Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Consumption Is Driven By Individualisation - 1441 Words

Consumption can be basically described as the process of purchasing and using an object or a service, however, this definition can be extrapolated to include the maintenance, repairing and disposal of said objects and services (Campbell, 1995). Consumption can also be viewed as the practise of employing goods and services as symbols and ‘systematically manipulating’ them to exhibit certain desirable abstract concepts such as wealth, status and capital (Baudrillard and Levin, 1981). Moreover, Consumption can be understood as the interplay between objects and the social meanings behind them that come together to define an individual’s identity, social connections and daily routine (Miller, 1987). Consumer Culture then, refers to a society in which individuals engage in consumption as the main form of social interaction and coordination, so much so that individuals identify each other as consumers of goods and services (Germov and Poole, 2015). Consumption is driven by individualisation, the establishing of a state of self in regards to ones choices, freedoms and responsibilities in an ever-changing and evolving world through purchasing and utilizing material objects to define oneself (Beck-Gernsheim and Beck, 2001). Consumer culture can be seen through both a critical or affirmative lens; the former concerns the exploitation of individuals and the ever-expanding ‘commodification’ of various aspects of everyday life (Adorno and Horkheimer, 1997), and the latter alludes to theShow MoreRelatedEssay about Consumer Culture and Identity2218 Words   |  9 Pagesa condition in which consumption is seen as having the role of increasingly mediating certain aspects of social relations and consumption has the symbolic ability to represent affiliation to a certain group and its lifestyles, as well as to generate a sense of identity.† The mention of identity in Fonseca’s definition brings about an understanding of the impact co nsumer culture can have on social agents, and not just on the economic or capitalism that comes with consumption. This essay willRead MoreExamine the Way/S in Which ‘Digitalisation’ Has Enabled Full Interactivity Between the Producer and Consumer; and as Consequence Side-Stepped Advertising and Changed the Entire Framework and Rules of the Marketing (Logan, 2010).2072 Words   |  9 Pagescustomised product can be ready to drive within a matter of hours. This alteration in consumer buying patterns means that now instead of selling an individual product, advertisers are conveying a lifestyle and ideal for consumers to aspire to. The individualisation people feel through digital means that there is a far greater desire to convey a sense of self. After all, as the world gets bigger, it becomes harder to stand out from the crowd. Many brand’s strategies have fed from this insight in the pastRead MoreScly1 Past Papers7036 Words   |  29 Pagesfeminism; attitude to careers; reconstituted families; cohabitation; confluent love; declining stigma; higher expectations of marriage; r emarriage; welfare provision; the ideology of romantic love; privatisation of nuclear families; legislation; individualisation; life expectancy; domestic division of labour; variations in the patterns. Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance through discussing the importance of different factors or by locating the debate between different perspectivesRead MoreHotel Thesis6924 Words   |  28 Pagesand cafes †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Digitalisation †¢ High in ICT crease †¢ Differentiation †¢ Individualisation †¢ Value for money †¢ Segmented market: Price vs. quality driven †¢ Digitalisation †¢ High inICT: ICT crease Internet booking †¢ Preparation, †¢ Differentiation cooling and Online infor†¢ Value for storage mation money Web 2.0 †¢ Convenience and snacking †¢ Automati†¢ Slight insation crease †¢ Preparation, †¢ Individualisation cooling and storage †¢ Conven†¢ Digitalisation ience and ICT snacking †¢ MultinationalRead MoreHistorical Trends and Development of the breakfast cereal market12998 Words   |  52 Pagesas porridge, which, will be the main focal product for Outside The Box (OTB) cereals at the start of its operation. Since the mid-nineties, consumption of breakfast cereals has shown steady growth, although in 2008, the UK economy was hit by the recession, which saw the sale of breakfast cereals alongside other food items slowdown. However, the consumption of hot cereals, which had been in long-term decline, has risen over the past 5 years. The cold weather experienced at the beginning and end of

Monday, December 23, 2019

Essay on Fixing the Health Care System in America

For the last five years of my life I have worked in the healthcare industry. One of the biggest issues plaguing our nation today has been the ever rising cost of health care. If we dont get costs under control, we risk losing the entire system, as well as potentially crippling our economy. For the sake of our future, we must find a way to lower the cost of health care in this nation. Last year the average cost of an insurance policy for a family of four was $20,728.00 according to the Milliman Medical Index (2012 Milliman Medical Index, figure 1). The median household income for 2012 was $51,017.00 according to Steve Hargreaves for CNN Money (2013, para. 1). This means the average American spends almost 40.62 percent of health†¦show more content†¦Rather than having the other claims adjusted, the provider insisted that we not look into the matter further because they did not want us to take back any money. Sadly this is just one example of fraud; it is not uncommon to see providers change the coding of claims to get something that they know should not be paid to process for payment. Cracking down on this type of fraud will reduce the amount of money paid out on claims by insurance carriers. Since claims payments directly affect the cost of insurance, this will also help in lowering premiums. Another issue contributing to the high cost of health care is inefficient use of premium dollars from insurance companies. I am proud to say that the insurance company I work for does a great job of making proper use of insurance premiums. As a company we use on average 8 cents of every premium dollar. This means that 92 Percent of each dollar goes to paying patients claims and building reserves. Unfortunately this is not as common as it should be. According to Harvards David Cutler who is among the countrys foremost health economists, our administrative costs for health care equal one quarter of the cost of health care today. By comparison, the next closest country spends around 10 to 15 percent on administrative costs (2013, para. 4 and 6). There are many things that could be done to lower administrative costs. One such solution would be to move to a paperless system of medical records. DuringShow MoreRelatedThe United States Of America1720 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States of America has over five million primary care physicians who directly affect the overall quality and cost of healthcare by way of their treatments, prescriptions, orders and diagnoses. These doctors strive every day to provide top quality care, even though they are stretched to the max, due to the decreasing amount of qualified primary care doctors available today. A study done by the National Center for Health Workforce, suggest that the increasing aging population, mixed withRead MoreThe Current American Health Care System1094 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican health care system is centered around making a profit. As discussed in both Health Care Meltdown and How We Do Harm, many doctors today are making a profit on over diagnosing and over charging, leaving patients with undesired care and little money. This system is not only straining practitioners and over treating patients, but drastically increasing the cost of care in America. As discussed in detail in each of the books, there are steps that can be taken to increase access to health care whileRead MoreThe Impact Of Affordable Care Act1258 Words   |  6 PagesHealth care in America is a continuous fight and has become a daily hot topic with every news outlet. Even politicians use it to secure their role in congress. Sadly, as a powerful force of a nation the United States (U.S.) plays ag ainst and for other nations, the American people’s health care system is broken at the moment. There is continuous chatter about making improvement but nothing is being done to correct it. American public health is in a desperate state and a cry for help because as a nationRead MoreThe Is The Most Valuable Asset Of All886 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica isn t just recognized as one of the wealthiest country in the world but also a country that a lot of people look up to. Therefore it is obligated to keep up with the exceptional reputation by taking care of the citizens of United States through providing free adequate health care to its people. Health is the most valuable asset of all. A lot of Americans today are suffering from illnesses that can be easily treated yet they are unable to get a treatment because it is too expensive for themRead MoreA Brief Note On The Health Care System1080 Words   |  5 Pages The U.S Health Care System is very complex industries that are filling with lots of challenges that will need to be fixing and restructure before comparing themselves with other develop countries. Health Care system is referred when it have various features, components and services, the U.S Health Care delivery system it’s not a true system unfortunately, the reason is the delivered system continuously it’s undergoing with periodic changes regarding concerns with cost, access and quality. TheirRead More Health Care in America is a Problem Essay820 Words   |  4 Pages41 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2001. In 2004, the number rose to 45 million. And in 2005, 47 million people were living without health care. On the other hand, 84% of Americans had health care in 2005 according to a census. So what is wrong with Americas health care? Many people with terminal illnesses rely on their health insurance to help with paying for the many surgeries and treatments, but some insurance companies refuse to pay for the medical bills because the treatmentsRead MoreEconomic Feasibility of the Social Security System1423 Words   |  6 Pageseconomic feasibility of the Social Security system, perhaps the question should be asked whether the Social Security system would last another 20 years if drastic changes were not made soon. In the years leading up to 2011, when the first baby boomers would be eligible to start receiving Social Security benefits, alarms began to sound that the system was headed for trouble as this new deluge of retires, totally 77 million would soon bankrupt the system (Economics Resource Center, 2002). Without changesRead MoreHealthcare Reform Essay759 Words   |  4 Pagesof people able to receive medical care. Individuals are suffering more than ever because of the inability to receive medical attention when it’s needed. First, the rising cost of healthcare is going to continue to rise year after year. This is making it harder and harder on working class to receive medical care. It is even harder on the unemployed. As President Obama is urging congress for a stimulus this year, many feel that medicine is the best stimulus. America needs a healthy economy. After allRead MoreThe Health Care System Is Very Poor708 Words   |  3 Pageshealthcare facility Village Health Works, located in his home country of Burundi. A non-profit organization, the facility treats all who come. As I spoke to him, his passion for helping and healing those without resources, resounded in me. He saw a need in his home country, and left an easier life in America to fix it. Speaking to him, cemented my goal and desire to enter medical school and work toward fixing health care disparities. In Nigeria, the health-care system is very poor. As a NigerianRead MoreThe Problem Of The Healthcare Crisis Essay934 Words   |  4 Page sis a sad sort of irony these days when using the phrase healthcare. Is the focus truly on the health or care of the patients any longer, or on the potential earnings of insurance companies and other stockholders? Since the introduction of the third-party payor concept decades ago, the industry has set the stage for insurance company management of healthcare. This paradigm has ensured that the costs of care remain high while the quality has diminished. What (or Who) is Behind the Current Crisis? Singling

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The factory farms normally hold a large number of animals Free Essays

