Low Carbon Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Low Carbon Building - Essay Example Research suggests that buildings, both residential and commercial, are responsible for more than 38 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, a figure which has increased rapidly in the recent decades and has the potential to escalate further. In fact, research conducted by Isiadinso et al (2011) indicates that this figure reaches the level of 50 percent for UK buildings. However, this is also the area where most room is available to decrease GHG emissions. In fact, it was the landmark research conducted by Pacala & Socolow (2004), which identified building efficiency as one of the â€Å"stabilization wedges† that could assist in ensuring that carbon emissions could be offset by the year 2050. Over the past few years, experts, scholars and researchers have highlighted the crucial role that construction professionals can play through designing and structuring the buildings, in the first place, as efficient and sustainable as they can be, through space heating, cooling and hot wa ter, lighting and others. As the name suggests, low carbon buildings refer to buildings that are planned and structured in such a way that the carbon emission could be minimised, however, the fact is that, amongst many scholars and experts, there is an ongoing debate between scholars and experts regarding various dimensions of low carbon buildings. In fact, experts even disagree over the definition of a zero carbon or low carbon building and if the same is achievable or not. Williams (2010) takes the liberty of drawing of highlighting the pivotal differences between conventional houses and low impact environment building or autonomous building or PassivHaus design buildings. Where conventional buildings are dependent on the main drainage systems and gas supplies, low impact environmental buildings have independent waste disposal systems and energy services. Conventional buildings do not face any obligation to incorporate renewable energy source installation and energy generation fro m that source during early stages of design, however, low impact environmental buildings have to ensure that they do the integrate a renewable energy source within the design of the building and that also in the early phases of the design. In case of conventional buildings, the requirement for space heating is fulfilled through gas or electric heating systems, but in the case of low carbon buildings, the dependence on gas or electric heating systems for space heating has to be reduced by at least 90 percent. Furthermore, the total amount of energy consumed in the process of space heating typically exceeds the mark of 15 kWh/m2. However, in the case of low carbon buildings, experts agree that this number cannot exceed the 15kwh/m2 mark. Vale and Vale (2002) are amongst the list of scholars and experts that have indirect critiqued the idea and concept of low carbon buildings. They believe that buildings do not have the responsibility to exhibit sustainable and environmentally responsi ble behaviour but people have this moral and ethical responsibility. Therefore, it is not necessary or imperative to create building with low carbon, green or sustainable design but people should mould and alter their lifestyle choices in such a way that their actions generate lesser carbons emissions. A conventional house will have much lesser carbon emissions than a low carbon house, if the people living within that the building are to make sustainable lifestyle choices (p. 485). Ramus & Montiel (2005) highlighting some of the problems associated with the low carbon buildings identified that in many cases, ashamed of their carbon emissions data, most architects disown or

Stewardship versus economic decision making in financial reporting

Stewardship versus economic decision making in financial reporting The main objective of financial reporting according to the IASBs Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements framework is that of providing adequate information in order to enable shareholders conduct economic decision making. This brought the debate of whether such objective neglected the importance of the stewardship assessment by the part of shareholders. In the past decade the IASB and the US FASB have been working on a joint project to develop a conceptual framework for financial reporting. Such conceptual framework has the aim of providing a base for developing harmonised, future accounting standards. In 2008, the boards issued an exposure draft of chapter one and chapter two of the conceptual framework with chapter one tackling the objectives of financial reporting. In the exposure draft that has been lately issued by the two boards, it was identified that the objective of financial reporting should be that of catering for all the decisions that capital providers make, including both resource allocation decisions and decisions made to protect and enhance their investments. Furthermore on the underlying exposure draft there is stated that information about the stewardship of an entitys economic resources should be considered as decision-useful information. Hence in this exposure draft it is clear that the two boards shifted from focusing solely on economic decision making, to general decision making, with stewardship being included in such broader definition. Although this move to focus on decision usefulness rather than specifically on economic decision making was a means to subsume stewardship in the objective of financial reporting, authors such as Andrew Lennard still argue that stewardship and decision usefulness should be recognised as separate objectives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦stewardship contributes an important dimension to financial reporting, which should be reflected by specific acknowledgement in the objectives of financial reporting.  [1]   The majority of the authors who recognise stewardship as a fundamental objective in financial reporting, claim that financial statements should be prepared on the basis of historical costs. This ensures in providing a clear, factual account of the transactions that occurred during the year, over which management had control. Thus reporting on historical cost can aid shareholders accomplish their stewardship assessment needs better. On the other hand, to cater for decision usefulness, especially in terms of economic decision making, financial reporting would focus more on the forecasting of future cash flows. Such objective would be better addressed with valuations based on market values, since they better reflect the timing and certainty of future cash flows. This is leading to the emergence of valuation techniques based on current values, such as fair value. The adoption of fair value accounting is perhaps one of the most controversial issues currently being faced by the accountancy world. Both the IASB and the FASB have been working on this issue for the last couple years. Traditionally, financial reporting has been exclusively based on historical costs. The use of current values, such as fair value reporting emerged relatively recently, and was applied to only few selected areas. One of the areas where fair value had a major influence is in the measurement of financial instrument. Using market values to value Financial Instruments is deemed to be reliable (since markets in these items are well developed) and relevant (because the values of financial instruments can experience large fluctuations, thus historical costs depicts a very poor picture of current values). However, in the nearby future, fair value measurement is likely to be extended to other assets, especially in the light of the fact of the IASBs and FASBs perceived preferenc e for fair value measurement even where the market is not well developed. The IASB believes that fair value measurement under IFRS and GAAP is already consistent. Also, the IASB and the FASB will continue to work together to ensure that applying fair value in an inactive market is accounted for consistently  [2]  . Shareholders are divided into two main categories, private individuals and institutional investors. Although financial reporting is designed to cater for the needs of capital providers, due to the lack of knowledge commonly found within private individual shareholders, concerns may arise on what such private individual shareholders identify as useful, for their decision making. Need for the study: The dissertations objective is to identify the current needs of private shareholders and what they identify as valuable information. The dissertation shall then examine to what extent the focus on decision usefulness and the forecasting of future cash flows through fair value accounting shall aid private shareholders in satisfying their requirements. Research Methodology: The dissertation will be of a qualitative nature. The aim of such dissertation is to achieve a deep understanding of what local private shareholders value as relevant information, and to examine whether the emerging concept of fair value accounting will be providing such users more relevant accounting information. The aim of the study is not to generalise findings but to obtain rich description on the underlying topic. The method being taken into consideration to gather the qualitative data is the setting up of focus groups with shareholders. Such group discussions provide direct evidence about similarities and differences in participants opinions. Participants are not required to answer for every question enabling them to build on one anothers response. Furthermore by acting as a moderator I can ensure that the discussion is always kept on track. Finally, focus groups can be considered as a more plausible solution when compared to open ended interviews with shareholders. The response rate of shareholders to a focus group is likely to be greater when compared to a personal one on one interview, since the latter is perceived as more intrusive. The main limitation of using focus groups is perhaps the risk that people influence each others response. As a result the response of participants can be different than the response that would have been generated from a private one on one interview. Shareholders from two local, listed companies are going to be considered as the population sample. These companies are Bank of Valletta and HSBC. The choice fell on these companies because due to the recent changes to IAS 39 and IFRS 7, fair value measurement had a considerable impact on the banking sector. Thereby, due to such fact shareholders can be even more concerned and affected with the underlying subject. Two focus groups are planned to be set, one with BOV shareholders and one with HSBC shareholders, with groups ranging from six to twelve members. Shareholders list can be obtained from the Malta Financial Services Authority. The sampled population will exclude overseas shareholders, trusts and investment companies, thus focusing solely on local private shareholders. Chapters Overview: Introduction: firstly the stewardship versus economic decision making debate will be tackled, and its effects on valuation on financial reporting will be analysed. The dissertation shall then focus on the emergence of fair value as a measurement tool and its prospective usage. Furthermore fair value will be compared and contrasted with cost based valuation. The introduction will also include an examination of how each valuation method caters for the individual private shareholders requirements. Literature Review: literature review can be focused on two aspects being the debate of fair value measurement versus cost based measurement, and the debate of whether private shareholders use accounting information mostly for economic decision making, or to assess stewardship. Research Methodology: in this section I shall describe how the results were achieved, explaining how the data was collected and analyzed. This section shall contain the weaknesses and limitations of the research methods and methodology used. In the methodology I shall also include any problems that I anticipated and explain any steps taken to prevent them from occurring. Findings: this part of dissertation will contain the information generated from the focus groups. Results will be presented, interpreted and discussed in this section. Conclusion: this part will provide concluding insights on the research, and recommendations of other research questions that can be tackled to improve the research on the area. The main questions to be answered in this section are: what has been learnt from the results? How can this knowledge be used? What are the shortcomings of the research? Bibliography: Accounting Standards Board. (2007). STEWARDSHIP/ACCOUNTABILITY AS AN OBJECTIVE OF FINANCIAL REPORTING A comment on the IASB/FASB Conceptual Framework Project. UK: Accounting Standards Board. Alan Bryman, E. B. (2007). Business Research Methods 2 edition. UK: Oxford University Press. Doron Nissim, S. P. (2007). ON THE APPLICATION OF FAIR VALUE ACCOUNTING. Columbia Univesity. Lennard, A. (2008). Stewardship and the objectives of financial statements: a comment on IASBs Preliminary Views on an improved Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. UK: Accounting Standards Board. RONEN, J. (2008). To Fair Value or Not to Fair Value: A Broader Perspective. Accounting Foundation , Sydney. Schmidt, S. (2004). Fair Value Accounting. US: Governors of Federal Reserve System. Whittington, G. (2008). Fair Value and the IASB/FASB Conceptual Framework Project: An Alternative View . Cambridge: University of Cambridge.

