Graphic Design as Main Communication Medium Essay

As multimedia advances to higher stages of development, the significance of graphic design continues to increase. Graphic design was once considers a visual form of art. Over time, it has come to be recognized as form of communication. Art and communication reflect and serve culture. Culture represents the political and economic structure of the society. Therefore graphic design reflects and promotes political and economic systems. This paper attempt to show that graphic design, layout design of the poster and artistic craftsmanship of typography are the main communication media that have served different cultures during different historical eras. Graphic design can be defined from many perspectives. For a layman, graphic design may simply refer to the production of printed, online, and manufactured materials that are visually appealing. Graphic design is reproduced in either large numbers or in gigantic media such as billboards so that it can get the attention of many people. Being a visual instrument of communication, it usually employs an effective combination of graphics and text in order to convey a message. Graphic design is prevalent in both the capitalists and socialist economies. The capitalist use it mainly to sell goods and services while the socialists use it to sell ideas to motivate people to agree with government policies and work for a socialist economy. Whatever the case , the of aim graphic design is to motivate people to act; the information it relays is meant to move people and not just to satisfy the usual thirst for knowledge. Some people include paintings as graphic design but Barnard in the book, Graphic Design as Communication, denies that this is incorrect. Classical paintings merely tell a story. They are being viewed only in the confines of private homes or museums. They are definitely not for popular consumption. Newark, in the book, The Gutenberg Galaxy, states that the coins found in Apollonia, Greece, which was estimated sometime in 450 BC may be considered the earliest products of graphic design. Because it was a form of currency, it was produced in large numbers. It has a prototypical logo and it was made with the use of a metal die, a technological wonder at that time. Jobling & Crowley define graphic design in relation to social structures and the historical context in which such structure exists. Graphic design is shaped by certain society’s beliefs and morals. Jobling & Crowley identify three factors that graphic design constitutes the following: It is produced in large numbers; It should be cheap and graphic design conveys ideas through a combination of words and images. However, Jobling & Crowley argue that not all products of graphic deign are cheap. In fact, some of them are symbolic of wealth and luxury. Newark defines graphic design by focusing on its functions. Graphic design functions as a means of communication. Once the design is able to attract the attention of people, it must be able to explain its message with the minimum use of words, if any. Brand logos explain not only the product but also the quality it possesses. A graphic design becomes the identity of its subject. People begin to relate certain symbols to what they represent. For example, the elephant symbol becomes the Republican Party. These act on people’s emotions and become factors in determining how they feel the market. Knoblauch points out that communication shapes culture. Culture develops by communication and acceptable interaction by the society. In this regard, since graphic design is a medium of communication, it serves culture as well. It passes through many historical eras and different cultures. This is contrary to the common belief that it is just a product of the modern computer technology. Technology is a continuous process and so is its evolution. History has shown that human beings had begun communicating through visuals before oral communication grew. McLuhan notes that Gutenberg press is an important stage in the evolution of graphic design. Invented around 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, it made possible the mass production of literary material. Bibles were the first material to be produced. Gutenberg used a special character symbols which he developed himself to represent words and common Latin phrases. Gutenberg’s visually attractive typography and lay-out made the Bible more appealing to people, a fact that served well the cultural interests of the Holy Roman Empire . 1700s and 1800s saw further development of graphic design. This was the time that capitalism was developing at a rapid pace. Publishers were in great competition with each other.. Therefore, graphic design was highly improved. At this point came there arose contradictions between publishers and authors. Publishers used graphic design especially on the covers to make it more attractive. The authors feared that this might change the context of the book. This shows that graphic design can either enhance or destroys the context of the ext. Barchas, J. warns us not to make judgment by looking at the cover of a book since graphic design may convey anther meaning. Graphic design is developing further. The advancement of computer and information technology has made it possible for graphic arts to be blended with other media Graphic design has been used tin advertisement. Eisend advises that the advertisers have to create graphic design that effectively sells a product. The graphic design must also be able to convince the consumer to buy only the brand that it promotes. Lindstrom notes that many companies are gradually transforming the traditional billboards into audio-visual displays, which appeal to more senses other than just sight. In conclusion, graphic design can either be a factor to encourage the survival of a social system or it can destroy it to introduce a new one. Reference The given research paper

Educating Rita Essay

How does Willy Russell use dramatic devices to show the change in character and relationship in Rita and Frank. In this essay I will be exploring the dramatic devices Willy Russell uses to show the changes in characters and the development in relationships. One of the dramatic devices is the telephone. The telephone shows to me that Frank is the sort of person who never really socialises and only cares about himself and his always in his own world. â€Å"The telephone rings and startles him,.† This stage direction supports my point because the word â€Å"startles† implies that he is shocked about the phone call as if no-one ever calls him, the word â€Å"startles†, also implies that he is not focusing on what is going on around him and what he is doing and he indulges in his drink. The first impression I get of Frank is that he is emotionally unstable because he is always frantically searching for something in his bookcase, and he is constantly saying random letters and names, â€Å"E,Ec,E.† I also got the impression that Frank is not really interested in his job working at the university also I got the impression that Frank has always wanted to do something other than teaching, in the movie Frank is in a completely different world when his is in a lecture as well that Frank doesn’t really seem that interested in teaching the students at all. Another dramatic device Willy Russell uses is the door, the door in Frank’s study is like a barrier between him and his students, â€Å"I’m comin’ in, aren’t I? You wanna get that bleedin’ handle fixed.† This supports my point because the fact that Frank is not in the slight bit interested to fix the door and he knows the door is unable to open easily shows me that he is deliberately trying to keep out his students and his co-workers , this also shows me that he has a lot to hide because he is constantly in his study. The door projects the emotions of Rita before she opens the door, â€Å"there’s another knock on the door.† This suggests that Rita is nervous and she wants to get her interview over and done with. I think Rita would be nervous because she is stepping into a world where she doesn’t fit in and where she stands out from other students because she comes from a lower class, also I think that Rita is nervous because she is breaking away from the traditional role expected of lower class women in the 1970’s. â€Å"I’m I should’ve had a baby by now. Everyone expects it.† The first impression I received from Rita is she’s a lower class woman who is trying something new for the first and would probably give up after a while, â€Å"Because I might decide to pack it in.† During Act 1 Scene 1 Rita shows that she is really determined to become a student and educate herself. â€Å"It’s not sudden. I’ve been realising for ages that I’m out of step.† The relationship between Frank and Rita has been strong since the beginning because Frank saw something unique in Rita that his other students don’t have, â€Å"You’re the first breath of fresh air that’s been in this room for years.† This quote shows the strength of relationship between Frank and Rita because earlier he was talking about throwing his students out of his study window, Frank doesn’t really interact with his students in the way he does with Rita. I think that Frank feels that Rita is portraying the life he would love to have away from annoying students who analysis everything. Willy Russell uses the window as another dramatic device , I think that the window is significant because it shows a connection between Frank and the outside world, the window shows changes in Rita when she comes back from summer school , in the film when Frank was looking out of the window he acknowledges Rita sitting down on the bench and approaches her showing the breaking of the barrier whereas before he would have been completely oblivious to what is going on around him. Earlier in the play the breaking of the barrier by Frank was suttle, â€Å"you’re the first breath of fresh air that’s been in this room for years.† This shows the breaking of the barrier of the two classes because it shows that they can get along. The change in Rita is shown by the window after summer school because in the beginning of the film , Rita hid away from the students and she looked down onto the students on the grass when she was in Franks study , But when she came back Rita mingles in with the students and pushes Frank to go out an sit on the grass with them. â€Å"lets go out there. On the grass.† This shows that she’s breaking out of her shell and she’s mixing in with the middle class and she is not standing out anymore. During the time Rita was at summer school, I think she changed remarkably in her knowledge and the language she used. â€Å"Blake, William Blake.† This quote supports my point because at the beginning she would have referred the poet to a person in the lower class that frank has never heard of but now she is analysing and instantly naming poets off by heart because at the end of Act 2 Scene1 she recited one of William Blake’s poem â€Å"The Songs Of Innocence.† The Dramatic devices Willy Russell uses shows a lot of emotion between Frank and Rita , because Frank is an image Rita would like to have knowledge wise and vice versa , like the window showed a lot of changes so did the door. The first impression I get of Rita’s and Franks relationship is a student and teacher relationship, but as the play progresses their relationship turns into a more personal one. The play of Educating Rita was mainly based on Willy Russell’s life and the changes he had to go through , I feel that the dramatic devices Willy Russell uses are very successful in showing the changes in relationship and life of Rita and Frank.

