An Analysis Of Financial Structure And Transaction Cost Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1876 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? In an economy, the financial structure is designed promote economic efficiency. One of the main requirements for a healthy economy is an efficient financial system that channel funds from savers to investors. The financial structure of a country includes a complex structure of financial system including many different financial institutions: banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, stock and bonds markets, etc. which channel the money from the people who save to people with investment opportunities. (Mishkin 169) Basic Facts about Financial Structure According to Mishkin, There are eight basic puzzles that we need to solve in order to understand how the financial system works.(Mishkin 169-172) Stocks are not the most important source of external financing for businesses. Issuing marketable debt and equity securities is not the primary way in which businesses finance their operations. Indirect finance, which involves the activities of financial intermediaries, is any times more important than direct finance, in which businesses raise funds directly from lenders in financial markets. Financial intermediaries, particularly banks, are the most important source of external funds used to finance businesses. The financial system is among the most heavily regulated sectors of the economy. Only large, well-established corporations have easy access to securities market to finance their activities. Collateral is a prevalent feature of debt contracts for both households and businesses. Debt contracts typically ar e extremely complicated legal documents that place substantial restrictions on the behavior of the borrower. Financial structure depends on two factors: transactions costs, and information costs. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An Analysis Of Financial Structure And Transaction Cost Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Transaction Cost Transactions costs influence financial structure. They are major problems in financial markets and are too high for ordinary people. Financial intermediaries-help in reducing transaction costs and allow small savers and borrowers to benefit from the existence of financial markets. One solution to the problem of high transaction costs is to package the funds of many investors together so that they can take advantage of economies of scale. (Economies of scale exist because the total cost of carrying out a transaction in financial markets increases only as little as the size of the transaction grows.) They also develop expertise to lower transactions costs and provide investors with liquidity services. Fig.1. A Comparison of transaction cost between various countries Source: The Financial Express. Indian Securities Market Has Lowest Transaction Cost; Malaysian Highest. Business News, Finance News, Stock Market, World Business, Financial Markets News Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2010. In the chart above we can see that the securities market in India has emerged as the lowest cost market among all these countries. According to a study by market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi), transaction cost in this market is 40 bps . The second lowest cost market is Hong Kong, which has a transaction cost of 43.03 bps, while the Malaysian market with transaction cost at 97.50 bps is the highest. Among the other markets where cost of transaction is comparatively higher with respect to Indian markets is Thailand (60 bps), USA (64.60 bps), Singapore (75.50 bps) and Australia (81 bps). These transaction cost includes various components like brokerage, regulators fee, custody charges, clearing charges and levies like stamp duty. Asymmetric Information: Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard Asymmetric information is a situation that arises when one partys insufficient knowledge about the other party involved in a transaction makes it impossible to make accurate decisions when conducting the transaction. The presence of asymmetric information leads to adverse selection and moral hazard problems. Adverse Selection Adverse selection is an asymmetric information problem that occurs before the transaction. Potential bad credit risks are the ones who most actively seek out loans. Because adverse selection increases the chances that a loan might be made to a bad credit risk, lenders might decide not to make any loans, even though there are good credit risks in the marketplace. Moral Hazard Moral hazard arises after the transaction occurs. The lender runs the risk that the borrower will engage in activities that are undesirable from the lenders point of view because they make it less likely that the loan will be paid back. Because moral hazard lowers the chance that the loan will be paid back, lenders may decide that they would rather not make loans. The Lemons Problem: How Adverse Selection Influences Financial Structure The Lemons Problem arises when investors cant distinguish between good and bad securities, and are willing to pay only average of good and bad securities value. The result is that good securities are undervalued and firms wont issue them; whereas bad securities overvalued so too many are issued. So, Investors wont want to buy bad securities, so market wont function well. According George Akerlof, ÂÂ  Information asymmetry occurs when the seller knows more about a product than the buyer. ( Akerlof 3) Tools to Help Solve Adverse Selection (Lemons) Problems Methods of elimination of asymmetric information Private Production and Sale of Information Furnishing the people who supply funds (lenders) with full details about the individuals or firms seeking to finance their investment activities (borrowers). Private companies who collect information from the firms balance sheets and investment activities publish the data and sell them to subscribers. For example: SP or Moodys Free-rider problem interferes with this solution The free-rider problem occurs when people who do not pay for information take advantage of the information that other people have paid for. Government Regulation to Increase Information The government regulates the securities market in a way that encourages firms to reveal honest information about themselves so that the investors can determine how good or bad the firms are. For example, annual audits of public corporations. Financial Intermediation A financial intermediary becomes an expert in producing information about firms, so that it can sort out good credit risk form bad ones. Banks can also avoid free-rider problem. It is making private loans Banks are more important in the financial systems of developing countries When the quality of information is better, asymmetric information problems will be less severe. Also the larger and more established a corporation is, the more likely it will be to issue securities to raise funds. Collateral and Net Worth Collateral reduces the consequences of adverse selection because it reduces the lenders losses in the event of a default. Lenders are more willing to make loans secured by collateral, and borrowers are willing to supply collateral in order to get the loan and at better rate. Net worth (equity capital), the difference between a firms assets and its liabilities, can perform a similar role to collateral. How Moral Hazard Affects the Choice between Debt Equity Contracts Moral hazard is the asymmetric information problem that occurs after financial transaction takes place, when the seller of a security may have incentives to hide information and engage in activities that are undesirable for the purchaser of the security. It has important consequences for whether a firm finds it easier to raise funds with debt than with equity contracts. Moral Hazard in Equity Contracts: The Principal-Agent Problem The Principal-Agent Problem is the result of separation of ownership by stockholders (principals) from control by managers (agents). Managers act in own rather than stockholders interest because the managers have less incentive to maximize profits than stockholders-owners do. The agent is hired to act on behalf of (and in the best interests of) the principal (Silver). C:UsersChrish_naDesktopPrincipal_agent.png Source: (WGA update: the not-so-basic economics of industrial action) In the figure above it can be seen how the Principal-agent Problem treats the difficulties that arise under conditions of incomplete andÂÂ  asymmetric informationÂÂ  when aÂÂ  principalÂÂ  hires anÂÂ  agent, such as the problem of potentialÂÂ  moral hazardÂÂ  andÂÂ  conflict of interest, in as much as the principal is most probably hiring the agent to pursue its, the principals, interests. Various mechanisms may be used to try to align the interests of the agent in cohesion with those of the principal, such as piece rates/commissions,ÂÂ  profit sharing,ÂÂ  efficiency wages,ÂÂ  performance measurementÂÂ  (includingÂÂ  financial statements), the agent posting a bond, or fear of firing. The principal-agent problem is found in most employer/employee relationships, for example, whenÂÂ  stakeholdersÂÂ  hire top executives ofÂÂ  corporations. Tools to Help Solve the Principal-Agent Problem Production of Information: Monitoring One way for stockholder to reduce this moral hazard problem is to monitor the firms activities through different monitoring process such as auditing and checking what the management is doing. Government Regulation to increase information Governments have laws to force firms to adhere to standard accounting principles that make profit verification easier. They also impose stiff criminal penalties on people who commit the fraud of hiding and stealing profits. However, these laws and regulations are not fully effective. It is not easy to catch the fraudulent managers because they have incentives to make very hard for government agencies to find or prove fraud. Financial Intermediation Financial intermediation has the ability to avoid the free-rider problem in the face of moral hazard, and this is another reason why indirect finance is so important. Debt Contracts Debt contract is an agreement whereby the borrower pays the lender a fixed amount at periodic intervals. As long as the lender receives the agreed amount, he does not care whether the firm is making profit or suffering a loss. How Moral Hazard Influences Financial Structure in Debt Markets Even with the advantages over equity contact, debt contracts are still subject to moral hazard. Because a debt contract requires the borrower to pay out a fixed amount and lets him keep any profits above this amount, the borrower has an incentive to take on investment projects that are riskier than the lenders would like. Because of the potential moral hazard, lenders may not make the loan to the borrower. Tools to Help Solve Moral Hazard in Debt Contracts Net Worth and Collateral When borrowers have more at stake because their net worth is high or collateral they have pledged to the lender is valuable, the risk of moral hazard will be reduced . Monitoring and Enforcement of Restrictive Covenants Restrictive covenants are directed to reduce moral hazard either by ruling out undesirable behaviour or by encouraging desirable behaviour. Financial Intermediation: Banks and other intermediaries have special advantages in monitoring. Financial intermediaries-particularly banks- have the ability to avoid the free-rider problem as the make primarily private loans. Private loans are not traded, so no free-rider problem exists. Conclusion A healthy and vibrant economy requires a financial system that moves funds from people who save to people who have productive investment opportunities. A proper financial system makes sure that the hard-earned savings of people get channeled to productive investors. There are powerful economic concepts that enable us to explain features of the financial system, such as why financial contracts are written as they are and that the financial intermediaries are more important than securities markets for getting funds to borrowers. The economic analysis of the financial structure also explains about how financial intermediaries are important for small investors to invest their money and help in reducing the transaction costs, these financial intermediaries also enable small investors to diversify their portfolio and minimize losses. It also explains about the risks involved when borrowers borrow money from various markets such as the Debt and Equity markets and also teaches us the tools and techniques to minimize losses due to these risks.

