Asthma and its symphtomes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Asthma and its symphtomes - Essay Example Secondly, a reflective discussion of my own experience with asthma sufferers in as a practice nurse working in a GPs surgery shall be presented. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesise the main points of the paper, and clearly state how issue is reflected in my area of clinical practice. Presently, Western societies experience easy access to health information and education as compared to the past. For example, the internet provides an abundance of information resources and access to public health services, council libraries are open to the public, and contemporary media and advertising strive to 'educate' their consumers on product labels. Large scale efforts of primary care workers at using behavioural modification methods, and encouraging sufferers to adopt healthier lifestyles, such as avoiding pollution, or not smoking around children, have been largely unsuccessful. However, although it is ultimately the sufferer who decides whether to adopt a healthier lifestyle, it appears that factors exist which hinder their access to health information, as well as that of their families, and perhaps also the primary care workers who deliver services to them (Morris, 2001, p. 48). Socio-economic status of the sufferer has traditionally been cited as the dominant factor affecting health and wellbeing. Inequalities in access to economic resources results in dramatic differences in life chances (Fulcher & Scott, 1999, p. 588). For example, one may not own a computer, or is unable to afford an Internet connection, so is unable to source health information. Alternatively, unfamiliarity with using a PC may negate a person's interest of using a public library's facilities. Another dominant factor is the cultural beliefs of the sufferer, which may constrain a sufferer from using contemporary medications. Research has indicated that non-compliant sufferers contribute to high morbidity rates of asthma. This may be due to religious affiliation, or from a mistrust of medications that are not traditionally associated with one's cultural upbringing. Other factors that can inhibit access to health information include: social isolation, such as can be experienced by elderly or the physically disabled; geographical location that constrains attendance to health promotion programs; the sufferer experiencing other health issues that they consider 'more important' than asthma; personality characteristics that influence a person's decision to deny the diagnosis of asthma; or peer pressure to not attend health education, or to avoid use of medication in some social contexts.Social constructions that contribute to high morbidity rates of asthma include asthma not being conceptualised as a life-threatening disease. Especially, an absence of symptoms such as wheezing are often interpreted as meaning the absence of the disease all together. Hence, sufferers may fail to recognise danger signals. Alternatively, asthma tends to be conceptualised as solely a childhood experience. The fact that the disease can develop at any time across the lifespan does not appear to be well known to the public, as such many older sufferers may believe that their age provides them with immunity from the diseases more serious effects.It is also recognised that the unnecessary morbidity rates o

