their charm and uniqueness. Starbucks has â€Å"stores that no longer have the soul of the past and reflect a chain of stores vs. he warm feeling of a neighborhood store. Some people even call the stores sterile, c ookie cutter, no longer reflecting the passion their partners feel about our coffee. † †¢(Product) Coffee related merchandise. As a purveyor of fine coffee and tea, Starbucks has struggled as of late to get their merchandise to reflect their brand and their history. â€Å"Some stores don’t have coffee grinders, French presses from Bodum, or even coffee filters. † A more focused approach would be: (a)Participating in social media and (b) Gathering customer suggestions would be easier for a company with no meaningful social media experience to manage. It would also make it easier for Starbucks customers to follow-along. The current MyStarbucksIdea website is already unwieldy — lots of wayward ideas have been suggested and many of the ideas suggested are repeated numerous times in various categories. This website will only get more unwieldy. Points of difference: 1. Starbucks provides its customers with a Starbucks Card through which they can have an easy and fast access to the menu items and discounts. These cards are customizable and can be designed by the customers themselves as per their likings. 2. Starbucks follows an environment friendly drive in which every time a customer brings a reusable travel mug gets a 10 cent discount on any Starbucks beverage, anytime. Starbucks passion for reducing cup waste did not start with the Green Project. Since 1985, they have offered a discount to customers who bring in a reusable travel mug and will continue doing so. This is just one of the ways they are fulfilling their commitment to environmental stewardship while working towards a long-term goal of 100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015. 3. It also offers its customers with various coffee and tea gifts. Customers can register and participate in a 3 months program in which they are sent special exotic flavors of coffee from around the world. BARISTA As of today, Barista exists in over 22 cities, and operates over 140 outlets nationally. In the last 2 years, Barista has opened over 100 outlets in the country and with a new outlet opening nationally every 14 dates, Barista is currently experiencing phenomenal growth. With outlets opening in Sri Lanka and Dubai, Barista is looking at potential growth opportunities in Asia, making it highly competitive international brand. Product Source: Barista sources its coffee beans from around the world, but a major supplier is TATA Coffee, part of the TATA Group that owns a large stake holding in Barista. These coffee beans are then sent to Venice, Italy where they are roasted into a blend exclusively for Barista. The food and desserts at Barista is exclusively catered to by the Taj, who ensures a high standard of quality with all its products. Barista also sells merchandise through its store, all of which is imported. The merchandise accounts for nearly 1/6th of Barista’s overall sales. Barista has a check on the quality of its products every 14 days. Barista also incorporates TQM at its headquarters in Delhi. Since Delhi is the base for all its distribution, quality control measures are adopted there to avoid any poor quality products being distributed. Pricing: Barista has a ‘Skim Pricing Policy’. They began with a higher price, and skimmed the cream for the market. With the sudden spurt of growth in number of outlets, came the benefits of economies of scale. Because of this, they have been able to gradually lower their prices, and appeal to different segments of their target market. Currently, their prices are the lowest they have ever been, and they can competitively match their prices against Cafe Coffee Day’s prices. The prices are constantly changing though, and the last 1-year has seen 3 changes (mostly reductions) in prices. This gradual price reduction meant that Barista could maintain its profit- maximization policy until it could earn large cost savings because of the benefits of high volume. The main factors that affect their pricing are their cost of goods sold. The costs are quite high because imports a majority of its products and product- sources. ? Process: The order and delivery process at Barista is based on self-service, where a customer goes up to the counter to place his order, and goes back to the counter to pick his delivery once it is prepared. Brand Image: Barista positions itself as a brand for anyone who loves coffee. Their products, services and outlets are more like the traditional European cafes, where people would meet for the love of coffee, and for an intellectual appealing time. They position their outlets as a place â€Å"where the world meets†, and they look to appeal to anyone in the 14- 60 age group that loves good coffee and looks for a nice quiet time. Products: Barista’s product mix constitutes a wide range of products that appeal primarily to traditional coffee lovers. Their products themselves are traditional products with traditional names. Food items like croissant, pastas, and sandwiches are complimentary to their coffee, and project a very classic image of Barista. Their merchandising also consists of primarily coffee related products like coffee beans, coffee machines, etc. Prices: Considering that Barista is trying to target a market whose age range is between 18 and 60 years, a pricing policy appealing to this segment is difficult. Extremely low prices act as a deterrent to some customers who might regard it as an indicator or quality, while very high prices cannot be afforded by most of the youth. But since Barista’s current consumer profile is quite young, their prices are mostly inexpensive, and at par with their competitors. People: The people at Barista are characteristically trained to be Pleasant, Polite and Positive. They ensure you have a quiet, uninterrupted visit and provide an escape from the daily pressures of life. Their uniforms are in sober shades of brown and orange, and contribute to the overall laid-back feeling of the cafe. Physical Evidence: Logo, Colors, Images: Barista, since the beginning has looked to use colors in its cafe interiors, logos and images; to project a â€Å"warm, earth glow, synonymous with coffee†. Barista uses shades of Orange & Brown to good effect to promote its â€Å"laid- back† atmosphere. The logo is a combination of Brown, Orange and Light Yell ow; with the word â€Å"Barista† written in an upward curve, and the word â€Å"Coffee† underneath. A simple logo that perfectly expresses Barista’s brand image, A traditional cafe for coffee lovers. Decor and Architecture: Barista’s internal decor and architecture expresses the simplicity you would normally associate with traditional cafes. The furniture is made of light shades of wood, and there are comfortable sofas in bigger cafes. The walls are shades of orange, with various photographs of the love for coffee spread around each outlet. Literature: The literature provided by Barista is indicative of its brand image. The menus, posters, pamphlets are all traditionally designed, with a classic and simple look. One aspect of particular note is their magazine, which is privately circulated in the cafes. The magazine encourages customers write, draw, make etc anything creative; and this is then published in the magazine. The magazine not only provides an avenue for advertising, but also an opportunity for Barista to express its brand image. ? Place: Barista looks to cater to their target market with strategically located outlets. Their outlets are generally located at High Street/ Family Entertainment Centers. Considering their generic appeal, there are Barista outlets in and around Malls, Cinemas, Colleges, and Offices etc. his endorses their brand image of a cafe that appeals to coffee lovers of all ages. Promotions: Barista currently carries out mass promotion campaigns. This is mainly in the form of promotions in the Press, TV and Radio Medias. At present, they do not rely heavily on advertising, but rely more on sponsorships and strategic alliances with other corporations. Barista also takes part in various sales promotion activities to help increase sales at their outlets. a) S ponsorships: Barista sponsors various events and festivals, which provides them valuable promotion directed at strategic markets. The sponsorships are mainly in kind, although major events are sponsored in cash also. b) Sales Promotion: Barista uses a special â€Å"Barista Coffee Card† for its sales promotion activities. Barista Coffee Card entitles you to one complimentary hot beverage when you are done sipping seven. It is available to all Barista coffee regulars. No membership fees, no references required. Fill out the card and you are a member. As a Coffee Card holder, you earn one stamp on the card every time you purchase a beverage. Simply present the card to the cashier when you place your order at any of their outlets. Once you have collected seven stamps, you can hand over the card to receive your complimentary hot beverage. Barista hopes this card can help drive sales growth, and increase customer retention. COSTA COFFEE When you walk into a Costa store you'll notice it's different to other coffee shops. First of all, there's the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Then the great range of authentic coffee drinks. Next the Ferrari of coffee machines. And finally, the most passionate and well trained baristas around. It's this unique combination that makes them stand out from the others. Costa believes that Hand-making a cup of coffee is an art. It takes time and skill to perfect. That's why every single barista, in every single Costa store is professionally trained in the art of coffee by experts. It's a little thing, but it makes a big difference, because it means you'll get a perfect cup of Costa coffee every time. †¢Costa Coffee has overtaken Starbucks as the leading coffee chain in the UK †¢The company has reported strong sales due to aggressive expansion †¢Costa now has more UK stores than Starbucks †¢Costa aims to double store numbers by 2013 Costa is to boost its UK growth through tie-ins with retailers and grocery stores †¢The company is planning an aggressive global expansion strategy, focused on under-represented countries †¢The company is expanding its India-located stores, aiming to make the country its third largest in terms of store numbers †¢Costa trains its coffee roasters at a special academy, highlighting its aims to create a premium coffee drinking experience †¢The company markets its traditional roasting methods as a key point of difference †¢The company has addressed ethical consumer concerns through new coffee sources and a coffee foundation †¢Costa is set to become the first major coffee chain to source its coffee through the Rainforest Alliance ? CCD CAFE COFFEE DAY VALUES- PRISM PRIDE – I take pride in my work and in my organization. RESPECT – I respect my customers, my subordinates, my peers and my superiors. INTEGRITY – I will show the highest level of integrity towards my work and my company under all circumstances. SELF – DISCIPLINE – I will imbibe and practice self-discipline in all my daily activities. MOTIVATION – I will always be motivated to give the best for my organization, my team and my customers. ? MISSION STATEMENT INTRODUCTION Coffee Day sources coffee from 5000 acres of coffee estates, the 2nd largest in Asia, that is owned by a sister concern and from 11,000 small growers. It is one of India’s leading coffee exporters with clients across USA, Europe & Japan. With its roots in the golden soil of Chickmaglur, the home of some of the best Indian Coffees and with the vision of a true entrepreneur nurturing it, Coffee Day has its business spanning the entire value chain of coffee consumption in India. Its different divisions include: Coffee Day Fresh n Ground (which owns 350 Coffee bean and powder retail outlets), Coffee Day Xpress (which owns 251 Coffee Day Kiosk), Coffee Day Take away (which owns 7000 Vending Machines), Coffee Day Exports and Coffee Day Perfect (FMCG Packaged Coffee) division. Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) pioneered the cafe concept in India in 1996 by opening its first cafe at Brigade Road in Bangalore. Till about the late 1990’s coffee drinking in India was restricted to the intellectual, the South Indian traditionalist and the five star coffee shop visitor. As the pure (as opposed to instant coffee) coffee cafe culture in neighbouring international markets grew, the need for a relaxed and fun â€Å"hangout† for the emerging urban youth in the country was clearly seen. Recognizing the potential that lay ahead on the horizon, Cafe Coffee Day embarked on a dynamic journey to become a large organized retail cafe chain with a distinct brand identity of its own. From a handful of cafes in six cites in the first 5 years, CCD has become India’s largest and premier retail chain of cafes with 251 cafes in 58 cities around the country. Cafe Coffee Day introduced the cafe culture in India with its first cafe at Brigade Road in Bangalore in 1996. There has been no looking back for their company from then till now, in fact they have grown from strength to strength. Cafe Coffee day is the regular meeting place for 18 to 35 year olds, both male and female, who are waited on by friendly and informed staff, and are offered the best made, hot or cold , in an invigorating ambience. They provide invigorating ambience and excellent customer service clubbed with excellent coffee to their customers. About the Logo For a brand to stand out and be successful there has to be a personal commitment from staff at all levels. The target customers must identify with it. It should be vibrant and have a â€Å"life† of its own. Liveliness, growth, fun and passion depicts the brand, the customers, the staff and the future– this is embodied in this design and colour. Cafe Coffee Day, has unveiled its strategy to strengthen its leadership position with an all new brand identity that syncs with its vision to be the friendly and stylish social hub. Developed from in-depth dialogue with customers, coffee lovers and stakeholders, the new change entails an all new smart menu, changes in furniture design and placement, new uniforms, new cutlery and total cafe rebranding. The famous Cafe Coffee Day squared logo in its fresh new avatar – a ‘Dialogue Box’ – with the words Cafe Coffee Day written in a distinct, specially created font. The new trendy dialogue logo symbolizes the essence of what a Cafe Coffee Day cafe is all really all about – a perfect place to ‘relax and dialogue’. And as we all know, a lot does happen over coffee! ? BUSINESS ASSOCIATION CCD has emerged as an interactive alternative media for brands to communicate with the ‘young at heart’. Other media, such as electronic, print and outdoor, offer brand communication through visual and audio modes to a large section of the populace, both relevant and irrelevant. Cafe Coffee Day offers a much more interactive, targeted communication, sometimes adding even a taste dimension to a brand idea! Various in-cafe collaterals used to impart visibility to a brand inside a cafe or to add the element of interactivity to a campaign are Posters, Tent Cards, Danglers, Leaflets, Brochures, Coasters, Drop boxes, Contest Forms, Stirrers, Standees etc. Over the years, CCD has successfully promoted a number of brands/products/events through various innovative tactics and promo ideas. Cashing in on its mass captive audience. ? DEPARTMENTS AT CAFE COFFEE DAY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: The team decides upon a suitable site where the cafes can be set up. They identify, shortlist, and finalize a site by negotiating with property owners. A significant effort is involved in getting legal clearances and statutory compliances. After all formalities are completed, the site is handed over to the projects team. The projects team comprises of some of the best designers who ensure that the coffee culture is spread across the country through beautiful outlets, They are in touch with a lot of property owners who are interested in franchising and licensing CCD. They normally take up places on long lease. All new cafes are built with a standardized design and the look of the cafe is in sync with the brand positioning. They aim to build cafes in the shortest possible time, at the least possible costs to capital outlay. OPERATIONS: This team achieves their sales objectives and is responsible for the daily running of their cafes in a profitable manner. Customer interaction is very important for this team, as they are the ones who interface with the customer and provide them with a satisfactory service and product experience. Cafe managers train all their employees who are involved in day-to-day operations. The cafe staff is their brand ambassador. The brand image of cafe coffee day is and will be reflected through them by the way they dress, behave and carry themselves , both within the organization and outside. They are the face of the company since they will be the first point of interaction with the customer. FOOD AND BEVERAGES (F & B): CCD are a lot more than coffee. Apart from serving the best coffee in the country they also serve a wide assortment of savories and desserts. The various coffee concoctions that they serve are the creations of their F&B team. They also ensure the highest level of hygiene and food quality. They impart training to the team on the preparation of the best quality of coffees and food at their cafes. The F&B team sources and manages vendors who supply food to the cafes. †¢Quality checks Quality checks take place all the time and in several aspects. The operational in-charge will go around checking business, record keeping, service and check the feedback forms. The food in-charge will look at the way food is being stored, coffee is being made, what is the time take to extract the coffee and so on. Marketing person will go about checking displays, how the merchandise are displayed. MARKETING: The marketing team is responsible for the brand positioning and all brand building activities that result in increased sales and greater visibility. They are also responsible for the various sales promotion activities and tie-ups. This team designs and manages the merchandise category, which is displayed and sold at their cafes. They constantly track loyalty programs and promotions at the cafes to help maximize sales. HUMAN RESOURCE AND TRAINING: The HR team deals with all matters pertaining to people within their team. They are responsible for recruitment and selection at all levels from team members to the management staff. They are responsible for employee salaries, career development and counseling. Constant efforts are made for employee up gradation in terms of improving skills and job satisfaction to meet the aspirations of all employees. FINANCE / ACCOUNTS: They look after the day to day accounting and financial activities and also provide them with the financial reports, which will help them, find out the profitability of the outlet. They help them reduce the costs and ensure compliance and fiscal discipline at the cafes. ? QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Age: Occupation: Gender: Question 1: Name any three Cafe Chains that you know. 1. ________________________ 2. ________________________ 3. ________________________ Question 2: How often do you visit a Coffee Shop? ?2-3 times a week ?Once a week ?Once a Month ?Very Rarely Question 3: How much money do you spend on an average visit to a Coffee Shop? ?Less than Rs. 70 ?Rs. 70-120 ?Rs. 120-150 ?Greater than Rs. 150 Question 4: How much time do you spend at a Coffee Shop? ?Less than ? hours to 1 hour ?1 to 2 hours ?Greater than 2 hours Question 5: Why do you go to a Coffee shop? ?Only for the Coffee ?To enjoy and have a Fun filled time To catch up with friends ?For group activities ?Specify if any Other:____________________________ Question 6: What do you look for when you choose a Coffee Shop to go to? ?Convenience ?Ambience ?Service ?Quality of Food ?Price Question 7: What factors according to you are applicable in case of Cafe Coffee Day? ?Convenience ?Ambience ?Ser vice ?Quality of Food ?Price Question 8: Mark the Cafe brands known to you. ?Cafe Coffee Day ?Costa Coffee ?Starbucks ?Barista ?Beans And Brews Question 9: Rank the factors in order of your preference for the following Brands. COSTA COFFEESTARBUCKSBARISTA CONVENIENCE / ACCESSIBILITY AMBIENCE SERVICE QUALITY OF FOOD PRICE

