The Effect of Barley and Oat in Blood Glucose Level in Diabetic Assignment

The Effect of Barley and Oat in Blood Glucose Level in Diabetic Patients - Assignment Example People suffering from diabetes have a condition whereby the level of glucose in their blood is much higher than normal, scientifically known as hyperglycemia. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) estimates patients with diabetes as 3.8 million, with the figure projected to grow to 6.2 million in 2035 (Stewart et al 2007). 17 percent of the NHS’ healthcare budget will also be spent on diabetes by 2035. Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus as doctors refer to it, is a collection of chronic, metabolic diseases characterized by the patients’ high level of blood sugar (or blood glucose). It occurs in three key forms; type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States placed the prevalence of type 2 diabetes at 90 percent of all reported cases, with type 1 taking up the remaining 10 percent (Polonsky 2012). Gestational diabetes was not in the statistics, which only affects 2 to 5 percent of pregnant women. Out of the affected pregnant women, 20 to 50 percent of them develop type 2 diabetes in later years of life. There is also a condition known as prediabetes, which most of type 2 diabetes patients experienced in their early stages of the disease. Typically, they had higher blood sugar levels than normal, although not high enough to warrant a diabetes diagnosis but rendering body cell s resistant to insulin. In that stage, the damage will usually have occurred to the heart and the circulatory system (Piller, Chang-Claude & Linseisen 2006). Other common characteristics observed in diabetes patients include increased thirst, increased hunger and more frequent urination, known as polydipsia, polyphagia, and polyuria respectively. The condition is as a result of either insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas or the improper response to the insulin by the body cells, with the occurrence of both circumstances not being a rare phenomenon (Jensen et al 2004).

The Personal Protective Equipment Health And Social Care Essay

The Personal Protective Equipment Health And Social Care Essay Scenario # 1: The Medical Assistant is preparing to perform a venipuncture on a patient who has come into the office for their annual physical exam. To prevent exposure to blood you must wear personal protective equipment (PPE). When a medical assistant is performing or assisting with a venipuncture, the expected PPE to be used is gloves. According to Delmars Clinical Medical Assisting, Gloves will be worn when drawing blood and/or handling biomedical specimens. Blood drawing is common sense, but biomedical specimens consist of urinalysis as well as fecal analysis. That means throughout the venipuncture and collection process you must wear gloves to protect yourself from any blood borne pathogen or contamination. Gloves should be worn from the point prior to venipuncture until the blood tube is placed in the biohazard transport container. You want to wash your hands before and after every procedure and make sure that nothing is going to put you at risk for the barrier (the gloves) being broken, and if you think there is a risk to this, you want to double your gloves (long nails, wedding rings and things of that nature can put you at risk) PPE is to be utilized at all times in situations that involve potential exposure to blood or other body fluids. Your skin can have microscopic cuts and abrasions that can provide an avenue for transmission if exposed to blood or other infectious body fluid which is why it is of such an importance to wear gloves when coming in contact with any blood borne pathogen or bodily fluid such as saliva and semen. Gloves are typically effective for protection from splashes but do not protect from penetrating injuries caused by needles or other sharp objects. If any such injury is to occur, you are to report it to your supervisor immediately so prompt action is taken to prevent further consequences such as a patient contracting HIV/AIDS or even worst, yourself. Scenario # 2: Patient Sonny Jones is here for symptoms that include fever, sweating, lots of nasal congestion, and a cough that is productive in nature. This patient has been in contact with family members who just tested positive for the flu. During a flu outbreak, governmental agencies such as the Center for Disease Controls, Health and Human Services and the Occupational Safety Health Administration may recommend that you protect yourself from infection by using a face mask, N95 respirator, or other type of equipment. For this sort of outbreak, according to Delmars Clinical Medical Assisting and the Florida Department of Health and Human Services, employees who work in the medical field and are in constant contact with patients and those who handle the clinical aspect of medical assisting and healthcare as well as collect or transport clinical specimens should consistently adhere to recommended infection control precautions to minimize their exposure. The Center for Disease Controls states that potentially infectious specimens should be placed in leak-proof specimen bags for transport, labeled or color coded for transport and handled by personnel who are familiar with safe handling practices, have been trained in the area of infection control as well as spill cleanup procedures. They also state that workers who collect specimens from pandemic-influenza infected patients should wear PPE as described for employees in the manual that is located on-site at the work environment while performing direct patient care. PPE in this scenario would consist of gloves made of latex(if the patient has no latex allergy), vinyl, nitrile, or other synthetic materials as appropriate, when there is contact with blood and other bodily fluids, including respiratory secretions. Common sense would be to wash your hands before and after seeing every patient, do not double glove unless your needed to for a specific reason, do not re-use the gloves previously used, properly dispose and discard the gloves after usage, and proper usage of hand hygiene should also be adhered to as well to prevent chance of infection. Gowns may also be needed with the chance of heavily soiled clothing due to performing an intubation or where constant secretions might occur, but it is not required by OSHA or the CDC. Goggles or Face Shields are not needed in this case, however, if sprays or splatters of infectious material are likely, it states that goggles or a face shield should be worn as recommended for standard precautions. If you are around a patient who is consistently coughing or hacking, you would want to ensure the patient has a face shield to prevent the spread of infection, and you would also want to protect yourself from getting that as well. Scenario # 3: The Medical Assistant is assisting Dr. Jacobs with a cyst removal (a surgical procedure) in the office setting. For removal of a cyst on a patient, the medical assistant would assist the doctor with whatever he needed. The book did not really go too much into detail so I decided to watch a few YouTube videos of the incision, draining and removal of a cyst to see what actually occurs during this. After watching these few videos on YouTube, because youre dealing with bodily fluids like blood and pus, you would want to wear Gloves. First you would want to wash your hands before placing the gloves on. Of course because this is surgery you would want to ensure your sterile field is maintained. To maintain a sterile field, you would want to open your sterile dressing kit and set it up on a tray. You want to make sure the tray is above waist height because anything below the waist is considered to be contaminated or not sterile. You would then want to open the sterile kit making sure you do not touch anything inside as you do not have your gloves on yet, and everything is sterile. You would then want to put on your first set of PPE for the removal of the cyst, which would be your mask. You would want to wear a mask because this is a sterile procedure, and your mouth has germs. This way youre not breathing on or around, talking, coughing or sneezing around the sterile field. You would then hand the doctor his or her mask, and any other assistants theirs. The next thing you would want to do is put on your sterile gloves. Because this is a surgery procedure, putting on sterile gloves is important because you do not want to cause the patient to be at risk of any sort of infectious diseases. Our skin carries and comes in contact with several billion bacteria during each hour of the day, and you would not want to be the cause of a patient catching MRSA or VRE or a super bug because they got sick and then developed a resistance and could not be treated, so it is important you follow each step about putting on sterile gloves. How you would do this is by opening the glove wrapper with the palm facing up. You then would want to pick up the first glove by the cuff making sure you are only touching the inside portion of the cuff. While youre holding the cuff with one of your hands, you want to slide your other hand into the glove this way your sterile hand is the first to go into the sterile gloves. While you are doing this you want to be careful that you are not touching anything, as everything else is again considered to be contaminated. The second glove is the hardest part of placing sterile gloves but the most important step to maintain sterility in the sterile field and environment. You want to slide your gloved hand under the cuff of the second glove and slide your hand inside the glove until youre able to adjust both gloves to fit comfortably. The next step would be to proceed to assist the doctor with the removal of the cyst by applying sterile dressings from the sterile field, as well as making sure he does not need your help with anything. Before the doctor enters the room you would want to make sure the tray for the removal of the cyst is ready in the sterile field, this way the doctor does not need to leave the room for any reason at all and the sterile field is maintained until the removal of the cyst is completed. The doctor might also ask the medical assistant to assist by giving an injection to numb the area of the cyst removal on the patient. The medical assistant would be responsible for explaining the procedure, and then giving the injection at the site of the cyst removal. Because you might come into close contact with bloods, pus and other bodily fluids, I would recommend wearing a gown. Gowns are worn to protect against bodily fluids from soiling clothing, and depending on the location of the cyst and how large it is, you might want to wear this. Scenario # 4: The Medical Assistant is assisting Mrs. Johnson to the exam table in the patient room. Mrs. Johnson has Stage 2 lung cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments she tells the Medical Assistant that the oncologist called and told her that her WBC count is 2.1 and that she cannot be around anyone who is ill, etc. The first thing to note with this patient is that she does have stage two lung cancer. I as the medical assistant would first verify in the patients chart that she has this condition and check what her white blood cell count is. If confirmed that she indeed does have this low of a WBC, than I would immediately prepare for isolation of the patient so she is not around any possible contamination to where she would get ill. She would be moved from the exam table into an isolation unit exam room. I would then make sure the patient is in a comfortable position for examination and proceed with the check up and assisting the doctor. As with any other procedure or PPE usage, you will want to begin with first washing your hands. The next thing you will want to do is put on a special gown called an isolation gown which is either cloth or paper. You want to make sure you tie your isolation gown at both points which is usually behind the neck and at the waist. You do this so that when youre treating a patient in the isolation unit, in this case Mrs. Johnson, you do not contaminate your uniform or the patient for that matter. The next thing you will want to do is apply your face mask or shield. Usually these have a clear protective eye shield. You again want to ensure that the mask and shield are on your face properly and fit this way you do not risk contamination to the extremely ill patient by breathing on them, and you do not risk contamination to yourself either. The next item of PPE you will want to apply is your examination gloves. It is important that you pull the cuff over the sleeve of the gown this way you are not exposing your skin to the ill patient or any toxins that could make you ill as well. You want to avoid exposure of your skin in the isolation room. After you are done with the examination of the patient in the isolation unit, you want to be sure that the door to the unit is closed securely so no pathogens can come into the room, and then you want to remove your PPE the same way you put it on. Be sure to wash your hands after any visit with a patient. Scenario # 5: The Medical Assistant is assisting her co-worker in cleaning up a blood spill in the office laboratory. Blood spills or other human body fluids that occur inside or in the outside environment need to be decontaminated to prevent the potential transmission of communicable disease. The circumstances associated with blood spills can obviously vary greatly depending on the volume and type of contact surface. A small amount of blood, if splashed, can cover a large surface area. A large volume, if undisturbed on a flat surface, can pool in a relatively small area. A good example of blood or bodily fluids is a pregnant womans water breaking. Prior to beginning the cleanup, you would want to notify your supervisor of the spill and ask where the spill cleanup kit was located. Per OSHA and CDC Standards, a typical spill kit consists of the following: 10% bleach solution (or Lysol, virex or other EPA reg. Tuberculocidal), gloves, clear plastic bags, biohazard labels (available from OSEH HazMat), leak-proof sharps containers, brush dustpan, or tongs or forceps for picking up sharps and disinfectant wipes. You would want to put on a pair of rubber, latex, PVC or similar type gloves. For small blood spills no other PPE should be required. For larger spills where there is a possibility of contaminating your face or other parts of your body, call HazMat to assist in the cleanup, and then put on a mask and face shield along with a gown. The next thing you will want to do is to cover the spill area with a paper towel and then pour a fresh mix of the bleach solution together. You will want to allow the solution to soak into the contaminated material to ensure that it is completely disinfected. You want to also treat this similar to treating a wound in the sense that you want to work from the outside in. Next you will wipe the area with paper towels. The last and final step is that you would want to dispose of the contamination into the biohazard waste bag and dispose in the proper bio hazardous area. To complete the cleanup, you will want to finally remove your gloves and wash your hands to avoid the risk of contamination to yourself and other patients. Scenario # 6: The Medical Assistant is working with the autoclave machine today in the office laboratory. The autoclave that most medical offices use is the ones that are dry heat autoclaves. These get extremely hot so it is important that the medical assistant who is using these is able to understand the proper usage along with the PPE that he or she would need to prevent any potential injury. Some personal protective equipment you would consider to use would be eye equipment, a button lab coat to prevent burns, closed toed shoes to again prevent possible burns and injuries in the case that something is dropped, and heat resistant gloves as you will be removing the items from the autoclave. Potential hazards that could occur without the use of PPE are burns and pressure releases Hazards may be general or specific, depending on the design of the autoclave or pressure cooker. They can include Physical injury to persons in the vicinity from the rapid release of stored energy resulting from autoclave failure (e.g. failure of doors/lids) Physical injury from exploding vessels that have become pressurized during processing (e.g. glass containers) Scalding / burns from steam or the hot contents of items being processed Risk of infection from pathogenic micro-organisms due to inefficient deactivation of the waste Inadvertent release of genetically modified organisms to the environment   Manual handling issues during loading/unloading heavier items, Electrocution (e.g. damaged/wet electrical components) and Fire hazard (e.g. human error leaving manually operated autoclave equipment unattended). It is utterly important that the medical assistant knows how to operate the autoclave from what the manufacturers manual says, as every autoclave is different. The reason for this is to prevent injury from occurring in the work place. Sources: http://extranet.fhcrc.org/EN/sections/ehs/hamm/chap3/section6.html http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Uw7lf6KE1osJ:www.cardiff.ac.uk/osheu/resources/Autoclave%2520Guidelines%2520draft%2520document.doc+ppe+for+autoclavescd=10hl=enct=clnkgl=us http://www.sterilizers.com/aboutsterilizers.asp http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:C8l9I41OLkYJ:roundtable.healthsafe.uab.edu/pages/resources/Autoclave%2520Training%2520Final.ppt+autoclave+and+ppecd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=us http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:uYDSE-dYDbQJ:www.oseh.umich.edu/pdf/sop/blood_spill_SOP.pdf+blood+spills+and+ppehl=engl=uspid=blsrcid=ADGEEShRsZJO5EZW5mXd4823i2EM5UzlmRZRHdzPyo-JH_KnURDhFeWzkeaUJMxTJUU0F38knieNnixNUzbWnd3Iy2XYFN9lq6f_FGFN4CU569u3ezegbDf_w0iu_D6aK-FEyJivIXIesig=AHIEtbRO4Jxq83SAZdUaqxqEyyhFdP4bbw http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FkfgBq95zbEJ:www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/ppt/bhpp/bhpp-train-don-PPE.ppt+ppe+for+isolationcd=3hl=enct=clnkgl=us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y53k3eQgb20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmWS5jGnKjE http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/pandemicinfluenza/pandemic_health.html http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/GeneralHospitalDevicesandSupplies/PersonalProtectiveEquipment/default.htm http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/std/prevent/MODULE_2_V2.1.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/ Delmars Clinical Medical Assisting, 4th Edition, Lindh, Dahl, Delmar Cingage Learning, Copyright 2010

