Saturday, August 31, 2019

Managing & Enhancing Care in Rapidly Changing & Complex Situations Leadership Essay

Introduction to the folder of Evidence This assignment is an analysis of my leadership development though my training, and to assist me to adapt from a student nurse to a staff nurse confidently. This, along with an action plan (appendix 1) is completed though out my module 8 placement in accident and emergency. My leadership skills are developed by shadowing my mentor whilst she is in charge of shifts for 3 weeks, as well as accurately and confidently handing over patients to other members of the multi-disciplinary team. In this setting, skills such as communication, decision making, prioritising care and time management are necessary, therefore this placement has assisted me in developing those skills. This assignment relates to learning outcome 2-Utilise a range of therapeutic approaches and problem solving skills when planning, implementing and evaluating care to enhance quality of life for patients and carers, 3- Utilise effective coaching skills in the support of patients, carers and less experienced colleagues, and 4- Analyse and develop professional care, management and leadership roles within the context of multidisciplinary and collaborative care delivery in meeting health and social care needs for patients with increasing levels of dependency. (MSG, 2011) I will develop my leadership skills by shadowing her whilst she is triaging patients, in charge of shifts, and when she is handing over, along with accurate communication skills. Though out the placement, I will gain feedback from my mentor on my progress in order to help me to achieve sufficient leadership skills. Introduction The aim of this reflective account is to analyse leadership skills that have been developed throughout my module 8 placement in Accident and Emergency. I will debate the motives for my choice of actions, and evaluate the extent which it has enabled me to improve my leadership skills. I will discuss what I have discovered about my leadership skills, how I’ve developed as a leader, and what effect this has on the care given to my patients. This assignment, in collaboration with the practise assessment document, will assist me in identifying skills developed, with significance to learning outcomes 2, 3, and 4. The identified skills along with leadership literature will be evaluated using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) which comprises of description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. There are many definitions of leadership, such as being a ‘’function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential ‘’. (Bennis, 1959), ‘Leadership involves the use of interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish a specific goal.’ (Sullivan and Garland, 2010). All of these definitions gave me a great idea of leadership, and allowed me to choose an aspect of leadership skills within my placement. This allowed me to focus on my leadership skills whilst making decisions in the clinical setting. Clinical decision-making is a process that nurses undertake on a daily basis when they make judgements about the care that they provide to patients and management issues. (Banning, 2007). NMC 2008 states that you must ‘‘Provide a high standard of practice and care at all times’’. This reflective account is also based on my leadership skills whilst leading handover. Clinical handover refers to the transfer of information from one health care provider to another when a patient has a change of location or venue of care, and/or when the care of/responsibility for that patient shifts from one provider to another (ACSQHC, 2005). The NMC (2008) states that ‘’you should be aware of, and develop, your ability to communicate effectively within teams. The way you record information and communicate is crucial. Other people will rely on your records at key communication points, especially during handover, referral and in shared care.’’ Stage 1: Description of the event Decision making plays an important role in the A&E department. This determines the care each patient receives. My mentor asked me to triage a patient in the minors department. No names are mentioned in this piece in order to respect dignity and privacy as stated by the NMC (2008). I began to triage a 29 year old female who presented with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. This patient was 7 weeks pregnant. As I was assessing the patient I noticed that she was hypotensive at a blood pressure of 95/65. Following this, I informed my mentor of my patient and my findings. Following a discussion with my mentor, we decided that this patient was high priority. Whilst my mentor inserted a cannula and took bloods, I was given the responsibility of allocating the patient to a bed. Following the discussion with my mentor, I felt that it was necessary to place the patient in majors, and on a monitor bed. As this was being put into action, my mentor and I noticed that all monitored beds were tak en up. I then had to liaise with the nurse in charge to decide if all patients on the monitored beds were required to stay on monitors. After organising a monitor bed for the patient, I then bleeped the gynecologist on call for further advice. After the patient was assessed by other members of the multi-disciplinary team, it was decided that the patient was to be admitted for further tests, as the gynecologist was querying an ectopic pregnancy. My mentor then allowed me to liaise with the bed manager to organise a bed on a suitable ward for the patient. After a bed was arranged, I then escorted the patient to the ward and gave a full handover to the nurses under my mentors supervision. Handover is another very important aspect of communication in the clinical setting, as it ensures the correct information is given to the nurse, and therefore, care for the patient will be organized accurately. Stage 2: Feelings When my mentor allocated me to triage patients, I felt that I was given a lot of responsibility. Porterfield (1999) states that empowering employees is an important part of employee development and can in turn produce a higher level of employee satisfaction. I questioned my ability to assess to as I was not used to this level of responsibility. I mentioned this to my mentor and she reassured me by discussing what assessment tools to use, and  mentioning that she and the rest of the nursing team were there for any guidance throughout the assessment. Once the patient was assessed and allocated to majors, I felt quite confident in my decision making skills. My mentor mentioned that I had triaged the patient successfully and competently and this was very reassuring. As I continued care for the patient, I became to feel more confident in the care I was providing. After a clinical decision was made and the patient was to be handed over to the nursing staff on the ward, I felt slightly nervous in regards to ensuring the correct and accurate information is being given to the staff, as well as the essential information in regards to the patient. As I proceeded to begin handover, I became more confident as I had been with this patient since the beginning, and had a good insight to the care that was given and the care that was to be given. I gave the nurses a full handover in regards to the patient, including what examinations were carried out and the results of the examinations, and what the patient is required in order to keep comfortable. I also mentioned that this was the patient’s first pregnancy and reassurance is vital. Following handover, my mentor gave me feedback on how I handed over the patient. We discussed my communication skills, and my mentor mentioned that I gave an accurate and well-spoken handover, and mentioned all relevan t information in regards to the patient. After receiving that feedback, I felt that my style of leadership tailed was transformational. Stage 3: Evaluation Leaders are often described as being visionary, equipped with strategies, a plan and desire to direct their teams and services to a future goal (Mahoney, 2001). Decision making is a fundamental element of nursing, and is essential to understand. (Reilly, 2003). By my mentor allowing me to make clinical decisions on patient care, leadership skills whilst making decisions were put into practice. With the support of my mentor and all the staff, I was able to analyze clinical situations and make a decision based on best practice, as well as evidence based practice. By gaining feedback from peers, it allowed me to evaluate how effective my decision making and communication skills were. Communication can be identified as a vast field with the nursing setting. (Donnelly and Neville, 2008). Throughout handover, my delivery of information was accurate and precise, and the level  of communication between the nursing staff receiving handover from I was approached to in a professional manner. I feel that, throughout the experience, my confidence levels were low and adverse. Dao (2008) states that self-confidence is the fundamental basis from which leadership grows. Although, I received positive feedback from peers, being given such important tasks made me doubt my competency as a nurse. Stage 4: Analysis The Gibbs et al (1988) reflective model encourages the analysis stage to break down the event into its components so they can be explored separately. In order to analyze, becoming aware of the variety of learning theories and styles will assist in evaluating. Timmins (2006) states that critical analysis should analyse current practice along with examining the research base of practice and exploring theories that update nursing. I feel by exploring various leadership styles, I achieved this throughout my placement. An effective leader should be able to adopt, either consciously or unconsciously, various leadership styles in various situations (Bennett et al. 2010). By approaching the range of leadership theories, I feel that I have obtained the transformational leadership technique. Transformational leadership style is made up of 4 elements, Idealized influence, Inspirational motivation, Intellectual stimulation, and Individual consideration. In comparison, Transactional leadership style is made up of 2 elements, Contingent Reward and management by exception. Aarons (2006) states transformational leadership inspires and motivates followers, whereas transactional leadership is based more on reinforcement and exchanges. I feel that I built a professional relationship with not only my mentor, but with other colleagues in the department, and had the support necessary to assist me in making decisions and handing over. In terms of patient’s safety, accurate decision making and hand over is an essential. The NMC (2008) states that you must ‘’provide a high standard of practice and care at all times’’. By obtaining a transformational leadership style, this ensures that whilst decision making, that all decisions are made with rationale and in the best interest of the patient. When handing information of care of patients over to colleagues, effective co-ordination and communication is essential. Clinical decision-making is a complex activity that requires practitioners to be knowledgeable in relevant aspects of  nursing, To have access to reliable sources of information and appropriate patient care networks and to work in a supportive environment. (O’Neill, Dluhy & Chin, 2005). However, although being supervised whilst making decisions and handing over, I was expected to do these tasks independently and professionally, and based on the best interest of the patient. This allowed me to gain further insight to the transition of student nurse to staff nurse. Stage 5: Conclusion In conclusion I feel the time I spent working within the Accident and Emergency team facilitated greatly in assisting me to develop my leadership skills. The stated event reflected best shows how I incorporated two aspects of my new leadership skills. I feel by studying the styles and skills involved in leadership I gained a good knowledge of leadership styles which I presented during my time here. I received feedback from my mentors and colleagues in regards to the skills, which have given me confidence to practice these skills in the future as a staff nurse. I have come to realise that a variety of leadership styles of leading best work in a hospital setting. In the future I will strive to further develop my leadership skills. Stage 6- Action Plan I plan to continue developing my leadership skills by observing and taking part in handover throughout the rest of my placements. I also hope to continue developing my decision making skills by shadowing my mentor and other colleagues throughout triaging and deciding patient care. As a self-regulated learner, I plan to gain feedback from both mentors and colleagues and focus on areas of further development. REFERENCES Aarons, G. (2006). Transformational and Transactional Leadership: Association With Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practice. . 57 (8), 1162-1169. ACSQHC- Passing the baton of care – a patient relay – May 2005. Available. http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/pdf/policy/gl2007002.pdf. Last accessed 17 May 2012. Banning, M. (2007). A review of clinical decision making: models and current research. J. Clinical Nursing. Available at http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/1395/1/2005-0319%20R2.pdf. Accessed 26 May 2012. Bennett, C., Perry, J., Lapworth, T. (2010) Leadership skills for nurses working in the criminal justice system. Nursing Standard. 24 (40), p.35-40. Bennis WG (1959) Leadership Theory and Administrative Behavior: The Problem of Authority. Admin Sci Q 4(2): 259–301 Bennis W. (1999). The Leadership Advantage. Available: http://www.hr-newcorp.com/articles/bennis_Leaders.pdf. Last accessed 26th May 2012 Dao, F. (2008). Without Confidence, There is No Leadership. Available: http://www.inc.com/resources/leadership/articles/20080301/dao.html. Last accessed 29 May 2012. Donnelly, E, Neville, L. (2008) Communication and Interpersonal Skills, p4 Reflect Press Ltd Publishing. Gibbs, G. (1998) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford centre for staff and learning development. London Further Education Unit. Polytechnic, Oxford Mahoney, J. (2001) Leadership skills for the 21st century. Journal of Nursing Management; 9: 5, 269-271. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives. www.nmc-uk.org O’Neill, E.S., Dluhy, N.C. & Chun, E. (2005). Modelling novice clinical reasoning for a computerised decision support system. J. Advanced Nursing, 49, 1: 68-77 Potterfield, Thomas A. (1999) The Business of Employee Empowerment: Democracy and Ideology in the Workplace. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Riley, M. E. (2003), Removing chest drains – a critical reflection of a complex clinical decision. Nursing in Critical Care, 8: 212–221. Sullivan EJ, Garland G (2010), Practical Leadership and Management in Nursing. Pearson Education Limited,Harlow T immins, F. (2006) Critical practice in nursing care: analysis, action and reflexivity. Nursing Standard, 20 (39), p.49-54.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Introduction to the microbial world history of microbiology Essay