Factors Affecting Nigerias Underdevelopment Essay

According to an economist the idea of development is a situation whereby there is an increase in a nations GNP and GDP, leading to an increase in growth .but to a sociologist this is a surface definition as development or rather a country is regarded as developed when such increase is affecting the living condition of its people even to the smallest group in the society. Where we don’t only calculate numbers and figures and structures but can see the positive change of things in the life of the people, both the rich, average and poor. Then such a society would be regarded as developed. For example the living conditions of the USA. Nigeria the most populated country in Africa filled with its endowed natural resources, and according to the â€Å"united nations statistics Nigeria is the 8th most populous county in the world with a population of 2.3%† (UN 2011).but the country still suffers the decay of underdevelopment due to certain avoidable factors that stand as unavoidable. What actually is underdevelopment? W.A Lewis 1963 says that a country may be â€Å"underdeveloped in the sense that its technology is backward when compared with that of other countries or in the sense that its institutions are relatively unfavorable to investment, or in the sense that capital resources per head are low when compared with western Europe or in the sense that output per head is low or in the sense that it has valuable natural resources that has not yet begun use† (extracted by opafola 1996). Agreeing to what Lewis has said so well underdevelopment can be explored from another dimension which in a way he seemed to have ignored, it is a situation whereby the quality of life of the majority of its people is low. The causes or factors of Nigeria’s underdevelopment can be divided into 2 which are both external and internal. â€Å"External includes slavery, colonialism, neo- colonialism and the worldwide recession† (Rodney 1972), with which in my opinion is a fact for our underdevelopment the foundation. Also the internal factors include bribery and corruption, poor leadership, bad patriotism from citizens etc. which actually is avoidable. FACTORS AFFECTING NIGERIA’S UNDERDEVELOPMENT 1. Bribery and Corruption This is the greatest factor that has put Nigeria where it is today, the issue of â€Å"corruption† this is an internal factor. According to the Longman dictionary of contemporary English new edition â€Å"corruption is define as dishonest, illegal or immoral behavior, especially from someone with power†. In Africa as a whole research has seen it that most African leaders are corrupt in nature, leading to their backwardness in development of their economy. Taking a cue from the late Attah Williams of Ghana, he executed all the corrupt leaders in Ghana for the stability of the country, and from recent news Ghana has taking a new turn in its development process (silver bird news 23rd august 2012). The issue of corruption is Nigeria’s biggest challenge that is eating into our economic growth leading to money laundering and looting of public funds meant for the improving living condition of citizens. Corruption now is found in every facets of the Nigerian system especially the political aspect has leaders steal for selfish gain. The transparency international corruption index 2011 ranked Nigeria 143th of 183 counties in the world that is developed, also on the scale of 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) Nigeria scored 2.4%, between 2010 and 2011 Nigeria’s position declined from 9 places scoring 2.4% from a possible 10 showing the greatest sign that efforts at correcting corruption had been very inadequate in the last year† (business day, Wednesday September 6 2011). This shows the height of corruption in our country, taking the story of the former governor James ibori of delta state who was jailed for 16 years for money laundering in April 2012 by the American judiciary after being discharged by a Nigerian court due to bribe for a case he was still found guilty. Nigeria’s problem is this menace and until there is a stop to it I wonder where we are heading to. 2.Neo-colonialism or imperialism This is an external factor of Nigeria’s underdevelopment; it is the highest form of exploitation from the British countries to their colonies after independence. Nigeria has contributed to its economic backwardness, as it â€Å"promotes the maintenance of foreign domination and enhances neo-colonialism and the flowering of subjugationism† (onimode, 1981). Imperialism has always been an exploitative phenomenon, which was the initial motive for colonization. Nigeria has been seen as a dumping ground for most British counties, making it difficult for us to produce our own goods. Also the fact that we are primary producers with fewer technicalities to produce our raw materials into finished products makes it a means of imperialism as we export our goods at the rate determined by the British colonies and still import back at a higher cost. For example the crude oil, Nigeria is the largest country with the crude oil but the poorest in economic state due lack of technicality in transforming crude oil into petrol which led to the issue of sucidy removal in January 1st 2012, even after which things haven’t changed as fuel scarcity hits most part of the country e.g. Abuja, Lagos etc. as at 19th September 2012. 3.Poor leadership According to john c. Maxwell â€Å"leadership is about influence† and niyi adesonya sees it â€Å"as not just influence but also inspiration†. The idea of Nigeria’s leadership is just based on selfish gain of eating the â€Å"national cake† and leaving the main aim of governance. Research has seen it that Africa is one continent whereby its leaders are older than the country itself and Nigeria is not left out, as most of our past leaders are much older than the country itself. The issue of poor leadership is also a contributing factor whereby due to corruption leaders make laws to favour their actions, as each time a ruler comes in seat we keep on amending the constitution to suite political parties, politicians make empty promise during election campaigns when put office little or nothing is done in such community and citizens keep suffering in squalor and begin to govern themselves providing the necessities for their comfort. Due to poor leadership the recent issue of flood all over most riverine area would have occurred, this is because a developed country would have been prepared to channel the water released from the Cameroonian dam into another dam. But since Nigerian political elites spend time on unnecessary things like the introduction of the 5000 naira note, citizens are homeless. Poor leadership is a contributing factor of Nigeria’s underdevelopment, as the main issues are not critically tacked to solve other things. It has led to flamboyant spending of public funds whereby an average senator in the house of representative is paid unnecessary bills like the seating allowance, wardrobe allowance etc. aside the salary they earn, why won’t people kill to seat on political power? Nigeria is one country whereby the president earns more than the president of United States. As they continue to buy properties that they don’t need instead of investing in profitable business. 4.Bad patriotism This is also a causing factor for our underdevelopment from in my opinion, it is obvious that most Nigerians are aware of our backwardness and they don’t try to help matters instead they add to the problem itself. By disobeying or making difficult certain rules meant to help the country, this is because they believe it is another lie to eat from us. From the AIT news in August Hilary Clinton’s last visit to Nigeria in 2012, she told the president to have the will power of taking certain stringent rules and standing firm for example the handiwork of governor Fashola of Lagos state is termed credible as Lagos with its massive population is actually adjusting to change. This is because even as unpatriotic most Lagosians are governor Fashola still took a stand, Nigeria’s problem is also citizen built as persons no what is right and refuse doing it for no reason. REFERENCES Walter Rodney (1972) â€Å"How Europe Underdeveloped Africa† Dar-Es Salaam. Tanzania Publishing House. Lewis W.A (1963) â€Å"The Theory of Economic Growth† London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd. S.O. Opafola (1996) â€Å"The Journal of Philosophy and Development† Vol.2, Ogun State University: Hope Publications. Onimode, B (1981) â€Å"Imperialism and Nigerian Development† In O. Nnoli Edition. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English New Edition. Business Day Newspaper Wednesday September 6 (2011), Nigeria and Corruption Index United Nation Statistics 2011. AIT News august 2012.