Teaching Status Report :: Dunn Middle School Education Teaching Essays

Teaching Status Report As the final weeks of my experience at Dunn Middle School quickly approached I began to reflect on my experience as a whole. All of my initial opinions have changed since the first time I walked into Dunn. I feel so much differently about Mr. Kiernan, the students, and the school experience in general. The closer to the end it got, the more sense of accomplishment and relief began to overwhelm me. I was so proud that I, for the past few weeks had been a real teacher. Up until the end I didn’t feel like a real teacher I felt like something else, I can’t explain what, but I began to realize that the students really saw me as their teacher. They respected and liked me just as much as Mr. Kiernan, and the best part, they learned just as much from me as the would have if Mr. Kiernan had been standing up in the front of the room. However, I also found myself feeling very relieved. For as much as enjoyed my experience, I was ready for it to be over. The final weeks of my experience at Dunn were the most eye opening. After talking to Mr. Kiernan over a casual lunch I learned a lot more about him personally and why he does what he does. My opinion on him has changed immensely since the first day. I went from thinking that he was a mean teacher who didn’t really care about the students or what they learned to realizing that he is one of the most caring teachers I have ever met. He loves to teach. That’s the best thing a teacher could do. If you don’t love to teach, then you will not succeed in the field. He cares more about his kids well being then most in that school. He is the baseball coach outside of the classroom and even checks up on the players in the off season. I still may not agree with all of his teaching strategies, but I do think that he is a good teacher. Caring about the well being of the students, I quickly learned, is sometimes more important then what they learn about math inside t he classroom here at Dunn.

My lifelong Hobby

While it is true that hobbies are activities we engage ourselves in during our extra times for personal pleasure and relaxation (Microsoft Encarta, 2006), hobbies are also quite expensive and time-consuming for scores of people and occasions. However, when we do what we enjoy expense will always be a secondary thing: the love for the pastime consumes us and leads us to explore all the facets of our interest.I love to draw, experiment with a variety of the painting medium and make people happy by giving them the fruit of my labors. Since grade school years, people in my grade came to know me as one who spends break time or recess as my opportunity to finish with â€Å"orders† from classmates who asked for artistic letterings of their names. Just what are the nuances of this hobby and how did I develop my output from the time I was a very young school child?My hobby is drawing, painting and acquiring a collection of a variety of drawing and painting materials and guides to help me expand my knowledge of creativity and artistry. This paper attempts to briefly elaborate the three types of drawing, which includes doodling, sketching and coloring that I am usually acquainted of and do during my free hours.II. What is doodling and how does one look like when he/she doodles?Doodling is â€Å"to draw something aimlessly or absent-mindedly, usually while doing something else such as attending a meeting (Microsoft Encarta, 2006) and one of the â€Å"funny† parts that I oftentimes do in the presence of other people.This form of artistic ability is very common. It doesn’t take for one to be artistic in order to doodle; however, no artist probably would ever say they have not spent a time that they did not doodle. Attending a class for example or talking with a friend on the phone are perfect times that I get to doodle.Whenever a class starts to get boring, I would pull out my scratch of paper and ball pen and start to make circles or squares, and usual ly end up later with a very messy job at the tip of my pen. Though seemingly an aimless performance to some, this is actually the time when I develop appetite for details and other times mull over how to either imitate an artistic work, or practice those new skills I have adapted.III. What is sketching and how does it differ with doodling?Sketching is drawing a â€Å"picture done quickly and roughly: a drawing or painting that is done quickly without concern for detail† (Microsoft Encarta, 2006). While doodling is almost like its twin, oftentimes it is not the serious type of this skill. Sketching is more of a prelude of what the work will look like when it is finished. It is like a first layer of the foundational principles of drawing, and a body to the artistic work. It tests your patience also whenever you have difficulty achieving the â€Å"look† you want.IV. What is coloring and why does it matter considerably in an artwork?Coloring is applying color to a sketch o r drawing (Microsoft Encarta, 2006). Even before I start to draw, I already have in mind what medium works best with the type of picture I will sketch. This is most crucial for an artist. Many are great â€Å"drawers† but whose work is buried underneath piles of color. This is one area of the artistic expression that also shows texture and life to a drawing.V. ConclusionWhen I doodle, sketch or color, it spells to me luxury. Time is a fleeting resource and doodling, sketching and coloring are skills that make life less boring and predictable. Friendship is built time and again, because of my skills in drawing.Life is a lot like these three: it cannot be hurried. For an artwork to be certified beautiful, time is of the essence. When we pause to ponder and think about our many options in life, we should also strive not only to stop in the â€Å"doodling† or â€Å"sketching† phase, but rub on the hues on an otherwise drab portrait. Spread over affections on people who matter most in your life, and experience the beauty that emerges from their beings.Reference:1. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006.  © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

Case Study †Mr Rakesh Sharma Essay

The case study given is about a fresh graduate, Mr. Rakesh Sharma joined Modern Industries Ltd. (MIL) in Bangalore as a trainee against a projected vacancy in the Paints Application Department for one-year training. Mr. Sharma has been performed very well. The Department Manager and the Training Manager were satisfied with his performance in the first two quarters. However, when stepping in to the third quarter, Mr. Sharma raised an issue about curtailing his training period. The request has not be entertained and Mr. Sharma’s behavior started to change and became unacceptable. Counseling session and warning letter have been issued to him and the situation did not turn good. One of the primary objectives of the Training Department is to recruit who have good potential and train them to be effective persons in different department. The Training Manager clearly known that Mr. Sharma is a potential trainee but he failed to train him in different department and caused Mr. Sharma only have one choice of department to stay which is the Paint Application Department. The Training Manager have to struggle on his rational decision whether to terminate or not to terminate Mr.  Sharma. There are five issues discussed in this report. These five issues are the main causes to the problem that the Training Manage has to decide whether he should terminate Mr. Sharma or not. The five issues are communication, employees behavior, compensation and benefit, company policy, training and development. Moreover, we also discussed five options to the Training Manager other than termination of Mr. Sharma. These five options are apply employee engagement program, training and coaching system, giving short period to show improvement, reevaluate performance of Mr.  Sharma and communicate and persuade the parties involved. HRM issues that cause to the problem Issue 1: Communications Effective communication is essential to business success. â€Å"You can tie back almost every employee issue attendance, morale, performance, and productivity to communication,† says Fred Holloway, an HR adviser in Medford, Oregon. Businesses without effective staff communication suffer from lost profits, poor productivity and poor employee morale. In order to solve many business problems, employees need to be able to collaborate and cooperate effectively. Good communication can encourage employees to work harder, solve problems together and work towards a common goal. It is the job of every manager to ensure employees and superior are communicating effectively with each other. In the cases of MIL, we found that there is some communication problems between shop manager and Mr. Sharma; Training Manager and Mr. Sharma as well. More interaction / communication between trainees has to be established especially for performance appraisal purpose. Reviewing trainee performance once at the end of every quarter is too long for training manager to review their performance accurately. Trainees’ performance might not be consistent from time to time and advise might need to be given to them. Also, training manager might lack of clearer understanding about their overall performance and problems they faced. Hence, this lack of communication between training manager and trainees including Mr. Sharma caused manager hardly to observe their actual performances, problem faced and what they really want or do they deserve to enjoy more benefit? These are all the grey areas that left out by performances review. Besides, Department Manager should be communicate and discuss with Mr.  Sharma before file a complaint on him to Training Manager. Department Manager obligated to understand employee problem and assist it to cope with problem faced. However, department manager failed to do so. This shows there is lacking of communication between Mr. Sharma and Department Manager. Listening and responding is how we understand the feelings and thoughts of the other person. There is no skill more important for effective communication than taking into consideration the other person? s perspective. Try standing in someone else? s shoes; it will considerably improve your communication with that person. In this case, Training manager doesn’t seem to communicate well with Mr. Sharma when Mr. Sharma voice out his request. The manager’s reply upon Mr. Sharma is more considered as a perfunctory to Mr. Sharma. This caused Mr. Sharma to feel that the request and problems were not being taken seriously by management. As a result, it de-motivated Mr. Sharma to keep on with training. Manager should standing in employee’s shoes to understand better their exact situation and their needs. It certainly assists a lot to improve communication between manager and employees. Hence, we suggest that manager should really look into the matter if any of the subordinate especially trainee voicing out opinion and requests. Manager should investigate and evaluate such matter deeply upon Mr. Sharma’s request to decide whether his performance is good enough to curtail his training period to 7 months and absorb him as engineer. Also, to look into trainee’s benefits whether it reaching satisfactory level for trainees or whether the matter is only happened on Mr. Sharma since there is an issue has been voice out by him. Issue 2: Employee’s behavior Employee’s behavior is referring to the way the employee responses toward his/her job. Generally, employee’s behavior can be classified into either positive or negative. A positive behavior indicates a strong employment engagement towards company whereas an employee with negative behavior shows low employment engagement. In this case, one of the issues found is the personal behavior of Mr. Sharma. When Mr. Sharma is being informed that his request to become a regular employee was disapproved, his attitude started to change differently. He then started to become de-motivated and started rejecting to perform in some task which assigned to him, telling that the assigned work should be done by ‘regular workers’ instead of a trainee. Such action did not receive any attention in the initial period but it then become erratic and unacceptable at last. We think that Mr. Sharma portrait an attitude of egoism. Mr. Sharma only focuses on self- interest without being considering for others. In this case, Mr. Sharma tried to demonstrate to the company by practicing de-motivate attitude in work. Employees in company supposed to work together as a whole and team work certainly the most important criteria. Unfortunately, Mr. Sharma failed to practice it in this case. Another sub-issue of the case is employment engagement. Mr. Sharma showed a low employment engagement to the company by becoming less aggressive and progressive towards the job as well as refusing to work on some task assigned to him. An employee with low engagement to company eventually lowers down the productivity and efficiency. We think that Mr. Sharma should have a long term view rather just focusing on short term benefits. As a part of the company, he should show an active, progressive and aggressive attitude towards his work to convince training manager that he deserved to curtail his training period and get promoted to regular employee. Issue 3: Compensation and Benefits Compensation and benefits is an effective tool and method to motivate and reward a employee based on their performance. However, it could be a sensitive issue between employer and employee while discussing the content of the compensation and benefits. In this case study, Mr. Rakesh Sharma requested that his training period be curtailed to 7 months only and to absorb him as an Engineer. He argued that he had been performing like a regular employee in the department for the last one quarter. He indicated that he would gain seniority as well as some monetary benefits as the trainees were eligible for a stipend only. The regular employees were eligible for many allowances like conveyance, dearness, house rent, education, etc. which was a substantial amount as compared to the stipend paid to a trainee. According to Mr. Sharma’s request, one of the main factors that he would like to be absorbed as a regular engineer is monetary benefits. Hence, the differences between his on-the-job training benefits and regular employee benefits have caused him to come out with the request. This is also one of the issues that lead to the eventual problem of termination. Employee compensation is the employee incentives and rewards that can make all the difference when it comes to retaining good workers. Generally, compensation and benefits for a regular employee will divided into four categories which are: 1. Guaranteed pay: Monetary reward paid by an employer to an employee based on employee/employer relations.  Generally, it also known as basic salary. Besides, there is other pay elements which are paid based solely on employee or employer relations, such as seniority allowance. 2. Variable pay: Monetary reward paid by an employer to an employee that is contingent on discretion, performance or results achieved. For example, bonuses, commissions, dearness, and so on. 3. Benefits: Programs an employer uses to supplement employees’ compensation, such as paid time off, medical insurance, company car, and more. 4. Equity-based compensation: A plan using the employer’s share as compensation. The most common examples are stock options. These are the compensations and benefits that will received if you are a regular employees of a company. However, Mr. Sharma is not a regular employee yet as his on-the-job training is still on-going and only 5 months left. Hence, he still considered as a trainee in the company. Although a trainee is not an official employee of a company, he or she might not have salary. But, trainee may receive compensation and benefits from company. Trainee will receive a fixed compensation of monthly payment from company. Depends on respective company, some company will afford trainee fringe benefits. For example, they will issue stipend for trainee, free meal is available for trainee. Besides, some company might issue health and medical subsidy for trainee too. Yet, a trainee compensation and benefits are still not persuasive when compare with a regular employee. Same with the case, Mr. Sharma requested to be promoted to a regular engineer is not because of his good performance on the job, it is also because of the compensation and benefits of a regular employee are more sufficient and attractive.