Affirmative Action Initiative in South Africa

Affirmative Action Initiative in South Africa Affirmative action is an initiative adopted by the South African government, which seeks to correct the imbalance of wealth and provide opportunities to the people who were adversely affected as a result of the apartheid regime. It has created a situation where organizations are required to meet specific employment targets for persons of colour in order to operate to the satisfaction of the state. As a result, these people are able to participate in the corporate environment at an accelerated rate. On the contrary, many white South Africans are finding it difficult to obtain their most select employment. The efficiency of affirmative action is best analyzed by assessing its objective of promoting black representation in the workplace and comparing it to empirical evidence. Figures provided by the government indicate that the unemployment rate has steadily declined annually since the inception of the study (September 2001). The September 2007 average unemployment rate of 23% is signi ficantly lower than 29.4% in September 2001. This provides evidence that the policy is doing well to provide work to more South Africans. (www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0210/P0210September2007.pdf) However, a more in-depth study reveals the change in unemployment rates amongst each population group. The best results have been for black people with a decline from approximately 35% (September 2001) to 26.8% (September 2007). The Indian people in the country also improved from approximately 19% to 10% over the same period. White and coloured unemployment rates have remained relatively static over this period at approximately 5% and 20% respectively. This bodes well for black and Indian people and is a strong indicator that affirmative action is achieving its goals. The policy seems to be failing in its attempt to compensate the coloured population. (www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0210/P0210September2007.pdf) However, there are problems that are emerging from affirmative action tha t is having a detrimental effect on the performance on enterprises and the overall success of the economy. The instantaneous and rapid enactment of affirmative action has seen unqualified persons attaining important positions. Many of these people were/are incapable of fulfilling the roles they have been assigned. This has a negative impact on, firstly, the corporation employing these people as they incur costs without the required level of service from their employees. It also adversely affects the consumer, who is dependant upon those employed by organizations to make the best decisions in order to obtain maximum reward. A situation exists whereby unskilled employees are filling skilled positions. (www.sairr.org.za/press-office/institute-opinion) Another concern is that many white South Africans are leaving the country, resulting in a major shortage of fundamental skills. The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) revealed that between 1995 and 2005, one million white S outh Africans moved abroad. The lack of adequate services has left the country in desperate need of professionals. These people also served as mentors/teachers to inexperienced employees and accelerated their development in the organizations thus exacerbating the problem of their departure. (www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article) Many contend that a weakness of the affirmative action policy is that it creates a minority of rich black people and does not help the rest (www.new.bbc.co.uk). The majority of the black population are unskilled workers without educations. These people are likely to struggle even with affirmative action in place as their employment options are limited to low income earning sectors due to educational and language problems. It is anticipated that the current generation of black children will reap the benefits of the policy. The government has put facilities in place to ensure these people are schooled and can attain funding for universities. These ar e the real beneficiaries of the system as their employment options are diverse. It would therefore seem that the efficiency of affirmative action should only be interpreted to a significant extent when the current black youth reaches adulthood.

Critical review on organic aloe vera production around the world Assignment

Critical review on organic aloe vera production around the world - Assignment Example Environmental benefits 10 Recommendations 11 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 11 Outline of the report Organic farming makes use of organic compounds when practicing and it does not necessarily need the use of chemicals such as fertilizers, fungicides and insecticides. Organic farming relies on techniques such as use of compost manure, rotation farming, green manure and pest control through the use of biological means. Farmers worldwide are embracing organic method of farming; this is because this mode of farming comes with more benefits both to farmers and the global economy as compared to chemical aided techniques which are non-environmental friendly techniques. This paper will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of organic farming more specifically organic aloe Vera farming globally; the report will also give detailed information on the products produced from processing of Aloe Vera plant. This report entails the various factors which contribute to the increased rate of adopting organic farming techniques by farmers across the globe. This research provides information on the methods utilized by farming in organic farming. The research will discuss the various organization which give financial and expertise aid to farmers who practice this mode of farming. Places whose soils are fertile and have the property of good drainage are the best for Aloe Vera farming; the plant does well in places with high light intensity and high temperatures. The research will investigate these conditions favorable for organic Aloe Vera farming. The daily test carried on Aloe Vera plant leaves to monitor the plant health, resulting to a great harvest when they are mature. The report will provide information on the methods used by to harvest Aloe Vera in organic farms across the world (Stewart, 2005) . Introduction Aloe Vera originated from North Africa and Middle East and is a succulent plant. This plant does well in arid areas in the world with its sap being the beneficial part commonly known as the Aloe Vera gel. This gel is the clear substance in the leaves of Aloe Vera plant, the organic Aloe Vera juice micro pulp which is almost pure barbadensis organic Aloe Vera is a main source of healthy beverage. Organic Aloe Vera plant is rich in polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins and protein lipids which when processed are important components needed in by humanly to provide vitality and improve the immune system various countries across the globe practice organic aloe Vera farming on organic farms that are met international standards. Harvesting of mature organic Aloe Vera leaves can be done manually and the leaves transported to the processing companies immediately for processing to maintain their freshness. This ensures that the freshness of Aloe Vera plant appears in the final product (Stewart, 2005). This paper gives a clear examination of the reasons which led to adoption of organic Aloe Vera farming all over the world, the organic methods that the farmers have adopted in Aloe Vera farming in the world. The gains brought about with the practice of organic farming methods and returns the farmers across the globe and the different products of Organic aloe Vera planted in the world is discussed in this report. Organic Aloe Vera has several medicinal benefits are analyzed in this report. Government and non-government organizations that assist farmers both financially and expertise wise in organic farming of Aloe Vera have been indicated in this report (Stewart, 2005).

American Exceptionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Exceptionalism - Essay Example The untold story of America is bit different as America was founded upon the principles of freedom. America’s tradition to build upon opportunity has been the pinnacle point that has made it exceptional over the years. Undoubtedly, it is also one of the key characteristics that has made individuals all across the world to migrate to America. A country where opportunities are prevalent and individualism is propagated is truly an element that makes this country exceptional. It is clear that USA has played a major role in many elements, both domestically and internationally that has allowed it to be an influential country. Issues such as westward expanionism, racism, reformation, industrial revolution are just few aspects that resulted because of American Exceptionalism. Hence, America continues to be exceptional because of the opportunities, firm belief in changing status quo, and diversity that it has celebrated over the centuries.One of the key reasons why America is exception al is because America is perceived as the â€Å"Golden land of opportunity,† many immigrants come to America for a better future. Without a doubt, many individuals immigrate to America because it allows them to harness their growth. The idea of obtaining their own version of American dream through â€Å"life, liberty and property† is a concept that makes America so unique. The true version of living the American dream can certainly become a reality for these individuals. Individuals are motivated to work hard for themselves to progress further in life. This mutual symbiotic relationship between the citizen and the nation itself is truly exceptional. Unlike other countries which continue to emphasize the well-being of the nation, Americans pride themselves in being â€Å"individualistic.† This theology has been the pinnacle point of what makes America truly unique and fueled westward expansion. America became the symbolism of pure individualism chasing the  "green power.† In addition, the expansionst movement also represents that of the quest for the â€Å"American Dream† that the new immigrants desired when they reached the â€Å"promise land† In essence, Looking at America back in the 1800’s, the westward expansionism was because of the young nation’s desire to expand its horizons. It was an accumulation of greed, individualistic American dreams, and a young nation’s desire to be in conquest. It was evident that this was attained within the American mentality at that time. American Exceptionalism influenced US domestic policies in many ways. First and foremost, it has made America a true super power because it has allowed America to focus within itself. Because of the US involvement in world affairs, the crackdown on terrorism has been a very provocative one1.Without the American involvement, the birth of United Nations would have never been initiated. This itself is a huge testament to how Am erican involvement has been a focal point in world affairs. The initiation of the United Nations is just one example of American influence in world affairs. The United Nations is a collaborative effort that has allowed the nations to put aside their differences and come up with a joint body of resolution. Although the United Nations was an anti-measure of American principles during the 1930’s, it showed that American mentality was flexible and circumstantial. America was ready to change its philosophy based on the circumstances it faced with. This mentality was a

The war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The war - Essay Example The period between the first gulf war in 1990s and the second in early 2000 has witnessed many changes in the military. The changes include application of more advanced technology and overhaul of tactical approaches, transformations that have achieved mixed results. This paper discusses the benefits and drawbacks of applying United States’ advanced military technology in Iraq and Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan is one of the major United States military offensives aimed at destroying the terrorists’ hideouts that had inflicted heavy damages on American interest around the globe. Iraq war was launched to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein accused by the government of possessing weapons of mass destruction with intention of using them to spread terror. Both wars were executed with highly sophisticated weapons that allowed the United States forces to demolish the enemy defenses with high precision aerial weaponry and at unprecedented rate. The quick demolition and annihilation of strategic enemy areas enabled subsequent entrance of the ground forces into the countries to finish off the remaining resistance (DOD, 2007). According to Anne(2004,p15), the execution of both wars heralded a new era of military tactics, which heavily relied on technologically enhanced devices in carrying out of both aerial and ground combat. This strategy was more precise, faster, and resulted to lower number of military and civilian casualties. DOD (2007) noted that the war strategy in both wars was culmination of coordination high technology military hardware with enhanced communication devices that enabled them to strike with pinpoint precision. The war in Afghanistan witnessed the first application of robots that were used to carry out surveillance, clearance of mines, identification of targets and rescuing soldiers. The robots included Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that undertook the aforementioned tasks without carrying human operator in them (David, 2005, p2 7). These robots helped in protecting soldiers from enemy attacks. According to David (2005, p 28), advanced technology has produced better robots that are equipped with high precision equipment and artillery to strike detected target. The 2003 war in Iraq saw a combination of precision weapons, exemplary surveillance of the targeted enemy grounds, and swift ground combatants aided by highly advanced communication network that enabled monitoring of distant operations from a remote region (DOD, 2007). Though the application of advanced military technology enabled quicker executions of the mission, the war has dragged on for many years, resulting to heavy economic and human loss. According to DOD (2007), the number of United States troops killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds those killed in actual combat at the beginning of the war. Anne (2004, p31) notes that threat of improvised explosive devices or roadside bombs continue inflicting damage on American forces. According to DO D (2007), the explosive devices have killed over 2000 American soldiers in Iraq, while more than 21,000 have suffered debilitating injuries that have effectively compromised their physical and psychological performance for life. In Afghanistan, the improvised explosive devices have claimed lives of over 250 American soldiers, with over 1,700 suffering serious injuries (DOD, 2007). Anne (2004, p21) notes that the explosive devices are the highest killer of the Allied forces in both countries and they have greatly undermined the efforts achieved the application of the advanced military technology. However, continuous innovation in the American military has produced mine- resistant ambush –protected all terrain vehicle(M-ATV) that offers better protection from roadside bombs than the heavier mine- resistant- ambush-