Inscriptive Restorations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Inscriptive Restorations - Essay Example According to Trethewey, societal aspects that most individuals consider insignificant and take for granted are the ones that stand out as motivators of her passion. Trethewey uses Sontag quotes to demonstrate that photography is a cruel practice. She explains the ordeal poets experience to search for substance from their lives and pain of other peoples lives During the interview, Natasha recalls her grandmother as her role model and inspiration to her life (Trethewey and Petty 1024). She hails women for playing a role in adding influencing the passion and dedication in her work as a poet. Natasha further reveals that her life revolved around traditional setting where she lived with chicken. Nevertheless, she also counts herself as a modern woman who lived by the highway 49. Natasha also makes it known that she is an independent woman. It is noteworthy that, during the entire interview, Natasha fails to address the plight of blacks who are the major victims in the photographic environments. One of the issues standing out clearly from the essay is racial segregation. Rowell talks about black people who stand in isolation as white people take their photographss. In addition, Natasha also claims that three the black people’s gauzes, she is able to realize the attachment she has with them. The second thing that stands out in the essay is support and inspiration. Natasha recalls the role that her grandmother played in shaping her career and making her a responsible woman in the society. Finally, modernity versus tradition is another aspect that stands out in the essay. Trethewey recounts that she belong to â€Å"old timely.† She makes claims that she belong to a community that to date still plays marbles that contained pig rooting, particularly under house. Trethewey memorizes how she lived in a society where people still kept cattle in their yards and

The Ruling by the European Court of Justice Essay

The Ruling by the European Court of Justice - Essay Example Notably, the commercial law facet has equally been affected by relative implications. In this, the commercial agent gets in a business relationship with the principal. Both have distinctive roles to play and failure of one party has adverse legal implications. The legal impacts are apparent in scenarios such as Semen v Deutsche Tamoil GmbH (C-348/07)1. Undoubtedly, the ruling had direct influence on the decisions of both parties. Particularly, factors pertaining to indemnity and compensation are the most critical. It is in this regard that this paper provides an in depth evaluation of the decision of the principal regarding choice of indemnity upon termination of a commercial agency. This is done in light of the ruling of Semen v Deutsche Tamoil GmbH (C-348/07). To enhance coherence, the paper begins by reviewing the ruling of this case2. In this case, the agent needed to be paid an indemnity by the principal after the contractual relationship was terminated. The bone of contention b etween parties Blanc Canet v Europcar France [2005] ECC 34 and Smith v Reliance Water Controls Ltd [2003] EWCA Civ 1153; [2003] Eu LR 874 stems from the size of the indemnity that was supposed to be awarded3. In particular, it was not clear whether the methodologies employed in indemnity calculation were in line with the legal provisions4. The court as in Cooper and others v Pure Fishing (UK) Ltd [2004] EWCA 375 held that during the calculations of the indemnity to be awarded to the agent, there was dire need to factor in all the losses that the agent would encounter. Although these are wide and varied as established in Crane v Sky In-House Services Ltd [2007] EWHC 66, they are important in ensuring that justice is served and the respective indemnity is reflective of all the losses that the agent incurs5. This preposition is further supported by Claramoda Ltd v Zoomphase Ltd [2009] EWHC 2857 outcomes6. Undoubtedly, this ruling implies that the value of the indemnity would usually be higher than the expectations of the principal7. As defined in Duffen v Frabo SpA [2000] 1 Lloyds Rep 180, this is because the business relationships that the agent establishes with a host of parties are not only intricate but also numerous8. Also, this is well examined in Douglas King v T Tunnock Ltd [2000] SLT 744. Usually, these relationships seek to ease business operations as well as meet the fundamental goals of the business. In this respect, they aim at optimizing profits and enhancing sustainable growth. To attain this, the agents invest significant resources in terms of money and finances. Although worth appreciating according to Ingmar GB Ltd v Eaton Leonard Ltd [2001] EWHC 3; [2001] Eur LR 755 and Tony Vick v Vogle-Gapes Ltd [2006] EWHC 1579 is the intellectual resource that the agents employ in attaining relative goals9. For this reason, the agents would only be satisfied if all these efforts would be rewarded by the indemnity. Further, the ruling established that the pr incipal would still benefit from the business relationships that were established by the commercial agent. Likewise, this was akin to the findings of Hacket v Advanced Medical Computer Systems Ltd [1999] CLC 160 case10. From an economic point of view, relative benefits would probably increase with time. This is because of the presumption that businesses would

Open Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Open - Essay Example An objective and critical look at the main arguments advanced in favour of death penalty shows that the arguments are flawed and not based on facts. For the purposes of objectivity, let us critically analyse the two main arguments advanced in favour of death penalty. To begin with, let us critically look at the argument that death penalty deters crime. This argument is actually one of the main arguments advanced by the proponents of death penalty in support of their view that death penalty is an effective form of punishment. The proponents of capital punishment contend that, by killing criminals through capital punishment, we deny the criminals any other opportunity to commit crime, hence reducing crime in the society; also, the proponents of capital punishment argue that through subjecting criminals guilty of grave crimes to capital punishment, we scare other potential criminals from committing such crimes in future. A critical view at this position, however, shows that capital punishment does not deter crime. This is because there is absolutely no scientific proof that capital punishment deters crime. On the contrary, studies in social sciences have shown that there is actually no correlation between death penalty and crime; studies in social sciences have actually shown that death penalty does not deter crime (Goel, web). For this reason, therefore, death penalty is an ineffective form of punishment because it does not deter crime. The second argument advanced by the proponents of capital punishment is the argument that death penalty is an effective form of punishment because it ensures that justice is done to both the offended party and the offender. The main argument here is that heinous crimes are extraordinary forms of injustice to the victims of the crimes; for that reason, it is only an extra-ordinarily grave form of punishment that can compensate for the grave

Answe qustions in ethics policy adminstration Essay - 1

Answe qustions in ethics policy adminstration - Essay Example I am also required to ensure that they are informed of all the correct procedures and about any misappropriation of official duties My responsibilities to my subordinates includes dissemination of information regarding work paradigm, ethical considerations, rules and regulations and expected outcome. They are expected to follow the defined processes and ensure that work is finished within the deadline. I have huge responsibilities to the public who help to pay our salaries. My responsibilities are to ensure public disclosure of our financial accounts and promote transparency in our work so that public knows how the work is accomplished in different areas of public interests. Most importantly, public is entitled to be aware of its own duties and therefore it is also important to create awareness amongst the people as to how they can become more active proactive participants in developmental works and socially relevant issues. (words:

