Problems That Families Face in Canada Essay

Introduction A Family is a group of people who resides in a household, which consists of several different types of families. Most problems such as divorce, abuse, alcohol or drug related problems and child abuse usually are the main dilemmas faced by Canadian families. If these problems keeps reoccurring to families in Canada the question we will have to ask ourselves will families keep on rapidly decreasing because of these present problems faced by Canadian families? In my opinion that’s why I wanted to embrace this topic because if these problems continue in the society we actually see a great change in the family structure in Canada. Also I want to touch on how child related such as adoption, teenage pregnancy and other problems are major issue of why there is a negative in change in the family structure. Usually in cases like these in terms of family problems I would not go off my own assumption I would also obtain perspectives from the Functionalist, Conflict. Feminist and Interacti onists Types of Families We realize that a family is relationship in where live together with a commitment to form an economic unit consider the group of critical to their identity and other reasons. Certain types of families would be Kinship A social network of people based on common ancestry, marriage or adoption is the basis of family structure. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) The extended Family A unit compasses of relatives in addition to parents and children all of who live in the same household. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) The nuclear Family Then we see after the years when industrialization was that nuclear family was created This is basically a unit is composed of one or two parents and his/ her / their dependent who live apart from the relative. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Single parent family A family that only has one parent running the household. Most of them in Canada being the female running the household and becoming the breadwinner. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Perspective on the changing family In each social problem we realized that couldn’t lean to our understanding of why certain problems are happening in the society we must definitely include the opinion from the sociological aspects from the Interactionist, Feminist, Conflict and Functionalist. Basically from the Interactionist point of view is that communication is an important part of understanding family roles which each member play in the household. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) They basically analyzed how each member of the family act out their roles and react to the parts played by others so we see that the family tend to develop through interactions between each other. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) What the interactionists are saying that most problems in the families are cause by women becoming more individualized and society emphasizing romantic love, which is mainly as unrealistic expectations. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) From the feminist theory they believed that males are more dominant than female way before capitalism and ownership of properties became an economic system. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) In more studies of the feminist they said that men labeled themselves as the â€Å" bread winners† because they are the superiors and woman were the inferior ones. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Also because of this inequality this lead to spousal abuse in terms the rates of spousal homicide has decreased but as of course female deaths higher are than males concerning this fact. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Also the conflict theorists think the same as the feminist what they think is that families are basically sources of social inequality and conflict over values and access to resources. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Also one of the main reasons is that conflict theorist say that women and children are basically owned by the male figure and they are almost like factory workers. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) From the functionalist perspective they basically stress the importance of family and maintaining stability of the society and the well being of people. They are saying that family sort bring an identity to an individual such as providing economic and psychological support, providing a social status for that member and socializing and educating children. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Child related Problems Child related problems in Canada is one of ways of why probably families change in some way as you can see these related can harmful effects on kids on the society today. We see certain problems of why certain kids have a certain negative behaviors because these certain dilemmas can bring on depression and anxious behaviors, also some problems such as maybe adoption and abuse can prevent a child from healing from stress related depressions I feel these play a part in the way kids behave and they way family structure shaken up to some of these child related problems. Parental Absence in this situation that can change a family structure. In certain parts of Canada it shown mostly mothers were more present because analyst proved that 78% of the woman that were married and living with a partner but 22% of the family were taken care by women of most of the time but Canada does have some, but not too many homes, where the dad is the only parent in the house. (Serbin, Temchiff, Cooperman, S tack, Ledingham and Scwartzman 2010) I feel that most families need two parents in the home because a dad would provide financial support, security and in my case lectures and lessons and you would need a mother for TLC (tender loving care). In which the child miss any of these growing up the child might be missing certain values in life for example: if a son grew without a dad you see that sometimes the boy might grow up sort of â€Å"soft† because there was no manly figure present. Adoption is definitely one of the related problems to a child. Adoption is a legal process through which the rights and duties of parenting are transferred from a child’s biological and/or legal parents to new legal parents. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) It is a present problem because the hardest to do as family who adopted a child is actually breaking the news to the kid that not that kids real parents and that can be very frustrating for a young child. (Serbin, Temchiff, Cooperman, Stack, Ledingham and Scwartzman 201 0) Another big problem would also be drug/ alcohol abuse. We see that in the society that many young kids our experiencing drugs at a early age such as marijuana and mainly alcohol substances. These drugs if taken at a early can maybe affect the child either physically or mentally. Kids that basically do drugs and alcohol at a constant mainly has poor averages in school and they tend get into a lot of trouble this is where in terms the parenting comes in to play about parents teaching kids not do drugs. (Serbin, Temchiff, Cooperman, Stack, Ledingham and Scwartzman 2010) In Canada One of the huge issues are mainly teen pregnancies. Over the years teen pregnancy has grown tremendously in the ranks and most pregnancies happen to teenage girls in bigger cities such as Halifax, Quebec and Newfoundland. We see that teen pregnancy bring out two themes which is poverty and lack of employment opportunity because according to social analyst teenage mother are unskilled at parenting and mostly to drop out of school and mainly not having enough social support. . (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Parent related Problem In facing social problems we have to realize not only children face problems but also adults face many problems as the leaders of the household. Domestic violence basically more mothers and kids face this problem because they are mostly the victims. (Dufour, Clement , Chamberland and Dubeau 2011) Mother are mostly hurt injured, raped or assaulted by their husbands or somebody else and also the kids can be affected by this as well. (Dufour, Clement , Chamberland and Dubeau 2011) Spousal violence is a part of Domestic violence where the man brings violence towards his wife in certain cases she can end up in hospital or even dead because most of the percentages are women. Men are less likely to be victims of spousal violence. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) Divorce is another problem that parents may go through, Divorce is a legal process of dissolving marriage which permits the former spouse to remarry if choose to do so. (Kendall, Nygaard and Thompson 2011) The reason divorce sometimes is fro many such as religion for example: your lover is probably an atheist and you believe in God so that leads to some sort confusion and divorce can happen through status of job where the women in a dual earner home makes more than husband that can lead to some huge confusion and divorce. Final thoughts In my final thought I believe that most of these issues that change the family structure such as teen pregnancy divorce and alcohol and drug related issues is, in my opinion, mainly caused by poverty. In Canada we have a lot social classes upper, middle and lower class but in terms of poverty we have two types of poverty which is Absolute and relative poverty in where absolute poverty is when a family doesn’t have the income to provide the basic human necessities such as food water and shelter. Relative poverty is almost the middle class family who can definitely afford the basic needs but they cannot afford all menial things for their children such as education and insurance. Also from poverty children is being malnourished because they should be eating healthier because families that are not financially strong purchase unhealthier foods. Also another stress for parents because they could not get certain jobs because they lacked higher education from their earlier days they have to take low entry jobs with low benefits. I have experienced poverty as a child a growing up as adolescent when I moved into in grandmother’s neighborhood it was the worst neighborhood. My brothers and I were surrounded by drugs, poverty and bad friends also we suffered child abuse where my grandmother would just beat us sometimes just for going out side but here in Canada you can arrest your parents for disciplining but not where I was from you just took beating and move on. I felt my brothers and I experienced a lot of social problems mainly because of poverty I felt if we where better financial wise I think our lives a whole lot better. Bibliography Kendall, Diana., Vicki L. Nygaard and Edward G. Thompson 2011 . Social Problems in a Diverse Society. 3rd Canadian edition. This was our textbook for this year the writer basically explained social problems that people face in Canada Dufour, Sarah, Marie- Eve Clement, Claire Chamberland and Diane Dubeau 2011 â€Å"Child Abuse Disciplinary Context: A Typology of Family.† Journal of Family Violence The objectives of this study were to identify and validate types of violent family environments based on child abuse in a disciplinary context. The study is original in that it simultaneously takes into account the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of the parental role as it relates to the degree of family violence in a child’s life. Serbin, Lisa A., Caroline E. Temchiff, Jessica M. Cooperman, Dale M. Stack, Jane Ledingham. Alex E. Schwatzman 2010. Predicting family and other disadvantage conditions for child rearing from childhood aggression and social withdrawal: A30 year longitudinal study