Essay on Legalization of MarijuanaEssay Writing Service

Essay on Legalization of MarijuanaEssay Writing Service Essay on Legalization of Marijuana Essay on Legalization of MarijuanaThe legalization of marijuana is a very debatable topic in the U.S. today, and it is usually discussed not only in medical circles but also by ordinary people. There exist two quite different positions on the issue because about half of Americans are calling for the absolute legalization of marijuana (not just for medical purposes, but also for personal use, or as the media says to â€Å"entertainment†), while the other half of the citizens of the United States considers marijuana to be a very harmful drug and refers to it rather disparagingly and with a great caution because this light drug is still not fully understood by scientists. Thus, as there exist two different points of views regarding the same issue, we are going to discuss this topic with all the necessary details.The first issue to discuss can be seen in the fact that deadly harm of marijuana is not fully proved still, so opponents of this plant legalization have not enough eviden ces to stop the process of legalization. It is necessary to mention that there are no enough evidences to the safety of marijuana, so both the supporters and the opponents of the legalization of marijuana are in the same position. According to Earleywine (2002), there are only several researches were made by scientists, and these researches claim that marijuana is useful, for example, for people with different hard diseases such as AIDS, leukemia, migraine, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, and a number of other ailments (pp. 52-63). Moreover, according to Kreit (2003), some researchers state that marijuana, being a unique plant, has many miraculous properties that can help to prevent the development of cancer, treat eye inflammation, eliminate the effects of chemical and radiation therapy in patients with cancer and AIDS, elevate mood and evoke optimism during its use (as opposed to alcohol, leading to depression and suicide) (pp. 78-85). Thus, since the day when the United State s allowed the use and possession of marijuana for medical purposes, this narcotic plant became a center of a boom in business activity.The second issue of our discussion has its focus on the use of marijuana for medical purposes. It is important to note that currently marijuana for medical purposes is allowed in many states and it goes without saying that there exist strict rules regarding this issue, and the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes is normal and possible only by a doctor’s prescription, in the case of the above mentioned diseases, and many more others. While each state has its own rules and regulations regarding marijuana use, and these rules vary widely. To be more detailed in the issue, according to Gerber (2004), it was proved that the use of marijuana and its derivatives (cannabinoids) has shown themselves to be effective in the treatment of epilepsy, anorexia, asthma, migraines, arthritis, diseases of the spine and musculoskeletal, the treatment of p remenstrual syndrome, hypertension, etc. (p. 87). For instance, in glaucoma marijuana relieves intraocular pressure and it leads to a slowdown of the process or it stops the progression of the disease. Some studies show that marijuana can slow the progression of certain types of cancer. In addition, cannabis and its derivatives have a positive effect in the treatment of affective disorders and a variety of mental health disorders depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive and panic disorder, bipolar disorder, and insomnia.The third issue to discuss can be seen in economic sphere because the legalization of marijuana can be useful for American economics, especially in terms of the budget deficit in the country. According to Raghavan (2014), the legalization of marijuana could bring the US to 17.4 billion dollars of new tax deductions (p.93). In 2014, marijuana traders could bring Colorado over 100 million dollars, and almost 40 million will be spent on building schools and promoting healthy lifestyles. So, tax on marijuana could help a lot, and it would be wrong to give this money to criminals because all the money and taxes can fill the country’ coffers.In addition, there exists an opinion that legalization of marijuana reduces crime. According to Caulkins et al (2012), in 2010, the United States produced 780,000 arrests related to the dissemination and use of marijuana, and nearly 40 thousand people went to jail (p. 51). The legalization of marijuana will reduce the number of people arrested and will save much money on their maintenance in prisons. Moreover, according to supporters of the legalization, such an approach may reduce interracial tension in the states because in cases involving distribution and consumption of marijuana, black teens are detained nearly four times more likely than their white peers. As a result, it is inefficient to spend billions to combat drug trafficking because it still makes no sense. To add, Kilme r (2010) mentioned that a huge amount of money is spent on police, lawyers, courts, prisons, but the rate of use of marijuana is not reduced, but on the contrary, is growing steadily (p. 32). In such a way, prohibitions on the use of marijuana does not lead to a decrease in its consumption, but they lead to the formation of organized crime and smuggling, and to imprisonment of almost harmless smokers.In conclusion, we have discussed the issue of legalization of marijuana with many details and showed that the legalization of marijuana in the US is important for the rest of the world because in a case of success, this experience will be an example for other countries and it can help in the global fight against drug trafficking, which is currently at an impasse and provoke social tension in third world countries.

Free Essays on Walden

Context Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817, the third child of John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau. The freethinking Thoreaus were relatively cultured, but they were also poor, making their living by the modest production of homemade pencils. Despite financial constraints, Henry received a top-notch education, first at Concord Academy and then at Harvard College in nearby Cambridge, Massachusetts. His education there included ancient and modern European languages and literatures, philosophy, theology, and history. Graduating from Harvard in 1837, Thoreau returned to Concord to teach in the local grammar school, but resigned abruptly in only his second week on the job, declaring himself unable to inflict corporal punishment on misbehaving pupils. In the ensuing months, Thoreau sought another teaching job unsuccessfully. It was around this time that Thoreau met Ralph Waldo Emerson, a prominent American philosopher, essayist, and poet who had recently mo ved to Concord. The friendship between the two would eventually prove the most influential of Thoreau’s life. The following June, Thoreau founded a small progressive school emphasizing intellectual curiosity over rote memorization, and after a period of success for the school, his brother John joined the venture. After several years, John’s failing health and Henry’s impatience for larger projects made it impossible to continue running the school. During this period, Thoreau assisted his family in pencil manufacturing, and worked for a time as a town surveyor. He also began to keep an extensive journal, to which he would devote considerable energy over the next twenty-five years. His writing activities deepened as his friendship with Emerson developed and as he was exposed to the Transcendentalist movement, of which Emerson was the figurehead. Transcendentalism drew heavily on the idealist and otherworldly aspects of English and Ge... Free Essays on Walden Free Essays on Walden Context Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817, the third child of John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau. The freethinking Thoreaus were relatively cultured, but they were also poor, making their living by the modest production of homemade pencils. Despite financial constraints, Henry received a top-notch education, first at Concord Academy and then at Harvard College in nearby Cambridge, Massachusetts. His education there included ancient and modern European languages and literatures, philosophy, theology, and history. Graduating from Harvard in 1837, Thoreau returned to Concord to teach in the local grammar school, but resigned abruptly in only his second week on the job, declaring himself unable to inflict corporal punishment on misbehaving pupils. In the ensuing months, Thoreau sought another teaching job unsuccessfully. It was around this time that Thoreau met Ralph Waldo Emerson, a prominent American philosopher, essayist, and poet who had recently mo ved to Concord. The friendship between the two would eventually prove the most influential of Thoreau’s life. The following June, Thoreau founded a small progressive school emphasizing intellectual curiosity over rote memorization, and after a period of success for the school, his brother John joined the venture. After several years, John’s failing health and Henry’s impatience for larger projects made it impossible to continue running the school. During this period, Thoreau assisted his family in pencil manufacturing, and worked for a time as a town surveyor. He also began to keep an extensive journal, to which he would devote considerable energy over the next twenty-five years. His writing activities deepened as his friendship with Emerson developed and as he was exposed to the Transcendentalist movement, of which Emerson was the figurehead. Transcendentalism drew heavily on the idealist and otherworldly aspects of English and Ge...

