Introduction to Emergency Planning and Operations; Types of Essay - 1

Introduction to Emergency Planning and Operations; Types of Emergencies and Disasters - Essay Example Precise officially permitted limits are set down for innumerable â€Å"chemical contaminants and naturally-occurring toxicants† in foodstuff (Table 1.0). Traditionally, these were countrywide restrictions put in place by the UK government. Though, these nationalized limits had been outmoded by the limits set by the EU Commission in the last few years. MAFF embarks a yearly program of assessment for meticulous chemical contaminants and naturally-occurring toxicants with an intention to determine the extent to which consumers are bare to presence of objectionable levels of contaminants or naturally-occurring toxicants in available foodstuffs. Observation program for entity contaminants or naturally-occurring toxicants is performed for a range of reasons: The MAFF â€Å"Joint Food Safety and Standards Group† (JFSSG) issues a â€Å"Surveillance and Short Term Research and Development Requirements Document† once a year inviting latent contractors to propose tenders for inspection surveys in evidently pre-specified vicinities. The independent laboratories execute investigation of food samples collected from assorted sources. The â€Å"sampling procedure† espoused depends mainly on the precise aspirations of the analysis, even though a core objective that lies beneath this effort is to evaluate levels of harmful chemicals in the countrywide diet and to calculate approximately the consumption of toxics. This policy looms towards controlling the levels of chemical contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants identified to cause a health dilemma at the present time, even as endeavoring to categorize novel tribulations as they occur and develop techniques of control in the outlook. â€Å"Mean rating scores† for the potency of the existing supervision program for policy of â€Å"chemical contaminants and naturally-occurring toxicants† present in food materials are detailed below in Table 1.1. The most

Insurance case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Insurance - Case Study Example shows that he gets around $6Â  875 but there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration with regards to the actual net income he will get. This gross income is subject to tax deductibles. The other issue that the Walter should seriously take into consideration is that he is still young and his family is young too. His family history of BP prevalence makes it imperative for him to prioritize his healthcare issues. It is therefore recommended that Walter should make sure that he together with his family are fully covered in terms of health policies instead of focusing on other activities that are considered luxury. It is imperative for Walter to review his monthly income and expenditure in order to be able to draw a budget that is commensurate with the disposable money available. Walter risks incurring debts that may pose a burden to him if he fails to concentrate on basic things such as life and health insurances on top of other needs. On the other hand, it can be noted that Jessica’s monthly income is little and not consistent since she survives on part time jobs. There are other issues such as tax implications that cannot be evaded so Jessica should make sure that she operates within budget in order to be in a position to meet basic needs in life. Instead of craving for fancy things which expensive at the same time, it is recommended that Jessica should at least focus on pertinent issues that will secure her life in the event of unprecedented scenarios happening. Buying an expensive car on credit does not add value to their lives. Life and health insurances are more important than other luxury expenses that seem to gobble much of her income. In this case, Jessica should revise down expenses such as entertainment, clothing as well as groceries. Essentially, Jessica should prioritize life and insurance issues considering that her children are also under her custody. Indeed, she has responsibility for them. In order to be on the safe side given her

