Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The School As A Whole - 1814 Words

Overall it was determined that the school as a whole, was a failure, not due to the policies implemented by Maxwell, but rather due to the insurmountable challenges of overcrowding. Many schools held double sessions and a single classroom with one teacher often held 60 and occasionally up to 150 children. Students were forced to sit three to a seat and some students, usually immigrants were turned away. How well immigrants did in these schools depended on the importance placed on education by their parents. Jewish parents valued education highly and their children often thrived in the schools. Other schools, such as Italians, resented the fact that the schools tried to strip the children of their culture in their students often floundered. One Italian boy, Leonard Cavello, stated, â€Å"We soon got the idea that ‘Italian’ meant something inferior, and a barrier was erected between children of Italian origin and their parents. This was the accepted process of Americaniza tion. We were becoming Americans by learning to be ashamed of our parents.† The schools were improved by Maxwell, but some challenges were undefeatable causing the schools to fail. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century there was no set way of how to teach an English language learner. Some schools practiced bilingual education. Other schools placed immigrant children in the English language learner program and hoped they would learn. Other schools had segregated schools specifically for the immigrantsShow MoreRelatedEvaluation Of The Whole School Behaviour Policy968 Words   |  4 PagesFollowing the introduction of the whole school behaviour policy, it was also made compulsory for schools to include a system of rewards and sanctions (Elton, 1989, Steer, 2005; DFE, 2014; Payne, 2015). Within school X it was found that this system was based on the behaviourist principles of Skinners (1974) theory. The use of rewards and sanctions in school X consisted of positively reinforcing desirable behaviours and correcting negative behaviour through sanctions. The behavioural theory underlinesRead MoreWhat s The Whole Point Of School Uniforms?801 Words   |  4 PagesWhat’s the whole point of school uniforms? Do we really need to spend billions of dollars on them? Let’s express our style with the clothes and the colors we wear by getting rid of school uniforms! School uniforms make the school plain and we need to express our own style, make it colorful! School uniforms don’t change the way people act, and you can still bully others. Proponents say that school uniforms are an advantage on how to judge an intruder, but opponents say that school uniforms are a disadvantageRead MoreUnderstanding Of Fidelity Research As A Comprehensive Approach On The Whole School Whole Child ( Wswc ) Model And8040 Words   |  33 PagesPurpose The primary purpose for this document is to establish a shared foundational understanding of fidelity research as it pertains to the Whole School Whole Child (WSWC) model and create shared language for related concepts. Overview City Year has established the importance of fidelity, or program integrity, by including it in the FY12 Highest Priority Goals (HPG #1d). Fidelity has many nuances for a program being implemented in so many locations by so many providers with variable local conditionsRead MoreMy Life Of The Elementary School I Went Up A Whole New World849 Words   |  4 PagesAll throughout my life, I have had an interesting relationship with writing. As a child, my interests were more focused on reading than writing. In elementary school I fell in love with books. Initially I read simple children’s books, much like everybody else in my class, but it did not take long for my passion to drive me to read more difficult writings. Fiction books quickly became a replacement for any childhood toys. Instead of blocks or stuffed animals I would ask my parents for books. SinceRead MoreMiddle School Is My Home Away From Home For Three Whole Years1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe thought of leaving a known environment to walking into something completely new and different is overwhelming. Middle school was my home away from home for three whole years. Like many other incoming freshman students, I believe that a big fear is getting separated from the friends you grew up with. Yet, I understand that you meet new people and create more memories together which calms me down a bit. Another big fear/concern is being able to get to one class t o another quickly in order to arriveRead MoreThe National School Lunch Program Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesNational School Lunch Program began after the great depression. The government began to send farm commodities to schools in hopes of helping malnourished children. The National School Lunch Program provides nutrition to children across the United States. There are strict guidelines that school districts must follow to be eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What is wrong with school lunches? The monies received by school districtsRead MorePolices Affecting Student s Selection784 Words   |  4 Pages a food-based menu planning (FBMP), new procedures established for menu planning for Age/grade group categories. During implementation half of grains has to be whole grain-rich; two-year post implementation all grains has to be whole grain-rich (Public Law 113-179, 2011). The requirements for fruits at breakfast under 7CFR 220 schools must offer 1 cup of fruit daily and 5 cups of fruit weekly. Vegetables may be substituted for fruits, but the first two cups per week of any such substitution mustRead MoreThe Problem of Childhood Obesity638 Words   |  3 Pageschoices and to get moving. The British chef Jamie Oliver has created a website with a specific focus on improving school lunches. Olivers declared food revolution is designed to bring healthy food to schools and transform the way that America eats. His website provides suggestions for healthy, kid-friendly meals as well as information about the nutritional problems with school cafeteria food. Chef Alice Waters Edible Schoolyard Project details how to integrate community gardening and nutritionalRead MoreBenefits of Using the Phonics Method to Teach Children to Read1698 Words   |  7 Pagesmillion illiterate children and give them a chance to have a better life is by integrating a method to teach them how to read better. There are numerous ways to teach a child how to read. Yet most of the methods can be divided in two groups; the whole-language approach or phonics. There has been and still is a major debate about which method is best. The method that is the best strategy to teach children ages six-ten to read is phonics. Phonics teaches people to read by linking sounds with lettersRead MoreWhat The Therapeutic School Is And How It Came979 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Therapeutic School John Rice talks about what the therapeutic school is and how it came to be. In his article Rive talks about how there are four underlying course assumptions of therapeutic ethic. The first assumption is that â€Å"human nature is intrinsically benevolent, positive, and constructive.† By saying this Rice means that human nature is naturally good and positive. The second assumption that is made is that â€Å"cultural and societal repression of the self is the cause of virtually all

Monday, December 23, 2019

Modern Anti Cruelty Laws For The United States - 1647 Words

The rights of animals have been battled over for generations. Humans began t o domesticate animals such as dogs, goats, chickens, sheep, and beasts of burden between 10,000 and 18,000 years ago. Many people originally believed that because animals had no souls they also felt no pain; however, this belief changed as the study of animals increased. The first animal-protection law in western civilization was adopted in 1641; making it illegal to â€Å"exercise any Tirranny or Crueltie towards any bruite Creature which are usuallie kept for man’s use.† (7) In 1789, the English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, was the first to state that animals have rights. This concept was different from the belief that animals felt pain, in his claims animals deserved basic human rights. This new theory shook the foundation of many peoples belief in what animal rights truly is. In 1821, Maine became the first state to adopt modern anti-cruelty laws for the U.S.; every other state eventually passed similar legislation. It still wasn’t until the 21st century that lawsuits in the interest of animals became common. The animal rights movement has become most active in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Animal rights organizations have been using court systems to protect animals from being used in harmful activities, such as the agricultural industry and as being research subjects, in the belief that they have the same basic rights as all humans. Animals have been usedShow MoreRelatedAnimal Testing (Speech Outline)1200 Words   |  5 Pagesuntil half the test subjects died. brb. This example to me personally represents the epitome of cruelty by modern science toward animals. br br(Transition: Now that I have explained the cruel injustices of animals in the past, let us now look at how these problems are solved today.) br brII. One of the ways animals are now protected is through laws and organizations. br1. One such important law that was signed in 1966 was the Animal Welfare Act that regulates the treatment of animals in researchRead MorePolicy Identification And Explanation Of The Ag Gag Law1411 Words   |  6 PagesPolicy Identification and Explanation The policy I am researching is the Ag Gag law which was enacted in Idaho in 2014. Idaho code 18-7042 â€Å"INTERFERENCE WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION† states that a person commits the crime of interference with agricultural production if the person knowingly: is not employed by an agricultural production facility and enters an agricultural production facility, obtains records of an agricultural production facility, or obtains employment by force, threat, misrepresentationRead MoreAnimal Cruelty And Animal Abuse879 Words   |  4 Pages Animal Abuse is when someone hurts an animal or does not care for the animal responsibly. It’s against the law to hard or be cruel to animals. It’s also called animal cruelty. The topic is going to be over is animal abuse. There’s a lot of people against animal abuse. A lot of researchers try to find a way to stop animal abuse. The FBI is conducting an investigation to find out a way to serve justice to those that abuse animals. Animal abuse has been going on for a very long time now and it needRead MoreThe Fight Against Animal Testing1456 Words   |  6 Pagesthat has been around for thousands of years. Early Green philosophers such as Aristotle and Erasistratus performed experiments on animals as early as 384 BC (Hajar). Though the way animals are used in experimentation has varied over the years, the modern definition of animal is an experiment that deliberately harms a live animal (â€Å"What Is Animal Testing?†). Animals have been used for the purpos e of biomedical research and to understand anatomy all throughout history. Nowadays, some of the uses ofRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Animal Welfare Movement Essay1727 Words   |  7 PagesBritain with the passage stating an act in 1835 to consolidate and amend the several laws relating to the cruelty and improper treatment of animals. In 1911 the Parliament passed the â€Å"Protection of Animals Act, and it is still enforced currently. This policy was established while permitting humans to use animals as test subjects, but making animals suffer in this way is unnecessary (Guither, 1998). In the United States alone it is estimated that over twenty-six million animals are used for testing.Read More Animal Testing (speech Outline) Essay989 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This example to me personally represents the epitome of cruelty by modern science toward animals. (Transition: Now that I have explained the cruel injustices of animals in the past, let us now look at how these problems are solved today.) II.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the ways animals are now protected is through laws and organizations. 1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One such important law that was signed in 1966 was the Animal Welfare Act that regulates the treatmentRead MoreThe Debate On Animal Rights910 Words   |  4 Pagescreated in the image of God. The Greek philosopher Aristotle based his opinions on the idea that animals did not have the ability to reason and so they were below humans (Taylor, 2009). Rene Descartes, a French philosopher who is known as the father of modern philosophy, had a tremendous influence on the animal rights debate and his opinions are still being quoted today in papers and books on the subject. Descartes believed that man was linked to God through his mind which was separate from the physicalRead MoreAn American Ideal Of Equality Is Not An America At All.1501 Words   |  7 Pages An America without equality is not an America at all. The common American citizen would say that the definition of equality is; Equal rights among all people. Equality is also defined as the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability. A historical example that demonstrates the American ideal of equality is the court case Plessy Vs. Ferguson (1896). Plessy was arrested for riding in a white-only seat for being an African-American citizen riding inRead MoreModern Day Genocide1278 Words   |  5 PagesModern Day Genocide Humiliated, beaten, and neglected; an entire group of people are constantly under abuse. They must hide from their own government in fear of death. The citizens expose their neighbors in order to create a more perfect country. No documentation exists that outlaws the violence towards these people. Their leaders do not want to recognize that they have any existence. All of this is happening while surrounding countries sit idle and wait for a resolution to happen. When hearingRead MoreThe Jim Crow Laws Enhanced The Institution Of Racism1034 Words   |  5 PagesThe Jim Crow Laws enhanced the institution of racism in The United States. Reconstruction was meant to rebuild the South from the destructive Civil War and help integrate African American’s into the southern lifestyle. Instead, the Jim Crow Laws segregated colored people from white people and encouraged the discrimination of colored people. Subject to the pervasive reign of terror by the Klu Klux Klan, stripped of their political and civil rights by white state legislatures and white judiciaries