Factory farming can be perceived as an enterprising activity that is aimed at increasing the animals’ productivity at the lowest cost   possible so as to increase the profit margins while meeting the huge market demands. The factory farms normally hold a large number of animals, and mostly cows, pigs, chickens and also turkeys indoors, and the purpose of holding these animals is to produce milk, meat and eggs at the cost effective production level. A wide range of artificial applications are practiced in order to improve the animals’ health and production and they include   the application of growth hormones, vitamin supplements and also the use of antimicrobial agents. We will write a custom essay sample on The factory farms normally hold a large number of animals or any similar topic only for you Order Now Due to the large number of animals within a small area, their movements and actions are restricted as these movements and actions are considered to be unnecessary, as the main objective of the farm is to increase productivity which will definitely imply high profits. The breeding of these animals while in factory farms is controlled by limiting the animals to the production of certain breeds which are likely to be productive depending on the manipulated genetically compositions. The paper emphases on the various practices in the factory farms on animals and their impact on the animals, the environment and also the effect on humanity as the consumers of these products. The paper ends by giving the possible measure that can be put in place to correct evils of factory farms if any as identified in the following arguments. The treatment of animals in factory farms can be perceived as being unfair if the animals are to be regarded as living things which are liable to respond to irritations and other stimuli. The animals that are held in the factory farms are treated unfairly at the expense of the farm owners trying to maximize their profits, hence treating animals like just production units. The animals in factory farms   which are held for the production of meat, eggs and milk are subjected to animal abuse, genetic compositions are alterations to produce the desired breeds with high productivity levels, they are over crowded and confined in cages which restricts their movements and certain behavioral actions, they are subjected to cruel mutilation, they are handled in a harsh manner, neglected, and they are slaughtered in an inhumane manner (Seitz 216). All the above mentioned unfair treatment of the animals in factory farms has been occurring and is certain to continue increasing as the demand for the products from these animals increase. This scenario of animal abuse has been enabled by the fact that there is no federal   legal protection for these animals like in the case of dogs and cats where these acts are likely to be illegal, which portrays the biasness in the application of law (Francione Watson 145). The farm animals are equivalent to dogs and cats who are cherished as champions as they less sensitive, intelligent and responsive to pain than the dogs and cats thus they need a fair treatment. The animals that are kept in cages, are deprived their freedom to move and also the liberty to exercise, and rather their energies are preserved so as to increase their productivity (Armstrong and Botzler 180). The animals are fed with drugs with an aim of fattening them faster and getting genetically manipulated to grow faster, produce a lot of milk than they can produce naturally and also the laying of eggs made quicker and the quality of eggs ensured. This treatment of the factory farm animal is unfair because it is likely to impose stress on the animals making them to develop some behaviors which are not natural because they are over strained to meet a given production level which is high above the natural level, thus over capacity utilization. This situation also posses the risk of loosing the indigenous breeds due to the genetic manipulation, which eliminates the indigenous traits in animals. There is also a risk of a certain species of animal going into extinction as the genetically modified animals are meant for some specific purposes like the production of meat, egg or milk, while ignoring to consider the future existence of these animals because these genetically modifications are meant to meet the immediate need for profit maximization and not considering the possibilities for the animals to ensure generational progress, without forgetting side effects inherent in the manipulations which might come up later in the future generations including the infertility of the animals (Kistler 90). How to cite The factory farms normally hold a large number of animals, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

How to handle drug abuse Essay Example For Students

How to handle drug abuse Essay There are many different ways to deal with drugs drug abuse, and there are wrong ways right ones! It depends on how you look at it handle it! Many young people experiment with drugs. This is a fact of life. There is no getting away from it; we are a drug using society. Many of us seek a easy way out solution for a variety of conditions both physical and emotional, and alcohol and tobacco use is a big part in our society. Drugs are used for medical, social or recreational reasons. With this in mind it is easy to overlook young peoples drug use and certainly research reveals that in some areas over half of 15/16 year olds have used an illegal drug. Latest research findings however reveal a decline in drug use for the same age group in 1998, encouraging news for concerned parents, and those working with young people. We also need to remember that most drug use during adolescence is experimental and not associated with dependence. Adolescence is a particularly worrying time for parents, and adult fears around drug issues should not be underplayed. How should you, as someone responsible for a young person, prepare yourself to deal with issues which may arise with regard to drug taking? Perhaps the most important point to stress is that as a parent, mentor, or friend you do not need to become an expert on illegal drugs, but what information you do acquire should be as factual and up to date as possible. There are many myths circulating about drugs and drug use. Many of these myths are stretched by the media which tends to hype drug use! Well-written, easily accessible and free publications are available such as The Parents Guide To Drugs And Alcohol published by the Health Education Authority (HEA). Local drug agencies often have information for parents, others and can often work with you if you have concerns or direct you to an appropriate agency. For many people a handy checklist of signs and symptoms of drug use seems the obvious answer to establish whether or not a young person is in fact using drugs. It is important to remember that whilst you may feel that you know your child really well, once adolescence kicks in, you may be faced with a Jekyll and Hyde character. Changes in behavior could just as easily be associated with the onset of adolescence or a host of other difficulties both physical and emotional. Behavior changes need to be investigated further before jumping to the conclusion that your child or friend is taking drugs. The following list of possible signs and symptoms should therefore be used with caution. Do not rely on just one of the signs or symptoms as an indicator of drug use. You need as much evidence as possible before a confrontation or you may end up looking foolish and losing the trust of the young person involved completely. Some possible signs symptoms of drug use are; sudden changes or marked swings in mood, loss of interest in school, regular friends, hobbies and activities, unusually aggressive behavior, decline in physical appearance and etc .. What happens if the worst case scenario happens and you find out that a young person has been taking drugs? You, as a friend, mentor, or parent, are likely to experience a wide spectrum of emotions: anger, guilt, fear, disappointment, sadness, all perfectly understandable responses under the circumstances. It is, however, important to get the situation into perspective. How someone should handle the incident from the onset may determine the quality of relationship you will subsequently have with the young person. Getting angry, lecturing or bombarding them with information is unlikely to achieve much and may even alienate them making further communication impossible. .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 , .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .postImageUrl , .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 , .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:hover , .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:visited , .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:active { border:0!important; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:active , .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751 .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufd96d7a889585d47225a1cf103761751:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Effects of Alcohol on NUtrition Essay Far better to choose your moment and your words carefully! One experimentation can often be nipped in the bud if you take a firm but reasonable approach. This is a lot easier to achieve if you are well informed and can offer logical reasons to back your concerns. A more established pattern of usage requires a consistent and supportive environment. It may also be necessary to respond quickly if you .

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Walmart Canada Company Overview

