The Bioethics Debate

Kristi Ellis Mrs. Scheidt English 1301. 174 11 October 2012 Paper #2 – The Bioethics Debate In â€Å"Patenting Life,† by Michael Crichton, and â€Å"Bioethics and the Stem Cell Research Debate,† by Robyn S. Shapiro, they discuss gene patenting, medicine, stem cell research, and the laws of bioethics. According to Crichton and Shapiro, humans are all born with genes, stem cells, and organs that are part of our natural world, yet when the law tries to put limits on these rights it becomes unethical. Crichton and Shapiro both agree about the controversial issues surrounding science and medicine.They both point out the unethical issues, the innovation in medicine, and the impact on science and medicine in relation to the law. In both essays Crichton and Shapiro list many immoralities that arise out of bioethical issues. For instance, Crichton refers to an example of the Canavan disease in which the process to find a cure was halted due to gene patenting. It was a pri me example of an issue that was unethical because the owner of the gene for the disease could choose whether or not to charge for a test and choose how much to charge for it, which blocks medical innovations.Crichton states, â€Å"There is no clearer indication that gene patents block innovation, inhibit research and put us all at risk† (432). Crichton goes on to say that genes are part of humans naturally and should not be privately owned (431). In comparison, Shapiro explains although embryonic stem cells give promise to the medical field, many ethical issues surround it such as the destruction of the embryo. Shapiro also writes that those who denounce embryonic stem cell research believe the embryo is already a human being with rights from conception, while others believe that human rights do not exist prior to birth (435).Additionally, medical advancement is critical for innovation in both essays. Crichton states that gene patenting prevents medical testing and slows medi cal advancement. Not only does it halt research, but it causes the costs of medical testing to rise because the owner can charge whatever he wants (431). He mentions doctors cannot get information on if a medication will or will not work on someone because the lack of quality tests. Crichton says â€Å"For years we’ve been promised the coming era of personalized medicine – medicine suited to our particular body makeup.Gene patents destroy that dream† (432). In contrast, Shapiro states that stem cells are important to the medical field because they can turn into a wide array of cell types that can help people with diseases such as diabetes, nervous system diseases, and Parkinson’s disease (434-35). In addition, he says stem cell research could provide important information on how human organs and tissues develop, which could lead to development of new medications (435). In both sources, the law plays a significant role in the unethical issues surrounding s cience and medicine.Crichton mentions how the United States Patent Office issued gene patents by mistake because of misinterpreted Supreme Court rulings. The issue of gene patents make it hard for people to donate their genes because most of the genes are privately owned (431). Crichton states that two congressman sponsored the genomic research and Accessibility Act, a bill that would ban patenting genes in nature (432). Shapiro denotes the growing importance of the law surrounding bioethical issues. He cites the United States Supreme Court cases of Roe v.Wade and Stenberg v. Carkart which dealt with a partial birth abortion law. Shapiro states, â€Å"In state courts, bioethical considerations inform judges’ balancing of patient healthcare confidentiality with a â€Å"duty to warn† of potentially dangerous patient behavior (433). The most significant law Shapiro cites is the Dickey Amendment which prohibits federal funding for embryo research (436). Shapiro mentions i n addition to federal funding restrictions, many states have laws that limit embryonic stem cell research.Lastly, he cites the eligibility of federal patent protections significantly, the Thomson Patents (437). In conclusion, both Crichton and Shapiro can conclude the topics of gene patenting and embryonic stem cell research are unethical in some way. Although gene patenting blocks innovation and embryonic stem cell research promotes it, they both have laws that limit the impact on the world of science and medicine. According to Shapiro, â€Å"As these issues have moved to the center of public debate, the law has assumed an increasingly important place in the discipline of bioethics† (433).Thus, when the law puts limits on human genetics it becomes unethical and immoral according to both essays in this bioethical debate. WORD COUNT: 740 Works Cited Crichton, Michael. â€Å"Patenting Life. † Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. 6th ed. E d. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 431-432. Print. Shapiro, S. Robyn. â€Å"Bioethics and the Stem Cell Research Debate. † Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. 6th ed. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 433-438. Print.