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Humman Cloning Free Essays

string(404) " begin with the arguments in support of permitting human cloning, although with no implication that it is the stronger or weaker position \* The possibility of human cloning, raised when Scottish scientists at Roslin Institute created the much-celebrated sheep â€Å"Dolly† \(Nature  385,  810-13, 1997\), aroused worldwide interest and concern because of its scientific and ethical implications\." * INTRODUCTION: The world of science and the public at large were both shocked and fascinated by the announcement in the journal Nature by Ian Wilmut and his colleagues that they had successfully cloned a sheep from a single cell of an adult sheep (Wilmut 1997). Scientists were in part surprised, because many had believed that after the very early stage of embryo development at which differentiation of cell function begins to take place, it would not be possible to achieve cloning of an adult mammal by nuclear transfer. In this process, the nucleus from the cell of an adult mammal is inserted into an ennucleated ovum, and the resulting embryo develops following the complete genetic code of the mammal from which the inserted nucleus was obtained. We will write a custom essay sample on Humman Cloning or any similar topic only for you Order Now But some scientists and much of the public were troubled or apparently even horrified at the prospect that if adult mammals such as sheep could be cloned, then cloning of adult humans by the sameprocess would likely be possible as well. Of course, the process is far from perfected even with sheep— it took 276 failures by Wilmut and his colleagues to produce Dolly, their one success. Whether the process can be successfully replicated in other mammals, much less in humans, is not now known. But those who were horrified at the prospect of human cloning were not assuaged by the fact that the science with humans is not yet there, for it looked to them now perilously close. The response of most scientific and political leaders to the prospect of human cloning, indeed of Dr. Wilmut as well, was of immediate and strong condemnation. In the United States, President Clinton immediately banned federal financing of human cloning research and asked privately funded scientists to halt such work until the newly formed National Bioethics Advisory Commission could review the â€Å"troubling† ethical and legal implications. The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized human cloning as â€Å"ethically unacceptable as it would violate some of the basic principles which govern medically assisted reproduction. These include respect for the dignity of the human being and the protection of the security of human genetic material† (WHO 1997). Around the world similar immediate condemnation was heard, as human cloning was called a violation of human rights and human dignity. Even before Wilmut’s announcement, human cloning had been made illegal in nearly all countries in Europe and had been condemned by the Council of Europe (Council of Europe 1986). A few more cautious voices were heard, both suggesting some possible benefits from the use of human cloning in limited circumstances and questioning its too quick prohibition, but they were a clear minority. In the popular media, nightmare scenarios of laboratory mistakes resulting in monsters, the cloning of armies of Hitlers, the exploitative use of cloning for totalitarian ends as in Huxley’s Brave New World, and the murderous replicas of the film Blade Runner, all fed the public controversy and uneasiness. A striking feature of these early responses was that their strength and intensity seemed to far outrun the arguments and reasons offered in support of them— they seemed often to be â€Å"gut level† emotional reactions rather than considered reflections on the issues. Such reactions should not be simply dismissed, both because they may point us to important considerations otherwise missed and not easily articulated, and because they often have a major impact on public policy. But the formation of public policy should not ignore the moral reasons and arguments that bear on the practice of human cloning— these must be articulated inE-4 order to understand and inform people’s more immediate emotional responses. This paper is an effort to articulate, and to evaluate critically, the main moral considerations and arguments for and against human cloning. Though many people’s religious beliefs inform their views on human cloning, and it is often difficult to separate religious from secular positions, I shall restrict myself to arguments and reasons that can be given a clear secular formulation and will ignore explicitly religious positions and arguments pro or con. I shall also be concerned principally with cloning by nuclear transfer, which permits cloning of an adult, not cloning by embryo splitting, although some of the issues apply to both (Cohen and Tomkin 1994). I begin by noting that on each side of the issue there are two distinct kinds of moral arguments brought forward. On the one hand, some opponents claim that human cloning would violate fundamental moral or human rights, while some proponents argue that its prohibition would violate such rights. On the other hand, both opponents and proponents also cite the likely harms and benefits, both to individuals and to society, of the practice. While moral and even human rights need not be understood as bsolute, that is, as morally requiring people to respect them no matter how great the costs or bad consequences of doing so, they do place moralrestrictions on permissible actions that appeal to a mere balance of benefits over harms. For example, the rights of human subjects in research must be respected even if the result is that some potentially beneficial research is made more difficult or cannot be done, and the right of free expression prohibits the silencing of unpopular or even abhorrent views; in Ronald Dworkin’s striking formulation, rights trump utility (Dworkin 1978). I shall take up both the moral rights implicated in human cloning, as well as its more likely significant benefits and harms, because none of the rights as applied to human cloning is sufficiently uncontroversial and strong to settle decisively the morality of the practice one way or the other. But because of their strong moral force, the assessment of the moral rights putatively at stake is especially important. A further complexity here is that it is sometimes controversial whether a particular consideration is merely a matter of benefits and harms, or is instead a matter of moral or human rights. I shall begin with the arguments in support of permitting human cloning, although with no implication that it is the stronger or weaker position * The possibility of human cloning, raised when Scottish scientists at Roslin Institute created the much-celebrated sheep â€Å"Dolly† (Nature  385,  810-13, 1997), aroused worldwide interest and concern because of its scientific and ethical implications. You read "Humman Cloning" in category "Essay examples" The feat, cited by  Science  magazine as the breakthrough of 1997, also generated uncertainty over the meaning of â€Å"cloning† –an umbrella term traditionally used by scientists to describe different processes for duplicating biological material. Historical Background: The history of human cloning human cloning is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating chapters of our lives. Essential question to be discussed to understand the ramifications of human cloning is when human life begins? C. Ward Kischer, a fa mous American embryologists, wrote in a recent article: â€Å"Since 1973 when Roe vs. Wade was won there were many socio-legal issues related to human embryo. Abortion, fertilization in vitro research on human embryos, research on stem cells, cloning and genetic engineering are substantive issues of human embryology†. The answer is clear embryology that life begins at fertilization of the egg by a sperm (sexual reproduction) or if the SCNT cloning, implantation and activation when the donor somatic cell nucleus into an egg recipient (asexual reproduction). (6) Although non-mammalian cloning was achieved in 1952, mankind had to wait another 44 years until he was finally cloned the first mammal. The first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep was born on July 5, 1996. In this fascinating history of cloning, there has been a major setback in 2003 when Dolly died at the age of 6 years. Death of the first cloned mammal, was followed by a lively debate related issues / ethical aspects of cloning, debate that continues today. Besides the successful attempts to clone the different species of animals, XX century was marked by several important moments in the development of the genealogy. Deciphering the success of DNA code in 1968 came as an enormous progress around much desired human clone. With nearly 20 years later, by 1988 the human genome, that genome Homosapiens stored in 23 pairs of chromosomes has been released. As things were headed becoming better by the appearance of a human clone, a major problem has become â€Å"human cloning prohibition act† in 2009, which has labeled as cloning illegal, immoral, not unethical activity. Since 2009, human cloning is illegal in 23 countries. So far, experiments were undertaken with five species of animals and the high rate of failure has given rise to many questions about human cloning success. Only 1% of animal cloning made so far have had a positive result, but most of them have suffered serious disorders. The conclusion of experts is that the current level of technology, human cloning is very dangerous. I discussed two types of human cloning: therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning involves cloning cells from an adult for medicinal use and is an active research area, while reproductive cloning would involve the creation of human clones. Therapeutic cloning could provide unique ways to cure diseases until now considered incurable: diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease. (1) The third type of cloning called replacement cloning is a possibility in theory and would be a combination of therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. Higher probability of achieving a therapeutic cloning is more accessible in terms of technique, but also less morally problematic. * Statement Of The Problem: * What is cloning? Are there different types of cloning * How can cloning technologies be used? * What Animal Haved Been Cloned ? * Can organs be cloned for use in transplants? * What are the risks of cloning? * Should humans be cloned? * How Human Cloning Will Work Cause And Effect: Ethics Ethical issues of human cloning have become an important issue in recent years. Many ethical arguments against human cloning are based on misconceptions. Many people think that these clones will have the same characteristics / personalities as the person cloned. Although clone and cloned individual have the same genes, traits and personalities are different. People think that a clone is physically identical to the donor and her behavior, but this is not true because although there is a physical identity, living environment shapes an individual’s ongoing behavior and psychology. Many people believe that cloning will lead to loss of individuality eventually, but people have their own personality cloned which personality is similar to those in which they were created. Lawrence Nelson, associate professor of philosophy at UCS, said that embryos can be used for research if: – the purpose of research can not be achieved by other methods;   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the embryos have reached more than 14-18 days of development;   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ those who use forbid you to consider or treat as personal property. One of the most serious problems of cloning of human embryos for therapeutic purposes, is that with harvesting stem cells, the embryo is formed by cloning practical killed. We can not reduce the existence of a human embryo to â€Å"a cell† as long as after both science and teaching of the Church, the human embryo is a carrier of life. 8) For a few years, the legalization of human cloning is in the center of global debate, which was also attended not only scientists but also politicians, philosophers, theologians, psychologists. For example, American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) has spoken out against cloning, drawi ng attention that some business people might think of trading a human life. (4) What is harder is that it could reach the reproduction of living people without them knowing, to be involved in this process or to give consent. Questions appeared on the social status of any clone. What will be their status in society? In the U. S. House of Representatives issued a ruling that human cloning is illegal, but the Senate has yet to rule on the matter. The opinions are still leaning toward accepting only therapeutic cloning. Legalization of therapeutic cloning has been proposed as the only way to investigate, the chances of success, the basic criterion for funding such programs as the primary objective should be finding cures for incurable diseases. A coalition of states, including Spain, Italy, Philippines, USA, Costa Rica and the â€Å"Holy Land† have tried to expand the debate on all forms of human cloning, noting that in their view, therapeutic cloning violates human dignity. Costa Rica proposed the adoption of an international convention to combat any form of cloning. Australia has banned human cloning in December 2006, but therapeutic cloning is now legal in some parts of Australia. European Union – European Convention on Human Rights prohibits human cloning in an additional protocol, but the protocol has been ratified only by Greece, Spain and Portugal. England – The British government introduced legislation to allow therapeutic cloning in a debate on January 14, 2001. Hope that parliament will pass the law was prohibitive. Roman Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI has condemned the practice of human cloning, saying it represents â€Å"a grave offense against human dignity and equality among the people. † Human cloning is prohibited in Islam at the Tenth Conference in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia has decided on June 28, 1997-July 3, 1997 as the beginning of human cloning is â€Å"haraam† (forbidden by the faith-sin). Jesse Rainbow explain why there is an aversion to human cloning – a clone would not be a â€Å"real person† – cloning is â€Å"playing the God† – cloning is not â€Å"natural† mention in closing some of the conditions proposed in a provisional list yet, so research on therapeutic human cloning (reproductive one is illegal) to proceed lawfully: it is necessary for embryos to be used only in the early stages of their development, without being allowed to grow further, all programs research must be supervised by government organizations dealing with fertilization and genetic techniques, various research programs will receive funding and approval only if it is scientifically demonstrated that there is no other way of obtaining the same results conventional, will not be permitted to research on human genetic material can be combined with that of animals, there must be a permanent state of public information on research undertaken and to be postula ted that the limitations may be required to report the experiences and suffering of animals used for human benefit. (5) How to cite Humman Cloning, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Funding of US Biomedical Research