Macbeth and Othello Essay - 2866 Words

Macbeth and Othello â€Å"Upon my head they plac’d a fruitless crown And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, Thence to be wrench’d with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding† (Macbeth, III.i.62) â€Å"Renew I could not like the moon† (Timon of Athens, IV.iii.68) What distinguishes Macbeth and Othello from other tragedies is the fact that their protagonists are neither fathers nor sons, mothers nor daughters. We know nothing of Macbeth or Othello’s parents, and neither of them has children. Lady Macbeth makes a passing reference to having once â€Å"given suck† and to â€Å"how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks [her]† but never returns to the subject, and in any case, what remains impressed in one’s memory is the line that†¦show more content†¦Similarly, Desdemona is very distinctly no longer her father’s daughter: she has severed ties with him and no longer feels obliged to associate herself with him or define herself in terms of him, to the point where she claims she â€Å"would not [in her father’s house] reside to put [her] father in impatient thoughts by being in his eye† (I.iii.241). She is only â€Å"hitherto [his] daughter† (183). It is also interestin g to note that the only mention of her mother is made in this passage—we have a brief glimpse of her mother â€Å"preferring [Brabantio] before her father† (186) before she vanishes again into obscurity. That said, what is much more striking is Othello’s complete lack of parentage. After all, one might argue that in Desdemona’s case cutting herself off from her father is acknowledging that she has one. In the case of Othello, there is no mention of a father, a mother, not even a glimpse of a past family. We hear of his past conquests and victories, the battles in which he has fought and the seas he has sailed, but there is no personal history or any sense that someone came before Othello, that he is connected to anything less ephemeral than a list of battles. â€Å"The story of [his] life from year to year† is depicted in terms of â€Å"battles, sieges, fortunes that [he has] pass’d† rather than parentage (I.iii.128). The same holds true forShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Macbeth And Othello1075 Words   |  5 Pagessimilarities. Mainly, Macbeth in Macbeth and Othello in Othello are ultimately the exact same person, despite being different peo ple in different environments. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth and Iago are similar in relation to the two main characters. First off, it is paramount to explore the secondary character’s personalities to emphasize their similarities. Shakespeare depicts Iago as having an insatiable lust for power. He uses Desdemona, oblivious to his plan, to trick Othello to ultimately have whatRead MoreEssay on Comparison: Macbeth and Othello1908 Words   |  8 PagesShakespeare presents the tragedies, Macbeth and Othello as plays filled with plots driven by manipulation. Shakespeare uses the power of language in the characters Iago and Lady Macbeth by using influential rhetoric to sway those around them and also lead to the deadly downfall of Othello and Macbeth. In both of their cases, Shakespeare reveals the power of power because when things do not go according to plan, their own downfall is inevitable as well. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s actions show that womenRead MoreHuman Weakness in Macbeth and Othello2915 Words   |  12 PagesMacbeth is one of the best known plays written by Shakespeare in the 17th century, Jacobean period. It was the period where the belief in supernatural was greatly held and king James I himself, the author of Divine rights of king adhered in witchcraft and openly practiced the idea of kings being God’s representatives on earth, so to even complain about them was a sin. The tragic hero, brave and valiant Macbeth had all the required characteristics of the ideal Scottish soldier; valorous and gallantRead MoreEssay about Comparing Macbeth and Othello1019 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Macbeth and Othello A masterful playwright and poet named William Shakespeare in the Seventeenth century wrote both the tragedies Macbeth and Othello. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the idea of one character becoming both victim and villain is introduced. Macbeth falls prey to others’ deception, and is supplanted with greed and hate when three witches trick him. When told that he is going to be King of Scotland, Macbeth does whatever he can to insure his property. In Macbeth’sRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Othello1417 Words   |  6 PagesHello, I’m William Shakespeare, the famous and historically known playwright of plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth. Today I will be talking to you all about two of my plays, Othello and Macbeth. I will also be talking to you all about the social, political and historical themes in my plays and my intent for writing them. I wrote Macbeth and Othello during the reign of King James the 1st of England. Events that were occurring during that time period and the feeling of theRead MoreWhat Are The Similarities Between Macbeth And Othello1267 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare is the playwright in which the works of Macbeth and Othello are written . These works are both written in Shakespeares signature style of tragedy where a character experiences a reversal of fortune at the hands of their own actions. A true tragic hero is a character who is admired while being flawed; has both good and evil characteristics; experiences a hamartia, a moral mistake or ignorant error; is given an opportunity for redemption yet continues refusing; experiences theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Othello1984 Words   |  8 PagesExplore the ways in which characters emotions are manipulated in Macbeth and Othello The way that Shakespeare implements manipulation into Othello and Macbeth leads to significant emotional change in the majority of characters in both plays. This leads to protagonists’ eventual downfall in many cases, due to the language and imagery that Shakespeare creates in the tragedies. The schemists tend to exploit weaknesses in the victims, such as ambitions. This can be witnessed by the audience at a veryRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Othello 2034 Words   |  9 Pages A clear view of the relationships established in Macbeth and Othello can be seen through the inferior partner s views on the other person in the relationship, and also their balance of power. Lady Macbeth rarely addresses Macbeth with his real name, but instead with titles such as Great Glamis! and Worthy Cawdor - referring to his positions. However Iago refers to Othello with titles such as The Moorship, which is a play on Lordship - including a reference to his race. The useRead More Comparing Macbeth, Hamlet, and Othello Essay2768 Words   |  12 PagesComparing Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Hamlet, and Othello  Ã‚      Shakespeare’s tragedies were extremely popular in Elizabethan times and today. A tragedy is described as â€Å"a sad, serious story or play, usually ending with the death of the hero. A disastrous, fatal or dreadful event.† By comparing the three plays, Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello it is possible to see how he has used techniques appropriate to tragedy and how he applied them to his plays. The opening of the play is significant because itRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth Vs. Othello1006 Words   |  5 PagesNadia Chilcoat Macbeth vs. Othello Period: â…š 12/12/2014 Macbeth vs. Othello Ancient Greeks believed that a tragic hero must be admirable but flawed, someone the audience can sympathize with, and someone capable of good and evil. The main character must also have a doctrine of free will, in which they are able to redeem themselves, but they continue to fall freely in a downward spiral from a position of superiority. The audience must also be able to

Bias Rhetorical Devices Free Essays

What are some examples of bias, fallacies, and specific rhetorical devices in the speech? The very beginning of the speech begins with a campaigner who is introducing their new candidate for Governor and who expresses negative bias towards the current Governor, Jim Gettys. It begins by describing the current governing as an â€Å"evil domination†. That same campaigner then expresses equal bias but in a positive way, towards Charles Foster Kane, by saying he is the only one who can rid the state of its current politics. We will write a custom essay sample on Bias Rhetorical Devices or any similar topic only for you Order Now The campaigner calls him a fighting liberal and friend of the working man but gives no examples of why he feels that way. The speech is full of rhetorical devices, using analytical definitions to create emotion in the listeners. Charles Foster Kane points out that his only purpose is to â€Å"point out and make public, the dishonesty and downright villainy of Jim Getty’s political machine†. He is using hyperbole in this statement in order to exaggerate his viewpoint. Also you can read Rhetorical Devices in Night Walker by Brent Staples He states that â€Å"this machine is in complete control of the government of the State† causing the people to react since this is the very situation our founding fathers hoped to avoid when creating the United States Constitution. Kane is also aligning himself with those he knows will be more likely to vote within his party lines such as the working man, slum child, underpaid, underprivileged and underfed. He realizes that by exaggerating the power contained by Jim Gettys and his Administration, he will rally the folks not usually interested into voting for him, by telling them they deserve so much more. He uses the argument from outrage to express how diabolical the existing government is in order to persuade the people that definitive change is needed. Various fallacies are prominent throughout the speech. One of the fallacies is the determination that Kane will be voted Governor based on the polls. However, since the election has not even begun, it is impossible for him to draw this conclusion. Also, we see the group think fallacy where Kane describes himself as the friend of the lower classes, making believe he is one of them. Argument by popularity is used when Kane assumes that the polls indicate his obvious triumph in the upcoming election and reflect him as the winner and most popular choice for voters. He is also using scare tactics when stating that the current Government has complete control over the state, and that they are a dictatorship. In all of the above cases, no information is given to support the claims being made. How did the speaker address arguments and counter arguments? The speaker’s arguments are unclear since he did not use common premise and conclusion statements. There are no comparisons between what Kane feels has already been done versus what he intends to do. However, he is making the claim that he will be elected as Governor based on the poll information. He also makes the biased claims against the Administration of Jim Gettys and the control it has over the State Government at that time. His argument leads to the unspoken conclusion that the existing government does not care for the ordinary people and that he intends to change the focus of the government to care for the decent, the underpaid, underfed, underprivileged, working men and slum children. Therefore, Kane would be the better choice as the Governor for the people of that State. I do not see any evidence of counter arguments since at no point does he state another person’s claim and argue against that. Were the speaker’s arguments effective? Explain your answer. The speaker’s arguments were effective in invoking an emotional response from the listeners and persuade them that they should not vote for the existing Governor. His use of political rhetoric and fallacies were effective in creating doubt about the honesty of Gettys and his Administration. Kane wanted to expose the existing government as corrupt, uncaring and in complete control of all of their lives. He succeeded at this by using statements to invoke anger which is usually substituted for reason. There are no conclusive promises made, other than to indict and convict Jim Gettys. Therefore, the people have no idea what policies or promises Kane intends to put into practice. Although the arguments were effective in persuasive techniques, they were not sound. There were no details or facts to support his claims that Kane specifically, would make a better Governor. How to cite Bias Rhetorical Devices, Essay examples