The Recent Economic Downturn in the UK Assignment

The Recent Economic Downturn in the UK - Assignment Example Meetup Group had organized the networking event in Croydon Park Hotel, London on 15th May 2012. Guests were advised to reach within 6:30 PM and settle in the lounge of the hotel where the event started sharp at 7 PM. Â  Meetup Group is a company commenced by a group of like-minded people from London who believe that it is the world’s largest networking event organizer. The company is recognized for providing assistance to local groups for organizing events related to business or any other discussions regarding the improvement of communities. Meetup believes that people can develop or change their surrounding world by participating in events that involve groups of delegates or professionals who intend to share their priceless experiences1. Â  Most of the professionals invited by the Meetup Group were present at the event. There were Directors and HR personnel from Swift Creations, Technical Director from Allis, Designers and Photographers from Seek Creative and many more high ranked professionals from over 100 companies. The opportunity to meet Ashley Jones, Chief Technician of Seek Creative helped me in developing contacts with the organization. HR manager, Gary Hopes employed at Swift Creations also had a long conversation about the emerging issues related to the new generation workforce2. Â  The conversations among professionals from various sectors have developed interests in generating knowledge regarding the difficulties faced by the high ranked managers in terms of workforce allocations. In this regards, it was agreed by me and Ashley Jones that Seek Company will in future think about working with my company with regards to its printing operations.

Enhancing the Competitive Strategy Bank Muscat SAOG Assignment

Enhancing the Competitive Strategy Bank Muscat SAOG - Assignment Example This service should come hand in hand with liaising with other companies such as the utility companies to ensure that their bills can be paid through the bank for the customers in the bank. This will consequently increase the number of customers and also increase the revenues collected since the customers will be transacting at a fee. The bank is looking at going global in order to have the muscle and the ability to fight off any economic downturns that may face the country in the long-run. The markets in the country are volatile meaning that the bank is located in an economy that may change making it unstable. Backing the bank’s capital base and ensuring that the country cannot be worst hit by the economic or political downturns in the country can only be changed by increasing the number of branches outside the country (Bank Muscat, 2014). The bank therefore needs to assess the markets and spot the growing markets in order to establish branches in countries that have the best returns. The branches can be located in the neighboring countries such as Pakistan and India that are not too far away and in the process control the banking sector in the region through increasing their branches in the region further (Jeffreys, 2012). Targeting premier customer in the developed and developing countries such as Malay sia, China and Brazil where there is available markets for the service is also critical. The Bank should ensure that it does not back its assets in only a single area but back the assets through a stream of countries from all over the world and as a result gain the required capital base from abroad that cannot be affected by the Oman economy (Claessens and Van, 2007). The country may also consider merging with banks in the different countries that they wish to invest and ensure that the banks have a good reputation in order to ensure that the citizens of the countries believe in the bank. This is

Civil Right Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil Right Movement - Essay Example They were the oppressed group as they were denied the equal rights and opportunities as white people. The end of World War II set a new tone for civil rights movement. The movement got prominence when in 1954 Supreme Court of US gave a landmark judgment in Brown vs. Board of Education case. In this judgment, Supreme Court declared racial segregation in school totally illegal and a punishable crime (Brown vs. Board of Education). Finally, the Civil Right Act of 1964 put an end to all discrimination that African Americans were suffering from since centuries. The Act eliminated obstacles that persisted for centuries preventing development of African-Americans. Over 45 years have passed since then; the status of African Americans when seen in the above perspective has improved a lot. Now they have not only equal voting rights to elect the government but they can also occupy any office in the US by their sheer ability. The segregation episodes that their children faced in the schools have been now buried deep into history books. They share all public places with equal rights. They can enter into any professions without any restriction depending upon their interest and ability. It is not surprising that African Americans have excelled in sports, politics, business and hosts of other activities. Their contribution in the US mainstreams reached to its pinnacle when an African American reached to the highest office of US in 2009. Several well-known figures such as Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan sprung into limelight in the post-civil movement era. Boxer Muhammad Ali, tennis star Arthur Ash, Michael Jordan in basketball, athlete Carl Lewis are some of the prominent names that have excelled in sporting activities after the end of Civil Right movement. Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell became Secretary of State and many large cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York have had mayors from African American community. Barack Obama occupying the highest office in US is a veritable testimony to the genuine change process that has taken place in the last few decades in the country giving equal opportunity, status and privilege to the African Americans as enjoyed by others. The law has given them equal rights and opportunities in all walks of life; this certainly proves that the status of African American has improved significantly since the end of the Civil Rights Movement. Answer 2. The US Law has taken its course giving African American full rights and opportunities but the African American community still faces numerous issues and challenges in the US society. Cedric Herring argues that African Americans still face job discriminations in the US. Giving an example of Texaco, the author states that the companies systemically deny promotions to the members of African American community. The New York Times produced evidence that how several Texaco Executives referred them as 'black jelly beans' and 'niggers' in their mutual conversations. Fi nally, Texaco admitted having excluded all black employees’ names from the list of next level promotions. Later, Texaco had to settle the case by paying $176 million in the largest ever discrimination suit seen in the US. Before 1964, discrimination to the African American community was overt but in the post civil rights movement era it has taken a covert route. Before 1964, no laws questioned the

Nursing Evidence Based Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Evidence Based Practice - Essay Example Without resolution, rancor between opponents and supporters to the practice would continue to divide the profession. The selected literature would give valuable insights on the current situation of evidence based nursing practice. Moreover, both sides of the opposing groups would be given due consideration to give the reader a balanced view on the issues. Simpson (2004) traced the origins of evidence based nursing practice (EBN). It began in the 1970's when the clamor for better health care delivery required research to be part of professional development (p.10). The University of Minnesota defined evidence based nursing as "the process by which nurses make clinical decisions using the best available research evidence, their clinical expertise, and patient preferences." (p.10) The University also proposed three areas of research competence that should be developed. They include: "interpreting and using research, evaluating practice, and conducting research." (p.10) Simpson (2004) also included the steps required to gain competence. First, issue identification is an important aspect of problem definition. Second, nurses must be able to conduct research on related literature to support or augment their current knowledge. Third, nurses should be able to formulate criteria used to evaluate evidence. Finally, actions and decision should b e validated against existing evidence to ensure that the delivery of service is optimum (p.10). Rycroft-Malone et al (2003) identified what constituted as evidence in the EBN. Knowledge from "research, clinical experience, patients, clients and carers, and local context and environment" all comprised the knowledge base (p.83). In the order of priority, research came first. Evidences coming from research were fully supported and could validate information gathered (p.83). Next came clinical experience where accumulated knowledge through practice could be drawn when necessary. In this aspect, health care professionals were valued and they do derive their care delivery options through previous experiences (p.84). Third, the personal knowledge, experiences and preferences of the patients, their kin or caregiver should be considered (p.85). Finally, evidences from local context could be drawn from "audit and performance data; patient stories and narratives; knowledge about the culture of the organization and individuals within it; social and professional networks; information from 360 degree feedback; and local and national policy." (p.86) As an emerging practice paradigm, Wallace, Shorten and Russell (1997) cautioned that adopting evidence based nursing should be a contemplated decision because aside from professional responsibilities, evidence based nursing has economic, ethical and moral implications that could be drivers of future developments in nursing practice (p.149). French (1999) enumerated the critical features of evidence based practice. Essentially, it is problem based that could consolidate pertinent research information to implement a better delivery of health care services. The incorporation of first and second hand information to strengthen decision-making is also a feature of evidence based practice. Finally, like any professional development agenda, it aims to improve the quality of service (p.76). Issues and Challenges Closs and Cheater (1999) cited the presence of touchy issues that fueled the debate between