Examine a global supply chain of clothing industries emphasizing Essay

Examine a global supply chain of clothing industries emphasizing relations of power among main actors - Essay Example The first one was the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) a regulatory framework that created preferential tariffs and quotas on the apparel industry on the commodities that imported by the developed nations such as U.S., EU states and Canada (Gereffi, & Frederick, 2010). However, in the period 1995-2005, the MFA quotas and tariffs were replaced by the World Trade Organisation’ (WTO) agreement on clothing and textile (Brambilla, Khandelwal, & Schott, 2010). The second crisis was the financial crisis of 2008, which hit the apparel industry resulting in the unemployment, increased social unrests and factory shutdowns due to decreased demand in the developed economies. Zara is one of the giant global retailers in the fast fashion industry incepted in 1975. The company is an entity of the Spanish group Inditex. By 1990, Zara had expanded globally into a number of states including New York, U.S., Paris, France and Oporto in Portugal. Currently, the company operates over 1830 outlets in 82 nations globally, located in Africa, America, Europe and Asia (Inditex, 2011). Zara considers itself as fast fashion retail chain rather than a high fashion brand, which has enabled it to expand and achieve high growth levels. Zara unlike other brands in the apparel industry uses a vertical integration model that encompasses just-in-time, design, sales and marketing (The Economist, 2001). For this reason, the company can respond to consumers demands in a prompt way, and this has been the key driving force for the accelerated growth of the company in the industry. Labour Intensive-This is because it requires a large number of labour forces to produce its goods or services. The degree of labour intensity is measured in proportion to the amount of capital required to produce goods or services; the higher the proportion of labour costs required, the more labour intensive the business (Bartley, 2005). The clothing

Individual Project Unit 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Project Unit 4 - Essay Example This creates a situation where a silent partner begins exerting their pressure on the company leadership (in this case a friend or family member) which can jeopardize future relations or future lending opportunities. Oftentimes, as well, because friendship and family relationships are usually quite informal, the receiver of the start-up funds will neglect to put any formal agreement into contract form. When this occurs, if conflict arises about the progress of the business, disappointment and mutual anger can occur, which could often cause internal conflict which is apparent to the customers, diminishing profitability when sales decline. Having identified the risk of relationship funding, it is important to identify other sources of financing in order to prevent damaging long-term camaraderie with the acquaintance lender. As such, the business had identified one possible option as a term loan, which is provided by a banking institution. Term loans involve a specific amount of money, usually loaned at a term of five to 10 years, based on projections of future profitability (Longenecker et al). Though this is probably one of the most stable methods of borrowing money, there are potential risks to the receiver of the funds. For instance, a business that takes out a term loan must have a competent method of forecasting cash inflows and matching future periods of revenue to meet the loans repayment terms. A business which does not plan accordingly will experience a cash flow crisis, potentially harming the future operating potential of the business. Another type of financing option is asset-based lending, which involves receiving a line of credit (usually from a bank) which is based on asset value (GE Capital, 1999). For instance, assume that the company maintains regular payment in accounts receivable or maintains inventory which, when resold, can be liquidated for

Outline the Ways in Which Factors Essay Example for Free

Outline the Ways in Which Factors Essay There are many ways in which factors in children’s home background which may lead to differences in achievement between ethnic groups. The first way is from cultural deprivation, with the socialisation experience of children, values, expectations and norms transmitted at home. Driver and Ballard 1979 argued that high achievement in some Asian groups might be linked to the presence of close knit extended families. However with some ethnic groups many tend to have low income, which may explain why black pupils tend to underachieve as many children from low income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. Some cultural deprivation theorists argue that many children from low-income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. Evidence suggests that those ethnic groups who tend to underachieve also tend have low incomes. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2007 estimated that 70% of Bangladeshi and over 50% of Pakistani children grow up in poverty, compared to 20% of the white population and 30% of Indians. Unemployment is 3 xs higher in African and Bangladeshi/Pakistani people than for whites and Pakistanis are 2x more likely to be in unskilled/semi skilled jobs compared to whites which can lead to material deprivation. Moynihan 1965 said that many black families are headed by lone mothers and may experience poor care due to the lack of money. Some may have material deprivation because they cannot afford to pay for books and other materials that the child needs to do their work, and many may not have the room to do their work if they live in a cramped home meaning they may not be able to concentrate. This becomes a vicious cycle as if the child receives inadequate socialisation which equals in them failing at school meaning they may become an inadequate parent, which will repeat. Also some theorists say that some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils a fatalistic ‘live for toady’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success. There are other factors which effect different group’s educational achievement, with there being ways in which the education system may encourage separation between children of different ethnic backgrounds, such as labelling and teacher racism, many teachers label their students and sociologists found out that many teachers labelled black children as disruptive and they didn’t want them in their class. Troyna and Williams describe the curriculum in British schools as ethnocentric because it gives priority to white culture and the English language which causes separation between white pupils and other ethnic pupils.

Nature of Linguistic Sign by Ferdinand de Saussure Essay Example for Free

Nature of Linguistic Sign by Ferdinand de Saussure Essay 1. Sign, Signified Signifier Some people regard language, when reduced to its elements as a naming-process onlya list of words, each corresponding to the thing that it names. For example: operationan assumption that is anything but true. But this rather naive approach can bring us near the truth by showing us that the linguistic unit is a double entity, one formed by the associating of two terms. We This conception is open to criticism at several points. It assumes that ready-made ideas exist before words; it does not tell us whether a name is vocal or psychological in nature (arbor, for instance, can be considered from either viewpoint); finally, it lets us assume that the linking of a name and a thing is a very simple have seen in considering the speaking-circuit that both terms involved in the linguistic sign are psychological and are united in the brain by an associative bond. This point must be emphasized. The linguistic sign unites, not a thing and a name, but a concept and a sound-image. The latter is not the material sound, a purely thing, but the psychological imprint of the sound, the impression that it makes on our senses. The sound-image is sensory, and if I happen to call it â€Å"material,† it is only in that sense, and by way of opposing it to the other term of the association, the concept, which is generally more abstract. The psychological character of our sound-images becomes apparent when we observe our own speech. Without moving our lips or tongue, we can talk to ourselves or recite mentally a selection of verse. Because we regard the words of our language as sound-images, we must avoid speaking of the â€Å"phonemes† that make up the words. This term, which suggests vocal activity, is applicable to the spoken word only, to the realization of the inner image in discourse. We can avoid that misunderstanding by speaking of the sounds and syllables of a word provided we remember that the names refer to the sound-image. The linguistic sign is then a two-sided psychological entity that can be represented by the drawing: The two elements are intimately united, and each recalls the other. Whether we try to find the meaning of the Latin word arbor or the word that Latin uses to designate the concept â€Å"tree,† it is clear that only the associations sanctioned by that languageappear to us to conform to reality, and we disregard whatever others might be imagined. Our definition of the linguistic sign poses an important question of terminology. I call the combination of a concept and a sound-image a sign, but in current usage the term generally designates only a sound-image, a word, for example (arbor, etc.). One tends to forget that arbor is called a sign only because it carries the concept â€Å"tree,† with the result that the idea of the sensory part implies the idea of the whole. Ambiguity would disappear if the three notions involved here were designated by three names, each suggesting and opposing the others. I propose to retain the word sign [signe] to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound-image respectively by signified [signifià ©] and signifier [signifiant]; the last two terms have the advantage of indicating the opposition that separates them from each other and from the whole of which they are parts. As regards sign, if I am satisfied with it, this is simply because I do not know of any word to replace it, the ordinary language suggesting no other. The linguistic sign, as defined, has two primordial characteristics. In enunciating them I am also positing the basic principles of any study of this type. 2. Principle I: the Arbitrary Nature of the Sign The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary. Since I mean by sign the whole that results from the associating of the signifier with the signified, I can simply say: the linguistic sign is arbitrary. The idea of â€Å"sister† is not linked by any inner relationship to the succession of sounds s-ïÆ'Ëœ-r which serves as its signifier in French; that it could be represented equally by just any other sequence is proved by differences among languages and by the very existence of different languages: the signifiedâ€Å"ox† has as its signifier b-ïÆ'Ëœ-f on one side of the border and o-k-s (Ochs) on the other. No one disputes the principle of the arbitrary nature of the sign, but it is often easier to discover a truth than to assign to it its proper place. Principle I dominates all the linguistics of language; its consequences are numberless. It is true that not all of them are equally obvious at first glance; only after many detours does one discover them, and with them the primordial importance of the principle. One remark in passing: when semiology becomes organized as a science, the question will arise whether or not it properly includes modes of expression based on completely natural signs, such as pantomime. Supposing that the new science welcomes them, its main concern will still be the whole group of systems grounded on the arbitrariness of the sign. In fact, every means of expression used in society is based in principle on collective behavior orwhat amounts to the same thingon convention. Polite formulas, for instance, though often imbued with a certain natural expressiveness (as in the case of a Chinese who greets his emperor by bowing down to the ground nine times), are nonetheless fixed by rule; it is this rule and not the intrinsic value of the gestures that obliges one to use them. Signs that are wholly arbitrary realize better than the others the ideal of the semiological process; that is why language, the most complex and universal of all systems of expression, is also the most characteristic; in this sense linguistics can become the master-pattern for all branches of semiology although language is only one particular semiological system. The word symbol has been used to designate the linguistic sign, or more specifically, what is here called the signifier. Principle I in particular weighs against the use of this term. One characteristic of the symbol is that it is never wholly arbitrary; it is not empty, for there is the rudiment of a natural bond between the signifier and the signified. The symbol of justice, a pair of scales, could not be replaced by just any other symbol, such as a chariot. The word arbitrary also calls for comment. The term should not imply that the choice of the signifier is left entirely to the speaker (we shall see below that the individual does not have the power to change a sign in any way once it has become established in the linguistic community); I mean that it is unmotivated, i.e. arbitrary in that it actually has no natural connection with the signified. 3. Principle II: the Linear Nature of the Signifier The signifier, being auditory, is unfolded solely in time from which it gets the following characteristics: (a) it represents a span, and (b) the span is measurable in a single dimension; it is a line. While Principle II is obvious, apparently linguists have always neglected to state it, doubtless because they found it too simple; nevertheless, it is fundamental, and its consequences are incalculable. Its importance equals that of Principle I; the whole mechanism of language depends upon it. In contrast to visual signifiers (nautical signals, etc.) which can offer simultaneous groupings in several dimensions, auditory signifiers have at their command only the dimension of time. Their elements are presented in succession; they form a chain. This feature becomes readily apparent when they are represented in writing and the spatial line of graphic marks is substituted for succession in time. Sometimes the linear nature of the signifier is not obvious. When I accent a syllable, for instance, it seems that I am concentrating more than one significant element on the same point. But this is an illusion; the syllable and its accent constitute only one phonational act. There is no duality within the act but only different oppositions to what precedes and what follows.

