Visiting Getty Vila Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visiting Getty Vila - Essay Example To her right is an image of the man who seems to be placing something in the bowel held by the woman in her left hand. This woman is naked at the top and she is standing in an attractive stance. Her hair is plaited and her naked chest exposing her breasts is emblazoned with a necklace showing flowers. In the left corner of the plaque, it can also be seen that there are different ornaments placed on what looks like a round table. The vessels are of different shapes and they seem to represent different types of treasure. Upon closer analysis of the plaque, it can be seen that it is designed from an outdoor setting. It seems there is a large tree branch stretching from the upper left corner of the plaque through to the right. Again, I noticed that the child depicted in the portrait is holding a ball in his left hand. He is also standing on a rectangular box probably used to store different types of wealth. The bowel held by the women in her left hand is used to collect different types of treasure which will be stored in a safe place later on. To a larger extent, I believe this piece of art was superbly designed. During the ancient period, silver was used to design different types of treasure. This precious mineral was smelted and designed into different shapes depicting different types of artifacts. Even up to date, I believe that silver is still regarded as one of the most precious minerals found across the globe. It symbolizes wealth and the more silver one had in procession, the wealthier they are considered. In my own opinion, I think this piece of art is authentic in that even up to date, silver is still used to measure the level of wealth possessed by a certain individual or group. This plaque seemed to have been developed during ancient period when there were still little technological developments that could be used to smelt this mineral. It seems that the people who lived during this period were technologically advanced such that they

Healthcare Management Essay Example for Free

Healthcare Management Essay Executive Summary There are over 850,000 physicians practicing in the United States today, covering every imaginable specialty and sub-specialty (Young, Chaudhry, Rhyne, Dugan, 2011). According to the World Health Organization (2000), even though our country spends more money per capita than any other country in the world, the USA ranks 37 out of the top 191 countries in the world in terms of overall health system performance. Although there are many reasons for this poor performance, several experts cite the lack of emphasis on primary care and true preventative medicine in the US (The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, 2011). This is a proposal to create a community ambulatory health center in a suburban community that would provide the setting for training family medicine residents. The establishment of such a center would allow a hospital to provide better primary care services to the uninsured and underinsured patients in its community. It may also help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits as well as hospital readmissions by providing quality care to these patients. A training program would also improve the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain actively admitting primary care physicians. The proposal discusses the process for choosing the center’s location, funding models, administrative structures, as well as staffing and architectural requirements. Strategy of Service Lines and Location As mentioned in the executive summary, it is well known that many communities in the US could benefit from increased access to primary care services (Commonwealth Fund Commission, 2011). Even within suburban communities that may appear seemingly affluent, there are often significant socioeconomically challenged populations. The parent hospital would have to conduct a SWOT analysis, to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (Longest Darr, 2008). In this case, the presence of a family medicine residency program is a great strength, both in clinical and economic ways. Family medicine residents (and their faculty) are well versed in current, best standards of care. Graduate medical education often provides significant revenue streams, as described below. Up to four residents can work under the supervision of a single faculty  physician; often the number of patients seen in a residency clinic far exceeds that of a private office. Weaknesses include the presence of other residency clinics in the region, as well as difficulties recruiting quality residents to a new training program that has no established reputation. It can also be difficult to recruit and retain skilled and motivated faculty physicians for progams, as the compensation for such academic positions is often less than that of purely clinical posts. Threats to this proposal include changes in GME funding (external environment) and the possibility of the residency program losing its accreditation (internal and external environment). In scanning the external environment of the organization, it is possible to identify specific geographic locations that have significant numbers of uninsured/underinsured patients (but still within the hospitals catchment area). It would also have to be convenient to public transportation, such as bus stops, subway stations, or railroad stations. Analysis of the various economic, political, demographic, and regulatory sectors would also identify the best time and location to create such a clinic. Significant forecasting would also have to confirm that the current external environment would not change in a way that would significantly worsen the chances for the clinics success. The creation of this new community health center would fall under the hospitals directional strategy, as most hospitals mission and vision statements include caring for the needy in their communities (Longest Darr, 2008). Management and Personnel Structure Being a hospital-owned facility, a hospital administrator would be the senior manager / liaison; this would most likely be the Vice President for Ambulatory Affairs or Chief Medical Officer. The organization itself would have two chief administrators reporting to the hospital liaison; an Administrative Director (who would be the middle manager responsible for the overall management and vision of the center) and a Medical Director (who would be responsible for clinical activities, supervision, and initiatives). The Medical Director might well be the hospitals department Chair of Family Medicine. The family medicine residency program would require a full-time physician serving as both Director of Medical Education and residency Program Director. The residency itself would have 24 residents.  In order to maintain an appropriate ratio of preceptors to trainees, there would need to be at least 4 full-time faculty attending physicians (American Osteopathic Association, 2011) An office supervisor (first-level manager) would be responsible for the day-to-day operations in the front (reception) and back (finance) portions of the office. In the front office, the practice would need 3 receptionists who would register patients upon their arrival and answer telephone calls. They would also verify patients insurance status. The back office would require 2 coders who would be responsible for verifying correct coding for practice visits, submit claims, and process payments from both patients and third-party payors. Another clerical staff member would be needed to process pre-authorizations and referrals (both incoming and outgoing). Finally, a charting person would be needed (even in an electronic medical record-equipped practice) to accommodate incoming paper / faxed documents. The middle (clinical) part of the office, would require 2 medical assistants who would be responsible for bringing patients from the waiting room into the appropriate area (exam room, laboratory, or procedure room) and triage them (taking and recording vital signs, documenting the chief complaint, and verifying medications and allergies). A registered nurse and licensed practical nurse would be needed to administer vaccinations and medications. Finally, a phlebotomist / lab assistant would be needed to perform venipuncture’s, prepare specimens, and perform CLIA-waived tests. The registered nurse would also serve as the Clinical Supervisor (first-level manager) for the clinical support staff. Funding Model Medicare is the primary formal financier of graduate medical education programs, contributing 72 percent of all tax-financed support. Other federal payors include Medicaid (11 percent), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (10 percent), the U.S. Department of Defense (3 percent), and the Bureau of Health Professions (3 percent) (Young Coffman, 1998). A teaching hospital will receive direct medical education (DME) payments cover the cost of resident and faculty stipends and benefits, and overhead costs that are directly related to the teaching programs, such as ambulatory  office space. Hospitals also receive funding for indirect medical education (IME) costs because teaching hospitals have more complex case mixes, more uninsured patients, and provided services that were costly but not necessarily well reimbursed, such as trauma centers and transplants units (Cymet Chow, 2011). These payments are, on average, total $100,000 per resident per year. However, over the last 20 years, the federal government has either frozen GME funding or in some cases, reduced it significantly (especially under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997) (Phillips, et al., 2004). Currently, the family medicine residents in this proposal do result in a net gain for the hospital. With an average salary of $45,000 plus $20,000 in benefits, the hospital stands to net $35,000 per resident. For a program of 24 residents (8 in each year), the hospital would have a net income of $840,000 from Medicare GME funding. Each of the faculty physicians would have their own clinical practice (about 0.25 FTE), so they would bill Medicare and third-party payors for their services. They would have a productivity plan whereby each month they would receive 25% of their revenue after fulfilling their monthly salary/benefit costs. Physical Characteristics / Layout of the Facility Because of the educational nature of the practice (i.e. a residency teaching clinic), the physical layout of the facility has specific needs. In the front portion of the office, the waiting room needs to have ample seating to allow for extended wait times associated with teaching clinics. The waiting room would also have to be child-friendly, with easily disinfected toys (i.e. no stuffed animals). Because many potential patients will have to apply for Medicaid or hospital-based charity programs, it would be ideal to have an office (or at least a kiosk) where a financial coordinator could meet with patients in a private area. Since this would be a multi-specialty practice with dozens of residents and attending physicians, there would need to be a large number of exam rooms, perhaps 18, all with exam tables equipped with stirrups to accommodate pelvic exams, Pap smears, and STD testing. There would also need to be a large procedure room to accommodate the need for various gynecological (colposcopy, endometrial biopsy, IUD placement/removal, etc.) and other types of procedures (suturing, biopsies. etc.). The center would also have a spacious area dedicated to residents for  charting and research, as well as two precepting rooms where clinical cases can be discussed with faculty physicians. There would be a conference room equipped with a computer and LCD projector for presentations and discussions. Numerous computer workstations throughout the clinic would allow access to an electronic medical records system. One exam room could be equipped for videotaping that is used (with the patient’s permission) to observe residents as they demonstrate the core competencies while providing patient care. The center would need a laboratory for the collection and processing of blood and other specimens. In order to avoid the same stringent regulations and testing associate with a hospital or reference laboratory, the center would only perform CLIA-waived tests such as finger-stick blood glucose testing, throat cultures, and urine dipstick analysis (CDC and CMS, 2006). The building would al so ideally have offices for each of the faculty attending physicians, as well as for administrative and support staff. Clinical Practice As mentioned previously, this community health center would offer multiple specialties. The main service would be primary care. Family medicine residents, under the supervision of faculty preceptors, would provide general internal medical, pediatric, obstetric (pre- and post-natal), and gynecologic care to patients of all ages. Additionally, other specialty physicians would be available for special clinics: obstetrics (perinatal) and advanced gynecology twice a week, dermatology once a week, and general surgery, gastroenterology, pulmonology, cardiology, and urology once a month. These specialty services are essential in serving the needs of the target population: uninsured and underinsured (i.e. Medicaid) patients who are unable to see these specialists in private practice. Credentialing The Chair of Family Medicine is responsible for maintaining records of each attending physicians credentials. These would include a New York State Medical License (with updated registration), DEA registration (to prescribe controlled substances), copies of medical school and residency diplomas, proof of board certification (and maintenance), records of continuing  medical education, and CPR/Advanced Cardiac Life Support training cards. The Director of Medical Education / Residency Program Director is responsible for maintaining records for each resident physician such as their medical school diplomas/transcripts, licensing examination transcripts, ACLS training, and signed residency contracts. Local zoning and legal concerns Consideration must be given as to the choice of commercial property for this ambulatory health center. The ideal location would be a pre-existing medical office building that has already been zoned for a medical practice, and has the required number of parking spaces (especially handicapped) and adequate access in and out of the building. A multi-level building must have elevators that are compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations. In County, a Certificate of Need must be granted before a new healthcare facility can be built. There are also village and town zoning ordinances that must be considered when modifying or creating a medical office building . The center would fall under the jurisdiction of the same regulatory bodies as that of its parent hospital, and would be setup as a not-for-profit organization, since a significant portion of its care would be uncompensated.