Transforming Hr Into Strategic Functions Management Essay

Transforming Hr Into Strategic Functions Management Essay High competition, pressure imposed by environmental changes, accelerated trends for change, and new management techniques have caused enterprises to evolve dramatically with respect to their structure as well as cultural and human resources (Garcia, 1997 cited in ).Nowadays, it is important to consider HRM as a strategic dimension within the wider improvement of quality and good marketing position. HRM can be said to be a strategic coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued assets- the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives (Armstrong, 2000). The field of strategic human resources management has enjoyed a remarkable ascendancy during the past two decades, as both an academic literature and focus on management practice (Becker Huselid, 2006). The transition from the older HR practice with focus on staff matter to a subject of re-birth which focuses on linking people as organizational asset with the business strategy of the firm (Niehaus, 1995) means that the HR professional is performing a new and more challenging responsibility that requires new competencies and skills. The Human Resource function should be strategically integrated with a companys business plan to help the company achieve its business objectives. The objective of HR professionals is to ensure that HR adds value to strategic planning and business results of the organization (Ulrich, 2001). HR lacks alignment with other departmental goals To be involved with the over-all strategy, HR needs to be aligned with the organization. One Harvard survey found that 80% of HR departments lack a strategic planning process that aligns it spending with the organizations strategy (Norton, 2001). HR needs to become interdependent with the rest of the organization. HR needs to take a comprehensive approach that aligns its actions with the entire organizational strategy. The motivation to correct these HR problems is high because the strategic integration of HR into an organization achieves a competitive advantage. HR has much to contribute in a strategic supporting role. The ultimate goal is for HR to support an organization through the management of human capital, which is the major subset of the broader organizations strategy. HR needs to be part of the organizations strategy development. In order for HR to effectively align itself with the strategy of an organization, it must present top management with solutions that address the s trategic need and support of the organization (Freedman, 2004). Definition of Human Resource Transformation Beer (1997) argued that the HR function needs to shed its traditional administrative role and adopt a new strategic role, aimed at developing the organisation and the capabilities of its managers. The drive towards a more strategic HR function has pre-occupied the profession for some time and HR functions are increasingly under pressure to become a strategic business partner or an internal consultant, to become aligned to the business strategy, demonstrate its added value (Alvares, 1997, p.9), and latterly, to become involved in Human Capital Management. HR professionals aspire to a strategic role because it raises their status, makes their work more interesting, lifts their personal career horizons and (hopefully) is better for the business as a whole. One of the biggest perceived barriers to achieving this strategic role is the amount of time spent on administrative work; although the amount of time spent on administration has been steadily falling over recent years, to 36% from 50 % between 2003 and 2007 (CIPD, 2007a), a Mercer report on the HR function (Mercer, 2007) confirmed that HR teams would like to reduce the time spent on delivering services, transactions and compliance even more. The response by many HR functions has been to undertake a programme of significant organisational change, frequently labelled as transformation. Human Resources Transformation has been defined as follows: The process of recreating or reinventing the HR function such as re-engineering, restructuring, implementing new systems or a new HR service delivery model, outsourcing or co-sourcing with the specific intent of enhancing HRs contribution to the business (Mercer, 2007, p.1). HR transformation is something done internally to improve the ability of the human resources group to work more effectively with management teams, creating greater value, bringing more timely information, becoming a better business partner. Steve Klingbeil, Partner Chazey Partners A true definition of HR Transformation is an integrated, aligned, innovative, and business-focused approach to redefining how HR work is done within an organization so that it helps the organization deliver on the promises made to customers, investors, stakeholders, and other stakeholders. (HRT- building Human Resources from the outside in, Ulrich, 2009) Drivers and Barriers for HR Transformation According to a 2005 survey (Rampat 2005, p. 7) key drivers for HR transformation include the following: Making HR strategic Improving HR service Responding to changes in business Benefiting from new technology Better managing the cost of internal processes The same survey also revealed the following key barriers to the success of HR transformation Lack of appropriate skills among HR staff Lack of appropriate support technology An unwillingness to take risk or deal with complexity Difficulties in dealing with bureaucracy Difficulties in dealing with corporate or international cultural differences Lack of employee buy-in to HR Transformation Failure in building a business case to support change Lack of genuine top management support Regulatory constraints Unions According to the 2008 Global HR Transformation Report done by Human Resource Outsourcing Association (HROA) in association with Automatic Data Processing (ADP), among the keys to success in achieving HR transformation goals are: Access to better tools/resources: improved/new technology, use of online tools and services, and automation of processes; Change management and education: change management planning prior to implementing a transformation programme, cultural acceptance of change, training and motivation to encourage and engage staff in the transformation, and pre-transformation agreement on the programme goals; Management support at both the top and line levels: gaining top-level management support, and as much line-manager level buy-in as possible, prior to programme introduction; and, continually demonstrating the benefits of the programme to attempt to increase line-level buy-in over time; Alignment, focus and standardisation: alignment between HR and business units, harmonisation of processes, centralisation of services, standardised reporting The New Roles and Competencies of the HR Professional David Ulrich and Wayne Brockbank (2005) have created a model that describes the new roles of human resource professionals. They stress on the importance of building professional, credible relationships across the organization, and performing in a manner that both supports the business and preserves the integrity of the profession. As they outline the new capabilities of the human resource function the role of strategic talent management begins to emerge. Human resources professionals become less responsible for providing service and more accountable for facilitating better decisions. David Ulrich defined 5 major HR Roles in his HR Model to build efficient and modern Human Resources professionals. Figure 2.1: HR roles defined by Ulrich HR Professionals are Employee Advocate, with the responsibility to make sure that the employer -employee relationship is one of reciprocal value Furthermore, the build workforce of the future through the Human Capital Developer. They are also Functional Expert who design and delivers hr practices that ensures individual competence and organizational capability. As Strategic Partner, they help line managers at all levels meet their goals. And to sum the first four roles, HR Leaders need to lead and value their own function. Ulrich et Al., (2005) There are six major factors of HR competencies according to Ulrich et al., (2009), they believe that it is vital for the HR function to be a strategic professional player in a changing world. The two arrows (see figure 2.2 below) illustrate that HR must consider both aspects of the business, i.e. people and business oriented. The characteristics/roles HR people must have or play (six circles within the V shape below) to achieve will be described further. Figure 2.2: Competency model by Ulrich and Brockbank Credible activists build relationships of trust based on facts and have a point of view not just about HR issues, but about business issues. Operational executors do the operational work that have to be addressed by HR, using information systems to ensure better, faster and cheaper HR delivery. Business allies demonstrate a firm grasp on how the organization operates, how they work to enable to make a profit and compete. Culture and change stewards support the organization in identifying and facilitating important changes that improve the capabilities of the organization to compete. It is important that HR professionals help to formulate, communicate and create the organizational culture. Talent managers and organizational designers provide important support and counsel in both employees development (for example, competence and career development) and how the organization capability. Strategy architects contribute to the development, execution and communication of winning strategies. They prepare themselves for the future by drawing strategies to meet upcoming challenges. Possessing the competencies and performing the roles mentioned above, HR departments will derive their goals from the business objectives of the organization and become more strategically involved. HR Transformation and Technology Rapid improvements in technologies are changing the way work is performed by HR professionals from being administrative to todays a more strategic role. With new approaches such as Human Resource Information System (HRIS), web-enabled HR applications, HR self-service and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR practitioners are now more involved in strategic decision making. A key development in the field of IT is the emergence of enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, such as Oracle, SAP and PeopleSoft. Enterprise resource planning systems are commercial software packages that enable the integration of transaction-oriented data and business processes throughout an organization (Markus and Tanis, 2000). ERP packages may be configured to more closely fit an enterprises structure, business practices and workflow (Chalmers, 1999). Recently, the HR function has had to adopt a more value adding role to the organization. With the growth of information technology, HR can be relieved from the burden of transactional human resource activities and this can be accomplished either by outsourcing some of the HR function, but what would be more relevant to this study, is to use technology solutions. There is a greater opportunity for HR professionals to become a strategic partner Self-Service HR self-service technology assists in meeting the needs of employees and managers, while supporting business objectives (Keebler Rhodes, 2002). Employee Self Service allow employees to manage their own HR activities such as updating their own personal details, leave application, nominate themselves for training, facilitating feedback and giving them visibility of the information held about them on HR systems. Eventually, HR professionals can concentrate on value added HR activities and spend fewer resources in managing administrative HR activities. Manager Self-Service (MSS) puts the information managers need at their fingertips giving them the ability to more closely monitor and direct their team towards the strategic goals of the organization. Business Partner Model Within this transformational HRM area, Walker (2001) breaks this down further into three types of work done in transformational e-HRM. These types of work include: strategic partnering with the business, creating centres of expertise and administration of service centres. In order to move to the third level of HRM, Beatty (2001) identifies five success factors. These include changing: the culture of HR, the people employed in the HR function, and also their competencies, developmental needs and their performance; the roles and responsibilities of individuals performing HR activities, that is, the structure of the HR function; HR processes or HR products; service delivery and development; and finally; the technology used for HR functions, which may include enterprise-wide systems and custom systems. HR Shared Services Centres HR shared service centre is defined as follows by (Brescia and Hartness, 2001): A centralized location where customer transactions and customer enquiries are handled Increasingly, HR are now using the shared services concept to drive down costs, provide increased levels of service and improve data accuracy and integrity. HR shared service centers help transform HR into a business-driven function focused on facilitating and supporting organizational change. HR shared service centre is usually a part of a wider transformation of HR structure within the organization. Shared service centers are usually proposed for the organizations strategic reasons in order to improve the capability and effectiveness of HR function. The HR shared service centre can include the full service from routine administration in recruitment, payroll and training, or provide specialist HR information and advice on HR policy and practice. While HR shared services provide quantifiable benefits in terms of cost reduction (through achieving economies of scale, the standardization of process, better management structures, etc.), the strategic benefits achievable from HR transformation are significantly more important. Strategic benefits of HR shared services include sharing more relevant and accurate information across the organization (sharing HR best practice, leveraging HR expertise, pooling knowledge across different parts of the organization and different geographical regions), achieving greater structural flexibility, improving organizational learning, and freeing up HR from day-to-day routine enquiries. Centres of Expertise (CoE) CoE provide specialist technical and professional support to the business and other areas of HR on specialist HR topics. CoE HR professionals play a number of important roles that should be clarified in an HR transformation: They create service menus aligned with the capabilities driving business strategy. They diagnose needs and recommend services most appropriate to the situation. They collaborate with embedded HR professionals in selecting and implementing the right services. They create new menu offerings if the current offerings are insufficient. They manage the menu. They shepherd the learning community within the organization. Strategic Business Partner Senior HR professionals working closely with business leaders influencing and steering strategy and strategy implementation. The role can vary enormously depending on organisational size and business priorities. Some activities that strategic partners are likely to be involved in include: organisational and people capability building longer term resource and talent management planning using business insights to drive change in people management practices Intelligence gathering of good people management practices internally and externally, so they can raise issues that executives may not be aware of. Model for HR Transformation The following HR Transformation is a four phased model proposed by Ulrich et al., (2009) Business Context (Why) Phase one addresses the question: why carry out transformation? To start Human Resource Transformation journey it is important to ensure that the context of the business is clearly understood by all those involved in the transformation process. Ulrich et al., (2009) believe that when the presenting problem for HR transformation comes from the context of the business and from the expectations of key stakeholders, then the case for transformation is stronger than if the presenting problem originates primarily inside the business. Outcomes (What) Phase two explains the expected outcomes from the transformation. Hr transformation should also change the fundamental identity, culture, or image of the business. This outcome is referred to as defining and building capabilities. These capabilities become the identity of the firm, the deliverables of HR practices, and the keys to implementing business strategy. Redesign HR (How) This phase has three components, each of which is a way of defining what we mean by HR: The HR function or department may need to be redesigned. HR professionals may be upgraded to possess the competencies required to do their work. HR practices may be transformed to be more effectively or more fully aligned, integrated, and innovative. The transformation model focuses on redesigning the HR function to make sure that it is aligned with business strategy. The redesigned of HR needs to differentiate between transactional and transformational work. Furthermore competencies of HR professional may need upgrade in order to perform their roles in the new organization. Hr practices may need to be revamped. Four domains representing the flows or process central to organizational success are as follows: Flow of people- ensuring talent availability to accomplish organisational strategy. Flow of performance management- promoting accountability for performance and rewarding it Flow of information- ensuring employees is given information needed to do their work properly. Flow of work- who does the work, how and where work is done and ensure quality outputs. The flows should also be integrated with each other to bring results. Accountability (Who) Line managers are ultimately accountable for ensuring that the organization has the right talent and right structures in place to deliver on the expectations of customers, shareholders and communities. Clear role definition and rigorous accountability will help an HR transformation succeed. HR Transformation achieved at AT T Anne Fritz, vice-president HR, who has been with ATT for almost 30 years, said: As competition, rapid technological breakthroughs and globalization turned our business upside down; the old HR model could not support the need for strategic change. Now, our role is to help internal partners to succeed in sometimes-fragile states of competitiveness and to ensure that we have the talent in place to build future business capability. Doing so delivers a value-adding service. HR transformation was achieved through key steps that represent a good-practice model for integrating the HR function with business strategies and aligning organizational performance to corporate goals. The key steps were: Determining strategic business needs customers, growth, reducing cost and technology; reviewing organizational structure, dynamics and systems Defining the strategic implications for HR continuous learning, team working and empowerment Identifying HR systems those that were required to support organizational, structural and cultural change Leveraging HR capability through leading-edge practices leadership, staffing, performance management and education Devising high-level HR initiatives for special needs, such as workforce planning and downsizing. Implications of the Human Resource Transformation in the Telecommunication Industry The HR Transformation model proposed by Ulrich and HRT process at AT T will be used as background for this study. The different components in the above transformation process at AT T key steps are interrelated, only those that seemingly represent the important practices and or potential constraints in HRT will be further explained below. Empowerment Empowerment is an essential element of organizational change and transformation as the global business environment becomes ever more competitive. By enabling managers and employees to have more control over their work and their working lives, they are being empowered. Employee Self-Service (ESS) has a great influence on the empowerment aspect. ESS allows employees to help themselves (changing their personal details, checking or applying for leaves, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), thus HR professionals are now free to spend less time on day-to-day recordkeeping and focus on value-added functions that aid in meeting the goals and objectives of the organization (i.e., talent management, staff development and retention, performance management, rewards, etc.). Furthermore MSS enable managers processing basic HR transaction (appraisals) and retrieve data without involving the HR professionals. Leadership Effective leadership of the change process is fundamental to its success (Buckingham, 2005;Hunt Buzan, 1999; Johnson Uline, 2005; Kamener, 2004). The concept of managerial leadership permeates and structures the theory and practice of work organizations and hence the way we understand SHRM. In the management texts, leadership has been defined in terms of traits, behaviour, contingency, power, and occupation of an administrative position. Most definitions reflect the assumption that leadership involves a process whereby an individual exerts influence upon others in anorganizational context. Employee satisfaction, motivation, and loyalty are of major importance when it comes to retain the most valuable employees and this is where a strong leadership becomes very important. There is a difference between management and leadership. Leadership means understanding the corporate mission, developing goals which support the mission, then using personal and management skills to help build a stable, skillful, productive and satisfied workforce. Leadership is seen as the power to inspire and motivate the ability to permeate employees with the desire to change the organization to the best. Training and development Swanson (1995) defined employee training and development as the process of systematically developing expertise in individuals for the purpose of improving performance. Trainings strategic contributions to the organizations goal include new employee orientations, diagnosis and correction of skills problems, remedial training and sometimes long-term career development (Ceriello and Freeman, 1991). Indeed training and development is an important aspect in HRT, with new technologies, enhancement of HR practices and processes put in place, training will be required to adapt to new HR requirements. Link: Survey of Global HR Challenges: Yesterday, today and tomorrow PWC Leadership development also proves to be a big challenge. HR professionals continue to wrestle with understanding the best ways to keep people in the pipeline and develop leaders for future succession planning. Increasingly recognized as becoming strategic business partners within their organizations, HR professionals are expected to provide the essential frameworks, processes, tools, and points of view needed for the selection and development of future leaders. Across the globe leadership development has been identified as a critical strategic initiative in ensuring that the right employees are retained, that the culture of the organization supports performance from within to gain market position, and that managers are equipped to take on leadership roles of the future so that the organization is viable in the long term. Performance Management Performance management is a holistic process, bringing together many of the elements which go to make up the successful practice of people management, including in particular learning and development. Performance management is about establishing a culture in which individuals and groups take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and of their own skills, behavior and contributions. At AT T performance HR initiatives is monitored by using the corporations top-level business performance measures: Customer value-added. The degree to which the competencies, people-planning and culture/design requirements have an impact on customer satisfaction. Financials. Revenues, cost reductions and earnings realized from the deployment of competencies, people planning and performance management. People value-added. A measure of the degree to which employee perceptions of leadership, job satisfaction and diversity issues, among others, meet or exceed corporate goals and objectives for all four requirements of the performance-system model. Performance management will aid the HR Transformation process, measuring the performance of employees will help in monitoring the productivity in the organization and establishing a culture of continuous learning, motivation that will result in better ROI. HR managers and professionals must take the lead in building and maintaining this performance culture and in ensuring it permeates the organization. Rewards are often credited as a source of motivation. Communication Good communication between HR function, line managers and employees is essential. Employees need to feel they form part of the organisation and have to be made aware of what is happening within their workplace. Lack of communication to employees can lead to confusion, rumours, misinterpretations and negative morale. Managers often think that employees are more aware than they really are. By building strong communication messages to employees this could help obtain commitment of employees which is important to the good functioning of the business where HRM is being transformed strategically. User involvement All parties should be involved Change management (structural and cultural change) The Inside Track on HR Outsourcing: Retained HR and Other Success Strategies Bruce Barge, Namrata Mundhra and Hameedah Merchant, 2007 The changes associated with HR transformation put enormous pressure on HR. HR transformation has a wide reach, often affecting the entire organization. With the emphasis of HRO on self-service, managers and employees often have concerns about the decrease in face-to-face contact with HR. HR staff often have fears about performance expectations that are connected more strategically to the business. Business leaders might have doubts about HRs ability to attain a more strategic role. Further, while HR is often the champion of change in an organization, there are unique challenges in managing change around HR transformation. HR is supposed to be a role model of effective change management, yet in this case it is the function that will need to navigate through the most wrenching change as HR transforms itself to accept a new and difficult role. A strong understanding of stakeholder concerns and interests is necessary to take a proactive approach to change management. An impact analysis provides a basis from which enablers and barriers to change can be identified. In an impact analysis, a sample population from the stakeholder groups, including executives, managers, employees and HR staff, is surveyed through focus groups and interviews. The findings of the impact analysis drive the development and execution of practical approaches to effect change, which are documented in a change management plan. HRO should help the HR generalist, or business partner, staff focus more resources on the crucial change and talent issues that drive competitive success of the business. HR needs to change and lead change initiatives to transform other functions. If HR transformation is implemented skillfully, HR professionals will become a much more vital contributor to organizational success through business partnership and strong leadership. Hr professionals Engage in projects with other departments Role and competencies Training, coaching guiding Attract, hire, retain talent Employees Be more empowered Participate Engage on self-learning Committed Line Managers Encourage movement of staff to work collaboratively with other departments Empower and motivate staffs Building Employee Commitment encouraging employees professional development, compensating them fairly use MSS fine tune hr strategy to fit with org strategy structure and resource allocation communicating strategy, organization changes at all levels