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling free essay sample

Asian culture is becoming more and more seen in the western world, with Asian restaurants and settlements such as china town becoming regular parts of most urban areas and the prominence of Asian employees and managers in western businesses will continue to grow along with that. Asian culture is having a growing impact in western society and this should carry over into a larger role for Asians within western companies. The bamboo ceiling, for the large part, does not exist due to intentional racism or discrimination, but instead exists due to a variety of underlying factors that most business managers would not even think twice about. The lack of intentional racism or discrimination as factors is shown in the statistic that over 88% of Asians feel happy and good about their workplace and that 85% feel that there are no disrespectful or offensive actions (Reid amp; Berry, 2010). These factors must be exposed so that western society can focus on correcting this flaw in the corporate world and improving the upper managerial job prospects for Asians. We will write a custom essay sample on Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is wrong of our society to discriminate against other cultures, even if it is an nintentional discrimination, we must be diligent in determining why this is happening and from these factors determine how we can right the situation and help break through the bamboo ceiling. Evidence of the Bamboo Ceiling: The bamboo ceiling can be seen to exist due to the small number of Asians in management positions when compared with the large number of Asians that exist within the western business world. While Asians make up around 5% of the American population, they only represent 2% of CEO’s and upper management of the Fortune 500 companies. Varki despite his clearly excellent qualifications. Eventually he made his way into the academic industry and slowly climbed the corporate ladder, becoming the very first foreign president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the first foreign editor of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (Ruttimann, 2009). This was a milestone for many Asian immigrants looking to break the bamboo ceiling. This step was one of the first of many positive examples of Asian immigrants succeeding in western corporate society, yet there is still a long way to go. A more negative example can be seen through the case of Alice Huang who was in the final round of interviews for a position as university president. Throughout the interview she was continually asked what she would be willing to give up if she got the job, and eventually came out and told them she did not think she would get the job due to how she looked and what her race was. In response to this she only received silence from her interviewers which confirmed her suspicions, and shows that the bamboo ceiling is indeed real and that it can have detrimental impacts on the life of Asian immigrants and their careers (Ruttimann, 2009). Conclusion: Companies can greatly benefit from diversifying their management staff as the business world becomes more and more global every year. If you expect to compete on the world stage then you must have a diverse staff with a large knowledge base of overseas areas, such as Asian countries. Having Asians in high level management roles would offer that company valuable information on how to break into markets overseas, as well as how to market products to all Asians, including the growing number of those residing in western society (Reid amp; Berry, 2010). This information could prove to be the difference between a company succeeding and failing in a foreign market, or with the Asian demographic in western society. To receive the benefits that comes with this diversity, western corporations must be very careful to avoid stereotyping and should be more sensitive to others cultures. Understanding that the western way doesn’t apply to everyone and it isn’t necessarily the best practice will help many corporations to get over these stereotypes, be more sensitive to Asian culture and to increase the chance of seeing Asians in top management.