Global Wine War Essay

Introduction Human beings have been dealing with wine for thousands of years, from the Mesopotamians to the ancient Egyptians, from the Greeks to the ancient Romans, the latter which under their vast empire spread viticulture through the Mediterranean region. Through centuries countries, such as France and Italy, obtained a consolidated position in the wine industry, both in demand and production. In the last part of the 20th century newcomers (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, USA, etc.) have successfully challenged the leadership of the so-called Old World that represented the majority of global market share. Wine Industry Analysis using the Porter’s Five forces Model A brief Porter’s five forces analysis can help understand how the evolving of competitive environment is actually composed and why this market shake occurred. Figure 1. 1: Porter’s Five Forces Model For what concerns the threat of new entrants; the Old World companies completely underestimated this threat. When the newcomers entered the market they could bargain market share of the pre-existing ones without facing real opposition, exploiting better marketing strategies and more efficient organizational approaches. Regarding to the threat of substitute products; this seems to be a challenge for the future, with the introduction of branding as a marketing approach; the threats from the beer industry and â€Å"soft drinks† producers must be taken into account. Referring to the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, the entrants are in a much better position because of bigger production plants which allow them to gain a stronger contractual power towards distributors; moreover their value chains are more concentrated removing the troubles of the too much fragmentation and variety of actors between the producer and the consumer, which on the contrary, Old World’s competitors are facing. Furthermore analyzing the rivalry among existing competitors it is possible to understand that the traditional producers are facing much more difficulties, because they cannot exploit advantages the newcomers have, such as professional management, large marketing investments and economies of scale and scope. Unfortunately, these are not the only intricacies they are bearing with; the pre-existing producers have always been in competition one against the other, making it more difficult to achieve competitive advantages through cooperation. Eventually the newcomers are concentrating their action in the new growing markets while the old ones are still mainly struggling in the Old World declining markets. Network value analysis It is also of a relevant importance introducing the Chain Value Model that was at first presented by Porter in â€Å"Competitive Advantage. Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance†. This model was introduces in order to better understand the activities through which a firm, in particular a wine firm, develops a competitive advantage and creates shareholder value (fig. 1. 2). Concerning the primary activities we can see that in both the inbound and the outbound network logistics, the NW producers managed to reduce costs of transport and warehousing, exploiting new technologies of packaging (an example is the Australian â€Å"wine-in-a-box† instead of the classic glass bottle. ) Analyzing the outbound logistics, it is possible to explore the fact that as consequence of being big multinationals the newcomers can bargain power of the distributors, carving out margins which the European competitors are not able to gain due to the excess of fragmentation which reduce contractual power towards the distributors. With reference to the inbound logistic a major role in reducing costs per unit is played by mechanization and scale economies, which are widely exploited by the NW producers. The same advantages are reflected on the operations where mechanization of harvesting and scale are making the incumbents competitors more profitable, moreover they are also exploiting scope economies, while in the Old World, the fragmentation and the wide specialization, which were the strength of the systems now are showing themselves as weaknesses. Figure 1. 2: â€Å"Chain Value Model† by Michael Porter The use of new technologies and new organizational approaches are also incident on the quality of the final product, which is granted by the integration of the processes and an efficient network strategy by the newcomers, while in the OW these challenges have not been answered yet. One of the largest disadvantages the mature competitors are facing concern the activity of marketing and sales, where due to the newcomers approach they are loosing the market confront. The Old World is exploiting factors largely underemployed by the Europeans, the use of professional marketing, market researches try to understand and forecast the market in order to be more responsive to the real needs of the demand. The correct use of branding from part of the NW producers is resulting as one of the strongest competition advantage towards the OW ones. Concerning the support activities the situation does not vary, the new-comers have advantages in the firm infrastructures mainly because of a more efficient organization of the all networks and because of a better organization and integration of the production chain. As regards to the Human Resources Management the differences are mainly a consequence of the different organization types of the actors of the market; in the New World the companies are organized as multinationals with professional managers and marketers, in the Old World the firms are often too small, fragmented and in competition among them to have access to such resources. On the side of technology development the newcomers are exploiting the new technologies in order to gain efficiency and quality, developing new mechanical tools and new approaches mainly regarding harvesting. Completely different is the approach of the New World competitors, strongly opposing the use of new technologies providing quality with a traditionalist method, an unfortunate approach for gaining market share. In terms of procurement it is unclear if there are advantages of one system towards the other. The outcome of the analysis shows how the New World could gain market share against the Old World, challenging a domination that lasted for centuries. 1. How did the French became the dominant competitors in the increasingly global wine industry for centuries? What sources of competitive advantage were they able to develop in order to support their exports? Where were they vulnerable? * Competitive advantage sources: history and traditions; know-how; experience; strong internal demand; world wide quality recognition; leader in wine sector for centuries. * Weak areas: fragmented chain of production; too strict regulation and classification; scarce innovations; no differentiation of the product; poor marketing; no branding bargaining power. As wine production grow up in the Mediterranean area, this alcoholic beverage became more and more blended with cultures, religious traditions and everyday life in the area that now is called the â€Å"Old World†. Wine first uses and its complex production made it not accessible for all, actually it was considered a luxury good. But centuries of development in the production process, like vineyard horses or row plantations, innovations in the distribution and preservation of the wine, like cork stopper or mass production of glass bottles, made it affordable for everyone generating a strong internal demand in countries such us French, Italy, Germany and so on. Specifically, regarding France, in 1966 the domestic demand accounted for 120 liters per capita and it became the country with the higher consumption of wine, followed by Italy with 110 liters. In order to better understand the dimension of the market, in the same year in Australia, USA and UK the annual per capita consumption was far less than 10 liters. In France, wine was not only highly consumed in every house, but it became one of the business strengths of the country. Actually it was the second largest French export, because History and tradition made the French wine synonymous of quality in the whole world. Moreover, since there were hundreds of different types wine, French government codified a hierarchical classification (Appellation d’Origin Controllee – AOC, Vins Delimites de Qualite Superieure – VDQS, Vins de Pays) and nurtured the concept of terroir to help consumers recognize their finest wines in a highly fragmented market. This significantly strict regulation was an important innovation that made the difference among the main competitors, such as Italy or Spain. French source of competitive advantage was not only the century know-how that permitted to have a high quality wine and the strong internal demand, but also the demand coming from the neighboring countries without a highly developed wine industry. Wine producers, in many countries of Europe, were isolated from each others, and most of the world’s wine drinkers consumed either local wines or imported from close winemakers. This tradition made the fortune of France, since the climate and the soil in the United Kingdom didn’t allow grape growing enough to satisfy the huge internal demand, British were forced to import from the closest producer. The century tradition was an advantage for the French wine because it was a symbol of quality, but it was also a drawback, because it fiercely limited the flow of innovation and development concerning the production, distribution and branding of wine. Moreover, since the whole production chain was fragmented in many segments, there was a lack of economies of scale and integration that had terrible results in market power of the French producers. Actually branding was poor or even not existing and a number of small producers with very small bargaining power were incapable to deal with retailers as supermarkets loosing market visibility and the connection with the whole segment of customers. The direct competitors, the Old World producers, were all in the same situation: fixed to the traditions and unable to satisfy the increasing fast-changing consumer tastes and preferences. The fact that they had been the market leaders for centuries made them unconscious about the possibility of new hardened competitors growing in the New World. 2 What changes in the global industry structure and competitive dynamics led France and other traditional producers lose their market share to challengers firm Australia, US, and other New World countries in the late 20th century? In the last twenty years, the worldwide wine industry has become increasingly internationalized and sophisticated, though over the years, the market has become fragmented, international, multi-lingual, operating in many currencies, and information-intensive. The wine industry globally faces continued shake-up and consolidation and the generation of mega wine companies has become inevitable as no one wine company – listed or private – currently has more than one percent of the world wine market, in stark contrast to other beverages. Global wine showed solid growth in volume terms in recent years, up nearly two percent to 25,066 million liters. Still red wine provided much of the impetus for volume growth in the world wine market over survey period, with sales rising nearly 12% between 1998 and 2003. However, volume growth of global wine was dampened by changing patterns of consumption in important Western European markets, like Italy, France, Portugal and Spain, as younger consumers moved away from traditional everyday wine drinking to more occasional consumption. Globally, the two countries that are leading the wine production and consumption businesses are France and Italy. However, the irony is that these two countries are also witnessing a steady erosion of their global market share. In our opinion there are five key success factors that we have identified that are extremely relevant to compete favorably in the global wine industry: * a strong existing domestic market * domestic market growth potential * economies of scale advantage * industry adaptability to change and * potential to attract foreign investment. First, a strong domestic market is one where a large volume of wine is purchased and where consumers readily select domestic wines. Second, even more important is the potential for growth in a producer’s domestic market, as this shows if opportunities for additional sales exist where producers may have local knowledge and other native advantages such as local distribution. Third, countries where production is dominated by larger firms have the advantages of scale and scope as well as improved power in promoting and pushing their wines to consumers and retailers. Fourth, industry adaptability to change summarizes the willingness of producers to experiment with cost saving production methods or to pioneer new marketing techniques. It also indicates if producers are free from excessive regulations or blind adherence to long standing traditions. Finally, countries that have business-friendly climates, favorable costs or other natural comparative advantages will attract foreign investment in wine production, which makes these countries stronger global competitors. Old World producers were the first to define tastes and quality standards and they have traditionally been supported by a strong local consumer base. The New World has had to work hard to build their wine industry, both in infrastructure and reputation. Large scale wine production is relatively recent, and many of the New World producers faced difficulties such as currency collapse, prohibition and international sanctions. Per-capita consumption also lags that of the Old World countries. Yet New World producers have recently been successful in producing consistent quality wine and in capturing global market share. .The group with the strongest competitive position includes Australia, Chile and the United States. Australia and Chile both have small populations that provide for a tiny domestic market with little potential for growth. However they are very well positioned to produce and export wine with their adaptive, large-scale producers and their great lure for foreign investments, providing them with a position of a strong competitive advantage. The US is a populous, affluent nation, and while the US wine market is already large, it has even more potential to expand. With all other key success factors strongly favorable, the US also possesses significant competitive advantages. The countries with the weakest competitive advantages in the global wine industry are two traditional strongholds of wine production in the Old World: France and Germany. While they have large domestic markets, there is little opportunity for further growth. There are many causes of the decline of France, and the Old World in general, in the market share of this sector; these concerns globalization, changes in the demand, more responsive strategies of the rivals and also the lack of market research and marketing investments by the French firms and totally ineffective technology and innovation policy. Moreover, the concentration of production into small wineries, complex labeling practices and inability to leverage new production and marketing techniques does also not bode well for effective competition in a global market place. Nor does either country hold much potential for attracting foreign investment, save for some traditionally undervalued areas of France, like Languedoc. In response to the shrinking costs of transport, globalization allowed companies situated in different areas of the globe competing in the same final market, an example is the UK one, where in the past the demand was completely satisfied by French, Italian and German wines. Although consumption per person has decreased in traditional consuming and producing countries (Italy, Spain, France), the consumption and production of wine is increasing in new countries in northern Europe, Americas and Asia. Countries like South