Nursing Practice and Profession

Nurses who are sensitive to the legal dimensions of practice are careful to develop a strong sense of both ethical and legal accountability. Competent practice is a nurses’ best legal safeguard. When working to develop ethical and legal accountabilities, nurses must recognize that both deficiencies and or excesses of responsible caring are problematic. Although it is reasonable to hold oneself accountable for promoting the human well being of the patients, nurses can err by setting unrealistic standards of responsiveness and responsibility for themselves. Prudence is always necessary to balance responsible self care with care for others. Inexperienced nurses might feel totally responsible for effecting patient outcomes beyond their control and become frustrated and sad when unable to produce the desired outcome Conversations about what is reasonable to hold ourselves and others accountable for are always helpful.Each employing institution or agency providing nursing service ha s an obligation to establish a process for reporting and handling practices by individual or by health care systems that jeopardizes a patient’s health or safety. The American Nurses Association code of Ethics obligates nurses to report professional conduct that is incompetent, unethical or illegal. For nurses, incompetent practice in measured by nursing standards, unethical practice is evaluated in light of the professional codes of ethics, while illegal practice is identified in terms of violation of federal legislations and laws.Nurses must respect the accountability and responsibility inherent in their roles.   They have the moral obligations in the provision of nursing care, hence they collaborate with other health care providers in providing comprehensive health care, recognizing the perspective and expertise of each member.   Nurses have a moral right to refuse to participate in procedures that may violate their own personal moral conscience since they are entitled to conscientious objection. They must keep all information obtained in a professional capacity confidential and employ professional judgment in sharing this information on a need to know basis.Nurses are expected to protect individuals under their care against lack of privacy by confining their verbal communications only to appropriate personnel; settings, and to professional purposes. They are obliged to adhere to practice that limits access to personal records to appropriate personnel. They must value the promotion of a social as well as economic environment that supports and sustains health and well-being. It includes the involvement in the detection of ill effects of the environment on the health of the patient as well as the ill effects of human activities to the natural environment.They must acknowledge that the social environment in which the patient inhabits has an impact on health. Nurses must respect the rights of individuals to make informed choices in relation to their care. They have this responsibility to inform individuals about the care available to them, and the choice to accept or reject that care.   If the person is not able to speak for themselves, nurses must ensure the availability of someone to represent them. It is vital to respect the decisions made concerning the individual’s care.   Standards of care are one measure of quality.   Quality nursing care provides care by qualified individuals.Likewise, the individual needs, values, and culture of the patient relative to the provision of nursing care is important to be respected and considered hence it should not be compromised for reasons of ethnicity, gender, spiritual values, disability, age, economic, social or health status, or any other grounds.   Respect for an individual’s needs includes recognition of the individual’s place in a family and the community. It is due to this reason that others should be included in the provision of care, most significan tly the family members. Respect for needs, beliefs and values includes culturally sensitive care, and the need for comfort, dignity, privacy and alleviation of pain and anxiety as much as possible.â€Å"Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence in combination with a clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values to make decisions about the type of care that is provided† (Melnyk, 2004). Quality of care outcomes refers to accuracy and relevance demonstrated by the decisions concerning the need for medical and surgical intervention. Evidence of appropriateness in healthcare is necessary to improve health outcomes, balance costs, provide guidance to physicians and meet the need of the new informed health consumer. Appropriateness is unlike effectiveness since the later refers to the degree in which an intervention achieves the objectives set (Muir Gray, 1997). One criterion of appropriateness is that of necessity.As technology and improved methods of care has advanced, access to appropriate interventions should likewise improve. Today some interventions are still limited such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in rural communities and since access to this technology is limited, a criterion of necessity is used to determine who is able to access and how quickly. Therefore although use of MRI may be appropriate in diagnostics, it may be underused. Advancements in technology, interventions and clinical research will provide updated evidence which in turn would affect ratings of appropriateness (Muir Gray, 1997).Clinical guideline statements are developed from evidence to assist healthcare practitioners in making appropriate health interventions (Woolf, Grol, Hutchinson, Eccles & Grimshaw, 1999). The clinical guideline may be a general statement or concise instruction on which diagnostic test to order or how best to treat a specific condition. The purpose of clinical guidelines is as a tool for making decisions that will result in more consistent and efficient care. Guidelines are not rules nor are they mandatory. The benefits of clinical guidelines include: Improved health outcomes; Increased beneficial/appropriate care; Consistency of care; Improved patient information; Ability to positively influence policy; Provide direction to health care practitioners;ReferencesAgency of Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). Outcomes research fact sheet. [Online].Available: http://www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/outfact.htmBrook, R.H. (1994). Appropriateness: The next frontier. [Online]. Available:http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/308/6923/218?ijkey=t7GNbMJu0NIhAFitch, K., Bernstien, S. J., Aguilar, M. D., Burand, B., LaCalle, J. R., Lazaro, P. van het Loo,McDonnell, J., Vader, J. P., & Kahan, J. P. (2001). The RAND/UCLA appropriatenessmethod user’s manual. [Online]. Available:http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1269?John A. Hart ford Foundation. (n.d.). [Online]. Available:   http://www.jhartfound.org/Muir Gray, J.A. (1997). Evidence-based healthcare: How to make health policy and managementdecisions, New York: Churchill Livingstone.Woolf, S. H., Grol, R., Hutchinson, A., Eccles, M., & Grimshaw, J. (1999). Clinical guidelines:Potential benefits, limitations and harms of clinical guidelines. [Online]. Available:http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/318/7182/527?