Question: Discuss the contrast and compare the health care system of two different countries? Answer: Introdcution The variations present in the UK and US healthcare system are greatly depending upon the financial strength and political culture of individual country. The popularity of health care delivery system and financing is not only due to the worldwide necessity for healthcare, but also because of different style of care delivery systems and funding around the globe. Health care is considered as a popular topic for current and future generations, based on social and political culture. It is frequently seen that access to health care services is highlighted on news and other television programs, political promises and social group discussions. This implies that the people of the United States are coming nearer to insisting better reach to healthcare services (McCarthy, 2014). A general misconception is present among the American public that is the United Kingdom offers free health care services. In general speaking, the national health care services offer care services primarily based on the citizen taxation. The Americans consider augmented governmental involvements in the health care set up; hence, it is necessary to understand how this can be accomplished and its effect on the societies. According to Gass and Bezold (2013) information access, service quality and funding costs are the main components of health care system. The World Health Organization has stated that each and every individual should obtain care services without any economical constraint. According to the global health care service report, the UK makes the maximum spending in health care and social care services. The UK makes the maximum payment for nursing staffs, by providing work for almost 101nurses per 10,000people (Kumarasamy and Sanfilippo, 2015). The UK and the US have close cultural and historical ties, but in the context of health care, both these countries are considerably different. As they greatly differ from each other, both the countries can learn from one another to build up better sy stems and policies and thus develop health care service to their citizens. This paper will compare and contrast between the UK healthcare system and the US healthcare system. This paper will include organizational analysis, quality of individual system and funding (BBC News, 2015). The statements will be supported by proper evidence ad examples. The aim of this article is to identify the opportunities, advantages from relative strengths and correct or avoid limitations inherent in individual system. Body The UK health care system The Department of Health is said to be a government body accountable for the National Health Service in England. The objectives of The Department of Health involve overall improvement and wellbeing of the residents of England (Hollnagel, Braithwaite and Wears, 2013). This is accomplished by supporting, guiding and leading the National Health Service and the organizations associated with social care, to give high quality health services and to give options to the care consumers and importance to taxpayers. The US health care system The US health care services can be either private or either public. Public health care included a role of the government or the public. The government and public agencies offer health care in disease prevention, health promotion, reporting, communicable disease monitoring and control of the environmental factors, like: water and air quality and also public health data analysis. The UK funding An NHS care consumer when uses an NHS service, like: acute care trust, PCT etc, they use so without any cost. It is vital to note that the subsystems of NHS and associated providers obtain compensation for taking care of the NHS patients and the compensation is not obtained directly from the patients during treatment. NHS compensation is supported by general taxation. The NHS is made up of government employees, hence the provider compensation is generally in the form of bonus or salary and funding is depend on contract between the NHS and the provider (Head et al., 2014). It was estimated that there was 8.3% of total GDP expenditure was used on healthcare and public expenditure was 14.5% (Nhs.uk, 2015). This data represented that few occurrences are present where public do make a payment toward purchasing health care services and products. Few NHS services are not free. The health department enforces flat charges to NHS patients, for certain products, like optical, dental and pharmac eutical services and products. The US funding Many parties and entities are involved in sponsoring the US health care system. Almost 44% of health care GDP is paid out by the public or government funds and hence, almost, 56% of GDP associated with health care is paid out by private parties. Current data shows that health care expenses have reached almost US $2.8 trillion in the year 2011 (Dorsey, 2010). Due to this increase, it is vital for the US health care managers and US public to recognize how this care set up is funded to contribute to the clarification of this constantly rising problem. According to Hussey et al. (2004) one of the most special characteristic features of the US health care industry is its reliance on agency associations that is when individual party operates in support of another (Hussey et al., 2004). For example: a health insurance company works as a mediator for its member while dealing out compensations for health services. Third party payers give reimbursement for health care facility, whether its an employer group, a public plan or others. They pay for their members. The two agencies that are responsible for compensating for the healthcare services offered by the US are the patients and organizations. Conclusion Though the health care associated funding in the UK is controlled by the government and funding in the US is controlled by public and private agencies, both are only made achievable by public contribution. The basic differences are government involvement level and voluntary contribution versus mandatory taxation. The UK offers access to the health care services to all using an equally run health care delivery system to the United States, whereas, the US is facing economical burden. Hence, the US has significantly failed in offering Americans with reasonable healthcare services and instruction on the effect this has on the financial system. So, ultimately it can be recommended that the US health care system is more effective. References BBC News, (2015).NHS satisfaction 'risen significantly'. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-31018004 [Accessed 24 Mar. 2015]. Dorsey, E. (2010). Funding of US Biomedical Research, 2003-2008.JAMA, 303(2), p.137. Head, M., Fitchett, J., Holmes, A. and Atun, R. (2014). Funding healthcare-associated infection research: a systematic analysis of UK research investments, 19972010.Journal of Hospital Infection, 87(2), pp.84-91. Hollnagel, E., Braithwaite, J. and Wears, R. (2013).Resilient health care. Farnham, Surrey, UK England: Ashgate. Hussey, P., Anderson, G., Osborn, R., Feek, C., McLaughlin, V., Millar, J. and Epstein, A. (2004). How Does The Quality Of Care Compare In Five Countries?.Health Affairs, 23(3), pp.89-99. Kumarasamy, M. and Sanfilippo, F. (2015). Breaking down silos: engaging students to help fix the US health care system.Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, p.101. McCarthy, M. (2014). Health system report ranks UK first, US last.BMJ, 348(jun17 25), pp.g4080-g4080. Nhs.uk, (2015).What is NHS continuing healthcare? - Health questions - NHS Choices. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2392.aspx?CategoryID=68 [Accessed 24 Mar. 2015].