Africa, Australia, Chile and Argentina are radically modifying the industry’s competitive environment. With the â€Å"globalization† of the wine market, the environment is becoming more competitive and producers are implementing new strategies. We can observe two very different production and marketing models. * The traditional French model, based on the certificate of guaranteed origin (AOC), whose objective is to turn out a high added value typical product in limited quantities through the combination of a demarcated territory called terroir and enforcement of constraining specifications and regulations. * The second, is being implemented by producers in the so called New World (the United States/California, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina). It is based on â€Å"industrialized† mass production and intense marketing of relatively standardized products which are easily identifiable through private brands. There are different observable relationships between the players and the production sites in the industry. In this context, the French wine industry appears to be in an insidious or even open crisis. In most producing regions, a major symptom is the decrease in domestic sales in a context of market shrink. In addition, there is a loss of export market shares which is estimated at ten points in several countries that have traditionally been markets for French such as Great-Britain, Germany and Canada. In these cases, these losses are not due to an overall market decline, which is actually on the rise, but rather to the increase in competition by producers who are mostly from the southern hemisphere (Argentina, Chile, Australia, South Africa) and California. The real alleged weaknesses of the French wine industry have been the subject of numerous analysis and reinforcement proposals: regulations which are too strict and consequently slow down innovation, a complex and hard to understand product supply, minimal or even no effort made concerning promotion and marketing. Furthermore, we believe that the main mistake lies in the structural organization of the wine industry in France. Hence, we would like to not concentrate on the wine product and its specific qualities but will try to compare the way the industries’ players are organized, in order to analyze where the French industry is not adequate to modern challenges. The terroir/AOC model has been a reference for worldwide wine production until the 1980s but it is no longer the case in the early 2000s. Why is France’s position on the international wine markets degrading while New World wines experienced spectacular improvements and now aim at catching up with traditional â€Å"Old World† products? From an organizational point of view the terroir/AOC model seems to have a certain number of cumulative weak points in comparison to the new world’s model (identifiable with Porter-like clusters.) In terms of the supply structures, the French established supply model and infrastructure are characterized by fragmentation and a high number of small winemakers that have a negative effect on investment capacities (material or immaterial) in the industry as a whole. This fragmentation has certainly a negative effect on the ability to innovate in terms of products, processes and even marketing and selling. The small scale of businesses and lack of tradition as regards pooling resources do not allow producers to find the financial means necessary for heavy investments. This weakness tends to neutralize the local industry’s reaction capability when it faces the new environment pressures. The fragmented supply chain is, indeed, both the cause and the consequence of a â€Å"non-competitive/non-co-operative† tradition among producers; individual strategies of traditional producers aim to avoid all forms of comparison with neighbours and potential competitors. This lack of cooperation is, in Porter’s perspective, one of the major weak points. On one side, for New World producers, wine-making is an economic activity and is taken on as such: producers define output, profit and market share growth objectives and give themselves the means to reach them. On the other, for traditional terroir producers, wine production, though highly lucrative, is not taken on in its economic dimension but rather centered round the â€Å"cultural† nature of the product. The â€Å"New World producers are turned towards innovation, the terroir is founded on immutability of tradition; it is consequently strongly resistant to change. Terroirs’ organization model is traditionally supply driven in a context of scarcity. This avoids producers to think about productive environment and production method change. Consequently, traditional producers have had trouble in considering both the qualitative and quantitative evolution of demand and its consequences on supply, where â€Å"New World† producers are used to have a proactive behavior and, therefore, anticipating and stimulating it. And even when the need to change is implemented, the existence of tight regulation within a specific AOC can make a substantial product modification or production method more difficult to happen. A further set of identifiable weak points is linked to the nature of the top-down complementary relationships between grape growers and wine traders and to the transaction costs that result. The terroir/AOC† model of organization tends to generate opportunistic behaviour that can call into question its very survival, specifically in a very competitive context. In fact, while the perspective of getting an AOC label encourages players to enhance production quality, it may lead to let up on efforts made to maintain product quality once the label has been obtained, interfering with the overall image of the terroir and raising suspicion as regards product quality. To particularly highlight is the existence of incomplete contracts between grape growers and winemakers/wine merchants, the latter being responsible for the marketing of the product. This â€Å"generates considerable price variations and makes it impossible to set up contracts that guarantee traders constant and adequate wine supplies in terms of quantity and quality. The problem can spread to wines beyond generic wines and condemns, in advance, all ambitious and viable marketing strategies from the traders. † The presence of extremely heterogeneous quality levels within the same appellation can thus call into question the appellation itself and therefore the whole of the â€Å"terroir/AOC† organization and strategy. To avoid such opportunistic behaviours, autonomous certification bodies should be entitled to reconsider such certification on a regular basis and ban weak products/producers. The industry’s players themselves or a third party must assume responsibility for product quality guarantee. A major terroir organization characteristic is fragmentation and corporatism. Consequently, taking responsibility for such guarantee scheme is extremely difficult owing to incompatible corporatist and general interests. What is more, the existence of non-market regulation mechanisms (based on, for example, family or friendship ties) can in this case be counter-productive. Indeed, players can be tempted not to sanction one of their kin in the name of these relationships and later themselves avoid possible sanctions, whereas the intervention of a third party that is likely to guarantee this quality is difficult to promote with local entities. Under the AOC label, regulation is indeed carried out at local level by local players themselves and therefore known to be rather lax: making it impossible to use the label as a genuine quality guarantee. 3. 1 What advice would you offer today to the French Minister of Agriculture? To the head of the French wine industry association? To the owner of a mid-size, well regarded Bordeaux vineyard producing wines in the premium and super premium categories? * French Minister of Agriculture: increase government investments in the wine industry; promote a responsible wine consumption of wine through events marketed at the new generation; create a new clear classification system based on the consumer tastes; promote the creation of big companies and disadvantage the proliferate of little-medium producers; sign contracts with other agriculture ministers of consumers countries in order to favour the French wine. * Head of the French wine association: better integrate the network; quickly spread the know-how, techniques and innovations throught the French producers; promote wine events to increase the consumptions; promote the invention of new products made with wine; try to anticipate the next changes in the consumer tastes; advertise and invest more on the type of wine that is preferred by the consumers in that very moment; make advertisement aimed to a responsible and wealthy consumption of wine; try to drive the consumption to the type of wine that is over offered; lobbying the ministry of agriculture in order to have grants and privileges. * Owner of the mid-size, well regarded Bordeaux vineyard: found a bigger company with the surrounding producers; invest in innovating the production process in order to increase the quantity and the quality; buy extensive land in the New World and exploit economic scale advantages. 3. 1 Possible advices to the French Minister of Agriculture Since the main objective of France is to take back the market share of the past and maintain the leader position in the wine market, it has to better exploit its competitive advantages and adopt some technical and marketing innovations in order to compete and defeat the new threatening producers. The first functional recommendation for the French Minister of Agriculture is to increment the government investments in the wine industry. The larger flow of money would be used, firstly, to invent or to develop techniques and tools for harvesting or farm vineyards, secondly, to achieve and overtake the distribution and marketing level of the New World producers. All those developments will also increase the production of wine and fulfil a larger portion of the international demand. In the last ten years, the new generation has grown with a high consumption of beer and super-alcoholic cocktails, the French Minister could aim to substitute these beverages with the wine. He might promote a responsible wine consumption through events directed to the new generation. It is important to advertise wine as a drink for all ages instead of a refined beverage just for mature people as this would implement the demand from part of the younger generation. One of the common problems of wine consumers is choosing which kind of wine and which brand purchase at the supermarket. This issue could be solved with a classification of brands and wine names that could be easily understood and memorized by the consumers. Quality can be maintained and highlighted also gathering the large number of different types of wine in few clusters with easy names to remember. This problem is also due to the large number of brands in the market. The majority of potential consumers are confused and at the end they prefer to buy a bottle of beer of a well known brand. It’s possible to overcome this situation promoting the creation of big companies and disadvantage the proliferation of little-medium producers. Big companies bring into the market well-known brands, which massively increase producers’ market power. In order to increase the French market power compared with the direct and New World competitors’ ones, the French Minister of Agriculture could sign contracts or agreements with other agriculture ministers of consumers countries in order to favour the French wine. Since, UK, one of the larger consumer countries is next to France, it would be easy to find something to exchange for a commercial agreement. 3. 2 Possible advices to the head of the French wine industry association As the Head of the French wine industry association to manage and represent all the wine producers, its objective is to promote and give advantage to its associates. Furthermore it would be useful to advise him to promote a better integration of the wine production process from the vineyards to the final consumer. This issue could be achieved through a cooperation or collaboration between the wine producers, merchant traders and the retailing sector. A superior control, permitted by this form of collaboration, avoid more handling stages, holding less inventory, capturing the intermediaries’ mark-up, sharing common objectives and improving the time to market. Moreover, the cooperation can spread the know-how, technique and innovation through all the French associates. It is really important to promote higher investments in R&D in order to fill the gap that has occurred between France and the other New Word competitors. New innovations and technologies bring new developments and improvements to overtake and succeed on the marketing and distribution level of the competitors. Concerning the distribution, communities, retailers, and consumers are demanding more sustainable, eco-friendly packaging options, whether for everyday items or higher end purchases like fine wine. For some products, the barrier to conversion has been package performance. Therefore would be important to spread the use of â€Å"green† materials to pack and deliver the products. Since the French has never developed an efficient marketing strategy it has been difficult to align the interests between supply and demand. The French wine association has to try to anticipate the next changes in the consumer tastes, by means of market surveys and data collected through an effective wine industrial analysis. It is also important to drive the offer towards to the type of wine that is preferred by the consumers in that very moment. On contrary it is possible to drive also the demand and not only the supply of wine. Guiding the consumption towards the type of wine that is over offered or over produced it is hoped to avoid sure future losses. Nowadays people are blasted with advertisement that recommends not consuming wine because it is unsafe for the drinkers’ life. There will be an increment of demand persuading consumers that a little quantity of wine is not dangerous but rather really healthy, in particular the consumption of red wine. As well as the French Minister of Agriculture the Head of the French wine industry Association might promote and arrange wine events to increase the new generation consumption of wine. 3. 3 Possible advices to the owner of a middle size well regarded Bourdeaux vineyard producing wine and premium and superpremium category The main issue for French wine producers in the actual competitive environment, considering how the newcomers are acting and consequently gaining market share, is size. One of the challenges each small producer has to face is a competitive market without boundaries, totally changed from what it was only 10 or even 5 years ago, in which large multinationals are now efficiently operating. There is no univocal solution to this problem, but a few advices could be given to small or mid sized European companies. In order to gain advantage in terms of scale but even scope, the best way is to control the full production chain. From the vineyard to the glass, this can be obtained through either acquisition of neighbour producers, merging with other companies to better integrate or forming and exploiting networks. Each winemaker should analyze the market, an affordable process, and identify its possible cooperation/competition strategies. Maximum control over the value chain can often guarantee that the final product is produced and sold at the company’s standards. One of the troubles the incumbents have to face is the inconstant quality often found within the same wine denomination. Bottles often sold at very high prices, due to a very lousy quality denomination system, are ruining the reputation of the other products of the same wine group. This is unacceptable as it ruins the whole regional system, but a solution can be found through the aforementioned network implementation or radical integration.