What is Federalism?

What is Federalism? Federalism is a political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments. Federalism is one of the two major principles based on the American version of representative democracy that distribute power, the other is separation of power. The political authority in America is divided between national and state governments this division is called federalism (Wilson, 2014). How federalism has evolved from its origins to the American political system of today The United States started off with a group of colonies that were under a British unitary system. The British government viewed it as a centralized power, a threat to their rights and liberties. The Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787 faced the major problem of how to restrict the power of the central government and still provide it with the necessary power to protect national interests. The solution was to divide power between national and state levels of government resulting in federalism (Bodenhamer). When the Revolution was carried out the United States became a confederation covered by the Articles of Confederation. This system became unsuccessful so it was transformed into a federal system by the Constitution (Mount, 2010). The drafting of the Constitution by the Framers was opposed to by Antifederalist. The Framers thought it gave the national government too much power. The framers intended federalism to be a device for protecting personal liberty (Wilson, 20 14). Since the United States implemented federalism in 1787, it has progressed. Over time two major kinds of federalism have dominated the political theory. A debate over the meaning of federalism began after the Civil war, focusing on the interpretation of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, the commerce clause. Out of this debate came the doctrine of dual federalism in which the national and state governments have defined areas of authority and separately especially over commerce. Congress would regulate interstate commerce and states would regulate intrastate commerce and each would be defined by the Supreme Court. They must defer single state commerce over to the state authority. States depend on the power of the federal government over foreign and military relations, state and foreign commerce. The second major kind of federalism involved the last paragraph of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution authorizing Congress to pass all laws deemed â€Å"necessary and proper† in carrying out the enumerated powers (Wilson, 2014). Today the federal government responsibilities are those that traditionally were the authority of the state government. They include education, social welfare policy, health care, and minimum wage. The growth of the federal government has caused an increase in spending, adjustments for inflation affecting state and local government. The full-time civilian workforce of the federal government is about the same as it was in 1960, while state and local government full-time workforce has more than doubled since 1960. The federal-state relation handles most national laws and policies. This complex relation in whole or partly fund, shape and administer programs. In American politics federalism has been central. The federal government depends on the states to provide senators and representatives through elections (Wilson, 2014). Factors that have allowed the concept of federalism to shape American political behavior Federalism political significance defines political justice, shapes political behavior, and directs humans towards a suitably civic combination of the two. The idea of federalism is important to the law of natural in defining justice and the natural right in defining the origins and proper constitution of political society. Federalism as a form of political organization has grown as a factor shaping political behavior. Federalism is a political force because it serves the principle that there are no simple majorities or minorities, but that all majorities consist of a collection of individuals and the consequence principle of minority rights not only protecting the possibility for minorities to preserve themselves but forces majorities to be combined rather than artificially simple. It serves those principles by emphasizing the consensual basis of the political entity and the importance of liberty in the constitution and maintenance of democratic republics. Both principles are especi ally important in an increasingly complex and interdependent world, where all people must live together, whether they like it or not and even desire to do so by majority vote. It is not surprising that people and states throughout the world are looking for federal solutions to the problems of political incorporation within a democratic framework. Federalism involves some type of contractual relationship of a presumably permanent characteristic that provides for power sharing, division around issues of sovereignty, and supplements, but does not seek to replace or diminish prior organic ties that they exist (Elazar, 1991). Factors that illustrate how the relationship between the states and the U. S. Federal government influences the creation of American policies overall In the original Constitution before the bill of rights the Framers attempted to define the relationship between the states and the federal government. In it the states powers were restricted. The relationship between the states and the U. S. Federal government influences American policies in that it clearly defines that people want local control over its police and schools, but the local control over their governmental services have been reduced by the federal regulations development of federal grants in aid (Wilson, 2014). In the United States the laws and actions citizens encounter on a daily basis involve all three levels of government. Zoning, traffic control, sanitation, educational administration, street repair and other services are primarily managed by local officials on the authority granted to them by the state. Voting procedures differ from state to state. Educational policies, criminal justice, business and professional regulation, public health and other important issues are under the control of the state government. Defense, foreign affairs, economic, monetary policy, welfare reform are all actions of national government. National government laws apply to individuals living within the national boundaries. State laws apply to the resident of those states. The constitution is the source of authority for national and state government reflecting the will of the people (Bodenhamer). The central government has defined powers in a federal nation, and has full authority over external affairs. The constitution gives the government exclusive power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, coin money, provide the naturalization of immigrants, and maintenance of the military. The United States guarantees states a republican form of government ensuring that states cannot create a monarchy. The national government has judicial authority that resolves controversies between the states and between the citizens of different states. State and central governments may differ in areas of domestic policy where they have overlapping interests and needs. The state and national government can exercise power at the same time as in the parallel power to tax. Issues regarding national authority, not addressed by the constitution allows the states to take action as long as it does not conflict with the powers legally exercise by the central government. Issues on education, crime and punishment, health and safety and other important matters affecting the daily lives of citizens the constitution does not assign responsibility (Bodenhamer). Recognizing the potential for conflict surrounding concurrent power among levels of government the framers adopted measures to avoid them making the U. S. Constitution supreme over state constitutions enforceable through federal courts. The clause declared that the actions of the national government supreme whenever its power conflicted with the legitimate actions of the state. It also clearly prohibited states from exercising powers that were granted to the central government. In ratifying the Constitution the framers supported the bill of rights, the first ten amendments in efforts to restrain national governments from interfering with individual liberties. By listing the mutual obligations that each state owed each other the Constitution laid the ground rules for the relationship among the states. Finding the correct balance between national and state powers continues to be an issue in American politics. With each generation social and economic changes occur, there are shifts in p olitical values and the changing role the nation plays in the world will require changes and adjustments in how we treat federalism (Bodenhamer). Conclusion The agreement of the Constitution established a union of states under a federal system of governance. The Constitution has been debating over the issues of powers, privileges, duties, and responsibilities granted to national governments and reserved for the states and its people have shaped and been shaped by the nation’s political, social, and economic history of the United States (Boyd, 1997). The characteristics of federalism suits the changing nature of American society. The flexibility of the Constitution allows the nation to respond to changing circumstances (Bodenhamer). References Bodenhamer, D. J. (n.d.). Federalism Democracy. Retrieved August 7, 2014, from AIT website: http://www.ait.org.tw/infouse/zhtw/docs/demopaper/dmpaper4.html Boyd, E. (1997, January 6). American Federalism, 1779 to 1997: Significant Events. Retrieved August 8, 2014, from US Embassy: http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/gov/federal.htm Elazar, D. (1991). Exploring Federalism. University of Alabama Press. Mount, S. (2010, January 24). Constitutional Topic: Federalism. Retrieved August 7, 2014, from U. S. Constitution: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_duep.html Wilson, J. Q. (2014). American Government: Brief version (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.