Differences of Love in Shakespeares Romeo and Juleit Essay -- Shakespe

Two lovers, different in beliefs, yet the same in thoughts and feelings, are set to have a tragic ending in their life story. In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare portrays differences between the love of Romeo for Juliet, and the love of Juliet for Romeo. Many people often wonder why this love between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet did not turn out for the best. It is not their love for one another that finally breaks them apart from the world, it is the way they love one another. The couple struggled to the death trying to make their passionate love work out with each other, but their many differences kept coming up in their lives and getting in the way of their love. While Romeo is a Manic lover and Juliet is an Erotic lover, their love is more likely to be star-crossed. Romeo is a Manic type of lover, which is the main reason why The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet did not have a happy ending. There are many examples of Romeo being a Manic lover. One good example is when he is talking to Friar Lawrence the morning after Romeo meets Juliet and sneaks away to her house to woo her. Romeo says to Friar Lawrence, ?Then plainly know my hearts dear love is set / On the fair daughter of rich Capulet, / As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine?/ We met, we wooed, and made exchange of vow?/ That thou consent to marry us today? (II, iii, 57-59, 62, 64). This explains how Romeo becomes intensely preoccupied with thoughts of Juliet and need for Juliet?s love. Romeo?s heart is set on Juliet, and he can?t stop thinking about her. Inside, Romeo also knows that Juliet loves him, too, and her heart is set on his. Love at first sight is quick on Romeo. After less than one day of knowing her, Romeo has ... ...n love at first sight, this story may have had a different ending. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare clearly displays the tragic ending between Romeo and Juliet. The tragedy is not because of their love for one another, but for the differences between the ways they loved each other. Romeo was too fast for Juliet, and Juliet was too ideal for Romeo. If Romeo had been an Erotic lover, or Juliet had been a Manic lover, this tragedy may have ended up differently. It may not have even been a tragedy at all. Despite all the struggles between differences and families, Romeo and Juliet still had a very passionate love for each other at the ending, although it did not turn out as they had first planned. Romeo and Juliet?s love for one another did not have a truly happy ending, because the love between Romeo and Juliet was star-crossed from the beginning.

Boston Beer Company Essay

You are the investment banker assigned with the task of setting the IPO price for Boston Beer Company (BBC). Prepare a research report to support your recommendation. As you prepare this report, you may find that you would like to have more field information than what the case offers you. However, the case contains critical information that gives you a reasonable basis to compute its valuation. In addition use the following information for 1995. 1 Sales ($ millions) Redhook Pete’s BBC 25. 89 59. 17 151. 31 EPS . 75 . 25 . 40 Book value/share 7. 70 4. 33 3. 00 Price 27. 00 24. 75 ? Also, use the following information for BBC for 1996. Make additional assumptions as necessary (and state any additional assumptions) to compute free cash flows for subsequent years: 1. The ratio of Net profit before taxes to sales is 12%. 2. Tax rate is 35% 3. For every dollar of increased sales BBC will increase working capital by 15% (or working capital will increase by $0. 15 for every dollar of increased sales) 4. Capex is 2% of sales 5. Depreciation is 2% of sales 6. BBC’s beta is 1. 2. Use BBC’s cost of equity as its WACC since its debt is a trivial part of its capital structure. 7. Analysts’ growth forecast for BBC and for the craft brewing segment in general is 30% per year over the next five years. Present the following: 1. Overview of the industry – competitive landscape, expected short-term and longterm industry growth, key players in the industry. Summarize the key facts from the case in about one to two paragraphs. Identify the closest peers to BBC. †¢ Also, present as separate analysis of the relative growth of the craft brewing segment. Suppose the craft brewing segment grows at 30% per year for the next five years. What would be the % share (as a % of barrels sold) of the craft brewing segment in the beer industry? What would be the % share of the craft brewing segment if this segment grows at a 30% per year rate for the next 10 years? How do you expect established players in the market to react if this segment of the market grows at these rates? Some of the information for Pete’s and Redhook given below differ from the case. Use the information here in your analysis. 1 2. Business description and a brief history of the company. Does the company have any unique strategic positioning within the industry? – One paragraph 3. Present a qualitative assessment of the future outlook for the company. For example, are there any new products in the pipeline? Do you anticipate any competitive threats? Based on these developments, do you expect BBC’s growth and profitability to improve deteriorate, or stay about the same as in the past? 4. Revenue Forecasts and Free cash flow forecasts for the next ten years– †¢ Specifically explain if you are forecasting revenue and FCF growths and profit margins that are significantly different from the company’s historical experience and why. 5. Present a DCF analysis and determine BBC’s intrinsic value. Assume that BBC’s Enterprise Value/ NOPLAT will be 18 ten years from now (check for sensitivities by assuming a multiple of either 15 or 20). 6. Present a valuation based on valuation ratios (P/B, P/E, P/S) for comparable firms. What price would you recommend based on these valuation ratios? Based on your recommended price, is BBC’s P/B ratio bigger or smaller than that of Redhook? Of Pete’s? Can you justify this difference? Do the same analysis for P/E and P/S ratios. (Note: Suppose a particular valuation ratio for one firm is 25 and you recommend a corresponding valuation multiple of 35 for BBC. 2 Justify why BBC would command a higher valuation ratio. Justify the direction of the difference (higher or lower) and you do not have to precisely justify why BBC’s valuation multiple should be 35 rather than a different number, say 34. ) 7. Recommend an IPO price. 2 The numbers 25 and 35 that I use here are arbitrary, and I picked them only to explain the idea. Don’t attach any importance to these specific numbers.

Interpersonal Communications in Sweet Home Alabama

In Interpersonal Communications, it is important to understand how stereotyping can affect close relationships. When an individual uses stereotyping in a negative way, this in return negatively affects the relationship. This can lead to major problems in the long run. In Sweet Home Alabama, it is easy to see that false stereotypes lead to judgments reflecting badly on relationships. The clip shown of Sweet Home Alabama starts off with Melanie Carmichael, a fashion designer who is about to have her first runway show.After the runway show she has to go with her boyfriend, Andrew, to an event involving his mother, the mayor of New York City. On the way, Andrew surprises her with an engagement proposal. Although she says yes, she asks to keep it a secret until she can visit her parents. He agrees to let her visit home by herself to break the good news to them, before letting it become a public announcement. This is until his mom notices the engagement ring on Melanie’s finger and freaks out. Pictures of the three of them spread to all of the tabloids saying they’re engaged!She takes the first plane back to Alabama. This is when we find out that she actually has a husband, Jake, who refuses to sign the divorce papers. Although she is determined to get him to sign the papers, he still turns her down. He calls the sheriff and Melanie gets sent to jail where she has to call her parents. Her dad picks her up, and she tells them about the engagement. Melanie’s parents do not seem to approve, as they have not seen her since she left Jake seven years ago. They still think that her and Jake should be together. Many things can lead to a false judgment on another person.One term in particular that often leads to judgment and interpersonal communication problems is stereotyping. Stereotyping is to take a general characteristic of a certain group, and assume that every individual that belongs to that group takes on that characteristic. People stereotype bec ause it simplifies the process of perception. Once you find out that a person belongs to a certain group, it’s easier to just assume they take on the implied characteristics that go with that group to form an easier impression. This often leads to problems, because it â€Å"leads us to form flawed impressions of others† (McCornack, 2010, p. 00). An example of this is the idea that all African Americans are criminals. A person that is stereotypical would see an African American on the street and be scared that they are going to mug them. As you can see, this hurts the process of interpersonal communication. It hurts the process because if someone judges everyone they meet based on a stereotype, it will be hard for them to connect with anyone. It will also be difficult to for interpersonal relationships with others. In one specific scene of Sweet Home Alabama, Melanie has just arrived at Jakes house to ask him to sign the divorce papers.After she says that she needs them signed so that she can get on her way and go home, he refuses. He tells her to go home and see her parents before he even will consider talking about signing the papers. He then goes inside as she replies, â€Å"Jake, you dumb stubborn redneck hick, the only reason you won’t sign these papers is because I want you to! † He exclaims, â€Å"WRONG! The only reason I ain’t signing is because you’ve turned into some hoity toity Yankee bitch, and I’d like nothing more than to piss you off! † Throughout this whole ordeal, the two are making facial expressions depicting anger and annoyance.Also they are extremely verbally aggressive towards each other. In this scene, both Melanie and Jake use stereotypes against each other. Melanie calls Jake a redneck hick, saying that he is stubborn and stupid. This could be considered a stereotype because the label redneck hick is often associated with being stupid and hard headed. In the heat of the moment, she uses this to relieve anger and insult Jake. He then rebuttals by calling her a Yankee bitch and saying she has become hoity toity. People from the north or â€Å"Yankees† often have the reputation of being arrogant and rude.Jake is calling her a hoity toity Yankee bitch because he thinks that since she moved away she has become someone she’s not. Although they used to be in love and married they use these hurtful stereotypes to get their point across. The point of the stereotype usage is to hurt the other and the outcome is anger and even a little hurt. Melanie and Jake’s communication was competent in some areas, while incompetent in others. When it comes to appropriateness, they would both be incompetent. In the situation that they are in, both should be calm and acting like adults.Although many divorces get ugly, initially signing the papers should generally be done in a civilized manner. Instead they both would be considered as having low- self monitors bec ause they are just stating exactly what is on their mind. However, in terms of effectiveness they were both competent in their instrumental goal. Melanie gets it across very clearly that she wants Jake to sign the papers, while he makes it clear that he doesn’t plan on signing them. For the couple’s self-presentational goals they are clear that they do not like each other very much when they begin fighting.Melanie shows that she wants Jake to sign the papers so she can get on with her life. She wants to break the connection between them and she attempts to, but fails at her relational goals when Jake won’t sign the papers. He succeeds at his relational goals in that he does not want to give in and sign the papers ending their marriage. When it comes to ethics, they were both extremely hostile and over exaggerated leading to incompetency in this category of interpersonal communication. In order to have had more competent communication, Melanie should have been ca lm and composed when asking Jake to sign the papers.When he began to refuse, she should have reasoned with him and gotten him to agree without using judgmental words towards each other. As shown in Sweet Home Alabama, stereotyping others can lead to false judgments and even hurt feelings. This portrayed in the scene that I chose to analyze. Melanie and Jake made false stereotypes about each other by calling one another hurtful names that did not apply. This taught me that although it is just easier to assume stereotypes are true, you should not always be so quick to judge. paper 1 grade sheet introduction (4 pts. ) Did you describe the purpose of your paper?Did you mention the concept you will be analyzing? Did you adequately describe what happened in the movie excerpt? introduction4 pts. possible_____ body (28 pts. ) Did you clearly and correctly define and explain the course concept you selected? Was your explanation complete enough for the sake of understanding the later analysis ? course concept explanation7 pts. possible_____ Did you give a concise, yet vivid, description of the relevant scene(s) you selected for analysis? Was your explanation of the communication behaviors accurate and detailed with respect to the relevant verbal and nonverbal messages? cene & communication description7 pts. possible_____ Was your application and analysis of the course concept complete, thorough, and accurate? Did you discuss how the communication impacted relational outcomes between the characters? interpretation & analysis7 pts. possible_____ Was your evaluation of interpersonal communication competence insightful? Did you address appropriateness, effectiveness, and ethics in your analysis? Were your recommendations for improvement specific, accurate, and relevant to course material? IPC competence & recommendations7 pts. possible_____ conclusion (4 pts. Did you do a nice job of summarizing your paper and analysis? Did you explain what you learned from conducting the an alysis? Was your explanation insightful? conclusion4 pts. possible_____ general writing issues (4 pts. ) Is your paper well written? Is it free of typos, spelling errors, and other proofreading mistakes? Is your paper coherent, thorough, complete, and informative? writing4 pts. possible_____ concept approval (-4 points) Did you neglect to secure approval of your chosen concept by your TA’s specified due date? If so, 4 points will be deducted from your grade. TOTAL (out of 40 pts. )_____