Part A. This letter is in response to your story which was published in your website and broadcasted in your stations regarding Edward Jenner as the most prolific microbiologist that ever lived and have contributed much to the improvement of microbiology and public health. I would like to make a point that several other scientists have contributed much to that of the works of Jenner on eradicating small pox virus by vaccination. He may have started the use of vaccines which led to its eradication years later; however, it should not be mistaken to be the most significant microbiological contribution. Take an example the work of Joseph Lister on 1867 regarding antiseptics (Prescott et al., 2005). Like any other scientist during his time, works on antisepsis was not an overnight job; he worked carefully and tested his theories over and over again, until such time that he perfected it (Roediger, 1990). By thoughtfully thinking of what may cause pus formation in surgical wounds, he experimented with rags and phenol and used it as wound dressings. Sure enough, his patients did not develop gangrene after being dressed with carbolic acid or phenol treated rags. Later on, he improved on excluding bacteria from his operating suite by incorporation of clean environment as a prerequisite in aseptic surgery (Lister, 1909). See more: how to write an academic introduction In modern days, Lister’s work on antiseptic surgery had decreased much of the deaths caused by hospital-acquired infections brought about by practicing of good science (Pasteur and Lister, 1996). By applying his notion of the germ theory via his promotion of environmental cleanliness and sanitation, he inculcated the modern medical practitioners with standards of disease prevention that ultimately lead to reduction of major infections like tuberculosis (Osborn, 1986). Most notably, in his honor, Listerine ® was named after him. In recognition of his efforts, the British Medical Journal recently stated that â€Å"he saved more lives by the introduction of this system than all the wars of the 19th century together had sacrificed† (Nester et al., 2007). To conclude that Lister was more prolific than Jenner, the Jenner Institute of Preventive Medicine in Britain was changed to its current name, the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine (The Lister Institute). Another notable scientist is in the persona of Dr. John Snow. John Snow, in 1849 published his works entitled, â€Å"On the mode of communication of cholera.† In his research, Snow began to hypothesize that cholera was indeed transmitted by a common source, and sure enough he pin pointed it to a contaminated water pump in Broad Street (Thrusfield, 22007). Though highly criticized and much of his researches were dismissed, he never did falter in seeking out the truth. Despite of these obstacles, he never faltered to show the good qualities of an epidemiologist: good record keeper, determined, dedicated and highly skilled (Stanwell-Smith, 2002). A good record keeper, he was a very keen observer and he never did forgot to take into accounts this minute details that allowed him to solve the mystery of the cholera epidemic in London. Moreover, determined and dedicated to his work even though criticisms were all around him and yet a highly skilled scientist never did show attitudes that will hinder him from succeeding (Prescott et al., 2005). His works have led people to dub him as â€Å"the father of epidemiology.† Sure enough, epidemiology and public health cannot have gone a million step without the initiative of the medical doctor who was once criticized for hypothesizing something at that time which cannot be proven until later years where, the bacteria responsible for the disease was isolated. It may be another story of another scientist, but without Snow, nothing not even the prevention and determination of the occurrence of diseases can progress (Stanwell-Smith, 2002). Sure enough, Jenner may have helped in improving disease prevention by first creating the vaccine and subsequent studies leading to its development, it cannot be disclosed that Lister and Snow, did more achievements in the field of microbiology and public health per se. It may be fitting to say that Jenner may be a great microbiologist, it is only proper to also uphold and acknowledge other note taking efforts of these other microbiologists. Part B. In the summer of 1999, the first human case of West Nile Encephalitis in the western hemisphere was documented. By the end 0f 2002, the WNV epidemic have resulted to at least a total 4,156 human cases (with 2,943 meningoencephalitis case and 284 deaths), 16,741 dead birds, 6,604 infected mosquitoes and 14,571 equine cases. This epidemic was the largest recognized arboviral meningoencephalitis epidemic in the Western Hemisphere (CDC, 2003). The Virus Western equine encephalitis is a member of the Genus Flavivirus under the Family Flaviviridae (Tortora et al., 2007). The virions are spherical and around 50 nm in diameter. It is widely distributed throughout the Americas, especially after the onset of the epidemics in 2002. It is maintained in an endemic cycle involving domestic and passerine birds and Culex sp. serving as the vector host (Murphy et al., 1999 ).   WNV infection in humans produces either asymptomatic infection or mild febrile disease, sometimes accompanied by rash, which should be differentiated from dengue hemorrhagic fever. The human case-fatality rate in the U.S. has  been 7% overall with 10% of patients having neuroinvasive WNV disease (CDC, 2003). The Outbreak Although unknown how or when WNV was introduced into North America, international travel of infected people, importation of infected birds or mosquitoes or migration of infected birds are all possibilities and cannot be ruled out. Overwintering mosquitoes during the winter of 1999 to 2000 have been the mode wherein the virus has propagated throughout New York. It has then undergone several cycles of overwintering and by the end of 2002 has affected 44 states, including the District of Columbia. It has now been proven that the mosquito carry the virus and have traveled initially from New York to nearby states infecting other animals, most notably humans. (CDC, 2003). Control and Prevention Prevention and control of WNV encephalitis was accomplished effectively through a series of comprehensive efforts and programs including integrated pest management. It should be taken into consideration that the priority prevention for this type of disease is destruction of mosquito habitats which serve as the main vector. Likewise, sanitation and water management greatly reduced the total number of cases from that of 2002 to a tolerable one. (CDC, 2003)

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Business Sustainability Performance †Free Samples to Students

