Personal view of Health Promotion and the values that underpin it Essay

Personal view of Health Promotion and the values that underpin it - Essay Example lthier lifestyles.† As an academic writing, the structure of the essay shall be built on the Gibbs’ model of reflection whiles trying to make bare, how my ideas, thoughts and views have changed since studying health promotion; how the changes I have identified changed how I think about ethical dilemmas and health promotion and how the changes I have identified changed how my thinking about ethical issues related to health promotion in general up to this point in time. Diagrammatically, the structure of the essay shall look like this: Health promotion is undoubtedly one of the best ways and most dependable hopes for the attaining a universal healthy lifestyle for all (Koduah, 2009). Indeed Koduah is not far from right people health promotion concerns itself with preventive healthcare rather than curative health care (Forest, 2001) and as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Due to certain personal encounters I have had as far ill-health is concerned, I took keen interest in the course, Health Promotion. Sadly though, upon relating some of the models, methodologies, concepts and preventive health theories learnt in class to what pertains in some local communities I was privileged to have gone to offer volunteer health delivery to, I find that our local authorities really have long ways to go as far as health promotion and for that matter, preventive health is concerned. The local community does not embark on any health promotion policies and there is no education among the local people on how to preven t diseases (Cartesian Health Report, 2005). The very first feeling I have towards the described scenario is that there is being a great disparity in the health promotion policy among healthcare providers. If every head counts as is proverbially said, then none should enjoy good health service at the expense of the other (Terry, 2001). The Minnesota Department of Health has a Community Health Promotion that I feel should serve as a model and an ideal

(just doin harvard referencing and contents page) Essay

(just doin harvard referencing and contents page) - Essay Example Viewed on February 26, 2014. Buttler, s 2014, â€Å"Shopping by smartphone and tablet in UK increases by 18%,†Viewed on February 26, 2014. Centre for Retail Research n.d, â€Å"Retail in 2018 - Shop numbers, Online and the High Street: A GUIDE TO RETAILING IN 2018 BY THE CENTRE FOR RETAIL RESEARCH,† Gauri, DK, Bhatnagar, A & Rao, R 2008, â€Å"Role of Word of Mouth in Online Store Loyalty: Comparing online store ratings with other e-store loyalty factors,† COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM, vol. 51, no. 3, pp.89-91. Hall, J 2012, â€Å"Britons are biggest online shoppers in developed world,† Viewed on February 26, 2014. Li, N. & Zhang, P. 2002, â€Å"CONSUMER ONLINE SHOPPING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR: AN ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH.† Viewed on February 26, 2014. Lim, HC, Chung, JJ & Pedersen, PM 2012, â€Å"Effects of electronic word-of-mouth messages,† SMIJ, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 56-75. Viewed on February 26, 2014. Lomas, 2013, â€Å"IDC: Tablet Sales Grew 78.4% YoY In 2012 — Expected To Pass Desktop Sales In 2013, Portable PCs In 2014,† Viewed on February 26, 2014. Machado, AT 2015, â€Å"DRIVERS OF SHOPPING ONLINE: A LITERATUREREVIEW,† IADIS International

Moral Sentimentalism Against The Ethical Rationalism Philosophy Essay

Moral Sentimentalism Against The Ethical Rationalism Philosophy Essay Moral rationalism, also known as the moral sense theory is the opinion in meta-ethics which suggest that morality is in one way based on moral sentiments or moral emotions. Some sociologists take it to be basically an observation concerning the nature of moral facts or moral beliefs (metaphysical view). This view is accompanied by the name sentimentalism. Others view it to be basically about the approach of justifying moral beliefs (epistemological view). This is the view that goes by the name moral sense theory. In the history of philosophy, the strongest supporter of moral sense theory is David Hume (1711-1776). On the other hand is moral rationalism, also known as ethical rationalism. This is the meta-ethics view that moral truths are known by reason. Historically, ethical rationalism was defended by philosophers such as Plato, and Immanuel Kant. However, recently it has also been defended by modern philosophers such as Richard Hare and Michael Smith among others. Ethical rational ism is almost similar to ethical intuitionist but there is a difference in their view. Ethical rationalism is impartial on whether the basic moral beliefs are determined by inference or not. Moral Sentimentalism versus Ethical rationalism A good deal of interest on moral sentimentalism has developed recently with most of the interests on questions about the meaning of moral terms, and in normative concerns, about benevolence and caring, and compassion, and their place in morality. One of the most important conflicts among the modern early philosophers was between supporters of moral sentimentalism and those of ethical rationalism. The rationalist believed that morality was founded on reason alone while the sentimentalists such as David Hume believed that morality originated partly in sentiment. In addition to this, both the rationalists and the sentiments developed rich correlations. Rationalists developed a significant correlation between morality and mathematics while the significant correlation developed by the sentimentalists was between morality and beauty. The two correlations indicate the main opinions, the underlying approaches, and the claims of moral phenomenology that is offered by the two positions. The wh ole idea of the differences between moral sentimentalism and ethical rationalism is therefore based on the analysis of the two correlations. Ethical rationalism Rationalists believe that reason is the main source and test of knowledge. They hold that reality itself has an intrinsically logical framework, they assert that a status of truth exist that can be grasped directly by the intellects. According to rationalists, there are particular logical principles in logic and mathematics whose denial means falling into contradiction. Rationality holds that reason is the power that can grant truths that are above the reach of sense and perception in both certain and general situations. Concerning knowledge, rationalists argue that a least part of a mans knowledge is gained through priori, or logical insight that are different from sense experience and also offer a confused and simply tentative approach. However, like other sociologists in support of moral sentimentalism, I tend to differ with the rationalists idea that morality is based on reason. In support of Moral Sentimentalism I tend to disagree with the idea of rationalists that is based on reason and argue that morality is contained in our human nature. This is because our moral values are determined by our emotions, which include the feelings of passion and affection, which may direct us into acting in a certain manner. These can also be referred to as our first order sentiments since they have come from deep within us. It is our actions that will therefore reflect the sentiments in us. Secondly, we have the second order sentiments that add value to our motives. These are the sentiments that we have for other people. The initial motive to act towards ourselves or other people is therefore driven by both the first order and the second order sentiments, and not reason as it is claimed by rationalists. Both Michael Slote and David Hume supported the idea of moral sentimentalism. The only difference in their arguments was that as Michael Slote tried to deal with the issues of morality, he used the term empathy. Hume had also tried to do a similar analysis but he instead used the word sympathy. Slote is trying to defend moral sentimentalism against ethical rationalism by using his account of empathy in accounting for normative morality and explaining the role of empathy in morality. This support is in response to the dominance of rationalism in the scene of ethics. He defends sentimentalism by showing how it can make consistent and instinctive sense in matters that are preferred by the rationalist such as justice, respect, and autonomy. Slote also shows that sentimentalism that is founded on empathy can ethically handle some important aspects of moral life that gets ignored by rationalism. Moral sense is usually described as offering information in a manner that is similar to other sensory modalities that include sight in perceiving colors. This differs with the process of acquiring priori, and non-experimental knowledge such as in mathematics as described in the ethical rationalism. To properly understand moral sentimentalism, one may portray analogy between it and other forms of senses. Concerning beauty, sentimentalists believes that it is something that people can see in the faces of other people, in artworks and in the landscape. Beauty can also be heard for example in a piece of music. One does not require independent artistic sense ability to be able to se beauty in the world. Peoples common five sense are enough to observe beauty although this is different from just observing something beautiful. Michael Slote also defended the idea of moral sentimentalism under the concept of sentimental ethics of care. He argues that the solution to offering this united and systematic moral sentimentalism explanation depends on the concept of empathy. According to Slote, apart from providing the basics for the right action, empathy plays a significant role in putting in place the actual reference of our moral terms. He emphasizes the importance of empathy is showing providing care. In response to the ideas of psychologist Martin Hoffman about the development of empathy in the young children, Slote states that the differences in the extent of normally or fully formed empathy matches appropriately with differences in instinctive moral evaluation. In his later works, Slote faces a criticism on his idea of moral obligation or that right actions follow our sentiments in general and in particular our empathy. He responds to this criticism there is no evidence that the racial biasness that is in f ounded in our sentiments is natural. Instead, it might be under the influence of family, social or cultural factors. Therefore, the bias that may be found in children might disappear with time as they increase in their cognitive maturity. Later in his book, moral sentimentalism, Slote gives a detailed account of his notion of empathy by drawing upon the sentimentalism ideas of Hutcheson and Hume and other recent psychological literature eon empathy. He has defined empathy at different points in the book; first as a phenomenon of having feelings towards another person, that arouses itself in us. Secondly, as a discrete feeling that is involuntarily aroused in us in response to some particular situations or experiences that we simply hear of, remember or read about, and thirdly, an act of viewing issues from other peoples point of view in order to see and feel things from their perspective. In a manner evocative to the Humes approach to exposition, a stimulating moral sentimentalism can use the idea of empathy to base both its normative explanation of moral obligation and its meta-ethical description of moral language. A morally upright person is empathically caring about other people and portrays the feeling of empathy in all his or her actions. However, the judgment on the righteousness or wrongness of something is dependent on an individuals empathy. Humes Moral sentimentalism Humes argument in support for moral sentimentalism starts with the ordinary loves and hatred that are vicious and differ from one person to another. He explains the process by which people change the feelings of love and hatred into a form of calm, regular moral love and hatred. On his idea of sympathy, he says that we tend to sympathize more with people who are similar or who are within our reach. Even though the ability to develop these feelings varies, Hume states that our moral approvals for these feelings do not vary. The moral approval arises from sympathy but only when we reach to a common point of view. In development of this sympathy, the first things is that we assess the character of that person form his own perspective and that of his close people and then we sympathize with the person and his associates based on whether their character traits are good or bad. Secondly, we control our sympathy based on the rules that judge the character traits of those people. Sympathy is therefore based not only on the character of that person, but his actions that are common for his close friends. Hume further basis his support for moral sentimentalism on sympathy and argues that unlike ethical rationalism, people cannot not make moral judgments based on reason alone. Reason plays the role of dealing with facts and making a conclusion out of those facts. Reason alone cannot guide people in making one choice among various options. This can only be enabled by sentiments. Hume states that morality is determined by sentiments. It is these sentiments that define virtue as a mental action that gives the viewers an appealing sentiment of approval, and the vice does the opposite of this. Hume proposes sentimentalism to be the ground for ethics basically as a meta-ethical theory about the epistemology of morality. Hume also sides with the ant-realist arguments of morality suggested by John Mackie who also argues that it is a queer fact there can be moral facts co0ncerning the world that can be recognized by reason and inherently motivating. In support of his sympathy idea, Hume argues that sentiments based on sympathy can motivate people towards achieving non-selfish goals such as service to other people. According to Hume and other theorists in support for sympathy idea, the term sympathy encompasses more that just concern for the problems of other people. To Hume, sympathy is the standard for communication and sharing of both positive and negative sentiments. His idea is very close to that of other psychologists who use the term empathy in place of sympathy, such as Slote. After making various considerations on the aspect of sympathy, he draws the conclusion that most of the behaviors that people choose are for the sake of increased public utility. He therefore differs with the opinion that people make decisions based on their self- interests alone. Conclusion The two ideas of rationalists and sentimentalists have a common foundation in Thomas Hobbes moral theory. The rationalists differed with the claims of Hobbes that there is no right or wrong in nature, this is determined by independent will and that for morality to motivate people, there must be suctions. This sprought up to an argument by the mid 19th century where rationalists started to argue that morality is based on reason and that our choice on the right or wrong actions is motivated by our rational awareness. On the other hand, the sentimentalists objected this and argued that reason has nothing to do with our morality. What it does is only to help in making a priority over various options. I tend to agree with the sentimentalists in the believe that our moral actions are motivated by the sentiments aroused in us by a particular situation.