Battle Of The Boys :: essays research papers

Battle Of The Boys   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shape of my Heart Or Bye, Bye, Bye? Backstreet Boys or N’Sync? The latest rage is the five Boys that make up a boy band. What most teenagers don’t consider is what makes each group unique. A boy band must be judged on their personal style, their singing, and music and, there is always their performance ability. All of these should be considered when choosing a favorite boy band.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When teen-age girls see the Backstreet Boys on the television they go crazy. When the Backstreet Boys are on TV everyone sees five young men dressed in clothing that most people can not afford. The clothing they wear is preppy and expensive. Companies are always competing to have the Backstreet Boys. LL Bean, Abercrombie and Fitch, Structure and Gap. Now that is just what they wear, when you look at them you can tell who is the more popular guys are. Nick Carter the blond haired blue eyed guy that is considered the hottest guy in the group that most girls fall for. Nick usually wears the more expensive and preppy style of clothing. While Backstreet Boys had Nick and the preppy style of clothing, N’Sync had the more everyday clothing that you see on a lot of people in your every day life. N'Sync has their share of over priced clothing but they wear what they can afford. When you look at N’Sync all of them have good looks but the one that Most girls go for is Justin Timberlake. He has the blond curly hair and the wonderful green eyes. Another thing that makes him so attractive is that he is always willing to help any charity organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neither Backstreet Boys nor N’Sync would be all that popular if it wasn’t for their music abilities. Both bands Sing and produce they’re own music and occasionally a cover song. What make the bands different are the writers of the music. Backstreet Boys are not the best in the category. The Backstreet Boys usually have other people write their music and then the five of them look the music and decide if they want to sing it or not. Occasionally one of the Backstreet Boys will write a song on a CD like on their millennium album Brian form the Backstreet Boys wrote a ballad to his mother called the perfect fan. But on the other hand their big hit I want it that way or shape of my heart was written by one of their writers.

Kiwi Series

Kiwi Series #1 My choice of artwork for this essay is titled Kiwi Series # 1. This painting is made by Dennis Wojtkiewicz in 2005. The size of this painting is 36 by 66 inches. The medium used in this painting is the oil on canvas. I chose this painting because it appeals to my sense of aesthetics and also it has the most interesting use of texture. This painting is an excellent example of our sight being able to activate other senses. The presentation of the translucent fruit and fuzzy skin is so convincing that we have a visual and a tactile reaction and for some, a sensation of taste.The painter has used actual texture in this painting. In this essay, I will talk about the subject matter and then the content. I will also be analyzing each element and principle of design in the painting's composition in an attempt to look at it much more deeply and understand it better. Kiwi Series # 1 is a painting of a  kiwi fruit, which is cut into half. It is placed on a table or some hard su rface. The painter has drawn every little detail of the fruit  in the painting. The seeds, the internal minor lines in the fruit, and the difference in textures are done with great enthusiasm and passion.This painting makes me calm and relaxed because of the colors used in this painting and also its overall appearance. The Elements: There are different kinds of lines used in this painting. The artist has used some curvy lines near the edge and the center of the fruit. Straight lines are also used in this painting. Some lines are thick and some are thin, separating the seeds and the showing the opaqueness of some parts. The painting itself is a rectangle shape. The  shape of the fruit is objective. There are many other smaller shapes in the painting. The shape of the seeds is oval.The center of the fruit gives kind of semi-circle look. The row of the seeds looks like a thin petal of  a flower. The fruit itself is looking like a semi-circle. There is a great amount of contrast. This painting  has a photography value in which the  artist has used light part against the  dark  part. Chiaroscuro is also evident due to the illusion of light and shadow as the light source is coming from the top. Casting shadow on the table. There are areas of strong contrast such as the light color of fruit against the dark background. Sfumato is also evident in this painting.The dark colors of the seeds also create contrast against the light color of the fruit. Also there is contrast of the seeds against the bright  area near it. The color is a local color as it replicates the appearance of the real world. The colors are natural. The fruit is green and light green in color. The seeds are black. A slight brown color is also used near the edge of the fruit. The texture is simulated. If someone would touch this painting, they would feel slight bumps of the paint. For the most part, the artist has simulated the texture of the fruit.The background of the painting appears to be smooth. There is not much space in the painting. The figure is right at the forefront of the painting so the painting has shallow space. The background is dark  and we could not see anything except the fruit. Principles: The balance in this painting is symmetrical. The right side is very similar to the left side. If I were to draw a line in the middle of this painting, the visual weight on both sides of the painting would be the same. The painting is populated almost the same on both sides.The dominant part in this painting is the half-cut kiwi fruit. It occupies almost 85% of the space of the painting. Kiwi fruit is the biggest thing in the painting and it is the most important aspect of the subject matter. The same shape of the seeds in the painting creates harmony. Also the bright row that contains seeds is also of the same shape so they are the unifying factor in this painting. This work is not economical at all. There is a great amount of details and attention given to the figure. In my opinion it is highly realistic and the artist has drawn it with great interest.

The Ethical Argument Surrounding Assisted Reproductive Technology ART †Ethics Essay

The Ethical Argument Surrounding Assisted Reproductive Technology ART – Ethics Essay Free Online Research Papers The Ethical Argument Surrounding Assisted Reproductive Technology ART Ethics Essay Prompt: Assisted Reproductive Technology is an issue with many facets that tend to contribute to the ethical arguments surrounding it. Three subissues in particular, including access to this technology, the definition of a parent/conflicting claims on custody, and the commodification of people, contribute to the ethical argument on ART, all in a rather negative manner. First, access to this technology seems to make ART unethical. ART is an extremely expensive procedure, ranging into the tens of thousands of dollars and up for something that may not even be successful, and this is before the baby is ever born. It is obvious that only people with access to such funds would be able to take advantage of this technology. In this case, only the very well-off would be able to have children at an advanced age or under certain physical conditions; thus, less wealthy people would not be able to have their own children. Taken to an extreme, this could be seen as a form of genetic â€Å"purification† of society, where the very wealthy are able to have more children than the less wealthy. In addition to the high cost, this technology is more available in certain geographical areas, including the U.S. West Coast and Northeast and Western Europe. Even if they could afford it, people in Africa, Asia, or South America would have to fly somewhere else t o obtain access to ART. Again, taken to the extreme, this could be seen as a â€Å"purification† of the human race, with people in the U.S. and Europe having more ready access to this technology and thus more able to take advantage of it. While Stock and Fuykuyama argue over government regulation of this technology in the text, it seems that the more important issue is the fact that access to this technology is limited to very wealthy individuals who tend to live in the U.S. and Europe. Secondly, ART seems to change the definition of a parent, making custody battles – already a difficult topic – even more complicated, and further adding to the argument that ART is not necessarily ethical. As we see in the case with the triplets, parenthood in ART is a complicated affair because you have several sets of contributors to these children’s lives: the donor mother and/or father, the intending mother/father, and/or the surrogate mother all can feel that they have the rights to these children. First, the donor mother and/or father are the genetic parents; they can feel a genetic connection with those children who may look or act just like them. The court just ruled that even these people, who signed a contract to sell their eggs or sperm to an ART company, have rights over the children, and granted custody of those triplets to the egg-donor mother. Then there are the intending mother and/or father. They are the people who are spending all this mon ey to have these children; these are the ones who say they will take care of these children and raise them as their own. But are they their own? The courts have ruled in the father’s favor in this case, but then it was reversed. Do intending parents have just as much right to the children as the biological parents? Finally there is the surrogate mother, who formed connections with these children for nine months as she carried them around. Would a surrogate not be informed that she may develop feelings for these children as she carried them? It would seem that this business would take into account the fact that a pregnant woman more often than not forms connections with the unborn children that intending and biological parents cannot otherwise make. And unless that woman is willing to completely give up her claim on the children and cut all emotional ties to them, it would seem that putting a woman through that emotional pain would be unethical. Thus, judging from the issues surrounding the definition of a parent, ART seems to be an unethical practice. Finally, the issue of the commodification of people is a more cloudy subissue for ART; it could be argued in two ways. First, from the very beginning, when a woman decides to donate her eggs or a man his sperm, some people can argue that we are buying and selling human beings or at the very least, the make up of humans. Should this not be akin to slavery? Slavery is wrong in the sense that we are treating people like cattle, mere commodities, like something that can be assigned a monetary value, when, in fact, are humans not more valuable than money? On the other hand, others argue against this, saying that a human is not a human until conception, and some go even further to say a human becomes a human at birth. Otherwise, would a woman not be accused of murder every time she menstruates? And what about all those sperm that men waste? We would all be in jail. I suppose the difference between these points of view is that in the first argument, we are selling our eggs or sperm in order to create human beings, whereas the second argument is a natural process, not an intentional disposal of human material. Intention, then, would be very important in this argument. Depending on which side of the intention argument you lie, the commodification of people could contribute to or detract from the ethical argument against ART. And so, ART can be argued as unethical from the points of access and parent definition, while it can be supported as ethical or unethical from the issue of commodification. Research Papers on The Ethical Argument Surrounding Assisted Reproductive Technology ART - Ethics EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoGenetic EngineeringArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Personal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Project Managment Office SystemPETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