The Roaring Twenties and the Illusion of Prosperity essays

The Roaring Twenties and the Illusion of Prosperity essays The Roaring Twenties had the illusion of prosperity for all. This was the result of the new advancements in technology of that time. The economic transformations brought about changes in all aspects of society and seemed to push the nation into an age of modernism and prosperity. However, beneath the success that seemed to permeate during the 20's, immigration, urban growth, and social tensions remained polemic issues. Like any other time of prosperity experienced before, people attempted to counter the new way of life. Many new organizations and ideas arose in response to the original values and attitudes. The Ku Klux Klan, fundamentalism, and prohibition all aimed to reform society. Though the 20's experienced economic success, the issues that came along with that success and the changing times evoked social conflict from different peoples. The conservative political and cultural values that were being espoused threatened to tear the social fabric. The KKK, fundamentalism, and pr ohibition struggled to limit the extent of change. Many felt that immigrants, blacks and new beliefs were tainting the American way of life. The Ku Klux Klan hoped to act as a catharsis to filter out alien influences and other impurities that had corrupted traditional American values. The KKK opposed the theory of evolution and supported traditional Protestant values and restriction on immigration. The hope ban the immigration of inferior peoples came in response to the nativism of the Klan. Jews, Catholics, and most of all, blacks were the main targets of the Klan. In response to the new values of the 20's, they denounced the Flapper lifestyle and the "demon rum." Traditional family values and ethnic, moral and religious purity that the Klan advocated appealed to many. Also, there was the excitement and cohesion that the Klan provided which led to increased membership. One member wrote, "Who can look upon a multitude of white-robed Klansmen without th...

Free Essays on Globalization Is Good For Mankind

Globalization is Good For Mankind Globalization holds huge potential and could be the answer to many of the world’s problems. Murray Weidenbaum argues that globalization benefits all countries that participate in world markets and can produce many opportunities. He believes that globalization has become a bad word and people oppose to it because they have developed their views from myths based on insufficient facts. The ten myths which he identified are: globalization costs jobs, the United States is an island of free trade in a world of protectionism, Americans are hurt by imports, U.S. companies are running away especially to low-cost areas overseas, American companies doing business overseas take advantage of local people (especially in poor countries) and pollute their environments, the trade deficit is hurting our economy and we should eliminate it, it’s not fair to run such large trade deficits with China or Japan, Sanctions and export controls work, trade agreements should be used to raise env ironmental and labor standards around the world, and America’s manufacturing base is eroding in the face of unfair global competition. Because it expands economic freedom and spurs competition, globalization raises the productivity and living standards of people in countries that open themselves to the global marketplace. In the first few myths, Weidenbaum analyzes the misconceptions made about globalization affecting jobs, trade, and imports. Yes, globalization costs jobs and kills small businesses and makes domestic businesses more competitive. However, globalization has given more job opportunities than the ones lost and also with better pay. Because of globalization, employment rates are up and unemployment rates are down. A nation open to free trade grows faster than a nation closed to free trade. Statistics show that open poor economies grows about twice as fast than open rich economies. Globalization is a way of giving c... Free Essays on Globalization Is Good For Mankind Free Essays on Globalization Is Good For Mankind Globalization is Good For Mankind Globalization holds huge potential and could be the answer to many of the world’s problems. Murray Weidenbaum argues that globalization benefits all countries that participate in world markets and can produce many opportunities. He believes that globalization has become a bad word and people oppose to it because they have developed their views from myths based on insufficient facts. The ten myths which he identified are: globalization costs jobs, the United States is an island of free trade in a world of protectionism, Americans are hurt by imports, U.S. companies are running away especially to low-cost areas overseas, American companies doing business overseas take advantage of local people (especially in poor countries) and pollute their environments, the trade deficit is hurting our economy and we should eliminate it, it’s not fair to run such large trade deficits with China or Japan, Sanctions and export controls work, trade agreements should be used to raise env ironmental and labor standards around the world, and America’s manufacturing base is eroding in the face of unfair global competition. Because it expands economic freedom and spurs competition, globalization raises the productivity and living standards of people in countries that open themselves to the global marketplace. In the first few myths, Weidenbaum analyzes the misconceptions made about globalization affecting jobs, trade, and imports. Yes, globalization costs jobs and kills small businesses and makes domestic businesses more competitive. However, globalization has given more job opportunities than the ones lost and also with better pay. Because of globalization, employment rates are up and unemployment rates are down. A nation open to free trade grows faster than a nation closed to free trade. Statistics show that open poor economies grows about twice as fast than open rich economies. Globalization is a way of giving c...

Nonplussed

Nonplussed Nonplussed Nonplussed By Maeve Maddox The Latin phrase non plus, â€Å"not more, no further,† entered English as a noun with the following meaning: A state in which no more can be said or done; inability to proceed in speech or action; a state of perplexity or puzzlement; a standstill. As a verb, to nonplus means, â€Å"to bring to a nonplus or standstill; to perplex, confound.† In modern speech, the verb is most commonly seen in the participle form nonplussed. Until about the 1960s, nonplussed was used with only one meaning: Brought to a nonplus or standstill; at a nonplus; perplexed, confounded. Since the 1960s, nonplussed has taken on another meaning for some English speakers: Not disconcerted; unperturbed, unfazed. The OED mentions this second meaning in its entry for nonplussed, labeling it â€Å"chiefly American.† The recognized authority for American usage, however, does not list this second meaning of nonplussed. It doesn’t even have an entry for nonplussed. The verb nonplus is defined this way: â€Å"to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do; reduce to a state of total incapacity to act or decide.† Merriam-Webster gives three examples: this turn of events nonplusses me nonplussed by the disclosure for a moment the girl was nonplussed The reversal of meaning from perturbed to unperturbed has arisen from the mistaken idea that the non- in nonplussed is a prefix, like the non- in nontoxic. Some speakers seem to think that nonplussed is formed by adding non- to the hypothetical root plussed. US speakers do use nonplussed with the original meaning: May 16, 2015   When invited to come here I was flattered, but  a bit nonplussed.- Charles Gibson, US journalist, 2015. Many consumers nonplussed, confused with latest tech, survey finds- Automotive News, (published in Michigan), 2015. However, most of the recent examples of nonplussed that I have found in US sources use it in the sense of unfazed, unimpressed, or unmoved. For example: Uber Driver Nonplussed After Giving Jeb Bush Ride in San Francisco- NBC News. (According to the article, the driver was unimpressed.) â€Å"I’m in first place by a lot, it seems, according to all the polls,† Trump says, in his New York accent, with his usual facial expression: a sort of perpetually nonplussed duckface, like he is continually being impressed with himself anew.- Atlantic Monthly, 2015. Nonplussed, Colbert has kept up his usual antics.- CBS News, 2015. Unlike self-antonyms like dust and sanction, whose meanings are usually clear from context, nonplussed is a source of ambiguity. The phrases â€Å"dusting the furniture† and â€Å"dusting the crops† require no additional qualification; the different meanings are immediately apparent. A statement like â€Å"the defendant was nonplussed,† however, means one thing to one English speaker and the opposite to another. Take, for example, this statement in the clinical study of a disturbed teenager: He appeared nonplussed when  the issue of the family cat was raised.- Francis D. Kelly, The Assessment of Object Relations Phenomena in Adolescents, Routledge, 2014. The boy was in treatment because, among other disturbing behavior, he had killed the family cat. When I read the sentence, I understood it to mean that the mention of the cat caused the boy to exhibit signs of confusion. On second thought, I realized that the author may have intended nonplussed to mean unmoved. Authors of serious works cannot afford to use nonplussed without providing context clues to indicate which meaning is intended. The following examples provide such clues: In an interview  with the CBS news magazine â€Å"60 Minutes,† Steve Schmidt described Palin as â€Å"very calm - nonplussed† after McCain met with her at his Arizona ranch just before putting her on the Republican ticket.  (nonplussed=unperturbed) Vance  appeared nonplussed  and genuinely surprised that such large political questions had been raised by the memorandum. (nonplussed=agitated) ODonnell appeared to be nonplussed by the wording of the first amendment, repeatedly returning to the subject and sounding incredulous after her Democratic opponent Chris Coons attempted to explain it to her. (nonplussed=confused) Because nonplussed no longer conveys the same meaning to all readers, writers must be thoughtful in its use. Accompanying the word with context clues is one option. Choosing a different word entirely is another. Some options for the meaning originally conveyed by nonplussed: perplexed, confounded, disconcerted, upset, agitated. Some options for the reversed meaning of nonplussed: not disconcerted, unperturbed, unfazed. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsFive Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"How Do You Pronounce "Often"?

Business Aquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Aquisitions - Essay Example Whenever an acquisition takes place, there is a wide range of motives behind it but the three most important ones are managerial, synergy and hubristic (Du & Boetang, 2014). A detailed review of the situation highlights that CEO has made the decision for attaining synergy as it lacks few resources possessed by the foreign organization. It is even mentioned that this decision will allow it to be the market leader and such initiative will prove to be beneficial for the entire company. Moreover, it appears that there is managerial motive behind this choice because the person is expecting an increase in salary coupled with bonuses and other fringe benefits. As a result, there will be ample growth opportunities for the existing employees as they will be allowed to enhance their competence. Traditionally, the classical approaches have been followed in such type of corporate decisions. The situation at hand is in alignment with the resource-related approach as the acquiring of the foreign company will offer the firm an opportunity of employing the proficient resources available with the enterprise. The present decision is in accordance to this tactic as it will make sure that the company has access to those sources which were unavailable with the firm. Also, it will allow the resulting corporation to gain leading position within the industry. In addition to the capital sources, the company will have access to the competent management team and employees who will be able to share their international business experience.