Biography of Abraham Lincoln

Biography of Abraham Lincoln Note about ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A Giant among presidents Who was Abraham Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln was a great president of United States. Abraham Lincoln was known by the 16th president of America. Many people think he was the greatest president the United State has ever had. Early Life and Family Ancestry. Abraham Lincoln was born in rural Kentucky on February 12th, 1809. Their parents were having petite schooling and low community standing. At his very young age, his mother Nancy Hanks was no more in this world. For Lincolns better future Thomas (his father) married for the second time with Sarah Johnston. Sarah Johnston takes care of Lincoln like he was her own blood. She raises up Lincoln. Lincoln started his life in New Orleans after some time he migrated to New Salem, Illinois and he worked as a store clerk in their own general store. Career and His Steps Towards Successful Life. Abraham Lincoln become the caption of his volunteer company at the age of 23 years, after the Black Hawk War was broken in 1832. Mainly, he at the same year, Lincolns got his first offer from election office. But, at that time he failed for Illinois state government. He never loses hope and tried for the second time after two years of waiting and at that time he won election to the state legislature. He became a feature to the Whig party in the General Assembly. At that time, Lincolns law career started to flourish. He migrated to Springfield when he was confessed to bar in 1837. During cross-examination, he became a successful lawyer. In 1842, Lincoln get married to Mary Todd Owens. In 1846, Abraham Lincoln was elected to U.S. Congress. After that, he moved to Washington to serve his terms. Later in 1849, Lincoln go back to Springfield for moving further in their lawyer career. The another reason about going to Springfield was to give more time to his wife and their sons. In middle of the 1850s, many questions about slavery started to rise up. Lincoln was unsuccessful about Senate in 1854 and 1858. Notwithstanding these losses, Lincoln received national expose owing to his fair for speech. Political Career. In 1860 Lincoln was nominated for president by his talent, luck and, management. Out of 4 candidates, he was victorious. He got less than 40% of the vote and it creates a fact. Beginning of The War. The Civil War begins when Lincoln goes to argue Fort Sumter in Charleston. Confederate forces opened fire and thats the reason the Civil War began. Abraham Lincoln instead that Civil War was started for the safety of the Union. Also, the fortune of slavery played a major role. The overpowering role of commander-in-chief was taken by Lincoln at the wartime. The rights that as define by Constitution was suspended by him and he had expanded the power of federal government. The significant pieces like homesteaders, taxes, etc., was signed by Lincoln. On 1stJanuary1863, Lincoln took his most significant action to be his Emancipation Proclamation, which flagged the way of 13th Amendment and the abolishment of slavery in America. The Civil War lasted long and it was very expensive for both the side. After Civil War. After the war, Lincoln started charity reconstruction plan to help the nation for uniting once again. ÂÂ   Lincoln maintain support from people and he stands again for the election and he gets avictory in 1864. After few days Lincoln was killed by John Booth in Washington theater. Still, people remember him for his work towards people and feeling proud. Memory and Memorials. Lincoln leave his mark by both preserving the United States as we know it and freeing millions of slaves. Today, people of United States love and remembrance of the sixteenth president can be seen all around the United States. Lincolns face, sixty feet high, is carved into Mount Rushmore. Both the penny and five-dollar-bill feature Lincoln. There are 38 towns and 6 mountains named Lincoln. Moreover, in Washington D.C., the towering Lincoln Memorial is the greatest tribute to the man known as Honest Abe.

Rites of Passage in Henry IV Essay example -- William Shakespeare

A Rite of Passage Rites of passage mark and celebrate important changes in life. For many, this is the transition between adolescence and adulthood. In the play 1 Henry IV, by William Shakespeare, Prince Henry’s transition to adulthood is indicated when he shows his bravery in battle and proves to be an honorable King. The play shifts between two different views that of the Scottish rebels versus the English royalty and the strain between Prince Henry and his father. Throughout the play, Prince Henry develops from a rascal to a responsible adult and by doing so, earns the respect and acceptance from his father King Henry IV. In act one, Shakespeare introduces the idea that Prince Henry is an inadequate heir to the throne. The play opens with King Henry IV, Prince Henry’s father, speaking to his council of a war with Scotland. Quickly the subject of the discussion turns to Prince Henry, or Harry’s, indifference to the affairs of war. The King then compares Harry to Hotspur, son of the Duke of Northumberland in his dialogue: KING. Yea, there thou mak’st me sad, and mak’st me sin (Harry) In envy that my Lord Nothumberland Should be the father to so blest a son, A son who is the theme of honor’s tounge, Amongst a grove the very straightest plant, Who is sweet fortune’s minion and her pride (Hotspur), Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him, See riot and dishonor stain the brow Of my young Harry. O that it could be proved That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged In cradles clothes our children where they lay, (1.1.78-88) King Henry IV is saddened and ashamed of Harry’s drinking and stealing and wonders if he will ever become a capable leader. King Henry IV even questions if some... ... his soliloquy by proving that he is an admirable leader, and fulfils his solemn oath to kill Hotspur which makes his word honorable. Prince Henry completes his rite of passage after his defeat of Hotspur. Henry entered the battle field as a boy and has formed into a responsible adult and an adequate heir to throne. In 1 Henry IV, Prince Henry’s gradual development was evident throughout the play. A comparison of Harry’s character during the first act against Harry in the fifth act almost seems like two different people. Prince Henry has carried out his plan to prove to people that he will be a worthy King by following his father into battle and killing the leader of the rebel army. Prince Henry’s act of bravery marks the transition between the young Henry and the mature Henry but more importantly, has earned Henry the respect and acceptance from his father. Rites of Passage in Henry IV Essay example -- William Shakespeare A Rite of Passage Rites of passage mark and celebrate important changes in life. For many, this is the transition between adolescence and adulthood. In the play 1 Henry IV, by William Shakespeare, Prince Henry’s transition to adulthood is indicated when he shows his bravery in battle and proves to be an honorable King. The play shifts between two different views that of the Scottish rebels versus the English royalty and the strain between Prince Henry and his father. Throughout the play, Prince Henry develops from a rascal to a responsible adult and by doing so, earns the respect and acceptance from his father King Henry IV. In act one, Shakespeare introduces the idea that Prince Henry is an inadequate heir to the throne. The play opens with King Henry IV, Prince Henry’s father, speaking to his council of a war with Scotland. Quickly the subject of the discussion turns to Prince Henry, or Harry’s, indifference to the affairs of war. The King then compares Harry to Hotspur, son of the Duke of Northumberland in his dialogue: KING. Yea, there thou mak’st me sad, and mak’st me sin (Harry) In envy that my Lord Nothumberland Should be the father to so blest a son, A son who is the theme of honor’s tounge, Amongst a grove the very straightest plant, Who is sweet fortune’s minion and her pride (Hotspur), Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him, See riot and dishonor stain the brow Of my young Harry. O that it could be proved That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged In cradles clothes our children where they lay, (1.1.78-88) King Henry IV is saddened and ashamed of Harry’s drinking and stealing and wonders if he will ever become a capable leader. King Henry IV even questions if some... ... his soliloquy by proving that he is an admirable leader, and fulfils his solemn oath to kill Hotspur which makes his word honorable. Prince Henry completes his rite of passage after his defeat of Hotspur. Henry entered the battle field as a boy and has formed into a responsible adult and an adequate heir to throne. In 1 Henry IV, Prince Henry’s gradual development was evident throughout the play. A comparison of Harry’s character during the first act against Harry in the fifth act almost seems like two different people. Prince Henry has carried out his plan to prove to people that he will be a worthy King by following his father into battle and killing the leader of the rebel army. Prince Henry’s act of bravery marks the transition between the young Henry and the mature Henry but more importantly, has earned Henry the respect and acceptance from his father.

Research And Development - Bus Essay -- essays research papers

Research and development is an important process for business today. Consumers needs and wants are always changing and so it is vital for the business to meet these demands with R&D to hopefully exceed customer expectations. It is also important for businesses to keep with advances such and technological and medical. Otherwise they will be left behind in the competition. As before, R&D is very important and relies on market research information. After the research the company has to have good confidence that the product is fit for sale before they produce it. If not, they will lose money due to the large cost of production. The product specifications vary depending on consumer needs, wants and competition from other firms. For example Sony have released the smallest minidisc in the world which creates competition and also covers the consumers wants/needs. Improving the operational processes, developing new ones and developing new/improved products are part of the research and development commercial function. R&D should be looking at two areas, which are to: A) Take as much care for the environment as possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B) Make use of materials in the most efficient way.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By doing this they must calculate their costs and make sure they can do the above without getting into debts from the costs they produce. The businesses labs keep links between the universities so that they can exchange research findings wh...