Marketing :: essays research papers

TERM PAPER There are a number of aspects encompassed by the field of Marketing. Each of these aspects are key elements in the performance of Marketing a product. The concept of Marketing is made up of four "P's;" they are Product, Price, Promotions, and Placement. These elements of products and services or ideas are used to create exchanges that satisfy an individual and or organizational goal. Promotion is the main â€Å"communication to the market that informs, persuades, and reminds potential buyers of a product in order to influence an opinion or elicit a response.† Advertising is a key element to the promotion strategy. The advertising appeal is why consumer wants to buy a product or service. Developing and evaluating advertising appeals is a complex assignment. This is usually the responsibility of the creative people in the advertising agency. The most widely used appeals are Profit, Health, Love and Romance, Fear, Admiration, Convenience, Fun and Pleasure, Vanity and Egotism, and Environmental Consciousness. When looking at a product or service the consumers look at certain aspects that appeal to them which, helps aid them in their decision on that product/service. The Profit appeal â€Å"lets consumers know whether the product will save them money. Make them money, or keep them from losing money.† The Fear appeal â€Å"can center on social embarrassment, growing old, or losing one's health; because of power, requires advertising to exercise care in execution.† Another advertising appeal that is commonly looked at is Environmental Consciousness, which focuses on protecting the environment and being considerate of others in the community. When choosing the best appeal for your product/service it generally requires market research in order to place your product/service in its correct target market. "The appeal first must make a positive impression on and be desirable to the target market. It must also be exclusive or unique; consumers must be able to distinguish the advertiser’s message from the competitor’s message." When making your impression on the target market it is enormously important to make sure the appeal is believable and is not embellished. If the appeal is over thought it not only wastes promotional dollars but also creates ill will for the advertiser. The advertising appeal for the product/service must be desirable, exclusive, and believable advertising, which is also known as the Unique Selling Proposition. The Unique Selling Proposition commonly turns into the promotional slogan. As a business you want your slogan to be a household theme or symbol that everyone will recognize.

Reshaping Cultures

9 October 2013 word count: 2075 The Reshaping of Cultures Section Three: Plastic Surgery Aspects of one's culture are shaped by personal experiences, household traditions, and by one's national beliefs. How sensitive the topic of cosmetic surgery is, differs by culture. South Koreans now widely accept plastic surgery as a part of their culture. This movement has sparked widespread criticism from people around the world. Many people either can't comprehend the idea, can't get past the cultural barrier, or can't accept the adequate reasoning behind it.However, the reasoning is quite imple and should be accepted universally; Personal satisfaction and happiness are important factors to one's well-being, and if improving one's appearance can critically boost one's self-esteem, then taking advantage of the technologies we have today like plastic surgery should be an acceptable option to remedy low self-worth and low self- esteem. Every culture has some different idea of what is considered beautiful. In the past when people lived in less diverse-looking societies, the standards of beauty typically were defined by features that weren't common amongst their own ommunity.As time flowed, certain places became more ethnically and culturally diverse than others, and in those places ideas clashed and standards changed, resulting in a more open community with ideal beauty being more subjective. However, there are places that still aren't so diverse. In these places, the conception of what is considered ideal beauty is more predominantly accepted and can be linked heavily to historical and cultural roots as well as how influential and persistent the media is in that particular society.Although South Korea has been experiencing esternization since the Korean War, the country is still a generally homogenous nation, meaning that the demographics are still mostly Korean. South Korea is a country where the old meets the new and where traditions go hand in hand with modern ideas and technology; this goes for beauty as well. In ancient South Korea, having certain features could define not only ones ancestral past, but also ones future.In an article explaining the marriage of cosmetic surgery and ancient customs, Lee Su Hyun explains that, â€Å"Physiognomy, or the art of face reading, has een practiced for centuries in Korea – as well as in other Asian countries – as a way of divining a person's future† (Lee par. 8). In addition she proposed that, â€Å"Koreans also believe that personality is reflected in a person's facial features and that they [their facial features] are shaped by fate, genes and lifestyle† (Lee par. 9). This belief still persists today and many Koreans experience social pressures because of it.A South Korean mother explains that her daughter, Lee Min-Kyong, a 12 year old ballet dancer, lacks confidence: â€Å"Everyone, she says, points out her small eyes. It's why she doesn't think she's a pretty girl† (La h par. 3). Her mother added, â€Å"I'm having her do it pretty to get ahead† (qtd. in Lah par. 7). Although her daughter didn't ask for the surgery, Min-Kyong is looking forward to it: â€Å"I'm excited. I think I'll look better than I do now,' she says shyly, breaking into a small smile† (Lah par. 5).Foreigners may consider these social pressures to be offensive and superficial, but to South Koreans they are not; these pressures are Just another everyday-custom. Korean media, especially the Korean pop (K-pop) scene, has also been shaped by these social ressures which state that beauty is important. In K-pop, the most successful and famous idols perfectly fit what Koreans consider beautiful, near perfection. These idols are a part of every aspect of the media because of that. Unlike the western counterpart in which he or she is known for what he or she does best, a single Korean idol can be known to partake in a multitude of positions.It is very common to find a single idol being an actor or actress, a model, a musician, a singer, a dancer, a show host, a reality show celebrity, and a comedian. They are the role models of ociety, and, as a country where there is a pressure to look beautiful, many younger South Koreans enw and aspire to their features: â€Å"They all have small faces, large eyes, and tiny button noses. Chins are pointed, cheeks are wide, and their faces glow artificially, imbuing them with the anime quality' (Stone par. 15). Sure those features flaunted perfection, but there was a catch; those features aren't commonly or traditionally Korean.As revealed by netizens, this beauty was the work of plastic surgery. South Korea is very technologically advanced and â€Å"is the most wired in the orld, with the highest rate of smartphone usage 67 percent and 95 percent of Korean homes having internet access† (Stone par. 23). Rando Kim, a professor of consumer science at Seoul National University, suggests being so Wired' contribut ed to the trend of plastic surgery: â€Å"Celebrities have helped to drive the trend [of plastic surgery], as they scramble to keep ahead of digital technology that mercilessly exposes not only their physical imperfections, but any attempts to remedy them â€Å"(Choe par. ). He clarifies that, â€Å"Wide-screen and high definition TV put pressure on hem [celebrities] to look good in close-ups, and with the Internet, where people like to post ‘before' and ‘after' pictures, they can no longer hide it [having undergone plastic surgery]. So they go public, often talking proudly about it on TV† (Choe par. 8). Although â€Å"before the K-pop boom Korean youth already were being brought up on a diet of surgery â€Å"(Stone par. 21), Dr.Park Sang-hoon, head of ID Hospital, notes that ordinary South Koreans are now more open about the idea because their idols are open about it: â€Å"It used to be all hush-hush when mothers brought their daughters in or a face-lift be fore taking them to match-makers, now young women go plastic surgery shopping around here† (Choe par. 10). This shift towards a nation-wide open-mindedness for plastic surgery relieved many South Koreans. However, what was a relief within the country, sparked ethnocentric criticism from the international audience.Today in South Korea, cosmetic surgery is a social norm: â€Å"South Koreans have more plastic surgery than any other nation according to figures released in January. Those in the Asian country have more treatments per members of the population, with one in every 77 turning to the knife or needle† (Nolan Par. 2). One thing that seemed to bother a lot of critics was not only that statistic but also what Koreans were getting done, which in many articles regarding the matter is western. This idea seems absolutely outrageous, false, and offensive to many people especially of Asian descent.Dr. Joo Kwon, head of JK Plastic Surgery Clinic, and Dr. Kwon Seung-Taik, a p lastic surgeon at Seoul National University Hospital, both agree: â€Å"While critics often argue that Koreans are adopting a more Western ideal of beauty, both Kwon and Joo disagree, saying that the standards are universal† (Kim par. 1). Kwon supports his position, mentioning something he read a while back, † Two love letters,' he says, Written 5,000 years ago, from China and Greece, respectively, both describe their lover as beautiful, with a pointed nose and large eyes† (qtd. n Kim par. 43). He also said, in defense, â€Å"We have Westerners coming in to cut down their nose to a smaller size does that mean they want to look Asian† (qtd. in Kim par. 44)? If one were to look at the before and after pictures in detail of Asians that have undergone cosmetic surgery, one can effortlessly notice that the features don't esemble any specific features only Westerners or Caucasians have nor are they any particularly non-Asian. What emerged from this stalemate didn 't do the situation justice, though.What all this type of criticism came down to was Just the obscuring of what mattered the most, how alleviated the patients were after undergoing their surgery. Although Min-kyung was only 12 years old and didn't make the decision herself to get the surgery, â€Å"for Min-Kyung, the 20-minute surgery has been well worth the cost and post-surgical discomfort. A few weeks later, she and her mother email to ay she's happy with her new look. And when this 12-year old stares at herself dancing in the studio, she no longer Just sees her eyes. She sees a prettier girl† (Lah par. 17).Especially at that age, confidence is very important. With Just that minor surgery, her increase in confidence, even if increased by Just the slightest bit, will help her progress not only through her difficult teenage years but also thereafter. In another article, which criticizes the shift towards the acceptance for plastic surgery in South Korea and explains the supp osed dangers associated with that shift, a omen's experience is shared: â€Å"Chang Hae-Jin, 21 , an art student who was self- conscious about her slightly protruding teeth and chin decided to take that risk with Dr. Park.