Ancient greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ancient greece - Essay Example The unraveling of the unknown criminal’s identity forms the crux of the story. The plot is muddled by conflicting accounts and double images. In the end, Oedipus finds out the sad truth about himself: that he has killed his own father; that he is both husband and son to Jocasta, and; that he has sired not only his sons and daughters but also his brothers and sisters. The unraveling of the true identity of Oedipus, an identity that turns out to be multiple, viz. father, son, husband, and brother, is a conflict of â€Å"the one and the many† that characterizes this Sophocles’ tragedy. The â€Å"one and the many† conflict is initially established when the death of King Laius, the first husband of Queen Jocasta and the previous king of Thebes, is introduced into the play. The discovery of Laius’ murder becomes essential to lift the plague that beset the city of Thebes. The seeds of suspicion, on both the part of the reader and Oedipus, begin to grow at the entrance of the blind prophet Tiresias whom Oedipus badgers to reveal the identity of the murderer. Tiresias’ hesitation to reveal the murderer’s identity leads the reader to think that something is afoot. This suspicion is given reality when the blind prophet is finally forced to reveal that Oedipus is the curse who caused Thebes’ plague because he is the murderer of the king. This is compounded by Tiresias’ additional allegation, told in riddles, that the murderer of Laius was his own son. Moreover, the same murderer has married his own mother and sired his own brothers and sisters. At this stage, however, the suspicion against Oedipus does not carry much weight because the play begins in the present time and the reader has not yet been apprised of the history of Oedipus and his family. Oedipus himself was furious at the accusations against him and firmly suspects them to be a plot against him. The next

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Project - Essay Example Some of the problems experienced by Elixier Company, according to the financial analyst in the accounting department, the problems range from errors caused by manual entry; which is time consuming while at the same time resource consuming due to the verification process, to issues of late payments and failure to take advantage of stipulated price discounts. The company faces the problem of different quantity and price factor for each part due to the fact that suppliers do not fulfil their contracts. Additionally, there is difficulty in the management of information in the account payable area since it involves many documents and as the company grows, so does the number of documents in circulation. This can also be explained in the sense of cost increasing with growth in any firm (Beesley, 2003). As earlier stated, the main purpose of this research is to provide insight on the stated problems that the Elixier Company undergoes within its accounting department. This will be achieved by focussing on objectives such as discovering the main issues related to Elixier’s accounting department, which is a step that has been covered as explained above. At the end of the research, it is our hope to come up with relevant solution to curb these ailing happenings. Additionally, we hope to come up with recommendations that will be useful in their performance as a company while improving their accounting department. In order to identify and provide solutions to the problems in question, it is of essence to understand the methods used. The data collection and analysis process gives a proper illustration of the scope of knowledge of the researcher and therefore validates this research. This is backed by the fact that the information was gathered from credible sources that are knowledgeable about the organization in question and its existing problems. The provision of a viable solution to Elixier’s

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Islam - Essay Example Polytheism mostly in the form of animism was rampant among the Bedouin tribes in the pre-Islamic Arabia (â€Å"Culture and Religion†). Their tribes or families sold women in pre-Islamic Arabia to their husbands in exchange for dowry. Pre-Islamic Arabia had unlimited polygamy. Divorce among the Arabs of the pre-Islamic peninsula was a totally unregulated male prerogative. Women were granted no rights with respect to divorce. Women were not given anything from inheritance. People would bury their daughters alive. Despite the gender discrimination, forces of cultural unity in the tribal structure existed in the pre-Islamic Arabia. Qasidah was a special style of Arabic poetry that celebrated the ethos of honor and bravery of the Bedouins. It is the very existence of Qasidah, recited at tribal gatherings and market fairs that â€Å"has convinced historians that the Arabs of the seventh century possessed a common poetic language that could be understood in different regions of the peninsula† (Cleveland and Bunton

Strategic Alternatives for Marvel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Alternatives for Marvel - Case Study Example This aims at increasing the marketplace share for the Marvel enterprise. Filming, for example, is one such practice where competition is paramount. Therefore, Marvel ensures that it keeps producing new films that are of high quality. Improving quality of movies ensures that Marvel stands competition from the opponents. The other means in which Marvel diversifies its competition is through the making of toys. These are toys used in the field of entertainment and comedy. The competition strategy also ensures is that Marvel ensures that there are no conflicts concerning originality of products. Marvel thus ensures that its productions are original. The other strategy deployed by Marvel Entertainment is that of marketing. Marketing strategy ensures that its products serve a wide market. Therefore, Marvel ensures that its distribution chains operate well. Marvel also ensures that it increases its marketing by doing extensive advertising of its supplies. These efforts ensure that my customers get aware of products offered. Knowledge of new products ensures that there is increased purchase. The marketing also ensures that the changes made in their productions become clear. The marketing strategy is the determiner of the proliferation of the productions of the company. This is because if more productions become sold, then the production speed would be elevated. The other strategy is that of management. Marvel ensures that it deploys this strategy to ensure that its operations are up to standard. This is because management is a sensitive segment that requires accurate handling. Therefore, Marvel ensures that operations of its segments are up to standard. Marvel ensures that accountability in management becomes vocal. Management approach also ensures that everything runs well. There is also a licensing strategy for Marvel (Beamish, 250).  

Jewish History Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jewish History Questions - Assignment Example The second wave occurred during the pre-civil war through the nineteenth century, and it included the Jews who came from the central European the Ashkenazim. Ashkenazim is the ancient name in Hebrew that means Germany. Thirdly, it occurred between 1880 and early 1920s this migration was from Russia and some parts of Eastern Europe, the Jewish community increased in population, in America. Between the period of 1880 and 1900, at least 1.4 million had arrived, compared with those that were there in the period of 1800 to 1880. It is during this period that the Jewish and Judaism culture were established in America. The wave of migration ended in 1920 due to the legislation that restricted migration (Jerome 10). Question # 2 The Jews had the challenge of opportunity cost, which was much higher in America than in Europe. It was very costly to make every hour attendance in the synagogue and observation of home religion. People reduced their synagogue attendance time and activities on relig ious rituals. The American Jews had a reduced intensity of time in observing their religion, and many of them stopped to observe kashrut. It is good to find that the Hebrew Congregation of America Union, the America United Synagogue Union and the Union of the Orthodox were made in the late 19th century (Jerome 13). The unions continue to dominate the religious life of the Jews up to this day. Question # 3 The population of the Jews in America is concentrated to the northeast with 44 percent of them living in the region of Mid-Atlantic and England. The Jews from America tend to be much older than the general population. About 14 percent of the Jews are foreign-born, but in 1970, it was higher with 23 percent.  Jews from America worry much about intermarriage and their identification as Jews. It is believed that, in 1990, the rate of intermarriage increased by 50 percent. In the year 2000 to the year 2001, the percentage recorded for intermarriage was 47 percent (Jerome 18). This re cord shows that the rate of intermarriage is increasing at a great rate.  

Strategic Alternatives for Marvel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Alternatives for Marvel - Case Study Example This aims at increasing the marketplace share for the Marvel enterprise. Filming, for example, is one such practice where competition is paramount. Therefore, Marvel ensures that it keeps producing new films that are of high quality. Improving quality of movies ensures that Marvel stands competition from the opponents. The other means in which Marvel diversifies its competition is through the making of toys. These are toys used in the field of entertainment and comedy. The competition strategy also ensures is that Marvel ensures that there are no conflicts concerning originality of products. Marvel thus ensures that its productions are original. The other strategy deployed by Marvel Entertainment is that of marketing. Marketing strategy ensures that its products serve a wide market. Therefore, Marvel ensures that its distribution chains operate well. Marvel also ensures that it increases its marketing by doing extensive advertising of its supplies. These efforts ensure that my customers get aware of products offered. Knowledge of new products ensures that there is increased purchase. The marketing also ensures that the changes made in their productions become clear. The marketing strategy is the determiner of the proliferation of the productions of the company. This is because if more productions become sold, then the production speed would be elevated. The other strategy is that of management. Marvel ensures that it deploys this strategy to ensure that its operations are up to standard. This is because management is a sensitive segment that requires accurate handling. Therefore, Marvel ensures that operations of its segments are up to standard. Marvel ensures that accountability in management becomes vocal. Management approach also ensures that everything runs well. There is also a licensing strategy for Marvel (Beamish, 250).  