my first ride in a cop car :: essays research papers

The first time I rode in a police car was about a year ago in Myrtle Beach. My friend Richard and I were there for about a week before senior week. On about our third day we found a seller of questionable goods and Richard bought some of his merchandise. Little did we know that it would come back to bite us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On our way back to our hotel Richard, in his eternal wisdom, said, â€Å"Hey I‘ve got it, let’s go get trashed and wander around!† Of course, I’m always one to get along. So I said, â€Å"Okay!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We met some lovely young ladies, two blondes and a red head, that we had seen earlier on our way to a club and asked them, â€Å"Hey girls, we’re headed out, you wanna come with?† The reply was not what we expected, one of the blondes, Ashlee, I believe, said â€Å"What do you boys plan on doing?† I replied, â€Å"We’re probably gonna go lick shots and do some other stuff.† The red head, Brianna, then says, in a definite Boston accent, â€Å"Why don’t youse guys come wit us to our hotel?† I give Richard a questioning look and say jokingly, â€Å"Hey man, what if they’re rapists?† Rich then gives me an â€Å"are you a dumbass† look and whispers, â€Å"Do I look like I give a fuck?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While we were headed to the girls’ hotel we saw our â€Å"friend† from earlier. He stopped us and asked, â€Å"Hey’d you guys like the stuff from the other day?† Both of us shook our heads. â€Å"Want to get some more?† this question was followed by a display of his merchandise. Richard said, â€Å"Okay hook us up.† After money exchanged hands we were once again on our way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About ten minutes later we arrived at the girl’s hotel and went up to their room. As we entered the other blond, he name was Justice, casually says, â€Å"Just ignore the mess.† All of a sudden, I blurt out, in my best gay impersonation, â€Å"Oh my god this is so messy!† when in reality the room was spotless. This out burst gets a very mixed response, I get laughs from the blondes, Ashlee and Justice, but I think Brianna was confused. Richard just hit me and said, â€Å"Shut the hell up man.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a couple of hours of recreational time, Richard yells at me â€Å"Come on man, we gotta go!† We get up to leave and halfway out the door one of the girls, probably Brianna, calls after us, â€Å"Give us a ring!† I reply, â€Å"Yeah okay.

Promote communication Essay

In this assignment I will be identifying systems that promote communication and assessing my knowledge, understanding and skills required to develop communication systems for meeting individual outcomes. Your ability to communicate is about delivering your message clearly and understandably to others in order to achieve good communication skills. Communication is very important as day to day we are always communicating or using communication techniques to communicate with others. Our body position and what we do with our body is also a way of communicating for example if someone asks you a question and the reply is yes or no we can answer this by shaking our heads which is communicating back to them with the answer but without speaking. In society today we have so many more ways of communicating than we did 50 years ago such as mobile phone, internet access, writing letters etc these are all ways we can communicate and what we do in our day to day lives. I personally work in a small residential home where communication is a key factor in my day to day job role, we are all expected to follow and provide the best communication we can. My job role is very much involved with the clients in which I am always communicating in different ways to meet their individual needs. Some of my clients have different impairment needs for example some have visual impairments and some have hearing impairments which makes it harder for them to communicate with others and can leave the clients feeling very frustrated and lonely if they feel that they cannot communicate with people, eventually it may make them want to give up trying and then they become feeling all alone and not having their needs met. This is why my job is very important by having good communication skills I can meet all their needs and communicate with them and they are able to communicate back to me. Day by day I’m still learning new techniques and skills in order to communicate and make the clients feel better in themselves as I can communicate with them in a way they can understand and not find it difficult for them, for example I have one client which has an hearing impairment and finds it very difficult to communicate with others although client A has an hearing aid client A still has trouble to communicate, in order for me to communicate with client A I often use icture cards which I can hold up and show to client A for example I hold up a picture of a drink or food then by doing this I know if client A wants any and then they can respond to me either by speaking to me or shaking their head. This makes client A feel wanted and not that they are being left out and not being spoken to I also hold cards up of a toilet, the words hot and cold and much more, client A likes the idea of pictures cards and never knew we could do this until they came to stay with us, so where they thought they would move into a care setting and nobody would communicate with them, client A was very relieved that pictures card where invented. I felt good in myself when I was providing this communication as I knew I was doing something which was making a client feel better in themselves and made it very rewarding for me. I also use techniques like signs, symbols and objects in order to communicate with the clients with hearing impairments. However in my work place I have a few clients with slight hearing impairments where they can hear me if I higher the tone of my voice slightly and they also lip read which can also be classed as a way of communicating. I find using these communication techniques helps not only the clients but also me as when I’m promoting communicating with them I feel rewarded and good about myself knowing that my clients are happy and getting what they wish. Writing information or certain things down is one way I have also found is an effective way of communicating especially times like meal times when I can write down the options available and then the client can respond to me with their answer once they have read what I have written down. I think anyone with communication barriers will find it difficult to communicate but there is always a way to outcome the situation and work around it for example client B’s first language was not English which made it hard for client B to communicate with others around the home even though he could speak slight English the other clients found it hard, we overcome this situation as we got a translator in for a little while each week which made client B’s English more sufficient in order for everyone to be able to communicate with client B a little better, now I hear client B having full conversations with others which makes us feel better as a home knowing we promoted this communication. Clients with visual impairments must find it really difficult to try and communicate with others as not only can they not see the person, they do not know where the person is positioned and sometimes who they are (if they have never met the person before). This is why it is very important to always be at the same level as the person you are trying to communicate with for example if a client is sitting down then the carer is expected to kneel down to the clients eye level and communicate with them face to face and not stand above them and have to shout in order for them to understand you. In a care setting communication should always be at the top of the priority list as if the clients are not being communicated with then their day to day basic needs are not being met.