Production Manager Essay

Dawn’s Train of Thought Process Chart Activity Thought 1. Before Meeting the Sales Representative i. Objective of Meeting: to discuss whether it is best to buy additional equipment accessories. ii. What will the boss might say about if I decide to buy or not to buy? iii. I never made mistake in buying the equipment maybe my boss will trust me whatever I decide on the meeting. 2. Meeting the Sales Representative – Video Presentation. i. He looks ready, maybe he has a good point. ii. Okay, he comes prepared with the video. iii. The points are okay, but do I need that right now? iv. Maybe it is expensive, just by the look at the video. 3. After the Video i. How much will that cost us? ii. Okay, it seems a good cost-benefit offer. iii. But what will my boss think of me if I decide to buy? iv. I just bought this equipment. Can I justify it? v. Okay, I’ll take risk anyway benefits outweigh the cost. vi. I’ll just explain to the boss. vii. Okay, I will get and buy that accessory. What factors would have led Dawn to come to a different decision? Here are the factors that could have altered Dawn’s decision: (i) The Sales Representative is late; (2) The boss is not satisfied with the current equipment; (3) The company is under cost-pressure; (4) The boss and Dawn is not in a good relationship; (5) The Sales representative is not well dressed; (6) The Sales representative did not prepare a flashy video; and (6) The Sales Representative could not justify the cost versus benefits. Activity Thought 1. Before Meeting the Sales Representative i. Objective of Meeting: to discuss whether it is best to buy additional equipment accessories. ii. What will the boss might say about if I decide to buy when the equipment is not achieving its purpose. iii. How can I face the boss, this might be another wrong decision to add-up with our current status. 2. Meeting the Sales Representative – Video Presentation. i. He’s late. I have many things to do. ii. The video is lame. I have much better things to do. iii. I don’t think we need it at all.    3. After the Video    In this case, even before the meeting, Dawn has already stopped thinking whether to buy or not to buy because in the middle of the meeting he has already decided. What do you believe are the implications of `framing` on our judgments and on our attempts to influence others? Are there moral considerations? Why or why not? Manufacturing, business, even life and death decisions depends on how information is framed. However there is supposedly no problem with framing because it provides us confidence to convince people to buy, to believe, to be happy or to be sad, as long as our ulterior motive is good. Framing itself is not the problem—every piece of information communicated requires a frame to convey message clearly. The problem is a larger social issue which is usually done by the government, corporation, and individuals who want to deceive people in believing something else. Example, in the medical industry, hospitals or doctors might release statements that are framed in such a way to fool people. A few years ago, British women were informed that the use of the contraceptive pill leads to a 2-fold increase in the risk of thrombo-embolism. Many stopped taking the pill, which resulted in unwanted pregnancies and abortions. If the official statement had instead been that the pill increases the risk from 1 to 2 in 14,000 women, few women would have been scared. The problem here is that it framed in a general statement not showing any evidence or numerical study results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A lot of moral issues in these wrong framing incidents are happening everyday in our television. Media in their attempt to get higher rating tends to bubble a story and framed the headlines in such a way that people will be intrigue to watch. It often results to a different decision and perception of things aside from that which is supposed to be true. REFERENCE LIST    Frege, G. The Thought: A Logical Inquiry. Mind, New Series, Vol. 65, No. 259. July, 1956. October 10, 2008. From http://links.jstor.org Gigerenzer, Gerd, MD. ( ) Why Does Framing Influence Judgment? Journal of   Ã‚  General Internal Medicine, Volume 18, Issue 11. October 10, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   < http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgibin/fulltext/118885195/PDFSTART> Rieber R. (Interviewer). Dialogues on the Psychology of Language and Thought Plenum (Transcript]. 1983. Schweighardt, C. Thought Process Map for Six Sigma: What, Why and How. Isixsigma Website. 2000. October 10, 2008.

Creating A Project Managment Methodoloy Example

Creating A Project Managment Methodoloy Example Creating A Project Managment Methodoloy – Case Study Example Running head: creating a project management methodology 14th July Enterprise project management(EPM) entails the organizational development that allows the organizations to effectively integrate between themselves and adapt to the changes that occurs during the transformation process. Earlier, the executive was focused at single projects without taking into consideration other supporting projects. The main focus of EPM is to make an organization have an effective communication process and through the support of information system, the firm will be able to attain its objectives as well as vision and mission. Additionally, Enterprise project management aims at providing a 360 degree view of the firm by ensuring that every party in the organization is included in the day to day activities of the firm (Gomez-Mejia, et al, 2008). Before the introduction of Enterprise project management, managers were hesitant to involve other employees in the operation of a firm based on the assumption th at it would result to losing of power to the juniors (Kleiman, 2010). However, senior executives should emulate the EPM not only in order to effectively plan and track the performance of the existing projects but also to create a portfolio of the current and future projects. One of the strategies that the top executives should emulate in order to ensure that their Enterprise Project Management processes are successful is to establish a Project Management Office (PMO) in order to address the priorities of the firm. In addition, the organizations should establish departmentally based Project Management Offices that reports directly to the Enterprise PMO Manager (Michael, 2010). In this way, it will be possible to monitor the impact of the strategies that are adopted by the firm as well as the performance of the employees in all the departments. ReferencesGomez-Mejia, L et al. (2008). Management: People, Performance, Change. New York: McGraw-Hill.Kleiman, S. (2010). Management and Exec utive Development. London: Sage. Michael, S. (2010). The Strategic Importance of the Enterprise Project Management Office. Available from bia.ca/articles/StrategicImportanceoftheEnterprisePMO.htm

Is medical coding the career for you

Is medical coding the career for you Are you on the hunt for a new career in a growing industry? If so, then consider medical coding. This rewarding field can offer a wide variety of potential opportunities for employment and can be a satisfying profession for those with the right skills, mindset, and aptitude. Plus, it’s a career on the rise- according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s slated to grow faster than average through the next eight years. Let’s learn more about what it’s like to be a medical coder and how you can get started.According to the AAPC website, â€Å"Medical coding is the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. The diagnoses and procedure codes are taken from medical record documentation, such as transcription of physician’s notes, laboratory and radiologic results, etc.†Basically, medical coders oversee all the codes that are used during the often-complex medical billing process. This is no simple task: qualified coders should have a thorough knowledge of anatomy and medical terminology and be familiar with several different coding systems (including CPT ®, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10-CM). On top of that, coders should know which codes are accepted by which insurance plans and how to be compliant while coding.The first steps toward becoming a medical coder include ensuring that you meet the educational requirements to secure a position in the field, which can vary depending on the field, discipline, and work environment you choose to pursue.According to the AAPC, the medical coding professionals should obtain the Certified Professional Coder (CPC ®) credential. While earning a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree can strengthen a medical coder’s career, it’s not a set requirement. What is necessary is to have a solid foundation of anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, which you will learn and master thr ough earning the CPC ® credential. â€Å"It’s recommended for serious coders to complete a medical coding course of study and pass an exam to designate him or her as a CPC ®. Employers know CPCs ® are individuals who can perform medical coding tasks with the utmost proficiency and excellence,† according to the official site.So, what would a typical day as a medical coder look like? You’d likely be working in the billing office in a focused healthcare setting, which can range from a hospital to a therapeutic or treatment center, doctor’s office, outpatient facility, nursing home, or similar facility, and will be coding patient files- an essential task in the field- to ensure appropriate and accurate billing. In sum, your coding will help document each patient’s treatment process from beginning to end, in an effort to secure reimbursement for all services rendered during each visit.Still interested in pursuing a career as a medical coder? If so , then consider the helpful information provided here as your launching pad to help you plan your first steps on this exciting career journey. You can build on this information with the wealth of resources and information available online, and before long you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goal.

How to Stay Calm When You Are Stressed

How to Stay Calm When You Are Stressed Stress is inevitable; whether it is from work or our personal lives. It is just something that we have to deal with. We can’t let that overwhelmed feeling get the better of us. Here are some ways to overcome this feeling and stay calm, cool, and collected during these trying times. Â  Source [PoundsToPocket]

Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decision Making - Assignment Example 5’S model emphasizes on providing the workers with resources. Role clarification helps improve productivity. Reinforcement inculcates motivation in the workers to achieve the assigned tasks. Regulation promotes clarity of vision and clarity with respect to what behaviors are allowed. Workers need this clarity in order to behave as required of them. Reward reaffirms the workers that they are on the right track and that they are being noticed. Being assigned resources, it becomes easier for the workers to achieve their goals. Role clarification helps eradicate interpersonal conflicts. Reinforcement reassures the workers that the work they are doing is of importance to the management and the organization as a whole, so that the workers feel owned, important, and appreciated. Regulation promotes clarity with respect to what behaviors are forbidden so that workers refrain from displaying them in the workplace. Rewards keeps the workers from feeling neglected. Without resources, workers might take too long or never be able to accomplish the assigned

Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Tourism - Essay Example After this point the paper will give some insight as to the overall trends in the international community specifically in the United States. Next an in depth analysis will be conducted as to how the UK travel industry has been affected by the recession and provide insight as to what strategies some organizations have opted to utilize in effort to combat the recession specifically focusing on strategies such as offering new low cost options or increased advertising. Building on these points this paper will argue that many of these changes may simply be short term strategies designed to adjust to temporary changes in consumer preferences and how some strategies are designed to be coherent long term strategies. In an article published by the Suffolk City Council (2008) a number of different groups were identified as being the most likely to be affected by the current recession. Primarily identified were in terms of individuals were people with low incomes such as those people with fixed incomes, and those people unable to cope with rising costs such as those heavily in debt. In regards to manufacturers and service providers the research summary identified that companies manufacturing durable consumer goods such as washing machines or cars will be severely negatively affected by the recession owing to the fact that consumers are reluctant to make big purchases in times of economic uncertainty. More importantly to this topic the Suffolk City Council (2008) identifies that the service sector will be the most negatively affected sector insofar as retail, financial services leisure has already seen some of its biggest decrease in output levels since the mid nineties. The reasoning behind this d ecrease in the service sector (Specifically the leisure sector) is because of the falling consumer confidence in the overall economy. According to Barbaro and Uchitelle (2008) it is the case that in the American context consumer confidence in the strength of

GAP Inc Strategic Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GAP Inc Strategic Design - Research Paper Example Corporate level strategies are the decision that is being taken by the top executives at the highest level. They are essentially the Managing Director of the board of directors. Once the decisions have been taken, it is then circulated to the various departments of the organization. Organization administrators have certainty about the long haul development capability of the brands and will reaffirm their aim to stretch through topographies and channels including the claim to fame, on the web, outlet, and franchise. The organization is affirming it hopes to begin to franchise Old Navy in 2014 in key worldwide markets. Furthermore, it will consider expanding upon its prosperity with Gap in China by investigating, including organization worked Old Navy and Banana Republic stores in this critical market. Murphy and organization pioneers are examining the chances to proceed with the development of its rising brands – Athleta, Piperlime, and Intermix – in North America. GAP e ssentially plans to build on their product value and hence increase the sales so that they can generate the required revenues. They have a long-term corporate strategy on expanding in the North American Regions. Since there has been a recent drop in the sales of apparel in physical stores, they have shifted their focus to building up an effective digital strategy and have started selling their products online. They have the additional advantage of being a multi-brand outlet with the acquisition of the Banana Republic and Old Navy.

Yakuzas in Sonatine & Outrage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Yakuzas in Sonatine & Outrage - Essay Example *To understand Yakuza one need to understand aspects of Japanese culture. Japan still remains an eternal archetype of something opposite to European culture. Kitano’s movies show the distinguishing features of Japanese art of cinema which can hardly be compared with traditional Hollywood or European movie industry. But there is something that is pushed to the periphery in Europe, tucked away in a corner. This something openly exists in Japan and Hong Kong, but is not associated with the â€Å"mysterious East† among New Age fans. This is Yakuza. To understand Japan is to understand Yakuza. That is to understand violence.* Sonatine (1993) is the first movie by Kitano which brought him cult fame outside Japan. Sonatina is a mix of few movies in one – it’s an explosive mixture of a thriller, cop movie, comedy and melodrama. One of Kitano’s favorite ideas, borrowed from Kurosawa, a belief that even the most intense movie needs to give a viewer a moment to catch his breath, is brought to perfection here. Starting like a typical Yakuza film (big boss sends his subordinate Murakawa with a gang to Osaka, where a gang war begins), Sonatina changes its tempo in the middle and changes the genre: forced to wait for new orders on a tropical beach, yakuza, for forty minutes of screen time, live almost an idyllic life, cutting out figures from paper, arranging fireworks and folk dances. However, Murakawa’s (played by Kitano himself) fun is alarming: he digs hidden pits on the beach and has fun when his companions fall down; he forces his subordinates to play Russian roulette with a gun i n which no bullets. All these actions serve as a further indication of the plot development: pit is a metaphor of a trap that caught Murakawa and his men, set up by their own boss, and Russian roulette leads to Murakawa’s suicide (the movie poster shows Kitano with a gun near his

Marshall & Gordon Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marshall & Gordon - Assignment Example Public Relations firms across the world provide a wide range of services that are aimed at improving and managing the reputation of a company’s brands, products, goods and services. However, public relations firm are currently facing lots of challenges as they carry on their work. Public relations consultants’ jobs were previously underestimated to be that of creating and issuing of press releases, whereby the PRs had the task of looking for connections with media personalities so that their articles could be placed well in articles. The main aim of doing this was to enhance and sell their products to the public well. This is not the case currently as firms are consolidating through mergers and acquisition; they are also working hard to develop global competencies and expertise to be able to serve clients who are multinational and the powerful social media. This has helped the PR firms to grow a lot and diversify into other extensions of PR services such as handling cas es of reputation management. The firms also seek to increase their annual growth to a significant digit. The main objective in writing this memo is analyzing the issues that are associated with the public relations industry using the case of Marshall& Gordon and the challenges its facing in implementing its compensation system. Introduction The Marshall& Gordon Company is an international organization that was founded out of a merger between Marshall, a firm based in Atlanta and Gordon based in New Orleans. The merged firm came into being in 1950s and made its strategic decisions regarding its focus on communications, branding of products and creation of portfolios, with its headquarters relocated to New York. In 1962, the Marshall& Gordon firm was acquired by PTG, an international firm that was widely recognized in its advertising proceeds, the way it carried out its public relations and its media companies. By 1999, the firm had gone international and got its offices in various co ntinents, with a great person famous for renowned implementation of media tools and innovation in public relations innovation as the CEO. She really helped the firm to grow a lot through her good prowess in the PR activities. The Marshall &Gordon PR has since then assisted other firms to grow especially where they have challenges and issues with the PR section. The company grows fast with its annual growth superseding that of former years in its advertising and branding of products. However, the company is currently facing several challenges which have turned out to be some of its weaknesses. The company’s strength lies in the prowess of the CEO, who has great skill in public relations hence can make decisions that will have great beneficial impact on the company’s reputations. She has also assisted other firms to grow in the decisions that she assists them to make, this has earned the company a lot of respect especially from other PR firms that recognize the company. The fact that the firm has several offices in other continents is a good sign that the company has grown and expanded its business activities; this is another strength and opportunity for the firm. The company’s early decisions to venture into public relations has made it get connections with other great firms from which it has benefited a lot. The company also has strong production, branding and selling of its products however, it has failed in the way it markets its products. The weakness of the firm is in its lateral hires of people who are neither mentoring on any of its associates nor developing any of its clients. The other thing regarding the marketing of its products is the issue of developing an effective compensation system for its clients and public relations consultants. The compensation sys

Essentials Mangement (report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Essentials Mangement (report) - Essay Example The Essentials Management is all about finding solutions to help the organisation to improve efficiency, reduce costs, decrease cycle time and push up strategic initiatives. What are the issues before an ambitious management and an expanding organization? Find solutions to short term and long term problems, lookout and seize the opportunities well in time in this fast moving age of industrial and internet revolution, tackle critical issues posed from time to time and improve effectiveness in functions and crucial programs. Of the four important factors of production, land, labor, capital and organisation, labor (workforce at all levels) is important. The employees can build an organisation just as sometimes it is claimed that the employees can break it. For the organisation to become prosperous and grow employees (including officials of the top management) need to be basically sound and industrious and basic conditions and favourable atmosphere need to be created for them to become b asically sound and industrious. â€Å"If everything is important, then nothing is†¦.Whether it is a multinational corporation, a department within a larger company, or a small entrepreneurial venture, every organisation provides its leader with more distractions and concerns than one person can handle. The key to managing this challenge, of course, is to identify a reasonable number of issues that will have the greater possible impact on the success of your organization, and then spend most your time thinking about, talking about, and working on those issues.†(Lencioni, 2006, introduction. xi) The phrases like decentralization, delegate responsibility etc. often find favor in an expanding organisation. The modern management science favours these techniques. But the critical point for the success of organization is somewhere else. The growth of an organization needs to be a healthy growth. None but the head of an organisation can make it healthy. To delegate responsibility for

Marshall & Gordon Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marshall & Gordon - Assignment Example Public Relations firms across the world provide a wide range of services that are aimed at improving and managing the reputation of a company’s brands, products, goods and services. However, public relations firm are currently facing lots of challenges as they carry on their work. Public relations consultants’ jobs were previously underestimated to be that of creating and issuing of press releases, whereby the PRs had the task of looking for connections with media personalities so that their articles could be placed well in articles. The main aim of doing this was to enhance and sell their products to the public well. This is not the case currently as firms are consolidating through mergers and acquisition; they are also working hard to develop global competencies and expertise to be able to serve clients who are multinational and the powerful social media. This has helped the PR firms to grow a lot and diversify into other extensions of PR services such as handling cas es of reputation management. The firms also seek to increase their annual growth to a significant digit. The main objective in writing this memo is analyzing the issues that are associated with the public relations industry using the case of Marshall& Gordon and the challenges its facing in implementing its compensation system. Introduction The Marshall& Gordon Company is an international organization that was founded out of a merger between Marshall, a firm based in Atlanta and Gordon based in New Orleans. The merged firm came into being in 1950s and made its strategic decisions regarding its focus on communications, branding of products and creation of portfolios, with its headquarters relocated to New York. In 1962, the Marshall& Gordon firm was acquired by PTG, an international firm that was widely recognized in its advertising proceeds, the way it carried out its public relations and its media companies. By 1999, the firm had gone international and got its offices in various co ntinents, with a great person famous for renowned implementation of media tools and innovation in public relations innovation as the CEO. She really helped the firm to grow a lot through her good prowess in the PR activities. The Marshall &Gordon PR has since then assisted other firms to grow especially where they have challenges and issues with the PR section. The company grows fast with its annual growth superseding that of former years in its advertising and branding of products. However, the company is currently facing several challenges which have turned out to be some of its weaknesses. The company’s strength lies in the prowess of the CEO, who has great skill in public relations hence can make decisions that will have great beneficial impact on the company’s reputations. She has also assisted other firms to grow in the decisions that she assists them to make, this has earned the company a lot of respect especially from other PR firms that recognize the company. The fact that the firm has several offices in other continents is a good sign that the company has grown and expanded its business activities; this is another strength and opportunity for the firm. The company’s early decisions to venture into public relations has made it get connections with other great firms from which it has benefited a lot. The company also has strong production, branding and selling of its products however, it has failed in the way it markets its products. The weakness of the firm is in its lateral hires of people who are neither mentoring on any of its associates nor developing any of its clients. The other thing regarding the marketing of its products is the issue of developing an effective compensation system for its clients and public relations consultants. The compensation sys