An Aberration or a Logical Outcome of the American Ideology Assignment

An Aberration or a Logical Outcome of the American Ideology - Assignment Example   Kramer insists that the increasing numbers of American couples opting to separate rather than stay together are the direct fallout of the value system and lifestyle that America collectively espouses. Kramer’s basic contention is that the contemporary emphasis on the autonomy of the individual as the foundation of a good relationship is what causes more frequent breakups. This emphasis may be in the form of the psychiatrist’s advice to the couple to stand their own ground in an argument; or may be reflected in classic American literature like Thoreau’s ‘self-help book’ Walden, which celebrates the individual spirit; or in the economic ideal of Capitalism that America proudly ‘exports’; and other such ideas fundamental to the American way of life. Despite the changed contexts and newer developments since the publication of Kramer’s article, it remains a text that is still valid and instructive in analyzing a pervasive social ph enomenon visible in the United States even today. Even though fifteen years have passed since it was first published, Kramer’s arguments still stand up to scrutiny. A recent article on CNBC reveals how because of the growing acceptance and maturing of the ‘two-income family model’, divorce rates have actually been falling over the last decade in America. It reveals how in the 1970s initially, there was a sudden surge in divorce rates with more and more women joining the workforce and divorce laws.

Succinyl CoA Synthase and Regulation of the Enzyme Essay - 8

Succinyl CoA Synthase and Regulation of the Enzyme - Essay Example The amino acid responsible for activity is the phosphorylated histidine intermediate (HIS 246 alpha) which is the residue responsible for dephosphorylation of ATP and another site is suspected to be present in the beta subunit that ensures continued metabolism. It is also suspected that there is a nucleotide binding site at the N-terminal of beta subunit (Harel, 2014). This suggests that there are two active sites which are situated approximately 35A apart and that the HIS 246 alpha loop usually moves between them while catalysis is occurring. There is also GLU 208 alpha on the alpha subunit which interacts with the active HIS 246 residue in both the phosphorylated and dephosphorylated enzyme (Harel, 2014) As indicated above the histidine residue is the one involved in dephosphorylation or phosphorylation of ATP or ADP respectively. It has been proposed that the process involves a cooperative binding catalysis. Thus binding of ATP at one site enhances catalysis at another catalytic site (Schà ¼rmann et al, 2011). Binding of ATP occurs only in the presence of magnesium ion (Mg++) forming a complex which contains two ATP residue plus 2 phosphoric acid residues. If incubation is done this complex is converted to another one with 4 phosphoric acid residues per given protein. The complex with 4 phosphoric acid residues is the only one with the capability to react with succinate and CoA to give Succinyl CoA complex (Harel, 2014). This complex then releases phosphoric residues as many as bound succinate. The transfer of this phosphoric residue from the first active site correlates with the transfer to the second active site supporting the cooperative binding mechanism. These, therefore, mea ns that both ADP and ATP can both be activating or inhibiting depending on which stage of catalysis they bind to the enzyme(Harel, 2014). These, therefore, support the reversibility of the catalysis. After the phosphorylation of the Succinyl-CoA and  subsequent dephosphorylation, it is released and continues along the Krebs cycle as succinate.

Law Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Law Assignment - Essay Example When we order a car or a thing there is a need to have a agreement between them and us. Usually those agreements will be in printed with the dealers and we unmindfully sign them as we do not anticipate any grievous on toward incidents. Though the problems occur rare the business people will be aware and will be careful in framing their agreements in putting all the onus on the customer in case of any unforeseen disasters. In the case of the advertisement company actually they agreed for the contract just by ignorance of two new employees. After that Jay signed the contract ignoring to see the details of payment and liability terms. As the payment was typed 10 times the one agreed at the oral agreement and liability of the company was completely nullified by putting a rider in small letter that even any fault and ignorance of its own employees also was not to be bore by the company. The fourth one may be about the health and inability caused to tom chews. The prescription of on-site doctor resulted in diarrhea (though the medicine was given by wrongly reading of the spoiled prescription paper). But the responsibility lies solely with company as they provided a doctor. There were no details about the on-site treatment of the actors. But by seeing the case and behavior of Jay and her signing of advertisement contract one can predict that she might have not followed necessary precautions in contract with Tom chews about the maintenance of him on site. The last one may be about the promoting of the film in the prescribed time. As the advertising company bagged order for large amount for the small execution and was not intended to work; this may also cause a severe trouble for the Production Company as they has to face the problem of non execution of contract. Breach of Contract When a company and a worker enter into a contract and a dispute arises between them due to some reason. Here the dispute is injury of the workers (actors) on site. This made the work to come to a halt. When the company tried to hire new workers (actors) without settling terms with the old ones, they have all the right to sue the company. It was not mentioned whether the contracts with Bruce Spillis and Brad Spitt were settled (cancelled) or not. But by the way Jay handled the situations and contracts and the information she received about the execution it seems that she did not settled the terms with the former workers (actors.) This entitles the workers to fight in court for compensation. But if company tries to defend itself that it is their negligence that made them injured on site and prove it will be of some help in winning the case. It is difficult but not impossible. If the company succeeds in proving the negligence of workers they have to pay. But if it is not the case the co mpany has to pay for old workers a full payment or reinstating them in to work. Though there is a chance for the company to prove its innocence there was very little chance