Ducts and Dukes Lead the Way

Ducts and Dukes Lead the Way Ducts and Dukes Lead the Way Ducts and Dukes Lead the Way By Mark Nichol The Latin verb ducere, meaning â€Å"lead,† is the basis of many English words pertaining to action, development, and movement. This post lists and defines these words. To abduct (literally, â€Å"lead away†) is to kidnap or seize someone; one who does so is an abductor, and the action is called abduction. Abduce is a synonym for the medical sense of the word; abduce and abduct both describe drawing a body part away from another. (Abductor is used as a noun in this sense as well.) To adduce (literally, â€Å"lead to†), by contrast, is to draw a body part toward the axis of a limb or the center of the body. It also means â€Å"provide an example, proof, or reason to support a proposition.† (Abduction and adductor are the noun forms, and abducent and adducent are the adjectives.) A duct is a channel or a conduit; aqueduct literally means â€Å"water channel.† (Duct tape, sometimes, as a result of a mishearing, called â€Å"duck tape,† is so named because it was developed for repairing ducts.) Something that is ductile is capable of being beaten thin, bent, or pulled (as in the case of certain metals), of being formed anew (as in the case of other malleable materials), or of being easily influenced or lead (as in the case of people). To conduct is to lead to a particular result, though conduce is sometimes used for this meaning. Something that leads is a conductor, as in the case of a substance that carries heat or another form of energy or a person who is the head of an orchestra or an official on a train. The act is conducting in the sense of carrying energy is called conduction. To deduce is to figure out by reasoning or to trace; a deduction is the result. Deduct is synonymous with deduce, but it also means â€Å"subtract.† Induce and introduce both mean â€Å"lead into,† but the former pertains to influence, persuasion, or persuasion, or to forming or producing. (In the sense of producing an electrical current, the verb form is induct.) Introduction, by contrast, refers to the act of presenting, especially for the first time, or to inserting or instituting something. To produce is to develop; something produced is a product, although produce is employed to refer to fruits and vegetables; production is distinguished from product in that it refers to the creation of goods or of artistic works. To reduce is to diminish the amount of something, and to seduce is to literally lead away or astray, either in a physical, sexual sense or in the figurative sense of â€Å"persuade.† Less common words derived from ducere include circumduction (â€Å"circular movement of an extremity or limb†), subduction (â€Å"movement of the edge of one tectonic plate below another†), traduction (â€Å"defamation,† although it also has senses pertaining to logic and rhetoric), and transduction (â€Å"transfer of energy or information†). Words that may not be immediately apparent as belonging in the ducere family include educate (literally, â€Å"lead out†); someone who educates, or teaches or trains, is an educator, and the act of teaching or training is education. (The adjectival form is educational.) Another is douche, which came to English from French by way of an Italian word for â€Å"spray† and as both a noun and a verb refers to vaginal cleansing. Duke, meanwhile, stems from the Latin word for â€Å"leader† and referred originally to a prince and later to a high-ranking nobleman. The adjectival form is ducal, the domain of a duke is a dukedom, and the wife of a duke is a duchess. (The verb and noun dock may also derive from ducere, although it may have a Germanic origin.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" 50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Aviation Aircraft Investigation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Aviation Aircraft Investigation - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, aviation accidents do occur. Between 1999 and 2008 there were 370 aviation accidents, resulting in 4,970 fatalities. Commercial passenger airlines are the least likely of all flights to be involved in an accident (www.1001crash.com). The causes for aviation accidents are varied, but can be categorized into three groups: the physical environment, mechanical failure and human error. Specific issues within each of these three groups are the root cause for all aviation-related accidents. Accidents caused by the physical environment occur from Mother Nature herself. Things such as lightening, wind, ice, rain, etc. are all physical causes. In these cases, it is important for accident investigators to rule out any human error when reacting to physical causes. An airplane sliding off of an icy runway would be one example of an accident caused purely by the physical environment. There is nothing a flight crew could do in this situation to avoid it. Mechanical failure is the next category of accidents. Examples of mechanical failure include complete engine shut down, rudder failure, wheel structure malfunction, etc. Again, there has to be care taken to ensure that human error is not at play in mechanical failure. Investigators have to research carefully to make certain that the failure was completely related to the physical part of the equipment and not the maintenance or lack of. Over the past 20 years, accidents relating to mechanical failures have been steadily declining when compared to other accident causes. Accidents caused by mechanical issues are easier to determine and fix as compared to human errors and the physical environment. When there is a mechanical error, it can be analyzed and improvements can be made in the mechanical structure to avoid the same problem happening again. This isn’t the case for human error (Wiegmann & Shappell, 1997). The remainder of this paper will focus

Sexism at Work Place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sexism at Work Place - Essay Example Women were also not allowed to work with men. Household work and rearing children were the only jobs of females. This was all changed by the industrial revolution of in the early 20th century. Because of need for labor women had to abandon their conventional walk of life and they had to work in factories and industries to make goods. This played a great role in the emancipation of women. After that as a result of series of struggle through feminist movements in 1950s and 60s women were finally liberated. Today women are in a much better condition. But still this emancipation has not fully come and in many walks of life women still today face discrimination. Work places are especially prone to sexism against female and not much attention is given to this issue. This will be the topic of discussion in this essay and we will attempt to highlight issues women face in the work place. Discrimination against Women at Work Place Women today face many issues at the work place. They are not tr eated equally to men and pay structure is also not the same. The problem is that women are not considered to be treated equally to men. They are mostly given secretary and low level jobs, and chances to promotions are very rare. Young women are usually expected to deliver coffee and do petty jobs regardless of their job status, and they are similar to ‘dolls’ for their bosses (Bennett, Ellison, & Ball. 2010). This causes them a lot of problem. Women who suffer from prejudice at work place do not speak much about it out of embarrassment. Also most of them need the jobs so it is not possible for them to risk their jobs. They are left with no choice but to accept this attitude at the work place. If they will not comply by the ‘norms’ then their jobs will be at risk. This is why sexism prevails in the society and at work places. The pay ratio of women is also an example of how blatant sexism has taken over the work places of today. The women receive significant ly less pay than for the same services they give in offices. Females MBA holders earn $4600 less than male MBAs annually (Bennett, Ellison, & Ball. 2010). The reason for this divide in income is only negative attitude towards women. Lower pay scale of women usually discourages them from working. Women who are need of money still work at these lower rates without raising their voices. Lower pay scale for women makes no sense simply because women can work as much as men. Their productivity is similar to men. Nowadays jobs are not like older times when people had to do physical work. Women in offices have nothing to do directly with their physical strength. Rather it is the power of the mind that is important today and women are equally able as men to do their job. So this difference in pay has no rational justification. Wal-Mart is one example of an employer that is blatant in its discrimination against women. It is a practice for the company not to hire women and deny them promotions (Al Norman, 2010). The fact that, a company as big as Wal-Mart can also discriminate against women, is not understandable. But this is happening in this modern world and there is no hope of any improvement. It is because of these big companies that issue of sexism at work place is not discussed in media very often. It is important to understand the reason behind this mentality. It is the old thinking that because women are not as strong physically as men they cannot be treated equally to men. Women were first subjugated by clerics and then by statesmen. And this tradition is continuing now because the attitude of the society in general has not changed regarding women. They are still considered weak and inferior beings that

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Film - Essay Example He is simultaneously presented as a suitably murky protagonist who goes abroad to arrange assassination of his old professor, who is now an anti-Fascist leader living an exiled life in Paris. Clerici is a Conformist who is very anxious to live a normal life and trying hard at his level best to fit in the society in every possible way. The film beautifully portrays a man's psychological need to 'conform' and to be 'normal' at social level; particularly in general as well as at the political level. Underlying Theme: The predominant theme of the film is  conformity. Clerici has an excessive urge to lead a life of normality-'to fit' perfectly in the society. Like any other man, he is seeking for acceptance from the society and to make a position that would lead him to his ultimate goal in life. He is deeply driven by his bitter memories of childhood and in this way, he hopes to escape  the demolishing outcomes of his mother and father. One might also contemplate that Clerici is often chased by his repressed homosexual urge which he feared that it might emerge as it is against the norms of society.

Share Trading Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Share Trading Assignment - Essay Example Trading Activities Buying of Shares with the notional ?100,000 888 Holdings PLC (888.L) ?31.25 as at September 30, 2011 11:07 Prev Close: 32.75 Open: 32.25 Bid: 35.50 Ask: 36.00 1y Target Est: 1.05 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Purchase cost ?54,000.00 1,500 shares times the ask price of ?36.00 per share. Stamp Duty ?270.00 ?32,750 times 0.005 (Note: 0.005 = 0.5%) Brokers commission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?54,280.00 Shares of 888 Holdings Plc seemed to be very lucrative hence the desire to buy them. What’s more, there has been an increasing trend in the value of shares of 888 Holdings Plc, which made it even more lucrative. Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.L) ?166.25 as at September 30, 2011 Prev Close: 166.25 Open: 167.15 Bid: 168.30 Ask: 168.35 1y Target Est: 199.14 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Purchase cost ?45,454.50 270 shares times the ask price of ?168.35 per share. Stamp Duty ?227.27 ?13,300 times 0.005 (Note: 0.005 = 0.5%) Brokers co mmission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?45,691.77 Despite recent drop in the value of shares, Vodafone Plc shares seemed attractive to invest in given the status of the company. The company has grown considerable thus proving that there is possibility of future prospects. What’s more, there were indications that the firm’s share is very attractive in the market hence trading on the shares may be very easy. The total amount invested in the two firms is given by 1,500 shares of 888 Holdings Plc ?54,280.00 270 shares of Vodafone Plc ?45,691.77 Total ?99,971.77 Selling of Shares 888 Holdings PLC (888.L) ?72.00 3.25(4.73%) 11:07 (April 16, 2012) Prev Close: 68.75 Open: 68.25 Bid: 71.50 Ask: 72.00 1y Target Est: 1.05 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Selling Revenue ?107,250.00 1500 shares times the ask price of ?71.50 per share. Brokers commission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?107,240.00 Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.L) 71. 54 2.09(1.23%) 11:12AM (April 16, 2012) Prev Close: 169.45 Open: 169.35 Bid: 171.50 Ask: 171.55 1y Target Est: 199.14 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Purchase cost ?46,305.00 270 shares times the ask price of ?171.50 per share. Brokers commission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?46,295.00 Total Revenue obtained from selling the shares 1,500 shares of 888 Holdings Plc ?107,240.00 270 shares of Vodafone Plc ?46,295.00 Total ?153,535.00 Percentage Profit from the Trading * 100 = 53.53% FTSE All-Share index is 5,300 on September 31, 2011 and 5,678 on April 16, 2012 at 1400 hours. = 7.13% Therefore, on the basis of the above calculations on Percentage profit and FTSE All-share index, there is no doubt that the trading was able to beat the FTSE All-share index. Critical diary Trading within the stock exchange market is a tricky and challenging aspect of commerce. Every individual involved in investment or trading within the stock exchange market has to be equip ped with adequate and up to date information on the performance of the various stocks or shares within the stock exchange market. One way of attaining such adequate and up to date information is extensive reading and listening to business news. Consequently, before engaging in this trade, I read many articles, journals, listened to and watched much business news. From the articles, journal

POEMS ABOUT DOCTORS AND PATIENTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

POEMS ABOUT DOCTORS AND PATIENTS - Essay Example Instead, the last stanza does conclude what is in the fourth stanza hence clarifying all the points to the reader. 5. When referring to the ‘you’, the speaker of the poem refers to the patient to whom she was visiting. This is because she said that the hospital lawn is being taken care just as a patient the patient is. 6. The first stanza does compare the lawn and the hospital rooms. When the speaker compares these two parts, she does show how the hospital is clean and well maintained hence the same does apply to the patients present in the hospital. 7. In the third stanza, the speaker draws back to the red and hideous battlefields where many young men were brought to that hospital when suffering from different injuries. This image shows that the hospital has treated many people suffering from different injuries and illnesses. This makes the staff and the doctors in the hospital to be experienced in what they do. 8. In the final stanza, the speaker of the poem describes a scene where a patient has passed away. This is because the speaker says that she turned and stepped inside an empty room while the previous day there was someone there. The machines are silent, and the bed is all made new. This shows that the patient who was there has passed away. 9. The poem is about the hospital and the patients who attend the hospital. The poem does describe how the hospital is maintained. The poem does also describe the different patients in the hospital. The poem does give a description of how the hospital treats its patients. Therefore, the theme of this poem is how patients are treated in the hospitals in comparison to how the environment of the hospital is. 11. The words after line seven portray that the speaker has a different understanding of religion. The speaker has an understanding that the religion is all about kneeling down in forest groves and asking for help. This

Food security and Bioterrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food security and Bioterrorism - Essay Example government of United States gives utmost importance and significance to food security due to which, it assures that in any kind of problematic situation, people will be provided with proper food items (Singer, 1997). Due to the country’s well-managed food items, the country also makes financial benefit in food products and is considered a major economy in the world (Fogel, 2004). All the food products and the ways that are employed for the transportation of food products predict themselves as an imperative part of United States financial system (Singer, 1997). In the past few years, United States is threatened by many revolutionary terrorism attacks. The government of United States considers the importance of availability of food to its citizens in case of any attack from terrorists. FBI is active in getting all the information about any possible attacks on any part of the State (Paquette, 2002). It is also assessed that the assailants can attack by biological means that comes under bioterrorism, which means that biological means like virus, bacteria, parasite or any other toxic materials can be employed by the bioterrorists to conduct their attack on food items (Wagner, Moore and Aryel, 2006). A proper strategy is designed for people working with food items and drinks to ensure that the process is free of any kind of contamination and all the food resources are properly analyzed in terms of the healthiness of the food items (Brown, et.al, 2008). Packing of each food product is ensured by the food associations related to government and it is considered a crime to overlook the rules set by the food associations in terms of food security (Singer, 1997). The transporters and suppliers of food products are hired after assessing their details and after assuring that they are reliable people (Fogel, 2004) Water, other drinks and food products are analyzed by means of machines about their healthy state before making them available to public (Brown, et.al,

POEMS ABOUT DOCTORS AND PATIENTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