S it more accurate to say that presidents adapt to the critical events Essay

S it more accurate to say that presidents adapt to the critical events that happen during their time in power, or are they more - Essay Example The United States, which is both the greatest economy and democracy in the world, has influenced the course of history of the world. It therefore provides a definite relationship between presidents and the historical occurrences. Among iconic presidents of the United States was Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States who served until his untimely assassination in 1865. The events in his tenure including his assassination depicted the influence that the presidents had in shaping the history of their times. He served during some of the most tumultuous times in the country. He led the country through the most historic constitutional, moral and military crisis. His contribution and time in office thus makes him the best president whose analysis may easily depict the role of presidents in influencing the history of their tenures (Burkhimer, 2003). Additionally, he provides an effective basis of comparison with some of the recent presidents such as the incumbent presi dent Barack Obama and George Bush among many others who also served during some of the most tumultuous times in the history of the country. Presidents are always at the help of politics. They are influential people who readily access all the power brokers in a country. The American politics consists of a set of members of parliaments and senators all of who are influential in managing the domestic politics in the different states. The presidents on the other hand has influence over such and enjoy vast constitutional power to institute policies but with the consent of such politicians. Born and raised in a poor American family at a time that capitalism and slave trade was at the pick, Abraham Lincoln educated himself and later joined politics. He lost a senate seat in 1858 for maintaining a hard line rejection for the plan to expand slavery. He was determined to end slavery in the country. Though not a Member of Parliament, the president influenced the lawmakers during his tenure as the president of the United States thus succeeding in emancipating the African Americans. The liberation of the black society in the United States was one of the greatest historical occurrence in the country that earned Abraham Lincoln both friends and foes in equal measure thus possibly leading to his assassination. His role in liberating the African Americans and safeguarding the rights of the marginalized society to take part in election in the country’s constitution was a self-depiction of the influence that presidents have over the historical occurrences. Slave trade had employed millions of American capitalism merchants; it had necessitated the agrarian revolution thus developing the country’s economy. Vouching for the abolition of slave trade and developing an equal American society in which the African Americans would enjoy equal rights as their white counterparts was therefore a major historical occurrence. The success to end slavery was not a timely occurrenc e; it was not any time coming. President Abraham Lincoln worked hard and tried all he could to convince and black mail some of the members of parliament to accept and pass the bill that would change the country’s constitution. The desire to free the society had cost him his political career in the past but his determination finally bore fruits thus possibly resulting in his assassination. The life and works of president Abraham Lincoln portrays the influence tha

Impact of Stigma on the Fight Against AIDS

Impact of Stigma on the Fight Against AIDS Stigma is an essential constraint in the fight against AIDS. Discuss. 1500 words. In 2008, the World Health Organization argued that ‘†¦HIV-related stigma and discrimination are often prevalent within health services, and are critical obstacles to provision and uptake of health sector interventions. Stigma and discrimination—often pervasive at all levels of society—sustain an environment where it is difficult for health services to attract the people who most need the interventions.’ (World Health Organization HIV/AIDS Department 2008: p.12) As the same organisation reports, every day, over 6,800 people become infected with HIV and over 5,700 die. This paper discusses the way in which the stigmatisation of Aids sufferers impedes understanding of their condition, and the ability of society to address the problem holistically. It argues that society has a tendency to vilify target groups over problematical and divisive health issues, and offers earlier examples of these practices . Commenting on preventative measures in South Africa, the World Health Organisation again points out that ‘†¦it is important to collect information on higher risk male-male sex, on sexual behaviour among sex workers, on both injecting behaviour and sexual behaviour among injecting drug users, and on sexual behaviours in other groups that may be at higher risk.’ (World Health Organisation 2008: p.14) Whilst their analysis is based on positivist evidence, the identification of certain groups as most at risk introduces the parallel risk that they will be perceived by others – as solely or especially responsible for the prevalence of the condition. The urge to discriminate against a range of social groups appears to be a very deep seated one in Western societies. As Rothman points out, ‘Individualsearn prestige on the basis of their own efforts†¦or personal attributes (physical attractiveness, intelligence), but there is also a powerful structural dimension to prestige.’ (Rothman 1993: p.12). How ever, certain social groups appear particularly vulnerable to stigmatisation around issues of sexuality and disease: HIV and AIDS sufferers, it may be argued, are the latest group to suffer the re-interpretation of such prejudice. It seems fair to argue therefore that the defeat of stigmatisation is instrumental in the eradication of HIV/AIDS, and almost as important as the medical phenomenon itself. As one commentator puts it, If AIDS is to be defeated, war must be waged against poverty, ignorance, stigmatisation, violence and promiscuity.’ (The Economist 2002). Historically speaking, social explanations and interpretations of disease have always been mediated through cultural perceptions, and frequently manipulated for political purposes. Dirt, disease, sexuality and danger were frequently and unfavourably juxtaposed in public discussions of epidemics, whether relating to sexually transmitted diseases or not. A common theme in such discourses is a moralising view of the infected, and an inference that their behaviour was a major contributory factor in the spread of the disease to others. For example, when Cholera struck nineteenth century Britain, which had not yet developed a germ-theory of disease, its spread was attributed to ‘noxious effluvias’, ‘poisonous vapours’ and ‘obnoxious atmospheres’ generated in the environment of the poor and labouring classes. (Jones 1992: p.38) It was they who were effectively stigmatised with the dissemination of the disease, despite its prevalence amongst all social groups. As Mort reports, the official response was ‘†¦to isolate the human sources of infection, subjecting them to a regime of compulsory inspection and detention, combined with propaganda to educate the poor into a regime of cleanliness and morality.’ (Mort 2000: p.13) Official efforts to limit prostitution focused exclusively on female sexuality through the notorious Contagious Diseases Acts, which exposed any woman within certain geographical areas to arbitrary arrest, medical examination and detention. A common theme in these scenarios, many of which were mirrored elsewhere, is the subjective location of societal health problems in the behaviour and identity of disempowered groups. In each instance – as in the case of HIV/AIDS, responsibility for wider societal ills is linked to a largely voiceless faction, who not only  have poor lateral integration into society, but also less than sympathetic media representation. These behaviours and attitudes are obviously culturally mediated, and vary according to the host society: there is, however, no shortage of empirical examples. In Jamaica, otherwise respected social platforms such as evangelical churches and political parties, as well as popular music celebrities, combine the fear of AIDS with virulent homophobic attitudes. ‘†¦Dance-hall music—todays reggae—blasts across Jamaica. Its lyrics are often direct exhortations to kill gay people, or others who displease the islands gangs. Jamaica Labour Party supporters tauntingly played â€Å"Chi Chi Man†, a song about killing and setting fire to gay men, at their rallies during the general election†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (The Economist 2004). Elsewhere, it has been shifting positions and indecision which have delayed an effective response. In Mozambique, educational programmes aimed at 14 year olds are of uncertain utility, because 40 per cent of the nation’s children do not attend school, and, as The Economist points out, ‘†¦their parents find it difficult to talk to them about sex. So do most public figures. Even ministers are loath to say they have taken a test. Rarely, if ever, does anyone famous admit to being HIV-positive.’ (The Economist 2002) This situation is mirrored in South Africa, where, as Campell et al. indicate ‘†¦many parents simply refuse to acknowledge the very possibility of youth sexuality†¦that their children are sexually active†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. (Campbell et al. 2006: p.132) The South African government has been engaged in a rearguard against international attitudes which, it felt, were unfairly slanted against its citizens. Recently however, it has rounded on the latter, admonishing those who it perceives as most responsible for the virulence of the disease. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa said that ‘†¦You cant be going around having hugely promiscuous sex all over the place and hope that you wont be affected by something or the other.’ (The Economist 2002) Campbell et al. argue that such stigmatization is a form of ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ psychological policing†, where those who break power relations of gender and generation are disciplined and punished.’ (Campbell et al 2006: p.132). In Tanzania, Haram reports it is again women who are stigmatized in this way, through images of ‘defilement and displacement’: ‘†¦particular concern is directed towards the displacement of young†¦women, who m isuse their sexuality to achieve a†¦luxurious life , by luring wealthy†¦men†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Haram 2005: p.5) The overriding point here is that stigmatization, as much as mis-information and chimerical moral panics, are ultimately as damaging to those disseminating them as they are the stigmatized and abandoned victims of HIV/AIDS themselves. As Mort point out, ‘Two themes have surfaced repeatedly: competing understandings of perversion and normality and the social meanings attached to sexual acts and lifestyles.’ (Mort 2000: p.xviii) The obscuring and short-circuiting of accurate knowledge or effective counter measures merely ensures the continued presence of the infection in society, making it statistically certain that further innocent victims will fall prey to the disease. An analogy with earlier models of stigmatization illustrates this mechanism of self destruction. It was completely useless to persecute nineteenth century paupers and women as the sole sources of cholera or venereal disease, since this stood no chance of eliminating either condition. Similarly, the stigmat isation of women or the gay community cannot eliminate an HIV virus which is equally capable of infecting other social groups. In the twenty-first century, the social stigmatization of these groups overlooks the specificities of the condition, such as the growing convergence of HIV/TB epidemics. There are notable and laudable exceptions to these patterns of behaviour: for example, in Botswana, mining companies such as Debswana have introduced educational and non-discriminatory protocols as an operational strategy, not only for health, but for commercial survival. As The Economist points out, the company ‘†¦reckoned that if it did nothing, its mines would go the way of Zambias, which have to train four people for each skilled job in the knowledge that three will die. Even in 1997 the annual cost of AIDS per employee in the Botswana Diamond Valuing Company was calculated to be $237.’ (The Economist 2002) . As these pages were being written, the World Health Organization was attempting to polarize global attention and effort through an international AIDS effort, and focusing very much on prevention and understanding. First and foremost, we must do a much better job of prevention. This is the only way to get ahead and ensure an adequate long-term response. We u rgently need to scale up the use of proven context-specific prevention methods. We also need to expand linkages between sectors – for example, to introduce and scale up comprehensive sexuality education for young people.’ (Chan 2008). The problem is, as Haram argues, that such efforts need to be mediated through local knowledge, identifying the obstacles to behavioural change. (Haram 2005: p.9) Bibliography Campbell, C., Y.Nair, and S Maimane, (2006). Aids Stigma, Sexual Moralities and the Policing of Women and Youth in South Africa. Feminist Review 83 (Special Edition on Sexual Moralities). P. Chan, M., (2008), ‘HIV/AIDS: Universal Action Now’ World Health Organisation Website, INTERNET, available at http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2008/20080803/en/index.html [viewed 5.1.08] Haram, L. (2005). AIDS and risk: The handling of uncertainty in northern Tanzania. Culture, Health and Sexuality 7 (1): 1-11. Jones, K., (1992), The Making of Social Policy in Britain, 1830-1990, Athlone Press, London. Mort, F., (2000), Dangerous Sexualities: Medico-Moral Politics in England since 1830, 2nd Edition, Routledge, London. Rothman, R., (1993), Inequality and Stratification: Class, Colour, and Gender, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Unattributed, ‘The Fear that Spreads Death’, The Economist, 25 Nov 2004, INTERNET, available at http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3437101 [viewed 5.1.08] Unattributed, ‘Fighting back’, The Economist, 9th May 2002, INTERNET, available at http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_TTNDTDJ [viewed 5.1.08] World Health Organization HIV/AIDS Department, (2008), Priority Interventions, HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in the health sector, WHO. World Health Organization/Unaids/Unicef, (2008), Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS: South Africa, INTERNET, available at http://www.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/full/EFS2008_ZA.pdf [viewed 5.1.08]