Leadership in Criminal Justice Essay

Leadership is a necessary component of any organization to include a criminal justice organization. In recent years, research has clearly indicated that leadership must be present in criminal justice organizations for a multitude of reasons. Leaders provide motivation and inspire their followers to progress while advancing toward a shared vision. This paper will discuss several different aspects of leadership and expand on the importance of having strong leaders in place. This paper will explain that there are different styles and theories of leadership which are utilized today. Basic principles of leadership as well as the role of a leader will be discussed in detail along with explanations as to why leadership is crucial in criminal justice organizations. Leadership in Criminal Justice Leadership in any organization is directly related to the overall success that organization can expect to see. Leadership in criminal justice is certainly no exception. Having strong leaders in place promotes organization, management, productivity, motivation and creativity in a criminal justice setting. Moral, productivity, and the overall success of a criminal justice agency are a few of the things commonly affected by lack of leadership. This paper will explain the importance of leadership in a criminal justice organization by responding to the following questions: 1. What is leadership? 2. What are leadership theories and styles? 3. How does leadership differ from management? 4. Why is leadership important in criminal justice? What is leadership? Leadership can be defined as a process that helps direct and mobilize people and their ideas (Stojkovic, Klofas & Kalinich, 2012). Leadership requires that a person have a strong desire to be an influential part of the organization and want to play a key role in moving towards a common goal. Leaders are primarily concerned with motivating and inspiring their followers to remain productive and to maintain the drive and ability to reach organization goals. A leader must a have an organizational vision and be able to inspire and motivate others to buy into that vision and work towards achieving the goals related to that vision. The role of a leader in a criminal justice organization should not be under appreciated. A leader plays has an immensely influential role within the organization. First, leaders must have a strong working knowledge in the assignment they wish to lead. This can be developed through education, training, and experience. Leaders must have the respect of those they wish to lead in order to be effective. One way that leaders can earn that respect is by possessing the skills needed to be in a leadership position. Secondly, a leader must know themselves, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Many leaders in law enforcement find it easy to know their business, but find it difficult to know themselves (Dobbs & Field, 1993). Leaders must realize their strengths and weakness in order to develop their own style of leadership. Leaders who act outside their natural style of leadership can cause themselves to appear awkward and ultimately affect their ability to lead. Third, a criminal justice leader must know their subordinates. Due to the fact that people are motivated my different things, a leader must realize what motivates each subordinate individually. Also, a leader must have a personal relationship with the subordinate as well. For example, a leader must know his employee well enough to congratulate or give condolences in personal matters when appropriate. This will remind the subordinate that the leader cares about their personal achievements and struggles as well. Finally, a leader must operate with consistency and lead by example. For example, a criminal justice leader who punishes a subordinate for poor report writing when they themselves write poor reports will create a lack of respect for that leader. This is due to the fact that the leader does not lead by example. A leader must exemplify the ideals they demand in order for their follows to truly want to follow their lead. What are some of the theories and styles of leadership? There are many theories about different aspects of leadership and the effectiveness of each in a criminal justice setting. Contemporary research brings into focus the behavioral approach and the contingency approach. The behavioral approach emphasizes the behavior of leaders while the contingency approach emphasizes situational variables that affect leadership. We find in the behavioral approach an emphasis on how leaders interact with their subordinates as well as how a leader creates processes that encourage subordinates to be productive and accomplish the goals of the agency. The behavioral approach is concerned with whether or not the subordinates feel that their leader makes them feel like a valued member of the agency and if their opinions carry any weight in the day to day operation of the agency. The contingency approach, founded in the 1970’s differs from the behavioral approach. â€Å"Examining various situational variables is central to understanding leadership in organizations, according to the contingency theorist† (Stojkovic, Klofas & Kalinich, 2012). Fiedler’s Contingency Model is one of those contingency theories. In Fiedler’s model we find that how well liked or disliked by subordinates a leader is, will have a direct impact on how effective that leader will be. For example, a detective supervisor who is not well liked might have a hard time finding volunteers to work overtime at their request. In contrast, a well like supervisor might have no problem getting volunteers in the same situation. The subordinates in this example might base their decision on nothing more than who is asking. Also in Fiedler’s Model, we find that uncertain task structures can be problematic to leadership. For example, if officers are instructed by their supervisor to go out and make some arrests and not given any further details on the assignment, they are left not understanding the true goal of the assignment. In this example, a leader would gain better results from an assignment if their subordinates knew the true purpose of the assignment and were aware that there would be measurable results. â€Å"It is easier to lead when the task structure is clearly defined and open to direct monitoring by a supervisor (Stojkovic, Klofas & Kalinich, 2012). There are many different styles of leadership that one can utilize in an organization. The three that are the most commonly applied to the criminal justice profession include: the autocratic, democratic, and the laissez-faire styles of leadership. It is important for a leader to stick with a style that best fits their personality, but at times and depending on the circumstances facing them at any given time, they might switch back and forth from on style to another. The style of leadership one elects to utilize largely depends on what that leader wishes to accomplish (Lynch, 1998). The autocratic leader is authoritarian in nature. An autocratic leader would rather give orders and make all the decisions while gathering little or no input from others. Many times this does not provide the best of environments for subordinates to grow confident in making their own decisions. Autocratic have a tendency personalize criticism and are often times viewed as harsh or rigid. Autocratic leaders work well in times of crisis where an authoritarian is needed to quickly gain compliance and organize resources (Aleno, Griffith, Weaver & Wright, 2008). An example of this would be in an officer involved shooting situation. When an officer is injured in the line of duty, emotions run high which often creates a chaotic situation that is difficult to control or manage. Autocratic leaders are most likely to be able to handle a situation such as this due to the fact they are quick to give orders and begin making the decisions that need to be made without much hesitation. Autocratic leaders in a criminal justice setting often work best with subordinates who are young and have little experience. The democratic leader is one that welcomes input from their subordinates under the right circumstances. Democratic leaders