History Of Aromatherapy Health And Social Care Essay

History Of Aromatherapy Health And Social Care Essay Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with the sense of smell and identifying the ways that aromas are so influential on a persons memories, thoughts and emotions. I decided to do my Independent Study on the history and practice of aromatherapy because I have always been drawn to it, and I hope to be able to offer others a chance to learn about it by developing a course that can be offered at the Firefly Academy. Using essential oils in my everyday life has given me many benefits. I can customize linen and room sprays according to the season, or the emotional atmosphere I want to create. It is simple to create salves for bug bites or muscle strain that are completely natural and work as well as store-bought items. I can use essential oils just like herbs to dress candles, add to talisman or amulet bags, or purify ritual space in my magickal practice. The only limit on the uses of essential oils is my own creativity. What Do The Terms Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Mean? To begin with, we need to define the terms aromatherapy and essential oil: Â · Aromatherapy is the art and science of enhancing health and well being with essential oils. (Aura Cacia, a leading advocate and manufacturer of high quality essential oils) [1] Â · Essential oils are the volatile essences extracted from plant materials for the purpose of affecting ones health, mood or environment. The Use of Scent Throughout Human History We dont need to have a degree in chemical engineering or physiology to understand how essential oils can affect us, or to enjoy them by adding scent to our everyday lives. Its something human beings have been doing throughout thousands of years of history. The use of ointments, powders, waters, oils and incense has been documented as part of worship, medicine and culture throughout many early civilizations. From Egypt and Persia, to India and China, trade routes flourished as the rich and powerful demanded steady supplies of aromatic salves for use as medicine, resins and incense to please the gods, and fragrant powders or perfumes to scent the skin [2] . Although no one can prove exactly when essential oils were first distilled from plants, the Persian Avicenna (980-1037 C.E.) is generally given credit as the first. Avicenna was a philosopher and physician, and he used essential oils extensively in his practice. [3] In more modern times, the scientific revolution in the 19th century led to the identification and isolation of many essential oils and active plant compounds. These discoveries soon led scientists to develop synthetic substances that could be produced cheaply and in mass quantities. This made it possible (economically feasible) to add artificial scent to products that were widely available to the public. Some of these products were soap, shampoo, beverages, and perfumes. The term aromatherapy was coined in the early 20th century by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French scientist. [4] He developed an intense interest in the healing properties of essential oils after his personal experience with lavender essential oil. His family owned a perfumery business and he worked in the laboratory. One day, an explosion occurred and Rene-Maurice badly burned his hands. The closest thing around to use to quench the heat of the burns was a large container of lavender essential oil. He healed very quickly from his burns and was left without any scarring. There are many notables in the development of modern aromatherapy. Two of the most well-known are: Dr. Jean Valnet [5] , a surgeon in World War II who began using essential oils on the battlefield after reading of Gattefossess work; and Robert Tisserand who is credited with being one of the first to bring widespread education about aromatherapy to the English-speaking world. Where Do Essential Oils Come From Most essential oils are used today as flavorings for foods and beverages, or as fragrance for perfumes, body care and cleaning products. Only a small percentage of all essential oils produced are used in practical aromatherapy. Each essential oil is comprised of a unique combination of volatile, aromatic chemicals. Most essential oils contain over one hundred different chemicals. Thousands of different aroma chemicals have been discovered in plants by scientists so far [6] . The combination of these chemicals is what gives an essential oil its fragrance and also makes it effective to use. Many things can contribute to the amount and variation of each chemical constituent in an essential oil. Things such as climate, soil quality, growing conditions, or harvesting methods can have a big effect on the quality of the essential oil that ends up in a bottle on the shelf of your local health food store. The various aspects work together to create each oils signature fragrance and physical properties. Essential oils can come from all parts of the plant including, leaves, flowers, roots, seeds or fruit. Some examples of essential oils that come from different parts of a plant are: leaf-Peppermint, flowers-Rose, roots-Angelica, seeds-Black Pepper, fruit (rind)-Orange. Unlike using fresh or dried herbs, to use an essential oil we must first to get it out of the plant. Try sniffing a fresh peppermint or thyme leaf. There will be very little scent. Now, rub the herb between your fingers and sniff again. By crushing the cell walls of the leaf, the essential oil is released. This is one way to extract the essential oil but not very efficient! And although there are many ways of extracting an essential oil from plants, there are three main methods used by most manufacturers today. Steam distillation is an ancient process. The basic process remains unchanged from that used centuries ago. The majority of essential oils are distilled this way. Fresh plant material is stacked on racks set above boiling water. The steam causes the cell walls of the plant material to break down and release the essential oil. After passing through a condenser, the essential oil can be separated from the water by skimming it off the top. Expression is a mechanical method pressing the essential oil out of the plant. Usually this method is used for getting essential oils out of the peels of citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, or lemons. Citrus oils are fragile and the fresh fruit aroma is lost if the peels are steam distilled. Enfleurage (Absolutes and Concretes) is the process used to extract essential oils from plants that are extremely delicate or have a low quantity of oil per plant. Some examples of oils that are made as absolutes are rose, jasmine or violet. These essential oils tend to be very expensive because they are labor intensive to create and it takes a tremendous amount of plant material to make a small amount of essential oil. In the past, layers of flowers were covered in rendered animal fat or a hydrocarbon solvent. As the fat became saturated with the scent, the spent flowers were removed and replaced with fresh. This process makes a waxy substance called a concrete. To further refine the mixture, the fat was mixed with alcohol to separate the essential oil from the fat. This produces an absolute from the concrete. This is the liquid product that contains the essential oil. How Do We Interpret Scent and How Does Scent Affect Us Most of us can think of examples of how scent has influenced our memory. One example might be that the smell of cinnamon evokes the memory of sitting in your grandmothers kitchen as she made cinnamon rolls 20 years after her passing. Another might be the automatic grimace that comes to your face at remembering the smell of the skunk that sprayed the dog last year. These are just a couple examples that show how scent becomes wired into our memories. Once scent molecules are breathed into the nose, they bind with receptors that send impulses to the olfactory bulbs that sit at the base of the brain. The olfactory bulbs interpret the scent message and send it on to the limbic system. The limbic system is part of the oldest part of our brain. It controls the functions that are necessary for our very survival such as the sex drive, hunger, thirst or need for sleep. This area is close to the hippocampus, where feelings and emotions originate, and long-term memory is stored [7] . It is easy to see why scents can affect us so strongly when we see how closely the sense of smell is related to our memory and survival instincts. We can apply this to our everyday lives when we extrapolate that our highest thought processes which include language, mathematics or abstract thinking can be affected by aromatherapy since the areas that process fragrance information and memory are so closely linked. By using an essential oil (such as Rosemary which is used for mental challenges) while studying, this scent becomes imprinted in the brain along with the information being studied. By sniffing the same oil later, like right before an exam, we can take advantage of this linking to have better recall. In Victorian times, scented stationary was popular for love letters. Maybe the writers hoped the sweet scent of perfume would cause ones beloved to think fondly of the writer. We can use aromatherapy in so many ways to make our lives healthier and happier. We can use it to help us not only with physical applications, but also to improve our mental and emotional health. And if you have had any experience in magick or spell casting, you can begin to see the implications immediately! How To Choose An Essential Oil When choosing oils for use in aromatherapy, it is vital to make sure that you are purchasing an essential oil. Essential oils are extracted from plants that grew in nature. They are not created in a laboratory. It is important to choose oils that have been extracted from the appropriate part of the plant, and using the correct method of extraction. On the other hand, aroma oils, fragrance oils, or nature identical oils have been created in a lab or altered in a way that does not include all the components of the pure essential oil. They are not interchangeable with essential oils! These other types of oils have their uses, but it not in the practice of aromatherapy. An example of this is peppermint oil used by the food industry. Manufacturers will sometimes redistill the peppermint essential oil to remove the grassy notes and amplify the minty notes. This is done for a purer peppermint flavor in your toothpaste. Essential oils can be chosen for their physical, emotional, or spiritual properties. You may choose an oil to relieve a physical symptom, to help deal with stress or to purify your ritual space. Some oils with be effective for all these areas. Frankincense was used in ancient times to fumigate (purify) churches and temples. Not only was this effective against disease agents such as plague, but it also brought people to a meditative state, and calmed the emotions. Many people use Frankincense for the same purposes today. Most books have charts showing the properties associated with each essential oil. It is a good idea to get a couple books that list a variety of information the oils. It is important to know physical properties, such as whether the oil you are choosing might be antibacterial, stimulant or sedative. It is also useful to know what effects the oil might have on the mind or emotions. If choosing an oil to use for magickal purposes, the correspondences listed for the herb will be the same as for the oil. Once several oils have been identified for the required purpose, the best way to choose the appropriate oil is to take a whiff and see which one pleases you the most. The imprint of scent is so individualized that even if all the books say that oil A is the absolute best choice for headaches, if the individual doesnt find the scent pleasing, or has a negative memory of the aroma, it will not have the desired effect. Always choose essential oils based on your personal preference. Essential oils are very versatile in their abilities to nurture, heal, support and rejuvenate our bodies, minds and spirits. They are easily absorbed into the body through the skin, by inhalation, or ingestion. But just because they are natural substances and have been used for centuries does not mean that they are without some risk. It is very important to use safety precautions when working with essential oils. Many essential oils often share a lot of the same chemical components. Sometimes knowing which chemicals are present in an essential oil will give you a good idea how that oil might be used. One example is eucalyptol. Oils, such as eucalyptus and tea tree, that contain this chemical are helpful in relieving chest congestion. Another example is the neurotoxin, thujone. This chemical can be extremely dangerous. Oils with a low content of thujone, such as yarrow or sage, should be used with caution and not used on a continual basis. Other oils, such as mugwort or wormwood, (does absinthe ring a bell?) should not be used at all. Skin irritation can be common if using essential oils without diluting them with a vegetable oil. These dilution oils are called carrier oils. Most vegetable oils can be used as carrier oils. If using essential oils on the elderly or young children, they should be diluted even more. Some essential oils can cause sensitivity to sunlight, as well. Pregnant women, and those with other health conditions such as epilepsy or diabetes, should take extra precautions in choosing essential oils. And unless properly trained, no one should ingest essential oils! Always research the essential oils you use to make sure you are following the proper safety protocols. There are usually warnings listed on the bottle and most stores have pamphlets or brochures that will list safety precautions. It is well worth the time spent reading about potential problems or doing a skin-patch test (to test for allergic reactions) to avoid the pain and hassle of a bad reaction. How To Apply Essential Oils There are many different ways that essential oils (EOs) can enter the body. Inhalation through the nose is one of the best known. Absorption through the skin is another popular method. Less common ways include oral, vaginal or rectal application. Although ingestion of essential oils is more common in Europe, never ingest them without the advice of a trained professional. Most cases of poisoning have occurred after people ingested too high a dose. Ingesting just one or two teaspoons of concentrated essential oil can be enough to cause injury or death [8] . Inhalation is one of the easiest ways to use essential oils. Oils can be inhaled directly from the bottle, a drop or two placed on a tissue or light bulb, or a few drops added to a bowl of hot water or to the well of a pillar candle. A couple drops can be added to a dryer sheet and a whole load of sheets will be redolent with aroma. Diffusers are another popular way to disperse essential oils into the air. There are many types of diffusers available. Some use a fan to move air through a paper filter on which youve placed a few drops of oil. Others use a nebulizer to vaporize the oil into a fine mist. And still another type uses ultrasonic technology to release the oil within a fine mist of water. There are many way to apply essential oils to the skin and it is an effective way to incorporate them into your body. Essential oils can be added to bathwater or to massage oil. It is also easy to add essential oils to any unscented shampoo, lotion or body wash product to create your own custom blends. General dilution rates for healthy adults are 10-20 drops essential oil in a bath tub of warm water or 10-15 drops per ounce of carrier oil. Use half or less of these rates for children or the elderly. Essential Oil Quality It is worth discussing essential oil quality and how to choose the correct oil for the purpose for which you wish to use it. It is vital to make sure the essential oil youre using is produced from the proper part of the plant, extracted using the most efficient process, is harvested at the correct time, and contains all the active ingredients that make the oil effective. There should be no artificial components added. Choosing well-known suppliers and brands makes it easier to feel confident that the oils you buy. Firstly, make sure the label says that it is 100% pure essential oil. To work as intended, the oil must be pure. As mentioned earlier in this essay, fragrance or aroma oils made from synthetic ingredients are not interchangeable with essential oils. An exception to this statement would be when purchasing extremely expensive oils such as Neroli, Rose or Jasmine that are 100% pure essential oils that have been diluted in a carrier oil to make it more affordable. The carrier oil will be listed on the ingredients panel. If you only need a drop of two of rose oil for your Valentines Day sachet, you might decide that the 5ml bottle of diluted Rose Otto for $20 is a better choice than the 2ml bottle of 100% pure Rose Otto for $130. However, if you are making an anti-aging face cream you might want the real deal to increase the amount of active ingredients to make your cream more effective. Secondly, make sure you know the Latin name of the oil you want. This way you know that you are buying the correct product. There are several types of Lavender essential oil on the market. One is extracted from the flowers of Lavandula augustifolia and is noted for its relaxing and calming properties. Another is extracted from the stems, leaves and flowers of Lavandula latifolia (called Spike Lavender) and is useful to repel insects and to help with cold symptoms. Each has different properties. The FDA requires that all manufacturers list the botanical names on the labels. Thirdly, realize that it takes varying amounts of plant material and labor to produce each type of essential oil. If you are buying a brand of essential oils that has the same price on all oils, you are probably getting a low-quality, extremely diluted, or blatantly synthetic product. It can take over 2000 pounds of rose blossoms to produce one pound of essential oil, but perhaps around 50 pounds of Eucalyptus to produce one pound of essential oil. It is obvious just from this one statistic that rose oil is going to a lot more expensive than eucalyptus. Just like in other real-life situations, if it seems too good to be true it probably is. Where We Go From Here This essay is the basis I am using to develop a course on Aromatherapy for The Firefly Academy. I hope to have it in included alongside the courses developed on Kitchen Herbology and Magickal Herbalism. The course will build on the information presented in this essay, introduce in-depth lessons on the fourteen most popular and affordable essential oils, provide information on making essential oil blends, and showcase easy recipes to begin using aromatherapy to improve the quality of ones life. There will be a project requiring students to make at least one recipe and describe their experiences using the blend in a short essay. A short, multiple choice quiz will be offered at the end of the course. Below is the proposed outline of the course: Lesson 1-What is Aromatherapy? What is an Essential Oil? Lesson 2-Why Does Aromatherapy Work? Lesson 3-Quality, Resources and Choosing Oils Lesson 4-How to Use Essential Oils in Your Life Lesson 5- Essential Oil Profiles Part 1 (Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, German Chamomile, Clary Sage) Lesson 6- Essential Oil Profiles Part 2 (Lemon, Geranium, Sweet Orange, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Rosemary, Sandalwood) Lesson 7-Blending, Carrier Oils, Fun Formulas Lesson 8-Essay, Quiz, Where Do We Go From Here? Aromatherapy is a natural, effective way to improve many areas of our lives. It is not hard to learn and does not require an enormous expenditure of money. Essential oils are a good value as each one can be used for many different purposes and they take up little space in a cabinet or medicine chest. My life has been enriched in countless ways by learning and using aromatherapy. I am fascinated by the ease in which I can ease the sting of a bug bite. I am rewarded with a good nights sleep when I place a few drops of my Sweet Dreams blend on my pillow. My spiritual practices are enhanced by diffusing Frankincense and Myrrh on my altar to create sacred space. I will never regret the time and resources I have devoted to learning how to put the benefits of aromatherapy to use in my life. Sources http://www.auracacia.com http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/avicenna.htm http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/history.asp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_system http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15895251 Nyam News , December Volumes 1 2, Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute, 2005 The Practice of Aromatherapy, Jean Valnet, MD, Healing Arts Press, 1980 The Complete Book of Essential Oils Aromatherapy, Valerie Ann Worwood, New World Library, 1991 Aromatherapy: An A-Z: The Most Comprehensive Guide to Aromatherapy Ever Published, Patricia Davis, Random House, 2005 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils , Julia Lawless, Element Books Ltd, 1995 The Aromatherapy Deck, Frontier Natural Products Co-op, 2007 Certificate course on Aromatherapy, The American College of Healthcare Sciences (formerly Australasian College) Aura Cacia Retailers Aromatherapy Course, Aura Cacia Company Footnotes: [1] www.auracacia.com [2] The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, Julia Lawless, Element Books Ltd, 1995 [3] http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/avicenna.htm [4] http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/history.asp [5] The Practice of Aromatherapy by Jean Valnet, MD [6] Nyam News, December Volumes 1 2, Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute, 2005 [7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_system [8] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15895251 Top of Form Bottom of Form