The main purpose of strategic operations management is to help and support the business organizations to increase the overall performance. In order to achieve strategic operations successfully, the business organizations need to consider efficiency and flexibility. The strategic operations management consists of competitive business approaches and moves to ensure successful business performance. This helps the organizations to define the mission and vision of the business by setting accurate objectives and implementing and executing suitable strategies. The fact that everything is done strategically, defines the success of the operations management. This report emphasizes on identifying and analyzing the operations of the organization named Tindo Solar by considering the value chain of the organization. The report also includes the inbound and outbound logistics of the company and its effect on the customers. Tindo Solar is a solar panel manufacturing company based in Adelaide, Australia. Tindo Solar is a national company that designs and manufactures solar panel products strictly based on the Australian conditions. The products manufactured by the company are of superior-quality due to which the products are highly preferable among the customers. The solar panels manufactured by the company require minimal maintenance thereby, making the products cost-effective for the customers. Due to technological advancements, the company has incorporated the latest features in the solar panel products. Therefore, the solar panel products manufactured by Tindo Solar are highly automated and technologically advanced. By considering the present market trend, the company has made required amendments and inclusions in terms of technology in the products. As a result, the solar panels by Tindo Solar are highly preferable within the market and the customers. Moreover, the company provides various service o ptions to the customers such as easy finance and installation along with the installation charge as low as $2000. Furthermore, the company provides more than 20 years as guarantee period thereby, making it more reliable for the customers[1]. In order to run a business successfully, it is essential for the business organizations to conduct certain operations strategically. This helps in maintaining the track of the various strategic activities conducted for successful business operations. Settings goals timely and the ability of the business organizations to manage the vicissitudes of the daily operations of the business highlight the backbone of the business[2]. Therefore, effective management of the daily operations of Tindo Solar includes managing finances, operation planning, protection of business, benchmarking, supply chain management, management leadership, organizational design and business sustainability[3]. Finance management is a crucial aspect of for Tindo Solar, as this provided opportunity for appropriate financial resource management. Financial management is concerned with the acquisition, financing and management of assets thereby, resulting in the success of the business[4]. The business organizations fail to utilize its complete potential for growth and expansion without proper administration and effective utilization of finance. The main factors of financial management include investment decision, financing decision and dividend decision[5]. Therefore, Tindo Solar need to manage the finance of the company to conduct business successfully. By strategically conducting the investment decision, Tindo Solar will be able to determine the total amount of assets required retention by the organization. Secondly, Tindo Solar needs to manage the supply chain effectively as this will allow the organization for effective management of network planning, inventory control, distribution strategies, outsourcing and procurement[6]. The supply chain of Tindo Solar will help the organization to integrate the stakeholders from the supplier to the customers. This will also help Tindo Solar in promoting mutual sharing of information among the channel members thereby, helping planning and monitoring of the processes[7]. Co-operation among the channel members are essential for effective management of supply chain by promoting coordinated activities by Tindo Solar. Benchmarking is defined as the continuous systematic process of measuring own output or work process against the toughest competitors in the market[8]. Continuous benchmarking will help Tindo Solar to identify their strengths and weakness and work on it to sustain in the competitive market. As the use of solar panel is highly facilitated In Australia, it is essential for Tindo Solar to continuously compare and contrast their operational strategies with the best in the market. Therefore, this will help Tindo Solar to satisfy the customers better by fulfilling the needs and establishing new standards and goals[9]. Moreover, benchmarking will also motivate the employees of Tindo Solar by challenging them professionally and provide career growth. Ensuring business sustainability will allow Tindo Solar conduct business in Australia without hampering the environment but contributing towards the economy of the country[10]. Business sustainability is an integral part of the corporate risk management, as this allows the business organizations protect the environment while conducting business. Therefore, environmental sustainability for the business of Tindo Solar will provide an opportunity for the company to make responsible business decisions. Considering the nature of work done by Tindo Solar, it is already beneficial for the environment, as it is facilitating the use of solar panels within the people. Therefore, both economic and environmental aspect of the country is benefited due to appropriate business sustainability. The concept of lean product management theory is defined as the ability of the business organizations of being less wasteful along with doing things that are big for the country, its economy and the environment[11]. However, lean product management theory does not signify being cheap. Therefore, implementation of lean product management theory will help Tindo Solar to maintain the operations of the company by maintaining their profit level along with being less wasteful. The implementation of lean product management theory allowed the managers of Tindo Solar to get the value of the products to the market rapidly. The use of solar panels is highly preferable among the Australian population. Based on the increasing demand for the use of solar panels among the population, the managers of Tindo Solar has served the market. The company began its operation in 2003 and since then has been able to grow their business and customers base successfully. The organization has even opened its branches in Melbourne since the organization began conducting business. The use of this theory has helped Tindo Solar to penetrate the market into the half. Market penetration helped Tindo Solar in working towards the goal instead of building arbitrarily. According to the theory, the managers of Tindo Solar are able to explore the problems rather than emphasizing solely on the requirements. After evaluating the market, the managers came to know about the requirement of the customers. The customers were also encountering issues in terms of maintaining electricity and paying huge bills. Therefore, the company was able to explore the problems of the customers and gather to required features for solving the problem. The company started manufacturing and installing solar panels for the customers thereby, ensuring both solar and environmental help. The company also emphasized on spreading awareness among the people regarding the diverse application of solar panels along with low maintenance and fewer electricity bills. Ensuring business sustainability will allow Tindo Solar conduct business in Australia without hampering the environment but contributing towards the economy of the country[12]. Business sustainability is an integral part of the corporate risk management, as this allows the business organizations protect the environment while conducting business. Therefore, environmental sustainability for the business of Tindo Solar will provide an opportunity for the company to make responsible business decisions. Considering the nature of work done by Tindo Solar, it is already beneficial for the environment, as it is facilitating the use of solar panels within the people. Therefore, both economic and environmental aspect of the country is benefited due to appropriate business sustainability. The demand of using solar power panel in Australia has increased over the years due to the adverse environmental impact of the conventional electricity system[13]. The heating and cooling machines and systems contribute adversely towards the environment. Therefore, ensuring business sustainability will allow Tindo Solar to manage financial, environmental and social opportunities and obligations appropriately. It has been seen that in order to progress and compete, the business organizations are undertaking strategies without considering the adverse environmental impact. Global warming is one of the biggest examples of such negligence[14]. One of the sustainable business strategies undertaken by Tindo Solar is that the company has taken the initiative of going green with the commercial solar panel in Adelaide and Melbourne[15]. According to the rules and policies of the Australian Government, it is important for the organizations to produce energy from renewable resources[16]. The main motive of Tindo Solar is to produce residential and commercial energy to the people from sunlight. The company installs solar panels on the roofs and ground of the premises in such a way that direct sunlight falls on the panels. The photons of the sunlight then reach the panels and the photovoltaic tubes help in transferring it into useable energy. The use of solar panels for both commercial and residential is beneficial for the environment. The use of solar panels are beneficial are it is one of the renewable producers of energy. Solar panels can be used in all parts that receive sunlight[17]. The use of solar panel as the source of energy completely mitigates the chances of power or electricity cut. Moreover, solar panels can be used as long as sunlight is present in the environment. Therefore, this is a sustainable business approach used by the Tindo Solar that is beneficial for the country, its people and the environment. The solar panels provided by Tindo Solar have diverse applications but low maintenance costs thereby, making the use extremely profitable and beneficial for the environment and the company. The customers using solar panels only need to keep the panels clean and has no other maintenance costs[18]. Moreover, Tindo Solar provides a warranty period of more than 20 years for the products they install thereby, m aintaining sufficient environmental, social and financial sustainability. In this report, it can be concluded that Tindo Solar needs to implement strategic operations management for conducting business successfully. Tindo Solar energy is a solar company based in Adelaide, Australia. It is important for the company to manage the strategic operations in terms of financial management, benchmarking, supply chain and sustainability appropriately. The use of lean product management theory will help the organization to maintain the operational management of the product. The use of this theory helped Tindo Solar to manufacture products with huge benefit but not cheap. Moreover, Tindo Solar has a sustainable approach towards the environment of the country, as the company primarily emphasizes on the manufacturing of solar panels and installing them. This is a huge initiative undertaken by the company, as the solar panels have diverse applications and low maintenance costs. In addition to, the company also provides more than 20 years of warranty on their products the reby, ensuring financial and social sustainability. Amigoni, Francesco, et al. "Competitions for benchmarking: task and functionality scoring complete performance assessment." IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine 22.3 (2015): 53-61. Azevedo, Susana G., et al. "Influence of green and lean upstream supply chain management practices on business sustainability." IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 59.4 (2012): 753-765. Bansal, Pratima, and Mark R. DesJardine. "Business sustainability: It is about time." Strategic Organization 12.1 (2014): 70-78. Christiansen, Ulrik, Annemette Kjà ¦rgaard, and Rasmus Koss Hartmann. "Working in the shadows: Understanding ERP usage as complex responsive processes of conversations in the daily practices of a Special Operations Force." Scandinavian Journal of Management 28.2 (2012): 173-184. Christopher, Martin. Logistics & supply chain management. Pearson UK, 2016. Gao, Jijun, and Pratima Bansal. "Instrumental and integrative logics in business sustainability." Journal of Business Ethics 112.2 (2013): 241-255. Hepsà ¸, Vidar, et al. "Integrated Environmental Monitoring in Daily Operations." SPE Intelligent Energy International. Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2012. Kayser, Mark Andreas, and Michael Peress. "Benchmarking across borders: electoral accountability and the necessity of comparison." American Political Science Review 106.3 (2012): 661-684. Matta, Andrea, et al. "Modelling home care organisations from an operations management perspective." Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal 26.3 (2014): 295-319. Ng, Anthony C., and Zabihollah Rezaee. "Business sustainability performance and cost of equity capital." Journal of corporate finance 34 (2015): 128-149. Poksinska, Bozena, Dag Swartling, and Erik Drotz. "The daily work of Lean leaders–lessons from manufacturing and healthcare." Total Quality Management & Business Excellence 24.7-8 (2013): 886-898. Slawinski, Natalie, and Pratima Bansal. "Short on time: Intertemporal tensions in business sustainability." Organization Science 26.2 (2015): 531-549. 'Solar For Business' (Tindosolar.com.au, 2017) accessed 31 August 2017 Stadtler, Hartmut. "Supply chain management: An overview." Supply chain management and advanced planning. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015. 3-28. 'Tindo Solar –' (Tindosolar.com.au, 2017) accessed 31 August 2017.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Pleaes .Requires.Overview.Paraphrase..Correct grammar Essay

Pleaes .Requires.Overview.Paraphrase..Correct grammar - Essay Example (Pauline and Young 1984, 30) Research methodology is crucial to this research, since it assists the researcher to identify the issues and variables that are supposed to determine and the result as well as the conclusion of this study. Meanwhile it also helps the researcher to envisage how the issues and variables may bring about changes in the impacts (Weinberger 2007). In this research paper, the researcher has attempted to employ a mixed method –a term that refers to the use of both the quantitative and qualitative research tools and measures in order to draw consequential conclusions depending on the findings. Indeed a qualitative-quantitative research method focuses on an integrated data collection and analyzing system that inquires into both questionnaire and interview data and analyzes them in a single study or in multiple studies. (Cresswell et al 2002, 3) In this paper an integrated research method will be employed to collect data, through both questionnaires and inter views, which are related to maintenance and design factor and to combine, compare and analyze those data using the qualitative-quantitative research tools in the analysis chapter of this paper. ... tial since it enables both the researcher and the readers to focus on the aim of the paper, to guide themselves to the end of the paper and at the same time, to provide the readers with the scope to think on the declared aims on their own alongside the progress of the research. (Phillips and Phillips 2008) This research paper primarily focused on collecting data that are related to design and maintenance defects as well as their impacts on the maintenance and management of hospital buildings in Saudi Arabia. Secondarily, it explores the concerning roles, responsibilities, obligations, and liabilities of the agents who are involved in the design and maintenance performance. Last but not the least, the project’s humanistic aim was to make the people related to the Hospital building’s design and maintenance aware of the drawbacks and defects and to enable them to play significant roles in the economic and social well-being of Saudi Arabia through encouraging reform and imp rovement in the design and maintenance protocols associated with hospital buildings in the region. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PLAN The areas that this research projected had targeted to focus on were of two different qualities. The maintenance area of this research project involves people’s, perception of the convenience of the building, who used the buildings more or less frequently. Therefore data for this area were collected and analyzed through the qualitative research method. Again due to the technical nature of the design defects, the data in this area will be collected and analyzed through quantitative method. Indeed both of the two research methods have merits and demerits. In the following discussion, the research methods’ advantages, reliability, validity and limitations will be discussed

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Project Mgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Mgmt - Essay Example having at least one member of senior management represented on a steering committee (Englund & Bucero, p.88) that meets periodically to review the direction, milestones, progress, and costs of the project. A concise summary should be presented periodically to the steering committee with a clear outline of any expectations from senior management. Another way is to agree on a project sponsor within the client organization who champions the cause of the project and liaises with all stakeholders. The sponsor is then given the responsibility to maintain the â€Å"upper management link† for the project (Englund & Bucero, p.10). Underlining this involvement is continued communication while taking care that problems that could be resolved at a lower level are not escalated to the steering committee or the senior management (Lester, 2007, p. 87). Clear statement of requirements: A clear definition of requirements for the project determines the planning and direction of the entire project. Requirements must be discussed and defined thoroughly and documented in a Requirements Specification Document. This is directly linked with the list of deliverables which then sets the direction the project will take (Cleland & Ireland, 2007, p. 271). It is also essential to keep in place change control procedures as some requirements may change over time and must again be clearly stated and incorporated into the project plan if accepted (Cleland & Ireland, 2007, p. 271). Accurate documentation of requirements results from interviews and discussions and must be signed off by all stakeholders reflecting the agreement on their clarity, accuracy, assumptions, and correlation with the deliverables. An engineer at Morton Thiokol suspected that the O-rings in the space shuttle Challenger’s solid rocket boosters were faulty and would not work at low temperatures below the threshold of 53 degrees. On the ill fated day of the disaster, the temperatures were expected to be 10 degrees below