History of District Nursing in Australia Essay Example for Free

History of District Nursing in Australia Essay District nurses are those senior nurses who are involved in managing care in a community by leading teams of both support workers and community nurses. This particular paper talks about the history of district nursing since its emergence in England over one hundred and fifty years ago. It then discusses the progress of district nursing in other countries, in this case, Australia. Nursing can be defined as a science and an art with an exceptional body of knowledge drawing from behavioral, physical, and social sciences (Funnel et al, 2005, p. ). It is a profession that is unique in its own way because it addresses families and individuals responses to health problems, health maintenance, as well as health promotion. Over one hundred years ago, nursing was defined by Florence Nightingale as the act of making use of a patient’s environment in a bid to helping that particular patient recover. To facilitate for quick recovery, she considered a clean, quiet, and well ventilated environment as very essential. Nursing helps in facilitation of prescribed therapy, assists patients to be independent of assistance, and also help the patients to function to their maximum potential as soon as possible. Various themes have been associated with the definition of nursing. Some describe nursing as an art, as a science, that nursing is about caring, it is holistic, that it is client oriented, adaptive, and that nursing is generally a helping profession. The historical accounts of the profession clearly bring out the revolving nature of nursing. The word nurse was derived from a Latin word which means to cherish or nourish. In a human being’s life, birth, death, sickness, and injury are all very common. There has therefore always been that need to take care of others, especially those in need. Funnel et al state that some of the earliest and most organized nursing carried out by men who worked in hospitals which were established by military religious orders at the period the crusades. Some examples included the knights of St. Lazarus, and the Knights of St.  John of Jerusalem. Henry VIII, during the sixteenth century, commanded the closure of English monasteries and the confiscation of their wealth as well. What this meant was that all the sick and destitute people had no where to stay and were hence left to die. This then saw the construction of work houses which were used to house the poor and especially the sick. Here they lived in very bad conditions and were at the same time required to work in order to earn th eir continued stay there. Conditions in London got to a very desperate state, and after many petitions from the citizens, Henry VIII had no option but to allow for the re-founding of some hospitals like St Mary’s, St Thomas’s, as well as St Bartholomew’s. These hospitals despite their reopening were very poorly staffed and were characterized by untrained workers whose characters were very poor. Patients who were admitted in these hospitals lived under appalling conditions in overcrowded wards Funnel et al add that the early 18th and mid 19th century came to be termed as nursing â€Å"Dark Ages† of nursing. It was an age where caring of the sick and nurses’ status reached to the lowest levels ever imaginable (5). A clergyman named Theodor Fliedner in 1836 founded the institution Kaiserwerth where they trained specially chosen women as deaconesses. The institution was then to be famous for its high standards and levels of training as well as the care given to the sick. The institution then grew very famous and finally became the centre for training nurses and as a result received very many trainees, and from all parts of the world. Some of these trainees later opened up centers in their respective countries. Modern nursing has hence evolved as a result of the influence Kaiserwerth had on individuals like Florence Nightingle. She had spent two weeks at Kaiserwerth in 1850 and later visited the institution again in 1851 and was named Superintendent for Establishment for Gentlewomen during Illness. She became famous when she took with her a team of thirty nurses to Scutari where they were met with a lot of resistance from medics who refused them to take care of the sick and injured soldiers. She however did not give up and devoted her time and energy to improving bad conditions in the camps through the introduction of communal as well as personal hygiene, organization of excellent food supply, getting hold of medical supplies, and basic sanitary conditions like washing of hands and also the importance of fresh air. In a span of two to three weeks, the opposition she had earlier faced was no more and the nurses were then called back to come and take care of the sick. Florence Nightingle was viewed as an idol by the soldiers because she brought hope and comfort to the sick just by the light of the lamp she used t carry at night, hence she was later came to be known as the Lady of the Lamp. In the case of Australia, very little interest was paid for the care of the sick when the original English colony was established at Sydney Cove. In 1811, Sydney hospital was opened and the staff included of female convicts with some male convicts also carrying out nursing duties. They were however received no wages for the labor they offered although they received their keep. The nurses’ behavior here was wanting and they were known to be of poor character with them being drunk in most cases while on duty. In 1811, Australia opened its first lunatic asylum and it was characterized by untrained mental attendants. As a way of control, huge numbers of disturbed individuals were literally restrained because most of the staff were custodians and there was no emphasis whatsoever on treatment (Funnel et al, 2005, p. 5). In 1838, the first group of trained nurses arrived in Sydney. They were five in number. The influence of Nightingale was experienced in 1868. The principles of Nightingale were gradually adapted and the physically ill could now be cared for. Nurses were not left behind either. Practical skills were taught to them such as those of leeching, dressing, as well as administering enemas. Emphasis was however put on their punctuality, sexual purity, cleanliness, and most importantly obedience. A huge percentage of nursing comprised of housekeeping, and was dominated by house hold work. It was however acknowledged that compassion and also dignity were characteristics that were desirable for all those who took care of the sick. The necessity for nurses training in Australia grew as scientific advances continued to be made. By the year 1900, most of the Australian hospitals had a three year training program for student nurses where lectures were delivered by the medical staff. The students could not however maintain their concentration in class as a result of long hours of work. IN the wake of the twentieth century, conflict would arise whether nursing should be viewed as a vocation, subordinate to medicine, or as a profession which is different but of equal status with medicine. (Funnel et al, 2005, p. 6) add that in the year 1867, an Act of Parliament was passed which stated that all individuals displaying signs of mental impairments should be sent to mental asylums and not prisons. As a result, the developmentally disabled were then able to be separated from the mentally ill. Nursing in these mental asylums was delivered mostly by male attendants, and even though care remained and continued to be custodial, the medical staff was able to offer some lectures to these attendants. This is the period in which female attendants begun receiving serious considerations. As the increase in training of nurses continued to increase, so was the agitation for nurses’ registration. In 1920, South Australia was the first of the states to pass the relevant legislation followed by Western Australia in 1922 and Victoria and New South Wales in 1924. Industrial issues emerged as the sense of professionalism emerged among nurses. In 1924, the Australian Nursing Federation was able to hold its first meeting and the meting addressed several issues including the improved working conditions, improved wages, and the need for greater professional acknowledgment. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (1986), home nursing in Australia started in 1885 when a group of concerned nationals came together in Victoria and founded the Melbourne District Nursing Service. The main objective of the group was to look after the underprivileged sick people at home. Since then, nursing services have been seen to spread to every territory and state. Today, there are more than two hundred institutions using modern technology to take care of the sick and at the same time offer both general and specialized nursing services to the citizens of Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics states that the link with district nurses from England is apparent in the growth of nursing institutes in Australia. In England, nurses begun to be trained for work districts in 1848. One, Mr. William Rathborne, in 1859, saw the need to provide a nurse who was meant to work amongst the poor in Liverpool. He later founded a training school for district nurses using his own personal finances. These nurses were not only seen as caring but also as social reformers due to their knowledge and also direct contact they established with those they cared for. During Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Year in 1887, some of the funds collected for her gift were given by the queen for the setting up of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Institute of Nurses. Throughout England for many years, the establishment facilitated both the employment and training of district nurses. A considerable number of district nurses also came to undertake this particular training program. The relevant information regarding district nursing services was brought to Australia by Dr. Caffyn and Rev. C. Strong who were from England. They were both very instrumental when it came to setting up the first home nursing in Australia which was known as the Melbourne District Nursing Society (204). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the first State to introduce a district nursing service in Australia was that of Victoria in 1885. It was then followed by South Australia in the year 1894, then came Tasmania in 1896, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia in 1900, 1904, and 1905 respectively. One notable nursing service was the Blue Nursing Service. According to the history of Blue care, Blue care started off being known as the Blue Nursing Services. The service came to be through the vision and urgings of Rev. Arthur Preston, who was the founder. There was a great shortage of hospital beds in Australia and the nursing bodies that were in existence then were not able to cope with the demands of an ever growing population. This was the reason the founders saw the need to establish a new home nursing service to cater for this rising need. In 1977, together with the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, Blue Nursing was seen as a uniting factor in Australia. It is evident from the history of district nursing that the establishment of all nursing organizations was triggered by identified health care needs present in the society. At fist, focus was mainly at the poor, disadvantaged, and the sick. Services were however later made accessible to everyone in society. This was attributed to the government started issuing subsidies to most of these organizations. Nursing institutions today operate in very different structures and also under different support like voluntary bodies, local government, and hospitals. At the same time, nurses working in these organizations share one common goal and commitment: that of providing quality care in the society. There has been new demand on those nurses working in the society caused by the increased development of both technological and medical services. This has its results as people are now being discharged from hospitals earlier and also at a more accurate stage of sickness. Nurses have been forced to further and upgrade their current education so that they can keep up with helping and providing quality care to the community. For Australia, district nursing is a record of success. Realizing their extended roles as nurses which are based on their expertise, experience, as well as knowledge is crucial if at all effectiveness is to be maintained in delivery of their services.

Case Study: Patient With Asthma

Case Study: Patient With Asthma Patient RR is a 58 years old female with a weight of 55kg. Patient was admitted to hospital on 9th April 2009. Her presenting complaints were cough with sputum, pain when inhaling air at chest, breathless and unable to speak in full sentence. Her past medical histories were hypercholesterolemia, bronchial asthma and she has no known drug allergy. For her social history, she works as a security guard and is living with her husband. She is a non smoker as well as non alcoholic and she has no known family history. Patients drug history include metered dose inhaler (MDI) salbutamol 200mcg as required, MDI budesonide 400mcg twice daily, theophylline SR tablet 250mg once daily and lovastatin tablet 20mg once daily. Investigations Blood Test: 9th April 12th April WBC 10.9109/L 12.9109/L High (4-10.0) RBC 4.821012/L 4.91012/L High (3.8-4.8) MCV 78.7 fl/cell 78.6 fl/cell Low (83-101) MCH 26.5 pg/cell 25.3 pg/cell Low (27-32) ESR 24 mm/hr High (0-20) Blood HbA1c 7.2% Good control: 8.0% Renal Profile: 9th April 11th April Plasma K+ 2.8 mmol/L 2.5 mmol/L Low (3.5-5.1) Creatinine 100 ÃŽ ¼mol/L 79 ÃŽ ¼mol/L (58-96) Blood test indicated that the level of white blood cell and erythrocyte sedimentation rate is higher than normal which suggests the patient had an infection. The blood HbA1c showed adequate control of blood glucose. On the other hand, the renal test showed that the patient had low plasma potassium and the plasma creatinine level is normal. Clinical Progress On examination, the patient was alert with no pedal oedema. Her pulse rate was 120 beats per minute, blood pressure was 130/62 mmHg, and respiratory rate was 22 breaths per min. She was diagnosed with acute exacerbation bronchial asthma secondary to upper respiratory tract infection. The plan was to give intravenous (IV) hydrocortisone 200mg immediately then 100mg three times daily, IV Augmentin 1.2g three times daily, nebulizer atrovent: ventolin: normal saline (A:V:N) 2:1:2 every two hours and to continue SPO2 monitoring. On day 1, the patient was given MDI Budesonide 400mcg, nebulizer AVN, IV hydrocortisone 100mg three times daily, bromhexine tablet 8mg three times daily, erythromycin tablet 400mg twice daily, prednisolone tablet 40mg once daily, oxygen 3L/min and lovastatin tablet 20mg once daily. Theophylline were stopped. On day 3, patients blood pressure was 120/70 mmHg, respiratory rate was 26 breaths per minute and the SPO2 was 98%. She has cough with yellow sputum and the sputum culture showed that there are no pathogen isolated. The patient was to start on long acting beta agonist (LABA). Other medications that were given include potassium tablet 1.2g twice daily, Neb Combivent 4 hourly, IV Augmentin 1.2g three times daily, MIST expectorant 15mL three times daily. Hydrocortisone and bisolvon were stopped. On day 4, the patient had fever, cough with yellow sputum and difficulty in breathing. No new action was taken. On day 6, patient had no more fever but still had cough with yellow sputum. Her blood pressure was 122/80 mmHg and respiratory rate was 20 breaths per minute. The plan was to give MDI formoterol 9mcg once daily and augmentin tablet 625mg. Oxygen and prednisolone were stopped. On day 8, patient still had cough but the sputum turned white. Patient was given theophylline SR tablet 250mg twice daily and was ready to be discharged the next day. Medication Summary Drug Dose Frequency Indication T.Bisolvon 8mg tds(stop at day 3) Cough Mist Expectorant 15 mL tds (day3-day 6) Cough T.Erythromycin 400mg bd (stop on day 6) Infection KCl solution 20mL tds (stop on day 7) Hypokalaemia T.Prednisolone 40mg od (stop on day 6) Acute asthma T.Augmentin 625mg tds Infection T.Lovastatin 20mg od Hyperlipidaemia T.Nuelin SR 500mg bd Asthma OXIS inhaler (formoterol) 9mcg od Asthma MDI Budesonide 400mcg bd Asthma Salbutamol 200mcg when required Asthma Pharmaceutical Care Plan Care Plan Recommendation Desired Outcome 1. Monitor K+ level -high dose salbutamol and theophylline causes hypokalaemia K+ level should be monitored. K+ supplement should be given if K+ level is low. Maintain stable potassium level. 2. On day 4, patient had fever but not treated. Paracetamol should be given. To lower down patients temperature. 3. Concurrent use of oral prednisolone and IV hydrocortisone for acute treatment -If patient can tolerate orally, oral prednisolone should be adequate. -if cant, give IV hydrocortisone 100mg every 6 hour until conversion to oral is possible. 4. Combination inhaler can be given to patient Symbicort inhaler (1-2 puffs bd) can be given instead of OXIS and budesonide inhaler. Besides that, Symbicort can be also given as relief to replace Combivent. Less confusion and increases compliance. 5. Technique to use inhaler -Counsel patient on proper technique -advice on oral hygiene to avoid oral candidiasis. 6. Prophylaxis of asthma Counsel patient to avoid allergen that may trigger attack and avoid NSAIDs. Lowers risk of asthma attack 7. Compliance issue Advice patient on the importance to take control medication accordingly even if patient feels well. Lowers risk of asthma attack Disease Overview and Pharmacological Basis of Drug Therapy Asthma affects people of all ages, but it normally starts at childhood1. Asthma affects 5-8% of the population around the world2. A study done by World Health Organization (WHO) shows that there are 15 million disability-adjusted life years lost yearly because of asthma, displaying 1% of total disease burden worldwide3. The annual worldwide mortality caused by asthma is estimated to be 250,000. In Scotland, the incidence of clinical asthma is around 18.4% of the population3. Asthma is an inflammatory disease where there is frequent reversible airway obstruction1. The narrowing of the airway happens when people with asthma react strongly to certain substance they breathe in. These irritant stimuli are too weak to affect normal individuals1. The narrowing of airway is also caused by other factors which include mucosal swelling or inflammation caused by inflammatory mediators released by mast cell and basophil degranulation as well as mucus or phlegm production2. The causes of asthma include genetic factor, environmental factor and history of etopic disorder5. The most common symptoms of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and sometimes cough, especially at night in younger people1, 4. The probability of asthma increased if symptoms worsen at night and early morning or in response to exercise, allergen and cold air5. Acute severe asthma may cause hypoxaemia and is not easily reversed. Therefore, the patient needs prompt treatment and hospitalization1. Patients with asthma have continuous and excessive T-helper cell type 2 (Th2)-dominated immune response and the Th1 which is responsible for structural and defensive status of the tissue is reduced4. The activated T-cells produce cytokines in the bronchial mucosa and this attract other inflammatory granulocytes especially eosinophils which produce cysteinyl leukotrienes along with granule protein to damage epithelium. The cytokines released also promotes IgE synthesis in some asthmatic patients which cause expression of IgE receptors on mast cell and eosinophils1, 4. The important mediators associated with asthma are leukotriene B4, cysteinyl leukotrienes (C4 and D4), interleukins IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and tissure-damaging eosinophil proteins1. In atopic asthmatic patients, inhaled allergen caused cross-linking of IgE molecules on mast cells hence activating degranulation with histamine and leukotriene B4 release. These substances are powerful bronchoconstrictors thus causing acute exace rbation of asthma1. For diagnosis of asthma, spirometry is the preferred initial test5. It is a device to measure the functional lung volumes. Through the patients full force expiration into the device, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and force vital capacity (FVC) are measured. Exhalation continues until there is no more breath to be exhaled. The FEV1/FVC ratio shows the severity of airflow obstruction and the normal ratio is 75-80%2. The ratio is less than 75% in asthma which indicates obstructive defect. There is normally more than 15% improvement in FEV1 after administration of B2 agonist or steroid trial in asthma patients2. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is also another test for asthma though FEV1 uses lesser effort2. It is measured by the maximum forced expiratory through a peak flow meter and acts as an estimate of airway calibre. PEF is measured frequently to check response to treatment and disease control. PEF is used to test acute and chronic asthma with PEF decreases along with s everity2. Moderate acute asthma Severe acute asthma Life-threatening Able to talk, Respiratory rate (RR)50-75% Incomplete sentence, RR>25/min, SPO2110/min, PEF 33-50% Silent chest, cyanosis, exhaustion, confusion, feeble respiratory effort, SPO2