Situational Leadership in Organizational Behavior and Relationship Management

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND CONTINGENCY THEORIES Executive Summary This ensuing essay is a formal discussion on the need for leadership change based upon continuously evolving situations in modern day conglomerates . The introduction summarizes situational leadership followed by a critical analysis on the same. The latter presents various leadership styles which are respectively applied in specific types of situations and tasks. Recommendations are provided at the end along with the conclusion.Introduction The present day conglomerate story is strewn with complexities which are hard to define or comprehend . At the center stage of such complexities is the concept of staff welfare. Being the most significant connection between the company and the customer , successful employee relation is the cornerstone that every corporate wants to excel at . The way in which staff relate to clients is of paramount importance as ‘customer delight’ is a direct resultant of the same .Hence modern day literature on leadership has devoted considerable focus on comprehension of different leadership approaches adopted in specific sorts of situations. Better or worse employee management skills is the key differentiating factor as far as profitability gaps are considered. In the following writings, we try to evaluate the various concepts which provide us a detailed evaluation of staff management issues and application of the latter in present day management policy. Critical AnalysisWe are confronted by a scenario in which a manager at a particular company is conducting a meeting with his one downs. The number of such people is 10. The staff are disgusted and flabbergasted at the heinous manner in which senior management has been treating them. The manager overheard certain staff comment that they felt like ‘cogs in a machine’. However in the other divisions of the company , the situation is not as grim and staff are given their due recognition and respect.Henc e came in the need to preach and practice ‘situational leadership’ which would help in erasing such differentiated inter departmental behavioral patterns. But another manager by the name of William is completely averse to such idea and feels that employees should be thankful for being hired, in the first place. Wage income earned by the staff is their means of survival and provision of the same by the company entitles the latter to put in place tough work standards that need to be complied with .Thus arises the paramount importance which needs to be attributed to the concept of situational leadership , since the latter is the most effective tool which can bring an end to rigidities in leadership behavior that will ultimately see a contented workforce delivering on higher efficiency and productivity . Literature on leadership has been focusing more and more on a situational theme rather than the more traditional dictum of a traditional kind. The situational approach is f lexible and adaptive in character as opposed to the traditional variant that kills innovative thought in management.Leadership styles can be differentiated as – coaching , affiliative, commanding, pacesetting , visionary and democratic. A forward looking leader is one who appropriately adopts one or more of such styles depending upon the task and occasion in question. Goleman along with other colleagues, is of the belief that employee engagement and performance drive of the greatest magnitude can be achieved if one has a cautious concoction of the visionary approach, coaching, the affiliative approach and the democratic approach.Post the Goleman era ,further inroads into the phenomenon of corporate leadership suggest that leadership cannot be effectively defined by any one single approach . On the contrary , multiple styles describe leadership and such styles are contingent on varying situations. Thus came into existence, ‘contingency theories’ on leadership whic h elaborated on the adaptation of management styles to the requirements of a specific situation, group and the manager’s own personal values. We now make a humble attempt to investigate some of these theory hypotheses : )Fiedler’s contingency theory : During the course of his study on contingency theory literature between 1964 and 1967 , Fred Fiedler tried to establish the linkages between the leadership style and performance of a group , in changing situational circumstances. In his opinion , three basic situational variables alter the extent of ‘favorableness’ of a situation when we consider a leader: (i)Leader-Member connect in respect of trust ,confidence and respect. (ii) The definition and overall purview of the task in consideration. iii)The amount of leadership control exercised by the leader over his sub ordinates. ‘Very favorable’ or ‘Very unfavorable’ situations called for an authoritarian(task oriented) fashion of lead ership. On the contrary ,when unstructured tasks were investigated upon, low leadership control and good leader-member relations marked a ‘medium favorable’ situation . This situation would be best supported by a democratic (relationship oriented) style of leadership. However a standard criticism of this model, is the fact that the favorability variables are mostly qualitative in nature and difficult to be estimated.Also the least preferred co-worker(LPC) scale formulated by Fiedler to determine leadership patterns, with the help of a lucid questionnaire asking leaders to specify the individual they collaborate least with , in terms of sixteen extremes ,has been under the scanner in terms of the rationale . Studies concerning the LPC scale have elaborated that LPC scores of a particular leader can vary , thus not providing any conclusive evidence of leadership pattern. Nevertheless, Fiedler’s work has to be viewed as a catalyst that encouraged further studies in the contingencies of leadership. )Path-Goal theory : The Path Goal theory is a far more empirical research model on the concept of contingency theory . It was formulated as a correction to the previous Ohio State studies which presented the fact that though successful leaders tended to be optimistic with both the initiating structure and consideration sets of leadership, there were exceptions. The basic ground to this model is expectancy theory . This theory claims that definition of an unambiguous path to a particular achievable situation could act as a tool of motivation .But if such path is already chalked out, additional inputs from the leader to his one downs could be felt uncalled for and thus satisfaction with the leader would diminish. Thus higher consideration results in higher satisfaction in case the staff works on repetitive tasks and aiming to initiate structure gives greater results in ambiguous work situations. The Path-Goal theory of leadership has not been without i ts share of critics. Having predicted resultant scenarios of different task structures, it has also beeped upon inconsistent research outcomes.Apparently, such theory gives one greater insights in predicting leader-subordinate behaviors rather than leader-peer interactions. c)Life-Cycle Theory : A more relevant and present day theory of contingency which considers the points discussed till now and puts gives them a shared common perspective is the Life Cycle model. This theory was presented by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard , rests on three key variables – the amount of task-orientation that a leader exhibits , the amount of relationship-orientation along with the quantity of willingness that the staff throw out in the course of the task implementation.These variables combine with the historical and present performances of the sample staff as comprehended by the leader and also the interactions within their own selves are combine in order to determine the appropriate leadershi p style. The most interesting result of this model is that a particular leadership trend can come out (sometimes over a finite time horizon) hence pointing to a clear developmental phenomenon ,given delegation of decision-making and responsibility to seasoned team members .However ,the outcome is opposite in cases where leaders maintain great concern for tasks as well as employees. The above model has often been criticized being a ‘post hoc ‘concept ,unable to be utilized as a predictive framework. Thus the need for change in leadership We have argued in the preceding section of the essay using various models of contingency theories that there is in fact an imperative need for changes in leadership styles, according to varying situations.William, who in this write-up is all for an autocratic mode of leadership, has not considered certain pertinent issues that creep up silently when such style is enforced. Staff become scared and tense , dependency on the supervisor incre ases manifold , morale takes a bad hit and absenteeism at work increases. All of these result in low productivity levels and the organization faces trouble. Thus there is a strong requirement for this particular organization to have situational leadership in place , argues our pro-change manager.A democratic style should be used when the management wants staff to be participative in decision-making and problem-solving. Complex issues require diverse formulation of ideas and the latter is possible only if staff are encouraged to join in the related discussion forums. Such opportunity also provides the staff to form a greater sense of belonging , personal growth and job satisfaction. A ‘laissez-faire’ or a ‘hands-off’ mode of leadership is also effective at times when the sub ordinates in question are highly skilled , perfectly trained and well educated.Trustworthiness and self-pride in tasks undertaken are two important attributes which the staff should poss ess ,to make such style a success. We can also talk of the pacesetting or transformational leadership style that forms and retains a context which brings out the best in sub ordinates hence optimizing human and organizational competencies. This approach also helps in bringing about transformation at multiple levels and aligns staff with certain core values along with a common purpose.We can note from the above arguments that one particular leadership style is rarely effective in managing the present day complex corporation and we must adopt a mix and match of leadership styles in order to bring out the best results in terms of staff productivity and efficiency. Leadership needs to change Cautious self-probe and the ability to change given behavioral traits are key in being successful in altering a particular leadership style . Acclaimed leaders are usually the section of people that have managed to do so.We can elaborate on some ways in which the leader can alter his management meth ods: a) He should ask for quality feedback from his team of sub ordinates, such that he understands their unbiased response to the effect of his style on them , on his specific department as well as on the company at large. He should be able to accept truthful answers on his face and should refrain from being offensive at certain responses . Honest feedback by direct sub ordinates is one of the most relevant tools , that informs the leader of areas of improvement and helps him in changing his management style. )Small changes in leadership style should be brought about at the initial stage as opposed to swaying changes since the latter would sweep the staff off their feet. Influences to changes in leadership Some particular factors have a telling effect on leadership styles. These can be enumerated as follows : i)Positive office environment ii)Promoting creative thought iii)Low staff churning ratios iv)Staff Skill set v)Probing and Decisiveness vi)Managing , encouraging and rewarding performance viii)Team work ix)Deveolping both self and team through extensive quality tranings )Client Focus APPEALS TOWARDS CHANGE â€Å"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. †Ã‚   ? Albert Einstein Conclusion: We have established with the help of the above essay that changes in leadership styles are quintessential to management today and if such approach is adopted we would see productivity and efficiency increase manifold . Recommendations: Thus it is strongly advocated that corporations instruct and encourage managers to participate fully in situational leadership styles.Democratic style of leadership appears to be the best option in most situations. References: A Primer on Organizational Behavior; Bowditch, Buono, Stewart Seventh Edition, Pages 220-226, Leadership Styles;www. unpan1. un. org retrieved from unpan1. un. org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/unssc/unpan024704. pdf, How To Change Lea dership Style; www. ehow. com retrieved from www. ehow. com/how_7579100_change-HYPERLINK â€Å"http://www. ehow. com/how_7579100_change-leadership-style. html†leadership-style. html, Factors that influence choice of leadership style; www. ukessays. com retrieved from www. kessays. com/essays/management/factors-that-influence-choice-of-leadership-style-management-style. php , Factors influencing leadership style; businesscasestudies. co. uk retrieved from businesscasestudies. co. uk/tesco/developing-appropriate-leadership-styles/factors-influencing-leadership-style. html#axzz2OyXVYv3j, Quotes about change www. goodreads. com retrieved from www. goodreads. com/quotes/tag/change On Managing People ;Harvard Business Review Press Pages 12-13 Leadership the Challenge; Kouzes and Posner Pages Third Edition Essentials Of Organizational Behavior ;Robbins and Judge Ninth Edition

The Use of Death In Beowulf essays

The Use of Death In Beowulf essays In the story of Beowolf, the three main themes of fate, courage, and death stick out. Death mostly sticks out towards the end of the story in the chapter about Beowolfs death after his fight with the dragon, but also sticks out in other parts of the story. You could say death was the whole reason that most of the story happened. It all started back when Abel was killed by Cain. Cains offspring together produced a slime from which Grendel was born. Since Grendel was naturally evil, he killed nearly 30 men at the beginning of the story just because he enjoyed eating them. Grendels murdering went on for years to come until Beowolf heard of it. Beowolf made the journey to the kingdom and took on Grendel in the first big fight of the story, which ended up in the monsters demise. Grendels Mother then heard of her sons death resulting in her being bent on revenge. She tried to take on Beowolf herself, but she ended up dying at his hands also. In the final few chapters of the story, Beowolf dies after his battle with the dragon. As he is dying, he makes a long speech about his life and tells Wiglaf, the only soldier to fight beside him, how he wants to be buried, and what to do with the treasure. After he dies, Wiglaf talks to the other soldiers on how they were cowards, and left Beowolfs side to hide in the forest. Beowolf is then buried with the gold in a tower on the sea, so all can remember him. Death in Beowolf can cause many different reactions such as revenge or grief. Revenge is seen in the people of Herot after all of the innocent men being killed. It is also seen in Grendels mother, after the death of her evil son. The grief caused by the death of Beowolf led to his memory living on through the legends of him, and the memorial built for him. Overall death is an important part of Beowolf. It triggers emotions that advance the plot well and keep the story exciting. ...