Concept of analysis of Compliance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Concept of analysis of Compliance - Assignment Example Nurses can embrace a transactional or interactive process in order to form a client partnership, which allows a client to make choices in decision making about a prescribed behavior. Rationale The purpose of the study is to show the attributes and factors that influence nurses compliance in relation with standard precautions in order to shun occupational exposure to bacteria and pathogens, by using a qualitative research methodology. These are the set of guidelines aimed at protecting nurses from exposure to infectious pathogens since nurses can acquire infection during nursing care provision due to exposure to microorganisms, and this can be through needle sticks or exposure to air-borne transmitted micro-organisms. Compliance is of interest to nursing in order to avoid microorganisms’ exposure. It is a legal obligation for the nurses to adhere to the laid down guidelines in the profession. On hand hygiene, use of hand gloves is a requirement by law to prevent exposure to bod y fluids (Taylor 2006). Nurses should implement every component of standard precaution while conducting a clinical practice and take measures to keep away from exposure to pathogens. All nurses are also obliged to use the necessary means to protect their health by use of face masks and gloves. To prevent vulnerability to diseases, some nurses need to take preventive measures since their immune system is weak thus easy for them to be infected due to regular contact with sick persons. This is aimed at reducing risk of infection since nurses are continuously exposed to pathogens. Several nursing procedures such as giving bed bath require patients contact thus very easy to be infected (Baker & Feder, 1997). The risk is not only to the nurses, but also the individuals they come into contact with, more so the family members. Reason for compliance is to prevent occupation exposure. This can occur in different ways; it can be by direct or indirect transmission, airborne transmission and muc us membrane exposure. In the late seventies, the first preventive legislation was issued to help health care practitioners and protect them from microorganisms (Baker & Feder, 1997). It required nurses to treat each patient potentially infectious. It was revised requiring all nurses to use preventive and protective equipment in every case of exposure anticipated. Compliance creates a practitioner-patient partnership. Research has shown the importance of creating a relation in determining compliance level with prescribed treatment (Taylor, 2006). It describes a shared process, which leads to an agreement between prescriber and patient about the aim of drug treatment and how to achieve them. It enables the patient to participate fully and to influence the outcome ultimately. Information by patients informs the decisions made thus information leaflets are given with medicine supplied to each patient. This makes it essential for patients to discuss any information with the appropriate p ractitioner. Attributes to compliance are important in relation with standard precautions. Effective recommendations for nursing practice should be compatible with values among target groups and less controversial (Kanouse, Kallich & Kahan, 1995). It should not require much change to the already existing routine and have a precise definition, with specific actions and advice in different

J.R.R.Tolkien and the Concept of Medievalism Essay

J.R.R.Tolkien and the Concept of Medievalism - Essay Example Both Bilbo and Gandalf are perfect examples of knights inserted into the context of Tolkien’s tales. They function as the bringers of salvation, the hint of light amidst the darkness. Their skills and their strong devotion and compassion for those who need them make them the â€Å"knight in shining armour† as what most fairytales depict. Chivalry is the main concept which makes The Hobbit a medieval piece. Adventurism is another key concept why The Hobbit is medieval in its traits. The primary setting of the story is based upon the elvish and the dwarvish realms of Middle Earth. The characters embark on a journey based on the geographical settings of Tolkien’s imagined world thus, their quest causes the build-up of the story’s adrenaline which creates an exciting pace where the protagonists combat mythical creatures and monsters, especially in their hurdle with Smaug – the dragon in the Misty Mountains. Along the way, Gandalf the Grey discovers his sword, Glamdring, and Bilbo finds the One Ring in an accidental skirmish with the goblins. From what is shown above, the setting of the story gives way to the medieval aspect of The Hobbit. Like most medieval stories, heroes embark on tiresome quests and encounter hurdles of unfathomable danger which, in the end, the hero gives justice to his own skill and reputation. The notion of adventure and the setting of the story are partners which make a good medieval story. Indeed, The Hobbit clearly lives up to medievalism because the characters exhibit chivalry in their quest amongst the dangerous mountains of Middle Earth. Amongst all of Tolkien’s fantasy works, it is the Lord of the Rings trilogy that solidifies the medieval influence in his fiction. The clarity if chivalry is dominant within every character of the trilogy. One perfect example of a chivalrous character is Aragorn, the king of Gondor.

Operation Management, LP-Liner Programming- Graduate Business school Assignment

Operation Management, LP-Liner Programming- Graduate Business school - Assignment Example It necessitates the assignment of insufficient resources on the basics of a specific standard of optimality (Robbins & Tuntiwongpiboon, 1989; Lorraine, Alain, & Dominique, 2006) and (Megiddo, 1991). In this connection I would like to provide an analysis of the use of the linear programming techniques and tools for the purposes of hospital management. While considering the prospective reduction in cost and effective operations of the hospital resources, hospitals are confident enough to improve services as well as management of human resources, especially in the department of surgical suite. This report is going to present the working of the tools and techniques of the linear programming for the anesthesiology nurse scheduling problem (ANSP) for a hospital of the French public. The basic purpose of application of the linear programming techniques and tools at the anesthesiology nurses issue is to better manage and assign the most of public resources among different departments (Lorraine, Alain, & Dominique, 2006; Robbins & Tuntiwongpiboon, 1989). The major area creating problem for which the methods and tools of linear programming are being applied is the working nature of hospital that is based on the cross way over surgical specialties as well as presume a range of activities. So here another problem existing is the effective provision of resources. Here major resources are shared and needed to be allocated in a better way (Lorraine, Alain, & Dominique, 2006; Robbins & Tuntiwongpiboon, 1989). So the techniques and tools formed on the basis of liner programming have absolutely provided a solution of these problems into two different ways. For the solution of the problem related to ANSP overall arrangement is programmed in the integer programming as well as constraint programming. Here the implementation of these solutions is focused to maximize the equality of the schedule and allocation (Lorraine,

Profile of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Essay Example for Free

Profile of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Essay Hospital Name: New York-Presbyterian Hospital Address: 525 E 68th St Fl 11, New York, NY 10021-4870, United States Contact Number: (212) 434-5500 Website: http://www.nyp.org Vission: â€Å"To sustain its leadership position in the provision of world class patient care,   t  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   eaching, research, and service to local, state, national, and  international    communities.† (2006, p.2) Mission: â€Å"As a not-for-profit academic medical center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is   committed to its unique and complex mission of providing the highest quality patient  care, teaching, research, and community service.† (2006, p.2) Director: Dr. Philip Wilner Ownership: New York Presbyterian Hospital Dimension: 12-storey building, total beds summed up to 2,335 774 beds equipped with full-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   service hospital (the Greenburg Pavilion), connected to the existing facility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an 8-storey parking lot that is 527,000 in square feet. Main Facilities: The Allen Pavilion, Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital of NewYork-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Center   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division Centers for Excellence: Cancer, Digestive Diseases, Geriatrics, Heart, Orthopedics,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neuroscience, Pedriatrics, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Medicine, Tranplants,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Womens Health Types of Services Provided: Medical Services, Surgical Services, Ambulatory Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Services, Emergency Care, Specialized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Services, International and Corporate Health, Elderly Care. Awards and Recognitions Received: New York Magazines Best Hospitals 2006, U.S.News   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Reports Honor Roll of Americas Best Hospitals (since 1997),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Americas Top Doctors, New York Magazines 2007 Best Doctors,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American Alliance of Healthcare Providers Hospital of Choice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Awards, eHealthcare Leadership Award, Greystone Web    Awards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (All were the awards   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   mentioned in the website as of January 30, 2008). Population Served: (As of April 10, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outpatient Visits: 828,136  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ambulatory Surgeries 47,594   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emergency Visits: 202,154  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inpatient Days: 729,088   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deliveries: 10,242 Number of Workers: (As of April 10, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employees: 15,078  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Physicians: 5,588 Affiliations: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Weill Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   College of Cornell University. Payer Sources: Blue Cross, Charity Care/Financial Aid, Medicare, Medicaid, Self Payment,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Workers Compensation. References: (n.d.). New York-Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell.Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   January 30, 2008 from http://www.nyp.org/about/facts-statistics-2006.html. New York-Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. Awards and Recognition. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from http://www.nyp.org/about/awards-   recognition.html. (2005). New York Presbyterian Hospital 2005 Community Service Plan Annual   Ã‚   Implementation Report. Retrieved January 30, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://search.med.cornell.edu/search?q=mission-vision%20of%20newyork-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   presbyterianspell=1access=poutput=xml_no_dtdie=UTF-8client   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   =Nyp_Subsite=NYP_Suboe=UTF-8proxystylesheet=NYP (n.d.). New York Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bovislendlease.com/llweb/bll/main.nsf/all/fp_newyork_hospital_america. Dun Bradstreet. (2007). The New York and Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved January 29,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008 from http://www.manta.com/comsite5/bin/pddnb_company.pl?  Ã‚   dlanding=1referid=3550id=06qjjk.