encourage their subordinates to participate in the decision making process which promotes teamwork and personal growth. Democratic leaders often times delegate duties to subordinates which further builds their confidence in decision making. Democratic leaders many times can struggle during times of emergency due to the fact they might take additional time to make decisions due to bringing others into the decision making process. The third leadership style, laissie-faire, is a style in which the leader will allow the subordinates to make the majority of the decisions on their own with little input or interference from the leader. This type of leadership can be effective in situations where subordinates perform properly without excessive direct supervision. An example of where a laissie-faire style of leadership could be utilized would be a unit comprised of self motivated veterans who require very little supervision. This style has few truly positive aspects and the agency could actually be placed in jeopardy due to this hands off approach to leadership. The laissez-faire style may not be leadership style at all; instead, it may be an abdication of administrative duties (Peak, 2004). How does leadership differ from management? Any criminal justice organization would benefit from having both managers and leaders among their ranks. There are managers who are not capable of true leadership and leaders who are not accomplished managers. In contrast, there are some who have the unique ability to perform well as both a manager and a leader. There are marked similarities and differences that make management and leadership roles important to a criminal justice agency. Management can be defined as â€Å"the fluid and dynamic component of administration† and as â€Å"a process of working with people in a humane way to achieve organizational goals and objectives as efficiently and effectively as possible (Aleno, Griffith, Weaver & Wright, 2008). Managers concentrate much of their efforts on planning, organizing, directing, implementing, and evaluating. Criminal Justice mangers are known for prioritizing important aspects of an agency and ensuring that things such as resources and proper planning are in place. â€Å"Leadership means directing or the ability to obtain the â€Å"followership† of others† (Aleno, Griffith, Weaver & Wright, 2008). Leadership can take on many forms and can be seen at all levels of a criminal justice agency. Leaders motivate and inspire their followers or subordinates to work towards a shared vision. Leaders envision the future and attempt to gain a followership among their subordinates which changes their way of thinking for the better of the agency and themselves. Leadership and management are similar in some ways while being completely different in others. Both management and leadership ultimately are working towards positive outcomes for an agency as a whole. Leaders and managers both have a common responsibility to work toward a more productive and efficient organization. While leadership and management accomplish this differently, both positions have an impact on the people within the organization. â€Å"Leaders and managers differ in what they attend to and how they think† (Aleno, Griffith, Weaver & Wright, 2008). Managers concern themselves more with managing resources, planning, and directing in an effort to meet the goals of the agency. These tasks deal more in structuring behaviors and processes with less emphasis on what motivates personnel to be productive. By contrast, leaders are more concerned with motivating, praising, or inspiring. These ideas are more likely to have a positive impact on the minds and attitudes of the people within an organization to continue working towards a shared vision. Although there are similarities and differences in management and leadership, a criminal justice agency should contain both. Due to the fact that there are very positive characteristics of both managers and leaders, a criminal justice agency needs a combination of the two in order to maximize its potential. It is debatable as to whether one is more important that the other. Ideally, a manager would strive to develop leadership skills while a leader would strive to develop managerial skills. Why is leadership important in Criminal Justice? Leadership is an important part of a criminal justice organization for same reasons leadership is important to any organization. Leaders are responsible for keeping an organization focused on moving forward and progressing towards a better more improved organization. Leaders must be innovative and continue looking for new and better ways of doing business while encouraging their followers to share that positive mindset. Leadership is absolutely crucial in criminal justice for numerous reasons to include motivation and promoting ethical behavior. In a criminal justice organization, staying motivated can be a challenging at times for many reasons. With the inherent stressors and pressures of working in the criminal justice field, one can find themselves lacking the motivation needed to remain successful. It is the responsibility of leadership to recognize this type of mindset and deal with it appropriately. Leaders should strive to keep their subordinates motivated using creativity and making necessary changes that produced positive results. A criminal justice leader must know their subordinates and understand that each person is motivated differently. Promoting ethical behavior is another important aspect and responsibility of leadership in criminal justice. Unethical behaviors are present in any organization and a criminal justice agency is certainly no exception. In criminal justice especially, one can on a daily basis find themselves in an ethical dilemma. Ethical behavior must start at the top of a criminal justice agency and be seen and reinforced with regularity. Leadership can prevent a large number of unethical behaviors by simply being involved, engaged, and by holding their subordinates accountable. Leaders of a criminal justice organization must lead by example and have integrity. Those in a criminal justice leadership role who themselves choose to engage in unethical behaviors do an enormous disservice to the organization and to individual members. â€Å"The organizational climate which is directly influenced by the leadership of the agency determines how much unethical behavior will be present in a criminal justice agency or, for that matter, any organization† (Wright, 1999). There is absolutely no substitute for leadership within a criminal justice organization. It is absolutely vital for criminal justice organizations to not only ensure that there are strong leaders in the right positions within the organization, but to also invest in their people to ensure that quality leaders are being bred for the future. A criminal justice agency that does not invest in there people from a leadership stand point, are certainly doing themselves and the organization a disservice. Research has made it abundantly clear that the quality and quantity of leadership a criminal justice organization possesses will have a direct impact on the productivity, morale, and overall success that organization will experience. References Aleno, L. , Griffith, S. , Weaver, K. , & Wright, S. Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. (2008). Middle management (Version 2008. 8). Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Dobbs, C. , & Field, M. (1993). Leaders vs. managers: The law enforcement formula. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 62(8), 22-25. Lynch, R. (1998). The police manager. (5th ed. ). Cincinnati, OH: anderson publishing co. Peak, K. J. (2004). Justice administration police, courts, and corrections management. (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Stojkovic, S. , Klofas, J. , & Kalinich, D. (2012). Criminal justice organizations, administration and management. (5th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub Co. Wright, K. N. (1999). Leadership is the key to ethical practice in criminal justice agencies. Criminal Justice Ethics, 18(No. 2), Retrieved from http://www. questia. com/library/1G1-60060343/leadership-is-the-key-to-ethical-practice-in-criminal