Profile of Christine Falling

Profile of Christine Falling Christine Falling was a 17-year-old babysitter when she murdered five babies and an elderly man. She was one of the youngest female serial killers in U.S. history. Childhood Years Christine Falling was born on March 12, 1963, in Perry, Florida to Ann, age 16 and Thomas Slaughter, age 65. Christine was Anns second child. Her sister Carol was born a year and a half earlier. From the beginning, life for Christine was challenging. Her mother Ann would often leave for months at a time. When Ann would return home, it seemed to her young daughters that she always came back pregnant. Over the following two years, after Christine was born, Ann had two more children, boys Michael and Earl. Of all the children, Thomas claimed only Earl as his biological child. The Slaughters were very poor, as were many living in Perry at the time. During Anns absence, Thomas cared for the children by bringing them out to the woods where he worked. But when he was in a work-related accident, Ann was forced to rejoin the family. After that the children were often shuffled around to family members until, according to Carol, Ann completely abandoned them, leaving them on a bench at a Perry shopping center. Jesse and Dolly Falling Dolly Falling wanted to be a mother  but was unable to have children. Her husband Jesse was related to the Slaughter children and they decided to adopt Carol and Christine. Life for the two girls at the Fallings home was unstable. Christine was epileptic and suffered from seizures. She also had severe learning and developmental problems. Physically she was unattractive, obese, and had an odd vacant look in her eyes. At an early age, Christine demonstrated personality traits that were worrisome. She would have severe fits of anger and displayed antisocial behavior. For example, she developed a fascination with torturing cats. She would strangle them and then drop them from up high to see if they really had nine lives. She learned immediately that they did not, yet that did not end her experiments. Both Carol and Christine became rebellious and unruly as they got older. However, according to author Madeline Blais in her book The Heart Is an Instrument, the girls were also subjected to physical and sexual abuse by Jesse Falling, something the Fallings both denied. However, life at the Falling home was so dysfunctional that the church pastor interceded and the Fallings agreed to send the girls away. A Refuge The girls were sent to the Great Oaks Village in Orlando. This was a group foster home designed to help neglected and abused children. Christine later commented on how much she enjoyed her time there, although according to social workers, during her stay she was a thief, compulsive liar, and would often get in trouble just for the attention that it brought. It was also noted in the social workers records that Jesse Falling had been arrested twice for sexually abusing Carol. The first arrest ended in a hung jury and the second time Dolly Falling dropped the charges. After a year at the refuge, the girls were returned to the Fallings. This time there was no sexual abuse, but the physical abuse continued. The final episode happened in October 1975 when Jesse allegedly subjected Christine to a severe beating for being 10 minutes late. He also insisted that she wear shorts to school the following day so everyone could see the justice marks. The following day the girls ran away. Munchausen Syndrome After six weeks of living with Carols friend, Christine decided to go to Blountstown and live with Ann, her birth mother. She managed to do that for a while, and in September 1977, at the age of 14, she married a man (reportedly her stepbrother) who was in his twenties. The marriage was riddled with arguments and violence and it ended after just six weeks. After her marriage failed, Christine developed a compulsion for going to the hospital emergency room. Each time she would complain of different ailments that doctors could not diagnose. One time she went complaining of bleeding, which turned out to be her regular menstrual period. Another time she thought a snake bit her. Within two years, she went to the hospital over 50 times. It seemed that Christines need for attention, which the counselors at Great Oaks Village had noted, was transferred to getting attention at the hospital. At that point, she was possibly developing Munchausen syndrome, an infliction in which those affected seek the comfort from medical personnel for exaggerated or self-inflicted symptoms of illnesses. Munchausen syndrome is closely related to Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP/MSP), when they abuse another person, usually a child, to get attention or sympathy for themselves. Christine Finds Her Calling Christine Falling had few options when it came to earning a living. She was uneducated and her maturity level was that of a young child. She managed to make some money by babysitting for neighbors and family. In fact, it seemed to be her calling. Parents trusted her and she enjoyed being with the children, or so it appeared. Her Victims - The Children On February 25, 1980, Christine was babysitting two-year-old Cassidy Muffin Johnson, when according to Falling, the child became ill and fell out of her crib. She was diagnosed with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and died three days later. According to the autopsy, her death was due to blunt trauma to the skull. One of the doctors did not agree with the childs diagnosis and found Fallings tear-stained story questionable. He noted his suspicions that the baby was physically harmed and did not die of natural causes. He suggested that the police should talk to Falling, but investigators took no further action. Soon after the incident, Falling moved to Lakeland, Florida. The next two children to die were cousins, four-year-old Jeffrey Davis and two-year-old Joseph Spring. While caring for Jeffrey, Falling told doctors that he had stopped breathing. The autopsy report listed myocarditis, which is usually a result of a viral infection and causes inflammation of the heart. Three days later Falling was babysitting Joseph while his parents attended Jeffreys funeral. Falling said Joseph failed to wake up from his nap. He was also found with a viral infection and the case was closed. Falling decided to return to Perry  and took a position in July 1981 as a housekeeper for 77-year-old William Swindle. Swindle died on the first day that Falling worked. He was found on his kitchen floor. It was assumed that he suffered a massive heart attack. Not long after Swindles death, Fallings stepsister took her eight-month-old daughter, Jennifer Daniels, for her vaccinations. Falling went along. On the way home, the stepsister ran into the store for diapers and when she returned to the car Falling told her that Jennifer had stopped breathing. The baby was dead. On July 2, 1982, Falling was taking care of 10-week-old Travis Cook who was just home from the hospital after a week prior Christine had noticed he was having a hard time breathing. This time, however, Travis did not make it. Christine said he just suddenly died. The doctors and nurses ignored the usual tears that poured from Falling as she explained what happened. The autopsy showed that the childs death was caused by suffocation. Fallings reign of terror had finally ended. Fallings Confession Falling eventually confessed to five murders. She was afraid of getting the death penalty and agreed to a plea deal. She told detectives that she killed her victims by smotheration and had learned how to do it by watching television. She boasted about putting her own spin on the technique by placing a blanket over the children faces. She also said that she heard voices telling her to kill the baby. In a taped confession, she described the events leading up to the smotheration of each child. According to Falling: Cassidy Johnson was smothered because she had gotten kind of rowdy or something. Jeffrey Davis made me mad or something. I was already mad that morning. I just took it out on him and just started choking him til he was dead. Joe Boy was napping when I dont know. I just got the urge and wanted to kill him. Her niece, Jennifer Daniels died because She was continually crying and crying and crying and it made me mad so I just put my hands around her neck and choked her til she shut up. Travis Coleman was sleeping when for no apparent reason she killed him. Guilty Plea On September 17, 1982, Christine Falling plead guilty to murder two children and received two concurrent life sentences. After a few years in prison, she admitted to strangling William Swindle. In 2006, Falling came up for parole and was denied. Her next parole hearing was set for September 2017.

Art History Essay -- William Hogarth, Hogarthian Style

The Hogarthian style, is believed to have laid the foundation of the Rococo era also referred to as Late Baroque, its use of simplistic shell like shapes to promote colloquialisms of ornamental symmetry. Use of intercut design within portraiture ,providing smooth and consistent brush strokes in order to provide a precise depiction of the narrative , presenting subtle elements of eroticism in order to express a sense of playfulness and elegance of the era . Use of drapery to complement the bodily composition for each character , the use of broad and subtle emotional states express aspects of classicism such as contrapposto to provide bodily composition to create a sense of dynamics o... ... middle of paper ... ...to maintain the balance. While the other resides at her waist complementing her feminine figure. Such emphasis on bodily composition and femininity , contributes to the satirical elements of the Rococo era, presenting such sexual themes in order to emphasize that the woman presented wishes for the embrace of financial security. Hoping that a beloved gentlemen well arrive in order to provide her a substantial future. But also infers the common trend of the era was infidelity , usually portrayed through scandals, that commoners engaged the aristocracy, through acts of intercourse in order to satisfy the erotic needs of their superiors , either believing that the individual well be a worthy partner both economically and emotionally. Or simply she adopts the life style of a cortisone and or escort , simply using her physical beauty in order to implement clients.

Ethnic tourism in Brick lane(east London) Dissertation

Ethnic tourism in Brick lane(east London) - Dissertation Example This is set alongside the fact that many of the inhabitants are still living as a pre-21th century overcrowded village community on the edge of the ultra modern city. Introduction Shoreditch is described as ‘an area of hope and endless resilience’, (Unseen Tours, 2011). Yet it might be truer to say hope of a better future – perhaps somewhere else. Another description appears in the form of a sundial high on the wall of the Jamme Masjid Mosque (undated) in London’s Brick Lane. Clearly to be seen on its surface is the Latin tag ‘Umbra Sumus’ i.e. ... ned by Stebbins in 1996 ( page 948) as :- Cultural tourism is a genre of special interest tourism based on the search for and participation in new and deep cultural experiences, whether aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, or psychological" (948). The question to be answered is whether or not this is ultimately of benefit to the inhabitants - in particular those with origins overseas , now living in crowded conditions at the southern end of Brick Lane and its environs or on the social housing estates nearby. According to a UNESCO report on the effects of tourism ( Preface, 1995) the effects may be economically positive but :- This approach, however, reduces the cultural heritage and the environmental assets to an economic commodity minimizing or sometimes completely ignoring their socio-cultural values. Ask people to mention important sites in London and they will quickly come up with a long list – Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, the Tower, Buckingham Palace and all the rest . But of course this is a false picture as far as Londoners are concerned. It really consists not of a string of tourists sites, but is made up of millions of ordinary people trying to exist cheek by jowl with the tourists, the icons and amidst the ensuing crush,. Crowded buses, high prices, when all they want to do is cope and perhaps find happiness and even success for themselves, their families and those they care about. What is important for them is not tourist sites, but home, family, security, who they are and where they are going.. Many of these people live in Whitechapel, and many hundreds in Brick Lane and the surrounding streets. In 1986, according to the Labour party Brick Lane at that time was:- a community of working class and industrious people: a multi-ethnic community, a historic