Problems Facing Leader in Multinational Organization Essay Example for Free

Problems Facing Leader in Multinational Organization Essay Abstract This research suggests that there is a lack of congruence between the Iranian Institutes of Higher Education culture and the faculties desired culture. This conclusion is based on empirical data that indicate that faculties believe that they operate on a day-to day basis in a profession whose culture is characterized by an overarching desire for stability and control, formal rules and policies, coordination and efficiency, goal and results oriented, and harddriving competitiveness. Emphasizing this lack of cultural congruence, the respondents of this study also indicated that the faculties culture should be one that emphasizes flexibility, discretion, participation, human resource development, innovation, creativity, risk-taking, and a long-term emphasis on professional growth and the acquisition of new professional knowledge and skills, which is more aligned with the universities strategic external environment. One of the principal reasons for the popular interest in the study of organizational culture is to determine the linkage between it and organizational performance (Berrio, 2003). This study has reviewed a previously assumed but unverified connection between organizational culture and leadership styles. It has uncovered a lack of congruence between the dominant type of organizational culture and leadership styles. This observed lack of congruence may be inhibiting performance and unconsciously perpetuating a cycle of caution and an over reliance on stability and control. Key words: Organizational culture- Leadership styles-Higher education 1.Introduction An examination of the literature in the fields of organizational culture and leadership finds that the two areas have been independently linked to organizational performance. For example, researchers have examined the links between leadership styles and performance (see Bycio et al., 1995), and also  between organizational culture and performance (see Kotter and Heskett, 1992). Furthermore, numerous aspects of the organizational culture literature allude to the role of leaders in ‘creating’ and ‘maintaining’ particular types of culture (for example, Schein , 1992). Equally, the literature on leadership suggests that the ability to understand and work within a culture is a prerequisite to managerial effectiveness. However, despite the implicit and explicit linking of culture and leadership in many parts of organization theory, little critical research attention has been devoted to understanding the links between the two concepts and the impact that such an association might have on managerial effectiveness. The absence of critical literature exploring the effectiveness implications of the links between organizational culture and leadership is surprising given the numerous references to the importance of the two concepts in the functioning of organizations (see, Schein, 1992). The aim of this paper is to provide empirical evidence of the links between different types of organizational culture, a range of leadership styles and managerial effectiveness. This is achieved through the presentation of the results of a cross sectional survey of leadership style, organizational culture, and managerial effectiveness across nine universities in Iran. The paper begins with a brief review of the literature on organizational culture and leadership. This is followed by a discussion of the methodology adopted for the study and the presentation of the findings and analysis of responses to questionnaire exploring the links between the two concepts and managerial effectiveness. The evidence demonstrates t hat the relationship between leadership style and effectiveness is mediated by cultural congruence. In the final part of the paper, the conclusions and implications of the study are highlighted. As more and more universities enter into new arrangements in 21st century, the need to assess organisational cultures becomes more important .The term ‘organisational culture’ has proved difficult to define, but several of its important components are agreed on by most researchers. These include the norms, perspectives, values, assumptions and beliefs shared by organisational members. Due to the abstract nature of these elements, there is a considerable challenge for external researchers who want to assess organisational culture. It is even difficult for members of an organization to describe their own culture. Cameron and Freeman (1991, p.31) use the old  proverb â€Å"Fish discover water last† to illustrate the problem of assessing culture among those immersed in it. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the construct of culture and its relationship with leadership styles in the context of higher education institutions , and to discuss competing values framework as one of approaches to measurement of culture. The paper starts with a discussion on how the concept of organisational culture is understood in the setting of higher education institutions, and is followed by a brief introduction to the tradeoffs between qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess culture. Based on the basic psychometric requirements for measuring culture, this study concludes by identifying some of the implications of selecting or designing instruments for assess cultural differences in higher education institutions. 2.Organizational Culture and Leadership Styles Before attempting to describe the content of organizational culture, one should first know the concept of organisational culture. Organizational culture has been criticized as being conceptually weak, since it has been defined in many ways (Jelinek et al., 1983) and each definition emphasizes a particular focus or level. Since Schein (1992) published the book Organisational Culture and Leadership, more researchers have recognized culture as a multidimensional and multilevel concept. Schein describes three levels of culture. The first level consists of visible organisational structures and actions, such as dress code, facilities and procedures. This level of culture can be easily observed. The second level consists of espoused values manifested in the public images of organisations, such as strategies, goals, and philosophies. While not as visible as the artefacts present in the first level, these values can be ascertained by norms, the way things are done in the organisation. The third level consists of basic assumptions, or unconscious beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. These determine both behaviour norms (the way people should behave) and organisational values (the things that are highly valued). According to Buono and Bowditch (1989, p.137-139), the visible elements created by an organization on the first level are treated as objective organizational culture, while the elements on the second and the third levels are concerned with subjective organizational culture. Most researchers agree that subjective culture is more important as a significant determinant of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours, and it thus provides a more distinctive basis for characterizing and interpreting similarities and differences among people in different organizations. On this understanding, university culture as a particular form of organisational culture can be defined â€Å"as the collective, mutually shaping patterns of norms, values, practices, beliefs, and assumptions that guide the behaviour of individuals and groups in an institute of higher education and provide a frame of reference within which to interpret the meaning of events and actions on and off campus† (Kuh Whitt, 2000, p.16 2). While the term organisational culture is used as if an organisation has a monolithic culture, most organisations have more than one set of beliefs influencing the behaviour of their members (Morgan, 1986; Sathe, 1985). Cultural diversity appears to be more obvious in higher education institutions (Kuh Whitt, 2000, p.161). The ‘small homogenous society’ analogues used in anthropological studies of culture is sorely strained when applied to many contemporary institutions of higher education. Large public, multipurpose universities are comprised of many different groups whose members may or may not share or abide by all of the institution’s norms, values, practices, beliefs, and meanings. Instead of viewing colleges and universities as monolithic entities, it is more realistic to analyze them as multicultural contexts that are host to numerous subgroups with different priorities, traditions, and values (Kuh Whitt, 2000 p.161) . This study pays particular attention to academic staff and specifically those engaged at the departmental level. Therefore, from the perspective of this paper, the culture refers to values, beliefs, and assumptions developed within an academic department by academic staff and  those who manage academics through joint experiences over long periods of time. Nevertheless, disciplinary identity is not the sole source of the culture shared by academic staff members within an academic sub-unit. It is also subject to a variety of circumstances, such as national context, professional culture and organisational character (Austin, 1992; Clark, 1983, p.75; Và ¤limaa, 1998). 3.A Review of the CVF Model and the Study Methodology An Overview of the Competing Values Framework (CVF) Model The Competing Values Framework (CVF) evolved from the work of Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1981, 1983) as they attempted to circumscribe the elusive definition for a generally agreed upon theoretical framework of the concept of organizational effectiveness. This framework was chosen for this study because it was experimentally derived and found to have a high degree of face and empirical validity. Additionally, the CVF was identified as having a high level of reliability matching or exceeding that of other instruments commonly used in the social and organizational sciences (Cameron and Ettington, 1988; Cameron and Quinn, 2006; Berrio, 2003). The four quadrants of the framework, representing the four major cultural types: clan, adhocracy, market, hierarchy, provide a robust explanation of the differing orientations and competing values that characterize human behavior. The richness provided by the CVF is based on its ability to identify the basic assumptions, orientations, and values of each of the four cultural types. These three elements comprise the core of organizational culture. â€Å"The OCAI, therefore, is an instrument that allows you to diagnose the dominant orientation of your own organization based on these core culture types. It also assists you in diagnosing your organization’s cultural strength, cultural type, and cultural congruence† (Cameron and Quinn,2006, p. 33). In their research concerning organizational effectiveness, Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1981, 1983) statistically analyzed 39 indicators of organizational effectiveness as identified by Campbell, et al, (1974). Quinn and Rohrbaugh’s analysis resulted in the bifurcation of the 39 effectiveness criteria between two major dimensions. The first dimension, which is labeled the â€Å"Structure† dimension, differentiates the organizational effectiveness criteria between those that emphasize flexibility, discretion, and dynamism and those that  emphasize stability, order, and control. The second dimension, which is labeled the â€Å"Focus† dimension, differentiates the organizational effectiveness criteria between those that emphasize internal orientation, integration, and unity and those effectiveness criteria that emphasize an external orientation, differentiation, and rivalry (Quinn and Rohrbaugh, 1981 and 1983; Cameron and Quinn, 2006). Within each of these two dimensions there is also a third set of values, which produces an emphasis ranging from organizational processes, such as planning and goal setting at one end of the spectrum, to an emphasis on results, such as resource acquisition at the other end. Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1981) labeled this third set of values as the organizational â€Å"Means –Ends† continuum. The two primary dimensions differentiating between organizational values emphasizing â€Å"Structure† and â€Å"Focus† produce four clusters of effectiveness criteria as depicted in Figure 1. The â€Å"Structure† axis is represented 100 by the â€Å"Flexibility – Control† continuum, while the â€Å"Focus† axis is represented by the â€Å"People – Organization† continuum in Figure 1 . Within each of these four quadrants the relevant â€Å"Means – Ends† values are enumerated.