POEMS ABOUT DOCTORS AND PATIENTS - Essay Example Instead, the last stanza does conclude what is in the fourth stanza hence clarifying all the points to the reader. 5. When referring to the ‘you’, the speaker of the poem refers to the patient to whom she was visiting. This is because she said that the hospital lawn is being taken care just as a patient the patient is. 6. The first stanza does compare the lawn and the hospital rooms. When the speaker compares these two parts, she does show how the hospital is clean and well maintained hence the same does apply to the patients present in the hospital. 7. In the third stanza, the speaker draws back to the red and hideous battlefields where many young men were brought to that hospital when suffering from different injuries. This image shows that the hospital has treated many people suffering from different injuries and illnesses. This makes the staff and the doctors in the hospital to be experienced in what they do. 8. In the final stanza, the speaker of the poem describes a scene where a patient has passed away. This is because the speaker says that she turned and stepped inside an empty room while the previous day there was someone there. The machines are silent, and the bed is all made new. This shows that the patient who was there has passed away. 9. The poem is about the hospital and the patients who attend the hospital. The poem does describe how the hospital is maintained. The poem does also describe the different patients in the hospital. The poem does give a description of how the hospital treats its patients. Therefore, the theme of this poem is how patients are treated in the hospitals in comparison to how the environment of the hospital is. 11. The words after line seven portray that the speaker has a different understanding of religion. The speaker has an understanding that the religion is all about kneeling down in forest groves and asking for help. This

Nursing Job Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing Job Description - Essay Example These numerous tasks make the head nurse central in ensuring the efficient performance of the team. Thus, this involves financial planning as well in order to ensure that goals are being met. Forecasting is defined as the task of making projections about the future performance on the basis of historical and current conditions data. A head nurse often makes decision regarding the future of his or team. A more appropriate example of this is the amount of budget that the team needs for the coming month. In order to make projections, the head nurse will rely on the historical data of the actual expenses in the previous months. Based on these records, he or she will then determine which types of expenses will apply in the forecast period as well as eliminate the costs that are be foreseen to be insignificant. Afterwards, he or she also analyzes the factors which will make costs in each individual item higher or lower. In order to do this, he or she will rely on current situation which were not present in the previous budgeting period. Example is cost of input which drives up prices of materials needed. With these, he or she can then forecast the budget to be appropriated in t he next period. Long-range planning is another typical activity of a head nurse. Like forecasting, long range planning is concerned with the future of the team. However, as opposed to forecasting, long-range planning involves the head nurse making decisions according to the strategic goal of the healthcare organization. Long-range planning encompasses both financial and non-financial goals and the focus is always the achievement of a specific objective. Most companies have embarked on aligning their plans with the overall organizational goal. A head nurse also does this. For example, when the overall plan of the hospital is to transform itself into a state-of-the art organization by utilizing the latest medical technology available in the market, the head nurse prepares his staff for this. Long-range planning may include but is not limited on his efforts to build a program which will enable the members of the team to get acquainted with the new image to be established. This will include putting up quarterly meetings in order to educate members as well as having appropriate training classes that will equip the members with the skills needed to operate the equipment. As a part of the plan, monitoring will also be installed in order to assess the development and performance of the members of the team. Benchmarking means the process of comparing the performance, policies, philosophies, and other factors of one business organization to the other. These comparisons are often geared in ascertaining how an organization stands in comparison to the other players in the market. In the setting of the healthcare organization, a head nurse benchmarks when he or she compares the performance of his or her team through a defined metrics. The benchmark often looks at the historical and current performance in order to make an improvement in the future. For instance, a head nurse might want to compare his team's level of performance by the number of times late or