Signs and Symptoms Essay Example for Free

Signs and Symptoms Essay ~Cough, Unintentional weight loss, Fatigue, Fever, Night Sweats, Chills, Lost of Appetite. â€Å"Treatment† With tuberculosis, you must take antibiotics for at least six to nine months. The exact drugs and length of treatment depend on your age, overall health, possible drug resistance, the form of TB (latent or active) and the infections location in the body. â€Å"Signs of Symptom† Fever, Loss of appetite, Headache, Tiredness and a general feeling of being unwell (malaise), Once the chickenpox rash appears, it goes through three phases, Raised pink or red bumps (papules), which break out over several days, Fluid-filled blisters (vesicles), forming from the raised bumps over about one day before breaking and leaking, Crusts and scabs, which cover the broken blisters and take several more days to heal. â€Å"Treatment† In otherwise healthy children, chickenpox typically requires no medical treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine to relieve itching. But for the most part, the disease is allowed to run its course. If youre at high risk of complications For people who have a high risk of complications from chickenpox, doctors sometimes prescribe medications to shorten the duration of the infection and to help reduce the risk of complications. â€Å"SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS† Sudden high fever, Severe headache that isnt easily confused with other types of headache, Stiff neck, Vomiting or nausea with headache, Confusion or difficulty concentrating, Seizures, Sleepiness or difficulty waking up, Sensitivity to light, Lack of interest in drinking and eating, Skin rash in some cases, such as in meningococcal meningitis. â€Å"Treatment† Bed rest Plenty of fluids Over-the-counter pain medications to help reduce fever and relieve body aches â€Å"Signs and Symptoms† Fever, Sore throat, Headache, Vomiting, Fatigue, Back pain or stiffness, Neck pain or stiffness, Pain or stiffness in the arms or legs, Muscle spasms or tenderness, Meningitis â€Å"Treatment† Bed rest, Antibiotics for secondary infections (none for poliovirus), Analgesics for pain, Portable ventilators to assist breathing, moderate exercise (physical therapy) to prevent deformity and loss of muscle function, A nutritious diet. â€Å"Signs and Symptoms† Moderate to severe shaking chills, High fever, Profuse sweating as body temperature falls, Headache, Vomiting, and Diarrhea. â€Å"Treatment† Chloroquine (Aralen) Quinine sulfate (Qualaquin) Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) Mefloquine Combination of atovaquone and proguanil (Malarone) â€Å"Signs and Symptoms† Spasms and stiffness in your jaw muscles, Stiffness of your neck muscles, Difficulty swallowing Stiffness of your abdominal muscles, Painful body spasms lasting for several minutes, typically triggered by minor occurrences, such as a draft, loud noise, physical touch or light, Fever, Sweating, Elevated blood pressure, Rapid heart rate. â€Å"Treatment† Antitoxin. Antibiotics. Vaccine. Sedatives.

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay Example for Free

Physician Assisted Suicide Essay Physician assisted suicide is one of those moral and ethical questions that are destined to remain as controversial and contested as abortion. It is often easy to make moral judgments on aspects of humanity when one is not in the situation themselves. It has to be taken into account that a number of variables are present in the argument then merely whether or not someone has the right to their own lives. It is an issue that is beyond legal parameters and extends to the philosophical. We are able to argue that life is not our own, that it is a God given purpose, until we are beset with burdening pain and suffering. One cannot argue that it is simply a religious or moral standpoint, and one cannot argue it as a legal issue either. Many physicians themselves stand for the rights of individuals to choose a dignified and unlabored death and this is where the crux lies: the fact that they see far more than the average ignoramus has the right to contribute. In this case, far more evidence weights for the legal right to choose physician assisted suicide, than it does to deny the right. Physician assisted suicide is defined as the â€Å"voluntary termination of one’s own life by the administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician. †(Medterms, 2008). University of Washington School of Medicine offers us two examples of the moral case for suicide: Skip and Angela. Skip is 50 years of age, male and suffers from metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer. He has had complications with the chemotherapy to the point where he is not sure it is worth having, but is also afraid not to have it (UWSM, 2008). Angela is 72 years of age and is in the final stages of congestive heart failure, having suffered to heart attacks. She is exhausted simply from living and her condition is unpredictable (UWSM, 2008). In these cases we have to take into account that there are more than one issue we are dealing with. In Skip’s case, he is destined for almost certain death while Angela may have one year or ten years ahead of her and we are never certain when she will die. In this case we have to evaluate what the quality of life will be like for each of them in the event that they do, by some miracle, live for another ten years. Granted, the outsider may argue that Angela should not give up on life especially if her time is indeterminate, but will her quality of life be such that she wishes to continue? Skip on the other hand is terminally ill, he knows he is going to die and again, the medication makes him so uncomfortable that one wonders if he wants to suffer through it. The University of Washington School of Medicine determines three types of physician assisted suicide: terminal sedation (sedation until unconsciousness and allowing them to die during this constant sedation); withholding of life-support or sustaining treatments (the patient decides not to take the treatments necessary to keep them alive) and pain medication that hastens death (doses of pain drugs that decrease respiration or speed up the dying process) (UWSM, 2008). We have discussed what physician assisted suicide is and seen possible cases where it may be augmented, but now the argument is whether or not it is legal and whether or not the law really has a right to an opinion on it. A cat is ill and even though it is beloved of the family, it is taken to the veterinarian and put ‘to sleep’. This is seen as merciful. However, if a human is suffering unbearably, they do not have the same luxury of hastening their death. The difference is, of course, that the cat did not have a choice. In the one case where a person is capable of understanding death and their condition and capable of voicing what they want, they are unable to do so. Eleven years ago, Oregon State became the first to initiate the choice to a dignified death. Last year 341 terminally ill took advantage of the option. On the 4th November Washington will decide whether they will implement their own Death with Dignity Act (Yardley, 2008). Prior to this attempt to secure the law, they had failed to implement it because voters refused to vote in favour of the movement (Yardley, 2008). The truth of the matter is that the voters were not those who were going to make use of it. Strangely enough, a democratic society should by definition allow the rights of all people, not just those who are healthy. We could describe the situation as follows: Martin Luther King fought for equal rights to all citizens of the United States and so the liberated African American came into being. Susan B Anthony and Emiline Pankhurst became women’s rights activists fighting for the rights of women to be treated as equals and today we have the liberated woman. The Battle of Little Bighorn and several others fought for the rights of Native Americans to lands and equal rights and to an extent (only an extent), they have their freedom too. Now, place in the equation, the dying man or woman: cast into the same bracket as women, African Americans and Natives. Included in this bracket is the homosexual. The comparison here is that the choice to live or die is actually more morally decent that gay marriages are in the religious sector. Despite this, more emphasis is placed on homosexual rights than the right to die with dignity. Legality or merely creating an argument where there needn’t be one? Dr David Stolinksy considers the legal wrangle to be indecent. â€Å"An ethical question must be answered by reference to ethical standards such as the Hippocratic Oath. This oath has been taken by young physicians for 2400 years. †(Stolinsky, 2006). Stolinksy voraciously attacked articles he read about the essence of physician assisted suicide, saying that what is often read about the issue is packed to exploding with references to court cases, legal procedures and rulings, but that their never an ounce of ‘ethical wisdom’ contained in them. In his view, it is an ethical issue and never has been a legal one (Stolinksy, 2006). Stolinsky does not himself defend the physician assisted suicide, but makes a crucial point in saying that the law really has no idea what they are talking about (given that they have little to do with emaciated and uncomfortable terminally ill people). Dr Jack Kevorkian is a Parkinson’s sufferer and an activist for the right to die with dignity. In his case, he knows that one day he will be in an unbearable state and hopes that the choices he can make will help others to make similar decisions (Ferguson, 2007). Dr Ferguson believes that â€Å"Working at HospiceCare, where honoring every patients end-of-life choices is a core value, I have no dispute with Governor Gardners desire to make his own decisions as life draws to an end. †(Ferguson, 2007). Indeed seeing the dying on a daily basis, her argument is to allow as many choices as possible for the patient, not deny them any. Although she believes that proper pain management can be accomplished and that patients need not die in unbearable pain, she does believe the ultimate choice should be theirs. Let us be certain here of one thing and that is the difference between normal suicidal ideation and physician assisted suicide. Suicide due to self-mutilating circumstances (drugs and self hate), or even pure depression are situations that can be reversed and treated and there is the potential for the person to live a happy, healthy and full life. Physician assisted suicide is where the light at the end of the tunnel has been blocked off and the future is not so bright. Perhaps the most controversial and least comfortable argument is that of the death sentence. Simply put, if the death penalty is considered humane, then why is not humane to allow the choice to die with dignity. Furthermore, we have to look at the ethical argument that has been applied to the death sentence: by some rather twisted logical inception, the ability to take a life has been granted to a few people who believe it is their right to decide a criminal should die. If we are to use this as a comparative argument for physician assisted suicide then we can use the following example: A man rapes and murders several women. He is tried and found guilty with the sentence of death. The argument is that he is likely, by psychological profiling, to commit further atrocities and due to the severity of his crime, deserves to die. The question is, what if he never commits another crime and completely reforms himself? In the same light, a patient given 6 months to live and chooses the suicide route. He could very well have lived another ten years but who can say that he would have? In both cases there is a shadow of doubt – a risk. Lawrence Hinman of University of San Diego puts forward the awkward question too that the death penalty follows the lex talionis principle of an ‘eye for an eye’ and by extension a ‘life for a life’. He asks why then it is not applied to torturers (Hinman, 2008: 5). Evidently the principle does not work. By logic, this makes the lex talionis not only unfair but also impractical. A cancer sufferer is not a criminal, although they are not exempt from the disease, but if it appears to be ethical to take a life-for-a-life, then surely it is even more ethical to take ones own? You have more right to your own body then the judge on the podium does. So what the argument therefore entails is that if it is both legal and ethical (doubtful) to sentence someone to death, then it should be legal and ethical to let someone choose to die if they are ill. With regards to the argument that the patient may actually live, the same could be said for the rapist who may actually be able to donate blood or stem-cells for a leukaemia patient if he is given the right to live. Neither case can be proved or disproved. Are we left at square one again? It depends very much on which side of the proverbial fence you fall. A person can only really decide if something is ethical or moral really when they have experienced it themselves. The right to physician assisted suicide should be given. It is no more or less ethical than any other moralistic standpoint. Consider the debacle that still descends on gay marriages, abortion, and even forced prostitution: are they any more morally sound then physician assisted suicide? Consider if prostitution is legalised and the countless women held under torturous circumstances under that very law? Is that any more ethical? Given that the majority of voters in the United States are those that are not in the position where they have to face their death, the intentions are a little selfish. They are concerned for their own loss, not for the suffering of those who are about to die. The loved ones are more fearful of losing those close to them then they are concerned for the dignity and suffering of those who are dying.