The Triplet Genetic Code Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Triplet Genetic Code - Assignment Example The commonly used theory is the Stereochemical Theory that states that codon tasks are influenced by the physiochemical similarities amongst anticodons (cognate codons) and amino acids. The second theory is the Coevolution Theory that asserts that amino acids biosynthesis conduits and the code structure coevolved. The third is the "error minimization theory" that posits that the selectiveness to reduce the negative effects of point mutations and errors of translation comprised a big part of the evolution of the code. The similarities between amino acids and cognate triplets seen in "Aptamer Selection Experiments" seem exclusive in relation to enhanced tasks of the involved amino acid in the standardized code table (Caporaso, Yarus & Knight, 2005). Therefore, regardless of whether these affinities are related to the code's origin, the properties in relation to "error minimization" with regard to the standardized code continue to prompt added elucidations. Stereochemical Theory supporters contend that some assignments of the amino acids have stereochemical qualities, while others have transformed into discriminatory compulsion for error minimization, leading to the seen sturdiness of the standardized code. Biological experiments have indicated that even when about 8-12 amino acids tasks are fixed within the standardized table, there remain many spaces to generate highly optimized genetic codes (Pain, 2010). The explanation aforementioned, however, is seen to contradict with a number of biological proof.

Causes behind the Arab Spring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Causes behind the Arab Spring - Essay Example In fact, nations like Iraq, Syria, and Iran were obstacles in the path of establishing a greater Israel which could control the whole Middle East. Thus, the best way to do so was to topple the ruling regime by working from within. In order to do so, it was necessary to create conflict between the various religious and ethnic groups by entering the nation in the name of protecting the minorities. A perfect example is Tunisia, which was once considered the best Economy in Africa. However, as Tunisian leader Ben Ali was in close contact with the West and NATO, it was easy for the West to manipulate the internal affairs. As Lalmi reports, soon, the corruption of Ben Ali was leaked through Wikileaks, and mass demonstrations hit the streets in no time. Soon, Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. Very similar was the case of Egypt and Hosni Mubarak. Evidently, he was a man who was hated by most Arabs for his support of the West. Also, there were many more reasons ranging from his privatization of natural resources to foreign investors, supporting the attack on Iraq, and opposition to Hezbollah’s and Hamas’ armed fight against Israel. In order to promote uprisings, as Nixon reported in New York Times, various American groups including International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute and Freedom House, and National Endowment for Democracy and Project on Middle East Democracy provided technical training in the use of social networking and mobile technology. In fact, the situation was very similar in Libya where Gaddafi was foolish enough to try to establish an African Union which would jeopardize the re-colonization plan and to develop a new currency to rival the American Dollar and the European Euro.

Countrywide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Countrywide - Essay Example Otherwise, the ratio dropped to -11.61 in 2007 due to the general depression that affected the global economy (Kaplan, 2011). We can attribute the drop to predatory lending prices and slow housing market. The company was involved in the strategies only to lead it into problems. It is important to recognize that the company experienced a low return on assets. Ethics is a major determinant for the success of any business organization. The company’s poor performance can be partly attributed to unethical practices that it engaged while trying to maximize profit and introduce new products (Kaplan, 2011). For instance, subprime mortgage is a loan given to people with low income taking advantage of their lack of understanding of terms of the loans. The company misled the borrowers that it had a fixed rate in order to attract more clients yet they new that the people could not afford. The strategy lowered reputation of the

The extension of globalization since 1980 Essay

The extension of globalization since 1980 - Essay Example The current situation attracts the tourists to take sea voyage and so the industry exploits the interests of the consumers as well as targets a huge consumer base (United States Environment Protection Agency, 2008). Key Processes of Globalization The processes of globalization initiated with the evolution of capitalism in the fifteenth century. Consequently, it speeded to different parts of the globe. The processes of globalization were initiated in Latin America, North America and Asia (Santos, 2002, p. 67-68). After the emergence the processes of globalization were rooted with imperialism. During this period the nature of globalization depended much on the thoughts of the leaders of imperialism. They created distinctions among the people in terms of social strata and took on the policy to exploit the relatively less developed countries. The interimperial commercial activities constituted the second step. The emergence of trading possibilities among the European countries gave birth to competition for capturing the market. Globalization can be viewed to be cyclic in nature as it changes in different phases of economic development. Definitions and Measures of Inequality The widening gap between the rich and the poor is used to define inequality. By the concept of economic inequality, the disparities in the distribution of assets among the group of individuals are meant (World Bank, 2005, p. 27-28). Among the many other causes of inequality, the foremost is the difference between the wages and the salaries of the employed persons. Inequality emerges in many markets but inequality in the labor market leads to concentration of power under a few hands. Some other types of inequality include... From the initiation of the process of globalization, the leaders of imperialism had the central part to play. Although trade played an important part in the process of globalization, the gains from trade have not been too successful for the less developed countries. Therefore, the benefits from globalization have been centered on the developed nations. The researchers conducted based on globalization and inequality showed the same story. The researchers opined that globalization has contributed to widening the income gap between the rich and the poor as the rich have the capability to reap the benefits and exploit the poor. Only the study by Atkinson on Denmark showed no role of globalization in income distribution. But globalization is not the only factor for such an outcome. The other factors include political and social factors with the choices made by the nations. Trade also acts as the catalyst to boost the process of globalization. As more countries are opening up the trade bar riers, the choices of consumers are increasing. In this way the gate is opening up for technology transfer, but the benefits are getting accrued mostly to the more powerful ones.