Strategies to Sustain Competitive Advantage

Strategies to Sustain Competitive Advantage Q1: Using an appropriate model, evaluate the business model of a company of your choice, describing how the company differentiates itself from its competitors and sustain competitive advantage. 1. Executive Summary Cummins started off as diesel engine manufacturing company since 1919 and now growing as â€Å"power† leader in the world. Cummins expand network through company- owned distributor, independent distributor and dealer to serve customer globally. In 2009, Cummins reported net income of $428 million in $10.8 billion of sales [1]. Cummins have been diversifying its business to broad range of products from power generation, filtration technology, turbo technology, fuel system, emission controls and air handling [2]. Due to external pressure and growing market in Asia, Cummins recently setup Centre of Excellent in Singapore focus more on Marine and Offshore market. In this post module assignment, competitive strategy will only focus on Cumminss marine and offshore business. In this PMA, the value curve is based on own industry experiences assumption. However, analysis on financial will based overall Cummins business listed in stock market which named â€Å"CMI†. 1.1. Vision Statement â€Å"Making peoples lives better by unleashing the Power of Cummins† [3]. Cummins believe in by developing new technology will lead to better living for the people. 1.2. Mission Statement Cummins mission statement as quoted below [3] â€Å"Motivating people to act like owners working together† â€Å"Exceeding customer expectations by always being first to market the best products† â€Å"Partnering with our customers to make sure that they succeed† â€Å"Demanding that everything we do leads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment† â€Å"Creating wealth for all stakeholders.† 1.3. Cummins compare with Industrial leader Figure 1 Financial Analysis CMI Vs Industry Leader [4] Figure 1 shows overview financial analysis of Cummins (CMI) compare within industry leader [4]. Cummins rank 35 among 379 diversified machinery industries in industrial goods sector for market capitalisation. Cummins stock values increase more than triple over the past 3 years and promise future growth with its business strategy [4]. 1.4. Ocean Strategy Ocean strategy has been introduced by W.C. Kim and R Mauborge since 2004. Starting then, this strategy is adopted and implemented successfully in various organisations globally. Recently, Malaysias Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shared his experience on Ocean Strategy when dealing with increasing crime in the country [5]. He is using Blue Ocean Strategy as management tools in order to promote thinking out of the box. Key successful activities such as leveraged untapped resources when replaced police with soldier doing patrolling around countrys border and conduct training for new police force in the underutilised army facilities. This initiative save a lot of money from government and promote cross functioning role among government agency [5]. The principle of the ocean strategy is treating market as universe. There are two oceans available in the universe named Red Ocean and Blue Ocean. Red Ocean defined as known competition. In this Ocean, product is already well defined and competitors only able to compete with price [6] .Customer expectation on the product almost generic and not much technology can be developing in this area. For diesel engine in marine and offshore market, the competitors for Cummins include Caterpillar, MTU and Mitsubishi. How Cummins can break trough become market leaders? Cummins apply Blue Ocean Strategy when dealing with its business. Blue Ocean Strategy defines as untapped market which no competition and industries that do not exist at this point of time [6]. This in return will resulting higher profit compare with conventional approach. This clearly shows in W.C. Kim and R Mauborge studys on business launches in 108 companies. They summarize revenue and profit impact of business launches shows in Figure 2. In this study, 86% business launches within own boundaries (Red Oceans) and 14% business launches looking for new opportunities (Blue Oceans) [6]. Red Oceans approach focus on existing customer by improving their product and study shows that this resulted 62% on total revenue and 39% on total profit. In contrast, 14% of the businesses launches by creating blue oceans can bring in higher return which about 61% of the total profit [6]. Cummins spend heavily on research and development for past 5 years as shown in Figure 3. In 2010 alone, Cummins invest 414million in new technology development [2]. One of recent Blue Oceans initiatives is setting Marine and Offshore Centre of Excellent in Singapore. This business focus on the â€Å"Packaging† instead of selling conventional type of â€Å"bare diesel engine† like other competitor such as CAT, MTU and Mitsubishi. Figure 4 shows pictorial view on the value added components into bare diesel engine 1.5. Strategy Canvas Figure 5 shows strategy canvas of the marine and offshore diesel engine. X-axis represents critical success factors of the markets competition and Y-axis correspond to values perceived by marine and offshore customer. Marine and offshore is a mature and establish market. Engine makers always compete with price, image, brand, delivery, product performance and service availability. Cummins performs averagely in critical successful factors. However, in order to compete in the competitive market, Cummins break through conventional way by creating new team to focus on product value added specifically for marine and offshore customer. Cummins applied Blue Ocean strategy. Figure 6 shows Red Ocean strategy from others diesel engine maker and Blue Ocean strategy from Cummins. Q2: Using either Porters generic strategies or the Strategy Clock, identify examples of organizations following strategies of differentiation, low cost or low price, and stuck-in-the middle or hybrid. How successful are these strategies. 2. Porters 5 forces generic Strategies â€Å"Using the five forces framework, creative strategists may be able to spot an industry with a good future before this good futureis reflected in the prices of acquisition candidates† Michael Porter [7]. Porters five forces: Threat of New Entrants: Analyse potential new comer to market is important to understand potential future competitors Bargaining Power of Buyers: Buyers is the party that create demand for industry, understand buyers requirement will help to maintain competitive advantages. For example, bargaining power of buyers is high if product is standard. Threat of substitute products or service: Buyers always look for alternative or cheapest way to get products or service. Substitute product can bring the overall industry price lower Bargaining Power of Supplier: Supplier supply raw material or service to manufacturer. Bargaining power of supplier is high when to many buyer and less supplier in the market Rivalry among existing competitors: Current fast moving industry, its important understand the strategy of existing competitors. Example: How competitor gain competitive advantages or product differentiation. Porters 5 Forces allowed the company undertand and analyse own industry struture and futher help the management to decide on companys strategy. According to Porter, organisation is able to gain competitive advantanges by strategies the company using one of the â€Å"Porters Generic Strategies† as shown in Figure 8; 1) Cost Leadership, 2) Differentiation, 3) Focus [8]. 2.1. Cost Leadership Strategies Cost leadership strategies emphasize on low cost in company strategies. Company will offer low per-unit cost product or service to customer that sensitive to price. In order to become low cost provider, company can practise integration strategies (backward, forward and horizontal). There are few factors that will affect the strategies include economies of scale, learning curve, productivity, company structure, relationship with supplier and quality control. Several example organizations that practice this are Wal-Mart (general merchandiser), Air Asia (budget Airline) and Macdonalds (Fast Food) [9]. In this PMA, I will use Air Asia as example to study its business model and look into company successful factor. Air Asia strategy as illustrate in Figure 9, the company mission is to continue to be the markets carrier low cost provider. In order to compete with other aircraft carrier and achieve company vision for â€Å"Lowest cost airline†, Air Asia implement a few strategy to reduce operation cost. Strategy implemented as per below: 2.1.1. Keep operation cost low- NO frills In order to compete in this competitive market, Air Asia able to keep operational cost low by implementing few â€Å"NO†s in the strategy [10]: NO meal: No food or drinks will be provided free in the in-flight service. NO frequent flyer program: NO Membership or rewarding program which commonly used for others airline like Kris flyer for Singapore Airline and Skymiles for Delta airline. NO Seat assignment Ticket: In order to keep administrative cost low NO Entertainment: NO news paper and entertainment system such as movie, games and music. No ticket : Ticketless replaced conventional type printed ticket No waiting lounge: NO lounge provide in the airport 2.1.2. Single air craft fleet In order to streamline the operation, Air Asia phasing out its 14 Boeing B737 in 2010 and replace by only operate single air craft which is A320. Few advantages of using single aircraft as stated below Keep inventory cost low Saving cost in service and maintenance such as keeping same model of spares parts. No duplicated resource due to difference Air Craft experience needed Reduce time and training cost due to only one model. This allowed the company avoid going to through the expensive â€Å"learning curve† process and also may dissatisfied demanding customer. Michael and Nikos study on the organisation learning curves for customer dissatisfaction across airlines. They plotted estimate U-Shaped learning curve as show in Figure 10 and show evident that complaint rates followed U-shaped function of experience Able to increase fuel efficiency and improve productivity 2.1.3. Simplified distribution system Air Asia design simple user friendly system for customer to book and check- in their ticket. Customers are able to check in using own mobile as shown in Figure 11. This ticketless system is able to reduce waiting time for customer queuing to check- in at the airport counter. 2.1.4. Point to point network (≠¤ 4 hrs) All Air Asia flight is running by point to point network within 4 hours radius or less as its business model. This model only carry passenger from point A to point B without any connecting flight. This in order to keep operation cost simple in order to reduce costs [10]. 2.1.5. Optimum Aircraft Utilization Another way to keep operating cost low and maximizes profit, Air Asia increase productivity by optimise flight utilisation. Air Asia is the fastest in the region by achieving 25 minute turnaround time. Air Asia is able to achieve equal or more than 75% for last 5 years on the load factor. Once, Air Asia achieve close to 100% load factor for Bali Perth route. Load factor is defined by AirAsia as â€Å"numbers of passengers as a percentage of number of seats flown† [10]. On top of that, Air Asia applies â€Å"Tier based† system for ticketing which depend on supply and demand. When demand is low, the price is low. When demand is high the ticket price will also go high. This system is efficient especially during low season allowed Air Asia maintain the reasonable high percent load factor, 2.2. Differentiate Strategies Differentiation strategies offer service or product which unique perceived by customer. Differentiation strategies do not guarantee good payback especially current standard product offered in the industry is more than enough to meet customer expectation. There will a risk on implementing this strategy and need to study carefully on customer requirement before implementing. Product value added, extra servicing, products flexibility and better compatibility are some of the features that can create differentiate in the industry. Cost is not an issue in this strategy; hence company can demand higher price if customer strongly attached to offered differentiation features. Typical move in this strategy is product development. Organisations that apply these strategies include Apple (Lifestyle product), Raul Lauren (Apparel) and Maytag (Home appliance) Apple is applying differentiate strategies compare with other competitors in the industry by selling lifestyle product instead of conventional electronic gadget. In first 6 months of 2011, Apple spends 1.2 billion in research and development. This is about 40% increase compare with 2010 [13]. One of the successful examples when Apple launches iPad during 2010 and Steve Jobs defined iPad as â€Å"entirely new category of mobile devices†. Apple sold more than 15 million units worldwide after launching [14]. 2.2.1. Innovative and creativity product Apple is a â€Å"trend leading† company in the market. The company famous in creating innovative products and able to capture a significant market share after launching new products. Apple spends heavily in research and development because the company believe RD are critical for future growth and are able to create competitive advantages 2.2.2. Wide range of software and applications Apple created another successful platform for customer to download software and application. Traditional, example like phone, other competitor just focus on few simple features which only contains game, photography function, movie and some basic feature. By introducing new approach, Apple created â€Å"The App Store†. Now â€Å"The App Store† has more than 350,000 apps available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch globally. The apps offered wide range of application from games, entertainment, utilities, social networking, music and others. In Jan 2011, Apple announces that more than 10 billion apps have been downloaded . 2.2.3. Apple store Unlike others competitors store which only focus on products price and feature, Apple differentiate by giving customer different shopping experience in the store. Apple design Apples retail store to give the patrons good impression of stylish, clean, fashion and stream-lined. The product like i Phone, iTunes and etc will placing in a place that customer can try out the features and application. 2.2.4. Provide good service and maintenance Apple provides good service respond compare with others competitors like Samsung and Nokia. In Singapore, Apple provides one to one exchange for i Phone if there is defect and still under warranty. This is different from some of the competitors, depend on the level of repair, some will take about 2 to 3 weeks. This will create some issue for some consumer that only has one hand phone. 2.3. Focus Strategies Focus strategies offers product or service to fulfil the requirement for targeted groups of customer in the industry [9]. Focus strategies can be categorized into 2; Focus cost leadership which focus on low cost solution in narrow market and Focus differentiation provide customised product or service to niche market [16]. Market penetration and market development can be use when applying focus strategies [9]. Focus strategies beneficial when competitors are not able to support on unique requirement of certain group of customer. Organisation which pursuing this strategies include IKEA (Furniture), Ferrari (Automotive) and Federal Express (logistic) 2.3.1. Focus Cost Leadership Strategy IKEA is the Swedish global furniture company that applied focus cost leadership strategy in their business strategy. IKEA offering wide range of home furnish product with low price so that many people can afford to purchase. In order to achieve the strategy, IKEA apply below concept: 2.3.1.1. Design and develop base on price In order to keep competitive price, IKEA design and develop product base on price. The price is â€Å"fix† even before the product is launch. The designer will have to work directly with supplier to ensure meeting low cost by optimised productivity, material efficiency and process improvement [17]. 2.3.1.2. Reduce logistic, handling and operating cost In order to reduce logistic, handling and operating cost, IKEA designer always consider flat-pack transportation and self-assembly during design and development phase. Flat-pack furniture is often delivered in multiple sub assemblies together with simple instruction manual and required customer to perform self assembly. This modular concept is able to save transportation, handling and operating cost. For example, assembled furniture tends to be more bulky and is more expensive to store in warehouse and transportation. Besides, that, IKEA is able to save operating cost by reduce one â€Å"Assembly† process in production . 2.3.1.3. Self-Service in IKEA Store In order t keep the operating cost low and reduce the needs of sales assistance, IKEA design the flow of store layout and display the product effectively by using â€Å"actual room† concept. For example, sofa is placed in â€Å"living room† section and bed is placed in â€Å"Bed Room† section. All the furniture is clearly labelled and useful information like dimension is easily located in the display product [17]. 2.3.2. Focus Differentiate strategy Ferrari is applying focus differentiate strategy by develop high performance car within automotive industry. Ferrari focus on high end consumer compare with other automotive competitors like Honda, Toyota or Ford which target more broad customer. Below is the strategy for Ferrari: 2.3.2.1. New Way of Purchase Car Ferrari compete created innovative approach by introduce new way of purchase car â€Å"Premium Ownership Program† to serve its target customer. This program include insurance, maintenance, warranty , Ferrari tailored made driving course and pit stop service which provide the customer â€Å"mind free† after owning and driving Ferrari car [18]. 2.3.2.2. Innovative Technology Ferrari developed own software to meet customer service expectation such as rapid response times, up to date database and personalise customer service. One of the latest features such as, the customer can view the look of the vehicle and change the preference in â€Å"Service configurator system† even in pre-order stage [19]. 2.3.2.3. Best Dealer Ferrari believes choosing the right strategic partner or dealer is the right way to serve the customer. In order to motivate the dealer, Ferrari created prestigious award Podio Awards for supplier or business partner recognition. 