Roles And Purpose Of British Welfare State

Roles And Purpose Of British Welfare State This assignment is going to discuss the roles and purpose of British welfare state. This assignment will look at what welfare state is and the problems which society faced in the past century about the poor people. Also, the first administrative unit of Britain alongside with how poor law passed and the beverage report. This assignment is based on roles and purpose of welfare state. The United Kingdom welfare state was established in 1942 by William Beverage due to the Second World War which caused social problems to the British citizens. The Government stepped forward as to provide for its people by introducing Welfare State as a way of controlling these problems. Welfare state is a response to social problems whereby government undertakes the responsible to safeguard the health and well-being of its people, particularly those in financial or social need, by means of grants, pensions, and other benefits( Lutz Leistering and Robert Walker 1998). It is based on the principals of equal opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth and public responsibilities of people that lack provision for a good life. The origin of the welfare state was from the 16th century. Britain expected the worst when the Second World War broke up in 1939. Due to war many people were affected by poverty and many lost their jobs which resulted in high unemployment. The majority of the people were living in overcrowded poor housing facilities such as (slums) because council houses were not enough. Diseases were spreading because of lack of clean water, and sick people could not have money to seek treatment and this resulted in many people dying. Due to these events the government policy brought a change towards the care that was provided for the people. Welfare legislation was developed to make sure that everyone had access to quality of life due to the world war. Elizabeth government realised that they would create some system to support people. Parish was the first basic administrative unit in Britain to take responsibility for the people who were poor and also power to force people to pay a local tax to help the poor. People who could not work such as old people and disabled were provided with accommodation in parish houses and also given money called the outdoor relief. However, this caused an impact on the increase of the cost of poor relief. The outdoor relief pay which was given to the poor over in hard times and was regarded as encouraging workers to remain inactive undermining the 19th century principles of thrift and hard work (Frohman, 2008). It was also argued that that the poor law encouraged the growth of poverty. In 1834 a new Poor Law was introduced. People assumed that it would reduce the cost of looking after the poor and they welcomed it. People thought that beggars were going to be taken off the streets and for those people who were poor were going to be encouraged to work hard to support themselves. The new poor law help people to be independent; they should help themselves by making ends meet. The new Poor Law ensured that the poor were housed in workhouses were the ones getting assistant in terms of clothes and food .Children who entered the workhouse would receive some schooling. In return for this care, all workhouse paupers would have to work for several hours each day. The new poor law also help children who entered the work house to be educated it also ensure that the less privilege to get house in return. In reaction, the poor law of 1834 introduced a poor relief which imposed the principle of less eligibility. This new system act took a much harsher line towards help for the poor people whereby strict rules and regulations were put in place for people to follow (Harris, 2004). Families were separated and were not allowed to see each other. The Law stated that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law authorities except in a workhouse and the unemployed benefits was to be provided as a last resort. Conditions in the workhouse were intentionally made harsh, in the hope that the poor would seek work elsewhere. In 20th century the poor law was gradually replaced by a new welfare state. During 1906 a liberal government was elected and introduce some reforms.1n 1908 an old age pension came to existence which allow pension to be given to people over 70s, from 1925 pension were paid to men that is over 65 and to women over 60. The national insurance act was passed in 1911 and all employees were made to contribute from their wage and the aim was to build and also for every worker who felt sick was entitled to free treatment were given to every worker that feel sick. The contributions were to help the workers in future in situations when they become ill or out of work. In 1920 the scheme was extended to most people but not all work house became unnecessary and then poor law was abolished.p43 Social Policy Welfare (2000) published by Stanely Thornes ltd. United kingdom By Mark Walsh, Paul Stephens, Stephen Moore In 1920 the scheme was extended to most people but not all work houses became unnecessary and then poor law was abolished. Top of Form Bottom of Form In 1941 an enquiry was established to plan how best to tidy up state welfare. Beveridge seized the opportunity, rewrote the script, and then redesigned the contours of British welfare. By accident the report of the publication of his report was delayed. When it was produced in November 1942 it followed hard on the heels of the Allies first major victory of World War Two. Although largely a creation of ideas including Beveridges which had been around for some time, it was the blueprint for successful to tackle social problems such as the five giants. In 1942 William beverage prepared a report called the Beveridge report regarding the welfare of the individuals on how the government could help people in poverty and also to reduce inequality. This report focused on how Britain could be rebuilt after the war and also how the government should find ways of fighting the five Giant Evils of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. The government was committed to provide care for the people of Britain to ensure that everyone had quality of life. The 1942 beveridge report started in the introduction of welfare state, and involved the main changes and these included the national health service act of 1945 which make benefit available to children and families and the National insurance act this act provides unemployment and sickness some benefits and housing The welfare state was not a response to poverty but was produced to encourage the provision of services for the public. Implementing Beveridge was immediately seen as part of wi nning the peace and also served as the blue print for the British welfare state. In 1945 labour was elected and promised to introduce a welfare state. The welfare state involved introducing new services these included family allowances, the (Laybourn, 1995) this is where a major criticism lies within debates regarding the welfare state within current governments. The government introduced the Education Act 1944 which tackled lack of schooling. The 1946 National Health Act was concerned with improving the quality of health among the population. The 1946 National Insurance Act was created to cover all personal risks such as unemployment and illness.1948 labour government extended the social security and a program of free medical care, Housing, Education and the Welfare of the Children. The National Assistance Act 1948 means- tested for people in lower income below a standard set by government and for unemployed people. In the 1950s the provision of welfare state services became problematic, government interventions at the time didnt help and caused further problems so the Conservative government took over and cut the help given to the poor and sick. This then made the distribution of income more imbalanced and although attempted to make the poor more hardworking and self sufficient it didnt work. The rolling back the state was revolved around the need to cut public spending as a way of reducing impact on public affair. Thatcher (1979-97) promised to reduce taxes and to lower the level of public spending and less state intervention. Thatcher opposed a welfare system and the welfare state began to break down resulted in retreat for housing and pension. The Conservative changed the balance of welfare spending towards health and social security at the expense of education and housing. Thatcher revolution was less radical welfare spending remained stationary between the late 1970s. Thatcher stated that welfare spending was weighing down the international competitiveness and also creating a dependency culture which also was supported by the government and acted to cut back the welfare state (Clasen, 2003). They were some cut back in Housing such as in building, maintenance and subsidization as a way of driving up local authority rent levels (Maclennan and Gibb, 1990). In Social Sec urity welfare bills were introduced by cutting entitlements such as Unemployment Benefit and people were pushed on to means-tested support (Clasen, 2003). Under Child Support Scheme absent parents were required to contribute towards the child maintenance as a way of serving some of the welfare state money. When new labour came into office in 1997 welfare remained in the top priority. Regardless of Conservative critics of the welfare, new labour argued that new welfare policies were needed to improve poverty, inequality, health and education. In conclusion the welfare state was developed due to the number of factors contributed by world war such as unemployment, sickness and poverty.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life is a journey that has its â€Å"ups and downs,† but for most of us the happy memories prevail more than those that are of our dislike do. Victor Frankenstein is one of those few persons that will not agree with me on this statement. As far as we know the story, we realize that there are plenty of moments that he is filled with joy, never the less, as time passes, he creates his own misery and every moment becomes his final doom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frankenstein’s childhood is, as we very well know, a wonderful and even an envied time. Life for him couldn’t be more perfect, he had amazing experiences with Elizabeth, had good relationships with his parents, and most of all he was a kid who knew no limits or prohibitions. He says, â€Å"No human being could have passed a happier childhood that myself1,† which just couldn’t state more clearly the amazing in fancy he had. Moreover, he continues saying that â€Å"We [Elizabeth and himself] felt that they [his parents] were not tyrants to rule out lot according to their caprice, but the agents and creators of all the many delights which we enjoyed2.† This sentence makes me think that he can’t even complain about a single episode in his early times, they were just about perfection. Life goes on and the older people get, the more knowledge they obtain, and so did Frankenstein. He began with self-instruction and continued studies in Ingolstadt, which may sound terrific, but we know that his thirst for knowledge was one of the reasons that led him to misery. He sets away that wonderful world of joy and friends for a filthy laboratory and a dream that is consumed of ambition. In my personal opinion I think that the opportunity he had in going away for college was worth gold, but it doesn’t explain the fact that he ceases the relationship with his family and friends. He know it and he reveals it when he says, â€Å"And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whim I had not seen for a long time3.† Here is when he first begins to suffer from his own cause and his own fault. His misery was enriched when the monster was finally completed and further more, when his brother William dies and Justine is found guilty for a crime she didn’t commit.