The rainbow with the pot of gold :: essays research papers

We live in a world where ‘education’ and the accumulation of skills have assumed fanatical proportions. We tch tch at heavy school bags, but continue putting noses to the grindstone. Always in the hope of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Except, that in the first decade of the 2000’s the way to that pot is no luminescent rainbow. And the sad part is, it needn’t be so. The proof of the pudding -- the training experience of companies including U.S.A.-based AT & T’s National Product Training Centre and Audi, IBM and Seimens in Germany; Pentagon’s Institute of Defense Analysis; and teacher Charles Gritton’s efforts in a Des Moines ghetto school that became a case study of success. Putting the ‘no pain, no gain’ credo of learning to shame is the concept of accelerated learning, perhaps more famous as ‘superlearning’ following breakthroughs made by Sheila Ostrander, Lynn Schroeder and Nancy Ostrander since the 1970’s. However, the ball was actually set rolling about a decade before they started. It was behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960’s that Dr. Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian psychiatrist, first applied suggestion and relaxation techniques to classroom learning and termed these methods ‘Suggestopedia’. These pioneering techniques engendered and gave impetus to what we now know as Suggestive – Accelerative Approaches to Learning. Accelerated learning believes that the human brain can work at least two to five times faster (‘superlearning’) and retain more and for longer periods (‘supermemory’ or ‘hypermnesia’) if it is put into the ‘right state’ of â€Å"relaxed alertness† (therefore non-stress, therefore pleasure) for learning. In a nutshell, it works by addressing our unconscious as well as our conscious mind, exploiting the power of our own imagination since it has been found that a trained imagination helps learn better – thereby aiding in accessing what are termed as the â€Å"success patterns† in our bodies, minds and emotions. Significantly, ‘superlearning’ shows us how to relax our body and calm our mind at will. It is sometimes described as â€Å"global learning† since it involves our entire inner world, including parts repressed in older styles of education, and goes to the extent of our most ancient memory of life, exactly according to nature’s blueprint for us. Moreover, it is global in the sense that the techniques can be adapted and used in virtually any culture to learn virtually anything, age and background no bar. It