Education Action Plan

Introduction Education is one of the most important economic aspects that should be taken into account in order to improve the living standards of a particular economy. To achieve this, it is paramount for educational institutions to be very effective. Most educational institutions are aimed at instilling sufficient knowledge to students so that they can succeed in life. To attain this, there are a number of aspects which learning institutions should take into account.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Education Action Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of these entails setting and following a curriculum. The curriculum enables the learning institutions to evaluate the progress of the students. Additionally, every learning institution should have sufficient resources such as books and other learning materials so as to enhance improve the students’ performance. However, one of the factors limi ting my schools ability to attain its objective is related with the fact that it does not have a curriculum. This makes it difficult to assess the actual progress of the students. Additionally, the school does not have adequate resources such as proper classroom materials, workbooks and materials for other activities to support the students in their learning process. This paper details the action plan that will be undertaken to deal with the identified needs. Implementation of the action plan Developing the school curriculum It is relatively difficult to improve the performance of the students without following a set curriculum. Curriculums are very important in the operation of learning institutions. This arises from the fact that their operation should contribute towards improvement of different stakeholders who include the students, environment and the community. Therefore, schools have a responsibility of improving the students’ value systems, attitudes and their thinking capacity. Currently, the school does not have a curriculum. This limits its ability in inculcating knowledge to the students. In order to deal with this challenge, a school-based curriculum will be designed. The curriculum will clearly outline the selected content that will be considered in the learning process. It will also outline the expected learning experiences aimed at changing the students’ behavior. A team composed of six individuals will be developed to develop the curriculum that the school will use. To ensure that the school curriculum is effective, the team will take into account a number of components. Some of these are outlined below. National goals- In designing the curriculum, the school will liaise with curriculum developers within the Ministry of Education. This will aid in ensuring that national goals of education are taken into consideration. Officials from the Ministry of Education will instruct the team on the national goals that must be incorporated in the curriculum.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The education system of a particular country is influenced by the country’s political environment. As a result, it is paramount to ensure that the national identity of the country is taken into account. Additionally, the Ministry of Education will provide the curriculum development team with a list of options with regard to subjects that the school should incorporate in the curriculum. This will serve in ensuring that the subjects considered are those that contribute to the students’ success in their future careers. The learner-The team charged with the responsibility of developing the curriculum will also take into account the students’ physical, emotional and mental needs. The justification is that students have diverse learning ability in accordance with their level of study. Complexity of the learning p rocess increases with the student’s level. Therefore, it is important to take into account the learner. Resource availability and the school environment- In process of selecting what to include in the curriculum, the school will evaluate the resources it has. This will safeguard against incorporating subjects which it might not have the necessary resources. The school environment also plays an important role in the designing of the school curriculum. Consideration of the school environment will aid in the determination of how the environment can best be exploited in order to enhance the student’s learning process. Actions taken to ensure that the school has adequate learning resources To improve the students’ performance, the school administration will ensure that adequate resources are supplied to the students. One of the ways through which this will be attained is by establishing a library. In order to cut the cost of building a library, the school will renova te and modify one of its buildings to meet the standards of a modern library. To achieve this, the school administration will seek the support of various parties. This decision is justified by the fact that establishing the library will be a huge capital investment. As a result, a substantial amount of finances will be required. To ensure that the school does not experience financial constraints that may limit its daily operational efficiency, the school through the Board of Governors and the Parents Teachers Association will organize a fundraising ceremony. Some of the parties from whom the school will seek assistance include the parents, the business community, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and the government. One of the factors that will motivate the business community to participate in the fundraising to establish the library is associated with the fact that businesses have a social responsibility in their operation. For example, by participating in the event, th e business community will improve their public image.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Education Action Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition to providing the necessary finances to establish the library, these parties will also provide other forms of assistance. For example, some of the participants who will be contacted include companies that specialize in publishing books. These companies will assist by supplying some of the books that are incorporated in the school curriculum. In an effort to ensure that the school library is well equipped, the school will also seek donor funding from various stakeholders to aid in the stocking of the library. In the process of establishing the library, the school will also outsource the services of architectures who are experienced in designing modern libraries. The architects will ensure that the interiors of the library are designed to meet the needs of the various users. For example, they will ensure that the library has the capacity to hold learning resources of all disciplines. Additionally, they will also ensure that the library is sensitive to the physically challenged students. Such considerations will ensure that the library meets the intended purpose. Other participants in the establishment of the library include companies that specialize in Information Communication Technology. These companies will aid in the automation of the libraries operation thus making it possible for the librarians to serve the students more effectively and efficiently. Additionally, the ICT companies will aid in the implementation of a reliable security system. Despite the fact that establishment of the library will be aimed at ensuring that the students access the necessary resources, the issue of security cannot be overlooked. Jurkowski (2010, p.139) asserts that loss of library resources such as books and other reading materials has been a majo r concern for many libraries. However, emergence of technology has made it easier for schools to secure their libraries. The ICT companies will aid in the installation of an electromagnetic system. The system will entail embedding a minute metallic strip on books and other learning materials such as magazines, CDs and DVDs. The electromagnetic system will be connected to an alarm system. This will aid in deterring students from taking the resources out of the library without the necessary authorization. The resultant effect is that the resources of the library will be preserved. The library will play a vital role in the provision of information that will aid the students’ succeed in an environment characterized by a high rate of social and economic dynamics. Additionally, the teachers will also have an opportunity to access reading materials that they can use to supplement the curriculum.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The school will also seek the support of various organizations that support education. Some of the organizations that the firm will seek include those that deal in the provision of classroom instruction materials for various subjects. Examples of such materials include projection equipments. These equipments will make it easier for both teachers and students to make projections in class. The ultimate effect is that the performance of the students will be greatly improved. Previous studies conducted reveal that there is an increased use of various curriculum materials by teachers in their work. This has played a critical role in the improvement of student performance. Assessment/ evaluation system- Every learning institution should be committed at ensuring that it instills sufficient knowledge to students. To attain this, it is critical for a well designed curriculum evaluation system to be incorporated. Glatthorn and Jailall (2008, p. 163) are of the opinion that comprehensive evalu ation of the curriculum should be conducted throughout its development. Failure to do this may result lead to lack of seriousness for both the students and the instructors. In line with this, the school will develop an evaluation system that will be used in the determination of whether the curriculum contributes to improvement of the student’s performance. The evaluation system will be developed by the school head in collaboration with the teachers. Different forms of evaluation will be conducted. The evaluation system will entail conducting assessments on the various subjects. The evaluation will also assess whether the curriculum enhances the students’ thinking and reasoning capacity, recalling and inference to deal with real-world problems in a realistic manner. The evaluation system will also be used in the determination of whether the curriculum imparts sufficient practical knowledge on the various subjects taught. With regard to this, some of the aspects that wil l be taken into account include the students’ collaboration ability, teamwork and their moral character. To attain this, the school will ensure that the students understand the intended learning objectives so that they can concentrate towards achieving them. One of the assessment tools that will be integrated in the curriculum entails use of standardized tests. From the onset, the school will ensure that the students have a comprehensive understanding of what is expected of them. The teachers will outline the learning intentions, their relevance, rules, standards and penalties associated with assessment (Good Brophy, 2008). Despite the fact that standardized tests have certain limitations such as being inaccurate and biased, the tests will be incorporated in evaluating the curriculum for a number of reasons. Firstly, the tests will aid in the assessment of the students’ performance by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the student. For example, it will be pos sible to identify students experiencing learning disability and retardation (Farrell, 2003, p.54). Undertaking such tests will aid in the improvement of the school’s learning environment. This means that the school will be transformed into an all inclusive learning environment that accommodates all the students. Through these tests, it will be possible for the school to enroll students in the appropriate instructional programs that will lead to improvement of their performance. Through these tests it will be possible for the teachers to identify areas of improvement. By evaluating the action plan, it will be possible for the school to ensure that it Timeline for implementation It is the school’s objective for the students’ academic performance to be improved within the shortest time possible. As a result, it will be ensured that adequate learning resources are in place within the shortest time possible. A timeline within which the action plan will be implemented has been formulated. The gnatt chart below illustrates the various activities that will be conducted in ensuring that the resources are availed and the duration they are expected to take. Instructional resources Instructional resources are some of the most critical considerations that will be taken into account in an effort to improve the student’s performance. Instructional resources enhance the teachers’ effectiveness in their teaching process in addition to improving the students’ understanding of the subjects being taught (Paris, 2008, p. 60). The school will ensure that it selects instructional resources that are in line with the expected learning outcome. It will also be ensured that the instructional resources motivate the students in addition to presenting them with a unique learning experience in accordance with the lessons goals and objectives. For the school’s curriculum to deliver optimal results, different types of instructional resources w ill be taken into account. Some of the resources that will be taken into account include the school personnel, parents and industry participants, institutions of higher learning such as universities, business people, community agencies and advisory groups. These parties will play a critical role in motivating the students. Instructional resources will also include tangible resources such as teaching equipments, furniture, classroom materials and technology. The school administration will also allocate sufficient resources for staff development. In an effort to ensure sufficient instructional resources, the school’s administrators will liaise with the publishers. In addition to workbooks and textbooks, publishers also assist schools with other instructional materials such as charts, learning kits, videos, and games. The school will also consider the internet as an instructional resource. Some websites act as instructional resources by supplementing information outlined in the school’s curriculum. Instructional technology The school is committed towards improving the performance of all its students. To attain this, effective instructional technology will be integrated. Some of the technologies that will be considered include computers, videos and visual tools such as projectors, audio recording systems and teaching boards. Other forms of technology that will be integrated in the learning process include gaming, social networking and simulation. A technology such as simulation will contribute towards improvement in the student’s thinking and problem solving. To increase the students’ accessibility to information, the school will ensure that the computers are connected to the internet. Comprehensive training on how to use the technologies implemented will be conducted. This will aid in maximizing their utilizing. Parent and community involvement strategies The success of the students is dependent on the involvement of both the parents a nd the community. Previous studies conducted reveal that involvement of the parents and teachers influence the performance of students in a number of ways. Some of these include reduction in the rate of dropouts and increasing school attendances. To increase their involvement, the school will incorporate a number of strategies. Some of these strategies include liaising with the community leaders, improving the degree of relationship between the parents and the community and developing trust. Additionally, the school will also identify possible barriers such as communication barriers and culture that may limit the parents and community involvement. The school will ensure that the teachers are conversant of the prevailing cultural differences and how they impact education. This will aid in the formulation of strategies to deal with the challenges experienced. How to deal with possible challenges that may impede implementation of the action plan The issues of deviation with regard to i mplementation of action plan cannot be overlooked. Such deviations may result in failure of the action plan achieving the intended purpose. To prevent this, a number of measures will be incorporated. Firstly, to ensure that an effective curriculum is implemented, the school will conduct a continuous evaluation of the curriculum to determine its effectiveness and relevance. The school will also conduct continuous monitoring of the curriculum. To identify possible gaps within the curriculum, a comprehensive audit will be conducted by officials from the Ministry of Education. The officers will also aid in evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum evaluation system. The school will also incorporate a strict timeframe within which implementation of the action plan should be conducted. This will aid in ensuring that the students start to accrue the benefits of the action plan within the shortest time possible. Implementing instructional technology within the school may not result in attainment of the desired objective if proper training on how to utilize the technology is not conducted on both the teachers and students. As a result, the school will formulate a training program to aid in maximization of the technology implemented. The school will also ensure that it motivates the teachers to adhere to the school curriculum in addition to using the various instructional technologies. It will also be ensured that instructional resources are improved. The ultimate effect is that these measures will lead in the school being effective in imparting knowledge that will enable the students to succeed. Reference List Edutopia. (2012). How to teach with project based learning: A professional  development guide. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/ Farrell, M. (2003). Understanding special educational needs: a guide for student  teachers. New York: Routledge. Glatthorn, A. Jailall, J. (2008). The principal as curriculum leader: Shaping  what is taught and teste d. London: Sage. Good, T., Brophy, J. (2008). Looking in classrooms. San Francisco: Allyn and Bacon. Jurkowski, O. (2010). Technology and the school library: A comprehensive guide  for media and other educators. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. Paris, J. (2008). Cliffnotes praxis II: Educational leadership. New York: Wiley. This research paper on Education Action Plan was written and submitted by user Danny Garrett to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Basic Guide to the NCAA for Your Children

A Basic Guide to the NCAA for Your Children If youre the parent of a student-athlete, youve probably heard the term NCAA. The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, is the governing body that oversees 23 different sports and athletic championships at 1,200 colleges and universities in the United States. It stresses a well-rounded student, who excels at sports, as well as academics and campus life. Recruitment for the NCAA The point at which parents and the NCAA usually intersect is during college recruitment. High school athletes who want to play college ball (or track, swimming, etc.) at Division I, II or III school must register with the NCAA through its online eligibility center. If your child is interested in playing sports at the college level, his counselor and coach can help him navigate that path.   Divisions I, II, and III Schools that are part of the NCAA are divided into Division I, II and III schools. Each of these divisions reflects the relative priority of sports and academics. Division, I schools generally have the largest student bodies, as well as the largest budgets and scholarships for sports. 350 schools are classified as Division I and 6,000 teams belong to those schools. Division II schools strive to provide student-athletes with a high level of athletic competition, while also maintaining high grades and a well-rounded campus experience. Division III schools also provide opportunities for student-athletes to compete and participate athletically, but the primary focus is on academic achievement. This is the largest division in both total participants and number of schools. NCAA Sports By Season Fall Sports The NCAA offers six different sports for the fall season. Arguably, the most popular overall collegiate sport is  football, which takes place during the fall season. Overall, though, the fall season offers the least amount of sports out of the three seasons, as more sports take place during both the winter and spring seasons. The six sports offered by the National College Athletic Association for the fall season are: Mens and womens cross-countryField hockeyFootballMens and womens soccer teamsWomens volleyballMens water polo Winter Sports Winter is the busiest season in college sports. The NCAA offers ten different sports during the winter season: Mens and womens basketball teamsBowlingFencingMens and womens gymnasticsMens and womens ice hockeyMens, womens and mixed rifleMens, womens and mixed skiingMens and womens swimming and divingMens and womens indoor track and fieldWrestling Spring Sports Eight separate sports are offered during the spring season. Out of those eight sports, seven of them are available to both men and women. The spring season offers baseball for men, as well as softball for women. The eight sports offered by the National College Athletic Association for the spring season are: Baseball and softballMens and womens golfMens and womens lacrosseRowingMens and womens tennisMens and womens outdoor track and fieldMens volleyball Womens water polo