Free Essays on Perception Of “The Patriot“

Society’s Perception of â€Å"The Patriot† The earth shakes as cannons rumble in the distance. Black powder fills the sky while the bodies of soldiers lay on the blood soaked ground. Drums beat and soldiers march as people from long ago are dying on the big flickering screen. Throughout the history of filmmaking, hundreds of movies have been produced illustrating the art of war. Most of these movies depict wars which involve the United States. Death and suffering are the results left by wars. In a society where death and suffering are thought to be terrible, why would people want to witness a tragedy such as a war for entertainment purposes? The Scene portrayed above can be witnessed in Ronald Emmerich’s â€Å"The Patriot†. This movie takes place during the American Revolutionary War illustrating life during the colonial era. The story focuses on a central character, Benjamin Martin, who is played by Mel Gibson. Martin is a man who gets involved with the war in a desperate attempt to protect his family and avenge the brutal murder of his seven children. The film vividly displays the sadness experienced from families being torn apart, innocent people dying terrible deaths, and the fighting and dying of soldiers in a quest for independence. Movies are usually created to affect the audience in some way, either by appealing to the views and beliefs of society or by contradicting them. â€Å"The Patriot† is a movie which affects many people in different ways. With the use of its historical, political, and racial views, The film draws out mixed emotions from its audiences. â€Å"The Patriot† is one of the few Hollywood blockbusters of recent years to have received an enormous amount of criticism. The film’s bashing of the British has raised a large amount of media attention in the United Kingdom. The film’s director, Roland Emmerich, argues â€Å"the resistance to England’s taxation of a slave-owni... Free Essays on Perception Of â€Å"The Patriotâ€Å" Free Essays on Perception Of â€Å"The Patriotâ€Å" Society’s Perception of â€Å"The Patriot† The earth shakes as cannons rumble in the distance. Black powder fills the sky while the bodies of soldiers lay on the blood soaked ground. Drums beat and soldiers march as people from long ago are dying on the big flickering screen. Throughout the history of filmmaking, hundreds of movies have been produced illustrating the art of war. Most of these movies depict wars which involve the United States. Death and suffering are the results left by wars. In a society where death and suffering are thought to be terrible, why would people want to witness a tragedy such as a war for entertainment purposes? The Scene portrayed above can be witnessed in Ronald Emmerich’s â€Å"The Patriot†. This movie takes place during the American Revolutionary War illustrating life during the colonial era. The story focuses on a central character, Benjamin Martin, who is played by Mel Gibson. Martin is a man who gets involved with the war in a desperate attempt to protect his family and avenge the brutal murder of his seven children. The film vividly displays the sadness experienced from families being torn apart, innocent people dying terrible deaths, and the fighting and dying of soldiers in a quest for independence. Movies are usually created to affect the audience in some way, either by appealing to the views and beliefs of society or by contradicting them. â€Å"The Patriot† is a movie which affects many people in different ways. With the use of its historical, political, and racial views, The film draws out mixed emotions from its audiences. â€Å"The Patriot† is one of the few Hollywood blockbusters of recent years to have received an enormous amount of criticism. The film’s bashing of the British has raised a large amount of media attention in the United Kingdom. The film’s director, Roland Emmerich, argues â€Å"the resistance to England’s taxation of a slave-owni...

Charles Lindbergh essays

Charles Lindbergh essays In today's society, one can become famous for the slightest task. Many of today's heroes and idols have never accomplished anything truly great. Some are admired for their looks, acting ability, or simply for being in the right place at the right time. However, Charles Augustus Lindbergh is one American hero that truly earned the fame and respect that he received. Lindbergh's fame began in 1927, when his dreams of making the flight between New York and Paris were beginning to be realized. Between the months of March and May, Charles supervised the construction of the Spirit of St. Louis, the airplane that would later fulfill his dream. Soon after its completion, Lindbergh set a speed record for a flight between San Diego and St. Louis. At this point, Americans began to recognize him as a competitor in the race across the Atlantic. Finally, on May 20, 1927, he embarked on his journey to France. On May 21, Lindbergh touched down at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. Although recognized as a national hero, Charles' influence in American history didn't end with the transatlantic flight. Lindbergh tragically became the center of the "trial of the century," became deeply involved in the World War II controversy, and was involved in other foreign affairs. In 1913, Charles Lindbergh had his first experience with an airplane. Playing inside his home one afternoon, he heard the far off drone of an engine. Presuming the noise to be that of an automobile, Charles went on playing. Soon, the drone turned into a roar, and he knew that it had to be something else. Walking out onto his roof, he saw that the noise was an airplane. The sight of the airplane caused Charles to dream of flying for the rest of his childhood. In 1912, Charles' father bought a new car, a Model-T Ford that the family named Maria. At the age of eleven, Charles learned to drive the car and after a great deal of practice, became a more proficient driver...

Arab Sprig Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arab Sprig - Essay Example One scenario was a successful revolt to a more democratic government, made with less wasted resources. Tunisia perhaps, was the only example of ‘a success story’ from all countries involved in ‘Arab spring’ (Botelho). Historically, Tunisia was also a country where ‘Arab spring’ ideas have started spread from when a 26-year-old Tunisian, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire protesting against youth unemployment and generally, against a corrupt regime responsible for low level of life in Tunisia (BBC). A revolt succeeded in a form of ‘mostly nonviolent removal’ of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, bringing country to desirable elections in 2011. Totten says that despite the Islamist party Ennahda won this race, a majority of Tunisians were already voting in democratic way, demonstrating their preference to a variety of other parties (Totten 2). Thus, finally Tunisians overthrown a religious Ennahda too, and never again returning to a one party dictatorship, adopted a liberal constitution. Egyptian case when overthrowing President Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30 years long dictatorship was similar to a Tunisian one. ‘Egyptian activists got their inspiration from Tunisia’, –believes Botelho (Botelho). The resistance was more brutal comparing to Tunisian civil protesting, but finally, Egypt was voting in free President Elections 2011. Similar to Tunisian scenario, firstly choosing the Islamists leader Mohamed Morsi, Egyptians overthrown Morsi in 2013 due to a military support of Egyptian General el-Sisi. However, Egyptian case outcome differs from Tunisian liberation. Totten is skeptical on Egyptian new governmental actions, and points on acts of repressions: ‘Sisi’s regime reeks of Stalinism these days’ (Totten 3). Conversely, ‘Arab spring’ has been a very dramatic and costly enterprise for Libya and Syria, countries drugged into a brutal civil war nowadays. Totten points that because

Music During Renaissance And Reformation Periods Essay

Music During Renaissance And Reformation Periods - Essay Example The English Renaissance is considered to extend from the early sixteenth to the early seventeenth century, and refers to a cultural and artistic movement in England. The Reformation is a period that overlaps with that of the renaissance. The English Reformation started in the reign of Henry VIII. (1509 – 1547 A.D.) with England breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church based in Rome. This was brought about by Henry VIII, who insisted on divorcing his first wife, Catharine of Aragon, who could not bear him a male heir, to marry Anne Boleyn. Divorce was not permitted by the Church, due to which the king took this extreme measure, of taking the church’s power as well on himself. His subjects were also not happy with the church’s clergy and priests, who were fraudulent. The Pope’s power was ended, and Henry VIII became the the Supreme Head of the Church in 1534, and the country continued to be Catholic.

Since ethics and profit are actually not related, what reasons are Essay

Since ethics and profit are actually not related, what reasons are there to apply ethical standards to business at all - Essay Example First of all, it ensures that the company survives in the long term as it increases profitability and sustainability. However, the common consensus, most of the time, is that profit and ethics are opposed to one another, and hence, if a company is ethical, it cannot think about profits. In addition, many believe that in order for a company to be profitable, it should necessarily be unethical. In other words, this school of thought gives legitimacy for businesses to be totally unethical to make profits. There are instances in the history that make people believe that ethics and business are totally opposite entities. A perfect example is the Ford Pinto of Ford Motors. In 1978, three people died as the gas tank of the Pinto they drove exploded as it was hit in the rear. It was proved that the company knew that placing the tank in the rear end was vulnerable. However, the expenditure involved in changing the gas tank was $ 11 per car; an amount that is considerably less than the amount the company would have to pay in compensation for the few people who die as a result of explosion. So, the company decided not to change the position of the gas tank. In addition, law declared the company not responsible for the deaths. This incident clearly reveals how company can aim at profit totally neglecting what is ethical. In addition, such incidents generate the opinion that profit and ethics are alien to each other. ... Thus, the first and foremost ethical obligation for a company is to make profits for its stakeholders. In other words, its ethical duty is to meet the expectations of its stakeholders including employees and creditors. In addition, only a profitable company can fulfil its social responsibilities and welfare commitments. Though it is very evident that making profit is in no way against profitability, as Bandyopadhyay points out, there certainly are ethical questions about the methods adopted to make profit, and also about the amount of profit being made. A look into the business world proves that there are many large organizations that have successfully adopted ethical practices according to socially accepted norms. A look into World’s Most Ethical Companies Rank list helps learn how these companies turned ethical; according to this, UPS, one among them, reveals that ethics is the company’s business strategy (World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking 2008). They clai m that being a good corporate citizen is an important element that keeps the company successful. The company that has operations in more than 200 countries does have an ethics program that meets international demands. The company has written ethics policies and a culture that reinforces the written policies. Another company that deserves attention at this stage is Google. Within 10 years of its establishment, the company is into a number of programs aimed at reducing its environmental impacts. As a part of this step, the company addresses challenging issues like climate change, poverty, disasters and disease. In addition, the company encourages its employees to participate in such initiatives. In addition, there are many companies like Xerox,