Monday, August 26, 2019

American Neo Conservatism and the World Order Essay

American Neo Conservatism and the World Order - Essay Example American Neo Conservatism and the World Order Backed by an American nuclear arsenal and war machine, Bush tossed the words "freedom" and "democracy" about, making them sound like cheap and meaningless words. Taking advantage of the fact that Americans were distracted with the aftermath of September 11, Bush addressed the world saying, "Since America's emergence as a world power roughly a century ago, we have made many errors, but we have been the greatest force for good among the nations of the earth. A diminution of American power or influence bodes ill for our country, our friends, and our principles." Later, the question would be asked whether or not the terrorists behind the events of September 11 had awakened a sleeping giant,1 or whether the giant had in fact been waiting in the wings waiting for his cue to come on stage. When George Bush made his announcement to Americans that they would respond to the events of 9/11 with an armed assault against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, he did not share with his fellow Americans that already talk had been going on in the White House of a plan to invade Iraq. In November, 2001, ". . . Bush asked his defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to revise the U.S. war plan for Iraq and publicly called for the return of UN arms inspectors to the country.† While a response of moving militarily against Afghanistan as the threshold of operations for the terrorists who had attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 went unquestioned by most Americans.; neo conservative plans of pre-emptive defense tactics against Iraq left many Americans scratching their heads in contemplation of the rhetoric coming out of the White House. It was the notion of a "pre-emptive" strike against a perceived threat to America that caused many, amongst them Democrats, who had pr eviously supported the administration in its response to the 9/11 terrorists in Afghanistan to now jump off the band wagon and put enough distance between themselves and the Bush administration so as to regain perspective of what actions were going on that were clearly being driven the neo conservatives who gained momentum following the events of 9/11. Amongst those who attempted to distance themselves from the Bush administration during the talk of pre-emptive invasion of Iraq period, were world leaders, some of whom seemed taken aback by Bush's pre-emptive rhetoric. "Our closest allies have spoken out against an invasion of Iraq. Gerhard Schroder, leading a usually complaisant Germany but locked in a tough re-election fight, has gone so far as to label this possibility an "'adventure,'" sparking a protest from our ambassador (Galston 2002, 1)." Bush administration officials were accused of ignoring and disregarding the thoughts of those world leaders with whom the United States had close ties (1). The idea of a long term military engagement in the Middle East gave rise to concerns that America was embarking on yet another disastrous course of military occupation and conflict, just as they had during the Viet Nam era; provoking comment from former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger (1). Kissinger weighed in saying, "Regime chang e as a goal for military intervention challenges the

Environmental Science Phase 5 Individual Project Essay

Environmental Science Phase 5 Individual Project - Essay Example There are several fatal flaws in the claim that the U.S. can’t afford to take the legislative steps necessary to slow the effects of global warming. The scientific community agrees that global temperatures are rising due to the burning of fossil fuels which are damaging the protective atmospheric Ozone layer by changing its composition. Human pollution is changing the climate of our earth and has increased global warming in the past half century. The effects are being felt worldwide, not just in the U.S. where most of the CO2 emissions are generated. The question before us is, are we stewards of our earth and will we preserve it for future generations? If the past 30 years are any indication, then the answer is no. Noticeable effects of global warming are fairly insignificant right now to the average person, but its effects are unquestionably growing in scale. If the population of the planet were to immediately discontinue polluting the air with carbon dioxide emissions, climate changes would still continue long into the future. It is vitally important that the people of the world realize that we have set in motion an experiment on planet Earth which we cannot simply turn off because we finally realized the dire consequences. If we injure the planet in this selfish, cataclysmic method, we kill future generations of humankind. Agricultural activity, land masses and the very air we breathe will suffer a radical change from the effects of global warming, but to what degree? I don’t know but don’t want to know. The projected rate of climate change is very alarming to many scientists but not as much to politicians as this topic isn’t as high on the political agenda as some others. It seems to me that the world leaders have no sense of urgency about them regarding global warming. They place great importance on the popular items of the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Ubuntu Operating System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ubuntu Operating System - Assignment Example Ubuntu also gives one the security and comfort in working and storing information online, since it has a password to unlock the administrative actions of one's documents. The password protects against superfluous persons from interfering with the documents. The constantly changing versions of Ubuntu make it a striking technology to apply. Ubuntu Operating System is the newest version of a computer operating system built to cater to the immense role computer plays on man’s daily activities. The system offers new features to its users and improves on their daily know-how in the computer world. Ubuntu is described as a computer structure based on the ‘Debian GNU/Linux distribution’. This unit analyses history, features installation, packages, variants, editions and quality of Ubuntu operating system in detail. Ubuntu was developed as a result of the need of having an efficient system. The earlier systems were not efficient to do the multitasking task, which involved a user performing similar tasks at once. The first version of Ubuntu to be released for public use was on 20th October 2004. Various versions of the Ubuntu system are launched after eighteen months to advance on the effectiveness of the structure. The new versions of the system help in maintaining safety, thus preventing unwanted viruses. The Ubuntu system is being sponsored by Canonical Ltd and a well-wisher named Mark Shuttleworth. The sponsor’s donations led to the formation of the Ubuntu foundation whose main function was to support the development of the latest Ubuntu versions. The features of Ubuntu are that; it is composed of different software packages like the free software. Ubuntu’s design allows it to focus on usability, safety, and dependability.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Electrolytes disorders, hyperkalemia, hypercalcemia, and Research Paper

Electrolytes disorders, hyperkalemia, hypercalcemia, and hpyernatremia, and how they effect our body system - Research Paper Example But any changes in the ECF can have an indirect impact on the composition of intracellular fluid. Electrolyte can be defined as substances that acquire an electrical charge when dissolved in water (Mehtheny 2000). Majority of the body electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium chloride and bicarbonate. Each of these electrolytes exhibit different chemical properties. Some of these electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and calcium attain positive charge whereas the latter two electrolytes have a negative charge on them. This is crucial in identifying their properties and calculating anion gaps discussed later. Each of these electrolytes has their unique functions and any changes in their normal concentration in the body fluids can have a significant effect on the functions of different organs of the body. There is some difference in the concentration of different electrolytes in ECF and ICF. The major electrolytes present in the ECF include sodium and chloride. ICF on the other side has potassium as its major electrolyte. Hyperkalemia: Hyperkalemia is a state where plasma concentration of potassium ions exceeds the normal upper limit of 5.0 mmol/L. As mentioned earlier potassium is a major cation of the intra cellular fluid. The normal range of extracellular concentration of potassium is about 3.5-5.0 mmol/L whereas the intracellular concentration may rise upto150mmol/L (Braunwald et al 2008). Potassium is mostly contained within the cells so that it does not have any effect on the outside fluids. But any pathological conditions whereby cell destruction causes the leakage of potassium ions into the ECF may cause hyperkalemia (Schrier 2003). This phenomenon is known as cellular redistribution. Disease conditions such as rhabdomyolysis, trauma and hypothermia are few examples that compromise the ability of the cell to withhold potassium within its membranes. Other causes of hyperkalemia include drug induced hyperkalemia and renal failure. Succinylcholine and Thalidomide are more common drugs that are known to cause hyperkalemia. Decrease renal excretion of potassium as a result of renal failure is also known to raise the potassium levels in the blood. Excess dietary intake of potassium is rarely a cause for hyperkalemia due to body’s adaptive mechanism known as potassium adaptation whereby excess is efficiently excreted by the kidneys and other mechanisms. This increase in the potassium levels clinically manifest in the excitable tissues. Therefore, paresthesias and muscular fasciculation of both limbs are the earlier manifestation of hyperkalemia. It is due to increase duration of polarization as a result of excessive potassium ions partially depolarizing the cell membranes. Heart is arguably the most important organ affected by the disturbance in potassium concentration. Cardiac toxicity of potassium can be evident on the ECG in the form of elevated or peaked T wave (Schrier 2003). Other important impact of hyperkalemia is on the kidneys where it inhibits the reabsorption of NH4+ contributing to metabolic acidosis which further exacerbates hyperkalemia by redistributing the potassium ions out of the cells (Braunwald 2008). Hypercalcemia: Calcium is an important electrolyte that is required in many signaling pathways of neurons. It is also an important constituent of bones and is essential for their strength. There are many other crucial roles that are played by calcium so it is

Friday, August 23, 2019

The concept of leadership is involved in all formal and informal Essay

The concept of leadership is involved in all formal and informal social activities - Essay Example This can be defined as the process where people are concerned about group interests and their acts are guided in that direction only. In this regards leadership is viewed as an instrument of achieving group interests and coordinated goals (Chemers, 1997). The concept of leadership is involved in all formal and informal social activities, and has become a fundamental part of social and working life (Chemers, 1993). Moreover, this concept of leadership is closely associated with organisational functions and organisational properties, where the basic nature of these organisations or groups might have been inefficient in the beginning (Chemers, 1993). In order to be efficient, organisations require the efforts of each of its members to be managed and coordinated (Chemers, 1993). Those members need to spend time and employ resources to build up coordinations to accomplishment their desired goals. More narrow the group or organisation, the greater is the requirement for those resources (Ch emers, 1993). As stated by Chemers (1997) in today’s world it is very difficult for only one person to do all tasks and group works and organisations are very much needed to accomplish goals of the entire group. In this regard the concept of leadership is crucial for achieving success. ... Explaining leadership: The word ‘leadership’ in literature is used according to individual perspectives of researchers and aspects that are most relevant to them in their context of research (Northouse, 2010). There are almost similar amounts of definitions and concepts to the number of researchers. It can be defined in various aspects and dimensions. For example, Western (2008) states that leadership can be defined in terms of behaviors, characteristics, patterns of interactions, influence, administrative positional occupation and role relationships. According to House (2004) leadership represents the assumption that it entails a process where purposeful influence is applied over other people of a group or organisation to direct, structure and to facilitate activities and relationships in that group or organisation. Many definitions of leadership have been made with regard to concepts related to leadership. These definitions differ in many regards, including the person who exerts the influence, the presumed purpose of that influence, methods in which influence is applied, and the possible and observed outcomes of that influence (Yukl, 2011). According to Grint (2010) leadership can be defined in four aspects: position-based leadership, person-based leadership, results-based leadership and process-based leadership. All these concepts are related to an organisation. Firstly, in case of position-based leadership, the concept deals with the position in the formal or informal organisation. In this regard, leadership is explained as the activity taken by a person who is at the vertical position or the person is â€Å"at the top of the tree† having power of all the resources to lead (Grint,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