Monday, November 25, 2019

An Inspector Calls Essay Example

An Inspector Calls Essay Example An Inspector Calls Essay An Inspector Calls Essay Essay Topic: Literature An Inspector Calls is a murder mystery written in the form of a play set in 1912 and is written by J. B. Priestly. It revolves around one family of a high social status the Birlings. The play begins with the family celebrating the engagement of their daughter, Sheila, to a man called Gerald Croft. Their celebration is interrupted by a call from an Inspector, making inquiries about a young girl called Eva Smith who has just died from swallowing a large amount of disinfectant. The Inspector then begins to question each member of the family to uncover their part in Evas death. Priestly uses each character, including the Inspector, to teach the audience very important life lessons both individual and collective responsibility. An Inspector Calls has been called a modern day morality play because Priestly uses his characters to represent the many different people in the world and tries to bring them all together in a family unit to teach them a very important lesson. The lessons learnt can be applied to everyones daily life, regardless of their status/situation and the lesson is one of moral values. This lesson is learnt through the Inspector and Priestly reinforces his main message through the layout and language of the play e. g. the dramatic irony, plain irony and varied characters making sure that everyone can identify to at least one and perhaps learn a lesson from them. Priestlys main theme of the play is that we are all responsible for each other and we all have to think about our actions and what effect they will have on others. This is shown mainly through the parts that each family member play in the death of Eva Smith. Although not entirely to blame, each family member in some way contributed to her death. Even Gerald, one who is not yet in this family, was entwined in a web of immoral behaviour and deceit. Priestly uses each member of the family to represent characters in society. It is in this way that he attempts to enforce the message of responsibility because one is able to identify with at least one character or see it from their point of view. He chooses a family of high social status to bring about another important theme high social status does not necessarily equal good moral and ethical values. The Birlings represent one such family. Mr Birling is used to represent an upper class head of the family, whose main philosophy on life is that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself. The very fact that Birling believes one must look after himself is in complete contrast with the theme of the play collective responsibility. Priestly uses this contrast to teach Birling a lesson and to show the audience how wrong he is which will in turn prove the latter theory. Birling is also particularly preoccupied with social status. He is very conscious of the fact that people have an opinion of him and his family and that social status equals respect within the community. Any threat to his and his familys reputation must be quickly dealt with and covered up. This is shown clearly from his statement Ive got to cover this up as soon as I can in reference to the fact that it has emerged that his son, Eric, has stolen a considerable amount of money form his account. This is also in some way connected to another one of Priestlys themes social status does not equal good morals Eric stealing money, especially from his father. Also, when it is revealed that Mrs Birling too played a part in Evas part, a part that was cruel and malicious, Mr Birling does not seem to even acknowledge what she did was wrong in the slightest. His only words on the matter are, when this comes out at the inquest it isnt going to do us much good. The Press might easily take it up The part in which Birling played in Evas death is the fact that, after a dispute over wages (Eva and various other girls working in the factory wanted a small yet significant pay rise), Birling fired her leaving her penniless and homeless. Birling refuses to accept any responsibility in Evas death because he is not able to see how his firing her could in any way cause her death. The Inspector answers with the following, What happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events. This statement sums up all of the familys involvement in her death they were all responsible in part and all contributed to her suicide. Upon hearing this Birling adds some more philosophy Still I cant accept responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody wed had anything to do with, it would be very awkward. The last part of his philosophy, it would be very awkward wouldnt it, shows that not only can he not see how he contributed to her death (evident from the whole of his speech) but he finds it quite difficult to take responsibility for anything. He is simply not bothered in what happens to others. This shows how difficult it has become for him to accept those of lower status than himself (he thinks of Eva as just another girl who comes under the heading of cheap labour whom he is able to exploit). Even after the rest of the family is questioned and it becomes clear that his sacking of Eva did play, however small, some part in her death, he is unable to accept responsibility. The Inspector later questions Sheila and it emerges that she too played a part in Evas death. After two months of desperation, without work and unable to buy food or pay for accommodation, Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton and managed to acquire a position in a shop called Millwards. Her run of bad luck did not end here. She then got fired from this shop because Sheila got her fired. Sheila was shopping with her mother in Millwards where Daisy worked and, against the advice of her mother and the assistant, tried on a dress, which did not suit her. Sheila thought that she caught sight of the assistant and Daisy smiling at each other in the mirror as if to say doesnt she look awful. Sheila was very embarrassed by this but what made it worse was the fact that when Eva held the dress up to herself it suited her very well. Sheila also says she was very pretty too with big dark eyes which didnt make it any better. This proves that Sheila was very jealous of Daisy, and in her rage she went to tell the manager that if they didnt get rid of the girl, Id never go near the place again and Id persuade mother to close the account with them. Daisy therefore lost her job on account of Sheilas jealousy and anger. This is an example used by Priestly to demonstrate another theme. He is beginning to show that people who are of higher social status, e. g. the Birlings, are far more influential than those of a lower social class but this is not necessarily a good thing. Sheila used her high status to get Eva fired but Eva did not deserve it. The Inspector comments on this with the statement, You used the power you had, as the daughter of as good customer and a man well known in the town, to punish this girl just because she made you feel like that. Sheila later concedes and feels extremely guilty about the fact that she did indeed contribute to Evas death. Erics character is used by Priestly to show that people of a high social status do not necessarily have the correct morals. Erics part in Evas death is in some ways more prominent than either Sheilas or Mr Birlings. After being fired from Millwards, Eva, with no other choice, seemingly acquired the position as a prostitute. When it is mentioned later, in the presence of Mrs Birling, that Alderman Heggarty, someone who is thought of as being of high social class was seen at the Palace Bar, Mrs Birling is very shocked perhaps suggesting that it is not a very respectable place so why would a seemingly respectable man be seen there? Eric refers to Eva as not being the usual sort with reference to the people that went to the Palace Bar. He says that he supposes she didnt know what else to do, implying already that Eva was in such a desperate situation possibly caused by Mr Birling, Sheila and Gerald. Eric is considerably drunk at the bar (something which were learn from Sheila is not uncommon) and later that evening, after buying her several drinks, sleeps with Eva. He returns to the Palace Bar on another occasion and again sleeps with Eva. He refers to her as a good sport but not someone whom he truly cared for. He treated Eva as an object. Eva later found out that she was pregnant and told Eric about it. Eric proposed marriage but Eva refused on the grounds that she knew that Eric did not really care for here. Eva had no job and did not know what she was going to do. Eric insisted on giving her money, which he stole from his father, and eventually Eva refused to take anymore after she found out it was stolen. They never saw each other again. Eric is used also as a contrast with Eva. Priestly depicts two people, both from different backgrounds and of very different social status, and both with very different morals. One expects the person from a high social status to have very good morals and to be an upstanding citizen. It is in fact the opposite in this situation. Eric gets drunk a lot and frequents places, which are deemed inappropriate to those of high social status (see Mrs Birlings comment above). He presumably sleeps with many women whom he does not care about and, although his intentions were good, steals from his father. Eva on the other hand, someone of a low social status, is the one who has the better morals. As soon as she finds out that Eric stole the money she refuses to take anymore. Unlike many girls in her situation she tries to make the best of her lot, she tries to get help. This proves that you cant trust what is on the surface and it proves Priestlys idea that status does not equal morals. Eva seeks help from the Brumley Womens Charity Organisation, a charity set up to help the unemployed, homeless or ill. Money was given to deserving causes. Mrs Birling is the chair of the charity. Charities such as the BWCO had to be set up because at that time in Britain (1912) people had no Welfare State to rely on as they do today. Theses charities were the only help available. Mrs Birling was approached by Eva who asked her for help because she was homeless, penniless and pregnant. Mrs Birling refused. She was annoyed at Evas refusal to tell the name of the father (who happened to be Mrs Birlings son, Eric) and at her gross impertinence which was quite deliberate. Eva called herself Mrs Birling. Mrs Birling admits that it was her influence that got Evas case refused. Mrs Birling simply did not like her impertinence or manner. She says that she is not ashamed of her behaviour and does not feel that she has done anything wrong. This is surely not true as she hid the fact that she knew Eva and only admitting knowing her after much pressure from Sheila. Mrs Birling is used to again show that people of a high social status do not necessarily have the correct morals, and like, Sheila, used her influence to get Evas case refused. Although they both contributed to Evas death in similar ways, Sheila is quick to admit she is wrong and feels extremely guilty whereas Mrs Birling feels absolutely no compassion or remorse. She states, she was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her positions and I dont suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girl of that class Both the endings of these two statements show that Mrs Birling has absolutely no compassion and is simply not bothered with those of a lower class. When asked by the Inspector who she blamed, she says not only the girl but also the father. Mrs Birling is very naive and acts quite idiotically as she implicates Eric. Sheila and the Inspector both realise this, clear from where Sheila begs her mother to stop. Mrs Birling does not realise that by the way she is talking she is getting her son into more and more trouble. This is one of various occasions where Priestly uses dramatic irony. We, the audience, realise the full impact of Mrs Birlings speech and how she is unknowingly convicting her own son. Dramatic Impact is used at the end of Mrs Birlings speech, at the end of Act Two, which ends with Eric entering the house and both the Inspector and Sheila, as well as Mrs Birling, looking apprehensively towards the door as Sheila begs her mother to keep quiet. Later on, after the departure of the inspector, Mrs Birling claims that she was not fooled by the inspector and did not succumb to his ability to draw out information, which is a blatant lie. The Birlings son, Eric, is used by Priestly to show two main themes of An Inspector Calls. Eric shows, through sleeping with Eva because she was a good sport and through stealing money, that people of a high social class do not necessarily have the better morals. We can also see from the different morals of Eva and Eric she not accepting stolen money that a lower social class does not equal worse morals and visa versa (according to Mrs Birling and public opinion Eva have worse morals) and Eva has in fact got better morals than Eric! It also shows how dysfunctional the Birling family actually is: a family with such a high social status and an abundance of wealth does not equal good family life. Mr and Mrs Birling were totally oblivious to Erics drinking problem as well as his social exploits. Eric could not even go to his father for help in his time of trouble. When Mr Birling asks him why he did not come to him for help he replies, Because youre not the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble thats why. He also says to his mother, You dont understand anything. You never did. You never even tried. Priestly uses dramatic tension in this part of the play to show just how separate the family is. We even see Mrs Birling displaying some signs of distress, something quite unusual for her. Eric, nearly at breaking point, accuses Mrs Birling of killing Eva and killing her own grandchild. Mrs Birling cannot bear to hear this and tells Eric, in her desperation, that she did not know, she didnt understand. This is perhaps why towards the end of the play we can see a clear divide between the children and the parents. Mr and Mrs Birling have a problem facing up to their responsibility and cannot bear to hear they were wrong. This can be seen from the way in which Mr and Mrs Birling try to silence Eric and especially Sheila when they talk about assigning blame and guilt. Eric is used in conjunction with Sheila to show a further theme of the play how opinions of the young and old can also be incorrect. After the inspector leaves, the audience is left to see who will actually take heed of his warnings and listen to his very important message. It is, in fact, Eric and Sheila, not Mr and Mrs Birling who learn a lesson. They are shocked at their parents blatant disregard of the blame for Evas death. Immediately after the departure of the Inspector, Eric has an argument with his parents. Mr Birling is furious with Eric because he has caused a public scandal and therefore most probably ruined his chances of a knighthood. He is not annoyed with Eric over his treatment of Eva; after all that has gone on his social status is still his main priority. Eric replies by saying that the knighthood is not important and that he too is ashamed of his parents. Mr Birling says that there is every excuse for what both your mother and I did. Sheila cannot believe this response. She intervenes and says that she knows she behaved badly and she is ashamed of it but now her parents are acting as if nothing has happened. This shows Sheilas maturity and her willingness to learn from what occurred. It is quite clear that neither Mr nor Mrs Birling has taken a lesson from what has gone on. In fact Mr Birling says nothing muc h has happened. How can he not realise that he was to blame in some way for Evas death and see that it is his jaded outlook on life that has caused it? This not only shows the moral difference between the children and the parents but a distinct difference between young and old. It would normally have been thought that the older generation would learn more and not the children but this shows it is the opposite and that perhaps hope for the future rests on the younger generation. The Inspector is one of the most important characters in the play, with regards to conveying the message of both individual and collective responsibility. His role is to examine what really goes on behind the apparent respectability of the middle/high class prosperity; behind the fai de they are uncaring and corrupt. The Inspector can be seen as either a figment of the familys imagination, perhaps a culmination of all of their fears combined (social disgrace, the assignation of blame), hence the name Goole a play on the word ghoul, meaning ghost or phantom. He is there to test their conscience, or as someone, who although is not a real inspector, is there to show them that they are acting in an irresponsible and immoral way. Either way, the inspector is able to cunningly entice all of the information from the other characters, which is necessary to implicate them in the death of Eva Smith. From the moment the Inspector entered the Birling house the atmosphere changed he creates an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness he speaks carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addressed before actually speaking. The Inspector is used by Priestly to represent the voice of conscience in us all. He strikes the Birlings individually and is also connected with the mystery of time recurrence Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future and time future contained in past. This quote by T. S Eliot is prominent in the play itself and is demonstrated by the Inspector who shows that all of our actions whether in the past or in present time in some way help to shape our future or in fact our present. The actions of all of the Birling family, actions which took place in the past time, have now contributed to their future the Inspector coming, the possible realisation that they have done something wrong, the social implications. The Inspector has as much of an impact on the audience as he does on the Birlings themselves. This is especially with regards to his final speech before he leaves the Birlings. He has just shown each character that they were in some way to blame for the death of Eva Smith and now, before leaving, makes a final speech, which incorporates all of the lessons they should have learnt. In his speech the Inspector mentions each of the characters in turn, redefining their role in the death. He seems to be less harsh towards Sheila perhaps because of her evident shame and despair at what she has done. The last part of the Inspectors final speech is formidable and forbidding. A lot of repetition is used to reinforce the message that we are all responsible for each other regardless of social class/status. He says quite clearly that although one Eva Smith has gone there are millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We dont live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. This last sentence is in reference to First World War, which Priestly experienced. The Inspectors message is a symbol of the general need for society to avoid being too satisfied and unaware of other peoples hardships and to act against future disaster e. g. WW1, brought on by arrogance, greed and indifference towards others. After this dramatic speech, perhaps the most dramatic in the play, the Inspector leaves the Birling house. The audience are left with a sense of fear and realisation at what the Inspector has just said and also with suspense to see whether the characters have learnt their lesson. It is clear immediately after the Inspector leaves that Mr and Mrs Birling have missed the whole point of the Inspectors visit. They are still preoccupied with social status: Mr Birling comments to Eric that theyll be a public scandal. Sheila is quick to assign blame to herself showing that she has taken on board what the Inspector has said. Eric launches into an attack on both his parents saying that they are as much to blame as anyone, and he too is ashamed of his own behaviour. Soon there is heated tension this heated tension within the household that shows both a clear divide between parents and children, perhaps the difference between young and old and the ability to accept change and that they have done something wrong. It also shows that with all of the revelations everything has changed relationships have been turned upside down and the children feel that it is not necessary to show such a great respect for their parents anymore. Instead of focusing on the tragedy, they blame each other. Although the children do accept what they have done wrong, the tendency to assign blame shows that they have not fully understood what needs to be changed. This is especially prominent with Eric.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Natural Sci 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Natural Sci 3 - Essay Example Finally, it will present a conclusion based on the data gathered and present recommendations for people who will try this test in the future. More often than not, people avoid cockroaches or try to kill or repel them, mainly because they carry disease and germs, and the fact that many people either find cockroaches disgusting, or are afraid of them. This is why these people spend money on insecticides, repellants, exterminators and other chemicals and gadgets for the purpose of getting rid of cockroaches. As commonly known, cockroaches are attracted to food, and are often found in dark confined places of the home. These cockroaches that we see are actually only a small percentage of the actual number of cockroaches in your home. According to an article by extension.umn.edu, â€Å"Cockroaches are nocturnal, hiding during the day and becoming active at night. The number of cockroaches people see is usually a small percentage of a much larger population.† And this means that ther e are definitely more cockroaches in your home than you expect. ... It will break down the pre-experiment and post-experiment information as such: Project design plan Problem Statement Relevance of the study Review of related literature Experimental design Dependent, independent and controlled variables Threat reduction to internal validity Hypothesis Post-experiment data analysis Data collection method Graphs and charts of the data collected Interpretation of results from the data collection Conclusions and recommendations Project design plan Problem Statement The problem that this paper aims to test is if the pandan plant is effective in repelling cockroaches from food. This paper aims to test the effectiveness of an all-natural, inexpensive, low-maintenance and non-toxic alternative for repelling insects. This paper will use a scientific style of experimentation in order to determine if the pandan plant is effective at repelling cockroaches. Relevance of the study This study aims to test the effectiveness of the pandan plant in order to determine if it can be used as a good alternative for electronic or chemical insecticides or repellents. This study is significant to several people and groups such as: Homes and families If proven, this natural alternative can help homes and families reduce the number of cockroaches in their home without having to spend so much money and avoid the danger of chemical repellants. This also gives families the ability to secure their food and rooms from cockroaches and the germs they bring using a low-maintenance method. Schools This gives schools the opportunity to keep their students secure and safe from the disease brought by roaches and keep their facilities from being infested by the roaches using a natural and low-maintenance