Colonial Women Essay -- History Historical Colonies Gender Essays

Colonial Women Women did not have an easy life during the American Colonial period. Before a woman reached 25 years of age, she was expected to be married with at least one child. Most, if not all, domestic tasks were performed by women, and most domestic goods and food were prepared and created by women. Women performed these tasks without having any legal acknowledgment. Although women had to endure many hardships, their legal and personal lives were becoming less restricted, although the change was occurring at a snail’s pace. Life for the colonial woman was a mix of imprisonment and freedom in their marriages, homes, and in the American Colonial legal system. Women who chose to come to the American Colonies had a 100 percent chance of finding a husband. Men outnumbered women almost six to one. Any woman could be choosy when finding a husband, for countless men tried to woo her into marriage. Because women could choose their husbands, they could marry those men who would give her the most benefits. A woman did not have to marry a man who would treat her poorly. In most New England colonies, a woman could sue her husband for a divorce if he treated her without respect and abused or neglected her. Although women had the legal privilege to divorce a bad husband, she did not have any legal rights under the law. As soon as she married her husband, she lost all legal existence. For a woman to have any place in the legal system it was better to remain single. Single wom...

Television Violence :: essays research papers

Television Violence In today's society television plays a big role. People watch T.V. for many different reasons. People watch T.V. mainly for entertainment, they also watch T.V. to learn, and to find out news. Some people watch T.V. and get the wrong idea about what they're watching, they feel that what they are watching is okay to do. Violence is a major factor, it affects people of ages. The worst outcome of T.V. is that it sends out the wrong messages. Some people get bad ideas from the violence on T.V. Although violence on television is not the greatest thing, it should be not be banned or restricted in any way. Most people watch T.V. to get away from reality. Watching shows that depict a fantasy world are a lot more interesting to watch. People don't want to see things that happen to them on a regular bases. Although sometimes seeing something that has happened to you before may be funny. Watching T.V. relieves stress and can be good for your health. Doctors say that laughing is good for your health. Violence on T.V. is a very debatable issue. Some people say that it is totally wrong and that it should be banned. Most people like the violence and find it to be very entertaining. Parents find it very hard to restrict their kids from watching violent television programs. The child would want to watch that program twice as much just because their parents said not to watch it. The child would be curious to find out what is so wrong about the program. Some people get the wrong messages or get bad ideas from watching some shows. If parents were to educate their children before watching shows like "Mighty Morphan Power Rangers", " X-Men" and "Cops" , then they wouldn't have to worry about their child getting wrong messages. Television shows also send out wrong Television Violence :: essays research papers Television Violence In today's society television plays a big role. People watch T.V. for many different reasons. People watch T.V. mainly for entertainment, they also watch T.V. to learn, and to find out news. Some people watch T.V. and get the wrong idea about what they're watching, they feel that what they are watching is okay to do. Violence is a major factor, it affects people of ages. The worst outcome of T.V. is that it sends out the wrong messages. Some people get bad ideas from the violence on T.V. Although violence on television is not the greatest thing, it should be not be banned or restricted in any way. Most people watch T.V. to get away from reality. Watching shows that depict a fantasy world are a lot more interesting to watch. People don't want to see things that happen to them on a regular bases. Although sometimes seeing something that has happened to you before may be funny. Watching T.V. relieves stress and can be good for your health. Doctors say that laughing is good for your health. Violence on T.V. is a very debatable issue. Some people say that it is totally wrong and that it should be banned. Most people like the violence and find it to be very entertaining. Parents find it very hard to restrict their kids from watching violent television programs. The child would want to watch that program twice as much just because their parents said not to watch it. The child would be curious to find out what is so wrong about the program. Some people get the wrong messages or get bad ideas from watching some shows. If parents were to educate their children before watching shows like "Mighty Morphan Power Rangers", " X-Men" and "Cops" , then they wouldn't have to worry about their child getting wrong messages. Television shows also send out wrong