Safety managment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Safety managment - Coursework Example According to OSHA, injury and illness rates stood at 22.2 while lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) at 8.1. Currently, the company projects a 17.6 and 7.8 from the previous year with a BLS of 12.5 and 6.6 respectively (SIC 3069). Certainly, this is a worrying trend forming the core intention of the paper to provide an action plan for the management of safety and health objectives. Four critical questions guide safety and health programs within any organization. For instance, is the return on investment satisfactory? How can we include safety and health programs in the business? What indicators reveal strength or weakness? And most importantly, the practices with a lasting success within an organization. Answers to these questions are potential guide to success. It collaborates with different government agencies to manufacture composite materials for the US defence department for unclassified purposes. Nevertheless, the promising future is tantamount to many problems considering the many risks and injuries facing the company. Obviously, the current state of XYZ categorises it as a health risk. Coincidentally, workers have the right to safe working conditions and OSHA laws prohibit employers against denying them such rights. Voluntary protection programs (VPP) is an OSHA cooperation program that recognize workers in the private industry and federal agencies. VPP ensures workplaces go through rigorous analysis, encourage training and union representation to keep injury and labour relations at controllable rates. Organizations competing for products and services tend not to focus on safety practices; however, not known to many these costs greatly affect the overall performance (Maguire 46). In fact, safety as a nagging problem that keeps people from the main business. Many industries have safety programs, but few have working ones; therefore, is important to not only form a program but also ensure it works. A safety management plan defines the oversight

Canada's Immigration Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canada's Immigration Policy - Essay Example There is also apparent shift in the profile of immigrant source countries in the past several years. Added to this is the fact that more and more people are moving from one place to another worldwide and the perceptible competition in the international economy to attract skilled workers. Movement of people across continents has been a global trend during the advent of long distance travel. Reasons behind this phenomenon are various. These include escaping political, economic, environmental persecution and problems. For some families, the more pressing reasons can be search for better opportunities and safer, more secure living conditions. Given the availability of manpower resources in the different parts of the world and the surplus of families applying immigrant status in Canada, the problem of sustaining the country's economy seems to be solved. However, the process of immigration is not as simple. There must be appropriate and efficient governmental and provincial policies to facilitate this process. This is the function of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada: to draft a structural framework and policies for handling immigration issues of the country. This paper aims to assess these immigration policies and their i... Section 7 (2) of Canada's Immigration Act of 1978 provides an estimate of the total number of immigrants, refugees and other non-immigrants status who will be given permission to settle in Canada. The responsibility of selecting immigrants and refugees and their number for every province, except for Quebec which has the only selection powers, lies on this annual immigration plan (CIC "Laws and Policies"). The proposed Immigration and Refugee Protection Act called Bill C-11 will provide the Citizenship and Immigration Canada the needed implements to ensure public safety and security in relation to the admission of immigrants in the country. This can be achieved by setting new admission criteria and delegating authority to arrest law-breakers and security threats (CIC "The Immigration System"). The other side of the above provisions is the important delivery of the following commitments of facilitating entry to legitimate immigrants and refugees. First is the change of selection priority using the assessment of skills and experience of workers over their current occupations. Second is the focus on reunification of families and protection of refugees. Third is the improved Temporary Foreign Worker Program for the simplification and efficiency of processing of skilled workers and permission of spouses to work. Last is efficient transition of qualified temporary workers from temporary to permanent residents (CIC "Laws and Policies"). The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada or IRPA was established in 2001. The act has a provision for a consultation between the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the provincial governments regarding refugee protection policies and programs to include the determination of the number of foreign nationals

Introductions to fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introductions to fiction - Essay Example None of the young men were quite good for Miss Emily and such.† Being so, Miss Emily has grown to believe that she occupies a special position in society, even to her old age when she refused to pay her taxes, having been privileged by a former Mayor who owed the Griersons favors. The narrator depicted a small town where the ladies had nothing better to do than gossip about the high and mighty Grierson family. They were like vultures, who, in their minds, keenly follow the drama that happens behind doors. Miss Emily has always been an enigma they desperately want to demystify one of these days. Miss Emily’s tragic fate and deep sorrow is felt throughout the story that the readers get to sympathize with her character†¦.only to be shocked at the end. Her assumed insanity was to be expected after all the things she has endured – the loss of a mother while growing up, the death of a father, the sudden loss of a charmed way of living†¦.but not to the extent of murdering her lover and sleeping with his corpse until the day of her death. In â€Å" A Rose for Emily†, the protagonist is born to wealth, yet had no mother to guide her in her growth. She was reared to think she was better than others, being a Grierson – â€Å"She carried her head high enough---even when we believed that she was fallen. It was as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson, as if it had wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her imperviousness.† Miss Emily lived a pathetic, lonely and empty life. To the end, she clutched to her last hope of feeling real love. When Homer Barron was assumed to reject her in marriage, it was suggested that Miss Emily poisoned him with arsenic so he would not have a choice in the matter- â€Å"The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace, but now the long sleep that outlasts love, that conquers even the grimace of love, had