Healthy People 2010: Obesity and Policy Essay

Obesity is a condition that affects more than one-quarter of adults and one out of five children according to the American Obesity Association (AOA). The effects of obesity are disease, death, disabilities and morbidity. This disease does not receive the attention that it deserves from the government and insurance companies. America spends billions on health care each year. Yet, obesity is on the rise. The diseases that obesity can contribute to are part of the leading death rates. The objective of Healthy People 2010, concerning obesity, involves many issues and attributes. A few objectives are reducing overweight adults, healthy weight in children, food intake and nutrition, school nutrition, nutrition counseling and food security. All of these issues would help reduce chronic diseases and promote health with diet and exercise. To reduce obesity a policy would be adopted by the government. Insurance companies would give a discount to people who would fit the criteria of obesity. If a person were within weight limits, a discount would be given to them through insurance rates. Prevention is the key and the goal of controlling obesity in adults and children. Also, providing activities for families, through city agencies, that would not be a financial burden to the people that are considered low-income. This information needs to be measured in such a way that nationally, state and local entities can access such information. Strengthen state and community monitoring systems that will link nutrient and exercise (Healthy People 2010). Also, receiving commitments from the public and private entities that will be involved, including government, physicians and insurance companies. Obstacles may get in the way of reducing obesity in the United States. Income status, none or little activity, race, gender or family genetics are all barriers that could increase the probability of staying obese. If Americans, as a whole, fight this up coming disease with full force and the backing of the government then the reduction of obesity will happen. Education of nutrition and what is enough for our children will decrease the amount of  obesity as adults in the future. The goal is to have a healthier and stronger America. Formulation. There is a proposal for health insurance companies be liable for the education and implementation of programs that will help reduce obesity in America. Americans spend over 60 billion dollars a year on weight reduction plans or pills (AOA). Inadequate reimbursements from the insurance companies make it difficult for Americans to gain control of weight loss. Weight can be a target of discrimination in a person’s personal and professional life. Obesity can cause heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers, arthritis and death. All of which can seriously jeopardize your health. A policy must be in place to hold insurance companies responsible for providing programs for obese people. If medically diagnosed with obesity by two or more physicians then the insurance company will provide reimbursement for the reduction of weight. This will include a discounted price for a membership in a gym, which will be contracted with the specific insurance company. To pay for or equal the costs to the insurance companies, they can increase premiums for persons who are diagnosed by two or more doctors with the disease of obesity. In addition, insurance companies and/or agencies will be taxed accordingly. The tax will be set aside locally to provide activities to the community and the surrounding areas. Physical activities will be set up for a practical amount of money, which will promote and educate people in the community on weight loss and reduction of obesity in America. This will include, but not limited to, the public schools and any private division. Implementation. Once the policy is clearly written and easily understood, the local government will appoint leadership to the appropriate entities. In this case, the Health and Human Services, American Obesity Association, the state  health department and the public should be aware of the policy that is being proposed into legislation. Costs will be an issue in implementing this policy. If insurance companies negotiate with local gyms, there will be a cost reduction. If the companies advertise together as a unit that provides insurance to promote a â€Å"healthy tomorrow† then the costs to the insurance company will be minimal. In addition, the premiums will be higher for the individuals who are medically obese. That will provide a balance to the insurance company for the costs of the reimbursements to the gym. The taxation of the insurance companies will provide extra money to the surrounding community. The local government will set programs to target individuals who are overweight and want to lose it. Programs such as basketball, bicycling, soccer, baseball, aerobics, swimming, tennis and other activities that will promote a healthy America will be paid by the taxes. Evaluation. There are different ways we can evaluate this policy once it has been through the legislation process. There needs to be a specific goal, which has been obtained. A measurement and analysis of information needs to be acquired. Then a recommendation to better the policy would be the conclusion. The political process does offer many channels which perceptions of a policy’s value feeds back into the policy making process. Committees will be set up to oversee and investigate agencies. Interest group intervention can also make or break a policy being introduced in legislation. If proper media exposure were to happen, then you would know the publics point of view and possibly know what will advance the bill or policy into law. Conclusion. This policy process will take time and many efforts by the supporters and agencies involved. Having support from doctors, employers and perhaps the government officials can be helpful when fighting for reimbursements for weight loss treatments. The goal and objective is to encourage individuals with obesity to obtain the best possible medical care for their disease. This policy will also help overcome the stigma that is attached to obesity. Finally, this will urge health insurance companies and the government agencies to be responsible for programs to treat obesity as they do with other diseases. References American Obesity Association: Preventing Weight Gain (2002). Retrieved on June 27, 2005 from http://www.obesity.org/subs/about.shtml American Academy of Pediatrics: Prevention of Pediatrics Overweight and Obesity (2003) Retrieved on July 4, 2005 from http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;112/2/424 Defining Policy Formulation. The Public Policy Web (2001) Retrieved on July 4, 2005, from http://www.geocities.com/~profwork/pp/formulate/define.html Hayes, Wayne. Good Implementation (2002) Retrieved on July 4, 2005 from http://www.geocities.com/~profwork/pp/implement/good.html Healthy People 2010: Leading Health Indicators. (2001) Retrieved on June 27, 2005 from http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/html/uih/uih_4.htm#overandobese Healthy People 2010: Nutrient and Overweight (2001) Retrieved on June 27, 2005 from http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/HTML/Volume2/19Nutrition.htm

Nordstrom

Nordstrom's problems†¦ Nordstrom is a classic case of how complicated and counterproductive the business becomes if a system is not properly designed or implemented. Nordstrom’s intentions were very good when they launched their customized piece rate compensation technique called â€Å"Sales Per Hour (SPH)† for the first time in the retail industry. Their plan was to motivate all the sale employees to think and act outside the box and earn tremendous customer satisfaction thus augmenting the sales.Their intentions were good but they haven’t really anticipated the problems that they faced due to this idea, thus failed to create a system which was fool-proof and awarding for the employees. For example, the SPH system was set such that the employee with higher SPH gets compensation more than the one with lesser SPH. But it doesn’t account for the quality of work done in order to create that particular sale. What if a customer worked more hours to generat e lesser dollar amount to satisfy the customer?Does that mean that the sales clerk deserves less money than someone who does a less intense work to create more SPH? The fine line between selling time and non-selling time was not properly documented or practiced, which in a way brought the entire system down. Nordstrom’s management always were on a single loop learning process of reacting according to that particular situation and focused on the motivation aspect of the employees to enhance their sales but never concentrated in a double loop learning process of how things can be improved or what might go wrong with this idea etc.If they had implemented the double loop learning and be more proactive in extrapolating the glitches of the system, they would never have ended in a position like the one the case mentions about. Nordstrom had used the expectancy theory of motivation for compensating their employees. When a sales clerk joined Nordstrom, he/she expected that they first will be valued and also will be compensated for their performance which is directly tied to rewards and reinforcements.This system proved to be fatal for Nordstrom. One more problem with the system failing is the decentralized process created within Nordstrom which never allowed good supervision of the employees and the sales clerks from the managerial side. A decentralized system has advantages of increased creativity, better communication and more efficient environment but suffers from lack of co-ordination and supervision between different departments thus creating silos within the work environment.This exactly was the case in Nordstrom where managers never realized the failure of the system and the issues of the sales clerks with the SPH system until it got nasty. Having said that, Nordstrom’s SPH system succeeded for a long time by motivating employees to give their hundred percent and generate more sales thus creating a name for themselves. Nordstrom’s culture al so included punishment and reinforcement when the case mentioned that if an employee has lesser SPH, he/she served decreased hours or possibly was terminated.This brings all the employees into a vulnerable state where they cannot deliver their best. It also creates an unhealthy competition among the employees and they work against each other rather than working together towards a common goal. All systems, not matter how big they are, fall at some point if not properly designed or implemented like a small crack in the wall can dilapidate the entire house. Alas, that was the case for Nordstrom. Nordstrom Nordstrom's problems†¦ Nordstrom is a classic case of how complicated and counterproductive the business becomes if a system is not properly designed or implemented. Nordstrom’s intentions were very good when they launched their customized piece rate compensation technique called â€Å"Sales Per Hour (SPH)† for the first time in the retail industry. Their plan was to motivate all the sale employees to think and act outside the box and earn tremendous customer satisfaction thus augmenting the sales.Their intentions were good but they haven’t really anticipated the problems that they faced due to this idea, thus failed to create a system which was fool-proof and awarding for the employees. For example, the SPH system was set such that the employee with higher SPH gets compensation more than the one with lesser SPH. But it doesn’t account for the quality of work done in order to create that particular sale. What if a customer worked more hours to generat e lesser dollar amount to satisfy the customer?Does that mean that the sales clerk deserves less money than someone who does a less intense work to create more SPH? The fine line between selling time and non-selling time was not properly documented or practiced, which in a way brought the entire system down. Nordstrom’s management always were on a single loop learning process of reacting according to that particular situation and focused on the motivation aspect of the employees to enhance their sales but never concentrated in a double loop learning process of how things can be improved or what might go wrong with this idea etc.If they had implemented the double loop learning and be more proactive in extrapolating the glitches of the system, they would never have ended in a position like the one the case mentions about. Nordstrom had used the expectancy theory of motivation for compensating their employees. When a sales clerk joined Nordstrom, he/she expected that they first will be valued and also will be compensated for their performance which is directly tied to rewards and reinforcements.This system proved to be fatal for Nordstrom. One more problem with the system failing is the decentralized process created within Nordstrom which never allowed good supervision of the employees and the sales clerks from the managerial side. A decentralized system has advantages of increased creativity, better communication and more efficient environment but suffers from lack of co-ordination and supervision between different departments thus creating silos within the work environment.This exactly was the case in Nordstrom where managers never realized the failure of the system and the issues of the sales clerks with the SPH system until it got nasty. Having said that, Nordstrom’s SPH system succeeded for a long time by motivating employees to give their hundred percent and generate more sales thus creating a name for themselves. Nordstrom’s culture al so included punishment and reinforcement when the case mentioned that if an employee has lesser SPH, he/she served decreased hours or possibly was terminated.This brings all the employees into a vulnerable state where they cannot deliver their best. It also creates an unhealthy competition among the employees and they work against each other rather than working together towards a common goal. All systems, not matter how big they are, fall at some point if not properly designed or implemented like a small crack in the wall can dilapidate the entire house. Alas, that was the case for Nordstrom.