The Scarlet Letter and Aunt Jennifers Tigers :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Scarlet Letter and Aunt Jennifer's Tigers In the course of our life we need to make many decisions. The way we live our life is a decision each person makes for him/herself. Usually, one choice is better than the other, yet society doesn't always support the better one. The poem, "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and The Scarlet Letter present two ways in which women can react to a society dominated by men and how their lives are shaped by their different decisions. A woman can just ignore the restraints put on her and suffer, or she can challenge men's authority and enjoy her life. In a society where men choose the standards, Hester follows her own set of rules. She is independent, unrestrained and makes her own decisions. The reader's first view of Hester's uniqueness in The Scarlet Letter, is the scarlet letter. Hester has transformed the society's sign of guilt into her own work of art by decoration the "A" with elegant stitching and golden thread. Her interpretation of the punishment clashes with that of her neighbors, and she is not reluctant to stress their contrast of opinions. She does not fear men, as most women did in her time. It was mandatory in her society that women respected their husbands, and did what the men ordered. Hester fears neither the leaders of the community nor her husband. She demonstrates her confidence by standing up to a group of the most respected men in town, when she hears they might take her daughter, Pearl, away from her. She even has the courage to demand the minister for his help. "I will not give her up!" She firmly states. "Speak thou for me... Thou knowest what is in my heart, and what are a mother's rights...Look thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it!" (Ch.8). She refuses to let the power of the men intimidate her, and gets what she wants. While most women of Hester's time did whatever their husband ordered them to do, Hester refused to keep a secret that Chillingworth asked her to. She wanted to disclose the evil that her husband was placing upon Dimmesdale. "I must reveal the secret, he must discern thee in thy true character.

Analysis - Second to Last Paragraph in Flannery O’Connor’s A Late Encou

An Analysis of the Second to Last Paragraph in Flannery O’Connor’s A Late Encounter with the Enemy This essay analyzes the first full paragraph on page143 (the second to last paragraph in the story) that begins with â€Å"The speaker was through with that war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This passage appears to be what is going through ‘General’ Sash’s head right before he dies. The passage begins by saying â€Å"The speaker was through with that war and had gone onto the next one and now he was approaching another†. The general goes on to state that all his words are vaguely familiar. This is because he has lived through all of these wars and as the speaker mentions them they all go by in the General’s mind as blurred events of the past. The General calls the graduates passing by in their robes a â€Å"black processional†; th...

Finance and Dividend Payout Policy Essay

1.What are the problems here, and what do you recommend? 2.What happens to Gainesboro’s financing need and unused debt capacity if: a. no dividends are paid? b. a 20% payout is pursued? c. a 40% payout is pursued? d. a residual payout policy is pursued? Note that case Exhibit 8 presents an estimate of the amount of borrowing needed. Assume that maximum debt capacity is, as a matter of policy, 40% of the book value of equity. In addition, please check TN_26 provided in blackboard which will help you verify this question. Pays no dividends – If it pays no dividends, then Gainesboro would be able to channel all its earnings to fund its growth strategy. Its unused debt capacity would be channelled towards the high cash requirements of the firm’s strategic emphasis on advanced technologies and CAD/CAM. 20% – With a 20% payout ratio, the firm would have positive excess cash from 2009 instead positive excess cash from 2011 with a 40% payout ratio. This will enable the firm to use its excess debt capacity to fund its expansion needs, keeping within the debt-equity ratio of 40%. 40% – With a 40% payout ratio, the projections of 2005 would leave the debt equity ratio at 35%, which still gives the firm some debt capacity, albeit very little flexibility if it wants to keep within the 40% debt equity ratio. Perhaps the firm would have to exceed this threshold to meet its strategic growth needs, and seek more financing. Residual dividend – The financing requirements would be less than that of the 20% and 40% payout, as dividends are paid only after Gainesboro has funded all the projects that offered positive net present values. 3. How might Gainesboro’s various providers of capital, such as its stockholders and creditors, react if Gainesboro declares a dividend in 2005? What are the arguments for and against the zero payout, 40% payout, and residual payout policies? What should Ashley Swenson recommend to the board of directors with regard to a long-term dividend payout policy for Gainesboro Machine Tools Corporation? Each of the three options have their own potential advantages and disadvantages based on the growth stage of the firm and investors perspective i.e, if it is income seeking investor or capital gains investor or creditor. Generally firms that are mature tend to pay high dividends because there are few opportunities for growth; whereas, firms that have high growth prospects pay low/no dividends because they would reinvest the excess cash from the earnings for future growth opportunities. With reinvestments, firm could generate more returns to the investors. This would not only help the firm compete in the market place but could also increase the capital gains of the investors in terms of increase in firm’s share price. Zero Dividend Payout Policy: Because Gainesboro is trying to reposition itself as software and high†technology firm that has high growth potential, it could adopt a zero dividend payout policy. Although, income†seeking investors such as the retirees may be un†attracted to a zero†dividend policy, non-dividend seeking investors who prefer increased value in stock price instead of cash distribution might prefer this option. Moreover from exhibit 4 it can be seen that the firm’s traditional clientele, the long-term retirees, has reduced from 1994 to 2004; while the short-term trading oriented clientele has increased during the same period. 40% Payout: The advantage of this approach is that the firm would start repaying the dividends as it had promised to the investors. This could boost market confidence back in the firm and result in a positive increase in share price. But the disadvantage is that the Gainesboro will have to borrow more funds, which is against the firms strategy, to fund the dividends and its expansion plans Residual Payout: This policy gives Gainesboro the flexibility to pay dividends, no matter how small, to the investors as promised after funding the projects with positive NPVs, which would increase sales and growth prospects for the company. The con of this approach is that there would be lot of fluctuations in the dividends paid over the years, there could also be periods of zero dividends; thereby, imposing negative pressure on the company. Based on the growth strategy of Gainesboro, Swenson should pay dividends as promised to the investors in 2006 and adopt a zero dividend payout policy after 2006. Gainesboro should invest the excess cash to achieve its growth goal; and after the company reaches a mature stage it should start paying dividends like other mature firms in the market.

Nature’s Influence on Janie’s Desire in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

As children we often cling to the storybook romance. The â€Å"happily ever after† clichà © certainly appeals to the young romantic: however, the harsh reality of life may soon prove this to be foolishly sentimental. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston explores these circumstances as she outlines Janie’s pursuit of happiness. Janie is described as a child of nature. The spiritual power of nature has a tremendous affect on the development of her character. Hurston uses this metaphor to symbolize Janie’s eagerness to find love. Though as a child she craved a conventional romance, nature guides her to her one true love. Before meeting the man of her dreams, Janie experiences many failed relationships that highlight the changes in her desires. Throughout the novel, Janie is influenced by natural forces that alter these desires in her relationships with Johnny Taylor, Logan Killicks, and Joe Starks. On a spring day in West Florida, Janie spent the afternoon lying under a pear tree. The delicate serenity of nature filled her with sheer contentment and delight. In a dream like state, â€Å"through the pollinated air she saw a glorious being coming up the road† that in â€Å"her former blindness she had known as shiftless Johnny Taylor† (11). Janie’s romantic visions are reflected by springtime. At sixteen years old, Janie, herself, was blooming into a woman. In a trance, Johnny Taylor became the target of her infatuation. Nature’s power of suggestion was able to â€Å"[beglamore] his rags and her eyes† (12). Just as Johnny Taylor kisses her, Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, wakes from her nap and catches the two under the pear tree. In desperation, Nanny has Janie married off to a wealthy farmer, Logan Killicks, and in an instant Janie’s carefree fantasies come to an end. Logan Killicks embodies all the qualities that Janie detests. Though she cannot seem to find nature’s beauty within him, Janie agrees to marry Logan to appease her grandmother. Her naivety is made apparent when she assumes that â€Å"marriage compel[s] love† and that happiness would follow (21). Logan initially treats Janie with great care, but Nanny warns her that his display of affection would be short-lived. Janie soon becomes concerned that she will not been able to love her husband. She romanticizes marriage and longs for some kind of natural attraction. When Janie realizes that she would never love her husband her â€Å"first dream was dead, [and] so she became a  woman† (25). As their marriage deteriorates, Janie notices that their relationship dynamic has changed. As Nanny predicted, Logan no longer treats her with the kind of respect that he once did. Their loveless marriage turns strained and unpleasant as Logan strips Janie of her free will, forcing her to work as a field hand. When Logan leaves town, Janie catches the attention of a passerby, Joe Starks. Joe strikes Janie as a man with ambition; his youthful energy and conviction remind Janie of her own independent nature. Joe seeks to establish an all black city in which he could voice his opinion. Their budding relationship appeals to Janie’s romantic visions of love and her thirst for adventure. When Logan returns, Janie decides to take her life into her own hands and runs off with Joe. She hopes that â€Å"from now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything† however; she would soon discover that these childlike desires did not produce the love she so craved (32). Janie is initially quite taken with Joe’s physical beauty. Unlike Logan, she is proud to have him by her side. When the newly married couple arrives in Green Cove Springs, they find themselves in an underdeveloped town. Joe goes to work building a community from the ground up by purchasing two hundred acres of land, establishing the town’s first store and post office, and installing the very first lamppost. Eatonville, as Starks later named it, matures into a booming town. As the Mayor, landlord, postmaster, and storeowner, Starks adopted many responsibilities that took a toll on his marriage. In order to promote and protect his distinguished position in the community, he persuades Janie to maintain a high-class status that contrasted her free-spirited nature. Janie fears that this bureaucratic relationship would ruin their marriage. As Joe became consumed with his work, â€Å" a feeling of coldness and fear took hold of [Janie]. She fe[els] far away from things and lonely† (46). Though he continues to provide for her, Joe discourages her desire to become a part of the town. Joe considers Janie inferior and believes she cannot think for herself. Janie resents his authoritarian manner and tries to resist however, Joe continues to suppress her independent nature. Having grown weary of the constant power struggle, Janie eventually surrenders her personal freedom and comes to realize that Joe never was the man of her dreams. Janie could no longer see the â€Å"blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man† and yearns to rediscover the passion  they so desperately lacked. (72). Having grown weary from exhaustion, Joe falls sick. Renewed with purpose, Janie confronts Joe and blames him for robbing her of her freedom.