ANALYZING SPSS(PASW) SOFTWARE PART 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ANALYZING SPSS(PASW) SOFTWARE PART 2 - Essay Example Lack of defined disposal mechanisms has led to environmental pollution that is the cause of today’s environmental degradation. The amount of money required to clean up the environments is such a burden since the number of players in the market have reduced market share of even the world largest information and Communication Company. To be able to maintain business value, the future for the players in the market remains in working on establishing sustainability through collaboration. Sustainable business value is thus achievable through established global environments that enhance economic development that are necessary for a global sustainable future. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: How can businesses leaders in the telecommunications industry shape the future of the telecommunications industry to arrive at a sustainable business value? Telecommunication industry has been one of the fastest growing industries in the globe (Goggin, 2014). The number of users has been on the rise by each passing day. In high population countries like India, 10 million people subscribe to telecommunication services each month (Prasad, Dixit, & Nee, 2010). Telecommunication has thus become an influential piece of technology that many people can no longer do without. Technology, has managed to bring people together to either work together or just use the services offered. However, with step in growth of the industry, the ecosystem gets the greatest effect. The methods of disposal of these gadgets have not been established for a long time. The e-waste that ends up in the landfills have proved to be more hazardous than any other waste ever know. Thus the needs for activities that focus on global network of companies have grown from a luxury to a necessity for survival of a player in the telecommunication industry as well as environmental conservation. Many key players have thus

Ricci v. DeStefano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ricci v. DeStefano - Essay Example disparate impact† in relation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, arguments that urge courts to be "color blind" in their deliberations, and the concept of "narrowly tailored" court-ordered remedies for discrimination. â€Å"Disparate impact† can be defined as a theory used to prove discrimination in employment. It forbids employers from using certain employment practices that are non-discriminatory in their intentions, but can still disproportionately affect people belonging to certain groups with regards to race, age, sex, ethnicity or disability. Fish, (2009) argues that although the law considers the use of tests to evaluate job applicants a useful measure, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not allow use of tests solely to promote firefighters unless it relates to job performance. For instance, the test used by the city of New Haven, did not test a firefighter’s ability to lead or supervise others in the line of duty; hence, caused a disparate impact. â€Å"Color blind† refers to making judicial decisions without regards to race. According to Fish (2009), the race of the federal judges is likely to affect the result of cases especially in issues relating to racial harassment in the workplace. Thus, the courts are urged to be color blind in order to have an efficient judicial decision making process that does not discriminate individuals based on race. â€Å"Narrowly tailored† refers to drafting something in order to meet the needs of a certain party. In this case, â€Å"narrowly tailored† refers to the ability of the court to draft certain concepts in the case in order to provide a solution to discrimination. For instance, the court rejected New Haven’s reasoning claiming that the fear of legal action cannot be used as an excuse by an employer’s dependence on race to the disadvantage of other firefighters who performed well in the test and qualified to be promoted (Fish, 2009). This court decision goes against Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Governance Research and Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Governance and Analysis - Research Paper Example The overall increase in the cost can be attributed to the steady rise in the tuition fees, reduction in the buying capacity of the allowance aids sanctioned for the students, shrinking financial plans for higher education of the states, augmenting liability loads for the students and increasing requirements for institutional responsibilities (Meek, Teichler & Kearney, 2009). It is in this context that the augmenting tuition expenses are turning out to be a grave concern, especially for the families with comparatively lesser earning which makes it impossible for them to meet up to the increasing costs. However, in some instances the considerable boosts in the monetary helps provided by the institutions as well as the governments have assisted in alleviating the price rises for few students. This problem needs immediate attention as it might involve grave effects by restricting the right of entry for would-be college scholars focusing on the students with little earnings (Meek, Teichle r & Kearney, 2009). It is worth mentioning in this context that University of Central Florida is one of the well-renowned American Universities that aim to render its students with quality education. Hereby, the main objective of the paper will be to identify the governance policies as well as programs of the University of Central Florida and hence recognize how the governance of this university can assist in resolving the issues faced by it. The impact created by the external environment on the governance procedures and policy measures will also be identified in the discussion further. Governance Policies and Strategies in University of Central Florida The administration, the faculty as well as the staffs of the University of Central Florida (UCF) work in a collaborate manner so that it can offer its staffs with high quality programs, courses, teaching facilities as well as other developmental services to the community. The university’s governance procedures tend to clarify the duties as well as responsibilities of numerous parties such as the administration division, the staffs and the faculties. It is to be mentioned that the Nominating and Governance Committee is employed by the University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees with the objective to suggest potential candidates suitable for designation as Trustee Emeritus and Honorary Doctor for deliberation by the full board. It further aims at persuading the members of the corporate governance â€Å"best practices† and thus makes suggestions to the Board and its committee members. The governance procedure further creates and suggests the Board with the number as well as structure of the committees. The chairperson of the board is responsible to elect and appoint the members of the committee. The committee is responsible to assess its performance on a continuous basis. The committee also intends to analyze the committee charter yearly and thus contemplate any needed changes with the board in o rder to ensure if the panel has approved or re-approved the charter or not (Board of Trustees, 2012). Furthermore, the university also intends to render the facilities of cost sharing in the context of higher education which means a transfer in the burden related to higher education costs from being borne by the governments i.e. taxpayers to being shared exclusively by parent and students. A shift in the burden of

ANALYZING SPSS(PASW) SOFTWARE PART 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ANALYZING SPSS(PASW) SOFTWARE PART 2 - Essay Example Lack of defined disposal mechanisms has led to environmental pollution that is the cause of today’s environmental degradation. The amount of money required to clean up the environments is such a burden since the number of players in the market have reduced market share of even the world largest information and Communication Company. To be able to maintain business value, the future for the players in the market remains in working on establishing sustainability through collaboration. Sustainable business value is thus achievable through established global environments that enhance economic development that are necessary for a global sustainable future. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: How can businesses leaders in the telecommunications industry shape the future of the telecommunications industry to arrive at a sustainable business value? Telecommunication industry has been one of the fastest growing industries in the globe (Goggin, 2014). The number of users has been on the rise by each passing day. In high population countries like India, 10 million people subscribe to telecommunication services each month (Prasad, Dixit, & Nee, 2010). Telecommunication has thus become an influential piece of technology that many people can no longer do without. Technology, has managed to bring people together to either work together or just use the services offered. However, with step in growth of the industry, the ecosystem gets the greatest effect. The methods of disposal of these gadgets have not been established for a long time. The e-waste that ends up in the landfills have proved to be more hazardous than any other waste ever know. Thus the needs for activities that focus on global network of companies have grown from a luxury to a necessity for survival of a player in the telecommunication industry as well as environmental conservation. Many key players have thus

Governance Research and Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Governance and Analysis - Research Paper Example The overall increase in the cost can be attributed to the steady rise in the tuition fees, reduction in the buying capacity of the allowance aids sanctioned for the students, shrinking financial plans for higher education of the states, augmenting liability loads for the students and increasing requirements for institutional responsibilities (Meek, Teichler & Kearney, 2009). It is in this context that the augmenting tuition expenses are turning out to be a grave concern, especially for the families with comparatively lesser earning which makes it impossible for them to meet up to the increasing costs. However, in some instances the considerable boosts in the monetary helps provided by the institutions as well as the governments have assisted in alleviating the price rises for few students. This problem needs immediate attention as it might involve grave effects by restricting the right of entry for would-be college scholars focusing on the students with little earnings (Meek, Teichle r & Kearney, 2009). It is worth mentioning in this context that University of Central Florida is one of the well-renowned American Universities that aim to render its students with quality education. Hereby, the main objective of the paper will be to identify the governance policies as well as programs of the University of Central Florida and hence recognize how the governance of this university can assist in resolving the issues faced by it. The impact created by the external environment on the governance procedures and policy measures will also be identified in the discussion further. Governance Policies and Strategies in University of Central Florida The administration, the faculty as well as the staffs of the University of Central Florida (UCF) work in a collaborate manner so that it can offer its staffs with high quality programs, courses, teaching facilities as well as other developmental services to the community. The university’s governance procedures tend to clarify the duties as well as responsibilities of numerous parties such as the administration division, the staffs and the faculties. It is to be mentioned that the Nominating and Governance Committee is employed by the University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees with the objective to suggest potential candidates suitable for designation as Trustee Emeritus and Honorary Doctor for deliberation by the full board. It further aims at persuading the members of the corporate governance â€Å"best practices† and thus makes suggestions to the Board and its committee members. The governance procedure further creates and suggests the Board with the number as well as structure of the committees. The chairperson of the board is responsible to elect and appoint the members of the committee. The committee is responsible to assess its performance on a continuous basis. The committee also intends to analyze the committee charter yearly and thus contemplate any needed changes with the board in o rder to ensure if the panel has approved or re-approved the charter or not (Board of Trustees, 2012). Furthermore, the university also intends to render the facilities of cost sharing in the context of higher education which means a transfer in the burden related to higher education costs from being borne by the governments i.e. taxpayers to being shared exclusively by parent and students. A shift in the burden of