We are not free- Really Essay Example for Free

We are not free- Really Essay â€Å"Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you,† said French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre. This is how majority of people live day to day without realization that they are. According to Webster’s dictionary freedom is defined as, â€Å"the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. â€Å" We the people believe that we are â€Å"free† when, in fact, we are not entirely free. The freedom we possess does not exactly match the given definition; instead, it matches up with Sartre’s quote. We have altered the definition of freedom due to the society we live in. Based off of how we live and what circumstances have been placed on us, we work around it and create our own version of freedom. Our lives are greatly affected around the rules placed by the government and the expected guidelines that society imposes on us to restrict true individual freedom and change our idea of freedom. Though our government, the Government of the United States of America, gives us many freedoms (freedom of speech, religion, press, etc), we are still not wholly free. Without laws and rules chaos would arise, however; with them we are not completely free to do as we please. For instance, we do not have the freedom to drive a car as fast as we feel. We have laws and rules restricting how we can drive. But, if we think within our given restrictions, then we see ourselves as free. We can freely transport ourselves in our own vehicle when we want to where we want, but we must do so under the laws given. Another restriction the government has placed on driving is that a vehicle must have insurance on it to be driven legally. The freedom of choosing whether or not you want car insurance is out of the question. Driving a car itself is limited only to those over the age of sixteen. Anything that requires a license is restricted by the government, for example, owning a weapon. Not everyone has the individual freedom to own a gun unless approved by the government. Age restrictions are also placed on the people, restricting what they can do. If one is younger than eighteen he or she cannot purchase or consume tobacco products. If one is under the age of 21 he or she cannot consume alcohol. For instance, I, an 18 year old, cannot legally walk into a store and purchase a bottle of liquor, yet drink one. Individual freedom is restrained, for instance, no one can ingest certain drugs in his or her own body and no one can prostitute themselves. Some actions people choose to do with their own bodies are not tolerated. Money is also a restriction on what we can do. It may not be directly affected by the government, however, we are given money from the labor we put into society to spend as we choose, only under the restriction that we pay our taxes. The government has put laws on the citizens of its country that restrict many freedoms they have, if not obeyed than one is punished with fines or jail time; therefore we are not absolutely free. Besides written laws, society places unwritten rules that hold us back from doing and saying what we want. We are expected to talk and act a certain way. Unofficial guidelines are pushed onto us, keeping us from being free. We are given â€Å"freedom of speech† but does that really give us the freedom to say whatever we like to whomever we like? We are expected to behave in a manner that does not let us be free. It is okay for a student to approach a teacher and scream at them? It is okay to harass someone? It is okay to cut in front of a line you have been waiting in for hours? In the society we live in the answer to these questions are no. If a student chooses to disrespect their teacher he or she will be sent down to the principal’s office for punishment. Harassing another person could cause others to look down on you as an individual. Choosing to cut in front of another in a line would displease those having to wait longer causing disorder between all the people and the â€Å"cutter†. This is what happens in the society we live in and no one is happy with the results that come with these actions. Children do as their parents tell them; students do as their teachers tell them; workers do as their bosses tell them, because in this society we all follow some sort of higher power, which is expected. Even if we may not want to do as our higher powers tell us, we still do so because we are not free to disobey without any penalty. We are not entirely free to do as we please due to the fact that negative consequences are presented if we disobey society’s â€Å"rules. † The laws forced on us through the government and higher powers and expectations placed on us through the society we live in, hinder our true potential freedom. We like to think of ourselves as â€Å"free people† and a â€Å"free nation,† when in fact, we are not really free. We do not realize how we are not truly free and follow what Sartre had said. We think of freedom as doing as we choose with what has already been done with us; laws, rules, regulations. These are all constraints on our actions which does not meet the definition of freedom. Whatever we do has some sort of restraint pulling us back from doing what we want. Just because we have some freedoms does not ultimately make us free individuals.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Common Practices in Religion Essay Example for Free

Common Practices in Religion Essay What is Religion? The term religion comes from the Latin word ‘religare’ which means to bind. In the world today, there are different forms of religious groups and followings that have unique beliefs and practices depending on their history. It is estimated that there are thousands of religions in the world, including the mainstream religious groups and others that are not known. One of the common characteristics of religious groups is that they all believe in the existence of a supreme being. However, there are those who don’t believe in religion. For such people, religion only assumes the existence of a supreme being while there is no substantive evidence to support the said belief. According to Norris Inglehart, through the practice of atheism, atheists believe that religion is just a fallacy that might have developed in the past and passed on from generation to generation through the various teachings in culture (2011). For enthusiasts, the reason people are afraid to question religious teachings is because of the fear of repercussions that are likely to occur due to such disbelief. Under this context, religion was assumed to be a creation of scholarly studies in the past with philosophers trying to establish how religion came into being. The major question is what religion is all about and what entails the aspects of it. For most people, there is a thin line between culture and religion. This explains why different cultures have their specific religion and beliefs. However, there are various contentious issues that have never been solved over the years. One thing that would totally shift the paradigm and, in extension, the balance of nature, is if it turned out that no supreme beings the religions are based upon exist. Such a situation would totally erode the gains made in the religious world today and also lead to mass confusion among the staunch religious followers. However, some of the religious beliefs are so strong  that they cannot be influenced by any emerging trend regarding their faith. â€Å"Most of the common definition of religion excludes some fundamental facts about religion and offering an adequate explanation of what religion is† (Hood et al., 2009). From a general perspective, religion is commonly defined as the belief in God. This belief, however, is considered as vague as it excludes some of the ideas that characterize some religious followings such as atheism. If religion was to be solely defined as the belief in God, what would the other religious groups that either believe in a different supreme being and those of atheism be referred to as? This tendency of generalization is what often causes some misconception that is associated with how religion is defined. Then what is the worldview of religion and how is it defined in different places around the world? There are arguments that religion is not hard to define, but rather it is the people themselves who often create the confusion regarding its definition. According to Heelas (2005), one of the greatest challenges is how to define religion without excluding any religious beliefs or followings in the word today. However, there is a conventional way of defining religion which incorporates the primary fundamentals of religion. The following are the fundamentals of religion; The belief in a supernatural being. A clear distinction of what is regarded as the moral way of doing things in accordance with the different religious beliefs and practices. Various rituals that are commonly attributed to the religious groups from different parts of the world. Religious groups have various rituals that characterize the specific religion and establish a code of conduct in which members are supposed to operate. A specific way of communicating with God is done through prayers. However, distinct religious groups have a specific way of praying and other practices that accompany prayers. Different religious feelings that are often experienced whenever the practice is taking place. In some religious groups, members engage in incarnations and a sense of adoration. In other groups, however, there is always the aspect of guilt and repentance during religious sermons. From this approach, the worldview related to religion and what religion entails becomes clear. In most cases, it is believed that religion and religious groups in extensions are very different. This explains why there is no single approach as to what entails  religious practices. However, there is a common characteristic of religion that can be used to generalize the practice from a worldview perspective. In the world today, religion continues to shape the life of the people, whereby the religious followings and teachings provide a guideline on how people are supposed to live and interact with each other and with God. The mainstream religious groups attract millions of followers, which is an indication of just how strong religious faith is. In addition, there are thousands of religious followings that are not captured in the mainstream studies of religion but continue to exist with their distinct religious practices. Religion can, therefore, be universally defined as a compilation of religious systems that share a common belief and focus on the unique characteristics of the members of religious faith. References Heelas, P., Woodhead, L., Seel, B., Tusting, K., Szerszynski, B. (2005). The Spiritual Revolution: Why Religion is Giving Way to Spirituality. Blackwell. Hood Jr, R. W., Hill, P. C., Spilka, B. (2009). Psychology of religion: An empirical approach. Guilford Press. Norris, P., Inglehart, R. (2011). Sacred and secular: Religion and politics worldwide. Cambridge University Press.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Difference Between International Banking And Global Banking Finance Essay