How Marriage Works

â€Å"Marriage is the process by which two people make their relationship public, officials and permanent† according to PsychologyToday. Marriage allows your relationship to be recognized by the government. People can marry for multiple reasons, including religion, economic benefits, or for love and companionship. The social clock has changed in America, with more people marrying later in their life. There are many reasons why people are deciding to push marriage off. Marriage can be both beneficial and negative.Marriage can provide better economic stability for both partners. When you marry, you can receive a marital tax deduction. This allows you to transfer assets to your spouse without being taxed for it. You are also able to obtain your spouse's benefits including social security and health insurance. Prenuptials are a secure way to keep your assets in marriage. By having a prenuptial, people can keep their original assets no matter if there is a split or divorce. Married couples are generally more financially stable, with â€Å"the median household income of married families is twice gag of divorced households and four times that of esperares households† according to the website Marripedia.Married people also have mental health and biological benefits. For example, married people typically live longer: â€Å"Research consistently shows that couples in a committed marriage live longer that those that are single† said Ivy Jacobson, author of the article â€Å"13 Legal Benefits of Marriage.† Because both people feel constant support from their partners, mental stability is improved, allowing the couple to live longer and decrease the chance of depression. Mental health is extremely important in the health of the relationship. By bottling up emotions and thoughts, it can negatively impact your self-esteem and increase stress. By having a partner, you are allowed to open up and feel heard, decreasing that stress and improving the way you look at yourself. Marriage increases serotonin levels. Serotonin is a chemical and neurotransmitter in the human body and is â€Å"sometimes called the happy chemical because it contributes to wellbeing and happiness† stated James McIntosh in his article â€Å"What is Serotonin and What Does It Do?† Having a significant other to provide physical affection and emotional support triggers the release of serotonin, helping create a positive mindset. Marriage can also result in divorce and financial stability. According to the website DivorceStatistics, â€Å"current divorce statistics in America is estimated to be fifty percent.† It is projected that the divorce rate will continue at this same rate in the future, making your chance of a lasting marriage unlikely. As well as a chance that your marriage will fail, a divorce is very expensive. A divorce with child custody and support issues cost about 26 thousand dollars. A divorce without child custody and support is about 17 thousand dollars. These extremely high costs can leave both sides of the party in major economic distress. There is also a possibility that you could be marrying into a financial burden. If one person obtains debt, the spouse will carry that debt as well. â€Å"Researchers analyzed the relationship of 4500 couples and found arguments about money were the the top predictor of divorce† says Nancy Durham, author of â€Å"Should You Tie the Knot? Financial Reasons Why Marriage Might Be A Misstep.† As a married couple, you will need to plan your future financial situations and be able to save money efficiently. Negative mental health characteristics can also arise from marriage. One spouse may become too emotionally dependent on their partners, causing stress and tension between the two. That spouse may start to feel as though they need their partner to be happy, and can become too emotionally reliant on them. As well as one partner being too emotionally invested, mental health disorders do not help. Negative emotional reactions caused by disorders can become intensified. Partners that cannot get the support and assistance they need from their partners often resort to substance abuse and isolation. According to Pierre Imlay, a mental health therapist, in his article â€Å"Mental Illness in Couple Relationships,† â€Å"when the marital stress is at its peak, there's a greater likelihood of substance misuse, movement toward divorce, and male aggression.† Marriage can be viewed in both a positive and negative way. Marriage can be very beneficial to couples that have communicated to each other about their expectations for the relationship and marriage, their future, economic situation, and their mental health. If there is a major disagreement, you may want to rethink about getting married and weigh out the pros or cons, or else you may just end up being another statistic for divorce. Although marriage has many components that should be discussed beforehand, it ultimately is a beautiful thing that should be shared and taken seriously.

Business Analytical Skills Essay

Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem. Then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision, if applicable. What course(s) did you take in your program that strengthened your analytical skills? Give me an example of a project or exercise you completed, focusing on the analytical component. What tools do you use on the job currently to aid you in quantitative analysis? Talk to me about the percentage of time you currently spend on the job dealing with analytical reports, analyses, and comparisons. Tell me about a recent project that was primarily numbers-oriented. Walk me through your procedure and thought processes. Give me an example of a project that relied heavily on quantitative analysis. Describe a specific accomplishment that demonstrates your analytical skills. Give me an example, which demonstrates your ability to use a variety of approaches in your work. Let’s assume that you are given an assignment, which requires a different methodology, than you typically use. Have you ever experienced this type of situation? How did you go about completing your work? Tell me about a difficult problem you solved for a client. Tell me about an assignment in which you knew you had little previous experience to apply to its completion. What strategy did you adopt to complete the assignment? Give me an example that demonstrates your ability to manage a client’s billing and budgets. Give me an example of your ability to work within a client’s budgetary constraints.

Waterhouse Friderichsen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Waterhouse Friderichsen - Essay Example To have a clear description of Waterhouse Friderichsen, a hypothetical client scenario will be used. Other than concentrating on the primary organ affected by Waterhouse Friderichsen, other organs affected by the same will also be discussed. The final section under this medical condition will focus on impacts of healthcare and nursing. The hypothetical case study will be of a 35 year old female patient who was found with signs and symptoms associated with Waterhouse Friderichsen. Majority of cases have been reported in children, but the increased rate of meningococcal infections have led to high incidences of Waterhouse Friderichsen in adults. In many cases, patients with Waterhouse Friderichsen die within 24hrs, but a few have managed to survive beyond 48hrs. Cases of full recovery have also been reported in some regions. This fact proves that the syndrome is not fatal when early diagnosis is made. Worldwide incidences of Waterhouse Friderichsen syndrome are not many, although cases of the condition go unnoticed in many instances (Manchanda et al, 2008). Case Analysis This is a hypothetical case of a 35 year old female patient who got admitted after showing signs of high grade fever accompanied by chills and vomiting over a period of 7days. The patient also had a skin rash on the abdomen and trunk, which appeared on the 5th day of infection. Following admission, the patient developed a hemorrhagic rash. On assessing the family history, there was no any significant information to associate the infection with family history. Medical examination revealed that the patient was unstable, and there was the presence of cyanosis. The patient was febrile with a pulse rate of 90/min and a systolic BP of 70mmHg. Neurological examination revealed positive signs of Kerning and Brudzinski. There were rashes all over the body but predominated on the abdomen and trunk. Collection of CSF was done under aseptic conditions and its processing done under standard bacteriological pr ocedures. Microscopy on CSF was done routinely, and a cell count of 9400/mm3 was reported. Of the total cell count, 86% were polymorphs while 14% were lymphocytes. An increase in CSF proteins to 309mg%, and a decrease in glucose to 20mg% were reported. A Gram stain preparation of the CSF revealed pus cells accompanied with gram-negative diplococcus. CSF cultures were done on MacConkey agar, chocolate agar, and blood agar and incubated overnight. After overnight incubation, there were tiny translucent colonies on blood agar and chocolate agar. Standard bacteriological procedures identified the tinny translucent colonies to be those of Neisseria meningitides. A CT scan conducted on the patient confirmed adrenal hemorrhage, which is present in Waterhouse Friderrichsen syndrome. Antibiotic sensitivity using 5 antibiotics showed no resistance to any of the antibiotics under examination. Antibiotics under examination were sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, trimethoprim, and p enicillin. The patient was put on ceftriaxone and steroids but went into a shock. On the third day of admission, water Friderichsen syndrome was reported as the cause of death. Discussion Waterhouse Friderichsen syndrome was reported first in 1911 by Rubert Waterhouse. This syndrome is caused by failure of the adrenal gland due to massive bleeding into the gland. The cause of bleeding is a bacterial infection, most common bacteria being meningococcus Neisseria meningitides. This medical condition presentswith rash, fever, coagulopathy, rash, and shock. During the course of its development, multiple organs are affected, leading to multiple system failure. One significant sign in Waterhouse