Bullying & Statement of the Problem

Bullying is an issue that has been affecting many in the world today. It takes place in many forms some of which are direct and include physical harm on the victim. Verbal bullying involves name calling and insults or threats being directed at the victim and may also involve emotional bullying where the victim’s emotions are targeted by the bully. Other forms of bullying may be indirect where the harm is not caused on the person directly but it still ends up affecting the person. Bullying is termed as a form of abuse that uses power and dominance to those that are weaker and less powerful.Bullying has been taking place in various areas but it is mostly common in schools and workplaces. It exists in various social groups, social classes and is found all over the world. The behavior is usually repetitive and aggressive and it is based on the sole intention of hurting the victim. Bullies carry out the behavior to harm the other person as a way of gaining power over the other pers on. It is normally a behavior that is planned and purposeful. Bullying in schools has become very common and it has led to some very serious consequences.It has led to physical violence in forms of fight and in some extreme cases deaths by suicides. Cases have emerged of some forms of bullying in the schools that have led to some of these severe consequences. Children who are victims have had to live with short term and long term consequences of the behavior. Some of the other effects include poor performance in their studies, depression, bedwetting, being withdrawn, changing schools regularly and is some cases suicides among others (Norfolk, n. d). Over 7% of children especially in the 8th grade tend to stay at home once a month since they are bullied in schools (Banks, 1997).Reports have also shown that about 15% of students are bullied on a regular basis with some being initiated into the bullying practice. Direct bullying is more common among boys than with the girls. However ph ysical abuse in boys tends to reduce as they progress in age. The victims of bullying sometimes carry these effects such as depression and low self esteem into their adulthood. b) Historical Overview Bullying in schools has been on going for a long time now and is experienced in very many areas of the school.It occurs in some specific areas in the school compound and environment which include the School Bus Park, hallways and bathrooms and even during recess (Banks, 1997). It normally consists of a group of bullies who like isolating a student and bullying them by teasing and taunting the student. Some of them pressure the student to perform various tasks that humiliate the student. Teachers and school administrators have also been known to perpetrate bullying in the schools. They target a particular student and humiliate or abuse the student aggressively. The causes of bullying arise from the social setting of the bullies.The bullies usually get the trait from the family setting or from experiences from home. Studies have shown that most bullies emerge from families that experience physical forms of punishment and where the families are undergoing some form of abuse. School bullies tend to lack warmth from their parents and they then strike back through bulling other children in order to handle their problems. They may also acquire the behavior by learning it from friends and peers (Banks, 1997). There are several characteristics that bullies have in common especially in the schools.Most of the students who feel the need to bully others are usually looking to gain control since they normally feel more powerful than their intended victims. They tend to get satisfied once they see their victims suffering and they do not feel empathetic at all towards the victims (Stanffordshire, n. d). When defending themselves they sometimes use the reasons that the victim provoked them to bully them. Most bullies usually have high self esteem and they rarely perform the bully ing act since they feel bad for themselves. They are however antisocial, defiant and badly behaved.They tend to break rules and display a lot of arrogance and opposition in schools. Victims of bullies on the other hand are usually very insecure, cautious and they suffer from low self esteem (Olweus, n. d). They rarely confront the bullies to defend themselves. They are insecure and anxious and may lack social skills needed to make friends. They tend to come from families where their parents are overprotective. The major characteristic that is found with victims of bullying is that they are weaker than the bullies and this makes it difficult for them to fight the bullies back.The purpose of this paper is to advocate for laws to be passed across the U. S to ban bullying in schools and teachers and administrators being given more authority and responsibility to intercept and deal with bullying. This paper discusses bullying as a problem in schools n regard to how it has evolved in the past, its effects on the victims and how it can be stopped. The role of teachers and school administrators in the prevention of bullying is also highlighted together with their views and those of parents and legal sources.The various laws that have been passed by the U. S states are discussed and how important they are in relation to the increase in suicides cases among children and long term psychological impacts on victims. Finally the state of Massachusetts’ stand on bullying laws is discussed. 2. 0 Methodology This research paper is an insight into an in-depth analysis of a review of literature with respect to bullying and why laws should be passed across the United States on the same in an effort to curb this vice.Moreover, studies related to the giving of teachers and administrators more authority and responsibility to intercept and deal with bullying rather than ignoring it has been adequately studied. It bears noting that the focal point of the study is mainly on book s and other scholarly materials which tackle bullying from all aspects. This is particularly bent on the fact that much as many students go through this, some of the experiences they pass through in the process affect them adversely later in life. All the scholarly materials that were selected are either published books, certified websites and prestige journals.Moreover, these cover a wide range in terms of years because bullying is not an issue that began recently but has been there for quite some good time. It equally bears noting that all the articles analyzed were specifically from credible websites. Additionally, the research was limited to substantial secondary sources in order to employ studies already carried out by others on the same topic, primary sources were unavailable. To better analyze the whole idea, the paper was divided into categories based on the approach used to handle the whole research. 3.0 Literature Review Several studies have been done with regard to bullyi ng but the main points highlighted include the effects that come with bullying. Norfolk (n. d) puts it that children who are victims end up performing poorly in school, being depressed and some may even commit suicide. To back up this argument Banks (1997) points out that more than 7% of children in the 8th grade tend to stay at home once a month due to being bullied in school. On the same note, Stanffordshire (n. d) depicts that it is more satisfiying for the bullies to see their victims suffer.Further research indicates that victims of bullies are usually very insecure (Olweus, n. d), similarly Wright adds to the bargain by pointing out that th victims tend to have very low self esteem (2003). Moreover, Digizen (n. d) brings in a new perspective to the issues by incorporating the environment in the technological world creating anxiety among the children where children use the same for purposes of bullying. The legal view of the whole issue as pointed out by Antibullying ( n. d) is that the legal system should be efficient in weighing the matter and any cases brought forward.Likewise, authors such as Rota (2010), GLAD (2010) and O'Dowd ( 2010) have given specific suicide cases which are worth considering. Another noteworthy matter depicted in the studies of Dombeck (n. d) is that the primary outcome of the whole ordeal to the victims is to do with be loneliness being part of their life through to adulthood. It comes with relief that â€Å"Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010,†(2010) is a law which has made it vital for anti bully policies to be posted on school websites and be made available to any student or parent if need arises. 4. 0 BullyingBullying is a serious problem that is affecting the academic and social lives of the school going children. In order to understand the problem and develop an intervention plan that can be used to stop it, it is important to identify the various forms of bullying that are going on within the schools and the trends they are taking. It is also important to understand how they are carried out and the effects that arise from the practice. This will help develop a plan that will be able to establish a safe and secure environment in the schools for all children. i) Evolution of BullyingBullying behavior has been continuously changing over the years. Different forms of bullying have emerged and they continue to develop and be used in the schools. Technology has played a very big role in the evolution of the behavior. The first forms of bullying that have existed over the years included both direct and indirect methods that were used in the practice. The methods continue to be in use till today but have been evolved by the use of technology. Name calling was one of the types of bullying that were used by the bullies on the victims (Stanffordshire, n.d). The victims were given certain names that were intended to humiliate them and lower their self esteem. The method has since evolved and is in use in more places rather than just in schools. Physical bullying has also evolved from the physical injuries that were inflicted on the victims and it has included theft as a method that is used to involve threats and lead to the violence. Social isolation that was once used to make the victims stay alone without friends and was experienced by children of all age groups has evolved to also include homophobic isolation.Homophobic isolation is the type of isolation that is practiced by the bullies on the children who are termed as gay or they are seen to be gay (Stanffordshire, n. d). It also includes those seen to be bisexual or they portray characteristics that make them seem to be associated with the opposite sex. It is being practiced in the secondary schools and higher levels of education. The method is normally spread through the social websites through gossip and in other websites. One form of bullying that has emerged in schools involves the abuse that is directed on children who are of different races and cultures.This form of bullying has been growing over the years with cases being reported that show the increase. The cases also show that the bullying is also changing according to the different age groups. 25% of children of age 8 were seen to be bullied more compared to the children who were 5 years who only made 20% of the overall cases in that age group (Stanffordshire, n. d). Cyber bullying is the latest and most commonly used form of bullying in the schools today. It continues to evolve with the changes in technology. It uses text messages, emails and various posts on websites as a way of bullying.Studies show that over 20% of young people in schools who are between the ages of 11 and 19 have been bullied through this form of bullying (Stanffordshire, n. d). The children in the schools today are growing up in a different technological world that is very different from that of the adults. They have experienced information and technological developments that they are now using to evolve the bullying practice. The environment in the technological world is becoming threatening and is creating anxiety among the children. They are misusing the technology especially the mobile and internet to bully others.Over 22% of young people have been reported to carry out cyber bulling (Digizen, n. d). They are able to carry out the whole practice remaining anonymous to the victim. This form of bullying has made it possible for the bullies to carry out the practice at any time or place (Digizen, n. d). ii) Effects of Bullying There are various consequences that are seen to arise from the practice of bullying. Students who are seen to bully others tend to carry the practice out of school and they tend to get involved in criminal activities and they experience a lot of legal trouble in their adulthood.They maintain this behavior even in the workplaces negatively affecting their ability to develop relationships that are positive. A study has proven that 60% of the students who were bullies when they were in grade 6-9 were convicted of a crime by the age of 24 (Banks, 1997). The bullies are also prone other problematic behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse. Victims of bullying tend to be very unhappy while in schools and they end up getting depressed and have low self esteem (Wright, 2003). Their school work is affected and they may choose to remain at home instead of going to school.They tend to isolate themselves from social activities that involve the schools and this makes them even lonelier. The loneliness and depression may lead them to commit suicide. This is particularly in the cases of emotional bullying where the emotions are targeted by the bullies. The victims also have difficulties when forming relationships in the future. The by standers who witness the bullying also get affected by it. They are not able to stop the bullying or help out the victim even though he or she may be their friend. Some are usually afraid of becoming the next victim so they end up avoiding confronting the bully.Others on the other hand may be of the opinion that the victim deserved the bullying (Sampson, 2002). They may actively get involved by teasing and ostracizing the victim and motivating the bully. They may also feel less accountable for the actions that are going on when they are in a group. Hence they do not feel the urge to help the victim. iii) Role of Teachers and School Administrators Teachers and school administrators have a role to play in preventing bullying in the schools and making the schools a safe haven free from any bullying activities.They should first be aware of the existence of the problem so that they can develop measures to intervene. The teachers can help detect the existence of the practice and encourage the victims of bystanders to speak out. The interventions that are developed should be able to include the whole school and not intimidate the bullies or the victims either (Olweus , n. d). Teachers and the school administrators can also help identify the areas that are used by the bullies to attack the victims since they mostly do so in private and hidden areas. They should therefore eliminate the existence of such areas within the school’s compound.They can also involve the students to develop rules within the classrooms that are against the behavior. To increase awareness of the problem to the parents, the school administrators should develop parent teacher days to make the parents aware of the problem’s existence and the importance of the parents to get involved in the whole process (Sampson, 2002). iv) Views on Bullying in Schools a) Legal View The legal system rarely deals with cases of bullying though there are some laws that have been set up to fight against it. This is mainly because there are many cases of bullying that are not very serious.The legal system hence allows the school to deal with these small minor cases. Schools and the pa rents are given a chance to work together to come up with strategies that help prevent and stop it. It is important for the bullying cases to be handled quickly and efficiently before they bring more damages when they become too serious (Antibullying, n. d). This however does not eliminate the chances of legal action being used to stop the bullying. There are circumstances