The Never-ending Story: Sexual Orientation and Genetics Essay -- Biolo

The Never-ending Story: Sexual Orientation and Genetics It is my observation that the average person gains insight into the nature vs. nurture debate when some particular human trait that is politically or socially volatile at the time is announced as having a specific genetic origin. This observation was confirmed when, in surfing the web, I came across an article entitled, "Female Inner Ear Comes Out of the Closet (1)." While reporting on a study published by a UT psychology professor who found that homosexual women exhibit tones in the inner ear similar to those of male test subjects, the Daily Texan journalist, with no explanation or sources, effortlessly mixes and confuses the social construction with the "science" of sexual orientation—even in her or his title. Attempting to get to the root of how an individual's sexual preference is determined, and the subsequent attempt to designate these individual tendencies into definitive statements regarding large groups in society has become a seductive topic for numerous media source s within the past decade or so. A closer look at this debate reveals the relative error of exploring one side without an equal exploration of the other. Dean Hamer et al at the National Cancer Institute published the initial paper that is accountable for the explosion of interest and argument regarding genetic determination of sexual preference in 1993 (2). Hamer's study found that, of thirty-two pairs of brothers who were "exclusively or mostly" homosexual, twenty-two pairs of brothers shared the same type of genetic material. This introduced the idea that there is a gene for homosexuality. Hamer went on to identify a specific genetic sequence that exists on the maternally passed-on X chromosome... ... our society than whether or not sexual preference is a choice: that humans today are too focused on the why and the how of society and not the what and for what good. References 1)University of Texas Psychology Page, a short article from a local newspaper citing new and strange study http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/ARTICLES/news-mcfadden.html 2)Bryn Mawr College Student Biology Page, good overview of major genetics of sexual orientation studies in last decade http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/projects97/Newman.html 3)Hampshire University Website, thoughtful and comprehensive discussion of genetics of sexual orientation http://hamp.hampshire.edu/~kebF92/genetics.html 4)Frank Aqueno Website, an interesting but biased conversation between a famous professor/author and an gay rights activist http://eserver.org/gender/exploding-the-gene-myth.html

Artificial Life :: essays research papers fc

Artificial life (commonly called a-life) is the term applied collectively to attempts being made to develop mathematical models and computer simulations of the ways in which living organisms develop, grow, and evolve. Researchers in this burgeoning field hope to gain deeper insights into the nature of organic life as well as into the further possibilities of COMPUTER science and robotics (see ROBOT). A-life techniques are also being used to explore the origins and chemical processes of metabolism. Some investigators have even proposed that some digital "life" in computers might already be considered a real life form.BackgroundThe term artificial life was coined in the 1980s by Christopher Langdon, a computer scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Santa Fe Institute. Langdon organized the first experimental workshop on the subject at Santa Fe in 1987. Since then other a-life conferences have taken place, drawing increasingly wider attention and a growing number of participants.Theoretical studies of a-life, however, had been in progress long before the 1980s. Most notably, the Hungarian-born U.S. mathematician John VON NEUMANN, one of the pioneers of computer science, had begun to explore the nature of very basic a-life formats called cellular automata (see AUTOMATA, THEORY OF) in the 1950s. Cellular automata are imaginary mathematical "cells"-analogous to checkerboard squares-that can be made to simulate physical processes by subjecting them to certain simple rules called algorithms (see ALGORITHM). Before his death, von Neumann had developed a set of algorithms by which a cellular automaton-a box shape with a very long tail-could "reproduce" itself.Another important predecessor of a-life research was Dutch biologist Aristid Lindenmeyer. Interested in the mathematics of plant growth, Lindenmeyer found in the 1960s that through the use of a few basic algorithms-now called Lindenmeyer systems, or L-systems-he could model biochemical processes as well as tracing the development of complex biological forms such as flowers. Computer-graphics programs now make use of L-systems to yield realistic three-dimensional images of plants.The significance of Lindenmeyer's contribution is evident in the fact that so-called "genetic algorithms" are now basic to research into a-life as well as many other areas of interest. Genetic algorithms, first described by computer scientist John Holland of the University of Michigan in the 1970s, are comparable to L-systems. A computer worker trying to answer some question about a-life sets up a system-an algorithm-by which the computer itself rapidly grades the multiple possible answers that it has produced to the question.

Promoting diversity within a health and social setting Essay

In this report I am going to outline The Mental Health Act alongside this, the procedures and codes of practise and how both of these aim to promote diversity and assessing the effectiveness of these measures in place. The Mental Health Act aims to safeguard the vulnerable, by ensuring they are treated fairly and equally by services and given permission to health care, for example hospital treatment if required. The term mental illness or a personality disorder is used to describe someone with a mental disorder. The key principles of the act include keeping the service users best interest at heart and if unwise decisions are made by the user, the least restrictive option should be made. The mental health acts helps to promote diversity, because it ensures that the individual themselves will not be taken advantage of and their choices are met with full understanding before a decision has been made. This also makes sure that the person who holds the right to overrule the decision making follows under the act closely. The codes of practise aim to provide rules and regulations on how professionals should behave in a health and social care service. Most importantly, they provide specific standards of practise for each situation. For example, there is a code of practise for nursing and midwifery, known as ‘the nursing and midwifery council’. Another example of how codes of practise provide specific rules for each situation is the including standards of practise specially tailored for social care workers. This is known as the ‘General Social Care Council.’ The standards of practise must comply with the employers and employees responsibilities non- discriminatory practise. These responsibilities include staff promoting choices about service users and the care they receive; promoting a sense of self – concept for each service user; promoting diversity by considering their preferences, the service user’s individual needs and their wishes being taken into consideration of every aspect of their care. These responsibilities help to promote diversity, because it prevents victimisation and respects individual’s different views, with providing equality for all and promoting non – discriminatory practise. Overall, this piece of legislation is effective, because it aims to promote diversity by providing important legislation with lawful regulations that helps to meet service user’s needs. For example, the mental health act ensures the individual focused on if necessary, will be ensured to have informed and respectful decisions made based on their needs and preferences. Codes of practise are effective for aiming to promote diversity, because they provide standards of practise for individual situations, which all consequently aim to promote diversity and help staff and carers to use non – discriminatory practices that respect all individual service user’s needs while also aiming to promote and respect differences within each individual.