Introduction Walmart Canada was established in 1994. Its inception was as a result of the collapse of Woolo, a subsidiary of Woolo Canada, which was renovated and given a Walmart banner. In addition to taking its place, Walmart Canada also retained all the former employees of Woolo. This then marked the beginning of operations for this company. Walmart Canada has since grown considerably and has emerged successful in management, marketing, service provision and expansion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Walmart Canada Company Overview specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Walmart Canada has many discount stores distributed all over Canada and its environs. Their sizes vary from 51000 up to 15000 square feet. The stores house general merchandise and a wide variety of foods stuffs. In addition to the food, most of these stores also have; Pharmacy Garden center Tire and lube express One hour photo processing lab Bank br anch Portrait studio Optical center Fast food outlet Limited grocery outlets The Walmart Canada discount stores include full service supermarkets that have poultry and meat, bakeries, frozen foods, garden products, dairy produce, delicatessen and seafood. In addition to these, most of the discount stores also have pharmacies, pet shops and garden centers. The stores ensure that their clients are provided with virtually every service they may need once they visit. This is an ingenious way of harnessing all the business opportunities that may exist when a client visits these outlets. This resulted from studying the markets and evaluating the specific needs of clients and their determination to have all their requirements provided at only one stop. After evaluating all the specific needs of clients, the stores began offering other supplementary services like video rentals, vending of cellular phones and hair and nail services. Quite a number of alcove shops also sprung up around the s tores to capture that market too. On the 8th of November, 2006, the concept of Walmart Supercenter was introduced in Canada. This concept had succeeded in the United States of America. This was the reason why it was brought to Canada since there were great chances of its survival and subsequent success here. Just as was forecasted, the concept grew rapidly as it attracted an overwhelming crowd of customers. Within a couple of years after creation, the concept had already brought enormous profits to the corporation. Body Walmart Canada embraces quality of services, innovation and utter customer satisfaction. All the goods and services provided in its stores are exactly what its clients need. This implies that the stores capture a wide range of the available markets in a bid to maximize on their profit margins. This is done through effective market study and exemplary managerial skills that make good use of the available resources to capture a good percentage of the market share. Many have wondered how the organization manages to handle the wide range of services while registering huge profits in the process.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The organization manages this by paying particular attention to its management of operations. It focuses on a number of key factors including employee training in a bid to equip their workers with exceptional skills to handle their clients and provide explicit services to all of them. This organization also embraces the application of technology which has a wide range of benefits. It uses technology for management efficiency and entertainment too. Absolute customer satisfaction is the key idea behind making new customers and retaining existing ones. For this reason, Walmart Canada uses technology to appeal to all the five senses of its clients (Jones, Robinson, 2012). As a way of ensuring efficiency, Walmart separate d all its onstage public areas from its backstage operational areas. This limits the clashing of interests between its clients and employees in the operations. Continuous improvement of quality of services and goods has ensured that the company not only remains the preferred choice for its clients but also the number one amongst competitors. Additionally, the company has also invested much effort in listening to customer complaints and this has driven the organization to greater successes. The company’s operational management Company’s operational management is the key component of the organization as it is charged with critical management and decision making roles. The three most important issues related to this part of the organization are cost, quality and efficiency. All its subsequent roles revolve around the three key issues. For instance, the operations management of the company focuses on designing services, goods and the processes of executing them. It is also charged with the responsibility of managing the processes of executing duties and continued advancement of processes, goods and services (Christopher, 2005). Operations managers of this organization are quite significant in the management of supply chains, forecasting, technology selection and purchasing. They also play an imperative role in quality assurance capacity and resource management, and process design. Additionally, the managers do scheduling and job design for the organization. All these area aimed at coming up with the most viable and profitable business concept.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Walmart Canada Company Overview specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company, through the operations management, understands the significance of the proper management of goods and services. For instance, it understands how quality goods and satisfactory services blend to come up with the most comprehensive pr oduct mix. Its service management incorporates human resources, marketing and operations functions. This is done in a bid to create, plan and convey services and goods in the most satisfactory manner. The company also ensures that all its services and goods have their moments of truth (Jones, Robinson, 2012). This implies that any experience customers have with the company, be it in transaction or in any of the delivery systems, ensures that they are impressed. Other ordinary but very important techniques used to customize guest experience in the stores include a cordial welcome to the premises by employees and employees who seem too impatient to offer their help. The company has also invested in client benefit packages. These are not indispensable to primary services and goods of this organization but are meant to merely enhance them. They include online customer support services and debit cards. The company’s value and supply chains Just like every other organization, the sole purpose of this corporation is to offer value to both its stakeholders and clients. Value may be described as the sensitivity of benefits offered by goods and services to both buyers and sellers. Therefore, value is perceived as the estimated benefits in comparison to the cost to clients. It is, therefore, important that businesses like this have a high ratio of value so that both the business and its clients obtain maximum satisfaction (Christopher, 2005). Walmart Canada has formulated a few strategies to ensure that its value ratio is maintained at the highest level possible. For instance, it has tried to increase its perceived profits while putting its prices at a constant. It has also tried to reduce its prices on some services and goods in a bid to increase its perceived benefits. This is not only beneficial to its customers but to its stakeholders. In addition to the strategies, the organization has also ensured that its value chains are upheld with sincerity and exceptio nally high quality. This chain begins from the organization’s suppliers that are charged with the responsibility of providing inputs to the company. The company then converts the inputs into value added services and goods through its facilities, money, information and labor (Jones, Robinson, 2012). As a way of maximizing on profits, the company has considered outsourcing some of its goods and services. The management of the company evaluates all the profit margins provided by virtually all the goods and services produced and offered within the organization.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is aimed at evaluating the validity and viability of in-house production of the goods and services as compared to their outsourcing. In the event that some goods or services are found to be cost-effective when produced by suppliers, the management then contracts other service providers to sell to them the services or goods. The company’s performance measures It is important that a big organization like Walmart Canada evaluates its performance on a regular basis (Jones, Robinson, 2012). There are quite a number of categories that form the basis of the evaluation of organizational performance. These include finances, quality, time, customer and market, innovation and learning, flexibility and sustainability. As a commercial organization, financial measure is prioritized at Walmart Canada. The basic measures here include revenue, pretax profit margin, use of assets, growth, return on investments and earnings per share. Market and customer measures may incorporate client sa tisfaction, client accounts, client complaints, perceived value and average client retention. Walmart Canada has a client contentment system that provides client rating on goods and services. This system is meant to show the relation between the rates as presented by clients and the clients’ probability to visit the stores next time. Market measures, on the other hand, focus on the percentage of sales of new products, business growth, market share and markets dictated by the geographical positions of the outlets (Christopher, 2005). The company’s competitive advantage Competitive advantage is an organization’s capacity to attain financial and market superiority in its field over its competitors. In order to ensure that it has the much needed competitive advantage, Walmart Canada has formulated key components it is managerial positions that counter competitors’ strategies in the fight to woo more clients and retain them at the same time. First, it ensures that all the unique needs and expectations of customers are well understood by its management. Additionally, its management has put in place strategic measures that formulate effective value chains with the capacity to meet all the customer needs and expectations. As if that is not enough, the organization has leveraged and built operational capacities aimed at supporting the priorities of their clients (Christopher, 2005). It is also important that the company comprehends the specific needs and wants of clients. It is only through this that it will be able to fully satisfy them by providing exactly the needed and expected services and goods. The company has therefore ensured that it meets all order qualifiers intended to conform to the minimum recital level that is needed for a company to stay in business. Walmart Canada has further gone a notch higher to meet order winners that are aimed at differentiating the benefit packages of clients from other competitors in the markets (Jone s, Robinson, 2012). This then makes Walmart Canada a winner in attracting clients. The company’s services’ and goods’ designs It is important to note that the configuration strategies for goods and services are highly dependent on the client’s needs and the markets targeted by the goods. They are also dependent on the values that clients would want to see when they visit an outlet for goods and services. For instance, clients would want to be associated with outlets that are more responsive to their needs, those that are most convenient for them, those that provide sufficient information about their products and services and those that enhance their experience through entertainment. The fact that clients always want several channels for purchases cannot be forgotten in this case. Therefore, a company that understands all these will stand a better chance of wooing more clients to purchase its services and goods (Christopher, 2005). Walmart Canada should e valuate and know all the loopholes in its market and formulate rational strategies that can see it through the struggle in the competitive market. It is supposed to design goods and services that are in line with the specific and unique requirements of its clients and that conform to the specific terms of clients. These designs are guided by quality function development which aims at incorporating the voices of clients in every organizational decision (Jones, Robinson, 2012). Conclusion The success of an organization is measured by the satisfaction it offers to both its clients and stakeholder. Organizational success is, however, a fundamental component that needs utter precision in organizational decisions and strategies. Quality and customer satisfaction form the basis of the growth of profit-oriented organizations. Therefore, it is imperative that corporations like Walmart Canada focus their resources towards satisfying both their stakeholders and customers in order to achieve d esired financial and reputational results. References Christopher, M. (2005). Logistics and supply chain management: Creating value-adding networks. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall/Financial Times. Jones, P., Robinson, P. (2012). Operations management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. This essay on Walmart Canada Company Overview was written and submitted by user Mohammed Stark to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Vespuci vs. Columbus essays

Vespuci vs. Columbus essays AMERIGO VESPUCCI VS. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS By the beginning of the second part of the 15th century feudalism and small kingdoms, started to get weaker and weaker. Because after that time heavy weapons were invented so, these small kingdoms and feudal places could not be able to defend themselves anymore. By that time, empires such as Spain, Portugal, England and some other empires like these started to become powerful because they have those heavy weapons. After these days small kingdoms and the bourgeoisies in those feudal areas and big kingdoms should find another way to earn money and goods. Mankind have always wanted more and more so this ambition makes people to find another way. So, they started discoveries all around the world in order to find valuable things, valuable places and shortcuts to Asia so as to trade directly with those Asian countries. By starting discoveries Spain and Portugal get stronger day by day because in Spain and Portugal the monarch was directly helping the voyagers by giving them ships and crews so these voyagers were going to the ocean-sea in order to discover the new world. By the way when discoveries got important some important and famous voyagers grew up such as Amerigo Vespucci, Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortez. In this essay the major focus will be on Amerigo Vespuccis life, his voyages and his difference between Christopher Columbus. The second focus will be on Who is the real founder of the new world America? Amerigo Vespucci is the person for whom North and South America was named after. Vespucci had a wonderful life and found so many things on his voyages. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy in March of 1451, and grew up in a considerable mansion near a river. When he was a young boy, he was very good at mathematics and his hobby was a little strange; it was copying maps. His dream as a young boy was to travel and get a better pictu...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Case Treetop Forest Products Essay Example for Free