The Difference Between International Banking And Global Banking Finance Essay To define a banking system as International or Global is quite difficult because there is no clear-defined Bank system model. We can make a certain classification by looking at the way in which foreign assets are funded and liabilities are managed. The international model of banking system relies more in Centralised funding which means that assets funds and liabilities (gathered mostly by bank domestic market) are shared among the main Bank units and then allocated to other member of the banking group. While Multinational or Global Banking has a more decentralised tendency which means that funds and liabilities are local claims. To diminish our uncertainties regarding the banking classification we can see the currency in which rely the bank assets and liabilities. In this way we can see the dependency on foreign exchange of the cross-border funding. International Banking is very dependent on foreign exchange rather than Global Banking which use local currencies and consequently elimi nates transfer and exchange rate risks. Identify five ways in which a bank headquartered in the USA can fund loans to a borrower in Japan, and classify them as examples of international or global banking Real life examples can give us a better understanding of Banking System models. We can take into account a Bank which its main offices are situated in USA. We can distinguish five ways where this bank can fund loans to a borrower located in Japan. Looking carefully the way this funding is done, we can make a certain classification as International or Global Banking. USA customers deposit their money to Bank Head Office which follows these funds to Japan gives them as loans to Japan borrowers. Since this process involves cross-boundary it is considered as International Banking. USA customers deposit their savings to Head Office which in turn deposits these funds at its Bank Unit in Japan. The Bank unit can give these funds as loans to Japan borrowers. This is also an International banking system. Another way to move funds is that Head Office gets Japan deposits and in turn gives loans to Japan borrowers who need financing. So the whole process is done by the head office in USA without involvement of any bank unit or USA saver. This is International Banking classification again for the same reason. If a Bank unit in Japan takes deposits from Japan savers and gives these funds as loans to Japan Borrowers then we are in the same country, so it called Global Banking system. Still we have the same system as the last one when the USA saver deposit their saving to Bank units in Japan and the funds goes for Japan borrowers. The ratio of locally funded foreign assets to total foreign assets is referred to in the reading. What value will this take for a pure global bank? What will be the value for a pure international bank? Use the data provided in you case study to illustrate this. The foreign assets, especially the ratio of cross-border assets to locally funded ones, is the best measurer to classify a banking system as International or Global. Since it is difficult to have a banking system totally Global, this measurer ratio would be, (total local assets)/(total foreign assets)=1. For banking system totally International this ratio would be 0. If we have another measurer ratio such as, (total cross-border assets)/(total foreign assets)=0 for Global Banking and 1 for International banking. These are the sides of the segment and the most of the banks relies between these sides. Identify five reasons for the move away from international and towards global banking since 1980s. According to BIS reporting data at the reference Global Banking System, we can see the movement that banking system had during certain different periods. If we choose a starting point such as year 1980 till now, we can see that Global banks has been expanded more than International ones. Especially US Banks local claims has been increased by 400% instead of the foreign claims which were increased by 55% (Bis Reporting Data table). We can identify some reasons to explain how this shifting is done: Most of Bank strategies tended to increase their assets and liabilities in foreign markets. This goal is achieved by trying to make the saving customers into more credit card holders or mortgage customers. Another reason for the shift was by increasing the market of Bonds and Securities. So, the aim was to increase borrowers of local obligations or local government bonds. The period of 80 is known as Debt Crisis, where most of the banks couldnt pay back their debts (region as Latin America was most hit by this crisis and also other well-developed countries). In such Market Risk, moving toward global banking was a good solution to reduce risk. Also, having different currencies in different countries makes the exchange of currencies very risky for bank transaction and funding. So, having the funds in a country and investing those funds there eliminates this kind of risk. Acquisitions of cross border banks and by expanding existing operations was one of bank strategies that makes banks more and more global. If we look back at 90s the data show an increase of inflows in some developed countries by 21 % (UNCTAD (2001)) and this came by merging and acquisitions. Another reason for expansion of Global Banking are the countries restriction which are becoming more and more easy in the meaning that they are becoming more opening to new financial institutions. Having lots of country boundaries like financial laws or any other restrictions makes the global system quite difficult to enlarge. Why is Europe an exception? use data from you case study Reading through the article Global International Banking, we can see that the regions involved are mostly of USA or Asia. So, Europe its not so much involved in this kind of Globalisation. Even from the data in table 1 ( BIS Report 2001) we can see that Europe countries has a high number on international claims (Europe area shares almost 38.6 %of international claims vs all countries and Western Europe shares 62.2%) This is possibly due to the main head offices which are located in Europe, in countries like London, Amsterdam, Zurich and Luxemburg and thus they tend to have more cross-border activities. These activities are also strongly related to Europe money market. The goal is to have cross-border funds in order to strength the position of Euro currency and also to increase local claims in Europe. Also many large business companies tend to have securities and obligations in other countries outside Europe using the funds raised up in Europe in euro currency. Such activity increases the competition between these large companies and tends to avoid main retail transactions in Europe countries. Also there are other factors that exclude Europe from this shifting towards global systems such as, Institutional ones. The existence of Cartel groups makes difficult the shift because of the fear of losing the group value. Also most of the Europe banks are affected by different regulatory systems, differen t tax and labour laws, accounting and reporting systems, and also having different country restrictions in Europe, impede the shifting to global systems. Distinguish between Transfer Risk and Country Risk. How does global banking diminish Transfer Risk? Every banking system, International or Global involves certain kinds of risk such as Country Risk, Transfer Risk and other risks hanged on by the institution itself. Since these systems lay down in different countries, they face the countries restrictions e.g country economic, political, social. From this tendency comes factor such as interest rates, currency evaluation or other issues (not dependant on country economy, such as natural disasters) which may affect a lot the foreign investor. The risk that arises from the country, in which it is being invested, is called country risk. Part of such risk can be considered Transfer Risk. This is due to preclusion of exchanging the foreign currency to the country one to make transactions. The transfer risk is limited to country in the terms of the countrys demand for foreign currency and also to the foreign exchange which could fluctuate in different periods. Investing in one country and using those funds for loans or other possible invest ments, like global banking does, diminish the transfer risk in terms of currency devaluation. International banking involves funds transfer through the countries and in this way the transfer risk is at high levels. During the Argentine crisis, USD deposits and USD loans were treated differently by the Argentine authorities. Deposits remained in USD, while loans could be repaid in pesos at a devaluated exchange rate. What are the implications of this for global banking strategies? Include some data from the case study When a country is in financial crisis, happens that lots of foreign investors move away, inflation goes up, unemployment arises and other effects take presence in that country like Argentina in our case. The Argentine government took a decision to treat bank deposit in USD and loan instalments to be paid in pesos. Having peso currency depreciated, makes that the exchange rate between Dollar and Peso to be high (more peso for one dollar). When the exchange rate is high, the effect it has on interest rate is that it goes down. by keeping at low level the interest rate of the country, more money will be in circulation, and more cash flows for any investment. In this kind of situation, Argentina can be attractive to new investors, especially global banks which operate locally. The government decision has an effect on local claims in local currency. In this way the peso currency gains strength foreign reserve in USD can be kept at the same level as the cash circulation. Since the ratio lo cal claims versus international claims was 34% (table 1, BIS reporting (2001)) the government tented to increase such ratio. Argentina is a good example of shifting from international to global system because such a decision helps global strategies to be developed in this country and to diminish transfer risk. Part Two: Capital Flows in East Asia since the 1997 crisis In what sense can the net capital outflows from East Asia since the 1997 crisis be said to have supported the global economic and financial system in recent years? Explain your answer fully. The 1997 was a year to be remembered for countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries that form the East Asia region. Due to lack of financial system and poor governance, those countries were affected by stock market devaluation, asset prices going down and also currency devaluation. Having such financial problems, lots of investors move away causing capital withdraws. But since then, gradually improvements have been made by passing from account deficit to account surplus valued at $88 billion. Current account balance surplus or deficit shows how well the net foreign assets of that region are and in the calculation are included government or private payments of the certain period. The net capital flows from East Asia to other part of the world involved the creation of foreign exchange reserves. Viewing the data (BIS Quarterly Review (2003)) between two references of times 1998 and 2003, we can see that the region reserves has been growing time after time, increasing in this way the global reserve by almost 50%. But the usage of this reserve didnt focus on region domestic investment but to other part of the world. The country, which played a great role in region recovery, was United States. Having current account deficit in the same period, at about $240 billion (BIS Quarterly Review (2003)) United States imported for East Asia region a net value of $116 billion. In other word we can say that United States invested in Asian assets with high risk and the region gradually transferred the risk to global markets which want to diversify their investment portfolios. Despite this growing there are some criticisms regarding how well can this reserve be used on the region itself and not to the rest of the world. But what are the benefits from the yield of the foreign exchange reserve comparing to the investment inside the region. What can be the profits in each case? The region main profits on the first case are by balance payments in order to have assets in financial markets at the rest of the world, and this is called risk free global market. The other case is to invest in the region, and in this way to improve the regions financial market. Some critics believe that in the last case there will be much more profits than the first one and makes the reserve less rational. Another critic is done to the net Capital outflows in the sense of externalities involved in the process. As we all now, Externalities are behaviours or any financial decision which dont takes into account the country or region interest. In our discussion we can say that the resources of the region are putting into work for the other part of the world rather then for the private companies or corporate. In what sense have the gross flows of capital into and out of East Asia involved an international exchange of risk that is restoring and strengthening national and corporate balance sheets in the region and rendering the regions economies more resilient? Explain your answer fully. Capital flows have two point of view in which has to be seen, capital inflows or capital entering in the region and capital outflows or capital going out of the region. Both ways of flows involves risk in the process, but this risk involves different counterparties. What is in common, is that Capital flows in East Asia has been influenced by so called, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) which was the main source of capital inflows in the region and data shows that before the 1997 crisis the region was receiving almost 20% of global FDI. Even after the crisis, the region had some difficulties to attract new investments but still the FDI were at high level, especially in China. The main FDI for the region are USA, Japan and investments between the regions countries. In 2002 East Asia was having 16% of net USA FDIs and 15% of Japan net FDIs. Also, having trade arrangement between regions countries is one of the possible investments flows. Being in an international exchange of capital flow s, it involves risk for sure and it comes in different forms such as, portfolio investments and bank channels. Equities of portfolio in the region went down after the crisis, especially in Thailand (80% between 1996 and 1998 (Graph 5, BIS Quarterly Review (2003)). Gradually region equity market got some strength and local equities versus international equity began to be more correlated. This was due to exports, industrial production and the region economy as a whole. Even, foreign bank lending to the region fell dramatically after the crisis. If we look at graph 6 (BIS Quarterly Review (2003)) we can see that Japanese banks reduce their claims on East Asia. Some of East Asia banks sold their debts to USA investor and other corporate bonds were sold in international market. In contrast to counterparties involved in the inflow of capital process, the outflow process is through bank channels. After the crisis East Asia began to buy securities of US Treasuries, US Agencies and some European and Japanese government debts which we know that they are low risk. Also banks began to have deposits outside the region, in international banks. Paying back low-risk debts and selling its own equities, East Asia was giving to the outside world secure capital and in turn its financial structures, such as corporate balance sheets were getting stronger. But if we compare the yield from capital inflows and the yield from capital outflows, data shows that East Asia during 1997-2002 is getting less than its giving. But, from this exchange of capital the region is getting liquidity. But, how much could East Asia earn if the capital on gross basis have been invested in the region and not to flow outside it. Till now, only USA had more benefit by East Asia, and local market bond of the region has been left behind.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Book Report on Wreck! :: essays research papers

First Entry – Suggestion Number 1 – Page 50 This fiction book is called â€Å"Wreck† and was written by Allan Bailie. The main characters are Ian Foster and Reene Thompson, they are two normal teenagers. Reene was told to baby-sit Ian while his parents are away. During this period a cyclone hits Albatross Beach and they barely survive it. Soon they seek shelter in a rusty old freighter on the beach. After, the cyclone erupts again and sets the boat out to sea. While on the boat they experience many strange happenings and realise they are not alone. Second Entry – Suggestion Number 6 – Page 80 I believe the writer was trying to keep suspense and did this by not giving any extra info and by putting in a few false alarms to keep you on your toes. The writer is also very descriptive which adds greats atmosphere and further suspense. I think the writer has a good imagination to be able to write in such a way. Another skill the author has is, he knows when and when not to be descriptive, that helps because a whole page description on something that has no relevance at all is not necessary Third Entry – Suggestion Number 5 – Page 100 Ian is shy and doesn’t seem very confident in the book; Ian explains it’s probably because of his dad who’s always putting him down because he can’t do something right. There isn’t mush about his interest in the book because the author keeps to the story line most of the time. Ian is afraid that he isn’t to his father’s expectations and that his father hates him. His experiences throughout the book make him a stronger person and I think he’s better for it. Reene also helps shape Ian into a better person. She is responsible, outspoken and strong-willed, Ian picks ups picks up a bit of it. Ian comes out to have a stronger mind, isn’t as reliant on others and isn’t afraid to voice his opinions. Fourth Entry – Suggestion Number 8 – Page 120 To me the ending wasn’t much of a surprise because they were on a boat with an unknown monster, they defeat the monster and are rescued which wasn’t much of an ending. This of course doesn’t mean the book is boring, just predictable. There are also many little things that happen along the way to keep this book interesting enough to keep reading.