An In-depth Analysis of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” Essay

Aside from the Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet is probably also one of the most famous tragedies that William Shakespeare has ever written. Just like any other tragedies that Shakespeare has written, the story ended with the killing of many people including the main character, Hamlet. It also shows Shakespeare’s writing style with the concept of revenge, denied love, and many others. Before we can analyze the character of Hamlet, let us first take a glimpse on the story. The setting of the story is in Denmark. The story began with the late King Hamlet haunting the night as a ghost. Later on, Prince Hamlet’s friend, Horatio and the prince himself was told by the ghost that he was murdered by Claudius, the King’s brother. After murdering King Hamlet, Claudius got the throne and King Hamlet’s wife Gertrude. With all of these things being known by the young hamlet, he then plans for revenge. This plan consisted of acting mad and hiring and acting troupe to re-enact the said murder of the king. After the acting, Gertrude scolded Hamlet for being disloyal to the King unaware that Polonius is hiding behind the curtains. Hamlet accidentally killed Polonius for he mistaken him as the King. Because of this, Prince Hamlet was sent to England without knowing Claudius’ plans of killing him there. However, Hamlet manages to escape the guards and was able to go back to Denmark. But the story did not end there, with the death of his father Polonius, Ophelia lost her mind. Because of this, Laertes (Ophelia’s brother) went to Denmark to take revenge especially when he found out that Ophelia has drowned herself. Laertes planned his revenge to be done in a fencing battle and that he will stab Hamlet with a poisoned sword and that the king would give him a poisoned cup if he wins. But the plan went crazy when Gertrude drank with the poisoned cup because of Hamlet’s near victory and when Laertes stabbed hamlet with the poisoned sword. They then exchange swords and Hamlet managed to stab Laertes with the poisoned blade. Realizing that the three of them are going to die, Hamlet decided to stab Claudius and make him drink the rest of the poisoned drink (Kriszner). Analysis of Hamlet’s Character After having read these things happen and done by our Shakespearean character, we can say that Hamlet does not have a constant or fixed characteristic. Hamlet never fails to let the readers know that there is more to him that meets the eye. At first, it seemed that Hamlet is just a prince that is curious about his father’s death. But as the story progresses, the readers were seeing more and more of him. Hamlet, I must say, is a rational, truth-seeking character. If we are not to find the depth of Hamlet’s character’s it may seem that he is just a revengeful character. But planning for revenge is different from seeking the truth. Before planning his revenge, Hamlet first wanted to confirm if the Claudius is guilty. With his actions when he hired an acting group, we can see that he is being rational and that although he seemed to be very angry at the King, he still chose to see first if the King is really guilty. Hamlet is also very contemplative because all the evidence that may prove that the King murdered his father is there but still he was so eager to prove that Claudius is guilty. Although any person or reader would believe that the evidence is enough, Hamlet still shows doubt and asks questions in his mind. Aside from being contemplative, we can say that the character of Hamlet is also impulsive. A proof to this is the accidental killing of Polonius. Hamlet did not even spend time to check if it is really the king or not. Because of this impulsiveness, more revenge was triggered just like the planned revenge of Laertes which took part as the story progressed. He is also very impulsive when his character suddenly shifts to being a madman. Hamlet’s impulsiveness is also seen through his over toned speeches and allusions. The character of Hamlet also shows discontent, not just to his family but to current status of Denmark and eventually, the whole world. This can be seen when he was disappointed about his mother when he married Claudius right after King Hamlet died. It is also noticeable in the play that he executes a particular dislike for women. This can be seen when he did not like the actions of his own mother and when he denied his love for Ophelia (â€Å"Hamlet Character Analysis†). Hamlet is also a character of will and passion. His character in the play perfectly suits his being young and enthusiastic. Because of his â€Å"youngness† and being enthusiastic, it seemed to us that he does not take time to reflect. Again, an example is when he killed Polonius. He just does things that he thinks would fit the situation. He does things according to his will that is why the impression it gives the audience is that he is a character that is full of strength. Another characteristic of the Shakespearean hero is being undecided or puzzled. These are manifested with his asking about the afterlife, suicide, etc. Another part of the play wherein we can see Hamlet’s being undecided is when he changed his mind in killing King Claudius when he saw him praying. He then decided to kill him when â€Å"he is drunk, asleep, or in a rage† which could be a more lethal opportunity. Because he cannot decide on when to kill the King, he resorted to first proving that the King really murdered his father. Different emotions can also be seen in the character of Hamlet. As the play progresses, different emotions are shown by our Shakespearean hero. At some parts, we can see an angry Hamlet where there are some parts where we see Hamlet as a character of despair. There are also parts that he seemed to be affectionate with Ophelia. Hamlet also executes betrayal and commit lies when he switched the letters and when he acted as a mad man. Also, in some other parts of the story, we can see a grieving Hamlet (Mabillard). Hamlet is also a responsible character and is very willing to sacrifice. Although it is apparent that he wants revenge, we can say that he is just being responsible in seeking justice for his father’s death. He is responsible because he did not stop until he found justice for his father’s death. He sacrificed a lot of things like his love for Ophelia and even sacrificed his own life just for the sake of justice. Lastly, Hamlet shows a different lose of faith in people. One part of the play is when he lost his love for Ophelia. Also, there are some parts of the story wherein he seemed to have lot his interest in life and that he thinks of the world as impure and unclean. Hamlet became very pessimistic about the world after finding out what his father has gone through. He showed disappointment and discontent not only to Denmark but to the whole world. Character Development, Dramatic Structure, and Presentation The development of Hamlet’s character started from being vengeful, to fighting for his life and justice, then grieving for the death of loved ones and the current state of his nation. Hamlet, I must say, is one of the most â€Å"flavorful† characters that Shakespeare has ever made. His character started from being angry which resulted from planning revenge. Because of his plans, he then changes to a character who struggles from the situation he put his self into. And lastly, he shows grief with the loved ones he had lost (â€Å"Hamlet†). The dramatic structure of the play is obviously a tragedy. Of course, the dramatic content of the play includes conflict. Many of Shakespeare’s plays show order or unity. Many of them involve a group of people or society which will then be broken. This situation would seem to be unresolved until the end of the story or until everyone is killed. Another part of the structure of this drama is the existence of the supernatural. This could be seen in the presence of the ghost of King Hamlet. This was also done by Shakespeare in some of his works like Macbeth and Midsummer night’s dream. This will then cause the disturbance of the situation. In the case of Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet triggered young Hamlet’s emotions which resulted to seeking revenge. Since the story is a tragedy, we expect that the conflict can only be resolved with the death of the main character. However, not all tragedies end after the killing of the main character. Some tragedies end by grieving to the death of the fallen hero or carrying the hero’s dead body. This will then show the â€Å"bringing back† of unity amongst the broken society. Such dramatic structure was made by Shakespeare especially for the 18th century where in the concept of tragedies are not yet or less accepted by the public (Jhonston). Cultural Significance Hamlet has its effects on culture. It showed the people to face reality and not hide from the truth. In the century when the play was made, social hierarchy is a big deal. Social status is an important issue that is why the play addresses that we should be true to ourselves and that we should not beautify the harsh realities of life (Cook). It seems that Shakespeare wanted to show the imperfections of man through Hamlet’s dissatisfaction of the world. The play seems to whine about the current state of our culture and society and that people should not beautify the mistakes of the society and the culture they built upon. Reference: Cook, Hardy M. â€Å"The Meaning of Hamlet†. 2004. July 18 2007. . â€Å"Hamlet†. 2006. July 19 2007. . â€Å"Hamlet Character Analysis†. 2005. Absolute Shakespeare. July 18 2007. . Jhonston, Ian. â€Å"Darmatic Structure: Comedy and Tragedy†. 2007. July 19 2007. . Kriszner, Laurie G. Portable Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 6th ed: Thomson-Wadsworth, 2006. Mabillard, Amanda. â€Å"Hamlet Character Analysis†. 2000. Shakespeare online. July 19 2007. .