Long-Term Growth and Development of a Nation Dissertation

Long-Term Growth and Development of a Nation - Dissertation Example While the Democratic Party is known as the architect of modern day racism, the Republicans have been following a policy of attacking racism at its very roots. The delegation head J.C. Watts pointed out, â€Å"we are going to attack racism at its roots, we have to focus on education, on economic empowerment, and on rewarding hard work† the Republicans are aware of the Democratic policy of keeping the blacks in poverty and hunger in order to turn them against the Republicans during election time and induce them to cast protest votes. Republicans are against the racial quotas and social welfare benefits. However, I feel they should incorporate these in order to win the confidence of the blacks. Thus the Republicans aim at winning the hearts of the blacks and help them gain a respectable position such that they may have little ground for protest. According to Frances Rice, chairman of the National Black Republican Association, â€Å"The Democrats fight every effort of Republicans to get blacks out of poverty because they know that once blacks become prosperous, the Democratic Party will lose its power base†. Working at the grassroots level would be essential for this. The Republicans cannot work towards the betterment of the blacks without a policy of approaching the problem secretly, slowly and on a one-to-one level. The Democrats know that for politics’ sake they cannot let the blacks prosper. However, prosperity cannot come to a nation if a large section of the population or inhabitants lies impoverished and in misery. However, the United States by its very constitution, stand against bigotry and hence racism. In the words of Watts, â€Å"Our country was built on a foundation of liberty and equality for people of all races, religions, and backgrounds. The principles of tolerance and equality remain the core of our identity as a nation†. However, the most recent blow to the efforts against racism was disturbed when the 9/11 massacre to ok place. The threat would fall on the Arabs and Muslims. Recently, after 9/11 took place this hatred even spread towards the harmless Sikhs of India. The idea of promoting the Ku-Klux-Klan (KKK) complemented the Democrats’ interest.

Baseball Management Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Baseball Management Project - Essay Example Based on the result, recommendations are drawn that will help the committee to make baseball better while meeting the aspirations of the involved stakeholders. It has been argued that the money one earns has a bearing to both the players of baseball as well as business owners. The Analysis of Variance (Appendix A) clearly depicts that when the attendance is equal to greater than three million, players enjoy higher salaries when compared to a situation where the fans are less than two million. However, it is worth noting that there was no significant differences in salaries when the attendance was from two million to three million and three million and above. For the 2002 season, a player would be likely to enjoy higher pay when there are over two million fans. As players enjoy higher salaries, business owners will realize increased profits. This attributed to the fact that when there are more fans, business thrive for instance more tickets are sold, there is increase in merchandise being sold as well as food stuff. In any game usually characterized with competition, there are two main aspects; winning and losing. Ideally, winning competition is very significant in survival of any business entity. In this case, a baseball team that wins will eventually meet the aspirations of players, coaches, support staff to mention but a few. ANOVA results in appendix B indicates that teams are more likely to win if there is a big number of fans attending. This can be attributed to the moral support they receive from their fans. The findings depicts that at 0.05 level of significance, higher fans attendance of three million and above largely influences team wins. For this reason, it would be rational for business owners to encourage more fans to attend in order for them to enjoy the related profits which will be associated with wins. In baseball, it is always important to ensure that there are

Investing In Early Developing Country with One of the 500 Fortune Research Paper

Investing In Early Developing Country with One of the 500 Fortune Companies - Research Paper Example The aspect of globalization was the core consideration with regard to the type of company selected. Since I was more inclined to a service company particularly in the baking and financial services sector, I settled on Capital One Financial, which is a reputed banking corporation with a global presence as well as being among the fortune 500 companies. Capital One Financial Corp is a bank holding firm based in the U.S and focuses in auto loans, home loans, and credit cards banking along with savings products (Icon Group International, Inc. Staff and Icon Group Ltd 12-15). An associate of the Fortune 500, the corporation helped establish the mass marketing of credit cards in the initial periods of 1990s, and it is currently the fourth-largest client of the American Postal Service and its deposit assortment is ranked fifth in the country (Paige 14). Capital One Financial firm is the mother corporation of Capital One Auto Finance, or COAF, stationed in Plano, Texas. Subsequent to buying P eopleFirst, it grew to be the largest Internet auto lender and one of the highly ranked US auto lenders in general (Hitt et al 85). Kenya is my country of choice for investment for a number of reasons, first is the fact that Kenya is the fastest growing economy in the expanse and its performance is robust making it a viable destination for investment (Ndung’u, Collier and Adam 89-92). Commercially, Kenya has made numerous gains and its financial sector along with general economic environment is based on the contemporary economic standards. Kenya’s financial and banking sector is among the most robust and lucrative not only in East Africa but also in the entire world. Therefore, investing in the Kenyan financial and banking sector is a lucrative idea. The investment plan by Capital One Financial in Kenya’s financial and banking system will be organized in a number of stages to achieve the required results (Goodman and Downes 106). In essence, the investment progr am will echo the relevant realities in Kenya regarding the investment protocols that ought to be followed. Essentially, the investment will be done through joint ventures that represent the most convenient way of investing in Kenya. Therefore, Capital One Financial will seek joint venture with local banks in Kenya through which it will launch its services and operations in conjunction with the local bank. The choice of local company will be done in a categorical manner to make certain that the concerns and goals of the investing company are safeguarded. Nevertheless, the option of foreign direct investment (FDI) will be left open so as to ensure that Capital One Financial may invest directly in the Kenyan financial system. However, this will depend on the probability of success of FDI by the company on request of the Kenyan authorities. Financial banking is the discipline of administration of money along with other valuables pertaining to a particular business. It is obvious that ba nks tender basic advances, deposits in addition to financial counsel, though they as well facilitate dealings on complicated financial instruments like private equity, bonds along with mutual funds (IBP USA Staff 56-61). The majority of top performing contenders typically perceive careers in Banking as the pinnacle of accomplishment, and sectors such as coffers, equity trading, speculation banking along

Clinical Issue Article Analysis Step 4 Research Paper

Clinical Issue Article Analysis Step 4 - Research Paper Example in Urology Patients are that all healthcare members need to understand the diagnostic criteria and the utilization of tools used for daily assessment. The article on a pragmatic study exploring the prevention of delirium findings is that there is there is the need to use end-user support in the implementation of evidence based clinical decision support tools. The last article on Delirium Prevention for Cognitive, Sensory, and Mobility Impairments findings is that nursing protocols used will not be in a position of preventing delirium in elderly patients. The three qualitative and three quantities research articles have been thoroughly researched with the researchers using pre-intervention and post-intervention study as design and this makes the findings trustworthy and valid. There exist conflicts and gaps from the six articles as each provides a different conclusion and findings. However, in all the articles come to a similar conclusion as they provide different ways of dealing with delirium in hospitalized patients. Holroyd-Leduc1, R., Abelseth, G., Khandwala, F., Silvius, J., Hogan, D., Schmaltz, H., Frank, C. (2010). A pragmatic study exploring the prevention of delirium among hospitalized older hip fracture patients: Applying evidence to routine clinical practice using clinical decision support. Implementation Science, 5, 1-6. Foreman, M. D., Mion, L. C., Trygstad, L. J., & Fletcher, K. (2003). Delirium: Strategies for assessing and treating. In M. Mezey, T. Fulmer, I. Abraaham, & D. Zwicker (Eds.). Geriatric nursing protocols for best practice (2nd ed., pp. 63-75). New York:

Baseball Management Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Baseball Management Project - Essay Example Based on the result, recommendations are drawn that will help the committee to make baseball better while meeting the aspirations of the involved stakeholders. It has been argued that the money one earns has a bearing to both the players of baseball as well as business owners. The Analysis of Variance (Appendix A) clearly depicts that when the attendance is equal to greater than three million, players enjoy higher salaries when compared to a situation where the fans are less than two million. However, it is worth noting that there was no significant differences in salaries when the attendance was from two million to three million and three million and above. For the 2002 season, a player would be likely to enjoy higher pay when there are over two million fans. As players enjoy higher salaries, business owners will realize increased profits. This attributed to the fact that when there are more fans, business thrive for instance more tickets are sold, there is increase in merchandise being sold as well as food stuff. In any game usually characterized with competition, there are two main aspects; winning and losing. Ideally, winning competition is very significant in survival of any business entity. In this case, a baseball team that wins will eventually meet the aspirations of players, coaches, support staff to mention but a few. ANOVA results in appendix B indicates that teams are more likely to win if there is a big number of fans attending. This can be attributed to the moral support they receive from their fans. The findings depicts that at 0.05 level of significance, higher fans attendance of three million and above largely influences team wins. For this reason, it would be rational for business owners to encourage more fans to attend in order for them to enjoy the related profits which will be associated with wins. In baseball, it is always important to ensure that there are

Clinical Issue Article Analysis Step 4 Research Paper

Clinical Issue Article Analysis Step 4 - Research Paper Example in Urology Patients are that all healthcare members need to understand the diagnostic criteria and the utilization of tools used for daily assessment. The article on a pragmatic study exploring the prevention of delirium findings is that there is there is the need to use end-user support in the implementation of evidence based clinical decision support tools. The last article on Delirium Prevention for Cognitive, Sensory, and Mobility Impairments findings is that nursing protocols used will not be in a position of preventing delirium in elderly patients. The three qualitative and three quantities research articles have been thoroughly researched with the researchers using pre-intervention and post-intervention study as design and this makes the findings trustworthy and valid. There exist conflicts and gaps from the six articles as each provides a different conclusion and findings. However, in all the articles come to a similar conclusion as they provide different ways of dealing with delirium in hospitalized patients. Holroyd-Leduc1, R., Abelseth, G., Khandwala, F., Silvius, J., Hogan, D., Schmaltz, H., Frank, C. (2010). A pragmatic study exploring the prevention of delirium among hospitalized older hip fracture patients: Applying evidence to routine clinical practice using clinical decision support. Implementation Science, 5, 1-6. Foreman, M. D., Mion, L. C., Trygstad, L. J., & Fletcher, K. (2003). Delirium: Strategies for assessing and treating. In M. Mezey, T. Fulmer, I. Abraaham, & D. Zwicker (Eds.). Geriatric nursing protocols for best practice (2nd ed., pp. 63-75). New York:

Justice or Free

Justice or Freedom of Speech Essay 1. When do the concerns of national security cross the line to infringing on personal freedoms in regards to activities such as data mining? 2. Are people prepared to give up certain civil rights in order to assure safety in the new age of terrorism? 3. Is the government being completely open about the various programs that are  being used under the â€Å"drift net?† 4. What is actual definition of the â€Å"targeted† part of society that is being observed  and tracked? 5. Should the government be able to â€Å"mine† personal data such as financial,  phone and related records? 6. Does the Patriot Act give too much power to the FBI and related government  agencies without judicial oversight? 7. Who is providing checks and balances to the agencies that have been given this  extra power under the Patriot Act? 8. What is the margin for error in defining who is a suspect and who is not? 9. Is there appropriate due process for those targeted by National Security letters  whose records have been requested? 10. Is racially profiling considered a violation of people’s civil rights, and does  the government have a right to use this as a basis for targeting civilians as  possible terrorists?

Geoffrey Keynes Research on Cancer Treatment

Geoffrey Keynes Research on Cancer Treatment In God We Trust. All Others Must Have Data Radical surgery had undergone an astonishing boom in the 1950s and 1960s. William Halsted had become the patron saint of cancer surgery in the United States. But at St. Bartholomews Hospital in London, a doctor named Geoffrey Keynes was not convinced. In August 1924, Keynes examined a patient with breast cancer. Rather than reaching indiscriminately for a radical procedure, he opted for a much more conservative strategy. He buried fifty milligrams of radium in her breast to irradiate her tumor and monitored her to observe the effect. Surprisingly, he found a marked improvement. Her tumor had reduced so rapidly that Keynes might be able to remove it with a minor surgery. Over the next five years, Keynes tried other variations of the same strategy. The most successful variation was to remove the tumors with a minor surgery, followed by a small dose of radiation to the breast. Nothing was radical, yet their cancer relapse rate was comparable to those got by using radical surgery in Baltimore and New York. In 1927, Keynes reviewed his experience combining local surgery with radiation in a technical report to his department. But his theory and operation were ignored by American surgeons. They called Keyness surgery lumpectomy. In 1953, a colleague of Keyness gave a lecture on the history of breast cancer at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, focusing on Keyness observations on minimal surgery for the breast. In the audience was a young surgeon named George Barney Crile. Crile had learned the radical mastectomy from students of Halsted. But he was having his own doubts about radical mastectomy. As Crile poured through Keyness data, the flaw in the logic of radical surgery came to light. If the breast cancer was locally confined, then it could be cured by a small local surgery. Radical surgery could add no benefit. If the tumor had already spread outside the breast, then even the most exhaustive surgery would be useless. Crile gave up on radical mastectomy and treated breast cancer using an approach similar to Keyness. Over six years, he found that the effect of his simple mastectomy was remarkably similar to Keyness, with patient survival rates similar to those got from radical mastectomy. A Pennsylvania surgeon named Bernard Fisher had also lost faith in radical mastectomy. In 1971, Fisher organized a clinical trial through the NSABP National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project to test the efficacy of radical mastectomy against lumpectomy+radiation and simple mastectomy. It took Fisher 10 years to gather that data. 1,765 patients from 34 centers in the United States and Canada enrolled in the trial. Patients were randomized into three groups: one treated with simple mastectomy, the second with lumpectomy followed by radiation, and the third with radical Mastectomy. The results of the trial were made public in 1981. The rates of breast cancer relapse, death, and metastasis were statistically identical among all three groups. Radical mastectomy is rarely, if ever, performed by surgeons today. In 1973, a 22-year-old veterinary student in Indiana named John Cleland was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer-cancer of the testes. The cancer had metastasized into his lungs and lymph nodes. In 1973, the survival rate for such a cancer was less than 5 percent. Cleland was under the care of a young oncologist named Larry Einhorn in the cancer ward at Indiana University. Einhorn initially treated Cleland with a three-drug cocktail called ABO, which was found to be marginally effective. In the fall of 1974, Einhorn replaced the ABO regimen with a new chemical called cisplatin. Other researchers had seen transient responses in testicular cancer patients treated with cisplatin. Einhorn wanted to see if he could increase the response rate by combining cisplatin with two other drugs. For Celand, it was a choice between the uncertainty of the new regimen and the certainty of death. He took the gamble and enrolled as patient zero for BVP, the new regimen containing bleomycin, vinbl astine, and cisplatin. Ten days later, the tumors in Clelands lungs had vanished. By 1975, twenty additional patients had enrolled in the trial all with remarkable and durable responses similar to Celands. By the late winter of 1976, it had become clear that some of these patients would not relapse at all. *** Meanwhile, the NCI had turned into a factory of toxins. With money from the National Cancer Act, the institutes drug-discovery program was testing zillions of chemicals each year to discover new cytotoxic drugs. The money also stimulated enormous, multi-site trials, turning academic centers into drug factories and cancer hospitals into efficient trial-running machines. It was trial and error on a humongous scale, not targeted research. In one NCI-sponsored trial, known as the eight-in-one study, children with brain tumors were administered eight drugs in a day. Most of the children died soon afterward, having only marginally responded to the chemotherapy.

the secret sharer Essays -- essays research papers

The Secret Sharer: the essay In the long short story The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad the narrator plays the captain of a merchant ship that is foreign to him. He is assigned to this foreign ship on a very short notice. He is expected to lead the crew to their destination, safely. This captain is lonely he has not one soul to speck to. He doesn’t know these people who he somehow is suppose to lead. His first night on the ship he finds his soon to be best friend, Leggatt. He finds his new best friend mysteriously floating in the water as if he was dead. He speaks to him for the night and finds that they have fallen asleep in his room. The captain doesn’t even realize he had been sleeping. The narrator listens to the man explain why he had been floating in the water and then realize that him and the man have plenty in common, both mentally and physically. The narrator feels connected to the man. Leggatt is being hunted for. He is being hunted for murder and also for going against the order of the c aptain of the Sephora, which is the ship, he was also assigned to. The stowaway is so much like the captain. For the captain Leggatt represents a goal that the captain has set out to accomplish. He knows this man is a good man as well as he is a good man. He sees himself in Leggatt and therefore wants to help him. One might ask why the captain would go out to far lengths to save this mans life. For one the captain is lonely and is lusting for some excitement, secondly he would h...

Organs and Organ Systems to Organelles :: essays papers

Organs and Organ Systems to Organelles The human body consists of many different organs and organ systems, which are made up of billions of cells. Inside these cells there are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“tiny organsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬,or organelles. These organelles act in many ways like the organs and systems of the body. To better understand the relationship between them, I am going to compare and contrast their differences and their similarities. The brain is the control center of the human body. It sends and receives messages to the rest of the body. The brain is made up of many different parts, and each part has its own job. The nucleus of a cell is very similar to the brain because it is the control center of the cell. It too sends and receives messages, only throughout the cell. The nucleus is made up of many other parts, which have all have special jobs also. The brain and nucleus are alike in several ways, but contrast in one primary area. The brain sends messages by neurons and electric impulses, while the nucleus does it by means of messenger RNA. The body has a shape that is contributed to by the muscular and skeletal systems. Bones provide the body with framework, and the muscles allow movement. The cell has similar organelles, the cytoplasm and the microtubules, which provide the cell with form. The microtubules are tube-like structures that act like bones do in humans, they give shape and support to the cell. The cytoplasm is a jelly-like substance that keeps things in place, and restricts the movement of organelles in the cell. The main difference between them is the fact that microtubules arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t joined by anything like a ligament or a tendon and cytoplasm doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t contract like muscles do. The digestive system of the human body is made up of several organs that work together to break down food so it can be used in the body. Similar organelles in the cell are endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, and the golgi body. Endoplasmic reticulum is used in the synthesis of molecules entering the cell. The ribosomes produce protein and send them to the places in the cell that needs it. The golgi body is the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“packaging siteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬. All three of thes organelles play an important role in processing molecules in the cell.

Surah Khaf

surah khaf 18:1 to top Sahih International [All] praise is [due] to Allah , who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. 18:2 to top Sahih International [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward 18:3 to top Sahih International In which they will remain forever 18:4 to top Sahih International And to warn those who say, † Allah has taken a son. 18:5 to top Sahih International They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers. Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie. 18:6 to top Sahih International Then perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow. 18:7 to top Sahih International Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in de ed. 8:8 to top Sahih International And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground. 18:9 to top Sahih International Or have you thought that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder? 18:10 to top Sahih International [Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, â€Å"Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. â€Å"

Explain How the ‘Ansoff Matrix’ Can Be Applied to Help Develop Strategic Marketing Options for an Enterprise.