Ivan IV and Absolutism essays

Ivan IV and Absolutism essays Ivan IV (the Terrible) ascended the throne at the age of three and ruled for just over half a century. Being the first to crown himself tsar, Ivan sought to extinguish the opposing power of the boyars. Ivan's struggle with the boyars was first addressed in a relatively mild manner but then became violent and fiendish during the second half of his reign. Ivan IV's system of government has lead many critics to label him as the " first ideologist of Russia." In consolidating the institutions of Muscovite absolutism, he not only broke traditions established by his ancestors, but also repudiated every tenant of the Orthodox Church. Ivan IV, like his predecessors, sought to facilitate the rise of a peculiar social institution consisting of service gentry. Unlike the hated boyars and their votchina, service gentry and their pomestie provided the tsar with a loyal service class that served as a dependent power base for absolute authority. It was during the reign of Ivan III that "pomestie" was first used to define lands confiscated from old boyars and appanage princes in the name of the grand prince. This land, in turn, was handed over as a fief, or pomestie, along with service obligations. Votchiny were hereditary lands, which were considered private property, unlike pomestie, which were considered personal property of the grand prince or tsar. By the reign of Ivan IV, pomestie had become the most prominent form of land ownership. This only pertained to periphery areas, where the most recent expansion of the Muscovite state had occurred. The core of the state was still controlled by votchina owning boya rs. By the time of Ivan IV votchina could not be held without rendering service to the tsar. Although the boyars, who were centered in Muscovy, could not hold votchina without rendering service, they retained some ancient rights of independence, such as the rights to judge and collect taxes. Ivan IV viewed such rights as ...

The Causes and Effects of the Homestead Strike

The Causes and Effects of the Homestead Strike The Homestead Strike was a very violent, but important event to the people of the American Business Industry. The violent act of a desperate businessman, in attempt to retain peace, killed many men. The infamous story of the Pinkertons changed the ways of American business agreements. The Homestead Strike changed the traditional American business environment by creating new laws and the awareness of the need for peace in business world.The Carnegie Steel Company was a successful factory, which employed many hundred of workers. Andrew Carnegie, who was the owner of the company, wanted a large successful business, which he had achieved already, but he was always looking for ways to save and make more money. By 1892, unions had been formed (Gardner p. 70). The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, founded in 1876, it quickly became the largest union with some 24,000 workers (Ciment p. 33).Gardner's abadonded churchThe union prevented Andrew Carnegie from lowering cost and w ages.By 1900, Carnegie's steel was cheap. Suddenly bridges and skyscrapers were not only possible but also affordable. Steel fed national growth, accelerating the already booming industrial area. Steel meant more jobs, national stature, and a higher quality of life for many. For Carnegie's workers, however, cheap steel meant lower wages, less job security, and the end of creative labor. Carnegie's drive for efficiency cost steel workers their unions and control over their own labor.Only 325 of the 3,800 workers of the Carnegie Steel Company were members of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. The small group of high-paid workers that belonged to the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers helped battled the company over wages and rights of workers. They fought over working conditions. One of the worst working conditions of the Carnegie Steel Company...

Calculations with Negative Numbers

Calculations with Negative Numbers The introduction of negative numbers can become a very confusing concept for some people. The thought of something less than zero or nothing is hard to see in real terms.  For those that find it hard to understand, lets take a look at this in a manner that may be easier to understand. Consider a question such as -5 ? -12.  What is ?.  The basic math is not hard but for some, the answer would appear to be 7. Others may come up with 17 and sometimes even -17.  All these answers have indications of a slight understanding of the concept, but they are incorrect.   We can look at a few of the practices that are used to help with this concept. The first example comes from the financial view.   Consider This Scenario You have 20 dollars but choose to purchase an item for 30 dollars and agree to hand over your 20 dollars and owe 10 more.  Thus in terms of negative numbers,  your cash flow has gone from 20 to -10.  Thus  20 - 30 -10.  This was displayed on a line, but for financial math, the line was usually a timeline, which added complexity above the nature of negative numbers.   The advent of technology and programming languages has added another way to view this concept that may be helpful for many beginners.  In some languages, the act of modifying a current value by adding 2 to the value is shown as   Step 2.  This works nicely with a number line.  So lets say we are currently sitting at -6.  To step 2, you simply move 2 numbers to the right and arrive at -4.  Just the same a move of Step -4 from -6 would be 4 moves to the left ( signified by the (-) minus sign.One more interesting way to view this concept is to use the idea of incremental movements on the number line.  Using the two terms,  increment- to move to the right and decrement- to move to the left,  one can find the answer to negative number issues.  An example:  the act of adding 5 to any number is the same as increment 5.  So should you start at 13,  increment 5 is the same as moving up 5 units on the timeline to arrive at 18. Starting at 8,  to handle -15,  you w ould decrement 15 or move 15 units to the left and arrive at -7.    Try these ideas in conjunction with a number line and you can get over the less than zero issue, a step in the right direction.