Airport Tracking Device for Blind and Partially Sighted

Airport Tracking Device for Blind and Partially Sighted Expanding ambient technologies for blind and partially sighted people has rapidly grown over the last few years, enabling people to become more independent in their daily lives. Ambient intelligence is already becoming commonplace in the environment through the widespread use of computing, mobile devices, and information appliances, thereby increasing the ease of communication â€Å"between individuals, between individuals and things, and between things.†[1] A new ICT device has been developed that will help those with impaired or no sight safely navigate through airports. This report will explain some of the technology that will go into this device and how it will work in terms of providing directional assistance in a place like an airport where one’s surroundings are not familiar and confusion is easy when there is a lot of noise and movement. Understanding Ambient Technologies The field of ambient technologies focuses on providing â€Å"greater user-friendliness, more efficient services support, user empowerment, and support for human interactions.†[2] In this way, the devices that come from the use of this technology will offer for â€Å"opportunities for social integration and independent living for elderly people and people who are disabled.†[3] Interestingly enough, this technology may also advance in terms of being able to tune into any cognitive limitations and the devices incorporating ambient technology can then adjust themselves to that person’s specific abilities and limitations.[4] This emerging type of technology is supporting a new way for human beings and technology to interact so that â€Å"devices will no longer be perceived as computers, but rather as augmented elements of the physical environment.†[5] The movement to an information-based society will â€Å"be populated by a multitude of hand-held and wearable micro-devices and computational power and interaction peripherals.†[6] This provides a host of opportunities for many people who might not have been able to be as interactive with their environment due to some physical disability. Complexity and Challenges Ambient technologies still has a long way to go in terms of reaching its objectives. There are a number of overriding challenges to this emerging technology. Generally, it is perceived that ambient technologies must be â€Å"reliable, continuously available in space and time, consistent in its functionalities and interaction in private and (crowded and potentially hazardous) public spaces.†[7] In 2005, IBM researchers identified a number of areas that would need to be addressed before ambient technologies could achieve some of the aforementioned benefits. These challenges include â€Å"the distribution of interaction over devices and modalities, the balance between automation and adaption and direct control, the identification of contextual dependencies among services, health and safety issues, privacy and security, and social interaction in ambient intelligence environments.†[8] A number of other challenges are present that must address the unique qualities of each user of the device, including their â€Å"abilities, needs, requirements, and preferences.†[9] The complexity and challenge of designing a device that can be used for an airport is extensive. The device must take a lot of external factors into consideration, including noise, language barriers, security, and communications interference. It is hoped that improvements in voice synthesis and recognition will help in noisy environments as well as assist those who might not be able to use keyboards or other object manipulation inputs.[10] Additional enhancements will be needed to incorporate the development of an automatic language translation component,[11] which would be imperative in certain situations like an international airport or for during international travel. A further challenge is to introduce this device into existing information system environment within airport and have it integrate with any number of different system environments. Currently, there is no standardised operating system across global environments. In terms of a device that would be helpful in an airport, there would need to be the â€Å"deployment of networks of sensors in closed spaces† that would help with GPS localisation capabilities.[12] Universal access is also a critical issue and challenge because it is vital that these types of devices be affordable and available to all who might need it to compensate for their physical limitations. Device Capabilities and Benefits The user of the device can configure it so that the device understands the user’s specific requirements related to their physical disability of blindness. Having this capability will allow the user to make appropriate decisions, feel more confident, and achieve greater independence and social interaction.[13] This is done through a voice recognition system, which is considered a user adaptive interface that allows the user to interact with the device so that it can also verbally navigate the user in the right direction.[14] The device is then used as if it was an electronic guide dog that can help the person by letting them know about â€Å"nonfamiliar physical obstacles†[15] as well as provide the proper directions on how to get to the right destination. This device would also interact with other ambient technologies that may incorporate other user adaptive interfaces, such as scent recognition and output and tactile recognition and output[16] that can be used to fulfi l other personal needs usually done with one’s physical eyes. The device is able to overcome some of those external factors found in an airport. It will be a micro-device that the user can conveniently wear in some fashion around their neck or wrist so that they can continue to carry their luggage or belongings but still be guided by a device that can work with an airport information system to guide them through the airport to their appropriate gate or other destination whilst navigating certain objects that are not visible to the sight-impaired person, such as people, baggage, and signs.[17] The device can integrate multimedia content, including sound and graphics[18] to help those with partial or no sight find their way, with interactive sensorial and motor abilities[19] which allows the device to interact with the travellers as if they were getting help from another human being. In other words, partially sighted or blind travellers will be able to ask the device questions and receive a response that will help them navigate through the airport. It is important that the user interface on this device be as â€Å"straightforward and meaningful without the user being overwhelmed by options and menus.†[20] To address the various information system environments in airports, an environmental-level adaption can be used because it â€Å"extends the scope of accessibility to cover potentially all applications running under the same interactive environment rather than a single application.†[21] This will enable the device to run successfully in all environments, thereby reducing some of the insecurity for the user who may be apprehensive about how the device will affect their experiences. Device Enhancements As ambient technologies further progress, devices using this technology will be characterised by â€Å"increasing ubiquity, mobility and personalization.† The devices could be reconfigured,[22] according to which network the user has come in contact with – at an airport, a store, a bank, etc. This will be important because of the critical need to solve some of the cognitive overload, confusion and frustrations[23] that will result as human beings visually impaired or otherwise try and adapt to a new way of interacting with each other and their surrounding environment. Ambient technologies must also advance in their alignment with other technologies in terms of â€Å"miniaturization, low power devices, wireless devices, security and encryption, biosensors and scalability.†[24] Many of these other technologies could hold the answer in terms of advancing the goal of ambient technologies to meld the idea of technology and human interaction into one action. Further research is also being conducted on an open source and standard for networks that will allow for widespread accessibility and adoption of ambient technology devices as well as more effective communication regardless of their location[25] so that these can be used in such public and global places as airports. As with most technology, there will be many glitches that will need to be overcome. It can be difficult, especially for those who are partially or completely blind, to learn to depend on a device to overcome their physical limitations only to find that it has malfunctions.[26] Therefore, it is imperative that a number of tests be conducted and backup information systems be developed to minimise any technical glitches. Other technical issues related to security and privacy can arise from a device’s network being compromised by viruses and works if there is not great care taken to insure that the networks are not vulnerable to attack.[27] This would involve further research into how numerous protective tactics now in place, such as proxy firewalls and intrusion detection system,[28] can be integrated with ambient technology in devices to keep people safe, especially in public areas where larger networks may be breached. To further the development of ambient technologies for such devices as an airport device for the blind and partially blind, it is recommended that candidates for the device be involved in the design life cycle and testing phase to ensure that the user interface is capable of delivering on its objective and that the subject using the device feels confident that it will improve their interaction with their external environment. Conclusions There is a wide demand for devices like the one developed for use in an airport because there are far-ranging benefits involved in its creation and implementation in the marketplace. However, there are many technology, legal, privacy, and security issues to overcome as well as detailed explanations about these devices so that those who need them the most can quickly feel comfortable with the idea of interacting with technology in a way that also responds to them and their cognitive abilities and limitations. However, it is clear that as devices come to market, such as the airport-enabled solution, more people will feel comfortable using them to enhance their interaction with others and provide a more independent way of travelling for those who might have felt previously inhibited. Although standardisation can be a slow process, this will provide time to achieve greater enhancements to various devices, such as the airport information and navigation device, so that some of the other challenges can already be solved to make implementation more likely. The growth in this market is explosive and real opportunity will be realised as ambient technology delivers lower cost and user-friendly devices. References Emiliani, P.L. and Stephanidis, C. (2005). Universal access to ambient intelligence environments: opportunities and challenges for people with disabilities. IBM Systems Journal, 605-619. Available from: http://researchweb.watson.ibm.com/journal/sj/443/emiliani.html. Gill, J., ed. (2008). Ambient intelligence: Paving the way. Cost 219. Available from: http://www.tiresias.org/cost219ter/ambient_intelligence/Ambient_Intelligence.pdf. Gill, J., ed. (2005). Making life easier: How new telecommunications services could benefit people with disabilities. Cost219. Available from: http://www.tiresias.org/cost219ter/making_life_easier/making_life_easier.pdf. Raisinghani, M.S., Benoit, A., Ding, J., Gomez, M., Gupta, K., Gusila, V., Power, D., and Schmedding, O. (2004). Ambient intelligence: Changing forms of human-computer interaction and their social implications. Journal of Digital Information. Available from: http://journals.tdl.org/jodi/rt/printerFriendly/jodi-155/147. 1 Footnotes [1] Raisinghani et al. 2004: 4. [2] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 605. [3] Ibid: 610. [4] Gill 2008: 8. [5] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 609. [6] Gill 2008: 4. [7] Ibid: 9. [8] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 60610-611. [9] Ibid: 616. [10] Gill 2008: 7. [11] Ibid: 7. [12] Ibid: 7. [13] Gill 2005: 8. [14] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 615. [15] Ibid: 616. [16] Rasinghani et al. 2004: 2. [17] Gill 2008: 8. [18] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 606. [19] Ibid: 606. [20] Gill 2008: 12. [21] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 607. [22] Ibid: 616. [23] Ibid: 611. [24] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 616. [25] Raisinghani et al. 2004: 5. [26] Emiliani and Stephanidis 2005: 611. [27] Raisinghani et al. 2004: 2. [28] Ibid:23.