Child Labor and its Effects Essay -- Child Labor

In today’s world, one would believe that the majority of Americans would oppose supporting a business that exploits the use of child labor to produce its goods. However, the odds are we all have in one way or another supported these businesses the last time we went shopping. Whether it is a toy for a child or a jacket to keep you warm, it was probably was made using child labor in one of the many different parts of the globe. The use of child labor is a major factor of the global economy in today's age of globalization where U.S. companies such as Nike, Reebok, or Wal-Mart have taken control of the market (Calucag). Western civilization has attempted to fight child labor for years now with little to show for it. The main reason has been the failure to come up with reasonable ways to communicate Western values and opinions on practices that should be eliminated and turn them into effective solutions. Third-world countries offer child labor (Low-cost Labor) as competitive advantage in the world market (Qadeer). As a result, companies from the west have let low-cost, high profitability, blind their morality. Consequently, rather than making sure no child labor is involved in the production of their product, companies have embraced it by running their operations in countries that allow it to occur. By doing this, companies are able to keep production costs as low as possible, thus increasing profits. Child labor is the employment of children who are under the legal minimum age. UNICEF defines child labor to be seen as happening along continuum, with exploitation on one end and the development of a strong work ethic on the other side (Stackhouse). When children are forced to work long hours, their ability to attend school or to co... ...izabeth. Child labor in sub-Saharan Africa . Boulder, Co.: Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc., 2004. Basu, Kaushik. Child Labor: Cause, Consequence, and Cure, with Remarks on International Labor Standards. December 1998. 21 11 2010 . Black, Ken. What is bonded labor? 08 september 2010. Burra, Neera. Born to Work. Oxford University Press, 1995. Calucag, Ernesto B. "International trade and labor (Popular Economics)." Business World (2004). Greenhouse, Steven. "Clinton to seek big increase in funds to fight child labor abroad." New York Times 7 february 2000. Qadeer, Mohammed. "why the third world still needs child labor; WORK." The Globe and Mail (Canada) 12 december 1996. Stackhouse, John. "UNICEF report says "child labor condemned hazardous work, betrayal of rights"." The Globe and Mail 12 december 1996.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Interview With The Vampire :: essays research papers

This novel, “Interview with the Vampire';, by Anne Rice, is by far one of the best book I’ve ever read. It started with a young boy interviewing a vampire, and the vampire related him the whole story of his life, how he became a vampire, his thrilling adventures through the centuries and his complex relationships with both the mortals and the immortals. In my opinion, Anne Rice had done the best of jobs. The writing and the detailed descriptions, the composing of this novel, had brought out every emotion of the characters like the flick of a whip. The rage, the love, the hatred, the sufferings, the darkness, the pain and the terror, were all presented so vividly as if in front of my eyes, as if I were really part of the character. I think Anne Rice had created the most successful characters. Throughout the whole book, you can really look at the conflicts between them. They are, somehow, attached or attracted by each other, both the mortals and the immortals. Their love and hate and struggles go to such degrees, and yet limited by their nature, it was almost impossible to understand it at all. I believe Anne Rice had used those characters to express humanity, the whole plot was some kind of an irony. Something like a metaphor, though she exaggerated everything to make it poignant enough. Not only were the characters a success, the time and place details were incredible. The costumes, ways of manner, history and every background changes as the years passed, and she made the backgrounds so realistic that I could almost feel everything surrounding me. Actually I think Anne Rice had done such a great job that this book should be counted as literature.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Drug Addiction Short Paper Essay

There are many myths about addiction whether it be alcohol addiction or drug addiction. One of these myths is that drug addiction is voluntary. Once someone becomes addicted to drugs it can change the person’s brain chemistry and drug use then becomes compulsive and uncontrollable. Another myth is that addiction is a flaw in a person. Once addicted to drugs the person can’t control their want/need for the drug. Another myth is that a person has to want to get help for their addiction in order to stop using drugs. I do believe this myth is only partially correct because I do think that someone needs to at least own up to the fact that they have an addiction problem. A court can order someone to get drug treatment which can help them to kick their habit but they must be willing to make an effort. Another myth is that people who are addicts can stop on their own without any treatment if they make an effort to stop. Most people suffering from addiction can’t stop on their own without getting treatment and if they do it isn’t long lasting. Another myth is that someone can’t be forced into treatment. People can also be coerced and remanded by a court into getting the help they need for their addiction. Many people also believe the myth that people only get treatment once they have hit rock bottom. This is simply untrue as many people get treatment before they have lost complete control over themselves and their actions. Or if they have been made to seek treatment by a court order or been coerced by friends and or family members. Some people realize they have an addiction and chose on their own to seek help before hitting rock bottom. While a lot of people think that there is one certain treatment for all addicts this is not the case. Addictions are different on a case by case basis and have to be tailored to each individual person. It simply would not work to treat every addiction in the same manner. A lot of people with addiction also suffer from some sort of psychiatric illness as well that needs to be treated. If a psychiatric illness is not addressed the person could slip back into addiction. Most drugs and alcohol (including marijuana) can become addictive if used to often. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse over time marijuana can cause changes in the brain which can lead to addiction. Marijuana can also cause withdraw symptoms when the user stops using the drug. Which can lead to the person becoming irritable; interfere with sleep, and restlessness just to name a few. References: Marijuana. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2015, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

Friday, August 16, 2019

Race and Ethnicity Essay

Stereotypes can convey characters and images quickly and clearly, so advertising relies on stereotypes as shortcuts to meaning. The time and space constraints of advertising and any other commercially driven message simply cannot allow for a complete representation of people from any given social group, but stereotypes can clue in to the importance responsibly. Depending on how they are formed and used, stereotypes can present problems. They can be used in functional or dysfunctional way. The functional aspects of stereotypes; stereotype is valuable to create classifications of individuals and serves as conventional characters. So, they are functional when they are accepted as a natural way to guide our expectations. Dysfunctional stereotype, a stereotype in which abnormal or impaired aspects of a culture are emphasized. So, they are dysfunctional when they are used as the sole way to wholly judge individuals incorrectly, seeing them only as part of group. An example of a functional stereotype is that the Germans are punctual, which is correct. On average, they are more punctual than many other peoples. Certainly, the Italians and the Spanish have a different concept of time. For the Spanish, knowledge of this aspect of the German culture means that they can adapt their behavior: when they are expected for dinner, 8 o’clock means 8 o’clock, and not 9 or 10 as it does in Spain. An example of a dysfunctional stereotype is the British saying that the French are dirty, oversexed, and ludicrously obsessed with their culture, and the French saying that the British are cold, uncultivated, hypocritical, and unreliable. Yes, the British are more reserved in the eyes of the French, just like now, Hong Kong people think the mainland people are dirty, low education level, no civic sense and so on — all these are dysfunctional stereotypes. However, it is necessary for the advertisements to consider the fact that the dysfunctional aspects of stereotypes far outweigh the functional aspects. Constant exposure of representation of social identity in stereotypical terms in media discourse can make people experience the dangers in real life. For instance, In 2009 „Coke Brrr side of life? television commercial, racial or national identity are presented in stereotypical terms. Problem arises when Blacks/Africans are more negatively stereotyped than Whites/Americans/Europeans and Japanese/Asians. Negative stereotypes generate negative social meanings or implications. By being depicted as lacking in seriousness in the midst of a serious world conference, the African representatives seem misplaced or misbehaved. The negative social implications of these Sambo stereotypes are that Africans are seen as less civilized and less educated than Europeans and Asians, and thus inferior to them. The negative racial stereotyping is inevitable. It is necessary for the producer of this commercial to exploit the functional aspects of stereotypes—creating classifications of individuals and as conventional characters in popular stories—to achieve their profit-oriented goal. What is more significant for the producer(s) to consider is the possibility of audience?s increasing anxiety that may be triggered by the broadcast of TV commercials with negative stereotypical representations like 2009 „Coke Brrr side of life? and the risk of this anxiety to become audiences and consumers? resistance to the commercial and the advertised product. If resistance happens, it is unlikely that the producer(s) can reach their profit-oriented goal. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=99PC7AtabVk —

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Consequences of China’s One Child Policy