Employment Relations - Trade Unions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employment Relations - Trade Unions - Essay Example of unions in the industrial sector relate to regulation of employment relations, collective bargaining, enforcement, and starting new demands for the members. These unions may be in the form of company unions, general unions or craft union (Frege & Kelly, 2004). However, trade unions have been affected by a declining number of members, political interference and the legislative base over time. This has led to their declining power and reduced commitment leading to their ineffectiveness. The need to refresh their capacity is necessary, and various approaches have been suggested and used to revitalize trade unions. Among them are union organizing, partnerships and corporation campaigns. This paper explores the current nature and structure of labour union movement in the United States, and the evolvement of such unions to date. It also highlights the reasons that have caused the inactive states of industrial unions as well as the measures taken to revitalize the unions. Besides this, the paper gives an evaluation of approaches of revitalization in the US and the most significant when it is to addressing the issues of the employees towards improvement of industrial relations. The industrial labour movement in the United States dates back to the 19th century, and has evolved since then to include hundreds of employees with most of the workers joining in the 1930s (Freeman, 2005, p.286). It is during this period that organizations were formed to bring together workers for the aim of fighting for their rights at work and radical tactics were formulated to achieve this end such as the use of sit-down-strikes. The contemporary unions formed were to the conservative American Federation of Labour (AFL) which had come into place in the early 18th century to fight for proper treatment of the knights (Kelly & Frege, 2003, p.93). After the Second World War, routine was established, and interactions between the state, the employers, and the labour movements AFL and Congress

Film and American Culture Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film and American Culture Studies - Essay Example The way a certain movie influences a certain culture it is not same way it affects another culture. Certain cultures may think that action movies may instill violence to their child. Some parents argue that children will want to practice and experience what they watch in movies. A program such as wrestling is said to nurture and build a violent person (Funk, et al, 23–39). This will not be the case to other cultures because they might find it to be educative. The Chinese and Japanese like practicing soldierly arts; hence, they will find action movies to be educative because they can learn some skills from these movies. Other cultures find action movies to be entertaining. This is because in their everyday life, they encounter many risks, for example, the Maasai culture occupation is practiced around the forest as they graze their animals. They may find these movies to be entertaining as they experience a lot of violence with the wild animals. Some parents argue that action mov ies will instill braveness in children, especially cultures that undergo painful initiation. Some cultures recommend the circumcision of their men without being sedated to show braveness in a man. The other category of movies that have both positive effects on culture is the soap operas. These movies have different sagas, typically focusing on love. Parents feel that these movies will poison their children relationship issues at an early age. They feel that their children will start engaging in sexual action at an early age. Indian culture believes that people should not engage in sex until they are married. These movies will affect their culture negatively as young people will get involved passionately. It is also Indian customary for marriages and spouses to be arranged by parents, but after young people watch these soap operas, they feel they have a right to decide on their marriage life thus violating their culture. Other cultures find these soap operas to be informative and edu cative. For instance, these cultures feel that they educate people on how solve shaky relationship because they are true reflective of what happens in real life. These movies are educative in that they answer many questions to children. Parents are sometimes shy to converse matters pertaining to love and sex. They are unable to answer questions in this area hence these movies answer children questions. The other categories of movies that have both positive and negative impacts are the drama movies. These movies show how people use their wits and knowledge to solve certain issue. For example, a movie like Prison Break show how convicts gang up and use their wits to escape from prison. Children may try to put these in practice, hence skiving and absconding classes. These influence cultures in a negative manner. Some drama movies tackle the concern of bullying. For example, a movie like American Girl Stands Strong shows how some characters bully others in the school. Children may pract ice this and use it to bull other children. This may in turn result in forming an oppressive culture where some people are made to feel oppressive. Other drama movies address relationship issue. A movie like Desperate Housewives has shown a lot of unfaithful relationship. These may result in the buildup of cultures with infidelities; hence, separations and divorce will be the order of the day. They may also influence the

RESEARCH Methods - Spain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

RESEARCH Methods - Spain - Essay Example The supply channels acts on the basis that the crude oil serves as basic input required for production; consequently, increase in the prices will trigger increase in production costs thereby causing companies to have decreased output. The impact can also be viewed from demand-side whereby it affects both investment and consumption. The longer the shock is viewed to last, the stronger the magnitude of its impact on the nations. Apart from the effect on supply and demand, oil price shock also impact foreign exchange and inflation. This is experienced on the in terms of indirect effect on real economic activity. Considering the above case, this paper makes use of both empirics and theory to determine the impact of the oil-price shock on an open-economy, while considering that the price can be perceived via multiple channels. The paper makes use of three cases for the study, United States, United Kingdom and Spain. The three matches the key features of the expected data most suitably. Spain is considered for this case because it is a net importing country hence can help determining the resultant effect of oil price shock. From this, the resultant model is used to explore the significance of oil price changes on GDP, Inflation and Trend Growth. However, our findings significantly differ from the already established literature. Most importantly, the research finding indicates that observed increase in oil prices affects the macro-economy through the supply side. This is in contrast to Hamiltons’ study of 1988, which pinpointed the demand side (Hamilton & Muns, 1988, 67). In which case, our study purports that increase in oil prices affect similarly on the negative given that higher oil prices will result to decrease in output of a firm on the basis of value-added evident in capital or labor. Additionally, the study indicates that higher

Immigration Law of Arizona Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration Law of Arizona - Assignment Example The Supreme Court could admit the case or decline to take it on. This paper will discuss the likelihood of the Supreme Court taking the case and the possible decision it may make as well as the impact of that decision. Likelihood of Supreme Court to Admit the Case The decision whether the Supreme Court should undertake the case is both constitutional and policy based. This is a case that has been very controversial with dissenting decisions from inferior courts. The Arizona immigration law does not only involve all the states of America but it is also a matter of international concern on human rights. Upon its enactment, several UN experts and special rapporteurs raised strong concerns on its legality under international law. The legislation conflicts with several international law instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which US became a party to in 1992. But most importantly, the law has serio us implications on the obligation of US to comply with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which requires party states to take all measures in order to prevent, ban and condemn all manner of racial discrimination, (Lewis, 2011). Under the convention, the US is also required to ensure that all its agencies comply with these provisions. Therefore, it is important that such a global matter should be dealt with by the highest judicial body of the land which is the Supreme Court. The court should also take up the case so as to clarify constitutional issues arising from the case such as the Supremacy Clause that is dealing with the preemptive clause. The Supreme Court being the highest tribunal in the land has the ultimate responsibility of interpreting the constitution for the people of America, (Anonymous, 2011). It acts as the guardian to uphold the constitution and under this responsibility it has the responsibility to formall y overturn unconstitutional decisions from lower courts through judicial review to ensure constitutional supremacy is maintained at all times. Further, at this stage when the nation is under the process of enacting immigration laws to solve the inherent problems facing the country on the issue, it is the role of the Supreme Court to step in and provide other states on how to draft their immigration laws. The decision of the Supreme Court on immigration will serve to direct the other states on how immigration legislations should be drafted generally without conflicting with the constitutional and most of all the fundamental rights of individual citizens. Besides, its decision will form precedents to be adopted by lower courts and will go a long way down the history of the immigration issues. With all these considerations, the Supreme Court cannot afford to leave such an important matter in the hands of the lower courts. It has to step in and provide the way forward not just for the c ountry of the US but also the global world in general. Likely Decision Even though most provisions of the law are legally unobjectionable, the SB 1070 contains some unconstitutional parts which are sections 2(B), 6, 3 and 5(c). The first contention is the requirement of the SB 1070 that the immigration officers determine the status of the