Bless me ultima research paper Essay

Antonio does not give up his dream of being a priest, even though is severely disappointed by the Catholic religion. He becomes a different kind of spiritual leader, one his people are not quite ready to accept. In a dream, Antonio cries out to Jesus as he suffers on the cross: â€Å"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me! † (Anaya, 233). He is unable to fully believe in either Catholicism or curanderismo and consequently decides to combine the two different perspectives to gain his own answers. Antonio ultimately becomes â€Å"a man of learning† as Ultima had predicted. He acquires knowledge and understanding along the way to maturity. Antonio appreciates that life is naturally ever changing. He accepts his parents’ flaws as well as his brothers’ sins. He realizes the extent of prejudice and accepts that others, too, are not firm in their beliefs, while recognizing his own sins. The duality of Western and Chicano cultures in his heritage is another conflict Antonio must resolve. The author represents three different acculturations: assimilation, integration and rejection (Black, 146). According to Black, Antonio’s brothers â€Å"are assimilated into the Anglo world in ways that result in their desire to leave la familia and move into the dominant cultural sphere†; because they reject their heritage, they lose their culture (149). Antonio does a better job of assimilating his ethnic identity with Angle culture through adaptation: â€Å"†¦the innocence which our isolation sheltered could not last forever, and the affairs of the town began to reach across our bridge and enter my life† (Anaya, 14). Antonio begins his assimilation in school. He retains his heritage by speaking Spanish and eating his traditional Chicano lunch â€Å"of hot beans and some good, green chile wrapped in tortillas† (Anaya, 54). Although, as he says, â€Å"the other children saw my lunch [and] they laughed and pointed again†, the experience reminded him of the existence of prejudice (Anaya, 54). It makes him feel different until he finally finds friends who share his Chicano roots and he is able to overcome his loneliness. This also helps him to realize that he can live in both worlds. Antonio strives to learn English and stay in school, in direct contrast to the rest of his family. At home, he is educated about Chicano culture through Ultima’s teachings. She urges him to appreciate the beauty of the land and embrace the ancient wisdom of curanderas. His family are the instructors in such things as personal integrity and the Chicano way of life. Belief in myth as opposed to the reality presented by history also create a conflict in Antonio. According to Lamadrid, there is an important relation between myth and the socio-cultural identity of traditional Chicanos (497). He uses examples such as that of la llorona (wailing woman) to define myth as the â€Å"collective interpretation and mediation of the contradictions in the historical and ecological experience of a people† (Lamadrid, 496). This assertion becomes clear in examining Antonio’s representation of evil and native power; he believes La llorona is luring him, but he resists and escapes death. Ultimately, Antonio learns to accept that life is the greater reality and understands â€Å"the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart† (Anaya, 237). He remembers Ultima’s teachings, which help him to â€Å"take life’s experiences and build strength from them and not weakness† (Anaya, 248). As de Mancelos states, Antonio must â€Å"understand the other side of the myth, the legends, the indigenous beliefs and the power of the earth† as well as more traditional religious beliefs (5). An apocalyptic event – the development of the first atomic bomb for use in World War II combat – juxtaposes with Antonio’s increasing awareness. According to Lamadrid, â€Å"the awareness of the characters of the apocalyptic threat of the atomic bomb†¦demonstrates a real and historical dimension of apocalypse† (500). Upon its arrival, the village women dress in mourning clothes, assert that the bomb resembles â€Å"a ball of white heat beyond the imagination, beyond hell† and lay the blame on ignorant Anglos: â€Å"Man was not made to know so much†¦they compete with God, they disturb the seasons, they seek to know more than God Himself. In the end, that knowledge they seek will destroy us all† (Anaya, 183). The village witnesses the loss of a large number of husbands and sons during the war while the state hosts the very first test of the atomic bomb. Even Antonio is affected as his brothers return from service traumatized. According to the villagers, these are all signs of an apocalypse requiring â€Å"the need for a synthesis†¦in this new time of crisis† (Lamadrid, 500). Antonio is fortunate enough to create his own synthesis by continuing his ties to the desert and La Virgen de Guadalupe, la llorona and the brotherhood of the golden carp. His cultural conflicts are settled because of his synchronicity with Ultima’s belief that the purpose of his life is to do good. Her final blessing, â€Å"Always have the strength to live. Love life, and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills† are the words he will live by(Anaya, 247). Antonio’s maturity comes as the result of completing a journey which alternately takes him away from, and then back to, his heritage. The conflicts of warring factions in his life cause him to question the values and beliefs of each and come up with his own explanation. Rather than refusing his heritage, Antonio fuses the differences and acquires a richness of experience and strength of character. Along with this new understating, Antonio looks forward to a future based on the past but open to new possibilities – a mature outlook indeed. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 1999. Black, Debra B. â€Å"Times of Conflict: Bless Me, Ultima as a Novel of Acculturation†. Bilingual Review, Vol. 25 (2), 2000, pp. 146-159. de Mancelos, Joao. â€Å"Witchcraft, Initiation, and Cultural Identity in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima†. Revista de Letras, serie II, #3, 2004. 129-134. Lamadrid, Enrique R. â€Å"Myth as the Cognitive Process of Popular Culture in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima†: The Dialectics of Knowledge. Hispania, Vol. 68, No. 3 (Sep. 1985), pp. 496-501. Stone, Dan. â€Å"An Interview with Rudolfo Anaya†. National Endowment for the Arts: The Big Read. January 4, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from the NEA website: http://www. neabigread. org/books/blessmeultima/anaya04_about. php. University of New Mexico. â€Å"Writing the Southwest: Rudolfo Anaya†. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from the UNM website: http://www. unm. edu/~wrtgsw/anaya. html.

Government agencies tend to define performance in terms of economy, Assignment

Government agencies tend to define performance in terms of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. What do you understand by thes - Assignment Example The public also fails to appreciate the government for its services and think that it should do more. However, the government performs its major role of providing an enabling environment where this private sector is able to do its activities. The problem is, therefore, the negative public perception towards the government not lack of efficiency, effectiveness or being economic. Introduction A government is a group of people who are chosen by citizens, of a particular, to run various activities on their behalf. The running of the country’s affairs by the people they have elected, requires various resources. The resources needed to run a government are financial resources, human resources, and natural resources. These resources especially the financial resources are not always in good supply. With the current state of uncertainty in resources available to a government, they have to make maximum use of any resource that they have at a certain time. Most governments finance their operations through collecting taxes and then using the money on the basis of how well the money can bring benefits to the people. To know how well the money from tax is utilized, the issue of comparing how well a government and private sector uses a certain amount of money, is the starting point. Discussion A government has its set goals to ensure that it utilizes its resources well. Efficiency is said to be achieved when a government uses a given amount of resources and gets as much benefits as possible from the use of that resource. Efficiency is measured by gauging how great the results or the outputs obtained exceeds cost consumed or resources utilized. Efficiency is a word used to mean how close or far a government or a private organization is, so that it can achieve what it had planned to get or how well they have solved a problem. The two words, efficiency and effectiveness, therefore, are different. Efficiency is measured without paying attention to cost. In efficiency the g overnment tries as much as possible to do an activity well, but in effectiveness the government does the right activity for the citizens. Efficiency, most of the time is associated with the private sector. The private sector are organizations or private people who are investing their resources, with the hope of getting more than what they invested. In this sense, therefore, the private sector is said to be more efficient because they can show how well they have done their activities. For example, since the main focus of private sector is to make big profits, many private companies report to the public how much money they have earned as profit (Starks 22). When people realize that a certain company has made huge profits, they tend to criticize the government for lack of efficiency. The public feels that the government should be able to do many activities using the money it collect from them through taxation. The private sector at times also criticize the government for lack of effici ency. The public also blames the government and demands that it should embrace ways used by the private, but forgets two important issues. The first issue is that the private sector would wish to be given control over the areas that they complain the government is not efficient. (Granof 43). The private sector complains deliberately so that the public would supports them in forcing the government, to give

Analyze Emmi in Switzerland and predict how they can be more Essay

Analyze Emmi in Switzerland and predict how they can be more sustainable in 2054 - Essay Example This essay will set out to examine the sustainability of Emmi Company, and its sustainability potential in the future, especially in relation to environmental impacts and anticipated changes in the next forty years. Emmi has sought to differentiate its brand by enhancing sustainability in the past through careful and sustainable use of resources, and in its production activities. By doing this, Emmi seeks to satisfy required food standards for its market niche, ensuring that its products are safe and of high quality (Emmi Group: Genuine Swiss Premium Taste, 2014: p1). Basing their activities on economic production, they are also aware of the customers’ anticipation that Emmi pursues a strategy of sustainability that should have continuous price reductions as an attribute. This brings up a crucial aspect of Emmi’s business strategy in attempting to satisfy the customers’ expectations for superior brand quality in relation to maintaining customer friendly prices. This paper discusses the strategy pursued by Emmi in using competent and sound technologies that enable them to carry out energy intensive processes, making the company one of the industry’s leading entity in corporate responsibility. Sustainability is also a critical aspect of Emmi’s mission statement that all its employees are expected to adhere to in sustaining the company’s commitment to corporate management that is environmentally friendly. The sustainability strategy at Emmi is based on three key pillars, which are social commitment, economics, and ecology and finding a balance between these pillars (Three strategic pillars, 2014: p1). These pillars are grounded on corporate values that are aligned with its corporate philosophy, which will bring the pap er to an analysis of Emmi’s environmental impacts and changes anticipated in the next forty years, in relation to their global business’ sustainability potential. Emmi’s environmental policy holds that

CPD Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CPD Nursing - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is continuing professional development (CPD) as the education that professionals in various fields undertake after their formal training. It mainly consists of any educational or training activity that helps professionals to maintain, increase or develop knowledge, technical skills, problem-solving or professional performance standards. It is therefore a means through which professional can demonstrate their continued commitment to competent performance in a framework that is relevant, fair, transferrable, inclusive and formative. CPD includes self-directed activities as well as formal activities. Formal activities include conferences, workshops and courses whereas self-directed activities include directed reading and preceptorship. Learning in CPD could be delivered in group sessions within the workplace or away from the workplace or work-based programmes specifically designed to meet the needs of individual professional and their employers. Daly e t al state that the main aim of CPD is to ensure that nurses and other professionals provide improved healthcare services to their patients and the society at large. In all professions, CPD as a learning initiative could be undertaken either as an initiative of an individual professional or the initiative of professional institutions, governments or employers. CPD is related to lifelong learning in that both CPD and lifelong education involve a continuous building of knowledge and skills. They both occur through experiences encountered in the lifetime of an individual and this means that their learning objectives are meant to address their inadequacies or incompetency in some specific areas an individual has noted. Both CPD and lifelong learning are continuous. This means that the acquisition of knowledge does not have a designated ending period (Bulman and Schutz 2004). Instead, it continues as long as the individual is still willing and capable of learning. Both CPD and lifelong l earning are a result of personal interest hence learning is voluntary and self-motivated according to Quinn (1998). Learning in both cases is learner directed hence education or curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the individual and their learning objectives and not individual fitting themselves into a pre-set curriculum and learning objectives. In both cases, the individual has a chance to learn through formal experiences like counselling, training, tutoring, apprenticeship, mentorship or higher education, as well as informal experiences like mass media. CPD and lifelong education are also related in that CPD takes place throughout the working life of a professional. This means it covers the individual’s working lifespan just as lifelong learning. How CPD can improve the standard and quality of nursing practice According to Chinn and Kramer (2004), CPD is a good means through which nurses are helped to have a better understanding