Raising Achievement of Ethnic Minority Children Essay

This literature review would explore the barriers in raising educational achievements of ethnic minority students. As this is a broad area of concern the literature would examine two main barriers such as social background issues and English as Additional Language (EAL) while briefly looking at other barriers such as†¦ Statistical data collected from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) 2002 would be analysed in respect to this group social economic status and its effect on their learning. The literature would outline the significance of raising achievement, particularly ICT teacher’s responsibility. This report would identify some strategies/solutions including pedagogical approaches to raising achievement which would be supported by research. The overall findings would illustrate why ethnic minority children underperform academically than their counterparts in school. INTRODUCTION It is important to recognise that ethnic minority pupils may fall into the category of low class low achievement. (Battle and Lewis 2010 pg35) said â€Å"a person’s education is closed linked to their life chances, income and wellbeing† it’s therefore, fair to say that ethnic minority communities are most likely to underachievement than others because of their socio-economic conditions. Language in education has long been the subject of attention by educationists at all levels. Initially as concerning the ‘problem’ of teaching English to children for whom it is not a first language, The Swann Report 1985 pg385 Other drawbacks to raising achievement are institutional racism, lack of motivation, lack of suitable challenge, the appropriateness of activities and tasks, a mix-match of expectations, a perceived irrelevance of the activities and tasks. National Education Authority claim to be â€Å"raising achievement to higher levels and closing student achievement gaps are priorities in schools and communities at all economic levels and in urban, rural, and suburban settings†. (http://www.nea. org/home/17413. htm. Accessed 02/11/12) What is Raising Achievement? According to (DfES 0013-2006. Pg. 6) (Excel and enjoy) raising achievement means a â€Å"tailored education for every child and young person, that gives them strength in the basics, stretches their aspirations, and builds their life chances. It will create opportunity for every child, regardless of their background†. Teachers have a committed liability to enable all learners to attain and achieve their full potential, whether they are SEN (Special Education Needs), EAL (English as an Additional Language) or ethnic minority student. What is Ethnic Minority? The ethnic minorities in the UK, 50% are Asian or Asian British (Indian, Pakistani etc. ), 25% are Black or Black British (Black African, Black Caribbean etc. ), 15% are Mixed Race, 5% are Chinese and 5% are of other ethnic backgrounds. (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm. Accessed 02/11/12) Cabinet Office defined it as â€Å"Ethnicity refers to cultural heritage (thus the term ethnic minorities can also be used to include White ‘ethnic’ minority groups in Britain, such as the Irish or people from other European countries). However, the systematic historical and continuing pattern of disadvantage for Black and Asian groups singles them out for special consideration†. (webarchive. gov. uk. Accessed 02/11/12). Barriers to Raising achievement Socio-Economic Backgrounds: Socio class can cause inequality in class which could in turn influence the achievement in children; (C. Stephen pg. 269) Social scientists have recognised the importance of an individual’s family socio economic status (SES) has an influence on the academic achievement of children since the mid-1960s. It could cause low their self-confidence and self-esteem â€Å"ethnic minorities may have special issues related to self-esteem. Because of prejudice, minority members are likely to see a negative image of themselves† ( DeLamater. J & Myers. D pg. 88). (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm) â€Å"Ethnic backgrounds that are less successful in education is because they have a higher percentage of pupils from working class backgrounds. Also the lower a child’s class position, the lower their income. Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black pupils are more likely to be raised in low income families. This can affect how well they do in school because lack of funds means lack of school equipment, less favourable working conditions e. g. cold house, no desk etc. This inequity could lead to poor or erratic attendance which was cited as a contributory factor to poor attainment in several schools. Table1 the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) 2002 illustrates the impact of socio-economic disadvantage by comparing relative GCSE performance for pupils who are eligible for free school meals. This shows that pupils from lower socio-economic groups tend to achieve less good results than those from higher socio-economic groups and that this difference is particularly large for white pupils. (Aiming High Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils) Table2: The pupil level annual school census (PLASC) 2002 characteristics: Proportion achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs for those entered for GCSEs in Maintained Schools in 2002 Note: these charts are based on data collected as part of the 2002 Pupil Level Annual Schools Census. From 2003, data will be based on an updated set of categories including mixed heritage, Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish heritage which are listed at annex A. (Aiming High Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils) Discrimination on grounds such as race will affect effective learning fundamentally in most cases, which is linked to disparities in school. Some schools are ‘institutionally racist’, says Oftsed’s Director of Inspections, Jim Rose – to the annoyance of teachers’ unions. Mr Rose said â€Å"Much of that [racism], we think, is to do with unwitting stereotyping of youngsters and the lack of expectation or lowered expectation of teachers as a result of that sometimes (http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/education/294078. stm)†. With the fact that their â€Å"ethnicity influences their class and their class influences their attitude†, there is concern about the aspirations of underprivileged children â€Å"socio-economic barriers may hinder aspiration formation for these children because of lack of mentors, opportunities, and resources and also doubt their ability to attain in learning† (http://www.learningbenefits. net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep27. pdf pg3). The majority of schools are engaged in a wide variety of initiatives to improve provision and raise the attainment of all pupils. However, few schools monitor these activities systematically and rarely do they have a specific ethnic focus. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7). Strategies to raising achievement of Socio-economic barrier: Having realistic expectations of the educational achievement of children of lower socioeconomic groups will make them feel they can achieve their potential. â€Å"Expectations are also shaped by teacher and student perceptions of the reasons for successes and failures. A â€Å"low ability† student, who views failures as lack of ability and successes as luck, will lose his motivation, feeling that there is little he can change to improve his learning†. (Rose Miller 2001) As evidenced earlier pupils from ethnic minority group have low self –esteem therefore, it is crucial for teachers to encourage the child or young person to find their own preferred style and rhythm of learning so they are motivated to pursue their learning process, making them have ownership of their own learning and work. To help raise achievement teachers and leaders should monitor and track achievement, encourage and support the child to maximize their potential – be aspirational for them. â€Å"Parents with fewer financial resources tend to hold lower aspirations for their children, and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have lower aspirations than their more advantaged peers (Schoon, 2006). Promoting a culturally friendly environments and establishing classroom ethos of respect with a clear approach to racism and bad behaviour â€Å"modelling and promoting values, attitudes and behaviour supportive of race equality in class would explore and target underachievement to raise attainment†. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Strategically choosing students to work in groups, peer assessment where they can see others work which could help them shape their own work and attain a better grade. However, teachers need to provide students with a stress free learning environment so they can feel included . (EVIDENCE OF WHY THEY NEED STRESS FREE ENVIRON,ENT) The revised National Curriculum includes a statutory inclusion statement setting out how teachers can ensure the curriculum is accessible to all pupils which would certainly help raise attainment for also ethnic minority students . It states that teachers must follow three principles for inclusion: setting suitable learning challenges; responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs; and overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils. (cabinet office pg14). NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum), states that we should therefore ensure access to and progress through the curriculum or subject content. (using ict for eal pg5) Also very few schools review their curricular and pastoral strategies to ensure that they are sensitive to the ethnic groups in the student population and the wider community. In those instances where schools have done this as a result of concerns about a particular minority ethnic group, positive outcomes have resulted. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7) Schools working effectively with pupils in low attaining groups were not found to adopt specific approaches for particular groups of pupils such as minority ethnic groups, but instead personalised the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment such that pupils in any group could benefit. (Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Group). Self- assessment and appropriate target setting according to individual learning styles would help them to build identities as successful learners. The new Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2011) would enable this strategy to work perfectly as teachers have to ‘Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils’†¦evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them’. (Standard 5 The QTS Standards: DFES ‘Qualifying to Teach’(2002) In additional, as â€Å"they are much more likely than their peers of a higher socioeconomic environment to have a poor attendance, leave school earlier and with fewer qualifications, and are at far greater risk of being excluded from school. † http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf . Teachers recognise strengths and improvements praising their effort would encourage children participation. Using positive words (‘I’ve seen a spark in you) and encourage this group would make them feel motivated, believe in themselves and appreciated to want to attend school (promoting attendance) regardless of any socio-economic worries. Attending â€Å"parents’ evenings and other less formal school functions can help understand difficulties and help to remove any barriers† http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf. This could help build parent teacher relationship and both parties could devise ways to help raise the achievement and eliminate barriers affecting this young person’s learning. ? Respect frustration and encourage a positive approach to setbacks. http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf. English as an Additional Language (EAL) barrier on Ethnic Minority: EAL learners will be affected by attitudes towards them, their culture, language, religion, and ethnicity http://www.mkweb. co. uk/emass/documents/Website_EAL_Artwork. pdf. The proportions of pupils with English as an additional language are from ethic minority background groups about five per cent (Black Caribbean pupils) to over 90 per cent (those from Bangladeshi backgrounds). Approximately 9. 3% (over 632,000) of all pupils in schools in England are recorded as having English as an additional language (EAL) according to Statistics of Education 2002(aiminghighraisingachievent pg28). These speech patterns are argued to be consistent with many low income families which are inadequate to meet the demands of the education system. These patterns directly contribute to educational failure as students cannot always understand elaborated speech which teachers use and teachers often misunderstand students who use the restricted speech. As a result there is a breakdown in communication between teachers and pupils. http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm. This is a major barrier to achievement as English is not their first language and cannot communicate effectively in lesson, with peers and content of the curriculum it is helpful for the to access prior knowledge so they have a fair understanding before the next lesson â€Å"Language learners need access to the subject curriculum while they are learning English†. EAL students learning is NOT a learning difficulty, learners should not be placed in groups or sets for ‘slow learners’–they need good peer models of subject specific talk and writing. Teacher expectations are powerful determiners of student success. Teachers should reflect high expectations in the ambitious targets set for these children. Bilingual learners need to make more progress each year than their peers in order to catch up (Collier, 1995) –their efforts need to be acknowledged and appreciated, to build their self-image and self-esteem as successful learners. (Making the Difference Teaching and learning strategies in multi-ethnic schools) Solution/Approaches: (Bourne, 1998 and others) Reforming the mainstream to be more language aware is not only good for bilingual learners, but benefits ALL students (Making the Difference Teaching and learning strategies in multi-ethnic schools). Education authorities have recognised the fact that student with EAL will struggle to reach their potential and has incorporate into the new Teachers’ Standards, saying that â€Å"all teachers and trainee teachers will benefit from an understanding and recognition of EAL as a significant field of teaching and learning. (http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy.) It is important to recognise that children learning EAL are as able as any other children, and the learning experiences planned for them should be no less cognitively challenging â€Å"High challenge can be maintained through the provision of contextual and linguistic support and raise attainment. (ExcellenceandEnjoyment:learningandteachingintheprimaryyears,Creatingalearningculture:Classroomcommunity,collaborativeandpersonalisedlearning(DfES 0522-2004 G) However, Schools and colleges will need therefore to provide both physical and virtual learning environments that motivate and support the EAL learner’s distinctive needs. Raising achievement of ethnic minorities students with low attainment and EAL by developing appropriate resources across the curriculum; make effective use of displays boards to support their learning and develop their knowledge of the linguistic, cultural backgrounds. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg32) It is a legal requirement for literacy to be included into lesson; literacy is fundamental to good learning and achievement. It must therefore be a top priority for teachers consider how subject specific vocabulary like writing out keywords on white board, spelling and pronouncing words correctly which would help improve their English language â€Å"grammar should be introduced, modelled, extended and supported through the teaching of subject content to enhance literacy† (ExcellenceandEnjoymentlearningandteachingforbilingualchildrenintheprimaryyears). Organise small groups for computer-based activities that enable early stage learners to work with other first language speakers and to hear good models of English. â€Å"Establishing layered curriculum targets as a context for language development. Speaking and listening: guided sessions for language development. † (Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Group). Using ICT to raise achievement of Ethnic Minority pupils with EAL. ICT has a vital role to play in providing the appropriate resources and technology for both learners and teachers. Using ICT to support EAL students presents challenges for many teachers of how best to make use of these new and emerging technologies to raise the achievement of their EAL students. (Using ICT to support students who have English as an additional language) Using Creative use of ICT in the classroom can promote inclusion and reflect cultural and linguistic diversity. Multimedia Projects provide excellent opportunities for learners to work collaboratively with other first language speakers. Email, local network links, user groups and video conferencing facilities provide opportunity for learners to communicate with proficient speakers of English and also of their first language across the world. Pupils learning EAL require opportunities to draw on additional contextual support to make sense of new information and language. Content learning for pupils learning EAL can be greatly improved through the use of visual support. This can help learners to conceptualise learning tasks that are being presented to them, or in which they are engaged, even when their knowledge of the target language is limited. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy OCD/Migraine/ Metal plate in head due to past injury. If *** bumps her head call carer immediately/ unhappy to come SRS/difficult to make friends/suffered bullying/kept away from other students at break times in primary school/attention seeker/ mother died due to violently attacked by father (sees father in prison) / CAMHS/ care placement/ Literacy/maths/low self esteem/limited support from home/ IEP/PEP Pedagogy approach to EAL EAL pedagogy is the set of systematic teaching approaches which have evolved from classroom based practices in conjunction with the development of knowledge through theoretical and research perspectives. These approaches meet the language and learning needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language. They can be used in a wide range of different teaching contexts. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy Setting out limited number of objectives criteria describe what the outcomes will look like when they are achieved; and actions linked to the target objectives to identify what has to be achieved by the end of lesson is said to raise success of learners whose second language is English (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Personalisation is the key to tackling the persistent achievement gaps between different social and ethnic groups. It means a tailored education for every child and young person, that gives them strength in the basics, stretches their aspirations and builds their life chances. Higher standards, better schools for all (HMSO 2006)(from-excellentandenjoymentlearning pg14) The development of EAL pedagogy has been influenced by social constructivist theories which emphasise the importance of scaffolding learning, and those which highlight the importance of socio-cultural and emotional factors. Children learning EAL will be affected by attitudes towards them, their culture, language, religion and ethnicity. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg14) Learning of English should be distinguished into communicative skills and cognitive and academic language proficiency. Children should be paired up in group so they can become conversationally fluent in the new language by communication and collaborating with others and to catch up with monolingual peers in the development of cognitive and academic language. Activating pupils prior knowledge â€Å"Finding out what pupils know about a topic through questioning, supporting self-monitoring and using KWL (Know, Want to find out, Learned) charts, brainstorming in small groups or pairs, discovery tasks, enabling use of first language. †http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy. Peer and share, questioning strategies using oral feedback is also important to move learners towards the forms of language used in writing (cognitive) and linguistic development. Children learning an additional language are not just learning vocabularies, grammars and pronunciations; it helps them to learn all other language functions such as questioning, analysing, hypothesising that they need for other subjects like mathematics, science, ICT and so on. Planning lesson for a class that has EAL student.