Explain how the ‘Ansoff matrix’ can be applied to help develop strategic marketing options for an enterprise. What  other analytical tools and techniques can be employed to develop alternative marketing strategies? Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. The Ansoff Matrix 3. Market Penetration 4. Product Development 5. Market Development 6. Diversification 7. Limitations of the Ansoff matrix 8. Other analytical tools and techniques 9. Conclusion 10. References Introduction From my working experience I have discovered, an organisation that knows its shortcomings, and can make relatively strategic decisions to meet the right objectives, will achieve its desire to become successful and remain relevant. Successful organisations in Nigeria always attribute their success to unique strategies which they employed efficiently. Strategies are developed at different levels within an organisation, it therefore follows that objectives (what it wants to achieve) are also set at the different levels. The setting of these objectives will usually produce a discrepancy between what is currently being achieved and what needs to be achieved. Marketing strategies are the explanation of how this gap is going to be closed and the objectives realized. Ansoff matrix is a useful framework for looking at possible strategies to reduce the gap between where the company may be without a change in strategy and where the company aspires to be (Proctor, 1997). The Ansoff matrix which is the focus of this work is one of the models alongside others like the Porter matrix, BCG, SWOT, PESTEL, DPM matrix and Gap analysis etc used by marketers to set objectives which assist strategic decision making. The Ansoff matrix is also used in marketing audits (Li et al, 1999). I will attempt to explain within the limitation of word content, how the Ansoff can be applied to help develop strategic marketing options for an enterprise. Some of these other analytical tools and techniques will also be discussed in the second section this work. The Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff matrix presents the product and market choices available to an organisation. Herein markets may be defined as customers, and products as items sold to customers (Lynch, 2003). This matrix helps companies decide what course of action should be taken given current performance. The Ansoff matrix is also used in marketing audits (Li et al, 1999). The Ansoff matrix entails four possible product/market combinations: Market penetration, product development, market development and diversification (Ansoff 1957, 1989). Ansoff Product-Market Growth Matrix [pic] Source: Ansoff (1957, 1989) A market penetration strategy is used when and organization wants to achieve and increased share in the market. A market development strategy in contrast involves the organization searching for new markets in which to sell its current product. A product development strategy involves identifying new needs within the existing market and developing products to meet these needs while the diversification strategy involves the organisation entering new markets with new products. I will now elaborate on these four strategies to show how they help develop strategic marketing options for an enterprise. Market Penetration Market penetration occurs when a company penetrates a market with its current products. It is important to note that the market penetrations strategy begins with the existing customers of the organization. This strategy is used by companies in order to increase sales without drifting from the original product-market strategy (Ansoff, 1957). Companies often penetrate markets in one of these three ways: by gaining competitors customers, improving the product quality or level of service, attracting non-users of the products or convincing current customers to use more of the company’s product, with the use of marketing communication tools like advertising etc. Ansoff, 1989, Lynch, 2003). This strategy is important for businesses because retaining existing customers is cheaper than attracting new ones, which is why companies like BMW and Toyota (Lynch, 2003) and banks like HSBC engage in relationship marketing activities to retain their high lifetime value customers; same applies to Diamond bank in Nigeria which won the award for Bank of the Year in Thisday Awards 200 9 (Thisday Style magazine). Diamond bank is one of the market challengers in Nigeria’s banking industry and has consistently increased its market share by penetrating the market with targeted special promotions, very low interest rates on loans, and maintaining a highly receptive and comfortable atmosphere in its banking halls. Product Development Product development occurs when a company develops new products catering to the same market. Note that product development refers to significant new product developments and not minor changes in an existing product of the firm. The reasons that justify the use of this strategy include one or more of the following: to utilise of excess production capacity, counter competitive entry, maintain the company’s reputation as a product innovator, exploit new technology, and to protect overall market share (Lynch, 2003). Often one such strategy moves the company into markets and towards customers that are currently not being catered for. For example, McDonalds is always within the fast-food industry, but frequently markets new burgers. Another good example of the product development strategy is the constant innovation within the home computer market where products can become obsolete within a matter of years. Frequently, when a firm creates new products, it can gain new customers for these products. Hence, new product development can be a crucial business development strategy for firms to stay competitive. Market Development When a company follows the market development strategy, it moves beyond its immediate customer base towards attracting new customers for its existing products. This strategy often involves the sale of existing products in new international markets. This may entail exploration of new segments of a market, new uses for the company’s products and services, or new geographical areas in order to entice new customers (Lynch, 2003). For example, Arm & Hammer was able to attract new customers when existing consumers identified new uses of their baking soda (Christensen et al, 2005). Lucozade was first marketed for sick children and then re-branded to target athletes. Also, an organisation found that the gel they produced for removing residual oil from heavy machinery could also be used to clean domestic ovens and baking tins. This revelation enabled them to target a new market of professional cooks and baking enthusiast. These are good examples of developing a new market for an existing product. Diversification Diversification strategy is distinct in the sense that when a company diversifies, it essentially moves out of its current products and markets into new areas. It is important to note that diversification may be into related and unrelated areas. Related diversification may be in the form of backward, forward, and horizontal integration. Backward integration takes place when the company extends its activities towards its inputs such as suppliers of raw materials etc. in the same business. Forward integration differs from backward integration, in that the company extends its activities towards its outputs such as distribution etc. in the same business. Horizontal integration takes place when a company moves into businesses that are related to its existing activities (Lynch, 2003; Macmillan et al, 2000). It is important to note that even unrelated diversification often has some synergy with the original business of the company. The risk of one such manoeuvre is that detailed knowledge of the key success factors may be limited to the company (Lynch, 2003). While diversified businesses seem to grow faster in cases where diversification is unrelated, it is crucial to note that the track record of diversification remains poor as in many cases diversifications have been divested (Porter, 1987). Scholars have argued that related diversification is generally more profitable (Macmillan et al, 2000; Pearson, 1999). Therefore, diversification is a high-risk strategy as it involves taking a step into a territory where the parameters are unknown to the company. The risks of diversification can be minimised by moving into related markets (Ansoff, 1989). Virgin Cola, Virgin Megastores, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Telecommunications are examples of new products created by the Virgin Group of UK, to leverage the Virgin brand. This resulted in the company entering new markets where it had no presence before. Limitations of Ansoff Matrix While Ansoff analysis helps in mapping the strategic options for companies, it is important to note that like all models, it has some limitations. By itself, the matrix can tell one part of the strategy story but it is imperative to look at other strategic models like SWOT analysis and PESTLE in order to view how the strategy of an organisation is formulating and might change in the course of its future. For example, the Ansoff analysis of Virgin Cola shows that the brand has been launched in the UK and USA using a market penetration strategy, which essentially reflects that the brand needs to increase its brand recognition (Vignali, 2001). The SWOT analysis conducted by Vignali (2001) showed an opportunity that Virgin Cola could explore diversification into new ranges of Virgin Cola products. PESTEL analysis of Virgin Cola showed that there was need to constantly evaluate the soft drinks industry in all countries, in order to reflect customer trends, thereby allowing the brand to gain market share and also predict trends faster than the competition. Therefore, the steps to be taken while conducting a strategic analysis of an organisation include SWOT analysis, PESTEL and Ansoff matrix as fundamental models of analyses, which should be used in conjunction and not in isolation, to view the complete strategic scenario. Also, recommendations made on the basis on only one of the models are not concrete and lack in depth. While the role of analysis in making strategic choices cannot be undermined, it is imperative to note that judgment plays a crucial role in making critical strategic choices that may change the future of the firm (Macmillan et al, 2000). Lastly, the use of Ansoff matrix as a marketing tool may not be really useful as the matrix is critical for analysing the strategic path that the brand may be following, and does not essentially identify marketing options. Other Analytic Tools As mentioned earlier Ansoff matrix is not all exhaustive and so there are other analytical tools and techniques which are valuable to marketers for strategic decision making and can actually be used alongside Ansoff matrix. I will just throw some light on SWOT, BCG matrix and Porter’s Generic Strategy. SWOT Swot analysis is a simple framework for generating strategic alternatives from a situation analysis. Swot (sometimes reffered to as TOWS) stands for Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats. It is applicable to either corporate level or business unit level and frequently appears in marketing lans. Its advocates say it can be used to gauge the degree of ‘fit’ between the organisation’s strategy and its environment, and to suggest ways suggest ways in which the organisation can profit from strengths and opportunities and shield itself against weaknesses and threats (Adams, 2005). The internal and external situation analysis can produce a large amoun t of information, much of which may not be highly relevant. The SWOT analysis can serve as an interpretative filter to reduce the information to a manageable quantity of key issues. The SWOT analysis classifies the internal aspect of the company as strengths or weaknesses and the external situational factors as opportunities or threats. Strengths can serve as a foundation for building a competitive advantage, and weaknesses may hinder it. By understanding these four aspects of its situation, a firm can better leverage its strengths, correct its weaknesses, capitalize on golden opportunities, and deter potentially devastating threats. Because SWOT is such as familiar and comforting tool, many students use it at the start of their analysis. This is a mistake. In order to arrive at a proper SWOT appraisal, other analyses need to be carrier out first. BCG Matrix BCG matrix is a management tool that serves four distinct purposes (McDonald 2003; Kotler 2003; Cipher 2006): it can be used to classify product portfolio in four business types based on four graphic labels including Stars (Stars are leaders in high growth markets. They tend to/should generate large amounts of cash but also use a lot of cash because of growth market conditions) Cash Cows (), Question Mark (Question Marks have not achieved a dominant market position, and hence do not generate much cash. They tend to use a lot of cash because of growth market conditions) and Dogs (Dogs often have little future and are big cash drainers on the company as they generate very little cash by virtue of their low market share in a highly low growth market). [pic] According to experts (Drummond & Ensor 2004; Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003), surplus cash from cash cow products should be channeled into Stars and Questions in order to create the future Cash Cows. The BCG matrix can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a company; to classify an organisation’s product portfolio according to their cash usage and generation; and offers management available strategies to tackle various product lines. It is based on two dimensional variables: relative market share and market growth. They often are pointers to healthiness of a business (Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003). In other words, products with greater market share or within a fast growing market are expected to wield relatively greater profit margins. Porter’s Generic Strategy Companies can achieve competitive advantages essentially by differentiating their products and services from those of competitors and through low costs. Firms can target their products by a broad target, thereby covering most of the marketplace, or they can focus on a narrow target in the market (Lynch, 2003). According to Porter, there are three generic strategies that a company can undertake to attain competitive advantage: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. [pic] Source: Porter (1985) Cost Leadership; The companies that attempt to become the lowest-cost producers in an industry can be referred to as those following a cost leadership strategy. The company with the lowest costs would earn the highest profits in the event when the competing products are essentially undifferentiated, and selling at a standard market price. Companies following this strategy place emphasis on cost reduction in every activity in the value chain. Differentiation; When a company differentiates its products, it is often able to charge a premium price for its products or services in the market. Some general examples of differentiation include better service levels to customers, better product performance etc. in comparison with the existing competitors. Porter (1980) has argued that for a company employing a differentiation strategy, there would be extra costs that the company would have to incur. Such extra costs may include high advertising spending to promote a differentiated brand image for the product, which in fact can be considered as a cost and an investment. Focus; Porter initially presented focus as one of the three generic strategies, but later identified focus as a moderator of the two strategies. Companies employ this strategy by focusing on the areas in a market where there is the least amount of competition (Pearson, 1999). Organisations can make use of the focus strategy by focusing on a specific niche in the market and offering specialised products for that niche. This is why the focus strategy is also sometimes referred to as the niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). Therefore, competitive advantage can be achieved only in the company’s target segments by employing the focus strategy. The company can make use of the cost leadership or differentiation approach with regard to the focus strategy. Conclusion In conclusion, it has to be restated that the Ansoff matrix is a useful, though not an exhaustive, framework for an organisation’s objective setting process and marketing audits. The differences in strategic choices of organisations can often be attributed to the type of market in which the company operates. Changes in business environment play a crucial role in the strategic options that an organisation may pursue over its life stages. There are risks associated with all of the four strategic options entailed in the Ansoff matrix. Market penetration is generally considered as a low risk strategy while diversification, on the other hand, is deemed as a high risk growth strategy as it involves moving simultaneously into new products and new markets. Diversification remains a popular strategic option for firms in today’s competitive business arena. Lastly, Ansoff matrix as a strategic model has certain limitations. The use of SWOT and PESTEL analysis is recommended, along with Ansoff analysis, to be able to capture a holistic view of the strategic scenario of an organisation. I would have elaborated more on other analytic tools but for the word limit given me. References Ansoff Analysis. Website. http://university- essays. tripod. com/ansoff_analysis. html. 27th March 2009 Ansoff, I. H. (1957), Strategies for diversification, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35, No. 2, p. 113-124. Ansoff, I. (1989), Corporate Strategy, rev. edn, Penguin, Harmondsworth BCG Growth-Share Matrix. Website. http://university- essays. tripod. com/bcg_growth_share_matrix_boston_consultin g_group. html. 3rd March 2009 Christensen, C. & Cook, S. & Hall, T. 2005), Marketing malpractice: The cause and the cure, Harvard Business Review. Hill, W. L. C. & Jones, R. G. (2007), Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach, 7th ed. , Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston: New York. Li, S. & Duan, Y. & Kinman, R. & Edwards, J. S. (1999), A framework for a hybrid intelligent system in support of marketing strategy development, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 17, No. 4. Lynch, R. (2003), Corp orate Strategy, 3rd ed. , Prentice Hall Financial Times. Macmillan, H. & Tampoe, M. (2000), Strategic Management, Oxford University Press. Module 1, Unit 2, (2006) MN7002/D, Strategic Marketing, (ed. 10th), England. Pearson, G. (1999), Strategy in Action, Prentice Hall Financial Times. Vignali, C. (2001), Virgin Cola, British Food Journal, Vol. 103, No. 2. Porter, M. E. (1987), From competitive strategy to corporate strategy, Harvard Business Review. Porter’s Generic Strategies. Website. http://university-essays. tripod. com/porters_generic_strategies. html. 3rd March 2009 Proctor, T. (1997), Establishing a strategic direction: a review, Management Decision, Vol. 35, No. 2. Product-Market Growth Matrix. Website. ttp://www. businesspme. com/uk/articles/strategy/61/Product- Market-Growth-Matrix. html. 15th February 2009 Osime R. (2009), Thisday Awards ’09, Thisday Magazine, Volume 14: No. 5026 SWOT Analysis. Website. http://www. netmba. com/strategy/swot/ 27th March 2009 SWOT Analysis. Website. http://university- essays. tripod. com/swot_tows_analysis. html. 3rd March 2009 Thompson, A. A. & Strickland, J. A. (2003), Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases, Thirteenth ed. , McGraw-Hill. What is Ansoff Analysis? Website. http://www. coursework4you. co. uk/ansoff. htm. 15th February 2009