that call for legal intervention as a last resort due to the seriousness of the incident.The parents, victims and other bystanders have the responsibility to report the incident to the police. Legal action can also be carried out if the other methods that have been used to intervene by the parents and the teachers have failed. It is also encouraged when there is a possibility that the bullying will reduce once the case is reported. When the bullying also takes place outside the school compound, the parents and teachers together with the community can cooperate with the police to prevent and stop it. Bullying is tr eated as an offence that is against the law when it becomes too serious and the consequences are very damaging.It is seen to affect the rights of other individuals and their freedom. When it is carried out against other students on the basis of race and cultural differences it is termed as being racism (Antibullying, n. d). b) Parents, Teachers and School Administrators View Despite the seriousness of the matter, some views exist that portray the behavior of bullying as acceptable. Parents have been known to have views on bullying that encourage the practice even further especially if it is their child who is bullying others. Some parents hold the view that boys will be boys.This view tends to imply that physical bullying is an acceptable behavior and hence they encourage the children to be more aggressive and physically abuse other children. Research has proven that the aggressive behavior to bully is learnt and it is not a natural response (The National ALLIANCE for Parent Centers , 2003). Some other views that are used by parents include the view that words cannot hurt. This view is argued that even though the words do not leave any physical marks or bruises on the children they are able to leave emotional scars that are more damaging than the physical bruises and words.The words spoken tend to have long term consequences and effects on the victims as they affect the self esteem and confidence. Some bullies are able to learn this from an early age and they use this approach to intimidate other children (The National ALLIANCE for Parent Centers, 2003). Bullying by some parents is viewed as a natural part of childhood and they tend to dismiss their children when they disclose the fact that they are being bullied in schools (The National ALLIANCE for Parent Centers, 2003).Parents normally take up this view since the occurrence of bullying is so common hence it looks like a normal thing to occur to children when they are in school. The truth of the matter is tha t the aggression that is both physical and emotional should not be taken to be a normal part of childhood and action should be taken against it. Some parents are of the view that bullying is carried out to make the children become tougher. They hold the opinions that the more that the children are bullied the more they are able to toughen up and become strong emotionally and physically.The truth however is that bullying lowers their self esteem and makes them more afraid. It also lowers their self worth and affects their academic and social life even in their adulthood. Bullying is normally carried out with an intention to harm the victim and inflict a sense of power among the bullies (The National ALLIANCE for Parent Centers, 2003). v) Stopping Bullying in Schools It is sometimes difficult to understand how schools can provide the environment for bullying to take place yet they are very well supervised.Bullying however is carried out secretly and in hidden areas and adults includin g parents and teachers are not able to notice when it is going on. Other reasons that make it hard to detect is the fact that the school staff may see it as harmless play and therefore decide not to intervene. There may also be lack of enough supervisory settings that could lead to detecting the behavior in its likely occurrences (Wright, 2003). a) Laws on Bullying Anti bullying legislation has been developed to help curb the rise and spread of bullying within the school environment.The legislation provides for firm and fair enforcement of discipline within the school and security measures that provide for a climate that does not allow for bullying and threat making. The laws have been developed to help the school administrators’ deal with the issue. They require the schools to develop anti bullying policies and programs (Clabough, 2010). A national legislation that is against bullying has been proposed to make it mandatory for all schools to have these programs and policies that will help reduce the bullying incidents.The laws have been developed to emphasis to the schools that much is not being done to deal with bullying and that more needs to be done since bullying is an important issue that is affecting the schools. The laws are allowing for various legal actions to be taken up against the bullies who are reported to have bullied a fellow student. The legal action to be taken depends on the type of offence that has been reported (Clabough, 2010). For example where the offence reported involved included threatening the victim, legal action can be taken for threatening behavior and this is treated as a criminal offence.When the bullied acts involve sexual assault towards the victim, the legal action can be taken against indecent assault which is also treated as a criminal offence. An offence of common assault is charged against the bully when the victim was physically abused. Legal action may also include applying for an injunction against the bullies to prevent them from bullying the victim. The injunction can be used to instill fear upon the bully and hence stopping them from bullying the victim. Legal action however is only carried out if the actions of the bully are in more that two separate occasions and they are constant and ongoing.Evidence has to be gathered to prove the harassment and it must show that it led to severe damages to the victim (Clabough, 2010). The two offences of indecent assault and common assault can also be carried out without touching the victim. b) Their importance The anti bully legislation is very important in reducing the cases of bullying in the schools when everything has failed. The law can help sensitize the issue and teach the parents and teachers the need and importance of stopping the bullying behavior as it leads to severe consequences that are long term in some cases.The teachers and staff at the schools are taught how to identify and deal with bullying cases and establish effective strat egies that enable the children report the cases of bullying within the school (Antibullying, n. d). The laws can also be used to teach and educate the children on bullying the strategies and types of bullies that are in existence and how they can deal. The laws can also help curb the spread of the practice to other areas like the work places and other environments outside the school environment.Bullies can also be helped since most of them end up committing other crimes in the adulthood (Dombeck, n. d). The consequences of bullying can also be reduced especially where they are long term and severe like in the cases of suicides and psychological impacts on the children. c) Suicides by Children The need for these laws has been necessitated by the increase in the number of suicides cases that have been reported. One case in particular is the case of Phoebe Prince, a 15 year student who committed suicide after she was continuously bullied by her new classmates for over 3 months (Rota, 2 010).She had continuously been harassed verbally and physically by nine of her classmates, six of whom have been charged in court since the incident happened (O'Dowd, 2010). She had been a student of South Hadley High School located in Massachusetts, and had endured a lot of cyber bullying through popular websites like facebook, Twitter, Craigslist and Form spring and she also received threatening messages on her cell phone (Clabough, 2010). In school things had been thrown at her, while her face had been scribbled in her photographs that were hung on the school walls.The parents and the school officials had not done enough to stop the bullying even though they knew of the extent it had gone into. They had instead turned away and assumed a mentality of kids will be kids that led to the suicide. This was one of the cases that led to the Massachusetts anti bully legislation that was to curb such incidents from occurring (GLAD, 2010). d) Long Term Psychological Impact Bullying has been known to lead to long term effects that affect the victim’s psychology. Some of the effects of bullying include self esteem problems that may cause the adult to think lowly of them selves (Dombeck, n. d).They also tend to avoid social situations due to the interpersonal difficulties that they experience. Some of the victims of school bullying have reduced occupational opportunities since they do not get the chance to perform well in school. They have lingering bitterness and desires to seek revenge against the bullies. Some tend to have a lot of difficulty trusting people and they do not make many friends. They therefore tend to be lonely even in their adult life. In some cases the victims of school bullying continue to be bullied even in their work places and in other areas even in their adult life (Dombeck, n. d).e) Helping the Victim Overcome Victims of school bullying are usually very sad and deeply unhappy when they are in school (Banks, 1997). They suffer from low self esteem since they are usually self rejected by the classmates. There are various that the school can help the victims overcome the bullying and prevent it from occurring to them again. The first step of intervening is to ensure the victims safety. The victims are usually weaker than the bullies and hence they are not able to face the bullies on their own. The victims can be monitored when they are in schools to identify the times that they are bullied (Wright, 2003).The victim can also be encouraged to make friends with other students who will influence him or her positively. This will help increase the self esteem and confidence of the victim. As the victim makes more friends they may be able to help him when they are being bullied. They can be taught basic social skills to enable them make more friends. Mentors can also be allocated to the children who are bullied to be able to monitor them and protect them from the bullies (Wright, 2003). Victims can also be taught some skill th at can they can use to stand up to the bullies especially when they abuse is verbal.The parents of the victims can help the children to overcome the effects of bullying. The parents can become more involved in the lives of the child to ensure that they are able to notice the instances of bullying. They can help the child speak out when they are being bullied. Counseling can also help the child deal with the psychological effects of bullying such as depression, low self esteem and anxiety. They can therefore be able to deal with the anger that they may feel against the bullies and the need to seek revenge (Dombeck, n. d). f) Helping BulliesBullying is normally carried out in a secretive manner and can be difficult to identify within the schools (Wright, 2003). Teachers and school administrators may not be aware of how it is carried out. They must therefore assess the seriousness of the behavior and ensure that the students are aware of the seriousness of the matter. They should also be aware of the consequences of bullying and the charges that exist for bullies. If the bullies continue threatening the lives of the other students the teachers and the school administrators should now come up with ways to help the bullies turn around their behaviors.They can confront the bullies in a firm and fair manner that will not provoke them. They can communicate to the bullies without threatening them and give stern warnings that their behavior will not be tolerated. More stern measures can be put up if the bullies do not change their behavior. The confrontations should be carried out in private to ensure that they bully does not become defiant and refuse to compliance (Wright, 2003). To encourage them to change their behavior they can be rewarded if the cases for bullying reduce.Parents can be involved in the process to establish the reasons that lead the children to bully others. Where the reasons are based on the environment at home the parents can be involved in the pro cess of reforming the behaviors of the bullies. Counseling can be used to help the children deal with the issues at home and reduce their chances of taking out their problems or anger on other students (Banks, 1997). g) State of Massachusetts Stand The State of Massachusetts has become the 42nd state in the U. S to develop anti bully laws that are to be putt up in the schools (Clabough, 2010).The anti bully laws are one of the strongest laws that are against the bullying behavior being carried out in schools. The law which was developed in May of this year is very strict and requires all the schools within the state to protect their students from bullying and they must abide by this law (GLAD, 2010). This law applies to all the school regardless of whether they are private or public. It clearly defines the behavior of bullying and includes any repeated hostility that is directed to a student whether written, verbal or even if it is technologically spread.The technological methods in clude mass communication form of media that the victim can access directly or indirectly. It has taken into consideration the use of social media like facebook that are used to bully victims by writing on their walls. The law has made it compulsory for every school in the state with the exception of some private schools to have an anti bully policy that should be posted on the websites of the schools and made available to any student or parent that may need it (â€Å"Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010,† 2010).The law also states that the policy should among others have procedures that should be followed whenever a bullying case is reported by a student. Disciplinary actions should also be stipulated in the policy clearly according to the law together with the procedures for notifying the parents of any cases that may involve their children bullying or being bullied. It further stipulates that the schools should offer counseling services to the victims of the bullying as well as t he bullying themselves.According to the Massachusetts law, the teachers and the school administrators should undergo some training to be in a position to handle the bullying cases in the schools and also come up with ways of preventing them from happening (GLAD, 2010). The training should also make them aware of the causes of bullying and various types of incidences that make up cyber bullying. The law has also given the teachers the mandate to report the cases of bullying once they notice them to the relevant authorities. School administrators should also be in able to investigate the reports of bullying and carry out disciplinary action on the students involved.Students within the state are required by the law to know and understand the behavior of bullying. The schools should be able to teach them this information and make them understand. This includes the children who are in between the ages of kindergarten and those that are in grade 12 (GLAD, 2010). The students should be tau ght how to prevent bullying and how to handle the bullies appropriately. They should also know the differences that exist among the children who bully them and why they bully them.The law has been very effective in the region and cases of bullying have been seen to have reduced significantly. 5. 0 Conclusion Bullying is a serious issue that is affecting very many children in the schools and has been going on for a very long time now. There is need to come up with a method that will help eliminate its existence especially the new form of bullying that has emerged that is the cyber bullying. Anti bully laws can help eliminate this kind of bullying together with the other forms of bullying that have been in practice. Cyber bullying is hard to detect but its conseque