Marshall Fisher. What is the right supply chain for your product Assignment

Marshall Fisher. What is the right supply chain for your product - Assignment Example Fisher argues that in some instances, performance has significantly worsened as a consequence of costs rising to unprecedented levels (Fisher, 1997). Based on his ten years’ research on the topic of supply chain in different industries ranging from fashion, food and apparel to automobile, Fisher devised a framework aimed at assisting managers to settle on the best supply chain for their specific products and situations. Fisher’s article aims at assisting managers comprehend the nature of the demand of their products and services and create a supply chain, which can best suit this demand. Fisher begins by arguing that a lot of brain power and technology has been applied with the view of improving supply chains. Organizations have the capacity o acquire and retain the voices of their customers using sophisticated marketing tools. The primary aim of a successful supply is to accurately identify and respond to market demands. According to Fisher, the first and perhaps most important step in developing and effective supply chain strategy is to appreciate the nature of demand for one’s company’s products. In order to attain this objective, companies typically make use of agile manufacturing, automated warehousing and mass customization (Fisher, 1997). However, these efforts continue to prove ineffective as supply chains worsen with each passing day. A notable symptom of this problem is the notable excess of one product and the scarcity of another. This begs the questions of why firms are unable to develop the performance of their supply chains and how these problems can be tackled in an effective manner. Fisher shows that if an individual classifies products and services on the basis of their demand patterns, these products fall into two major categories: the products are either primarily innovative or functional. Each of these categories calls for a distinctly unique form of supply chain. A primary problem arises from the mismatch between the type of product category and form of supply chain utilized. Therefore, an effective supply chain must first identify the type of product through criteria such as demand unpredictability and lifecycle. Functional products fulfill basic needs and have long lifecycles and stable and predictable demand. Innovative products have short lifecycles and it is relatively difficult to predict their demand since they depend on prevailing fashion and lifestyle causing uncertain market reactions. Fisher argues that after ascertaining the type of product being supplied, a company should determine whether the company’s supply chain is responsive to the market or physically efficient before using a matrix to determine the ideal supply chain strategy (Fisher, 1997). Functional products typically need effective supply chain processes while innovative products require responsive processes. Companies dealing in functional products are presently realizing the detriments of focusing on cost re duction, which causes diminishing returns. Consequently, firms are shifting towards sustaining coordination with corporate stakeholders such as distributors and suppliers who play a pivotal role in the supply chain processes. This coordination presents growing opportunities especially in light of the development of electronic networks, which enable closer coordination. However, companies often use the cooperative and competitive strategies to their detriment since the two approaches need dramatically diverse behaviors (Fisher, 1997). On the other hand, companies dealing in innovative products seek systems that provide high levels of product availability

Business proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business proposal - Assignment Example The company records low unit sales and lags behind Volkswagen AG and BMW in China. The stiff competition has to overall underperformance in China. The aim of this proposal is to look at the challenge facing the company and how they can be solved. It targets prospective investors and luxury automobile dealers who are willing to explore business opportunities in order to meet their goals. The audience needs to be concerned because any threat to the downfall of the Mercedes-Benz will affect them. Because the Mercedes-Benz defines class, prestige and luxury, its fall in the market will translate to lose of status and class and profit to the targeted audience. In order to Increase Unit sales and beat the stiff competition, Mercedes-Benz should first carry out research on consumer tastes and preferences to establish their needs. The findings will lead to the second solution of investing on new models. Adjusting its organization structure to be more flexible is yet another solution to the p roblem. A flexible structure ought to be established because it supports quick decision making and newer models will lead to increased market share hence beating the competition. The proposal also gives a solution of developing a cohesive strategy of targeting areas that highly populated with high class persons. Such audience have the capacity of buying the Mercedes-Benz which is likely to boost its sales. Despite having achieved high record sales of 1.46 million cars globally last year, the Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz car faces a lot of stiff competition from the Germany rivals and small cars who are still leading in terms of profitability, unit sales and appeal especially to the younger generation (Acquisdata snapshot 50). The major root of the challenge facing the Mercedes-Benz stems from the China market where it records under-performance. The China market is a vital market to pay attention to because it of its high