Capital Budgeting for Equator Ltd

Equator Ltd. is looking at expanding its operations into manufacturing tablet computers. The company has two options to consider from, one being Plant A which is highly automated and the other being Plant B which is more labour intensive. The cash inflow and outflow for both the options have been analysed using capital budgeting techniques, the results of which are presented below: Both the options have favourable results where the NPV is positive, IRR is more than the cost of capital and the payback period is within the project period. However, the company should go ahead with Plant A as it has higher NPV and IRR. Even though Plant B has lower payback period, but for mutually exclusive projects, the project with highest NPV followed by IRR is selected. Hence the company should go for Plant A. The cost of capital considered here is 13.35% as this the WACC used by the Computer tablet industry and hence is a better discounting factor as it takes into account all the risks associated with this project. The fixed allocation cost has not been considered in the analysis as it is not an incremental cost. The increased working capital is assumed to be recovered at the end of the project life for both the projects. There is risk inherent in a project because no one can accurately predict the future outcomes. It is due to the variability of the future cash flows of the project. Market risk – the economic growth rate is assumed to 5.5% for the project and the sales have been projected on the economic growth rate basis. However, if the economic growth rate does not take as projected, the analysis of the investment may go wrong i.e. if the growth rate decreases, the sales will decrease and the NPV will reduce (Drake, NA) Also there is a risk of a change in the inflation rate. An increase in the inflation rate may increase the operating costs, thus making the project less profitable. Project specific risk – The management may predict wrong cash flows for the project. If the prediction goes wrong, then the whole investment may go for a toss. Industry specific risk – an abrupt change in the industry specific regulations may increase the industry specific risk. Also technological advancement in the industry may increase risks. Like if a better product comes in the market than tablet computers, the market for tablets will decrease, thus causing loss to the company (Dontigney, NA) Company specific risk – this risk may arise due to company specific factors like change in the management of the company, any strikes or lock outs by the employees which may disrupt the operations of the company and thus the revenue might be affected. Efficient Market Hypothesis is a proposition that the stock prices in the market perfectly reflect the true value of the firm from the available information. The theory believes that no investor can gain from identifying undervalued stocks using technical and fundamental analysis. Any new information available in the market about the stock is immediately adjusted in the stock price and hence the stocks become accurately priced. Therefore all investors whether uninformed or experts will obtain the same rate of return (Malkiel, 2003). Also the theory believes that if any trader identifies a undervalued or overvalued stock, this will motivate the trader to undertake trading in order to make abnormal profits and in the process the prices of the stock will move towards the its intrinsic value, making the stock price efficient which reflects its fundamental value. Intrinsic value of a share is the present value of cash flows in the form of dividends and the cash flow from the sale of stock . There are three forms of capital market efficiency i.e. weak efficiency, semi strong efficiency, strong form efficiency. Under the weak form efficiency, it is believed the stock prices fully reflect all the past information of the security. Thus an analyst cannot make gains using technical analysis as it is based on past prices. Under semi strong form efficiency, the stock prices fully reflect all public information about the stock. Hence, traders with access to non public information can make abnormal profits. Under strong form of efficiency, the markets are very efficient and quickly react to the new information to adjust stock prices thus making it impossible for any investor to make excess profits. Capital markets are channels through which the idle funds of a potential investor are put into effective use. A company can raise funds through equity or bonds in a capital market. A company generally raises funds in a capital market for long term projects. It is very convenient for the companies to raise funds if the capital markets are efficient because efficient capital markets ensure the funds flow to the highest valued projects. The stock prices at which the stocks would be issued is determined by the market and the market ensures that the stock prices fully reflect the fundamental value of future cash flows. Thus, if the project of Equator Limited promises to maximise the shareholder value, the future value of all cash flows would be incorporated into the stock prices at which the company would raise the new capital. Also efficient markets enable the company to focus on long term projects instead of short term because the funds are easily available from potential investors for high value long term projects (Jones, Netter, NA) We see that tablet computer is a growing industry and hence the outlook for this industry is good. This will help the company in attracting capital easily as the investors would be willing to invest in an industry which has high growth prospects (Dudley, Hubbard, 2004). And moreover since the company is already an established player in the computer market, these will double the ease with which it can raise the funds. Drake, P., (NA), Capital Budgeting and Risk, accessed online on 22 nd January, 2017, available at https://educ.jmu.edu/~drakepp/principles/module6/cbrisk Dontigney, E., (NA), What Factors Increase the Riskiness of a Capital Budgeting Project? accessed online on 22 nd January, 2017, available at https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/factors-increase-riskiness-capital-budgeting-project-26421.html Malkiel, B.G., (2003), The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Critics, CEPS Working Paper No.91 Jones, S.L, Netter, J.M., (NA), Efficient Capital Markets, accessed online on 23 rd January, 2017, available at, https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/EfficientCapitalMarkets.html Dudley, W.C., Hubbard, R.G., (2004), How Capital Markets Enhance Economic Performance and Facilitate Job Creation, Global Market Institute, Goldman Sachs