Case Treetop Forest Products Essay Identification (20%) Facts, assumptions and problem identification Building-grade lumber industry is competitive and product being sold is not differential; only differentiation is due to product packaging and presentation. Product packaging is biggest factor when buyers are making a purchasing decision between buying from Treetop or competitors. Over the last 2 years, Treetop has declined in ratings for package of lumber products as a result lost customers to competitors . Treetop has six departments: boom, sawmill, planer, packaging, shipping, and maintenance. All other departments have a supervisor; however, packaging department does not have one designated supervisor. Possible solution is to convert one of the workers to supervisor, or dedicate a supervisor 100% of the time to packaging To solve the issue supervisor from sawmill and planer deparments cover the shifts. Due to distance between sawmill and planing divisions, the supervisors are unable given full attention to the operations of the packaging division. (assumption) Distance cause the supervisor to visit the departments not as often as they should. Productivity in 3 divisions remained constant, Sawmill and planing division productivity increased; however, productivity decreased in packaging department and caused the following: Stockpile up Risk of damaged stock increased the inventory cost Cost Competitiveness suffered due to management placing additional employees from other divisions to solve the backlog issue faced by packaging department. Packaging department run two shifts – morning and afternoon Productivity level of afternoon shifts is less than morning shift employees Reason behind the decreased in productivity level in the department is due to following: Employees takes extended lunch and coffee breaks Leave few min early, specially afternoon shift Reallocation of temporary employees from different productive departments also follow the same practise after being in the packaging department for few days. Based on the case facts, organizational effectiveness and productivity is being effected by the in place practises of Packaging  Department. Following two major problems should be resolved to overcome the issues faced by Treetop: Packaging department’s employees are effecting the working habits of other department employees. Department wide meeting communicating the company values, performance issues of packaging department, statististics proving decline in packaging, and initiatives to stop extended lunches, coffee breaks, leaving few minutes early especially in afternoon shift Produce daily backlog reports showing increase in backlog and spoilage statistics. Use negative consequences (firing), within union contract. and positive rewards based on production and quality targets being met. Methods and implementation of rewards can be determined by using Nominal Group Technique (variation of brain storming)- 1)silently and independently document their ideas, 2)collectively describe ideas to other team members without critique, and 3)silently ad independently evaluate the ideas presented Packaging division does not have a supervisor to oversee the operation on daily bases. This needs to change immediately. If costs can’t be justified, perhaps  ½ time position added, that also is in production the other half , or Bal The packaging department is mostly at fault for majority of the Treetop Forest Productions Ltd recent decline of organisational success, not only are the packaging employees at fault, but also management for not monitoring the situation more effectively. It’s vital for Treetop Forest Products to improve and maintain their competitive edge within the building grade timber industry to ensure future success of the organisation. If solutions are not implemented immediately, the success of the organisation will continue to decline, placing Treetop Forest Productions Ltd in an unfavourable position where recovery may be implausible. Tackling the major issues illustrated within the packaging department will commence a strong positive path towards the future success of the organisation, placing them in a competitive position once again. There are possible solutions that can assist with effectively and efficiently dealing with this issue. Firstly, supervision and leadership needs a major  improvement within the packaging sector. As illustrated within all other fully supervised departments, work is completed efficiently and to a high quality standard. By providing packaging employees with the same supervision and leadership, near guarantees a positive change within the packaging department. Employing a leader with a with a transformational approach to leadership concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards and long term goals will help to improve the work ethic within the packaging department. A supervisor with transformational leadership involves an exceptional form of influence that moves followers to accomplish more that what is usually expected of them. Furthermore, by introducing a new leader, costs will decrease due to supervised workers and the decrease of overtime; it can be implemented quickly, improv e productivity and increase the equity of work. As also explained within the issues of the packaging department, there is a lack of employee motivation. This is demonstrated through the low quality of work produced, longer breaks and early finishing times. Its important for managers to understand that each and every individual employee will have a set of drives, needs, decisions and behaviours to be motivated. By following the below diagram, Treetop Forest Products managers can use this to understand different emotional responses and resulting needs in the same situation. promote group cohesiveness and a pleasant working environment. In the short term, upper management could host a meeting or assembly between all departments to make them feel interrelated and important to the company. This could be a great motivation for the employees. In the long term, group evaluations could be necessary to measure the group’s performance and to see if the actions taken are resolving the problems. supervisor of the department. Learned Needs Theory: The Learned Needs Theory has three â€Å"learned needs† that can be defined as the â€Å"Need for Achievement†, â€Å"Need for Power†, and the â€Å"Need for Affiliation†. A need is amplified or suppressed through self-concept, social norms, and past  experiences (Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc., 2002), although needs can also be learned through training whether it be strengthening or weakening the need. The members of the packaging department could have been more aware of their needs whether it is affiliation, power, or achievement and if they were more aware of what was there, there could have been more motivation on the part of the members to excel. Also, with the appointment of an actual supervisor, instead of taking them from other departments, it could have ensured that these needs be amplified through some forms of friendly competition or rewards. The â€Å"Need for Power† is stated as the need to make an impact on others, influence others, change people or events, and make a difference in life. If this need was taught to the members of the packaging department by the supervisors of the other departments, there could be a chance someone internally would strive so much for the need of power that he or she would emerge as the leader in a department with a declining productivity level. Having the ability to control others is a very powerful characteristic which everyone strives for internally, so if this need was brought forward by executives there would be an increase in competition and drive between the members to claim that position of hierarchy in the department. The â€Å"Need for Achievement† is the need and desire for excellence, competition, challenging goals, and overcoming difficulties. With the simple action as a reward put forth throughout the company internally that the employees of each section could enjoy, it could ignite an employee’s need for achievement and desire for excellence which in turn could ignite the competition in every employee to achieve success like his or her fellow employee has. People strive for recognition and success and if this need was amplified in the employees who have made it clear that they want to enjoy the benefits that come from a high productivity level, and brought out of those who believe that they don’t need success, Treetop Forest Products could internally enjoy success of their own making their business profit at its maximum rate. The â€Å"Need for Affiliation† is defined as the need for individuals maintain close, intimate relationships, or approval of other people. If Treetop Forest Products could bring out this need in the packaging department by showing them how the other departments in the company get along which in turn brings the productivity level up within the  department. Although, the employees of the packaging do well of getting along with each other by performing bad habits such as leaving early or extending their breaks, if that could be  transformed through the training of good habits such as exceeding expected productivity levels and working hard, the affiliation that is present now could be that much stronger and emphasized in the department. Also, in addition to affiliation within the department, there is also the possibility with the rise of productivity level and affiliation within the The team has strong cohesion, but needs to be turned around. (employees transferred are confor ming to the team norms of lack of punctuality)† Norms are the informal rules and shared expectations that groups establish to regulate the bahavour of their members.† Padge 225 chapter 8 Canadian Org Behaviour . It has to be set as a rethink to the department and communicating the new norms and aligning the norms with the company goals and objectives is critical. Through these simple needs that can be taught or learned, Treetop Forest Products could experience not only success from their five already successful departments but from the packaging department as well. If amplified the packaging department would benefit from the affiliation they would gain from the other departments, the power that employees could possibly gain with the increase of productivity via promotions or recognition, and the rewards that the employees of the packaging could gain through increased productivity levels. If Treetop Forest Products were to implicate these two simple theories there is a possibility that the packaging department would no longer be a harmful unit but instead an asset that Treetop can rely on. Through the Situational Leadership Theory, Treetop has the opportunity to find a leader that can adapt to the group and individuals and convert the now declining productivity level of the packaging department to an increasing level of productivity like the f ive other departments in the company. With the Learned Needs Theory, Treetop has the ability to install the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation to the packaging department to encourage friendly competition between the employees while still steadily increasing the productivity levels of the  department. Conclusion: Treetop Forest Products and Westboard Co have been suffering the consequences of the lackluster performance from their packaging department since there is no authority figure to keep the employees on task and working hard to produce sellable products for Westboard. With the packaging department not having their own supervisor, Treetop has appointed the supervisors of the sawmill and planing department as the supervisors of the packaging department during their shifts. With the packaging department being in a different location then the sawmill and planing department, it has caused the supervisors to make the packaging department an afterthought and with the productivity levels of the packaging department decreasing it has shown. After evaluating the case of Treetop Forest Product and the issues with their packaging department, they have been using the Contingency Theory which states that there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others and that while a leader may be very effective at one place and point in time may become unsuccessful either when transplanted to another situation or when factors around t hem change. This was clear in the case of Treetop Forest Product’s case because  although the leaders were very effective with their own departments, increasing the productivity levels of their respective departments, when transferred over to the packaging department their effectiveness did not follow. Each leader has their own key characteristics that play a major part in how they lead, whether it is their personality, drive, emotional intelligence, self-concept, etc. so what may be high and effective in one leader and his or her department may not be high and effective in a different department’s leader. Since the sawmill and planing departments were so successful when implanted into a failing department, the situation as well as the effectiveness of the leader changed. Instead of the Contingency Theory, there were others that if Treetop were to implement it could have made the productivity level of the packaging department go up while creating a better atmosphere within the company. If Treetop were to take the leader who was most able to conform his or her leadership style to that of the packaging department instead of just taking the top two  departments supervisors without considering the important variables such as distance and drive, Treetop could have improved the situation within the packaging department. With these simple changes to the company, Treetop could have quite easily changed the atmosphere and effectiveness of the packaging department to better the profits and trust gained from Westboard. If Treetop were to dedicate an individual supervisor based on performance and authoritative qualities within the department instead of having an external employee take on the responsibility of turning the packaging department around, the chances of increasing the productivity level of the packaging department would increase which would not only benefit the department but Treetop Forest Products and Westboard Co. respectively. Case Treetop Forest Products. (2016, Sep 15).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Doctrine of Freedom of Seas Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Doctrine of Freedom of Seas - Term Paper Example In the First United Nations Conference at Geneva in 1958, and the second conference in Geneva, 1960, third conference in Caracas in 1973, later in Geneva and New York, the problem was discussed; but unanimity decision could not be arrived at for a long time. According to some, the earlier doctrine of Freedom of Seas, the Laissez Faire â€Å"has been designed specifically to favor the strong countries over the weak countries, the industrialized countries over the poor, and the developed over the developing,† Njenga in Payoyo (p.69), because there are inequalities in the traditional law of the sea. Hence it was necessary for the modern doctrine to adjust well with the Doctrine of Coastal State Sovereignty. Countries outside Europe feel that the present law is rather ‘Eurocentric’ â€Å"The idea that beyond the narrow confines of the territorial sea, the Coastal State would retain jurisdiction and control over adjacent resources, living and non-living, as well as all economic activities conducted therein, was realised through the sui generis regime of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),† (Ibid, p.72). Modern Freedom of the Seas governs unrestricted access to the high seas, beyond the national territory. Initially, it was established by Romans, was challenged by Papal Bull in the 16th century, trying hard to divide the oceans between the then naval powers of Portugal and Spain. In the 18th century, the rights over the territorial waters were extended up to 3 miles. During the war, the United States argued that neutral ships should be permitted into the territorial waters to carry goods, while military blockade, war planning all affected this law in those unsettled days. When naval power was at its zenith, this law was an important bone of contention. After the French revolution when Britain and France imposed the maritime blockade, the matter went to the extent of America declaring war on Britain!

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Political Economy Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Economy Theories - Assignment Example Marxism is a system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. This theory asserts that for human beings to survive they must produce and reproduce the materials necessary for life. As a result, the societies are therefore governed by forces of production. Karl Marx believed that although capitalism develops the productive powers of human societies to historically unprecedented heights, it does so in ways, which are also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. In order to change this unjust order in the society Marx advocated for a revolution which would see the distribution of wealth from the few owners of production to all members of the society. â€Å"Neo† refers to a new kind of liberalization carved out by an elite group of capitalists from the old liberal school of economics that belonged to famous economists such as Adam Smith. Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. The political economy under neoliberalism is as a result of the following key points. Firstly, there is the liberation of any enterprise imposed by the government regardless of the social damage done to the people. Secondly, neoliberalism calls for the cutting of public expenditure for social services such as healthcare and education. This removes the safety net of the poor leaving them at the mercy of the private enterprises. Thirdly, there is the reduction of government regulation on anything that may diminish business profits. Fourthly, there is the privatization of state owned enterprises under the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Corporate Strategy Analysis Discussion Essay Example for Free