Effects of Interprofessional Working on Service Users

Effects of Interprofessional Working on Service Users Grace N Gaisey Enhancing Health and Social Care through Interprofessional Education Beresford and Carr (2012) identified a service user as an individual who essentially receives an impeccable and person- centred care from a healthcare professional or service. Thus, using appropriate and evidence-based literatures, this essay will critically analyse and discuss how service users’ experiences are influenced through Interprofessional working. An introduction to what Interprofessional working is will be defined with brief discussion of the need for Interprofessional working. The essay will also have a critical discussion of two key points on how service users’ experiences are influenced through Interprofessional working. The key points consist of; more understanding of team, team roles and personality types-more positive experience for service users. Increased knowledge of other professional roles- ability to relate them to own role- understand of gaps and overlaps in service provision-increased ability to relate across professional boundaries. The essay will then conclude by looking at how Interprofessional working is essential in the delivery of service users’ outcome. As explained by Day (2013), Interprofessional working occurs when healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines work together to identify needs, solve problems and make joint decisions on how best to provide an integrated care for the benefits of service users. As a result in making a difference, the Department of Health (DH) (2015) suggested that effective care is the product of Interprofessional working. This is because professionals working in collaboration give care which is designed to meet the needs of service users. This concept was further endorsed with the publication of The NHS Plan in the year 2000 (DH, 2015). The purpose of the plan was to create a service designed around service user needs, encouraging healthcare professionals to work together to meet the needs of service users, as lack of Interprofessional working can cause harm to service users. For instance, several researchers have shown that failure to collaborate and failure of communication between different h ealthcare professionals contributed to the death of Victoria Climbie (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2015). This highlights how Interprofessional working is essential and massively influences service users’ experience. Coherently, government policies emphasises the need for effective Interprofessional working to provide optimal and safe service user care. Thus, as published in 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised that, Interprofessional working is an essential component in the satisfactory of service delivery as it enables the delivery of excellent care to service users. As a result, a key point to consider about the influence of service users experience through Interprofessional working is; it enables more understanding of teams, team roles and personality types which provides more positive experience for service users. This is for the reason that every professional have their own roles, skills and responsibilities that formulates efficient practice in curing, managing or treating specific ailments (Brumfitt Baxter, 2011). This also allows healthcare professionals to identify a distinctive difference in, and to understand the roles and contributions of other healthcare professiona ls (MacDonald, 2011). Therefore, this influences service users experience as it is suggested that it contributes to patient safety and enhances the understanding of professionals’ roles (Vincent, 2012). Because these professionals working together will have the ability to collaborate effectively, and understand each other team roles to provide effective care for a service user. A study by (Jones, 2011) states that when professionals from various disciplines collaborates, it facilitates better service user outcomes as they work as a group, and utilise individual skills and roles to generate an understanding and make decisions to reach the highest service user care standards. However, RCN (2014) proposed that if healthcare professionals do not work together and understand each other’s professional roles, it can compromise service users’ experience. This is because they need to manage the relationship with each professional and understand their roles in order not to compromise any clinical decision making (RCN, 2014). This was further concurred in a study by Zwarenstein, Goldman Reeves (2011) proposing that Interprofessional working involves issues such as, lack of understanding of other professional roles and responsibilities that arises due to different healthcare professionals working together which can have adverse harm on service users. Thu s, it is thought that understanding of roles within the healthcare professionals encourages team approach to service user needs where information and knowledge is shared to facilitate improved decision making regarding service user care (RCN, 2015). Consequently, upon understanding each professional roles and working together, it enables them to provide a plan of care for the service user. This therefore influences services users experience as the care given will be individualised for their needs. A typical example would be an elderly care patient with diabetes who develops a pulmonary embolism while on the ward. The healthcare professionals that will care for this service user will be more aware and able to collaborate to provide a plan and develop their workforce to increase the safety of the service user. Thus, there will be collaboration between an endocrinologist, a respiratory physician, cardiologist, a diabetic nurse and a general nurse who will work together and understand each professional’s role to coordinate care to this service user as they all have different roles that will help in the service users’ recovery. In addition, a study by Kenny (2013) disputed that Interprofessional working can be very challenging and not an easy thought for healthcare professionals to adopt. The author disputed that Interprofessional working is not being delivered to service users’ effectively due to healthcare professionals misunderstanding the policies and research regarding Interprofessional working. However, plans for improvement were recognized within the NHS Plan regarding effective Interprofessional working which was utilised to meet these challenges (DH, 2015). The NHS Plan for Interprofessional working recommended that healthcare professionals should collaborate effectively, understands each other’s roles, and communicate collaboratively to deliver a gold standard care to service users (DH, 2015). Hence, providing this plan was used in shaping the way in which Interprofessional working is viewed and adopted today by healthcare professionals (DH, 2014). The second key point to consider on how Interprofessional working influences service users’ experience is; it increases knowledge of other professional roles, making it possible for individual professionals to relate them to their own role, and understanding of overlap in service provision, which influences service users’ experience. This is because it helps in gaining experience on how other healthcare professionals work, and leads to an enhancement of knowledge required to collaborate with other healthcare professionals in providing effective healthcare to service users (MacDonald, et al., 2011). For instance, this influences service user experience because upon healthcare professionals increasing their knowledge of other professional role creates the maintenance of professional boundaries. Though, a study by Nancarrow (2011) looked at the impact of care delivery on healthcare professional role boundaries. It was established that professionals of the Interprofessional team were not threatened by role overlap and that role overlap was usually undertaken. It was further suggested that this role overlap can have an effect on service delivery (Nancarrow, 2011). However, another study by Jones (2011) disputed on this belief. The author argued that this is why Interprofessional education and Interprofessional working was introduced to increase the knowledge of healthcare professionals, and for them to understand each other’s role and not carrying out tasks of other professionals to prevent role overlap. As a result, this influences service users experience as healthcare professionals working together will respect each other and will not overstep their professional role amongst them (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), 2013). It also enables a healthcare provider to know when service users’ need referrals, and the right professional to be referred to. A study by MacDonald, et al., (2011) points out that there is no way an individual professional can deal with all determinants of service users’ health. It has to be a group of professionals with different knowledge base, different experiences with different roles and willing to learn from each other. As such, this creates the provision for healthcare professionals to be able to participate in shared team experience, which therefore enhances individual knowledge and the ability to relate them to their own role which consequently influences service users’ experience. An example will be a service user with Parkinsonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s disease who is admitted on the ward due to a fall at home. This service user will be referred to a Parkinson’s specialist nurse, occupational and physiotherapist and a doctor to work towards on how best these service users’ needs will be met as an individual service provider cannot provide the care this service user needs on his/her own. Conversely, research shows that this outcome is not always the case as healthcare professionals may be unclear not only about other professional roles, but also about their own role. Hence, an evidenced-based research by (Lowes Hulatt, 2013) also shows that Interprofessional education was introduced in undergraduate nursing and other healthcare students to facilitate them gain insights into different healthcare professional roles, practice of collaborating team members, as well as the ability to relate to their own role. This influences service users’ experiences as these professionals working together are increasing their knowledge of other professional role in a directive way, putting service user at the heart of care and working towards their improvements. Today’s service users have complex health needs and require more than one healthcare professional to address issues regarding their health needs. Thus, professionals from various disciplines working together and understanding each other roles can best communicate and collaborate together to address these complex needs to maintain service users health and improve their health outcomes while combining resources (Bridges, Davidson Tomkowiak, 2011). This essay has highlighted the need for Interprofessional working and how it massively influences service users’ experience. Upon writing the essay, it has increased my knowledge of the different professional roles within the healthcare profession and the value of these roles in relation to service users’ management. It has also enabled me to understand my own professional identity. Hence, as a soon to be nurse, this will be applicable to my own professional practice to ensure service users’ needs are met holistically. References Beresford, P., Carr, S. (2012). Social care, service users and user involvement. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Bridges, D. R., Davidson, R., Tomkowiak, J. (2011). Interprofessional collaboration: three best practice models of Interprofessional education. Journal of Interprofessional care. 17(6), 342-400. Brumfitt, M. S., Baxter, S. K. (2011). Professional differences in Interprofessional working. British journal of nursing, 22(3), 239-251. Day, J. (2013). Interprofessional working: An essential guide for health and social care professionals. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Jones, I. F. (2011). The theory of boundaries: impact on Interprofessional working. Journal of Interprofessional care, 21(3), 355-357. Kenny, G. (2013). Interprofessional working: opportunities and challenges. Nursing standards. 17(6), 33-35. Lowes, L., Hulatt, I. (2013). Involving service users in health and social care research. Oxfordshire: Digital printing. MacDonald, B.M., Bally, M. J., Ferguson, L. M., Murray, L., Fowler, K. et al. (2011). Knowledge of the professional role of others: A key Interprofessional competency. Nurse education in practice, 10(4), 238-242. Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2013). Maintaining Boundaries. London: NMC. Retrieved February, 22, 2015, from http://www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses-and-midwives/Regulation-in-practice/Regulation-in-Practice-Topics/Maintaining-Boundaries-/ Royal College of Nursing. (2014). Safeguarding the young. London: RCN. Retrieved February, 18, 2015, from http://rcnpublishing.com/doi/pdfplus/10.7748/paed2003.12.15.10.24.c827 Royal College of Nursing. (2014). The impact and effectiveness on inter-professional education in primary care: an RCN literature review. London: RCN. Retrieve February, 21, 2015, from https://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/78718/003091.pdf. United Kingdom: Department of Health (2015). Delivering high quality, effective, compassionate care: Developing the right people with the right skills and right values. London: DH United Kingdom: Department of Health (2015). The NHS Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. London: DH. Vincent, C. (2012). Patient Safety. 2nd (ed.). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. World Health Organisation. (2010). Framework for action in Interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Geneva: WHO. Zwarenstein, M., Goldman, C., Reeves, S. (2011). Interprofessional collaboration: effects of practice-based interventions on professional practice and healthcare outcomes. British journal of nursing, 33(4), 159-170.

Grendels Mothers Attack :: Essays Papers

Grendel's Mother's Attack Grendel's mother, unknown to the Danes or Geats, is plotting to avenge the death of her son. After the celebrations are over in Heorot and everybody is asleep, Grendel's mother appears out of her dwelling place, the swamp. She enters the hall where the warriors are sleeping. They wake in time to ward off the attack with their swords but the monster manages to escape with one victim in her claws (this is Aeschere). After she escapes, the warriors realize that she has managed to steal back Grendel's claw from where it has been hanging. The victim is one of Hrothgar's closest advisors, "the man he loved most of all men on earth." The king summons Beowulf and his men. There's a feeling of desperation in the air. We know Beowulf realizes that something is dreadfully wrong -- no doubt he can hear the uproar from the main hall- but he also knows that it's his job to convey confidence and self-control. At this moment, the young warrior seems wiser and more mature than the aging king. Beowulf is told by the King that Grendel's mother has "avenged the feud" (Abrams, 44). The king, once again, asks Beowulf to help him. Beowulf, upon seeing the king's condition, says: Sorrow not, wise warrior. It is better for a man to avenge his friend than much mourn. Each of us must await his end of the world's life. Let him who may get glory before death: that is best for the warrior after he has gone from life. Arise, guardian of the kingdom, let us go at once to look on the track of Grendel's kin. On their way to the swamp, they discover Aeschere's bloody head sitting on top of the cliff.