2.4. Stuck in the middle or Hybrid Strategies Porter does not recommend â€Å"Stuck in the middle† or Hybrid strategies if the company want to achieve above average performance in the industry. Company must choose either one of the strategy in the Porters Generic strategy. He claimed that it is difficult for a company to strategies the business to produce low cost product but still remain unique perceived by customer [8]. However, Rodney Goon argues on Porters theory and commented some of the company such as Singapore Airline (SIA) are able to success using â€Å"Hybrid strategy†. Figure 12 shows business strategy applied by SIA which plotted by Rodney [21]. Singapore Airline have been awarded 2nd place in World Top Airline in 2010 by Skytrax in Hamburg [22]. Figure 13 shows main operating cost for SIA. Top 3 costs consist of Fuel, Aircraft and People [23]. In order to achieve competitive advantages, SIA apply below approach: 2.4.1. Become Market Leader Differentiation Strategy SIA founded in 1972 started as small airline company and now evolve become the world trend leading company for Airline industry. SIA become market leader by setting trend started since 1970s when introducing headsets, drink and choice of meals in Economy Class. Figure 14 shows overview on SIA trend setting for more than 39 years in the industry. In 1991, SIA introduce satellite- based telephone to enable passenger to call to ground during flying. In 1998, in order to improve the quality and standard of in-flight meal, SIA formed International Culinary Panel which involves renowned chef from all over the world. By doing this, the passengers are able to enjoy world class cuisine even during travelling. In order to improve customer service satisfaction, SIA introduce in-flight entertainment system named Krisworld which include Audio and Video system. Passenger can watch movie, listen to music and playing game during flying. In 2004, SIA reach another milestone by flying world longest non-stop flight from Singapore to New York (Newark). In 2007, SIA flying new Airbus design A380 which is world largest passenger Aircraft from Singapore to Sydney . 2.4.2. Brand â€Å"Singapore Girl† Differentiation Strategy SIA successfully improve its service compare with others competitors by creating unique iconic image for SIAs air stewardess as â€Å"Singapore Girl† and promote â€Å"Youre a great way to fly† started in 1972. This iconic brand is famous of caring, elegant and good looking girl whom will provide good service for the passenger during on board the plane. â€Å"Singapore Girl† has continuously won many awards in Airline and Travel Industry over the years . 2.4.3. Low Cost -Cost Leadership Strategy â€Å"Everything behind The Scenes Is subject To Rigorous Control† quoted by Rodney . SIA spend heavily on the area that customer can be seen as discussed above in order to remain premium in the industry but cutting cost for area that behind the scene in order to remain cost compatible. Total cost for Singapore airline is about 14.2% is the lowest in the market compare with other competitors like American Airline which labor cost is approximately 31% of total operating expense . Other than that, average price per aircraft purchase is less than other airline provider. This is due to SIA is the market leader in trendsetting and always working with aircraft builder like Airbus when there is new product launching. First purchase in world for A380 allowed SIA command a better purchase price. Q3: What are the major advantages and disadvantages of an integrative strategy? 3. Integrative strategy Organisation is able to gain competitive advantages by using integrative strategy. Integrative strategy can be categorized as vertical, backward, forward and horizontal integration. There are advantages and disadvantages when applying each concept and detail discuss as below: 3.1. Vertical Integration Vertical integration is business strategies which expand its business either through gaining control over company that distribute or selling its product (Forward integration) or taking control over company that provide the raw material for finish goods (Backward Integration). Figure 15 illustrate 4 typical stages for value added chain in PC industry (27). Example for Dell or Hewlett Packard, in order to produce a personal computer, assembly components such as chips, microprocessor and disk drive etc is needed from others manufacturing company (Intel/ Micron). Similarly, component parts manufacturing needs raw material like chemical, metal and ceramic to manufacture the component. Kyocera is one of the suppliers for those materials. Backward integration strategy in this case is trying to taking control over components parts manufacturing and raw material supplier. Whereas for forward integration strategy, PC maker try to gains control over the company that selling or distribute the final product such as OfficeMax and ComUSA [27] This company provide platform to reach end user. 3.2. Forward Integration Forward integration strategy involves increase ownership or control over retailers or distributor and illustrates in Figure 16. One of the effective mean of forward integration is through Franchising [9]. Approximate $2 trillion revenue created annually through franchising business every year globally. This equal to 4th largest Gross National Product in the world [28]. Advantages and disadvantages as discuss below: Advantages: Getting understanding customer better One of the companies using forward integration strategy successfully is Dell. Dell founded in 1984 by Michael Dell with one direction â€Å"selling final products to customer directly† [29]. By doing this, company able to reach end user and getting feedback instantly through companys distributor and retailer without filtering. Low development and training cost By introduce franchising; the company are able to reduce development and training cost. Franchisor will provide training, equipment and product to franchisee. This in order to skip the â€Å"trial error† phase for franchisee and able to help franchisee generate profit with less risk. Example companies like Subway, McDonalds and 7-eleven. Provide better services Company can provide better services through its own controlled network and services. Provide lower cost of sales In order to compete in this competitive world, price of the end product is always one of the critical successful factors for the company. Dell is using this strategy to reduce price bypassing third party involvement such as retailers etc. No mark up from other company in the finished goods Disadvantages: Increase bureaucratic cost Expanding business forward which also means that increase bureaucratic cost for whole value- added chain activities. Due to uncertain demand in current market, it will post some risk to the company Increase Inventory Getting control over distributors or retailer, indirectly manufacturer may have to manage whole product cycle inventory include end products. Company may incurred higher inventory cost if wrongly manage 3.3. Backward Integration Manufacturer need supplier provide raw material in order to produce its end products or service. Backward integration allowed company gain control toward supplier as shown in Figure 16. Advantages and disadvantages as discuss below: Advantages: Getting better quality control Company are able to apply standard quality plan throughout the value chain. This is especially important when dealing with sophisticated components such as crankshaft, piston and turbocharger for engine. By improving the quality of this critical component will increase competitive advantages among the rivals Reduce threat from powerful vendors By increasing control over the vendors, it will reduce threat from powerful vendors. Optimized supply chain â€Å"Keeping track of so many suppliers is onerous† says Mark Shimelonis of Xerox [9]. Nowadays, a number of companies following Japanese firms lead in managing the supply chain to ensure uninterrupted supplies and low prices. Lower structure cost Outsourcing is one of the examples of the backward strategy. Outsourcing strategy will able to reduce cost when company engaging third party specialist that performing charging lower than company own operate value-chain activity. Cummins outsource IT support to India Company and panel design to CMR or Auto Maskin to keep the company structure cost lower. Nike outsourcing its manufacturing plant in China due to lower labor cost [27]. Disadvantages: Technology change Technology change is inevitable in current competitive market. But backward vertical integration may lock a company â€Å"way of doing business† and prevent organisation changes due to technology change. One of the examples is when radio manufacturer acquired a manufacturer of vacuum tube in 1950s to reduce production cost. When, transistors replace vacuum tube in 1960s, the competitor rapidly change to latest technology. However for this radio manufacturer company, the management refuse to change and as the result, lost in the competitive advantages and cause business failure. Thus, backward integration can cause serious disadvantages when trying to match rapid technology change [27] Risk of information loss Increase control over the supplier which mean also potentially important information flow to the supplier. For example, Cummins need to provide important parameter and interfacing information in the engine control module to backward supplier like CMR and Auto Maskin in order to joints develop the engine protection panel. Technical drawing will be shared among backward supplier and manufacturer. Potential high cost Less supplier competition will lead to less efficiencies when produce a product. The backward support company will work in the â€Å"comfort zone† and less initiative. The manufacturer is â€Å"forced† to get the input from â€Å"internal supplier† even there will be some others external supplier can produce lower cost .As the result will cause potentially higher production cost . 3.4. Horizontal Integration Horizontal integration refers to company that use â€Å"single industry strategy† and seeking control over competitor in same market. A number of the company apply this concept as growth strategy. Merger and acquisition allowed the company to expand its core business and technical capabi Strategies to Sustain Competitive Advantage Strategies to Sustain Competitive Advantage Q1: Using an appropriate model, evaluate the business model of a company of your choice, describing how the company differentiates itself from its competitors and sustain competitive advantage. 1. Executive Summary Cummins started off as diesel engine manufacturing company since 1919 and now growing as â€Å"power† leader in the world. Cummins expand network through company- owned distributor, independent distributor and dealer to serve customer globally. In 2009, Cummins reported net income of $428 million in $10.8 billion of sales [1]. Cummins have been diversifying its business to broad range of products from power generation, filtration technology, turbo technology, fuel system, emission controls and air handling [2]. Due to external pressure and growing market in Asia, Cummins recently setup Centre of Excellent in Singapore focus more on Marine and Offshore market. In this post module assignment, competitive strategy will only focus on Cumminss marine and offshore business. In this PMA, the value curve is based on own industry experiences assumption. However, analysis on financial will based overall Cummins business listed in stock market which named â€Å"CMI†. 1.1. Vision Statement â€Å"Making peoples lives better by unleashing the Power of Cummins† [3]. Cummins believe in by developing new technology will lead to better living for the people. 1.2. Mission Statement Cummins mission statement as quoted below [3] â€Å"Motivating people to act like owners working together† â€Å"Exceeding customer expectations by always being first to market the best products† â€Å"Partnering with our customers to make sure that they succeed† â€Å"Demanding that everything we do leads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment† â€Å"Creating wealth for all stakeholders.† 1.3. Cummins compare with Industrial leader Figure 1 Financial Analysis CMI Vs Industry Leader [4] Figure 1 shows overview financial analysis of Cummins (CMI) compare within industry leader [4]. Cummins rank 35 among 379 diversified machinery industries in industrial goods sector for market capitalisation. Cummins stock values increase more than triple over the past 3 years and promise future growth with its business strategy [4]. 1.4. Ocean Strategy Ocean strategy has been introduced by W.C. Kim and R Mauborge since 2004. Starting then, this strategy is adopted and implemented successfully in various organisations globally. Recently, Malaysias Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shared his experience on Ocean Strategy when dealing with increasing crime in the country [5]. He is using Blue Ocean Strategy as management tools in order to promote thinking out of the box. Key successful activities such as leveraged untapped resources when replaced police with soldier doing patrolling around countrys border and conduct training for new police force in the underutilised army facilities. This initiative save a lot of money from government and promote cross functioning role among government agency [5]. The principle of the ocean strategy is treating market as universe. There are two oceans available in the universe named Red Ocean and Blue Ocean. Red Ocean defined as known competition. In this Ocean, product is already well defined and competitors only able to compete with price [6] .Customer expectation on the product almost generic and not much technology can be developing in this area. For diesel engine in marine and offshore market, the competitors for Cummins include Caterpillar, MTU and Mitsubishi. How Cummins can break trough become market leaders? Cummins apply Blue Ocean Strategy when dealing with its business. Blue Ocean Strategy defines as untapped market which no competition and industries that do not exist at this point of time [6]. This in return will resulting higher profit compare with conventional approach. This clearly shows in W.C. Kim and R Mauborge studys on business launches in 108 companies. They summarize revenue and profit impact of business launches shows in Figure 2. In this study, 86% business launches within own boundaries (Red Oceans) and 14% business launches looking for new opportunities (Blue Oceans) [6]. Red Oceans approach focus on existing customer by improving their product and study shows that this resulted 62% on total revenue and 39% on total profit. In contrast, 14% of the businesses launches by creating blue oceans can bring in higher return which about 61% of the total profit [6]. Cummins spend heavily on research and development for past 5 years as shown in Figure 3. In 2010 alone, Cummins invest 414million in new technology development [2]. One of recent Blue Oceans initiatives is setting Marine and Offshore Centre of Excellent in Singapore. This business focus on the â€Å"Packaging† instead of selling conventional type of â€Å"bare diesel engine† like other competitor such as CAT, MTU and Mitsubishi. Figure 4 shows pictorial view on the value added components into bare diesel engine 1.5. Strategy Canvas Figure 5 shows strategy canvas of the marine and offshore diesel engine. X-axis represents critical success factors of the markets competition and Y-axis correspond to values perceived by marine and offshore customer. Marine and offshore is a mature and establish market. Engine makers always compete with price, image, brand, delivery, product performance and service availability. Cummins performs averagely in critical successful factors. However, in order to compete in the competitive market, Cummins break through conventional way by creating new team to focus on product value added specifically for marine and offshore customer. Cummins applied Blue Ocean strategy. Figure 6 shows Red Ocean strategy from others diesel engine maker and Blue Ocean strategy from Cummins. Q2: Using either Porters generic strategies or the Strategy Clock, identify examples of organizations following strategies of differentiation, low cost or low price, and stuck-in-the middle or hybrid. How successful are these strategies. 2. Porters 5 forces generic Strategies â€Å"Using the five forces framework, creative strategists may be able to spot an industry with a good future before this good futureis reflected in the prices of acquisition candidates† Michael Porter [7]. Porters five forces: Threat of New Entrants: Analyse potential new comer to market is important to understand potential future competitors Bargaining Power of Buyers: Buyers is the party that create demand for industry, understand buyers requirement will help to maintain competitive advantages. For example, bargaining power of buyers is high if product is standard. Threat of substitute products or service: Buyers always look for alternative or cheapest way to get products or service. Substitute product can bring the overall industry price lower Bargaining Power of Supplier: Supplier supply raw material or service to manufacturer. Bargaining power of supplier is high when to many buyer and less supplier in the market Rivalry among existing competitors: Current fast moving industry, its important understand the strategy of existing competitors. Example: How competitor gain competitive advantages or product differentiation. Porters 5 Forces allowed the company undertand and analyse own industry struture and futher help the management to decide on companys strategy. According to Porter, organisation is able to gain competitive advantanges by strategies the company using one of the â€Å"Porters Generic Strategies† as shown in Figure 8; 1) Cost Leadership, 2) Differentiation, 3) Focus [8]. 2.1. Cost Leadership Strategies Cost leadership strategies emphasize on low cost in company strategies. Company will offer low per-unit cost product or service to customer that sensitive to price. In order to become low cost provider, company can practise integration strategies (backward, forward and horizontal). There are few factors that will affect the strategies include economies of scale, learning curve, productivity, company structure, relationship with supplier and quality control. Several example organizations that practice this are Wal-Mart (general merchandiser), Air Asia (budget Airline) and Macdonalds (Fast Food) [9]. In this PMA, I will use Air Asia as example to study its business model and look into company successful factor. Air Asia strategy as illustrate in Figure 9, the company mission is to continue to be the markets carrier low cost provider. In order to compete with other aircraft carrier and achieve company vision for â€Å"Lowest cost airline†, Air Asia implement a few strategy to reduce operation cost. Strategy implemented as per below: 2.1.1. Keep operation cost low- NO frills In order to compete in this competitive market, Air Asia able to keep operational cost low by implementing few â€Å"NO†s in the strategy [10]: NO meal: No food or drinks will be provided free in the in-flight service. NO frequent flyer program: NO Membership or rewarding program which commonly used for others airline like Kris flyer for Singapore Airline and Skymiles for Delta airline. NO Seat assignment Ticket: In order to keep administrative cost low NO Entertainment: NO news paper and entertainment system such as movie, games and music. No ticket : Ticketless replaced conventional type printed ticket No waiting lounge: NO lounge provide in the airport 2.1.2. Single air craft fleet In order to streamline the operation, Air Asia phasing out its 14 Boeing B737 in 2010 and replace by only operate single air craft which is A320. Few advantages of using single aircraft as stated below Keep inventory cost low Saving cost in service and maintenance such as keeping same model of spares parts. No duplicated resource due to difference Air Craft experience needed Reduce time and training cost due to only one model. This allowed the company avoid going to through the expensive â€Å"learning curve† process and also may dissatisfied demanding customer. Michael and Nikos study on the organisation learning curves for customer dissatisfaction across airlines. They plotted estimate U-Shaped learning curve as show in Figure 10 and show evident that complaint rates followed U-shaped function of experience Able to increase fuel efficiency and improve productivity 2.1.3. Simplified distribution system Air Asia design simple user friendly system for customer to book and check- in their ticket. Customers are able to check in using own mobile as shown in Figure 11. This ticketless system is able to reduce waiting time for customer queuing to check- in at the airport counter. 