Germny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Germny - Essay Example e can be, it will never be truly accurate, and will never be accurate on an individual level – for instance, just because most Americans believe in god does not mean that you can assume anything at all about a particular American if you meet them on the street. So when trying to describe the characteristics and stereotypes of the German people, and of Germany in general, it is essential to keep in mind everything stated above, that these characteristics have a wide degree of accuracy and that they cannot be applied to an individual German person even if they are true of the population generally. There are several characteristics of the German people that are popular as stereotypes, some positive, some negative, though most have both positive and negative connotations to them. Generally the positive characteristics are the ones that tend to be more accurate and the negative ones tend to be less so, as a general rule. One of the most popular positive characteristics of the Germa n people is a love of accuracy and precision, and this stereotype has a good deal of evidence to back it up and is probably true, while Germany still has many negative stereotypes that are associated with World War II, including being somewhat war-mongering and racist, and these characteristics tend to be untrue. The first characteristic people often think of when they think of the German people is a love of efficiency and order. People believe that the German people are better than many others at producing things that require a great deal of accuracy and design, and believe that Germans are better than many other people in small-details accuracy. This belief finds its best representation through people’s perception of German engineering and design being of a higher quality than almost anyone else’s. This belief is fueled in part by the fact that many German companies tend to brand themselves this way. Car companies like BMW and Volkswagon, which are both German, tend to play

Rhetorical Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Rhetorical Analysis Paper - Essay Example He does not only speak to Blacks but he widens his audience to include everyone. He starts this speech with "five scores years ago" which is a direct reference to Abraham Lincolns most famous speech. This grabs the listener and makes them ready to hear the rest of what he will say. He states that although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed over 100 years ago to free the slaves, that Blacks are still not free. As a leader, he knows that he must captivate his audience in order to help them understand what needs to happen to allow everyone to have the basic rights that are guaranteed to everyone under the U.S. Constitution. King also used a variety of metaphors to help people form their own images to relate to the images he was portraying. As an example, he suggested that "the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity "(King, 1964). All people can relate to this image and they understand the concept of the founding fathers creating a "promissory note" that said that all men were created equal, but that "America has given the Negro people a bad check." These images create an understanding and a deep appeal to each individual listening to the speech. King was a very self-motivated, optimistic and persuasive person. He was able to persuade people to take action and he brought about change. These are important leadership traits. He was an attractive and effective leader form the beginning to his death. According to Patterson, Grenny, MacMillan and Al Switzler (2002) there are seven steps that can be adopted in critical conversations which are: start at heart, learn to look, make it safe, master my stories, state my path, explore others paths and move to action. Crucial conversations are those conversations that are highly risky, take emotions, and feelings into consideration, and in which, the communicators have varying

Germny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Germny - Essay Example e can be, it will never be truly accurate, and will never be accurate on an individual level – for instance, just because most Americans believe in god does not mean that you can assume anything at all about a particular American if you meet them on the street. So when trying to describe the characteristics and stereotypes of the German people, and of Germany in general, it is essential to keep in mind everything stated above, that these characteristics have a wide degree of accuracy and that they cannot be applied to an individual German person even if they are true of the population generally. There are several characteristics of the German people that are popular as stereotypes, some positive, some negative, though most have both positive and negative connotations to them. Generally the positive characteristics are the ones that tend to be more accurate and the negative ones tend to be less so, as a general rule. One of the most popular positive characteristics of the Germa n people is a love of accuracy and precision, and this stereotype has a good deal of evidence to back it up and is probably true, while Germany still has many negative stereotypes that are associated with World War II, including being somewhat war-mongering and racist, and these characteristics tend to be untrue. The first characteristic people often think of when they think of the German people is a love of efficiency and order. People believe that the German people are better than many others at producing things that require a great deal of accuracy and design, and believe that Germans are better than many other people in small-details accuracy. This belief finds its best representation through people’s perception of German engineering and design being of a higher quality than almost anyone else’s. This belief is fueled in part by the fact that many German companies tend to brand themselves this way. Car companies like BMW and Volkswagon, which are both German, tend to play

How does a firms marketing strategy impact its decisions regarding the Case Study

How does a firms marketing strategy impact its decisions regarding the appropriate manufacturing strategy - Case Study Example Without a marketing strategy, an organizations effort to attract and retain customers becomes inefficient. However, with a marketing strategy, other strategies in the firm also become operational. According to Paul Fifield (2012) is an organization’s central concept or its produce by which the approach it chooses to take to has an impact on the market. The correlation that exists between the marketing strategy and manufacturing strategy in an organization has direct relations with its success and competitive capabilities. In chapter 5 of Bowersox, Closs, Cooper and Bowersox’s article, page 107, the authors evidently indicate that the existing marketing practices serve as a foundation for the manufacturing strategy in relation to client acceptability. The relationship between the two is crucial to an organization’s competitive position. When such a relationship does not exist, the manufacturing strategy is not used as a formidable weapon of competition since it is does not form the correct alignment with the marketing strategies (Bowersox, Closs, Cooper & Bowersox, 2011). An excellent example comes from Bowersox, Closs, Cooper and Bowersox’s article where they indicate that the marketing department may only care about the features and aesthetics of a product or service, whereas the manufacturing department conc entrates on the firm’s conformity. The key aim of a manufacturing strategy in an organization is to ensure that it has a competitive advantage over its competitors using the available manufacturing capabilities or assets. However, it is fundamental to note that the competitive advantage is only defined from a firm’s standpoint on marketing. Given that there are often many conflicts that exist between the two, the strategies are always divergent. Hence, for this reason, a firm’s marketing strategy has to have a positive impact on decisions