Getting to know pepsi Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Getting to know pepsi - Term Paper Example To enhance the quality of its products and quality of its financial reports, the company relies on the services of KPMG as their main external auditors. All financial reports released by the company have an approval and recommendation of their external auditor. The company releases its annual report at the end of each fiscal year, which ends at the last Saturday of every December. The company’s financial records and leadership is available from the following website http://www.pepsico.com/annual11/#//. The company produces a variety of product for its domestic and global markets. The main products that are produced by the company include Dew, 7-Up, Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Quaker Oats, and Tropicana. Pepsi use the indirect method to report its cash flow activity. Indirect cash flow system of reporting uses applications that convert accrual net income or loss into cash flows through a series of additions and deductions. Pepsi is a market leader in the production and distribution of soft drinks. The company recorded net revenue of $65,881 million, $65,881 million in the fiscal year ending 2011 and 2010 respectively as its net revenue. In the close of the financial year that ended at December 2011, the company was worth $72,882 million (PepsiCo web). This was a significant increase in its total holdings comparing to its closing balance of $68,153 million at the end of 2010 financial year (PepsiCo web). At the close of the trading period ending December 2011, the company recorded a net income of $6,443 million. The company’s stocks were valued at $66.35 at the end of the fourth quarter of the last trading period (PepsiCo web). This stock value attracted a $0.515 as a dividend or return on every share unit (PepsiCo web). According to the value of Pepsi’s closing stock and share equity, Pepsi can be classified as a large company. This is in relation to its annual income and dividend report released by the company. The company’s

Healthcare marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Healthcare marketing - Coursework Example As it is now, from a PR perspective, what the hospital has done wrong is placing its interests ahead of public interest in the handling of the case. This is said because it is not as if the hospital failed to apologize entirely but whiles doing this, the hospital became overly focused on giving reasons as to why it may not be entirely wrong with what happened. It is said that it is better late than never. Therefore, even though damage control might not have come very early and might have affected the hospital negatively, the hospital still did the right thing by apologizing in the long run. In PR, it is always important to eat humble pie so that the welfare of the larger people can be protected and this is what the apology did (Natasha, 2005). Going forward, it is important for the hospital to put its house in order. This recommendation is given as a preventive approach to avoiding the need for there to be another damage control or apology. As the hospital goes back to work now, it should check it’s EHR so as to ensure mistakes are not repeated. In a week’s time, there should be evaluation of the system. Into the future, there should be periodic monitoring of the

Labor Economics European Union labor migration Essay

Labor Economics European Union labor migration - Essay Example That is, it sets very comprehensive goals for itself, covering economic, political, social and regional and international security policy frameworks, in addition to future plans for the expansion of the Union. As a means of understanding the European Union's path and its goals, a brief overview of the evolution process of the Union will be helpful. This overview will provide the basis for a discursive analysis of the phenomenon of labor migration within the framework of the European Union. Labor migration, as the analysis shall highlight, has proven, despite some benefits, to be highly problematic especially since the Barcelona Declaration expanded the parameters of the stated to include migrant labor from within the larger EU neighborhood. In other words, labor migration within the EU is not confined to labor flows between member countries but has been expanded, and further complicated by the inward flow of labor from without the EU. Most people would date the roots of the European Union to the 1940s, yet W.T.M. Molle, traces the roots of European integrationist dreams much further back. Specifically, during the Napoleonic era, marked by the emergence of a modern economic system, as compared to the feudal one that had come before it, certain economic policies were established in order to ease trade between the nations of the European continent.1 From that moment onwards, one finds several policies that attempt to encourage trade within the continent and overcome specific obstacles to trade. When one looks at this fact, one can conclude that from the earliest history, the European countries were guided by the understanding that regional trade and economic links were important for the economies of the different countries and for the purpose of development. The current structure of the European Union, however, does not have its roots in the policies discussed above; those policies only indicate the historical understanding of the importance of regional economic cooperation. Instead, the roots of the current structure are to be found in three distinct treaties. These, as mentioned by Molle, are the "ECSC, the EEC and the EAECP.2 These three treaties are the foundations of the European Union that has emerged nowadays, despite the fact of their having been limited in terms of countries that had been involved and the treaties themselves. For instance, the ECSC was a steel trading treaty that involved only six European nations. This can not be compared in scope to the current structure of the Union but, the fact of the matter is that the success of the Union and the reason why it has emerged today as a model for deep integration is that it proceeded in a step by step manner, dealing with limited areas of economic cooperation and limited numb ers of countries so that they could stabilize each step and move safely to a new level of expanding integration.3 Even though the European Union sought to stabilize and fortify each step in the unification process before progression to the next step, problems inevitably arose. Among the more challenging of these problems directly pertains to the removal of restrictions on capital flow, included in which is labor. The comparatively unchecked labor movement between the variant member countries, on the one hand, and from the larger neighborhood, on

'Going global, acting local - communicating global brands to global Assignment

'Going global, acting local - communicating global brands to global markets' - Assignment Example For instance the issues related to the differences in the cultural, political, social and economical factors. This report highlights on the Global, Local and Glocal Strategies followed by various brands. Global, Local and Glocal Strategies The theory of standardization for the marketing activities works on a marketing level but is often seen to lack richness of details that is needed to act at a tactical and operative level. Marketers of multinational organizations are facing difficulties in creating products and advertising programs that can communicate effectively with the diversified target markets. To provide a solution to this problem and assist in this task various frameworks have been developed that would determine the degree of effort required and which effort to follow global, local or mixed. Globalization Robertson (1992, cited by Waters, 2002) stated that globalization can be defined as a concept that leads to compression of the world and at the same time intensifies consc iousness. Speaking broadly two complementary disciplines namely sociology and political economy are seen to make significant contribution to the study of globalization (Coca-Stefaniak & Parker, 2010). From the political economic point of view globalization is defined as an integration of nation economies with the global economies through investment and trade further advanced by technology, â€Å"the process is driven by the theory of comparative advantage, the goal of international competitiveness and the growth model† (Hines, 2000, p. 4). A more diverse viewpoint has been presented from the sociology view point. Ritzer (2004) and Giddens (1991) has seen globalization as standardised and homogenised phenomenon and finally construed by Albrow (1992, p. 248) as â€Å"the process whereby the population of the world is increasingly bonded into a single society†. Hence globalization addresses the business issue by taking a product to the global market (Pym, 2009). While des igning marketing strategy the whole world is viewed as a single entity and standardised products are developed and marketed in the same way everywhere (Vignali, 2001). Zara is a leading international fashion clothing retailer and one of the successful and fastest growing companies in Spain (Hill & Jones, 2009). The designers at Zara create approximately 40,000 new designs every year from which only 10,000 are selected. Zara offers clothing for men (about 22% of sales), women (about 58%) and children (about 20%) (Torun, 2007). It is well known for its fashion sensitive product being manufactured internally. The products offered by Zara are designed as such that it matches with the climatic, cultural and physical differences of the country like small size cloths for people of Japan, cloths matching to the different seasons of South America and special cloths for women in the Arab countries. However 85% to 90% of the basic designs available at Zara are common for all the countries in w hich it serves (Ghemawat And Nueno, 2006). This commonality is due to the regular interaction between La Coruna, the creative team and the local store managers. About 10%-15% of the product offered by Zara does not differ from country to country; they are retrieved from the same menu of products. The products

Strategic objectives for a business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic objectives for a business - Essay Example Its mission is offering excellent hair services and beauty products, to its customers. Its values include respect, leadership, integrity, diversity, and accountability. The paper will look at the business objectives in relation to the four pillars of balanced scorecard including the financial pillar, customer pillar, internal operations pillar, and employees’ pillar. One of the key objectives as far as the financial pillar is concerned is coming up with an effective internal control environment. Such an environment would prevent financial crimes such as fraud or embezzlement of the business’ financial resources. The second key objective is ensuring stability in revenue and profitability. This is important as far as growing the shareholder wealth. For example, ensuring profitability stability contributes to the stability of the shares’ prices, which is in the best interest of the shareholders. The third key strategic objective is maximizing the shareholder wealth. This would happen, for example, by a business operating at optimum level would maximize the shareholder wealth. One of the key strategic objectives as far as customer pillar is concerned is enhancing customer satisfaction. Since the business is offering both services and products, customer satisfaction is extremely important. It helps in ensuring that the customers make repeat visits in the business, which helps in growing the market share. A key metric for this objective is the number of absenteeism within a given period. The second key strategic objective is offering high quality services and products to the customers. The customers expect value for money when they purchase the beauty products (Chia-Chen, 2006). The hair services should be excellent, which would translate into increased customer satisfaction. An effective metric for this objective is the number of repeat customers per a given period. The third strategic