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Employee Monitoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employee Monitoring - Essay Example 1). What U.S. employers can do, and what they should do to maintain a productive workplace, may be two different things. The short-term gains of increased security and perceived productivity can lead to long-term losses in employee morale and greater health care costs from stress and injury -- concerns that also have costs associated with them. This paper will examine the issues of employee monitoring, particularly regarding computer and Internet behaviors, to see whether these policies are good for business. Developments in legal thought and workplace application will be tracked from two early and often-cited cases, Shoars v. Epson No. SWC 112749 (Cal. Super. Ct. 1990) and Smyth v. Pillsbury Co., through a recent case that would seemingly demand an employer's duty to monitor in Doe v. XYC Corp NJ. Super., A-2909-04T2. outside the workplace" (Kizza & Ssanyu, in Weckert, 2). As workplace computer and Internet use increase, so does monitoring of those activities. Correspondingly, more software is now available and affordable for employers to monitor everything from e-mail use to downloading activity to keystrokes per hour, which the authors say has made the monitoring behaviors more evasive and intrusive. Sales of e-mail monitoring software alone have jumped from $139 million in 2001 to an estimated $662 million this year, according to International Data Corp. (Wakefield, para. 1). Historically, emplo Historically, employee monitoring evolved from production line supervisors standing over and watching line workers to ensure they remained on task and tally sheets to record work output. In its early days, Ford Motor Co. would send investigators to inspect employees' homes and finances to determine if they were worthy of the company's profit sharing options (Lewis 21). Employers have long been concerned about employees' non-work-related telephone usage, both in terms of time and long distance costs. Video surveillance in work areas has long been a matter of fact, to protect both employer and employee interests. Drug testing became an issue first for public transportation employees in the 1980s and now many companies require pre-employment screening. Credit, criminal record and other background checks and psychological testing are also common, especially during the interview and hiring stages. Author Frederick S. Lane III, in his book The Naked Employee: How Technology is Compromising Workplace Privacy, explains that businesses are knowingly taking a risk when they implement monitoring policies. They are balancing the cost in time and dollars of surveillance and in lowered morale against the potential returns. "The bet is that the investment in increased surveillance will pay off by reducing employee theft and sabotage, increasing productivity, preventing lawsuits, avoiding violent incidents in the workplace, and preventing terrorist attacks" (11). Early computers were hardly worth worrying about, Lane notes. But the advent of Windows technology and the Internet give plenty of diversions, from solitaire games to shopping. Necessary Evil Employers have legitimate concerns for monitoring employees behavior beyond productivity measures. Security issues range from protecting trade secrets to safeguarding confidential customer data. Excessive use, particularly in downloading