When you Believe by Whitney Houston Essay Example for Free

When you Believe by Whitney Houston Essay â€Å"There can be miracle, if you believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  such a great line to listen to from the song When you Believe by Whitney Houston. Nowadays, it seems like the word believe is taken lightly. Originally, the word believe has been associated with anything that is religious or spiritual. I remember when I was young, and I would ask someone older than I am if there really is a God, and sometimes they would just tell me that â€Å"hey, young one, all you have to do is believe then you would be able to understand†. You can never be a part of any religious community if you don’t believe in the same things that they believe in. â€Å"Must believe to truly acknowledge their faith† (Harris). Sometimes if there is something that you simply just don’t understand you would need concrete answers not to just â€Å"believe†. One good assumption is that, if there is no religion, then the word believe wouldn’t even exist in our language. Logically, if there are no rules or anything to â€Å"believe† in, then everything would simply be in chaos. People would not fear to do anything bad. The usual things that, say a priest, especially in the early days is that if a person does something unacceptable, then his soul would suffer in the fires of hell for eternity, and that is not something anyone would want to happen. Furthermore, the word believe is like â€Å"Saving faith† (The Oxford English Dictionary 783) Most of the times, whenever the word believe is mentioned in the â€Å"Holy Bible† it would be directed towards one specific thing, say for example:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"For GOD so loved the world, he gave his only son, and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life† (John 3:16) In most religions, they based their practices, teachings, beliefs and way of life according to what their scripture states. It is wrong for them to disobey what they believe in.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mental acceptance of the truth or actually of something† (Roget’s II The New Thesaurus 85). The followers of a religion simply follow things not because they understand why they have to do it but simply because from the very first, they were brought up to be â€Å"blindly-obedient†. Religious leaders just tell their followers that whatever is written down on their scripture is true and real, even though they have no evidence or whatever it is that they believe in. Take for example for Catholics or Christians; they say that the Holy Bible was written with men guided by the Holy Spirit. Who would ever question something that the elders and the leaders say â€Å"all good and powerful? What makes people continue to struggle everyday is because they believe that somehow, when they die, there would be a better place for them provided that they have been good and they kept their faith in their god. Essentially, believing in something makes people hope and dream. It is like an anchor to them, salvation maybe. â€Å"I believe firmly what I read in the Holy Scriptures†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (MacMillan 41) Mostly, the Christians focus what their beliefs more on the New Testament rather than the Old Testament, but aside from the Holy Scriptures, there are also other basis of what Christians believe in like sacred statues, parades of these statues, feasts and a lot of other practices that they believe in. Furthermore, there are also the 7 sacraments, 10 commandments and such that basically reinforce a Christian’s belief in Christianity. Christianity has been directly linked to the word believe simply because in the early days, and throughout the history of Christianity, a person would have no way of really proving whether the people, claiming to have talked to the â€Å"Lord† really did or simply hallucinations of a hopeless person. Anyhow, in the early days, what they believe in has been their anchor and their pillar of strength that somehow, god is there to help if you believe wholeheartedly and trust in god. The word believe is synonymous to the faith. And sometimes they are used interchangeably in but that faith is like a stronger word than believe simply because when you have faith in something, even though there is no proof that something is true or real, you would still â€Å"believe† in your heart and mind with full conviction that it is true. Believing in god brings Christianity. Aside from the fact that according to the Holy Scripture, Jesus Christ is the son of god, therefore, if you believe in god, you also believe in Jesus Christ thus, Christianity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another good point is that people have greater tendency to believe in people rather than in its meaning. It’s easier to believe in something that you can see or hear, in other words, something tangible than what is more of a subjective meaning. Things and events have different meaning depending on who interprets it. Take for example this line: â€Å"If Jesus Christ were to come today, people would not even crucify him† (MacMillan 41). Most people do not even know why he was crucified or why he let himself be crucified. People simply believed in the idea that it is because he is good and would do anything for the salvation of mankind. Sometimes, in fear of going against what the majority of a religion’s followers believe in, people tend not to question what obviously is a very controversial belief. And sometimes people worship a person even without scrutinizing what he really is and if what he represents is honest and true. Believers have the tendency to just look at the surface and not on what is the entirety of a person they worship. One good deed or one good trait and you’re on a pedestal. And because of this one-way and blind belief, what happens, most often than not is that what is written on the scriptures are taken literally and not on what it was trying to imply. In fear of interpreting it the wrong way and violating their religion, people are more inclined to either interpret it literally, thus defeating the purpose of their belief even without being aware of it.   The difference between hearing and listening is that when you hear something it does not necessarily imply that you understood, but listening is understanding what was being said and analyzing whether it is rightful or valid. Common problem of most followers is that they hear what preachers are saying but they do not understand what was being said and what to do about it. In reality, most of the people who have so much trust and belief are either not well read or was not given enough opportunity for a higher education. I remember a time that my uncle told me that â€Å"religion is an anchor for the hopeless†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this day and age, most people tend to believe in what they see and can prove to be trustworthy and reliable like a friend, a lover, a family member. â€Å"To have confidence or faith in (a person), and consequently to rely upon, trust to† (The Oxford English Dictionary 783) Through time, people started to realize that statements like â€Å"in god’s time† or â€Å"its god’s will†, and â€Å"if you pray hard enough, god will give you your heart’s desire†. People started realizing that if they put everything in what they are told to believe in, then nothing good would happen or it would take a long time before it happens. If you talk to god about your burdens, yes, it feels good to unburden one’s worries if they would talk back to you or show that they understand and can empathize and give suggestions on how to go about finding solutions or doing the right course of action. Eventually, what started out as a mutual need for something to rely on, their friendship eventually becomes their faith: faith that when they need comfort, support or help, that other person would be around. â€Å"The only people I can trust are my friends† (Mulageta).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, absolute trust in another human being became the salvation of some while for some, they have substituted religion. â€Å"Absolute certainty in the trustworthiness of another† (Roget’s II The New Thesaurus 85) While for some, friendship has become a very good substitute for religion, for others it became their downfall because due to so much belief in the trustworthiness of a friend, they are easily influenced or coerced into doing things that are sometimes inappropriate and have poor judgment, mostly character-wise and at times, even on things that should not be said or done. Tendency of a person is that if majority of the population believes in something, natural assumption is that it couldn’t be that bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today’s media also plays a big part in using words or actions to make people believe in whatever they wanted to make people believe in, a commercial for a product, a movie, a gossip, news and so many other things that sometimes it feels like we are being manipulated into believing something. â€Å"Something believed or accepted as true by a person† (Roget’s II The New Thesaurus 85). Due to so many ways and techniques of the media to get a point across, we are eventually led to believe in statements that are not even facts but are designed to manipulate us into acting according to what they want. We became so dependent on others for opinions on what is right or wrong that we need them to tell us what exactly to believe in before we act on anything. There are so many propaganda techniques used by the media to sell an idea that we can’t actually tell what is true and what is not, that we just assume all the things we see and hear are all true. Most of the times, what the media claims to be true is not really true at all. But then, that is after we initially believed and acted according to what we believed and perceived to be true.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Similarly, science also makes people believe in things the way it does on textbooks, as it is. But then some things are not yet discovered or can be explained yet because it is yet to be researched or experimented on. â€Å"To view in a certain way† (Roget’s II The New Thesaurus 85) Science made scholar think in a systematic and logical way that sometimes instincts or feelings are disregarded if it cannot be proven.   The outcome is that, science made some think so logically that they do not make room for possibilities and what-ifs. They seem to think inside a box and that the environment is so isolated. â€Å"If it was proven and tested, then it must be true† (Touneh). Consequently, if it is not written on a journal or book then it is not true, if it says in a book that it is true then it must be even though logically, it doesn’t seem to make any sense at all. Sometimes, the truth of a statement is based on how famous or known the person who said that specific statement. They believe everything in a scientific way and yet science cannot prove anything. It is merely a combination of a series of tests and theories that has logically proved an assumption or idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Originally, my idea of the word believe is simply to trust in what was said to be true and considered facts. But then, on the process of writing this paper, I slowly realized that believing is a dangerous word, not literally but figuratively speaking. What I thought is true could actually be a misunderstanding of what is really being conveyed. Believing in something I learned, is trusting absolutely even without evidence to prove it that it is true. There are times, from the research that I have done that believing in something so much can be harmful if good judgment and caution is not used. By believing in something, somehow, you let that specific idea or person take over some parts of your life. Believing is a good a good thing if used appropriately. Not everything is true just because many people claim it to be as such. I had so much in depth understanding that I was able to understand that from different areas of the world, the belief of a person in something is so important but as sad it is to say, it has also been abused by so many people.