Sample and population Essay Example for Free

Sample and population Essay Three samples were used for this study. Sample one consisted of two schools serving grades K-2; each school was from a different district. Sample two consisted of two schools which served K-3 and were from two separate districts. Finally, the third sample consisted of four K-5 schools, from two different districts. Overall, seven districts and eight schools of different sizes in the state of Mississippi were compared. The study specifically seeks to identify variables in low performing schools that could hinder them from improving performance. In order to provide an accurate study, the researcher took samples from different sized schools with different student demographics. Implementation Research was conducted by recording data for each school for a side-by-side comparison of different factors (see Appendix). All factors were found through greatschools. com, which summarizes each school’s characteristics for easy research. All school samples were then analyzed for the reading achievement average. Based on the average, the researcher then examined the achievement factors; determining whether there was a trend between any of the achievement factors and the MCT results of the chosen school samples. Factors compared during analysis were; socioeconomic status (SES), student-per-teacher ratios (FTE), and the percentage of nonwhite students. The MCT scores for 2005 were used as an indicator of overall reading proficiency of the chosen school. In order to determine whether a variable was a consistent influence on the MCT scores, three consecutive years of MCT scores from 2003-2005 were analyzed. The overall study aimed to discover a consistent pattern between a variable, such as SES or FTE, and the level of reading proficiency. Data Analysis Two of the three samples were consistent with the researcher’s hypothesis that SES is a strong influence on reading proficiency. Sample 1 however was uncharacteristic of the other two. In Sample 1, both schools demonstrated above the state average in MCT reading scores, however, the school with the highest SES percentage actually did better. This is uncharacteristic since Sample 2 and Sample 3 demonstrated a trend in high SES and low MCT scores for three consecutive years. As discussed in chapter two, the literature review, the influence of class size on student achievement has been an on going debate among researchers. For this reason, the researcher included student-per-teacher ratios as a sample variable. The researcher had expected to see some evidence of FTE influence reflected in the MCT scores; however, that was not the case. According to the data collected, the FTE of all three samples ranged between fifteen and seventeen, with the state average being fifteen. The results demonstrated no reoccurring trend between FTE and MCT scores. Sample 1 schools demonstrated varying above average MCT scores and the same FTE of seventeen. In Sample 2, School 1A demonstrated a below average MCT score with a FTE of fifteen; however, 2B had higher test scores and a higher FTE. In Sample 3, all but one of the schools had a FTE of Seventeen, 3B demonstrated a FTE of fifteen and a below average MCT score. School 4B had below average MCT scores but a FTE of seventeen, like the remaining two schools with higher MCT scores. Between all three samples, there was no reoccurring trend between MCT scores and FTE. The researcher had expected student ethnicity to play a large role in student achievement levels, however based on this studies samples, there was little proof that such a trend existed. As demonstrated in Appendix A through C, schools demonstrating low achievement scores varied in the percentage of nonwhite students. The same variations were found in schools with high achievement scores. Overall, the only achievement factor that demonstrated a trend was the socioeconomic status factor. SES as a factor of achievement was present in Samples 2 and 3, but seemed irrelevant in Sample 1. Based on the results and the uncharacteristic trends found in Sample 1, the researcher feels that the quality of the curriculum and teaching strategies had an influence of the high achievement levels found in Sample 1. The researcher feels strongly that SES is an influential factor on the reading achievement of elementary students in Mississippi. It must be noted however, the influence of SES can be minimized with the proper curriculum and learning strategies. MCT scores give educators insight into the overall achievement levels of students, and should be used as an indicator of what type of teaching strategy should be used. There are numerous ways to improve student achievement. Educators and school administrators must be aware of the learning abilities and potentials of students and gear curriculum and teaching strategies towards the needs of the students. References Achieve (2001). Standards: How high is enough? Achieve Policy Brief, 3. Washington, DC: Author. Allen, J. (2001).Eliminating a â€Å"Yes, But† Curriculum. Principal Leadership, 2, 2, 10-15. Balfanz, R. Legters, N. (2001, January). How Severe is the Problem? What do we know about intervention and prevention? Report presented at Dropouts in America, Conference of the Harvard Civil Rights Project and Achieve, Inc. : Cambridge, MA. Balfanz, R. , McPartland, J. , Shaw, A. (2002, April). Re-conceptualizing extra help for high school students in a high standards era. Preparing America’s Future: High School Symposium, Washington, DC. Campbell, J. R. , Hombo, C. M., Mazzeo, J. (2000). NAEP 1999 Trends in academic progress: Three decades of student performance (NCES2000-469). U. S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Cronnell, B. (1984). Black-English Influences in the Writing of Third- and Sixth-Grade Black Students. Journal of Educational Research, 77(4), 233-236. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from Questia database: http://questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=95818457 Chubb, J. E. , Moe, T. M. (1990). Politics, Markets and America’s schools. The Brookings Institution. Washington D. C: Codding, J. (2001). An Up Ramp for Struggling Readers. Principal Leadership, 2, 2. 22-25. Committee for Economic Development (2000). Measuring what matters: Using assessment and accountability to improve student learning. New York: Author. Coleman, J. S. , Campbell, E. Q. , et al,.. (1966). Equality of educational opportunity. : U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Washington D. C Commonwealth of Australia, (2005). Executive Summary. Retrieved December 1, 2006 from: http://www. dest. gov. au/nitl/documents/executive_summary. pdf. Deutsch, F. M. (2003). How small schools benefit high school students. NASSP Bulletin, 87. 35-44. Education Digest. (2002). Still Stumped Over School Size. pp. 31-3. Everson, H. T. , Dunham, M. D. (1996). Signs of success: Equity 2000—Preliminary evidence of effectiveness. The College Board. ERIC Document Reproduction Service, No. ED 455, 109. Fields, C. F. (1997). An equation for equity: Maryland’s Prince George’s County puts Equity 2000 to the test. Black Issues in Higher Education 13, 26. 24-27, 28-29, 30. Finn, J. , Achilles, C M. (1999). Tennessee’s class size study: Findings, implications, misconceptions. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 21, 97-109. Fischer, C. (1999). An Effective (and Affordable) Intervention Model for At-risk High School Readers. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, 43, 326-35. Folger, J. , Breda, C. , Beach, S. A. , Badarak, G. (1989). Evidence from Project Star About Class Size and Student Achievement. PJE. Peabody Journal of Education, 67(1), 17-74. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from Questia database: http://questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=95763060.