Monday, November 18, 2019

The impact of Korean TV dramas on Taiwanese consumers Annotated Bibliography

The impact of Korean TV dramas on Taiwanese consumers - Annotated Bibliography Example The paper also shows how globalization has affected the consumers in Taiwan (Chih, & Yang, 2008). The article is reliable because it establishes its conclusions on a research from the field; participants were asked to fill survey questions both online and offline. The study has also used a variety of references, but there is no clear conclusion in the paper. The author narrates how Korean television soap operas have influenced Taiwanese students’ preferences for various clothing. Hsu has found out that varying frequency of watching the soap operas influence students’ preferences for clothing differently (Hsu, 2012). Students prefer various clothes based on the attention they attract, period, and motivation to purchase such attire. The researcher’s conclusions are based on real data from nine hundred and thirty seven students of Taiwan. The paper has also used sufficient references, but the author has failed to include a literature review section in the discussion. The literature review would help to show the previous clothing purchase behavior of students in the country. Kim, S., & Wang, H., 2012. From television to the film set: Korean drama Daejanggeum drives Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Thai audiences to screen tourism. The international communication gazette 74 (5). 423-442. This paper discusses how a Korean drama known as Daejanggeum influenced Taiwanese consumers to travel to South Korea to watch the drama live at Daejanggeum Theme Park (Kim, & Wang, 2012). The article also gives an account of behavioral changes among the consumers. The authors have used simple language and numerous resources, and they have based the discussion on a research in which consumers participated by filling in questionnaires. However, the findings of the article are based on responses from consumers belonging to different

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Sainsburys Supermarket Consumer Analysis