The success of the novotel hotel chain

The success of the novotel hotel chain Novotel is one of the worlds major hotel chains, occupying a leading place in Europe and with locations globally. Started in 1967 by Paul Dubrule and Gerard Pelisson, they expanded their empire by building new hotels and buying other hotel chains. Novotel merger with Jacques Borel hotel and its restaurant groups in 1983 saw the group renamed Accor. Currently, Accor employs over 145,000 people and operates in 132 countries. Within hospitality industry Accor operates more than 2100 hotels with over 2 million rooms and more than 53,000 employees in this sector (Novotel: p3) This report analyses Novotels change management programme in the early 1990s which was outlined in three major parts:- Firstly, case study has the summary of the actions that managers took in terms of strategy and organisation. Secondly, the consideration of the sequence and timing of events, and how this resulted in rapid transformation in an organisation employing more than 30,000 people. Third, the emphasize in dialogue nature of the change processes, giving an inside stories from those who have taken part in the process. This gives a nice picture of what went right and what went wrong and the action to manage implementation of change. I have outlined the analysis in the following parts, ciritical evaluation of models of innovation and change management, the evaluations of key triggers of change and the likely sources of resistance to change, and then I have outlined a challenges which managers face during change management, and lastly, I have developed conclusions and recommendations to move Novotel forward, these recommendations based on my analysis. 2 Innovation and Change (Hotel business): _ [ evaluation of alterative models of innovation and change management ] Although much has been written about managing change in large private and public companies, very little has been written about managing change in an ever-changing hospitality and hotel industry in particular. The ability to effectively manage and embrace change is so of great benefit to todays hotelier. And, to successfully intact and overcome change, Hotels need to have specific attitudes and set of skills to go about change and planning for that inevitable change. In the case study, Novotel has adopted a competitive strategy that includes reducing costs of operations (Novotel: p.25). That is to say, their business strategy is cost leadership and persuading this business strategy requires being open to ideas and that it responds quickly and flexibly to the ideas that re-present opportunities for potential revenue growth (Blumentritt, 2004). Firms can compete on price or differentiation (Porter, 1980; 1985), Novotel can be non-price attributes include its brand, reputation and service. On the other hand, there are different types of innovations, the first type is Incremental innovation, this modestly improves a firms processes or services or it can be used in fine-tuning its business model, i.e. the way it creates value for its customers. Radical innovation significantly improves existing products and services or completely replaces them with new ones. Radical innovation occurs less frequently than incremental innovation partly because most organisations do not have the technical and human resources required for radical innovation, and because radical innovation happens so quickly organisations are not prepared for the risks and uncertainty which comes with this type of innovation. It should be noted that, Innovation is not a competitive strategy in itself, but it is used to enhance any competitive strategy once the strategy has been designed. If the strategy involves increasing the rate at which new products or services are introduced, then innovation can impact the firm in more than one or different ways. 2.1. The change process and methodologies Over the last 20 years the speed and scale of organisational change have accelerated and there has been a significant increase in the number of approached to change management. There are several forms of change in an organisation, some forces and others deliberate. The Strategic Change Initiative (organisational change process) Fig. 1 A Model of the change process, Boddy 2005 The first type if change is, systematic change is slower, less ruthless, more focused and more carefully constructed and timed. There are different approaches to systematic change such as: quality improvement, work reprogramming, benchmarking, and strategic planning. The nature of these approaches can be overly formalised and so stifle initiative in the organisation (Huy,Q. and Mintzberg, H.2003). Another type is, Organic change, this type of change is done internally in the organisation or other words it seems to ascend from the ranks without being formally managed. The problem with the organic approach is groups within organisation may begin to work at cross-purposes and this will result in scramble over resources, yet its outcome can be dramatic. Planned change is an iterative, recurring, process which involves analysis, action and evaluation, and further action and evaluation. It is an approach which maintains that once change has taken place, it must be self-sustaining to maint ain the momentum. This means that, all change agents or stakeholder i.e organisation, managers and recipients jointly diagnose the organisations problem and jointly plan and design the specific changes (Burnes, B. 2003). Another type is emergent change which is a continuous process of experiment and adaptation aimed at matching organisations capabilities to the needs and dictates of an energetic and uncertain environment. This type of change is achieved through a number of small to medium scale incremental changes. Another type is, dramatic change is frequently initiated in times of crisis or of great opportunity when power is concentrated and there is great stakes to be controlled. Mintzberg (2003) argues that unlike the phoenix of mythology, which could rise from its own ashes but once every 500 years, companies cannot continue to rely solely upon the mythical promise of dramatic re-emergence. 3. NOVOTEL: Change Management Programme From Kurt Lewins work (appendix 1) in the 1940s to the present day, organisational change, as a systematic process, has become the core and part of organisational life. Change in organisations does not have to be dramatic or far reaching, Stickland (1998) notes, sometimes change is incremental and hardly noticed: a new piece of equipment or software is introduced or a person leaves and somebody new joins the organisation. Sometimes change is large and dramatic: a complete re-organisation, a merger or a take-over, and no one and nothing in the organisation is unaffected (Stickland 1998:298). The recent economic crisis has provided a sense of urgency that helped organizations everywhere to successfully implement changes that would have been difficult if otherwise. Various cultural and structural factors have a direct effect on the very success of the organisation. These are highlighted when an organisation attempts to redefine itself, to change their image in an attempt to maintain or enhance their capabilities (Gratton, 1999). In Novotels case, they were forced because of plummeting annual profits and in response they adopted a competitive strategy that includes reducing their operational costs and also reduce service prices in the hope of increasing their hotels occupancy (Novotel: p.23). Being more innovative in this way also requires being open to ideas from previously untapped sources inside and outside of the company, and designing a firm that responds quickly and flexibly to the ideas that represent opportunities for potential revenue growth (Blumentritt, 2004). 3.1 Key triggers of change Reason which can trigger change can be listed as internal Triggers (i.e. New staff, Conflict, Sales /profit drops, De-motivation, Skills gap, Loss of key staff) and External Triggers (i.e. Economy, Supply, Government policies, Competitors, Funders, Customers, Shareholders, Media, Public and technology ) These triggers for change can be are analyzed using various managerial tools which are available in order to gain an essential understanding of the environment, both external and internal: A PESTEL analysis: this tool has five dimensions which are political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal. It is used to pick up factors in the local or micro, and national or macro contexts that managers need to take account of. Another tool is, STAKEHOLDER analysis this is a cultural or values audit that provides an understanding of some of the people factors over and beyond a resource audit. A Third tools, SWOT analysis this is a simple approach which measures strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. It provides a structure in which to lay out the need and the readiness of the organization for change. As previously mentioned, a change in competitive strategy is likely if the firm faces loss of customers, lack of pricing power or shrinking profit margins like in the case of Novotel (Novotel : p.12). Beckhard and Dyer (1983) point out that another important change trigger is simply strategic choice on the part of existing management team. Some ways this may occur through strategic planning, interaction with customers, competitors, etc., and gut instinct that a new market or product is worth pursuing. This type of trigger is much more generative and proactive than reacting to the environment or working to maintain alignment. Regardless of which of these many triggers initiate the change process, there are several key activities that can facilitate a successful change implementation (see appendix 4). Furthermore, I have put together a way to successful implement change from managers perspective in section 3.3. 3.2 Sources of resistance to change Initially after the change has been effected, there is resistance to change, these resistances can be grouped in different categories such as, Individual (i.e. fear of failure, ignorance, status loss, inertia, role loss) or Team (social loafing, pairing, lack of openness), can be organisational, (board members/top management, culture, structure, huge costs, limited resources, contracts or beliefs) or External factors such as (investors, suppliers, regulators, media, politics or collaborators.) As Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) emphasized, despite the risk of resistant behaviours have been acknowledged by many experienced managers, very few of them tend to take time to systematically analyze situations in terms of determining potential individuals who may resist change with different reasons. Firstly, one of the most obvious reasons for people to resist change initiatives has been the feeling that new circumstances will damage staff self interest. Also, , Employees can face increased levels of anxiety or fear from changes or proposed changes in the work environment. The term self interest entails a political meaning which refers to power relations with in the organization. In other words, new ideas about the way employees work usually impacts relations between different individual groups. Salaman (2000) argues that organisational employees actively strive to avoid and divert control; they seek to maximise their own interests which they may or may not see as coincident with the organisations, and they attempt to resist the domination of others while advancing or defending their own area of control and autonomy (Salaman, 2000, p.123). This means that, staff can resist change to maintain their social status in the organization Resistance can become overt i.e. in industrial a ction, including working to rule and strikes (Coram, R, and Burnes, B. 2001). Secondly, the aim of change efforts has been to create a new pattern of working which employees are expected to adopt themselves. From this point of view it is argued that employees do not resist to the idea of change but to its potential outcomes (Dent Galloway-Goldberg, 1999). As shown in the Novotel case study, the re-structuring made the reorganizing of personnel and management structure, roles were re-definite so is the reward systems and payment (Novotel: p14). Third, almost all prescriptions for a successful change implementation emphasize the necessity to make individuals understand meaning of change. Daft (2000), states that employees may tend to resist change when they are not informed about needs, purposes and outcomes of it. This is also vivid in the Novotel change programmes, a testimony from a receptionist in France, described that they didnt understand what the project was all about (Novotel : p.21) In addition to inadequate knowledge about change, if employees are suspicious about real intentions of change initiators, there is a high possibility of resistance. Fourth, change plans aim to move an organization from their existing position to ideal one and as Stapley (1996) states this transition period is kind of a journey that contains a lot of uncertainties. Curtis and White (2002) define uncertainty as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢lack of information about future events (Curtis White, 2002, p.17). When people lose their personal control, it becomes difficult to make rational decisions which would produce desirable outcomes. As a result, individual who experiences loss of control is likely to resist change because of apprehension brought by uncertainties about change (Novotel : p. 18) . Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) argue that difference in information that groups work often leads to differences in analyses, which in turn can lead to resistance (p.108). Fig 2. Framework for Managing Change 3.3. Managers Role: Overcoming Challenges In order to overcome change, managers face challenges when implementing strategies. The key element in implementing change or change management process is communication. Having effecting communication approach towards employees. Furthermore, employees attitude, perception of managers actions, employees motivation and continuous improvement of the working environment can be other elements a manager responsible for change should take. Below is the list of common challenges posed for managers tasked with implementing change management and they can mitigate any resistance:- Employees Communications: During the change process, take time to interact with employees as not all employees are outspoken or bound to hold their views to themselves and this could result in underground resistance to change. When this happens it could result in delays and will hinder understanding of staffs unfulfilled needs and expectations. This is on Lewins unfreezing stage (Levasser, 2001). Employees Co-operations and Collaborations: Managers in hotel industry ought to understand that different individuals do not the same views or opinions about change, most people tend to be worried about change. In other words, Managers needs to promote cooperation with staff before and during change process. Employees Motivation: This is critical especially during the change implementation stage, Manager ought to make sure that employees are stay motivated and be ready to listen to staffs opinions, and also take time to explain what is happening, this will help staffs morale. Employees Attitude: according to Levasseur (2001), this is also a focus during implementation stage (Lewins stage), a Manager should try his/her best to understand employees attitude. In addition, Conners (1998) lists stability, immobilisation and denial are factors in human cycle of negative response in hospitality, Manager as a leading person should be bare these 3 factors in mind. 4. Conclusion: In summary, resistance to change blocks the end results change was meant to produce, that means innovation is undermined, and whatever change is generated will be a reaction a reaction to the circumstances and part of the process by which those circumstances persist. On the other hand, responding or choosing to pursue change, promotes innovation and will do so naturally and consistently as a function of what is observe to be possible. Change based on this second view is likely to be an improvement on what already exists. It is also important to know how beneficial the change to be enacted is important to the organization and its staff. With high demand of staff in hospitality industry, it is good for leading managers in change management process to pay attention to the attitudes, motivation, cooperation and be receptive to views raised by staff as this will motivate employees and also it will create a conducive environment for and encourage staff. When staff are encouraged, they will be willing to accept change and sustain hotels competitiveness. To successfully meet and overcome change, Novotels Presidents need to have specific attitudes and skills for envisioning; anticipating and once they know the impending change, and planning for that inevitable change. And having known the impending change they need to know how to effectively communicate that change to co-workers, clients and external collaborators and future prospects to stay in charge of the competition. While change may not come easily, hotel operators can be sure that it will indeed come. 5. Recommendations Plan for Change: Because there are multiple countries which change is happening, Huy and Mintzberg (2003) highlights that, the realization that effective organizational change often emerges inadvertently or develops in a more orderly fashion. For the organisational change to succeed, all types of change should be considered (Huy, Q. and Mintzberg, H.2003:79). This means, there at Novotel needs to organise and formulate change management strategy that can look into inducing change from one country to another rather than focusing on their hotels but they should consider different customs in different countries. Eliminating this concern can reduce stresses caused by what is regarded as an unwanted interaction. Change Resistance Management: Change resistance is effectively reduced by decreasing resisting forces rather than increasing driving force. This driving force is the fear of punishment and forcing people to accept change can result in increased resistance. Success will only come by removing the resisting force. For further recommendation on strategies to decrease resistance. (see appendix 5) Keep Staff Updated: though out the change process, make sure to update staff and make it clear to them on what they should expect, also make sure the pass information is on as early as possible even if it is bad news. These updates and information reduces anxiety which is caused by uncertainty. According to Mullins (2005) he makes an emphasis that knowledge removes fear from an individual and gives them confidence to join the course of change. Communicate after change: this refers to the Lewins refreezing stage in Levasseur (2001) book. Manager as a leading person should continue to communicate with staff, about the change which is being implemented,. Through communication, Manager can discover to what extent change has had an impact to staff and take necessary steps to support them.