Marketing Brand Strategy

Decide if you would like to brand your product or service. Then identify three products or services in your industry that have a logo or slogan. After which, either develop a logo or slogan that will identify your product or service or explain why branding is not the best marketing plan. Then write a marketing memo to the advertising division of your company rationalizing your choice. Evaluation Criteria: Have you included all the required elements? Have you identified the environmental factors and described their influence appropriately in the given situation? Please use the textbook – Marketing Management 12E by Kotler & Keller and other sources. If you are using sources other than the text, you must provide complete citations. Is the paper professionally presented? Remember your audience – senior management at your company. It is important to present your information as clearly and succinctly as possible. Please read the instructions carefully. Please make sure that 1 of the 3 references that you are using is my text book – Marketing My product brand : â€Å"Smiley ulcer-guard toothpaste†, Company: Teethal Slogan : Guardian in disguise –   forever with a smile [ which implies that this above mentioned toothpaste prevents from the oral infection of ulcers which shadows a face with grin and no smile for a long period. ] Logo: A smile embedded in a circle Three products in the industry having logo or slogan are as follows – 1. HLL’s Close-Up 2. Proctor and Gamble’s Pepsodent 3. Colgate Palmolive’s Colgate Why banding is not the best marketing plan? Strategic planning is a process which gives a detailed understanding of the growth and provides a futuristic view of a business enterprise. Careful study of the strategic planning helps in scrutinizing and developing a steady marketing plan for a product line or a brand. Every marketing plan should involve a thorough analysis of the external and internal environment. If the environment is stable, most of the activities will be predictable and convenient for the organization. But in today’s scenario, the environment is changing faster and faster which leads to discontinuity with the past. The environmental survey is the cornerstone to every marketing plan. The various macro environmental factors like political, social, economical, technological, natural and legal environment imbibe a sense of competitive advantage over other competitors. In the course of studying and analyzing the marketing plan, marketers also identify the brand power of the product lines existing in that firm, which speaks about the positioning and differentiation of the products. Branding is a process of developing a differentiated product which is positioned in the minds of the consumers as a brand by way of its logo and slogan. Branding is just one strategy in the whole of the marketing strategy of the marketing plan. If Branding is studied without looking over the marketing plan, then the outcome would be disastrous as branding is a subset of the marketing strategy which in turn is a subset of the marketing plan which is a subset of strategic planning. Hence it is said that branding need not be the best marketing plan. If a marketing plan is properly carried out, it satisfies the process of branding too (Batra et al 1999, Kotler, 2001, & Ramaswamy et al;, 2004). Marketing Memo to the Advertising firm: Lintas My organization â€Å"Teethal† deals with the manufacture of varied products of toothpaste. Recently a new product is been manufactured named – Smiley ulcer-guard toothpaste, which has a unique differentiating factor of overcoming the worst oral infection caused by ulcers. I have carried out a detailed learning of this product which is branded by taking into consideration the environmental factors like consumer and demand for the product, industry competition, technology and social environment which plays a major role. The following specification needs attention while carrying out the advertising plan (Batra et al, 1999 & Gilbert, 2003). Product Specifications: Attributes of the brand: long lasting fresh breath, ulcer protection, economical Personality of the brand– always charming and vibrant Benefits of the brand – All the attributes provide a functional benefit â€Å"I won’t have to worry about my oral protection†. The attribute economical translates into an emotional benefit which makes the user feel important for maintaining value-for-money. Values of the brand – The brand also says something about the manufacturers’ values – hygienic and effective and powerful. User of the product: all age group.   Strongly advisable for teenagers who have bad eating habits and executives working under stress. Pricing:   Although the product is very much effective for every user, the price is economical to encourage the masses to buy the product and avail the benefit of its healing touch. 200 gm toothpaste is priced at US Dollars 3. Promotion: The product could be initially advertised in the urban cities on Television, in metros on FM radios and in the rural places on TV cables [just a suggestion] Distribution: The product is a convenience product and hence will be sold at every local convenient store. Intensive distribution mode will be adopted to enhance its usage and improve its beneficial value. Based on the above requirements, kindly prepare the advertising budget to bring out the clarity of this advertising campaign so as to provide the necessary resources. Also provide us with your study carried out with regards to the internal differences between the advertising plans which arise from the differences in the external factors and the environmental situations which the advertisers face (Batra et al 1999, Kotler, 2001, & Ramaswamy et al;, 2004). References – Batra, R., Myers, J. G., and Aaker, D. A. (1999), Advertising Management, 5th ed, New Delhi: Prentice. Gilbert, D. (2003), Retail Marketing Management, New Delhi: Pearson. Kotler, P. (2001), Marketing Management, Millenium ed, New Delhi: Prentice. Ramaswamy, V. S. and Namakumari, S. (2004), Marketing Management: Planning, Implementation and Control, 3rd ed, Delhi: Macmillan.      