Sainsburys Supermarket Consumer Analysis A super market is the One-Stop-provider of almost all the day to day basic necessities of any regular consumer in the given market industry. These necessities include the food items, drinks, toiletries, household stuff etc. Hence all you need to run your houses daily. These supermarkets have now further developed themselves by providing clothings, shoes etc. One of the leading names in the UK supermarket industry is Sainsburys. J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsburys (also Sainsbury and JS); this is the third largest chain of super stores in the United Kingdom with a market share of 16.3%. The groups Head Office is located at Holborn in Central London. 1.2. Operations: Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury along with his wife Mary Ann in London and then gradually grew to become the largest grocery retailer by 1922. The company has a chain of stores with 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores, hence a total of 872 stores in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, including Hypermarkets (super large stores- Sainsburys stores- main plus), Sainsburys Central and Sainsburys local (supermarket and local convenient stores format main mission). The company has been eyeing the opportunity of expanding its business outside the UK. Especially the hyper potential in Asia (especially South East Asia and China). By analyzing Tescos huge success in the market outside UK, Sainsburys venture might not be far away. The Sainsburys family has 15% shares of J Sainsbury plc (as of May 2008) The major family shareholder is Lord Sainsbury of Turville holding 5.83% and Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover who holds almost 3% of the companys shares. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index (July 12, 2010http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburys) In this report we have analyzed Sainsburys on the basis of its financial performance through Studying its last 2 years financials Making necessary observations Comparing its financial performance with the market leader Tesco Commenting on the strengths and weaknesses as interpreted through their figures / ratios etc. Calculating the WACC for Sainsburys Keeping in view the over saturated industry of supermarkets, it was needed that Sainsburys should venture into something new to increase its profit margins and gives the companys portfolio some diversity. A new project suggesting that Sainsburys should open its Sainsburys Travels and Tours has been discussed and a formal report which analyzes the idea and calculates the projects NPV has been approved by the board and given a go ahead. A format for quarterly report has been suggested for business updates of the new project every quarter. Market Position. The Sainsburys is the UKs oldest major food retailer with their first store opened in 1869. It strives to keep up with its trusted heritage of quality with best services. The management has a continuous approach towards work with responsibility. They attempt to provide fresh food and innovate with respect to customers needs. It serves over 18.5 million customers every week. The large stores offer over 30000 products along with complementary Non-Food products e.g. the TU clothing range which has over 1 million transactions every week. Along with other services, an Internet based shopping service has also been made available, keeping in trend with the changing requirements o the customers, to almost 90% of UK households. In 1995, Tesco overtook Sainsburys to become the market leader, and Asda became the second largest in 2003, demoting Sainsburys into third place. (July 12, 2010http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburys) (http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=12) 2. Sainsbury Financial Structure and Performance: Sainsburys is the 3rd largest UK super market with Tesco and Asda as its closest competitors holding positions as No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Presently Sainsburys is operating in 872 stores across UK with 150,000 employees Sainsburys closes its financial year in the third week of March every year. The tools used are the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash flow statement with the Notes to the Financial Statements. The financial analysis of any company helps determine the financial standing of the company and helps in making decisions and plan future strategy and projects on its basis The financial figures show a reasonable increase in sales. The gross profit showed a decline from 2007 to 2008 but is again on increasing trend in 2009. Balance sheet shows growth in goodwill and shares and decrease in the borrowings. This might have been due to increase in the interest rates. Cash flows show a significant increase in cash in hand which shows the company is stably liquid to handle its operations smoothly. Also the increase is due to sale of its stores. 2.1. Comparison with Market Leader Tesco: 2.1.1. Ratio Analysis: Ratio analysis of any company provides very important information regarding the companys financial standing, financial strengths /weaknesses. They are calculated to compare a companys progress against other rivals of the industry as well as its previous performance. The ratios measure The profitability of the business The Performance The quality of companys performance A companys ability to meet the short term obligations A companys debt burden Value of business / Investment 2.1.2. Management: Tesco is the market leader in UK supermarket industry holding almost 31% of the market. The 1st Tesco store was opened in 1929, in Edgware, Middlesex, UK. Since then it has gradually grown in to being the largest supermarket chain in the UK with almost 2200 stores in UK with over 285,000 employees. Since the mid 90s S, Tesco has been investing in new markets overseas, finding new opportunities for growth and means of generating long term returns for shareholders. The group operates in 13 markets outside the UK, in Europe, Asia and North America, and also announced their entry into the Indian market last year, where they are planning to establish cash carry business. 2.1.3. Financial strength: Both Sainsbury and Tesco have strong balance sheets, equipped with tangible real estate assets. This collateral allows them to borrow at lower rates and generate cash through sale-and-leaseback schemes if required. Both the companys are operating in a saturated market. Sainsburys almost 90% of revenue is consumed in COGS leaving from 5% to 6.5% in lieu of gross profit margin and even the other expenses are insignificant comparatively still the company is left with 1.5% to 1.9% of net profit. For Tesco, the situation is not very different from Sainsburys. Here the gross profit margin is 7% which is a little better from Sainsburys. The current ratios and Quick ratios of both the companys are below 1 which is not a healthy trend. In order to obtain any finance the company should have a stable solvency indicator. The debt ratio indicates that how much of the firms assets are being financed by the debt. Both the companys show a stable debt ratio of 20% to 30%. The debt to equity ratio measures the risk involved in investing in the particular company. Sainsburys shows an acceptable debt to equity ratio of almost 50% but Tesco comparably has a huge debt to equity ratio of 91 which might be because of its full throttle expansion in international markets. Most financiers analyze the company balance sheet before making an investment decision. The prime motive to check if the companys Capital Gearing is right. Capital Gearing is the relationship between Equity and Debt. It is always considered good for a company to have a reasonable Equity base to a business, as insurance against unexpected losses. This is to minimize the risk as much as possible. If a company has a Gearing of no more than 50% 67% of their Gross Assets from Debt, depending on the risk associated with the business, it is considered acceptable. The higher the gearing, the more vulnerable the company is to the impact of increased interest rates. Tesco and Sainsbury both show a sound gearing and though Sainsbury is more healthier to be invested upon, Tesco as well is well within the Good Gearing Grounds The interest coverage of both companys show a very healthy standing to meet their interest payments deadlines. http://www.financesoutheast.com/ From above comparison it is clear that retail industry is highly saturated and it is nearly impossible for the companies to earn super profits. Effective cost control techniques need to be applied and monitored on regular basis to improve profitability. Sainsburys have improved turnover at a rate of 5.5% a year. Profits have grown even faster; increasing by 6.7%. Tesco has a little edge based on earning slightly higher profits and showing rapid growth. Both the companies need to improve upon their debt structuring, especially Tesco and hence gradually improve their liquidity ratios. 2.1.4. Growth potential: So far, Sainsburys has only concentrated on its business in the UK while Tesco has increased its operations in 14 countries. But we should not conclude that Sainsbury is lacking in growth opportunities. Sainsburys has two procurement offices in China but again no one is sure as to when Sainsburys will be able to achieve increased growth and improved profit margin without international expansion. Sainsbury has performed well by adding innovative non-food products and banking services, but competition is tough and increasing in these areas, too Tesco, on the other hand, may have more growth opportunities in progressing Asian market and elsewhere, but its also a much bigger entity than Sainsbury. For example, during last one year Tesco had  £56.9 billion in turnover as compared to  £19.9 billion for Sainsbury. Sainsburys has been concentrating on UK store expansion rather than overseas growth. It has increased the total number of stores from 583 in 2004 to 872 today. Today, Sainsburys need to emphasize on its domestic growth and increase its store efficiencies, which is not an easy task, but it is more achievable than managing and controlling a group of international locations with diverse tastes and demands. http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/strategy/international/ http://www.fool.co.uk/news/investing/company-comment/2010/07/16/a-foolish-fracas-sainsbury-vs-tesco.aspx 3. Weighted Average Cost of Capital: Debt Equity 2,357 (Long term debt) 18.64m (shares) * 345 (share price) = 6,431 3.1. Equity: No. of shares outstanding: 1,864 (m) Current market price per share: 345 Market Value of equity: 1,864 * 345 = 6431 http://www.google.com/finance?q=LON:SBRY http://www.digitallook.com/companyresearch/10079/Sainsbury_(J)/share_prices.html http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/rates-bonds/government-bonds/uk/ http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=23 We calculate the cost of equity through Dividend Growth Model Which is Ke = [Do (1 + g) / (MV-Ex Div)] g Where Ke = cost of equity Do = Dividend given = 14.20 (pence) MV = Market value = 345 (pence) Ex. Div = Ex Dividend = 10.20 (pence) g = growth rate = 7.6% Cost of equity: [14.20(1+0.076) / (345 10.2)] 0.076 Ke = 12.11% 3.2. Debt: Book value of Debt: 2,135 1,074 @ 4.98% 861 @ 2.36% 171 @ 4.25% 251 @ 4.3% Kd = 3.90% http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar10/downloads/pdf/Sainsburys_AR10_note_20_borrowings.pdf 3.3. WACC: V K V * K Debt 2357 3.90% 9192 Equity 6431 12.11% 77879 Total 8788 87071 Sum VK / Sum V = 87071 / 8788 = 9.91% 4. Project: 4.1. Opening up of Sainsburys Travel and Tours: Sainsbury has always aimed to be the consumers first choice for food, delivering quality products with great service at a competitive cost. The company is striving to achieve the objective of leading margins with diverse market and delivering strong profits every year. The values of Sainsburys are defined in their website as The values of the Sainsburys brand passion for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food, our focus on delivering great products at fair prices, a history of innovation and leadership and a strong regard for the social, ethical and environmental effects of our operation have continued to stand the test of time. Five principles are at the core of Sainsburys business: The best for food and health Sourcing with integrity Respect for our environment Making a positive difference to our community A great place to work. These principles provide differentiation from our major competitors and define and direct all our activities. http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=14 Keeping the tradition of the best services, the management has decided to venture into the ever growing market of Travel and Tourism industry with opening up of Sainsburys Travels and Tours. The idea of opening up a Travel Services business branch of Sainsburys is based on the news of Sainsburys opening up its Travel Clinics in mid 2008. The clinics were established in outlets initially offering free consultation with nurses offering different injections and health products with advise for people travelling to countries requiring vaccinations and immunization from infections like flu, malaria etc. These products were offered at significantly cheaper prices than in any specialist clinics. http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/resources/industry-news/general-travel/sainsbury-s-launches-travel-clinics-in-21-of-its-supermarkets/a-3-143-1264/ The Sainsburys Travels and Tours will provide the company to excel and achieve its strategic goals on the basis The supermarket industry has become fairly saturated in the UK and at present Sainsburys is eyeing to expand itself in the International market but it will be a while before it actually does. The Travel industry is a growing market and has a huge potential of growth. The new product will benefit the company earn huge profitability margins which are becoming hard to achieve I the supermarket industry. The Sainsburys has a huge loyal customer base which will be utilized for promotions and marketing purpose. The project has a high probability of success given a chance of a fresh new product offered by a supermarket chain. The company will use its existing huge customer base for the travel services marketing and promotion. The existing nectar loyalty card database will help the management to design the product, offerings, travel and tour packages as per the preferences. 4.1.1. Project Description and Key Elements: The project will have a Head Office (With the existing HQ of Sainsburys at Holborn Circus, London) have initially total 3-4 rooms allocated. The HQ office will have 7 employees. Initially only limited stores and selected cities will be setup with the Sainsburys Travels and Tour Desk with one person behind the counter. The Six major cities (with respect to area / population) i.e. London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff covering the whole of UK will be set up initially for kick off of the Travel and Tour Services. 10 stores in London and 5 stores in the remaining cities will be setup for providing the services. Each of these cities will have a team of 2 people, 1 within the store premises (as mentioned above) and the other for monitoring and reporting purpose. The number of employees will gradually be increased as per requirements with the project evolvement. http://www.ukcities.co.uk/populations/ 4.1.2. Initial Investment Cost: Initial Investment Cost Cost of IATA Membership (http://www.iata.org/membership/Pages/fees.aspx) 33,500 GPB Total Staff 27 Computers http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/iip_notebooks?c=ukcs=ukbsdt1l=ens=bsdCID=41142LID=1069631DGC=ST 650 * 27 = 17,550 GBP (including VAT and Delivery) Server http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=c=ukcs=ukbsdt1l=enoc=PE2T610Rs=bsd 2,800 GBP (including VAT and Delivery) Software http://www.britishsoft.co.uk/?gclid=CMmGudvPgaMCFSU_lAodWH6Zdg 940 GBP (including VAT and Delivery) Total Initial Cost 54,790 GBP 4.1.3. Other Costs: Type of cost Cost Amount Remarks Salary for 1st year 450,000 Inc. of 7.5% each year Brochures / Stationary / Equipment 20,000 Inc. of 10% each year Marketing Budget 250,000 Inc. of 15% every year 4.1.4. Assumptions: We assume that Sainsbury will initially target the high spenders from its customer database and target them for the promotions and marketing materials (leaflets etc.) Initially the holiday packages and tours will be offered for 5 big holiday destinations including Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Barbados and Spain. The packages the calculations are based include a general deal for 4 people for 7 days. The holiday packages for these destinations cost as follows (based on holiday packages offered by Expedia. Destination Price for Customer (average) http://packageholidays.expedia.co.uk//tt.aspx Actual Cost (with Sainsburys profit margin @ 24 (Price 24%) http://www.thomascookgroup.com/annual-reports Egypt 1150 (GBP) [ 286.5 GBP per person] 874 GBP Turkey 728 (GBP) [182 GBP Per Person] 553 GBP Tunisia 1200 GBP [ 300 GBP per person] 912 GBP Barbados 3120 GBP [780 GBP per person] 2371 GBP Spain 1000 GBP [ 250 GBP per person] 760 GBP We assume that Sainsbury will succeed on selling on 110 of these above mention packages for each country. Annual Revenues will be 718900 GBP We assume that annual revenues will increase by 12% (2% more than the average growth in Sainsburys revenues which is 9.4% given the growth potential in the industry) Operating cost will include the salaries of the employees, day to day business running expenses etc. since we are sharing the premises of existing Sainsburys stores and HQ so there will be no extra operating cost except the salaries. As per the National Statistics Online, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is at 3.2% and the Retail Price Index (RPI) is at 5.0%. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=19. The growing inflation rates have a direct negative effect on the customers ability to spend on leisure and holidays. Although consumers have gradually developed this sense of planning ahead and saving for their Holidays. Effective Tax rate of 28% is applied. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/corp.htm 4.2. Identification of Risk and Uncertainty: In any new project, one is never sure about 100% results. If the project is based on Risk then we might expect somewhat certain results based on previous data. The cash flows based on Risk might be forecasted and the associated possibilities are also known but in case of uncertainty the outcome is unknown and hence the related probabilities are also unknown. A study conducted with a few managers showed that they think risk is manageable if you have right information, sufficient knowledge about the project, and if the person is experienced in the particular field. Most of them stressed on the importance of alternatives, collecting more information and checking different aspects of the problem, along with being actively involved to reduce the risk.. (IAENG International Journal of Computer Science, 32:4, IJCS_32_4_12) It is the attempt to manage both the known-unknowns and unknown-unknowns. Preparation for and managing the risk is the result of what is unsure and unknown-decision risk. 4.2.1. Affects of Risk and Uncertainty on proposed project: Lets consider the following aspects while making decision based on risk for the Sainsburys Travels and Tours What can go Wrong? The Sainsburys already has an established huge no. of loyal customers who would be happy to have an option o a different kind of service offered from their trust worthy service provider. The expectation for a stable turnover is based on the fact that it is an established name offering a new product on the basis of its goodwill. How likely it is to happen? The expected growth can be effected by increasing inflation rates. The Travel Industry faced a huge blow after 9-11 incident. What are the consequences? Any unforeseen incident like this (God forbid) will have long lasting effects on the companys growth, profitability and future expansions and plans. http://www.robustdecisions.com/decision-making-tools/risk-vs-uncertainty.php 5. Calculation of NPV: NPV is a technique where cash inflows which are expected in comming years are discounted back to their present value. This is calculated by through a discount rate equal to the interest that was to be received on the sums, in case the inflows had been saved, or the interest that has to be borne by the firm on the borrowings. In case of more then one project appraisal, the firm should choose the one that produces the highest NPV. 5.1. Sainsburys Travels and Tours Expected Cash Flows (for 3 years): The project has a positive NPV which is a healthy sign for the project. It can be proceeded with. The project is going to be beneficial for the company and add to the shareholders value. A positive NPV means that the project is worthwhile because the cost of tying up the firms capital is compensated for by the cash inflows that result. http://www.bized.co.uk/timeweb/reference/using_experiments.htm 6. Quarterly Report Format: As per the requirement of the board every quarter a report has to be sent for updated performance and progress information. The report has to serve the purpose of giving a complete up to date data to be analyzed by the board. A company analysis gives a complete performance and financial picture of the company. The report should include all the data necessary to quickly compare it with the major competitors. 6.1. Reporting Layouts: The report will be in Excel sheet format. The Information provided will be in different excel sheets in the same document each covering a preceding quarter to give convenient comparisons Title of the report: Sainsburys Travels and Tours Addressed to: Date: from -/-/- to -/-/-: Date of submission: Submitted by: 6.1.1. Holiday Packages Bookings: 6.1.4. Comparison of Actual and Forecasted performance: The calculation of the Sainsburys Travels and Tours project NPV has been made by going through the three years forecasted figures of the company which show that it is progressing towards a high performing entity with reasonable growth in profit. Although with the growth of the company eventually it will require to use more resources in term of offices, employees, equipment, marketing budget etc. but the current performance clearly suggests that it will very strongly bear all the changes and keep on showing a steady growth. 7. Conclusion: Sainsburys is one of the key players of the existing supermarket industry in UK. This report gives an overview of its performance during the last couple of years, dealing with the financial figures we have tried to analyze the financial standing and strength and the comparison with the main market leader Tesco gives a fair idea of both the companys approach towards business. Although Sainsburys has not yet ventured into the International market but the step might not b that far away keeping in mind the huge success TESCO has had in the international market. Sainsburys has a huge loyal customer base. The suggested new service product through Sainsburys Travel and Tours will provide these customers to utilize yet another trustworthy service by their trusted name. The growing Travel and Tours market will definitely have a positive effect on the Sainsburys portfolio by increasing its profits and hence strengthening its business.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Friday :: Germanic Mythology Language Essays