Quality Insurance

Quality Improvement Plan: Part III – Managing and Improving Quality In today’s health care environment, competition remains high and many organizations are seeking new ways to improve their quality of care, as well as remain competitive with other health care organizations in the process. Various methods exist today for organizations to integrate quality improvement strategies to help in the measurement of performance improvements.This paper will discuss:1) several methodologies, the pros and cons that exist with these methods, 2) describe information technology applications, how they may be used to improve patient falls, 3)discuss how benchmarking and milestones are involved in managing the use of quality indicators, and finally,4) describe how performance and quality measures are aligned to an organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan, and how these measurements align with Self-Regional Hospital’s mission, vision, and strategic plan for improvem ent. Methods for Quality Improvement StrategiesAccidental Falls have become the most commonly reported incident in hospitals today, and Self-Regional Hospital is no exception. Recently, Self-Regional researched and gathered specific fall data that included â€Å"mobility/gait, lower-extremity strength, history in fractures, visual, or auditory impairments, dizziness, dehydration, depression, stroke, ischemic attacks, and cardiac arrhythmias† and the role they play with patient falls in the organization (The Joint Commission, 2007, p. 26). They are now in the process of researching various methodologies to help manage and improve this area of concern.Several concepts that concern total quality management (TQM), and quality improvement (QI) are offering health care organizations and their administrators the opportunity to decide which methodology would be most successful in improving quality care for their patients. There are three methodologies Self-Regional is considering: 1) Six Sigma, 2) Lean, and 3) Customer Inspired Quality (CIQ). â€Å"One of the key components of quality improvement is the technology that gathers and compares the data that the quality improvement measure produces† (Dlugacz, 2006).Once this information has been gathered, the organization can benchmark with other comparable organizations. The Six Sigma model, pioneered by Motorola, is used to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying, and removing defects through a problem-solving approach that works to improve quality outputs. The Six Sigma methodology achieves this by using a process known as the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control), for existing quality processes that are below specifications, and are in need of improvement in increments.There are features with Six Sigma that separates it from other initiatives of quality improvement: * Clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns * Increased emphasis on stron g leadership and support * Special Infrastructure of â€Å"Champions,† to lead and implement the Six Sigma approach * Clear commitment to making decisions based on verifiable data, rather than assuming or guess work (Harry, 2000). The second model is Lean, which played a key role for Toyota’s success.This method is used to help reduce or alleviate waste, while working to improve an organization’s performance through their workflow processes. Organization’s that use Lean have a clear understanding of consumer value, and continuously will focus on the key processes to improve it. Their goal is to provide excellent value to the consumer, by developing an excellent value process that has zero waste. Lean offers the organization the opportunity to identify steps in a quality improvement process, and then identify the steps that are valuable and non-valuable.Once the non-valued steps have been identified they will be removed to prevent waste in the process (Lea n Enterprise Institute, 2009). The Customer Inspired Quality method is the last method for quality improvement that Self-Regional is considering. In 1992, Shaw Resources patented this methodology to focus on work processes that have direct impact on the care and services that hospitals provide. The Customer Inspired Quality methodology identifies, defines, analyzes, and improves the quality and effectiveness of processes in the health care environment with an emphasis on the following work process evaluating components: Integrates department services that are related to defined systems concerning care * Improves productivity and efficiency, while reducing unneeded work processes and costs * Can be implemented as short-term or long-term quality improvement processes * Patient loyalty and satisfaction is enhanced (Shaw Resources, n. d. ). Pros and Cons of Quality Improvement Methodologies There are always pros and cons to any quality improvement methodology. For instance, the pros of Six Sigma tend to place extreme importance on leadership and its support for the success of the project.Another pro is the integration of different human elements, which include cultural change, and focus on the customer and their needs. â€Å"By using the concept of statistical thinking, Six Sigma encourages applications of statistical tools and techniques that reduce variability† (Harry, 2000). The cons of Six Sigma include, not having the quality data available, especially when a new process has been implemented without having the data available. Often the solutions that Six Sigma proposes can be costly and only a small portion of the solution can be implemented.When using Six Sigma the choosing of the right project is critical to its success. The pros for Lean include: * Minimizing overhead cost to thirty percent * Eliminates most waste, if not all * Can improve productivity by eighty percent * Eliminates negative behaviors and employees have a clear objective of the orga nization’s expectations The Lean methodology’s cons include: * Can be difficult to attain support from all employees, due to resistance of change * Personality clashes can occur if some individuals do not take orders well from their co-workers Lean training is ongoing and in the beginning is time-consuming (Businessknowledgesource. com, 2010). The pros of the Customer Inspired Quality methodology include: * Quality improvement efforts are prioritized based on the customer’s needs * Friendly and encourages input from employees The main con with the Customer Inspired Quality method is that is structured primarily for health care organizations. Information Technologies for Quality Improvements Information technology plays a major role when it comes to quality improvement methods used by health care organizations.Self-Regional Hospital has implemented software known as Business Objects. The components of Business Objects â€Å"provide performance management, planni ng, reporting, query and analysis, and enterprise information management† (Sap. com, 2008). The Business Objects Enterprise offers the organization the ability to track report instances by triggering alerts. The reports have parameters that can be modified to perform analysis on the data and the organization also has the ability set alerts that trigger when certain conditions are met or not met.The data can be customized to show in charts and can be customized to allow the organization the opportunity to drill down into the data. Information technology allows data to also be displayed in a dashboard or a scorecard. A dashboard is a tool that monitors the ongoing performance of a process and its data in real time. Whereas, scorecards report on past performances and generally focuses on outcomes rather than processes. All of these applications can be used by administrators to track quality improvement processes of the organization.Administrators also have the ability to design t he scorecards or dashboards to display only information that is pertinent to the process. These processes would also give Self-Regional the ability to examine data that pertains to patient falls within their organization. Benchmarks and Milestones Benchmarking is a process that gives an organization the ability to compare their performance metrics and processes to other organization’s best practices. In other words, benchmarking is the process of an organization comparing itself to their competitors and defines how the competition performs better.In health care, when an organization has a clear understanding of how their competitor/s meets their standards, they can set goals for quality improvements within their own organization. Benchmarking is beneficial for improving customer satisfaction, as well as improve core measurements set by the Joint Commission. Self-Regional Hospital can use benchmarking as a means to compare how hospitals rate on patient falls and what processes they have set in place to improve in this area. The hospital would benefit by using the website â€Å"hospitalcompare. hs. gov to research on patient satisfaction, quality improvement outcomes, and where they rate in these areas as well. Potential benchmarks Self-regional will strive for improved core measures at 90% for patient falls. Another area the organization will strive for is to improve patient safety. In order for the hospital to do this they will need to continue to implement the processes that support the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals, and implement quality improvement processes that will involve the organization as a whole.Self-Regional will also implement computerized provider order entry (CPOE), and will also begin the process of extending the goals to the emergency department and critical care areas. The third bench mark will be to enhance the patient’s experience by using the DMAIC model to understand and support the emotional, spir itual, and clinical needs of the patients. Self-Regional Hospital will use the Customer Inspired Quality Methodology for implementing their performance improvement processes with patient falls. Data will be comprised from Crystal reports to display balanced scorecards and dashboards.The organization will divide the dashboards into the Extending Elements, team, clinical, service, market, and finance. This information will be used in conjunction with information from benchmarking data to monitor the quality improvement plan. Health care organization’s use performance and quality measures to align their products and service activities with their mission, vision, and strategic planning to help improve their internal and external communications, as well as monitor the organization performance against their strategic goals.Self-Regional Hospital’s mission, vision, and strategic planning is aligned with their performance and quality measures to provide continuous advanced qua lity care that will improve their patient outcomes, while focusing on patient satisfaction in the process. APA References Dlugacz, Y. D. (2006). Measuring Health Care Using Data for Operational, Financial, and Clinical Improvement, San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass Publications Harry, Mikel J. (2000). The Nature of Six Sigma Quality.Rolling Meadows, Illinois: Motorola University Press. p. 25 Lean Enterprise Institute, (2009). What is Lean? Retrieved on September 26, 2011 from http://www. lean. org/WhatsLean/ Shaw Resources, (n. d. ). Customer Inspired Quality: Health Care Operational Improvements, Retrieved on September 26, 2011 from http://shawresources. com/ customer-inspired-quality-and-processes-improvement. htm Sap. com (2008). Retrieved on September 26, 2011, from http://www. sap. com/ solutions/sapbusinessobjects/index. epx