2.1.4. Point to point network (≠¤ 4 hrs) All Air Asia flight is running by point to point network within 4 hours radius or less as its business model. This model only carry passenger from point A to point B without any connecting flight. This in order to keep operation cost simple in order to reduce costs [10]. 2.1.5. Optimum Aircraft Utilization Another way to keep operating cost low and maximizes profit, Air Asia increase productivity by optimise flight utilisation. Air Asia is the fastest in the region by achieving 25 minute turnaround time. Air Asia is able to achieve equal or more than 75% for last 5 years on the load factor. Once, Air Asia achieve close to 100% load factor for Bali Perth route. Load factor is defined by AirAsia as â€Å"numbers of passengers as a percentage of number of seats flown† [10]. On top of that, Air Asia applies â€Å"Tier based† system for ticketing which depend on supply and demand. When demand is low, the price is low. When demand is high the ticket price will also go high. This system is efficient especially during low season allowed Air Asia maintain the reasonable high percent load factor, 2.2. Differentiate Strategies Differentiation strategies offer service or product which unique perceived by customer. Differentiation strategies do not guarantee good payback especially current standard product offered in the industry is more than enough to meet customer expectation. There will a risk on implementing this strategy and need to study carefully on customer requirement before implementing. Product value added, extra servicing, products flexibility and better compatibility are some of the features that can create differentiate in the industry. Cost is not an issue in this strategy; hence company can demand higher price if customer strongly attached to offered differentiation features. Typical move in this strategy is product development. Organisations that apply these strategies include Apple (Lifestyle product), Raul Lauren (Apparel) and Maytag (Home appliance) Apple is applying differentiate strategies compare with other competitors in the industry by selling lifestyle product instead of conventional electronic gadget. In first 6 months of 2011, Apple spends 1.2 billion in research and development. This is about 40% increase compare with 2010 [13]. One of the successful examples when Apple launches iPad during 2010 and Steve Jobs defined iPad as â€Å"entirely new category of mobile devices†. Apple sold more than 15 million units worldwide after launching [14]. 2.2.1. Innovative and creativity product Apple is a â€Å"trend leading† company in the market. The company famous in creating innovative products and able to capture a significant market share after launching new products. Apple spends heavily in research and development because the company believe RD are critical for future growth and are able to create competitive advantages 2.2.2. Wide range of software and applications Apple created another successful platform for customer to download software and application. Traditional, example like phone, other competitor just focus on few simple features which only contains game, photography function, movie and some basic feature. By introducing new approach, Apple created â€Å"The App Store†. Now â€Å"The App Store† has more than 350,000 apps available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch globally. The apps offered wide range of application from games, entertainment, utilities, social networking, music and others. In Jan 2011, Apple announces that more than 10 billion apps have been downloaded . 2.2.3. Apple store Unlike others competitors store which only focus on products price and feature, Apple differentiate by giving customer different shopping experience in the store. Apple design Apples retail store to give the patrons good impression of stylish, clean, fashion and stream-lined. The product like i Phone, iTunes and etc will placing in a place that customer can try out the features and application. 2.2.4. Provide good service and maintenance Apple provides good service respond compare with others competitors like Samsung and Nokia. In Singapore, Apple provides one to one exchange for i Phone if there is defect and still under warranty. This is different from some of the competitors, depend on the level of repair, some will take about 2 to 3 weeks. This will create some issue for some consumer that only has one hand phone. 2.3. Focus Strategies Focus strategies offers product or service to fulfil the requirement for targeted groups of customer in the industry [9]. Focus strategies can be categorized into 2; Focus cost leadership which focus on low cost solution in narrow market and Focus differentiation provide customised product or service to niche market [16]. Market penetration and market development can be use when applying focus strategies [9]. Focus strategies beneficial when competitors are not able to support on unique requirement of certain group of customer. Organisation which pursuing this strategies include IKEA (Furniture), Ferrari (Automotive) and Federal Express (logistic) 2.3.1. Focus Cost Leadership Strategy IKEA is the Swedish global furniture company that applied focus cost leadership strategy in their business strategy. IKEA offering wide range of home furnish product with low price so that many people can afford to purchase. In order to achieve the strategy, IKEA apply below concept: 2.3.1.1. Design and develop base on price In order to keep competitive price, IKEA design and develop product base on price. The price is â€Å"fix† even before the product is launch. The designer will have to work directly with supplier to ensure meeting low cost by optimised productivity, material efficiency and process improvement [17]. 2.3.1.2. Reduce logistic, handling and operating cost In order to reduce logistic, handling and operating cost, IKEA designer always consider flat-pack transportation and self-assembly during design and development phase. Flat-pack furniture is often delivered in multiple sub assemblies together with simple instruction manual and required customer to perform self assembly. This modular concept is able to save transportation, handling and operating cost. For example, assembled furniture tends to be more bulky and is more expensive to store in warehouse and transportation. Besides, that, IKEA is able to save operating cost by reduce one â€Å"Assembly† process in production . 2.3.1.3. Self-Service in IKEA Store In order t keep the operating cost low and reduce the needs of sales assistance, IKEA design the flow of store layout and display the product effectively by using â€Å"actual room† concept. For example, sofa is placed in â€Å"living room† section and bed is placed in â€Å"Bed Room† section. All the furniture is clearly labelled and useful information like dimension is easily located in the display product [17]. 2.3.2. Focus Differentiate strategy Ferrari is applying focus differentiate strategy by develop high performance car within automotive industry. Ferrari focus on high end consumer compare with other automotive competitors like Honda, Toyota or Ford which target more broad customer. Below is the strategy for Ferrari: 2.3.2.1. New Way of Purchase Car Ferrari compete created innovative approach by introduce new way of purchase car â€Å"Premium Ownership Program† to serve its target customer. This program include insurance, maintenance, warranty , Ferrari tailored made driving course and pit stop service which provide the customer â€Å"mind free† after owning and driving Ferrari car [18]. 2.3.2.2. Innovative Technology Ferrari developed own software to meet customer service expectation such as rapid response times, up to date database and personalise customer service. One of the latest features such as, the customer can view the look of the vehicle and change the preference in â€Å"Service configurator system† even in pre-order stage [19]. 2.3.2.3. Best Dealer Ferrari believes choosing the right strategic partner or dealer is the right way to serve the customer. In order to motivate the dealer, Ferrari created prestigious award Podio Awards for supplier or business partner recognition. 2.4. Stuck in the middle or Hybrid Strategies Porter does not recommend â€Å"Stuck in the middle† or Hybrid strategies if the company want to achieve above average performance in the industry. Company must choose either one of the strategy in the Porters Generic strategy. He claimed that it is difficult for a company to strategies the business to produce low cost product but still remain unique perceived by customer [8]. However, Rodney Goon argues on Porters theory and commented some of the company such as Singapore Airline (SIA) are able to success using â€Å"Hybrid strategy†. Figure 12 shows business strategy applied by SIA which plotted by Rodney [21]. Singapore Airline have been awarded 2nd place in World Top Airline in 2010 by Skytrax in Hamburg [22]. Figure 13 shows main operating cost for SIA. Top 3 costs consist of Fuel, Aircraft and People [23]. In order to achieve competitive advantages, SIA apply below approach: 2.4.1. Become Market Leader Differentiation Strategy SIA founded in 1972 started as small airline company and now evolve become the world trend leading company for Airline industry. SIA become market leader by setting trend started since 1970s when introducing headsets, drink and choice of meals in Economy Class. Figure 14 shows overview on SIA trend setting for more than 39 years in the industry. In 1991, SIA introduce satellite- based telephone to enable passenger to call to ground during flying. In 1998, in order to improve the quality and standard of in-flight meal, SIA formed International Culinary Panel which involves renowned chef from all over the world. By doing this, the passengers are able to enjoy world class cuisine even during travelling. In order to improve customer service satisfaction, SIA introduce in-flight entertainment system named Krisworld which include Audio and Video system. Passenger can watch movie, listen to music and playing game during flying. In 2004, SIA reach another milestone by flying world longest non-stop flight from Singapore to New York (Newark). In 2007, SIA flying new Airbus design A380 which is world largest passenger Aircraft from Singapore to Sydney . 2.4.2. Brand â€Å"Singapore Girl† Differentiation Strategy SIA successfully improve its service compare with others competitors by creating unique iconic image for SIAs air stewardess as â€Å"Singapore Girl† and promote â€Å"Youre a great way to fly† started in 1972. This iconic brand is famous of caring, elegant and good looking girl whom will provide good service for the passenger during on board the plane. â€Å"Singapore Girl† has continuously won many awards in Airline and Travel Industry over the years . 2.4.3. Low Cost -Cost Leadership Strategy â€Å"Everything behind The Scenes Is subject To Rigorous Control† quoted by Rodney . SIA spend heavily on the area that customer can be seen as discussed above in order to remain premium in the industry but cutting cost for area that behind the scene in order to remain cost compatible. Total cost for Singapore airline is about 14.2% is the lowest in the market compare with other competitors like American Airline which labor cost is approximately 31% of total operating expense . Other than that, average price per aircraft purchase is less than other airline provider. This is due to SIA is the market leader in trendsetting and always working with aircraft builder like Airbus when there is new product launching. First purchase in world for A380 allowed SIA command a better purchase price. Q3: What are the major advantages and disadvantages of an integrative strategy? 3. Integrative strategy Organisation is able to gain competitive advantages by using integrative strategy. Integrative strategy can be categorized as vertical, backward, forward and horizontal integration. There are advantages and disadvantages when applying each concept and detail discuss as below: 3.1. Vertical Integration Vertical integration is business strategies which expand its business either through gaining control over company that distribute or selling its product (Forward integration) or taking control over company that provide the raw material for finish goods (Backward Integration). Figure 15 illustrate 4 typical stages for value added chain in PC industry (27). Example for Dell or Hewlett Packard, in order to produce a personal computer, assembly components such as chips, microprocessor and disk drive etc is needed from others manufacturing company (Intel/ Micron). Similarly, component parts manufacturing needs raw material like chemical, metal and ceramic to manufacture the component. Kyocera is one of the suppliers for those materials. Backward integration strategy in this case is trying to taking control over components parts manufacturing and raw material supplier. Whereas for forward integration strategy, PC maker try to gains control over the company that selling or distribute the final product such as OfficeMax and ComUSA [27] This company provide platform to reach end user. 3.2. Forward Integration Forward integration strategy involves increase ownership or control over retailers or distributor and illustrates in Figure 16. One of the effective mean of forward integration is through Franchising [9]. Approximate $2 trillion revenue created annually through franchising business every year globally. This equal to 4th largest Gross National Product in the world [28]. Advantages and disadvantages as discuss below: Advantages: Getting understanding customer better One of the companies using forward integration strategy successfully is Dell. Dell founded in 1984 by Michael Dell with one direction â€Å"selling final products to customer directly† [29]. By doing this, company able to reach end user and getting feedback instantly through companys distributor and retailer without filtering. Low development and training cost By introduce franchising; the company are able to reduce development and training cost. Franchisor will provide training, equipment and product to franchisee. This in order to skip the â€Å"trial error† phase for franchisee and able to help franchisee generate profit with less risk. Example companies like Subway, McDonalds and 7-eleven. Provide better services Company can provide better services through its own controlled network and services. Provide lower cost of sales In order to compete in this competitive world, price of the end product is always one of the critical successful factors for the company. Dell is using this strategy to reduce price bypassing third party involvement such as retailers etc. No mark up from other company in the finished goods Disadvantages: Increase bureaucratic cost Expanding business forward which also means that increase bureaucratic cost for whole value- added chain activities. Due to uncertain demand in current market, it will post some risk to the company Increase Inventory Getting control over distributors or retailer, indirectly manufacturer may have to manage whole product cycle inventory include end products. Company may incurred higher inventory cost if wrongly manage 3.3. Backward Integration Manufacturer need supplier provide raw material in order to produce its end products or service. Backward integration allowed company gain control toward supplier as shown in Figure 16. Advantages and disadvantages as discuss below: Advantages: Getting better quality control Company are able to apply standard quality plan throughout the value chain. This is especially important when dealing with sophisticated components such as crankshaft, piston and turbocharger for engine. By improving the quality of this critical component will increase competitive advantages among the rivals Reduce threat from powerful vendors By increasing control over the vendors, it will reduce threat from powerful vendors. Optimized supply chain â€Å"Keeping track of so many suppliers is onerous† says Mark Shimelonis of Xerox [9]. Nowadays, a number of companies following Japanese firms lead in managing the supply chain to ensure uninterrupted supplies and low prices. Lower structure cost Outsourcing is one of the examples of the backward strategy. Outsourcing strategy will able to reduce cost when company engaging third party specialist that performing charging lower than company own operate value-chain activity. Cummins outsource IT support to India Company and panel design to CMR or Auto Maskin to keep the company structure cost lower. Nike outsourcing its manufacturing plant in China due to lower labor cost [27]. Disadvantages: Technology change Technology change is inevitable in current competitive market. But backward vertical integration may lock a company â€Å"way of doing business† and prevent organisation changes due to technology change. One of the examples is when radio manufacturer acquired a manufacturer of vacuum tube in 1950s to reduce production cost. When, transistors replace vacuum tube in 1960s, the competitor rapidly change to latest technology. However for this radio manufacturer company, the management refuse to change and as the result, lost in the competitive advantages and cause business failure. Thus, backward integration can cause serious disadvantages when trying to match rapid technology change [27] Risk of information loss Increase control over the supplier which mean also potentially important information flow to the supplier. For example, Cummins need to provide important parameter and interfacing information in the engine control module to backward supplier like CMR and Auto Maskin in order to joints develop the engine protection panel. Technical drawing will be shared among backward supplier and manufacturer. Potential high cost Less supplier competition will lead to less efficiencies when produce a product. The backward support company will work in the â€Å"comfort zone† and less initiative. The manufacturer is â€Å"forced† to get the input from â€Å"internal supplier† even there will be some others external supplier can produce lower cost .As the result will cause potentially higher production cost . 3.4. Horizontal Integration Horizontal integration refers to company that use â€Å"single industry strategy† and seeking control over competitor in same market. A number of the company apply this concept as growth strategy. Merger and acquisition allowed the company to expand its core business and technical capabi