Corporate Strategy Analysis Discussion Essay The Destination CEO videos offered a great insight into the lives of the people that have to run the huge organizations. It seems as if all of them have been faced with a challenge somewhere within their careers. The following paper will discuss the different corporate strategies: growth, stability, and renewal. It will also discuss how each CEO used the planning function of management which are concentration, vertical integration, and diversification. I agreed with my teammates discussions of the CEOs of the companies. We discussed four CEOs: Neville Isdell, Coca-Cola CEO, Gary Kelly, Southwest Airline CEO, Mackey McDonald, VF Corporation CEO, and Anne Mulcahy, Xerox CEO. The corporate strategy that was used by Neville Isdell is growth and the planning function used is diversification. This is due to the fact that he is seeking to branch out by selling non-carbonated beverages. Such as Coca-Cola Black, a coffee and buying all or part of vitamin water from Glasso. The corporate strategies used by Gary Kelly are growth and stability, and planning function of management is concentration. The reason for this is locking up the hedge fund contracts, and keeping cost down. Continuing to fly the same planes (737) so that parts and maintenance are easy is a great strategy. He also promotes treating customers like kings and queens, and employees even better! The corporate strategy used by Mackey McDonald is growth and the planning function is vertical integration and concentration. This is because of the focus on their lifestyle brands, such as Vans and Reef. They avoid getting involved in the high risk fashion brands stayed with the commodity brands. Concentrate more on what the consumer would use every day. The corporate strategy used by Anne Mulcahy is renewal and the planning function is concentration. She took over when Xerox was on the brink of bankruptcy. She had to cut cost to be able to make the company successful. She even had to shut down the division that she herself had started (Destination CEO video). Kathleen McWain wrote, â€Å"Neville Isdell or the Indiana Jones of Coke displayed innovation and commitment to employee morale. Isdell handled flat sales growth, low morale and high turnover with  aggressive globalization. Coca-Cola decided to be a total beverage company introducing Dasani water and Fuze tea. Isdell convinced his board that just because Pepsi had branched into other markets successful Coke needed to go more towards global domination than diversification. Cokes sales are no longer sluggish, moral is high and employee turn over is low. I applaud Gary Kellys fuel hedge fund and that he is keeping Southwest airlines in the black. His flying in coach to experience what his passenger do gives Mr. Kelly a better insight into how his company runs, which I feel really helps him make tough resource allocation calls. That being said I do not think that Mr. Kellys Band-Aid patch of Southwests underfunded, profit destroying, pension plan dealt with the problem. (all pension plans paid after the employee retires are profit destroyers) I think it only delayed the fact that either the pension plan needs to be funded or pensioners must have their pensions reduced. As Southwest is not the only underfunded pension plan in the country. I feel Southwest is waiting to see if another company is successful in reducing pension payments to retirees. I also feel that as soon as a company is successful in either dumping or strongly cutting pensioners pay other companies will follow and it will be like domino falling.† As stated in the introduction, my team wrote the same things about the videos. The CEOs of each company made the same impact on us all. They stories of the CEOs and what they went they endured, and in some cases still enduring, is motivational. I personally would have probably given up by now. However, the most motivational one to me is Anne Mulcahy, because she took a company on the brink of bankruptcy and turned Xerox around into a powerhouse. How awesome is that! References Bateman, T. (2011). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitve World(9th ed.). Retrieved from http//: www.ecampus.phoenix.edu. Destination CEO Videos

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Jonathan Livingston Seagull :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull Essays

Jonathan Livingston Seagull Jonathan was not an ordinary seagull. For a thousand years, seagulls have spent their whole life on scrambling after fish heads. But Jonathan saw something different. He thought that life should not be just eating and fighting, even seagulls should have a reason to live. For him, his meaning of life is to fly. We all wish that we could spend all our time on doing things we like, just as Jonathan spent all his time on his beloved flight. However, the success in finding his meaning of life didn't bring with him any honor, but caused him to be an object of shame and irresponsibility, and to be banished due to his neglect to finding food. After having been banished, Jonathan was full time practicing flying and made great progress. He thought he had found his own heaven, and wondered why there are so few seagulls enjoying themselves in the heaven; "heaven should be flocked with gulls!" Therefore, besides finding his own meaning of life, he eventually returned to the place that once had expelled him, and help the fellows there to find their purpose of life. This is what I like most in the story. "You don't love hatred and evil...you have to practise and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it themselves" Jonathan was unselfish and lenient. He wasn't hostile to those who forced him out of his homeland, on the contrary, he learned to love them and help them. To forgive and love your enemy is even more difficult than finding the meaning of life, but Jonathan, a little seagull, managed to act it out. While Jonathan carried on practising, he found out that" this world isn't heaven at all". Heaven is being perfect, is not limited by time and space..."there is no such place". So, heaven is somewhere that we can never step out foot in. Very often, people do their best longing for the best result, they like to be perfect and try their best to be perfect. They have an idea of heaven in their mind and are upset all the time because they can never achieve it, we all have too many flaws. Jonathan Livingston Seagull :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull Essays Jonathan Livingston Seagull Jonathan was not an ordinary seagull. For a thousand years, seagulls have spent their whole life on scrambling after fish heads. But Jonathan saw something different. He thought that life should not be just eating and fighting, even seagulls should have a reason to live. For him, his meaning of life is to fly. We all wish that we could spend all our time on doing things we like, just as Jonathan spent all his time on his beloved flight. However, the success in finding his meaning of life didn't bring with him any honor, but caused him to be an object of shame and irresponsibility, and to be banished due to his neglect to finding food. After having been banished, Jonathan was full time practicing flying and made great progress. He thought he had found his own heaven, and wondered why there are so few seagulls enjoying themselves in the heaven; "heaven should be flocked with gulls!" Therefore, besides finding his own meaning of life, he eventually returned to the place that once had expelled him, and help the fellows there to find their purpose of life. This is what I like most in the story. "You don't love hatred and evil...you have to practise and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it themselves" Jonathan was unselfish and lenient. He wasn't hostile to those who forced him out of his homeland, on the contrary, he learned to love them and help them. To forgive and love your enemy is even more difficult than finding the meaning of life, but Jonathan, a little seagull, managed to act it out. While Jonathan carried on practising, he found out that" this world isn't heaven at all". Heaven is being perfect, is not limited by time and space..."there is no such place". So, heaven is somewhere that we can never step out foot in. Very often, people do their best longing for the best result, they like to be perfect and try their best to be perfect. They have an idea of heaven in their mind and are upset all the time because they can never achieve it, we all have too many flaws.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Ford Pinto Case

Running head: Ford Pinto Case Study – Was Ford to Blame in the Pinto Case? Taking a Side Mayo Smith, George Deese, Josh Eubank, Mignon Waller, Michelle Stower and Jaime Arnold University of Phoenix Take a Side Bad business decisions can be seen throughout history; however none has stirred such controversy as the error made by Ford Motor Credit concerning the 1971 Ford Pinto. Despite many safety concerns Ford CEO, Lee Iacocca and Ford executives began the production and distribution of the 1971 Ford Pinto. During routine safety tests of production models, it was discovered that every Ford Pinto tested and sustained a ruptured fuel tank during a slow to moderate speed rear end collision. The resulting fireball could cause severe burn injuries and even death to its occupants. Ford engineers designed a solution. By installing a baffle between the gas tank and the rear bumper, the threat of it possibly rupturing was nearly obsolete. These modifications would only have cost $11 per vehicle to complete. After conducting a cost/benefit analysis, Ford estimated that the cost of lawsuits and the amount Ford would have had to pay (estimated at more than $50 million), far exceeded the amount saved ($20. 9 million), by not installing the baffle (De George, R. , 2006). How can a major corporation put a price on human life? Had I been involved in the dilemma concerning the Ford Pinto, I would have somehow convinced Lee Iacocca and the executives at Ford to install the baffle. I would have gone to the press and the U. S. overnment with my concerns over the safety of this vehicle. Iacocca wanted a car that would cost under $2000. Instead of raising the price of the Pinto, the profit margin for Ford could have been decreased. The stakeholders certainly would have agreed considering the safety concerns. It was only going to cost $11 per car which would have been a total of $20. 9 million; a small price to pay considering how many Pintos sold between 1971 and 1978. Installing the baffle would ha ve thrown off the production date, but the defect would no longer be a problem. The defect should have been corrected after the first year of production, however, since it was not the entire dilemma was a terrible business decision (De George, R. , 2006). Corporations more so than individuals, have a moral obligation to keep the public safe from harm. When it comes to making and selling a product, in the case of human safety, money should not be an underline factor in doing what is considered morally the right thing to do. Ford acted unethically when they introduced an unsafe vehicle that eventually caused serious injuries. The Ford Corporation crossed the line when knowingly decided not to make the necessary repairs in the Pinto which would ultimately save lives. Corporations have an ethical obligation to assume responsibility and admit their wrong doing. Did Ford have an internal office where an employee could go and report such wrong doing without suffering retaliatory actions? Whistle blowing was something new in both the corporate and public worlds. How many people knew what was wrong with the Ford Pinto and refuse or were afraid to come forward with their concerns? The obligation not to harm any person primary falls on the responsibility of those who manage the corporation. If other people know about this, they could have had a hand in stopping this. However, other members of the corporation are not morally responsible for the actions of the corporation such as assembly workers, engineers, or office workers. According to University of Phoenix (2009), â€Å"whistle blowing is reporting improper activities to an appropriate person. † If consumers and owners of the Ford Pinto known in advance that the Pinto would explode in low impact crashes and that death was a high factor, the sales would have probably been lower to none which in turn would have been even costly to the Ford Corporation. CEO Lee Laccoca should have thought about the long-term effects of taking consumer trust for granted and avoided the negative repercussions of the Pinto if a recall was issued and handle properly. Ford could have avoided the negative publicity. Meeting obligations is very important in a social environment. Ford was operating on how internal social capital was more important than external capital. Most likely before the Pinto fires Ford had a good reputation as being one of the safest automobile in the car industry. Greed was the motivation behind Ford’s immoral ethical business decisions which resulted in the lost of many human lives. The competition of small cars was emerging and American consumers were very interested in this market. Ford decided to act quickly before they would begin to lose market their share in the marketplace. Ford’s decision had nothing to do with the concerns of the consumers but with the money it was making and their status in society. In 1971, the year the Ford Pinto was released to the public, the organization knew about the potential safety issues the car faced when a rear-end collision occurred. According to DeGeorge (2005), Ford prepared a cost-benefit analysis to determine if it would be cheaper to fix the problem, an exploding gas tank, or wait to pay out possible lawsuits that could occur after the accidents happened. Ford ultimately decided it was better financially to produce a car that was dangerous to the owner. It appears another current automotive company may have followed some of the same practices as Ford did in the 1970s. It was recently made public that there was a safety problem in some of the models Toyota produces. The problem with the Toyota’s cars is a gas pedal that causes sudden acceleration. Although it is still unclear when Toyota discovered the problem with the gas pedal sticking, and how they determined what the next steps would be, Toyota did appear to know about the problem and did not initially do anything to resolve it. In an article written by Rooney (2010) â€Å"Toyota has been criticized for not responding quickly enough to customer complaints about sudden acceleration, which have been blamed for several accidents resulting in injuries or death† (Toyota Recall: What took so long? paragraph 10). It does not matter what decade, or year, this type of scenario happens, organizations have a moral responsibility to inform the customer about any potential danger he or she faces when purchasing a car from the respective company, especially when the flaw is potentially fatal. In both cases, Ford and Toyota should have made it public as soon as they knew about the problem. If these organizations would have made the safety issues known immediately to the consumers, the consumers would have been able to make a well informed decision about the car they were thinking about purchasing; they may have even decided to purchase a different car that was safer. Rational thinkers will not put their lives, or the life of their families, in danger. As a country, America has a government that has implemented consumer safety laws in an attempt to protect the consumers from these types of situations. Reference Tech Republic (2010). Interactive Inc. ‘Steer clear of these 10 illegal job interview questions’ Retrieved March 21, 2010, from http://www. techrepublic. com Linda Klebe Trevino, Katherine A. Nelson (2007). Axia College, Decide What’s Right: A Prescriptive Approach. Retrieved on March 20, 2010 https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx De George, R. (2006). Whistle Blowing. Retrieved March 31, 2010 from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Soundtrack for 1984 by George Orwell