Friday Every Monday at work, I hear people complaining that they wish it would be Friday already. Everyone waits for this last day of the working week with excitement and eagerness. Friday represents the completion of the week, and at the same time, the beginning of the weekend. The origins of the word "Friday" take their roots from Norse mythology, when this day signified rejuvenation, and at the same time loss, death or completion. In various cultures, this day has numerous meanings and is perceived both positively and with anxiety. The meaning of Friday was preserved through centuries, and today we still use the pagan name of Friday as well as pagan names for other days of the week in the English language. Friday has come a long way from the Anglo-Saxon frigedaeg or from the Old High German Freyja, a goddess of love and fertility. In Germanic mythology Freyja was portrayed as the goddess of youth, beauty, and sexual love. She was married to Odur, but he left her to travel around the world. Afterward, Freyja was depicted weeping, and her tears were drops of gold. Freyja's most famous possession was her necklace, Brising ("necklace of the dwarfs"), given to her by the dwarfs in exchange for her having sexual intercourse with them. Often in myths Freyja is accused of having sexual intercourse with many men and gods. Also Freyja is known as a patron of married couples and "is very fond of love ditties, and all lovers would do well to invoke her," according to the Prose Edda (Mercatante 264). However, besides being the patron of marriage and goddess of fertility, Freyja is portrayed as the goddess of battle and death. She claimed half of the dead warriors killed in battles and received them in her realm of Folkvang. Odur, her husband, received the other half of warriors at Valhalla. The fact that Friday was held sacred to this goddess of fertility and death signifies that inhabitants of ancient England perceived this day as the beginning and at the same time as the completion of their weekly activities, or possibly life. Although in various cultures the meaning of Friday differs, there are numerous similarities, which can be traced down to the common source. In Norse mythology, where paganism dominated religious and cultural settings, Friday was considered to be the day of love and a good day to put a beginning to various activities such as farming or a conception of a child.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Child Labour Should Be Banned Essay

For many of us it is hard to imagine what it would be like growing up, having to work from the age of five and not being able to go to school. ‘Child Labour’ is defined by the United States Department of Labour (DOL) as ‘the employment of boys and girls when they are too young to work for hire; or when they are employed at jobs unsuitable or unsafe for children of their ages’ It is not something we are too familiar with ourselves, living in a wealthy country, but the fact is that there are many Third World countries out there where the economy and living conditions are so bad that children have to work in unsuitable and unsafe situations. There are certain charities that help, but that it is. Not enough is being done to stop child labour. It is very wrong and should be banned thought out the world and looked at as a disgrace. Figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that 218 million children aged between five and seventeen are involved in child labour worldwide. That means globally one in six children work. This is an extremely large number. Around 150 million of the 218 million are involved in what is know as ‘worst forms’ of child labour, which include work such as forced labour, slavery and sexual exploitation. Many are forced to work without access to the toilet or drinking facilities – this is against human rights. Child labour of course is different through out the world. Financial it may be necessary for a family to send their children to work to then be able to get food. Sometimes it can even be a situation of life and death if a child in a family does not work. Other times it may be in the families’ ethic work where the children have to help. Either way, it is not good enough. Children should not have to work.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Cloud Services Go Mainstream

Case Study 3. 4 – Salesforce. Com: Cloud Services Go Mainstream 1. How does Salesforce. com use cloud computing? Salesforce. com provides customer relationship management and other software applications using the software-as-a-service business model over the Internet. Cloud computing, also known as on-demand computing, eliminates the need for a business to make large up-front hardware and software investments and reduces the time to implement new programs. Subscribers to Salesforce. om don’t have to purchase or maintain any hardware (albeit personal computing devices) nor do they have to install any special operating systems, database servers, or application servers. Other than the monthly user subscription fee, businesses reduce their licensing and maintenance fees. Users access the Salesforce. com cloud through a standard Web browser or a mobile handheld device. Businesses using the Salesforce. com’s cloud have an easier time scaling their system as they increa se or decrease their workforce – they adjust the number of subscriptions to the cloud.Salesforce. com offers some customization of its software so a business can adjust the software to unique business processes. It offers three types of clouds: Sales cloud, service cloud, and the custom cloud. The sales and service clouds help businesses improve sales and customer service. The custom cloud provides a venue for customers to develop their own applications for use within the broader Salesforce network. 2. What are some of the challenges facing Salesforce as it continues its growth? How well will it be able to meet those challenges? Challenges include: Increased competition both from traditional industry leaders and new challengers hoping to replicate Salesforce’s success -Expanding its business model into other areas -Ensuring the system is available 24/7 with no outages -Defending the system against security breeches Salesforce is answering the first two challenges by pa rtnering with Google and combining its services with Gmail, GoogleDocs, Google Talk, and Google Calendar to allow its customers to accomplish more tasks via the Web . Salesforce. comand Google both hope that their Salesforce. com for Google Apps nitiative will galvanize further growth in on-demand software. By partnering with Apple, Salesforce. com can expand its applications to iPhone users who will have access to their data anywhere any time. Through its partnership with Amazon. com, Force customers can tap into Amazon. com’s cloud computing services that can handle â€Å"cloud burst computing† tasks that require extra processing power or storage capacity. Salesforce opened up its Custom Cloud (also known as Force. com) application development platform to other independent software developers and listed their programs on its AppExchange.The company introduced a development tool for integrating with Facebook’s social network that allows customers to build appli cations that call functions at the Facebook site. Small businesses can go online and download software applications, some add-ons to Salesforce. com and others that are unrelated. In order to grow its revenues to levels that industry observers and Wall Street eventually expects, Salesforce will need to change its focus from selling a suite of software applications to providing a broader cloud computing â€Å"platform† on which many software companies can deliver applications.To ensure system availability, Salesforce. com provides tools to assure customers about its system reliability and also offers PC applications that tie into their services so users can work offline. 3. What kinds of businesses could benefit from switching to Salesforce and why? Small to medium-size businesses are probably the most likely ones to switch to Salesforce. com because of cost factors and the lack of having in-house resources to provide the same level of computing capacity.Businesses that are tr ying to increase the sophistication of their computing capabilities could also benefit from switching to Salesforce as long as the two are compatible. Businesses that rely on smart customer management would benefit greatly from using the tools available at Salesforce. com. Also companies that have small sales and marketing teams can benefit from the software-as-a-service business model. 4. What factors would you take into account in deciding whether to use Saleforce. com for your business?Businesses should assess the costs and benefits of the service, weighing all people, organization, and technology issues. Does the software-as-a-service application integrate well with the existing systems? Does it deliver a level of service and performance that’s acceptable for the business? Does the SaaS fit with the business’ overall competitive strategy and allow the company to focus on core business issues instead of technology challenges? 5. Could a company run its entire busine ss using Salesforce. com, Force. com, and App Exchange?Explain your answer. Depending on the type of business, a company probably could run its entire operations using Salesforce. com, Force. com, and App Exchange. All four major functional areas of a business are supported: Sales and Marketing, Manufacturing and Production, Finance, and Human Resources. There are dozens of applications available to fully support all of these areas. It would be a matter of integrating the software from Salesforce. com and App Exchange with any existing legacy systems within the business.