Supply Chain Management Essay -- business processes, SCOR model

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the integration of information, technologies and management of key business functions which is linked directly or indirectly and provides services to the same customer. It promotes the flow of products downstream from raw materials to the end consumer and the flow of information upstream from consumer to supplier [1]. In above figure it explains that raw materials is procured and then it goes to the supplier for processing of raw material, suppliers supplies the processed raw materials to the manufactures, producers transform these raw material into finished goods, distributors delivers finished goods, packed materials to customers or retailers and retailers sell that product to consumers. Supply chain management was introduced due to inability of the organizations to understand the entire string of activities that governed the delivery of the product to the final customer. Previously companies were too restricted in their outlook and were concerned only with activities within their own boundaries. In essence, supply chain management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies. SCM ensures higher efficiency of modern businesses, by coordinating and synchronizing various organizations in the supply chain [2]. There are a variety of supply chain models, which address both the upstream and downstream sides. The SCOR (Supply-Chain Operations Reference) model. This literature review gives a brief description of the SCOR model. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1. THE SUPPLY CHAIN COUNCIL Supply Chain Council (SCC) is a global nonprofit organization (NGO) whose framework, improvement methodology, training, certification and benchmarking tools help member organizations make dramatic,... ...espread use of SCOR model. 10. REFERENCES [1] SASCM Student association of supply chain management, Weber State University. [2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain [3] Supply Chain Council (2010), Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model, Version 10, Supply-Chain Council, Inc, 2010 [4] Supply Chain Council (2008), Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model, Version 9 Overview, Supply-Chain Council, Inc, 2008. [5] Peter Bolstorff and Robert Rosenbaum. Supply Chain Excellence: A Handbook for Dramatic Improvement Using the SCOR Model. Broadway, NY: American Management Association, 2003. [6] https://supply-chain.org/f/SCOR-Overview-Web.pdf [7] Samuel H. Huan, Sunil K. Sheoran, Ge Wang, (2004) "A review and analysis of supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model", Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 9 Iss: 1, pp.23 - 29

Essay --

Since it’s discovery in 1981, AIDS has become a worldwide pandemic. Over 30 million people have died since 1981 worldwide because of the silent virus. HIV, which is the abbreviation of human immuno deficency virus, has a worldwide effect because there is not a known way of curing the virus. HIV gradually destroys one’s immune system until their body is too weak to fight off disease, making it easy for a person to die from a simple infection like the flu, or a fever. Today, 33 million people and counting are living with this disease, and one in five are unaware of their infection. most of the 3.5–5.3 million Americans living with viral hepatitis do not know that they are infected, putting them in greater risk for severe or fatal complications from the disease, and increasing the chance that they will spread the virus to others. People living with AIDS or HIV can have trouble getting or maintaining work positions. Many people are afraid to be around people with AIDS because they do not want the disease to be transmitted to them. This assumption occurs because of lack of education on the subject. One cannot, in fact, contract HIV through skin to skin contact, unless infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluid comes in contact with an opening in one’s body. The issue of HIV/AIDS has not yet been resolved because of the lack of knowledge on the disease. Researchers do not know for sure why the illness weakens your immune system, and there is no cure for AIDS or HIV. There are, however, medicines that can keep the AIDS disease at bay, and freeze the progress of a current HIV infection. There are currently five different strains of HIV drugs. Each class of drugs attacks HIV at different points in it’s progression. This medication is stan... ...sitive, and that it is against Russian federal law for them to engage in sexual intercourse with another Russian citizen without telling them about their incurable disease. they are then sent away with no drug prescriptions, no counseling, and no knowledge on how serious the disease is. Between 1999 and 2000 more people died of AIDS in Africa than in all the wars on the continent. AIDS affects different segments of society in different ways. For example, children may have to care for an ill parent. Schooling may suffer as a result. Other times, children become orphans as parents succumb to AIDS. While poverty is obviously a main factor as to why AIDS is much more severe in Africa, political will of national governments is another cause. Constraints such as social norms and taboos, or lack of effective institutions have all contributed to the situation getting worse.