Teaching Philosophy :: Philosophy of Teaching Education Essays

Teaching Philosophy When I was growing up I wanted to be everything I could think of from an astronaut to a doctor. You name it and I wanted to be it. I could not make up my mind and even as I started college no decision fro my major was made. I waited two years until coming to the realization that I would like to teach. A small girl in Wal-Mart helped me come to this realization. I did not even know who she was, but somehow she caught my attention. The first time I looked at her I saw nothing, just an ordinary girl, but something made me look again. When I did the girls’ face was glowing like she was an angel and then she just smiled. The smile filled my heart with such joy that from that moment on I realized that I wanted to see that smile everyday as an elementary school teacher. I wanted to become a part of a child’s learning experience and development. The following pages contain my philosophy on education and some goals that I will meet in my teaching experience s that are waiting for me. Recently, I have discovered my philosophy of education is progressivism. The person most responsible for the success of progressivism was John Dewey. This approach stimulated schools to mold education to the needs and interest of the students. After the launching of Sputnik progressivism was looked down upon to go back to traditional instruction with defense-related subjects. Progressivism came back with renewed popularity in the 1960’s and 1970’s, however; in the 1980’s and 1990’s traditional approaches dominated the nations schools again. I intend to have classroom management, the curriculum, teaching methods, and ways of evaluating my students all following the progressives approach. I believe that the classroom should be student centered so they feel free to make decisions on their own. After all, education is for the students so they should have some say in how they want to lean. First, I would like to discuss how I intend to manage my classroom.

Critical Barriers to Progress of Retinitis Pigmentosa Essay -- Health

CRITICAL BARRIERS TO PROGRESS The lack of homogeneity and progressive nature of RP poses a crucial problem to the development of novel therapies (Marmor 1979, Greenwald 2009).RP is typically late in its onset and progresses slowly; as such an accurate determination of age of onset is problematic (Tsujikawa 2008). This is particularly troublesome as no efficient therapies are currently available with genetic counseling being key in the treatment of the disease, and without an accurate age of onset, counseling can be troublesome at best (Tsujikawa 2008). Diversity exists not only in disease onset and progression rate, but underlying genetics as well (Chow 2004); over 180 gene mutations are associated with photoreceptor diseases without cures or effective therapies (Greenwald 2009). This makes the development of molecular based therapies difficult as one therapy may only aid one specific type of RP, with a variance in efficacy mirroring the variance in phenotype severity. Even within a single family, a specific muta tion may result in a variety of phenotypes (Sohocki 2000). Also, within a single gene, multiple mutations may occur, each with its own retinal degeneration phenotype (Gamundi 2005). Even if these issues with known genetic causes could be mitigated, cases of adRP exist where all known RP associated genes have been excluded, suggesting additional genetic heterogeneity (Alvarez 2007). Within Caucasian populations, 50-60% of cases of RP are diagnosed as â€Å"sporadic† due to the inability to pinpoint inheritance patterns (Ziviello 2005). In one study of Italian families with adRP, only 27% of cases could be linked to a known gene, with 73% of cases having alterations in unknown genes (Ziviello 2005). Because of the challenges mo... ...ir mobility and independence indirectly, resulting in an overall greater increase in quality of life. Additionally, this study will improve our knowledge of retinal degenerations and the ability of degenerated photoreceptors with mostly preserved retinal circuitry to be stimulated more effectively through differential brightness/contrast/exposures to increase visual perception. Success of the aims of this study will alter treatments and services in the field as optometrists will have access to a potential prosthesis and resource to give their patients to improve their quality of life once diagnosed with RP. Additionally, this device will give a non-invasive alternative to those patients with early stage disease progression, those RP patients with unknown underlying genetic determinants, and those end-stage patients that do not wish to have subretinal implantation.

An African American Fight for Respect Essay

For thousands of years women have been fighting for many things, one of the most important being respect. Some people may think respect for a woman is simply holding the door for her as she walks through, pulling her chair out for her before she is seated, or maybe just standing when she leaves the table; but respect is so much more than that. Respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Respect is a feeling that cannot just be given to someone, it is a feeling that must be earned, fought for, or rewarded. For the African American woman, respect did not come by so easily no matter how hard they fought or even if they earned it. Examples of the African American woman fighting for her respect, has once upon a time been one of the many themes during all literary periods. The two works that I chose have the similar theme of respect. The literary pieces are â€Å"Sweat† by Zora Neale Hurston and â€Å"The Color Purple† by Alice Walker. These two works show the same theme of respect for black women and the struggle for it from men. Though both stories have comparisons that could go on for days, they just as well have their differences by the way the handle the theme of respect. Alice Walker has been writing stories and poetry for many years. As a graduate of Spelman College she was given great opportunities and was given a solid education. Women’s rights and respect has always been two topics close to Alice’s heart. It has been said, that â€Å"Alice Walker expresses the struggles of black people, particularly women, and their lives in a racist, sexist, and violent society. † Her writings also lean more towards the roles of black women through culture and history. On March 3, 2008 Alice Walker was arrested on International Women’s Day for crossing the police line at a rally in front of The White House. Walker has set a standard and has never had any need or want to change it. Of the many stories that Alice Walker has written, the one that stands out the most to me dealing with the female struggle for respect is the story made movie and musical, â€Å"The Color Purple. † â€Å"The Color Purple,† is a story written in 1982 that has won multiple awards and recognitions for its not so classy taste and realistic views. Some of these awards being from the Blue Ribbon Awards, Black Movie Awards, Golden Globe Awards, eleven nominations during the Oscars, and plenty more. The main characters in â€Å"The Color Purple,† are Celie Harris Johnson and Mister Albert Johnson. Celie has been abused since she was just a young girl; she had two children by her father Leonard and she is forced to marry Albert, a young widower, by the age of fourteen. During her years of being married to Albert, she is taunted, disrespected, beaten, and abused up until she turns her life around when she meets Shug Avery, a well-known Jazz singer, who comes to live with the couple. Shug takes it upon herself to help Celie raise her self-confidence so she can not only stand up to her husband and demand respect, but to feel beautiful about herself inside and out. By the end of the story, Celie stands up to Avery and is finally reconnected with the family that was once taken away from her. Another great black female author who proudly carries the theme of respect in her stories is Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston, a graduate of Howard University, was a well-known author during the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston is most known for her famous literary piece entitled, â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God† which caught the eyes of readers around the world. Like Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston has also won multiple awards for her fabulous novels, short stories, and poems. The story â€Å"Sweat† written by Zora Neale Hurston takes place in a small all black town located near Orlando, Florida. This story, like many others with disrespect towards the wife, starts off with husband Sykes taunting his wife Delia by tricking her into thinking that the whip he throws over her shoulders is a snake, knowing she is deadly terrified of them. Throughout the story, Delia deals with infidelity, abuse, rumors, and taunting from her husband. Towards the end of the story, her husband buys a rattlesnake and refuses to take it back where he found it from, knowing his wife is terrified. In the end, that very snake gets loose, bites, and kills him; Delia stands their watching him die. The website articlemyriad. com states â€Å"The reader can speculate on whether or not Delia was too afraid to move to get help for her husband, but it is the general consensus that she purposefully let him die. While you could argue both, if you are going to contend that she was just afraid, you’d better take a closer look at the text before trying to defend your point. † One of the greatest comparisons in this story is the lack of respect the husbands have for their wives, a marriage is supposed to be filled with trust, respect, love, and honesty, all of which the two marriages in â€Å"The Color Purple† and â€Å"Sweat† lacked. Although there are many comparisons, there were also contrasts in the two stories, although not exactly easy to find with a closed mind. A contrast in these two stories to me that stood out the most were the personalities of the two wives in the stories. In â€Å"The Color Purple,† Celie is abused and taken advantage of, but holds a quiet tongue until the end; Delia in â€Å"Sweat† is abused and taken advantage of , but she always speaks her mind and portrays her true feelings towards something. With these two stories I felt it was good to have the personalities of the women who wanted respect to be completely different so that I could compare and contrast just a bit more clearly. One was more hidden and kept feelings to herself, the other more outgoing and stronger like all women should be. In conclusion, respect for women, especially blacks, has been a subject that will always be discussed and fought for. Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker described the struggle for respect in many similar and different ways. I stated earlier that for thousands of years women have been fighting for many things, one of the most important being respect and that respect was a feeling that cannot just be given to someone, it is a feeling that must be earned, fought for, or rewarded. I am proud of the long way that not only African American women have come, but women all race and I am blessed to have such profound women to look up to. Women in the past who have fought for our rights set a high standard for the rest of us to follow and I look forward to doing just so. Works Cited 1. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature: Second Edition Henry Louis Gates Jr. & Nellie Y. McKay.