Track #1 Song: Satellite Artist: Guster Album: Ganging Up On the SunShining like a work of art Hanging on a wall of stars Are you what I think you are? You're my satellite You're riding with me tonight Passenger side, lighting the sky Always the first star that I find You're my satellite Elevator to the moon Whistling our favorite tune Trying to get a closer view You're my satellite You're riding with me tonight Passenger side, lighting the sky Always the first star that I find You're my satellite Maybe you will always be Just a little out of reach You're my satellite You're riding with me tonight Passenger side, lighting the sky (cont.) Always the first star that I find You're my satellite You're my satelliteâ€Å"Satellite† significance: One of the main concepts of this song is wanting something unattainable, as seen in the lines â€Å"Maybe you will always be, just a little out of reach, you’re my satellite†.The same occurs in 1984 with how Winston (the main c haracter) regards Julia (his love interest), because he loves her even though it’s difficult for them to be together under the strict rules and regulations of Big Brother.Track #2 Song: Holocene Artist: Bon Iver Album: Bon Iver, Bon IverSomeway, baby, it's part of me, apart from me You're laying waste to Halloween You messed it, friend, it's on its head, it struck the street You're in Milwaukee, off your feet And at once I knew I was not magnificent Strayed above the highway aisle (Jagged vacance, thick with ice) I could see for miles, miles, miles 3rd and Lake, it burnt away, the hallway Was where we learned to celebrate Automatic bought the years you'd talk for me That night you played me ‘Lip Parade' Not the needle, nor the thread, the lost decree Saying nothing, that's enough for me And at once I knew I was not magnificent Hulled far from the highway aisle (Jagged vacance, thick with ice) I could see for miles, miles, miles Christmas night, it clutched the light, th e hallow bright Above my brother, I and tangled spines We smoked the screen to make it what it was to be Now to know it in my memory And at once I knew I was not magnificent High above the highway aisle (Jagged vacance, thick with ice) I could see for miles, miles, milesâ€Å"Holocene† significance: Winston is often self-deprecating, analytical and pessimistic. He believes it’s crucial to hold on to memories of the past, because if the truth is forgotten, the supposed evil would win. The lines â€Å"Not to know it in my memory, and at once I knew I was not magnificent.† mimic Winston’s thought process.Track #3 Song: Waiting†¦ Artist: City and Colour Album: Bring Me Your LoveA coma might feel better than this Attempting to discover where to begin You're weighed down, you're full of something Of sickness and desertion You're weighed down, you're full of something You're underneath it all So say goodbye to love And hold your head up high There's no need to rush We're all just waiting, waiting to die Hope and better place is all I need With moments of innocence and mystery Oh, it's the little things you miss Like waking up all alone Oh, it's the little things you miss When you're underneath it all So say goodbye to love And hold your head up high There's no need to rush We're all just waiting, waiting to die All your friends seem like enemies When you're broken down and empty, oh All your friends seem like enemies When you're broken down and empty, oh So say goodbye to love And hold your head up high There's no need to rush We're all just waiting, waiting to dieâ€Å"Waiting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  significance: Winston regularly makes references to Big Brother and the Thought Police catching him breaking rules and he’s waiting for them to â€Å"vaporize† him, which is being murdered and all personal records being destroyed. Winston is also paranoid that any person he comes into contact with is an associate with Big Brother or the Thought Police because people in his life are very conniving and deceitful. So the lyrics â€Å"We’re all just waiting, waiting to die/all your friends seem like enemies when you’re broken down and empty† match his situation.Track #4 Song: The World At Large Artist: Modest Mouse Album: Good News for People Who Love Bad NewsIce-age heat wave can't complain If the world's at large, why should I remain? (cont.) Walked away to another plane Gonna find another place, maybe one I can stand I move on to another day To a whole new town with a whole new way Went to the porch to have a thought Got to the door and again, I couldn't stop You don't know where and you don't know when But you still got your words and you got your friends Walk along to another day Work a little harder, work another way Well uh uh baby I ain't got no plan We'll float on maybe would you understand? Gonna float on maybe would you understand? We'll float on maybe would you understand? The days get shorter and the nights get cold I like the autumn but this place is getting old I pack up my belongings and I head for the coast It might not be a lot but I feel like I'm making the most The days get longer and the nights smell green I guess it's not surprising but it's spring and I should leave I like songs about drifters, books about the same They both seem to make me feel a little less insane Walked on off to another spot I still haven't gotten anywhere that I want Did I want love? Did I need to know? Why does it always feel like I'm caught in an undertow? The moths beat themselves to death against the lights Adding their breeze to the summer nights Outside, water like air was great I didn't know what I had that day Walk a little farther to another plane You said that you did, but you didn't understand I know that starting over is not what life's about But my thoughts were so loud, I couldn't hear my mouth My thoughts were so loud, I couldn't hear my mouth My thoughts were s o loudâ€Å"The World At Large† significance: Throughout the book, Winston reflects on why he’s still alive even though the world is in turmoil from corrupt politics and mass murder. He attempts to find a purpose to keep surviving day-to-day even though at the beginning of the story he had no family or friends. The line â€Å"If the world’s at large, why should I remain?† represents  his self-doubt about survival and questioning his existence.Track #5 Song: My Silhouette (Acoustic) Artist: Arms Like Yours Album: Inhale ExhaleSleep has become my escape from reality, she's in my dreams Someone wake me up because this isn't real, and it's just a game that I can't escape Over again, this cruel cycle repeats and repeats I grabbed her hand but it slowly slipped away Someone wake me up, can someone wake me up She moves with me in my dreams, but I'm foolish to believe that this is the way it ends I see her silhouette, but it's just a test for me to leave the pa st with the past She moves with me now but it's just a testI must stop this cycle and cut out my silhouette I smile as her lips brush my neck but I know that this is just a vision in my head Kiss me in my dreams if you're really done with me It's too fitting to disrupt, oh can someone wake me up But you can't change me, but she's pulling me backâ€Å"My Silhouette† significance: While Winston was held prisoner by the Thought Police, he frequently had dreams of Julia. He would wake up disturbed from these dreams because he was worried about her, because she was captured at the same time he was and he assumed she was suffering as well. He missed her until doctors at the facility managed to brainwash him and Winston was left void of feelings for her.Track #6 Song: Two Weeks Artist: Grizzly Bear Album: VeckatimestSave up all the days A routine malaise Just like yesterday I told you I would stay Would you always Maybe sometimes Make it easy? Take your time Think of all the ways Mo mentary phase Just like yesterday I told you I would stay Every time you try Quarter half the mile Just like yesterday I told you I would stay Would you always Maybe sometimes Make it easy? Take your time Would you alwaysMaybe sometimes Make it easy? Take your time Always, sometimes Easy, timeâ€Å"Two Weeks† significance: Though Winston and Julia have a secret relationship; they seem to care about each other and try to make time for each other whenever they can. There were a few instances where Winston was scared Julia was going to ditch plans with him and not show up to where they were supposed to meet, but she always stuck around with him even when he would doubt her. The lyric â€Å"Just like yesterday, I told you I would stay† symbolizes Julia having to remind Winston of her good intentions.Track #7 Song: Wake Up Artist: Arcade Fire Album: FuneralSomethin' filled up My heart with nothin' Someone told me not to cry Now that I'm older My heart's colder (cont.) And I can see that it's a lie Children wake up Hold your mistake up Before they turn the summer into dust If the children don't grow up Our bodies get bigger But our hearts get torn up We're just a million Little God's causin' rainstorms Turnin' every good thing to rust I guess we'll just have to adjust With my lighnin' bolts a glowin' I can see where I am goin' to be When the reaper, reaches And touches my hand With my lighnin' bolts a glowin' I can see where I am goin' With my lighnin' bolts a glowin' I can see where I am go, goin' You'd better look out belowâ€Å"Wake Up† significance: Winston often reminisces about his past and how different it is from his current circumstances. He misses the innocence of childhood and how the world was a much better place during that time, so the lyrics â€Å"Turnin’ every good thing to rust, I guess we’ll just have to adjust†Ã‚  signifies him trying to cope with his new environment even though it’s an awful place. Track #8 Song: Viola Lion Artist: Isles & Glaciers Album: The Hearts of Lonely PeopleI am a million pieces of the sky I found a way to be alone I'm gonna wait until you want me Until you finally decide to go home Diamonds, diamonds are you all in the sky? I can't believe all of these beautiful lies As they surround me I will take a photograph of the sky Bury me, bury me Come on, bury me alone in the light I am, I'm gonna run this like a lion Another way to be alone And I will wait until you find me Until you finally decide to go home (Don't go home! Don't go home!) Diamonds, diamonds are you all in the sky? I can't believe all of these beautiful lies As they surround me I will take a photograph of the sky Bury me, bury me Come on, bury me alone in the light I've never had a reason to take me away I want it to be over But I sit here and wait [x2] I saw her smiling from the top of the world I saw her sleeping on, amazing I know If you lower, lower, lower me down You lower me clearly, so come and lower me Diamonds, diamonds are you all in the sky? I can't believe all of these beautiful lies As they surround me I will take a photograph of the sky Bury me, bury me Diamonds, diamonds are you all in the sky? I can't believe all of these beautiful lies As they surround me I will take a photograph of the sky Bury me, bury me Bury me, bury meâ€Å"Viola Lion† significance: Throughout the course of the novel, Winston is convinced that the government is lying to the people, so he meets up with a leader of an underground revolt organization to uncover these top-secret lies, which he never actually ends up doing. By the end he’s brainwashed and believes anything the Party does is right and they can do no wrong, so the line â€Å"I can’t believe all of these beautiful lies† really becomes true in the most literal sense.Track #9 Song: Midnight City Artist: M83 Album: Hurry Up, We’re DreamingWaiting in a car Waiting for a ride in the dark The night city grows Look and see her eyes, they glow Waiting in a car Waiting for a ride in the dark Drinking in the lounge Following the neon signs Waiting for a roar Looking at the mutating skyline The city is my church It wraps me in the sparkling twilight Waiting in a car Waiting for the right time Waiting in a car Waiting for the right time Waiting in a car Waiting for the right time Waiting in a car Waiting for the right time Waiting in a car â€Å"Midnight City† significance: The novel and this song don’t relate merely on lyrics, but are relevant to each other because of the high-energy vibe this song has, which is mirrored by the Party’s constant tenacity to make Big Brother as powerful as it can be, and to crush all opposing forces. They seem to know no bounds, and their energy is always extremely high whenever they’re volunteering for their government.Track #10 Song: July Artist: Youth Lagoon Album: The Year of HibernationExplosions pillaging the night From the fireworks on the Fourth of July It's just my lady, our friends, and I Smoking cigars and yelling at cars as they drive by We scaled a ladder ascending to the roof While five years ago I wept and no one knew Holding my guitar, I strummed a tune I sang â€Å"I love you but I have to cut you loose† As the neighbor lights off the small bombs we watch from the rooftop†¦ safely, so safely If I had never let go, then only God knows where I would be know I made a bridge between us then I slowly burned it Five years ago, in my backyard I sang love away (cont.) Little did I know that real love had not quite yet found meâ€Å"July† significance: While Winston was incarcerated, tortured and brainwashed at the Thought Police facility, he was thinking about his true feelings for Julia. He realized he would never see her again, and that to stay alive as long as possible he needed to direct his mind elsewhere. After all the emotional and physical pain he was experi enced there, he lost the ability to feel emotions. He only thought about the instinct for survival, all the while doctors were hurting him more by claiming that he was insane. The line â€Å"I love you but I have to cut you loose† relates Winston forgetting about Julia, because he did love her when he got arrested, but those feelings ended up fading.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Down Syndrome Represented in the Society Essays