Product Process Matrix Essays

Product Process Matrix Essays Product Process Matrix Paper Product Process Matrix Paper The product-process matrix, developed by Hayes and Wheelwright in 1979 was designed to show the trade-offs in operations and marketing by linking product plans and process choices. The model is based on traditional trade-offs evident in a single manufacturing facility environment. The product-process matrix has been empirically tested, but improvements in operations flexibility by applying advanced technologies have caused many to question the models continued validity. In recent years, the environment has changed significantly, with manufacturing companies offering more product customization as they gain process flexibility. In addition, the model as originally developed, does not incorporate the supply chain perspective. New models are required that include the entire supply chain as well as the impact of developments in manufacturing. The operations strategy literature discusses the importance of defining the appropriate production process to support the competitive priorities specified in the business strategy. Building on the works of Skinner (1969) and Abemathy and Townsend (1975), this hierarchical structure was further analyzed by Hayes and Wheelwright as they looked at the relationships between marketing and operations. They suggested that there should be a link between product plans and process choice that supports the overall business strategy (Hayes and Wheelwright, 1979). Furthermore, they contended that firms operating on or close to the diagonal of the product-process matrix will outperform those that hold significantly off-diagonal positions (see Figure 1). Much of the operations strategy literature since then has supported their assertions, and many operations management texts use the model to describe process choice in manufacturing. More recently, research has been conducted to validate empirically whether firms actually link their process choice to product volume and customization and whether those decisions result in better performance. Safizadeh et al. (1996) in a study of 144 U. S. manufacturing plants, found that process choice was linked to product plans and competitive priorities and that there was some evidence of improved performance when they were well aligned. However, the authors recognized that some batch shops and continuous flow shops were able to increase their ability to customize products through lexible manufacturing systems and by using common parts and subassemblies. Their work suggests that as flexibility increases it may be possible to move away from the diagonal on the matrix and still be successful. The authors go on to suggest that flexibility is a complex phenomenon and the literature has gradually uncovered its multiple dimensions and their strategic implications. They also note that companies may appear to be off the line because product and process choices dont happen simultaneously. Companies may have partially implemented processes that would move them closer to the diagonal, but not have the processes completely in place. More work is required to determine the true relationship between process choice and product customization. About the same time, other researchers felt it was necessary to continue to validate the Hayes and Wheelwright model, given changes in manufacturing technology and practice. McDermott, Greis, and Fischer (1997) conducted an in-depth study of nine firms that made up 95% of the total U. S. market for portable electric tools. Through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and plant tours, they determined that new production technologies and practices enable firms to provide flexibility, responsiveness, and low-cost production at the same time. Their results suggested that the process-product trade-offs may have changed and that the Hayes and Wheelwright model may no longer be suitable for describing the environment in that particular industry. They proposed that models based on mass customization (Pine, Victor, and Boynton, 1993) and flexibility (Collins and Schmenner, 1992) may better capture current manufacturing practices. However, they suggested a need for additional research to provide a more prescriptive model for operations strategy. Significant advances in manufacturing and information technologies and changes in competitive priorities suggest that the Hayes and Wheelwright model should be revisited. One attempt to describe a new type of model, given the changes in business environments, is illustrated in Heim and Sinha (2001). They described electronic business-to-customer (B2C) operations and developed a framework in the form of a product-process matrix to explain elationships between electronic service products and service processes. While their model was not empirically tested, it did suggest that the product-process matrix had the potential to be useful as a planning tool in other business environments. A study by Ariss and Zhang (2002) provided some evidence that companies might achieve multiple competitive performances rather than settle for fewer priorities because of trade-offs. Their survey of 31 firms in the Detroit area supported the hypothesis that because of flexible process capabilities firms fall within a wide scope of the diagonal on the product-process matrix. While the sample was small, there was evidence that firms with a highly flexible process capability could perform well despite being off the diagonal. They suggested that flexible process capability is necessary to overcome the technological or economic constraints inherent in the product-process matrix. Matching Supply Chain Processes to Products While these more recent studies examine the appropriateness of the model regarding a firms ability to make process choices predicted by the matrix, they continue to look only at one firm and its process choices. Recent literature suggests that rather than firms competing with other firms, the new competition is supply chain to supply chain (Bhattacharya et al. , 1995; Whipple and Frankel, 2000; Rice and Hoppe, 2001). There is little disagreement among operations strategy researchers that the operations strategy should be aligned with the marketing strategy and support the companys overall strategy; hence, the relationship between product choice and process choice. Others might argue that the overall company strategy must support the supply chain strategy. This leads to the question: is there a relationship between a supply chains product characteristics and competitive priorities with the supply chain firms process choices? As Lee notes (2004, p. 108) Smart companies tailor supply chains to the nature of markets for products. Some researchers provide support for the suggestion that supply chain design should be based on the nature of demand for the product, i. e. , there must be a match between the type of product and the type of supply chain. Fischer (1997) divides products into two types, functional and innovative. Functional products are likely to be staples with stable predictable demand versus innovative products with short life cycles, many varieties, and volatile demand. For functional products, supply chains should be physically efficient and manufacturings focus should be on minimizing inventory and maintaining high average utilization rates. For innovative products, supply chains should have responsive processes, and manufacturing should focus on where to strategically place inventory and deploy excess buffer capacity to meet changes in demand. Fisher suggests that making these alignments will provide a competitive advantage. Lee further defined the characteristics of functional versus innovative products (2002). Functional products have low demand uncertainties, stable demand, long product life, low product variety, higher volume per stock keeping unit (SKU), along with other characteristics. Innovative products have high demand uncertainties, variable demand, short selling seasons, high product variety, low volume per SKU, along with other characteristics. He then defines four supply chain strategies to meet product demand. Efficient supply chains use scale economies and optimize capacity and distribution utilization. Risk-hedging supply chains use strategies to pool inventory and other resources to avoid supply disruption. Responsive supply chains have strategies that are responsive and flexible and use build-to-order and mass customization processes. Agile supply chains utilize strategies to be responsive and flexible but also pool inventory or capacity resources to meet unpredictable demand with minimal disruptions. As Lee states, Only those companies that build agile, adaptable and aligned supply chains get ahead of the competition (2004, p. 105). Determining how a supply chain can, or should be, improved to gain flexibility can be difficult. One proposition suggests that supply chain flexibility is affected by decisions or process choices inherent in the operations systems, logistics processes, the supply network, organizational design, and information systems of every firm within the supply chain for a given product (Lummus et al. , 2005). Evidence from this study reveals that practitioners recognize many different facets associated with supply chain flexibility but do not necessarily perceive differences between those in terms of greatest-to-least impact on flexibility. Childerhouse, Aitken, and Towill (2002) detail how an organization achieved focused processes in their demand (supply) chain through a case study of a major U. K. lighting company. Figure 2 describes their proposed model for the development of focused demand chain strategies. They suggest that the marketplace today has diverse requirements for alternative products, and no single demand chain can best service all these requirements. Through a review of literature, they identified five key product characteristics that influence the design of supply chain strategies. The characteristics included: duration of product life cycle, time window for product delivery, high versus low volume, variety in required product offerings, and variability in demand. From there, they documented the lighting companys efforts to identify customer requirements and realign their supply chain strategy to focus on specific demand requirements. The company focused its efforts on the supply chain activities of planning (choosing between material requirements planning [MRP] and pull system execution [kanban]), simplifying the ordering and communication between players in the chain and improving the new product design process. The company identified four focused demand chains, and over a four-year period transformed its supply chain in to a competitive, market-focused demand chain. Supply Chain Product-Process Matrix Building on the work of Hayes and Wheelwright, the product classification work of Fisher and Lee, and the focused supply chain discussion just outlined, it may be beneficial for companies to define a model that aligns product characteristics and processes across a supply chain. As supply chains compete with supply chains, companies within a supply chain must select processes consistent with end-customer value and competitive priorities. The purpose of this research is to propose a model that may be used by companies when making product and process decisions across a supply chain. There is clearly support for the product-process matrix, i. e. , firms that operate on or near the diagonal will outperform those that are significantly off-diagonal. However, as noted, there is also some evidence that as companies adopt more flexible systems and identify inventory pooling strategies they may succeed despite operating further from the diagonal. If demand characteristics are important for defining the competitive priorities and process choice within a company, why wouldnt end-customer demand characteristics also be important for defining the process choices across a supply chain? The association between process choice and end-customer requirements across a supply chain has not been empirically tested. Therefore, the following proposition is suggested: Proposition 1: The competitive priorities and end-customer value with regard to a supply chains primary product line must be consistent with the supply chain firms process choices. While Proposition 1 suggests the importance of alignment, it does not imply that each company in the supply chain must have similar processes, or even that the processes would have similar capabilities (i. e. , speed, volume, changeover, etc. ). What is suggested is that regardless of where the company is positioned in the supply chain, the focus must be on end customer requirements. If end-customers require a variety of products with short lead times and variable volumes, each partner in the chain must be able to react quickly to provide different varieties and ramp production up or down. An end customer focused on low cost and consistent product in high volumes requires each partner to focus on streamlined production and efficient operations. How each partner meets the capability required by the end customer may differ, but the focus must be on what the supply chains end customer requires. As noted by both Lee and Fisher, there are key differences in the characteristics of products that affect supply chain design. Uncertainty surrounding the specific product design volume and delivery requirements increases the need for flexibility across the supply chain. Each firm within the supply-chain plan processes must understand end-customer value to maintain the flexibility required by all upstream partners. Types of uncertainty include: the need for differently defined product (make-to-order [MTO]), the desire to choose from an existing group of designs (options), the need for different volume requirements, and the need to design new products. End-product uncertainty suggests that entire supply chains must be adaptable. Therefore, the following is suggested: Proposition 2: End-customer product uncertainty characteristics increase the need for supply chain flexibility and influence process choice. As an example, consider the level of uncertainty associated with customer demand for fashion items, such as womens handbags. There is great uncertainty associated with how well any particular design might be accepted and eventually purchased by the end customer. Systems must be established to move product to the location with the greatest demand. Demand characteristics, including general market response and seasonality, may affect the sales or shelf-life of the product and, therefore, require a supply chain that can make adjustments in production, design, and raw materials. At the other end of the uncertainty spectrum resides a product like sugar. Stable demand and specific product characteristics allow for the development of a supply chain where minimal flexibility is required. These examples and the propositions offered suggest the need for a new model to define the relationship between processes and products across a supply chain. Successful supply chains will focus on end-customer demand and select the appropriate processes to match the demand characteristics. Figure 3 describes a proposed supply chain product-process matrix. The proposed supply chain matrix takes into account Lee and Fishers perspectives on end-product customer characteristics. The horizontal axis represents product uncertainty that can vary from a repetitive standard product to a highly variable product, where the customer wants to participate in the design or at a minimum wants a customized product. The horizontal axis represents the needed flexibility for the entire supply chain and ranges from the highly efficient supply chain to one that uses processes for specific customer requirements. Efficient supply chains can produce products in large quantities at a low cost and with short lead times. Responsive supply chains can respond to changes in customer requirements and produce a customized product in quantities as small as one. In Hayes and Wheelwrights original model (see Figure 1), they suggest that companies will be most successful when operating closely on the diagonal. While a particular location on the proposed matrix (see Figure 3) does not suggest particular processes for the firms in the supply chain, it does suggest the types of processes required across the supply chain. For example, the make-to-order clothing retailer must have processes that can gather size information, translate that information to drawings, and transfer the information quickly to the clothing manufacturer. The clothing manufacturer must have equipment that can interpret design requirements, quickly change from one size to another, and incorporate color and other choices. The textile manufacturer must stock or quickly produce the right color and thickness of material to match the particular customers needs. The entire supply chain must be able to react to customized design. At the opposite extreme are supply chains that produce a standard product in one or a very small number of options and are focused on efficient production throughout the supply chain. Many supply chains today are finding more and more customers requiring customized products. Companies currently mass producing products, such as shoes, are considering how to build a product specific to the customer. In this example, the customers foot measurements are translated into a custom-fit product. This movement from repetitive products to more mass-customized items suggests that supply chains in the future must be more responsive. Therefore, the following is suggested: Proposition 3: The goal of the supply chains firms, depending on the product and competitive environment is either to move up and to the left of the matrix without sacrificing efficiency and cost effectiveness or to move down and to the right without sacrificing flexibility and customization. Expectations for mass customization are certainly changing the competitive environment. This push requires that companies redesign processes to gain flexibility without increasing costs. As an example, a local cabinet manufacturing firm requested help redesigning a manufacturing process that would allow it to customize cabinets for product sold though a large home improvement chain. The push from the store was to provide reasonably priced custom cabinets to its customers. In addition, lead-time from order receipt to ship was very short. The manufacturing company set a rip-to-ship goal of 24 hours. The retail chain promised high sales volume. The company then needed to change its high-volume manufacturing processes in such a way that customization could occur without adding to costs-a move up and to the left on the supply chain product-process matrix (Figure 3). Results from this manufacturing change were expected not only to increase the companys ability to customize its high-volume products, but to also increase margins for its low-volume, highly-customized products as manufacturing process improvements were moved to its low-volume lines. For this product line, the improvement would be down and to the right of the matrix, improving costs without sacrificing flexibility and customization. The cabinet company example illustrates another issue in selecting processes within a specific company to match supply chain objectives. While the company aligned its processes to provide a customized, short lead-time product, it also provided a high-volume standard product. Many companies have multiple product lines with differing end-customer requirements. It may be necessary to provide diverging paths through a manufacturing process to accommodate multiple customer objectives, or to create secondary processes. Either way, the key issue is to focus on end-customer requirements and vary process choice to accommodate product variation. Companies often find themselves members of multiple supply chains and must plan processes accordingly. At the same time, companies make process choices that are unique from other companies choices and provide them distinctive capabilities. They make trade-offs in process choice, which allow them to satisfy a given range of customer needs. These decisions allow a broad range of customers with a variety of needs to be served by different companies with distinct capabilities. While this may limit one companys capability to serve some customers, it opens opportunities for others to serve that market. Conclusions Determining supply chain processes is not an isolated task and should be considered in relation to end-customer requirements and the competitive priorities of the entire supply chain. Hayes and Wheelwright concluded that, with their well-known product-process matrix, companies focusing on aligning processes with product requirements will be most successful. Today, as supply chains compete with supply chains, the entire supply chain must be focused on the end customer. Childerhouse et al. (2002, p. 687) summarized the perspective of a focused demand chain: The theory of focused demand chains is based on the premise that modern day marketplaces have diverse requirements for alternative products and services. No one demand chain strategy can best service all these requirements. Hence, focus is required to ensure demand chains are engineered to match customer requirements. This paper proposed revising the Hayes and Wheelwright model to incorporate a supply chain perspective. Future work is needed to apply these concepts across multiple companies and industries to validate the proposed model. Rather than looking only at the companys products and customer requirements, it is important to examine the role of end-customer product characteristics in the processes of all the firms that are partners in the supply chain. Supply chains have one role, which is to serve the end customer. Understanding that end customer should help firms set competitive priorities and establish processes to match end-customer demand. REFERENCES Abernathy, W. J. , and Townsend, P. L. (1975). Technology productivity and process change. Technical Forecasting and Social Change, 7, 379-396. Ariss, S. S. , and Zhang, Q. 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