HIST HP 264-002| Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy| | | In the mid 1950’s, China’s population grew rapidly under Mao Zedong. He felt that the only way for China to get back on its feet was to become industrialized and that China would need manpower for this industrialization. â€Å"Even if China's population multiplies many times, she is fully capable of finding a solution; the solution is production,† Mao Zedong proclaimed in 1949. â€Å"Of all things in the world, people are the most precious. † The population grew so dramatically that the country’s resources were becoming scarce. In 1979, just three years after Mao’s death, the â€Å"One-Child Policy† took effect. This law was implemented by Deng Xiaoping to curb the population growth. The original intent for this policy was economically based. There had been a great famine, in which many people lost their lives, and China wanted to prevent this from happening again. There was not enough suitable farmland to provide food for the entire population nor was there enough water. They wanted to reduce the demand for natural resources, maintain a steady labor rate, and reduce unemployment caused by surplus labor. China’s justification for this policy was based on their support of the Marxist theory of population growth. This policy has been called the largest population control effort in history. The policy is very controversial mainly due to the way enforcement has been carried out. While the policy itself has achieved its main goal, by preventing over 400 million births from 1979-2010, the long-term consequences for China will be great. The one-child policy has many regulations. China maintains that this a voluntary policy but the enforcement of the policy has proven otherwise. I will touch briefly on a few of the most important points of the policy. The policy states that both the husband and wife must both practice birth planning. Birth outside of marriage is not allowed. Couples are permitted to have one child. Late marriage and late births are encouraged. Couples who follow the policy and have only one child will be given a certificate to receive rewards and preferential treatment. Those who refuse to follow the policy and give birth to a second child will be fined from the month that the child is born. The wages or annual income of both husband and wife will be decreased by ten to twenty percent for seven years. Regarding pregnancy not adherent to the plan, both husband and wife will be imposed a fine monthly during the period of pregnancy. If the pregnancy is terminated, the fine imposed will be returned. China’s system in caring for the elderly after retirement is simple. The eldest son is generally responsible. In earlier days, this was not such a terrible burden. However, with China’s one-child policy, many families find themselves in quite a predicament when their one child is a girl. A girl is traditionally groomed to be married. When the time comes for her to marry, she leaves her family and becomes a part of her husband’s family. She then becomes responsible for helping her husband care for his aging parents. Thus, her own family will be left without support and care. Even in cases where the family’s only child is a son, the â€Å"4-2-1 Problem† is often created. There is an increased burden on the one child to provide for his aging parents and grandparents, in addition to his immediate family. (The 4-2-1 policy refers to 4 grandparents, 2 parents, and 1 child. If personal savings, pensions or state welfare fail and the single child cannot care for the older adult relatives, the older generations would face a lack of resources and necessities. This is just one possible consequence to China’s one-child policy. When mothers become pregnant for the first time, some manage to have an ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby. This is i llegal in China but still happen none-the-less. If the parents learn that this first child is a girl, it is sometimes aborted. This is due to China’s preference of boys. There are many reasons that Chinese families prefer boys. One reason is an old religious link to Confucianism that prefers sons over daughters. Another reason is that a son is believed to be stronger and better able to help the family with farm work. Also, as I stated earlier, a son will support his parents in retirement and take care of them. A daughter would leave her family and become a part of her husband’s family. Sex-selective abortions are leading to a decline in the female population, which will also have long-term consequences as well. In China, boys are considered to be so important culturally, that a family is looked down on if they do not produce a boy. Therefore, having a boy is a source of great pride for a family. As if they can control their baby’s gender, wives are often threatened to be sent back home to their own families if they cannot produce a boy. When a woman is sent back to her own family, it is considered to be very shameful for both she and her family. Also, she would now be seen as a burden to her own family. They would have another mouth to feed and would have to support her as well. This would create further hardships for her family. Another consequence is the danger associated with enforcing the policy. In the early years of the policy, there were drastic measures taken to ensure that the policy was enforced. Population control workers were hired to enforce the policy strictly. Forced abortions were common amongst these enforcement procedures. Portable ultrasound devices were used to identify candidates who were carrying second children in remote villages. Some mothers who were eight and a half months pregnant were forced to abort their babies. This was often carried out by injecting a saline solution directly into the mother’s stomach. If mothers did not go to the clinic willingly to have the abortions, they were dragged there by force. There have even been reports of mothers who were already nine months pregnant, and in labor, having their babies killed while they were still in the birth canal. This not only harms the unborn child but also puts the mother’s health at risk with the possibility of hemorrhaging, infection, or even death. After these forced abortions, these mothers were subjected to forced sterilization as well. This means that if the government ever changes their mind and retracts the policy, these mothers will have no chance of having another child. Often, a mother becomes pregnant with a second child and manages to keep it a secret from the authorities for fear of forced abortions. If the family is wealthy, they are sometimes allowed to keep the baby if they pay large monetary fines to the government. The amounts of the fines are based on the statistics of the particular area where they are located. They can also have their houses and land taken away as a penalty. They can be denied bonuses at work or may lose their jobs altogether. Parents with more than one child are not given the same benefits as parents of only one child. They must pay for both children to go to school and pay for the entire family’s healthcare. Most families are not able to pay these fines nor are they able to survive without the significant benefits that are normally provided. This leads to families living in poverty and even death due to starvation or lack of proper healthcare. Another consequence of China’s one-child policy is the rate of female infanticide. Parents often panic when their baby is a girl and either kill the baby themselves or abandon the baby. Babies are abandoned in many ways. Sometimes they are taken to remote places and left to die. Other times they are left in public places, with or without notes, so that they can be found and taken to an orphanage. If the child is not found immediately, they can often be malnourished or in poor health when arriving at an orphanage. When this is the case, and a baby is beyond help, some Chinese orphanages have what are called â€Å"dying rooms†. These rooms are horrific. Babies are strapped to a chair with a hole in the seat that collects the baby’s waste. The babies in these rooms are left there, with no nourishment or care, to die. In the cases where the babies are abandoned and someone finds them rather quickly, they are taken to an orphanage to be cared for or are sent to a foster family. The lucky children are adopted internationally. Others can spend their whole lives in the orphanage. In China there are around 1,000 orphanages. Only 250 of those will send children out of the country to be adopted. Officially registered adoptions increased from 2,000 in 1992 to 55,000 in 2001. Many more were adopted informally without registration. In 2005, around 7,900 children were adopted into the United States. In reality, only about 5% of children in Chinese orphanages are adopted at all. Many babies put up for adoption have not been abandoned by their parents but confiscated by family planning officials. The one-child policy has also had a negative effect on the children legally born to couples. Parents tend to over indulge these children. This epidemic has created the name â€Å"little emperors† for these children and the condition created is being called â€Å"little emperor syndrome†. These children are spoiled. Because there was once a great famine in China, the parents want to give these children what they were deprived of. They want to ensure that they have plenty to eat and overindulge them. The children have become fat. There is now an initiative in China to stop obesity in children. There are clinics where parents and children are educated about healthy eating and exercise. Some children are even receiving acupuncture to curb their appetites. The fact that children are becoming overweight is not the only problem with the â€Å"little emperors†. They also suffer from poor social communication, poor cooperation skills and lack of self-discipline. They often struggle with strong personality disorders. In March 2007, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) called on the Chinese government to abolish the one-child rule. Ye Tingfang, a sponsor of the proposal, argues that â€Å"It is not healthy for children to play only with their parents and be spoiled by them. The one-child limit is too extreme. Children in our country may not even be blessed to have cousins which is a serious handicap to their nature and may lead to personality flaws. It violates nature’s law and in the long run, this will lead to Mother Nature’s revenge. Because of the one-child policy, families who desperately want to have a second child often take on a foster child. This can temporarily fill a void of desire for more children. These families become very attached to the babies that they care for and love them just as if they were their own. When these babies are adopted, the foster parents are devastated and become deeply depressed and are forced to cope with the los s. This emotional strain is equally felt by the birth parents, who were forced to either abandon the baby or surrender it by force, as well as the foster parents who have cared for the infant. The one-child policy has affected the population significantly. In some areas, there has been a negative population growth. This means that the deaths of a region have outweighed the births. Also, the Chinese population is aging. This is when the median age of a country or region rises. The elders are now becoming greater than the younger generation. This will surely pose a tough strain on the younger generation to care for their older family members with no help from siblings. Another potential problem will arise as the preferred boys reach the age to marry and procreate. There will be a major shortage of women to fulfill the need. In recent studies, the ratio of men to women is 117:100. It is estimated that in the year 2020, there will be 40 million more men than women. This will have extreme consequences. These consequences include social instability, courtship motivated emigration, and forced marriages. Another tragic consequence is prostitution which can also lead to a rise in human immunodeficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Already there has been a problem with abduction of women. Women are being kidnapped and sold to men in other provinces. They are being raped and treated badly. If they try to scape, they are beaten severely. This are all consequences of the gender imbalance created as a result of China’s one-child policy. There have been a few exceptions made to the policy over the years. In rural areas, parents can apply to have a second child if the first is a girl. Other circumstances that would allow consideration for a second child would be if the first child s uffers from a physical disability, mental illness or mental retardation. When this special permission is granted, the parents are subject to birth spacing. This means that the parents must wait a specific amount of time before having the second child. This time period is generally from three to five years. Exceptions have also been made if both parents are only children. This would relieve the burden of the â€Å"4-2-1 problem† on just one child. Special considerations have also been made when the father is a disabled serviceman who will not be able to care for his own aging parents. Official permission is sometimes granted in cases such as the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where children perished and in other cases where the child is deceased. Finally, there are exceptions made in affirmative action cases such as with Han Chinese who are considered to be minorities. Although the one child policy seems like an extremely harsh and controversial method of controlling the population, it isn’t as harsh as it may seem at first. It depends on which area of the country you live in as to how much it affects you. In some areas which have a low population, the policy is somewhat lenient, whereas in Sichuan, the policy is strictly adhered to in both rural and urban areas because it is overpopulated. As nearly 50% of China’s population live in the countryside, many are permitted to have two children because for the majority of places, the policy is more strictly enforced in urban areas. Typically, the power of enforcement is given at the provincial level. In March of 2011, the policy was reviewed by the Chinese government. Some officials expressed the need for consideration to allow couples to have a second child. The government announced that the policy will remain unchanged through at least 2015. China’s one-child policy has had many benefits. It has greatly reduced the severity of some major problems that come with overpopulation such as epidemics and slums. It has also helped out the issues with overwhelmed social services such as healthcare, education and law enforcement. The policy has helped reduce China’s ecological footprint by decreasing the abuse of fertile land and reduced the production of high volumes of waste. It has, in recent years, provided better health service for women. There has been a reduction in the risks of death and injury in pregnancy and women receive free contraception and prenatal classes. China in recent years, for the most part, has maintained a steady labor rate with reduced unemployment. With families having to spend less money on multiple children, they have more to invest for retirement. Finally, with fewer children, women can invest more time in their careers, increasing their personal income. With all of the benefits that have come from the policy, sometimes all the money and material possessions in the world cannot compare to the love of a child and the freedom to choose how large your family can be. In conclusion, China’s one-child policy was a drastic measure taken over thirty years ago to control a growing population problem. While it has succeeded in lowering the population and improving the economic situation, the long-term emotional and physical effects felt by families will continue to be unbearable for generations. Losing a child due to natural causes is hard enough but being forced into abortion, sterilization and abandonment has to be so much worse. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fitzpatrick, Laura. â€Å"China’s One-Child Policy,† Time, posted July 27, 2009, http://www. time. com/time/world/article (accessed April 9, 2011). Buckley Ebrey, Patricia. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 478-481. Hesketh, Therese, Ph. D. â€Å"The Effect of China’s One-Child Policy after 25 Years,† The New England Journal of Medicine 353, no. 11 (2005): 1171-1176. Lost Girls. DVD, directed by David Royle (2005; Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005). Phillips, Michelle. â€Å"Women forced to abort under China’s one-child policy,† The Washington Times, posted June 2, 2010, http://www. washingtontimes. com/news/2010/jun/2 (accessed April 9, 2011). Mosher, Steven W. â€Å"A Mother’s Ordeal: One Woman’s Fight Against China’s One Child Policy,† (MN: Park Press, Inc. , 1993), 56-60. Hays, Jeffrey. â€Å"One-Child Policy in China,† http://factsanddetails. com/china. php (accessed April 9, 2011). 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