Down Syndrome Represented in the Society Essays Down Syndrome Represented in the Society Paper Down Syndrome Represented in the Society Paper Down syndrome is caused by the presence of extra genetic material from the 21st chromosome. Approximately, majority of the individuals with Down syndrome have an extra 21st chromosome and are identified as having â€Å"trisomy 21† subtype. Individuals with Down syndrome often suffer from moderate to severe mental retardation, show expressive language delays with relative strengths in pragmatical versus grammatical language abilities, and exhibit relative strengths in visual over auditory/ verbal memory. Down syndrome is associated with a greater risk of developing a range of serious health problems, such as hearing deficits, heart defects, leukemia, hypothyroidism, and gastrointestinal disorders. In reality, in the 1990s, the developmental outcome of children with Down syndrome has greatly improved because of early learning programs, physician and parent updated education about the syndrome, and appropriate medical management. According to factual evidences, intelligence and personality in a child with Down syndrome are affected by dedicated parents just as they are in non-Down syndrome children. Down syndrome patients are most of the time implied as defectives of the society to the point that they are even hindered from the basic human rights, such as detainment, physical abuse, and other sorts of violence. As their numbers continue to grow in the society, various conceptual frameworks, and theoretical perspectives have sprouted in aid to promote acceptance of these individuals. However, representations of these Down syndrome patients still vary as influenced by social and cultural factors. Scope and Limitations The study aims to illustrate the occurring trend of societal representations of the conditions of Down syndrome. The perspective of society over these individuals as well as the prevalent view, either discriminative of receptive, shall be covered in the course discussion. The study shall employ statistic counts of Down syndrome specifically in the United States, which is the primary scope of setting. In addition, the study aims to utilize the conceptual frameworks applied in the course discussion of the said condition. Applying models shall be the prime method of depiction on how society views these individuals. Various standard norms and prevailing cultural etiologies shall be utilized as well in order to validate the claimed results of the research. The following shall be the objectives utilized in the overall research course. These shall serve as the prime guidelines for the conduction of the whole research plan. a. To be able to provide social representations of Down syndrome patients prevailing in the society through the use of theoretical models. b. To be able to compare and contrast the view of the society against this condition through the use of governing norms and perspectives in the society. Purpose of the Study Significantly, the study provides awareness expansion in terms of the society’s perception over Down syndrome patients. By knowing the established perception of the current prevailing norms of the society against this condition, it facilitates ease in developing health promotive, and organizational programs in aid of this condition. In addition, awareness of such subject induces an initiative to help improve the quality of life for these individuals. Discussion Down syndrome is the most prevalent chromosome-related disorders, which is often suspected after birth due to the physical appearance of the baby. As noted in the latter statement, the presence of an extra chromosome 21 in either the sperm or the egg cell causes the condition of Down syndrome. Chromosome 21 us the smallest of the human chromosomes and contains about 255 genes. The majority of children with Down syndrome, which is around 95%, possess trisomy 21- an extra chromosome in all their cells. Other individuals, which are around 3-4%, possess translocated form of the extra chromosome wherein the extra chromosome 21 is attached to one of a different chromosome pair, and last among the types is 1-2% mosaic, which pertains to varying count of trisomic cells while others a re normal in structure and characteristics. However, the type of chromosome pattern does not significantly alter the pattern of learning difficulties that usually accompany Down syndrome (Buckley, 2000 p. 9). Children with Down syndrome are born at the same rate to parents of all social and education levels, in all ethnic groups and to parents of all ages. Although the risk of having a child with Down syndrome increases with maternal age, a baby with Down syndrome can be born to a mother of any age (Buckley, 2000 p. 9). However, Down syndrome patients are not entirely bound to live in an abnormal environment in accordant to their condition. In fact, various organization and sectors in society encourage the normal living of these individuals. All children with Down syndrome should stay with the family, and most can be mainstreamed into kindergarten (Cicchetti and Beeghly, 1999 p. 302). It is essential to use measures for Down syndrome to monitor growth and development. In the advent of their maturation and growth, most of these individuals with Down syndrome are able to leave home, work, and form relationships. In fact, some are even noted to have the capacity to handle their own family (Taylor and David, 2005 p. 41) Scientific and medical research on Down syndrome is gaining momentum. Research is continuing on identifying the genes in chromosome 21 that cause the characteristics of Down syndrome. According to the National Down Syndrome Society, it will be possible eventually to improve, correct, and prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome. There is hope that in the future, the ongoing research on Down syndrome will lead to development of an intervention and cure (Nielsen, 2002 p. 61). Down Syndrome Statistics Down syndrome was the first intellectual disability described and is the most common genetic form of intellectual disability. Due to its frequency, the general-public is most aware of Down syndrome, and for many, it is the prototypical form of intellectual disability. Approximately 7000 infants are born in the United States each year with Down syndrome. In fact, Down syndrome accounts for approximately one-third of children in special education (Harris, 2005 p. 194). The condition is not attributable to any behavioral activity of the parents or environmental etiologies, although some research on environment counters such statement. The probability that another child with Down syndrome will be born in a subsequent pregnancy is approximately 1%, regardless of maternal age. However, a number of risk factors have been investigated, including geographic location, race, ethnicity, season of birth and environmental hazards; however, none of these have been found relevant to affect the occurrence of the said condition (Harris, 2005 p. 194). The incidence of trisomy 21 correlates strongly with increasing maternal age children of older mothers has much greater risk of having Down syndrome. Up to mid-30s, women have a constant risk of giving birth to a trisomic child of about one per 1000 live births. Incidence then increases sharply to 1 in 30 at age 45 years (Jobling, 2006). The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 800-1,200 live births. The risk of a mother having a second child with Down syndrome is 1% regardless of maternal age, unless the syndrome is associated with translocation of chromosome 21 (Rubin and Strayer, 2007 p. 190). Medical Model- Genetic Testing and Perspectives In general, Down syndrome samples and normal or other mentally retarded groups of similar mental or chronological age have been compared at a single point in time. Medical practitioner perceives the condition more of a genetic disorder than a pathological disease. Guided by the principle of naturalism and existence, the health care practitioners further view the person with Down syndrome in a biological means rather than the sociological and physical morphology in order to deliver the rightful care (Rogers and Coleman, 2002 p. 8). To some point of logic, these practitioners possess the capacity to analyze and predetermine the conditions of these individuals. Most often than not, medical field comprehends the totality of the Down syndrome’s behavior, attitude and perception towards their environment. However, the burden takes in since, the actual condition still possess no cure, but only therapeutic procedurals and pharmacologic therapy for symptoms. In addition, genetic preview is the prime intervention that they can do in order to prevent further progression of the condition, or the conception itself. Genetic tests involve laboratory analyses of chromosomes, genes, or gene products (enzymes of proteins) to detect a gene alteration that can be the etiological agent or is likely to induce a specific genetic disorder or condition. Genetic testing can be DNA- or RNA-based, chromosomal, or biochemical in nature and procedurals, which possess various advantage and disadvantages. Genetic tests are currently used to predict risk of disease, to screen newborns for genetic conditions, to screen pregnant women for risk of genetic conditions, fore prenatal or clinical diagnoses or prognoses, and to direct clinical care. The procedures of chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis are the primary genetic testing involved in the detection of Down syndrome (Jenkins and Lea, 2004 p. 75). Parental and Public Model: Perspective of Parents and Community One of the impending fears of the parents, especially the conceiving mothers, is to have their child born with abnormalities and conditions, especially those genetic in nature that usually possess no direct treatment. The anxiety that occurs to the parents is usually the conceptual urge that they might not be able to acquire a normal family with an abnormal condition of their child, such as those with Down syndrome (Harris, 2005 p. 194). The condition is permanent and, most likely, gradually modifiable accompanied by costly therapies and treatments. Such condition is very much frustrating and disappointing especially for the parents. Most often than not, families with Down syndrome patients view their child as an inactive, unproductive, and to the point of insignificance. In fact, they nurse and nurture the child until they serve their burden character in the family, which triggers further depression, anxiety and frustration among these parents. In addition, the fear of having another child or future conceptions may be affected if a Down syndromic child has been born in their lineage. The family expansion tends to be withdrawn and halted, or to the point of family breakdown (Place, 2007). However, such perception is not considered to be the overall established mechanism of Down syndrome child management in the family. Other informed and educated families, despite of their child’s condition, even enhances their child’s development, nurture the fad in which they are in, enhances social interaction, and further development (Harris, 2005 p. 194; Place, 2007). Although, some point of these procedures require costly services especially for special child care and affiliations to such institutions. Model Applications: Societal Perception towards the Condition Behaviorism, humanism, and sociological labeling are some of the theoretical concepts that govern the attitude of community over these individuals. As the condition of Down syndrome progresses, the impact of various historical evolutions on the disease progression has greatly influenced the society’s perception over these individuals. In the past, the occurrence of these conditions had been attributed to Mongolian–like appearance; hence, connoted as mongoloids (Rogers and Coleman, 2002 p. 8). However, this notion did not remain in the society, and soon after, it was also discarded. Behaviorism Theoretical Model Behaviorism is the theoretical concept that mainly focuses on behavioral patterns, motives, and actions of individuals towards other subjects. The concept played a major explanation for the occurrence of such community perception towards Down syndrome patients. The focus is on specific behavior, and the orientation is very much on the here and now. The basic principle underlying behaviorism is that all behavior is learned (Vito etal, 2007 p. 115). The fundamental behaviors are learned by operant conditioning and by imitation of other’s behavior. The condition of the learned behavior is strengthened by reward and avoidance of punishment or weakened by lack of reward and aversive stimuli. Whether a given behavior pattern persists depends on the differential reinforcement – the rewards and punishments attached to that behavior and the rewards and punishments attached to alternative behavior. In the past, children with the condition have experienced tremendous discrimination from their community. They have experienced social isolation due to the conditions of insurgence in behavior similarities. Community inscribed the conditions of these individuals as abnormals in the society; hence, validated by behavioral negativism, the abnormality viewed by the community has caused them to be discriminated (Harris, 2005 p. 194). However, such discrimination has been validated by the research conducted by Kliewer (1998) wherein literary discriminative behavior was proven if rightful or appropriate response towards such individuals. The methodology includes 10 students with Down syndrome that were examined for two annual periods. During the course of 2 school years, the research conducted tape-records of 45 observations and 12 interviews that resulted in 1,300 pages of field notes. The research reveled that the actual progression of condition does not affect the literary capacity of the individuals. In fact, the students have evidently manifested communicative directives over literary needs. Although, the researched behavior of these individuals have been validated to possess lesser response towards isolation (Kliewer, 1998). The unproductiveness and inactive character of Down syndrome patients have established the behavioral discriminative approach of the community towards these individuals. By the principle of operant conditioning, the community has instilled to their minds that such individuals are burdens of their families and of the society; hence, they are discriminated and not provided with equal rights. Humanism Theoretical Model Meanwhile, as the conceptual framework of humanism converges with the view of humanitarian help over such in-need individuals. The concept that prevails in Humanism is the value of human life itself, regardless of the person’s outward or inward status in terms of disease, financial nature, etc. As for this theoretical model, it depicts the equal rights of individuals to be imposed since, human beings are supposed to be valued above all else. The essential core of social environment should disregard the impairments of such individuals, and perceived them with equal view (Buckley, 2000 p. 9). The research of Appl (1998) has tried to validate possible benefits of Down syndrome in the enhancement of their societal relationships through adult-child interactions. The participants of the research include 26 families that possess at least one or more children with Down syndrome have been analyzed in a 10 years observation. The research has established inclusive criteria that require a family of complete members, particularly the parents, child’s age ranging from 7 to 15 years old, and validated assessment of capacity to properly deliver care for the individuals with Down syndrome. Meanwhile, the research also monitors the condition of 26 individuals with Down syndrome present in the orphanages with same age criterion to test any possible differences during span of growth. The methodology involves quarterly assessment of both mental, physical, and emotional stabilities of the subjects involved. Results revealed insignificant variations over the first 3 years; however, as the time pass by, behavioral changes and cognitive comprehension had increased on those individuals living in families. Such claim was validated through the use of paper and pencil exam that depicts simple picture identification tests, which revealed higher results ranging from an average score of 15 pts. out 20 pts. to perfect score. The score rating of family groups ranges from 14 pts. to 20 pts. with majority’s score of 17 pts. , while family groups of Down syndrome in orphanages revealed 9-13 pts. with 11pts. as the most predominant (Appl, 1998). Social Construction Theoretical Model Social model views disability as the result of a dynamic process involving complex interactions among biologic, behavioral, psychologic, social and environmental factors. The social model enables people with disabilities to look at themselves in a more positive way, which increases their self-esteem and independence. In addition, the model also advocates looking beyond a person’s impairment and functional limitation to all and equal participant in society (Brown et al. , 2006 p. 462). The model has been tested by the experiment of Gloria (2001) in the school setting in terms of Down syndrome children’s capacity to perform well in normal education firms. As opposed to the sociological labels implicated by the society over these individuals in terms of literary competence, and cognitive capacities most evidently in the past was validated by research of Gloria (2001). The procedure was supported by National Down Syndrome Society through the provision of list of affiliates all over United States as well as Puerto Rico. A total of 250 questionnaires were sent to those parents with and without child/children with Down syndrome that participated in the research. The design of the questionnaire contained four levels of questioning: 1) background experience of the teacher, including amount of teaching experience, knowledge of special education, and knowledge/attitude toward inclusion; 2) teacher preparation for inclusion by the district and/or parent, and the transition process of the student; 3) classroom information on curriculum used, class arrangement for instruction, and maintenance of therapies and support services; and 4) classroom management issues, including instructional and behavioral management strategies. The objective was to determine the methods that general educators felt effective or otherwise with the inclusion of children with Down syndrome in their general education classes. In addition, the survey aims to evaluate the education standards provided by the academic groups among Down syndrome patients, and consequent response (Gloria, 2001). The results of the surveys revealed that Down syndrome patients still posses the capacity to enter general educational firm (Gloria, 2001); hence, validating their capacity to outlive the discriminations implicated to them by the society. Such individuals still possess the capacity to enter and conform to human societal standards provided with proper, extensive and appropriate guidelines of modifications (Jobling, 2006). As with the research conducted, Down syndrome individuals may still possess the capacity to outlive their condition and live their life normally. The advantage of such model is the provision of probable humanitarian approach of equity towards these individuals. However, with the dynamic progression and varying capacity of Down syndrome individuals may compromise the claims of norm capacity, which is the prime disadvantage of the theoretical application. Further validation and research that conjure positive and similar results may prove the claims and validate the implicated statement. Summary and Conclusions As for the research arguments proposed in the study, the discriminative outlook of the society over these individuals is evidently negated. Down syndrome patients may possess actual evidence of defect yet the capacity to outlive and improve is still present among these individuals provided that proper guidance, upbringing, environment, and appropriate personnel are present in their social circle. As the behaviorist implies, the differentiation of the trisomic features and behavior have left these individuals discriminated, has been proven irrational in this research. The social label that such individuals are poor in cognition and developmental capacities has been negated by the humanistic approach of validation, which proves that enhancement and development among these individuals are still possible. References Appl, D. J. (1998, September 2). Children with Down Syndrome: implications for adult-child interactions in inclusive settings.. Journal of Research in Childhood Education , 64, 443-451. Reviews research on children with Down Syndrome, highlighting physical, medical, intellectual, language, and behavioral characteristics that provide valuable information for caregivers and teachers in planning and intervention. Reviews research on parent-child interactions, providing guidelines for caregivers and teachers working in inclusive settings. Suggests that interactions and environments must be adjusted to support the uniqueness of each child. Brown etal, S. P. (2006). Exercise Physiology: Basis of Human Movement in Health and Disease. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Designed as the principal text for undergraduate courses in exercise physiology and science, this unique and informative text combines general undergraduate material with vital clinical information not found in competing resources. Key content includes detailed coverage of muscle physiology as well as evidence-based clinical information that helps students link theory to practice. Questions and answers help students review core material and reinforce concepts essential to effective practice. Abundant tables, graphs, and full-color illustrations support the text. Buckley, S. (2000). Living with Down Syndrome. The Down Syndrome Educational Trust. Offers a person-focused introduction to Down syndrome. This book explains the effects of Down syndrome on development, stressing that while individuals with Down syndrome do have special needs, they are people first, with the same rights and human needs as everyone else in their communities.