Stakeholders In Singapore Education Education Essay

Stakeholders In Singapore Education Education Essay Education is an area of great importance in Singapore. Thus, most parents have very high expectations of educators. In this essay, I will talk about what are some of these expectations and how I can harness them as a force to enhance students learning. The traditional expectation of an educator is that he must be responsible for the academic welfare and/or excellence of the child. Do parents also expect teachers to play a part in developing the whole person, in areas such as character development? Discipline, must then be part of character development. How much do parents agree to the whole person development? To what extent do parents want teachers and schools to discipline their children? What methods are acceptable and which are not? Recent events shed some light to the amount of expectation there is of schools and teachers and raises some interesting questions too. The Nan Chiau fiasco for example shows the expectation of the public of school discipline and in particular corporal punishment. It is difficult to bridge the gap between those who agree to what the principal did and those who did not. They did however agree to the basic tenet of discipline but not the style. This highlights to us the changes in societal views on methods of discipline. Do these changes in expectation restrict us in achieving our goal in developing the whole child? How do we work with these changed expectations Increasingly, parents are expecting to play a more active role in schools in the form of Parents Support Groups (PSG). In these committees, they may take on different projects and be in charge of their organisation. These projects can be in the form of enrichment programmes for students which may help in the disciplining if appropriate programmes are organised. The issues related to increased parental involvement are legion. What are parents motivations? Will parents expect something in return for their services? What kind of incentives can school offer to encourage parents to participate? Will it lead to inequity? Parents might feel that if they do not contribute as much, their children will be disadvantaged. Will they then see the PSG as an added workload to themselves? Will it disadvantage those students who come from a poor family background Methods to harness them as a force There are some possible solutions in the bid to harness parental support as a force. Schools can package the services that parents can offer. Since parents have different strengths and resources, they can contribute to schools in various ways, such as financial aid, time or talent. When seen in this way, parental support can be of great value to schools. In order to encourage greater participation in the PSG among parents, schools will need to market them. Schools need to be careful not to promote elitism by valuing certain skills above others. They need to ensure that parents do not feel that their contribution is insignificant. How can these be done? One proposal is that schools first identify the schools and parents needs and then communicate and match these needs. On a volunteer basis, parents who feel they can help may come forward to contribute. Schools can also explore the possibility of forming parent-parent groups instead of parent-teacher groups. This is to give greater autonomy to parents and to allow for self-regulation and organisation. It also saves teachers from extra responsibilities. As for questions pertaining to the organisation of the PSG, it has been suggested that cluster superintendents run them, so that they can come up with a model for the cluster of schools, instead of individual schools coming up with their own models. However, the drawback is that cluster superintendents are not at ground level, they do not really understand the actual situation of each of the individual schools. Different schools might have different needs, strengths and weaknesses with regards to parental support, willingness to be involved and resources that they can contribute. Cluster superintendents may then not be a good person to deal with the PSG. Principals have also been identified as a possible person to do the organisation. However, constant changes of principals make it difficult to establish a strong PSG. Also, there is the perennial problem of principals being overloaded with work. Beyond all these issues, we can see that it is important to harness parents expectation as a force to enhance student learning. In involving parents in school in various enrichment and discipline committees, parents will have some degree of control to meet their own expectations Teachers are a bridge between students and parents. We must find a way in which we can harness the negative energy of these parents and use it for beneficent purposes. The challenge for us teachers is to harness them in the correct manner. There are two possibilities to help remedy this. As the world changes, so do the families that make up the smaller blocks of society. Consequently, the second remedy is to heighten the awareness of these parents that the responsibility of their childs development does not fall solely on the shoulders of the teachers and the education system. We thus agreed that as teachers and educators, we must be acutely aware of these societal changes and react to them accordingly and hence the teacher group decided that teachers should be the bridge between students and parents. This is a relatively new trend in humanitys history. It is a reflection of the systems desire to acknowledge and incorporate parents as stakeholders in the education system, and allow these parents some say in how the school is being run . However, it must be cautioned that parental-teacher-school relationships should form a symbiosis for the benefit of students. Hopefully this will motivate them to create a more conducive environment for their children to develop and excel in. Most often this is due to the fact that parents now are better qualified and thus expect a lot more from teachers the education system and their children themselves. This highlights the issues of single parent families. All these factors play an important part in any childs educational process. The consequence of this is that the children of these dual income families spend less time with parents. In addition, the teacher group took into consideration the ubiquity of Singaporean households, where both parents work at their respective careers to provide for a decent standard of living in an increasingly costly city-state. Research has shown that parental involvement makes a differences in the future of the child. On the other hand, students whose parents are not involved are more likely to drop out of school. In conclusion, research has shown that the most accurate predictor of a students achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which the students parents are able to: create a home environment that encourages learning; communicate high, yet reasonable, expectations of their childs achievement and future career; and become involved in their childs education at school and in the community.