Examining the gender inequalities at work

Examining the gender inequalities at work Many feminists concentrate on gender inequality, particularly inequality in paid employment. Postmodernists place little emphasis on paid work, but both Marxist feminist and liberal feminists see employment opportunities as crucial to understanding gender inequalities. Liberal feminists have argued that a combination of legislation and changed attitudes can open up economic opportunities for women. Equal opportunity legislation In 1970 the Equal Pay Act legislated that women should be paid the same as men for doing the same or broadly similar work. In 1984 an amendment stipulated that women should get equal pay for work of equal value. The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act made discrimination on the grounds of sex illegal in employment, education and the provision of goods and services. Legislation was further strengthened by the 2006 Equality Act required all public bodies to take an active role in removing illegal discrimination against women. Despite these changes in the law, and considerable increases in recent years in the proportion of women who work in Britain, women remain disadvantaged at work: The proportion of the labour force who are female has risen considerably. In 1971 92% of men of working age were employed and 56% of women. By 2005 80% of men were employed and 70% of women (Social Trends 2006, p.52). In 2005 42% of women were part-time workers and 10% of men. In 2004 67% of women with dependent children worked (Social Trends 2006, p.54). Gender and earnings Women continue to be less well paid than men. In 1970 women working full-time earned 63% of the average full-time male wage; by 2005 they were still only getting 82% of the average male wage (EOC, 1997, 2002a; New Earnings Survey 2005). Horizontal segregation where men and women tend to have different types of job also continues. Women tend to be employed in areas such as personal services, administration, hotels and restaurants. Most routine clerical and secretarial workers are women, as are most primary teachers. Men tend to dominate in areas such as manufacturing, construction and transport. The proportion of women managers and professionals has increased recently. The Women and Work Commission (2006) found 75% of pharmacists, 40% of accountants, almost 50% of lawyers and over 30% of doctors were women. The Equal Opportunities Report (2006) reveals the absence of women in elite positions across a number of occupations, and comments that at the present rate of progress it would 50 years before half of top directors were women and 200 years before women were equally represented in the House of Commons, whereby as many female MPs as male MPs. Vertical segregation continues i.e. men predominate in higher paid jobs whilst women predominate in lower paid ones. For example, in 2005 83% of directors and chief executives were men, 74% of waiting staff were women. Men predominate in all the higher paid lobs except personnel, training and industrial relations managers; while women predominate in all the lower-paid jobs except sports and leisure assistants, where the number of men and women are equal. Generally, the more senior the position, the lower the proportion of women. According to the Equal Opportunities Commission report Sex and Power: Who Runs Britain? (EOC, 2006), women are under-represented in elite positions. In 2004 only 9% of senior judges, 10% of senior police officers and 13% of national newspaper editors were women. Women held only 10.5% of the directorships of the FTSE 100 companies and 19.7% of MPs and 27.3% of cabinet ministers were female. Although most teachers are female, in 2004 only 31.8% of head teachers were women. In 2005, less than 1% of senior ranks in the armed forces and only 10.2% of senior police officers were female. The report notes some improvements in the representation of women but calculates that at current rates of change it would take 40% before 50% of top directors were female, and 200 years before there were as many female as male MPs. LINK SOCIAL WORK TO ABOVE.+REPHRASE MUCH OF ABOVE/SUMMARISE/CUT+CARE SECTOR STATISTICS Explanations for gender inequalities Textbook pp. 124-131 Functionalism Human capital theory suggests that women are less valuable to employers than men because they are less committed to work and more likely to take career breaks to raise children. This gives employers less incentive to promote women and invest in their training. However, a study by Peter Sloane (1994) found that gender continued to influence pay even when qualifications and experience were taken into account. Catherine Hakim preference theory Hakim (2004) argues that women now have more choice, and inequality stems from personal preference. Women have better labour market opportunities than ever before due to amongst others the contraceptive revolution from about 1965. The equal opportunities revolution and the expansion of white collar occupations as well as the expansion of jobs for secondary earners. This has led, according to Hakim, to the emergence of three types of women: Adaptive women who combine both paid work and family. This group is about two thirds of women who seek flexible or part-time work. Another type is described as work-centred women, these women are a minority who focus on career and fit family life around it, this group is less than 20% of women, so men will continue to dominate the workplace. Finally, home-centred women are women who prefer not to work. This group is about 20% of women, including some who are well qualified. Crompton (1996), however, found no evidence of clear-cut categories among women working in banking and pharmacy in Britain and France. Houston Marks (2003) found many factors other than personal preference influenced womens attitude towards paid employment. Abbott et al (2005) criticize Hakim for ignoring structural constraints which limit and shape womens choices. ***CONTINUE FROM HERE -P126 (P121-130) The dual labour market theory The dual labour market theory developed by Barron Norris (1976) distinguishes between: The primary labour market of well-paid, fairly secure jobs with prospects; The secondary labour market of poorly paid, insecure jobs with few prospects. Employers try hard to attract and retain primary workers, who are seen as key to the success of their enterprises, but secondary workers are seen as easily replaced. It is difficult to transfer from the secondary to the primary labour market, and women tend to be concentrated in the secondary sector. This is due in part to employer sexism but also to factors such as lack of unionization. Beechey (1986) sees women as a cheap reserve army of labour, brought in during economic booms but thrown out during slumps. This creates flexibility for capitalists and depresses overall wage levels. Women tend to be in the reserve army because: they are often not in unions; they may be prepared to work for less if their wage is a second income; they are seen as combining work with domestic responsibilities. However, this theory cannot explain horizontal segregation. Also, the continued growth of female employment suggests that women are not being used purely as a temporary, reserve army of workers. McDowell (1992) applies post-Fordist theory to female employment. Post-Fordism suggests that there has been a move away from mass production to more flexible production of specialist products. Businesses keep a core of highly skilled workers, but most other workers are temporary or part-time, or work is contracted out to other firms. Women tend to be concentrated in the more flexible jobs, particularly part-time work, although some have benefited from gaining core jobs. Research by Lovering (1994) found evidence to support this theory in some companies but not in others, suggesting that post-Fordist trends affect only some workers. Some feminists stress the role of male trade unionists in restricting womens opportunities. Walby (1986) argues that in some areas (for example, engineering) trade unions have used exclusion to disadvantage women, while in industries such as textiles, women have been disadvantaged by confinement to certain lower-paid areas of work. Low-paid work ensures that women are more likely to take on domestic responsibilities than men. Radical feminists see patriarchy rather than capitalism as the main cause of female disadvantage. Stanko (1988) argues that sexual harassment in the workplace is used to keep women in their place. Men use their power in the workplace to protect their position. Women in jobs such as bar work and secretarial work are sexualized, and are not taken as seriously as workers or considered for promotion. Adkins (1995) goes further, arguing that sexual work has become integral to many womens jobs. In service sector jobs where women have contact with men they are expected to engage in sexual servicing: looking attractive, engaging in sexual banter, tolerating sexual innuendo and so on. The Women and Work Commission (2006) argues that reform, legislation and tackling sexist socialization can solve the problem of unequal pay. They argue that: Gender stereotyping in schools, in careers advice, and in work experience programmes, is based on traditional roles. This results in the concentration of women in lower-paid occupations. The Commission pointed out that the media could challenge these cultural expectations two thirds of forensic science students are now women. Combining work and family life leads to women taking career breaks and working part-time. Gosling (2005) found a single year working part-time before returning to full-time work led to a 10-15% reduction in pay, largely due to the quality of the part-time work available. Women need more opportunities for lifelong training. Workplace practices often disadvantage women. Job evaluations which rank male-dominated jobs more highly than female ones, even though these jobs have a similar skill level, need to be challenged. 1302 ADD GENDER ROLE AND STEREOTYPES AS PROHIBETER OF SEXES CROSS OVER TO DOMINENT SEX CAREER ROLES. 1605-1626

When I heard the Learnd Astronomer :: essays research papers

Upon rare occasion, my freshman brother actually decided to pull his nose out of his lousy video game, and join me upon reading this poem. Actually, I should say that I forced him to do this, because he needed to analyze a poem for his own English class, and the music coming from the television was beyond annoying. Anyway, my brother’s reaction to the poem was something along the lines of â€Å"So this guy is basically saying that science, by measuring and investigating nature, somehow detracts from its beauty†. Although my initial incentive was to bop him on the head, I restrained myself and calmly told him that he is an idiot. Where does Walt necessarily disagree with science? He doesn't. It is an assumption on my idiot brother’s part that he is drawing a thick line between mechanical theory and natural beauty. The narrator only expresses his disgust for the "professor" subject, as well as the lecture-room crowd, who is, perhaps, pretentious in his own right. He only dislikes the method with which Astronomy is presented. The poem's stark contrast between the two attitudes just serves to present Walt's opinion, which is that the subject CAN be more organic, and less robotic. By having the narrator veer towards one extreme over another, Walt ingeniously shows the possibility of middle ground. I know that I just stated the Whitman and the narrative are the same; but the fact that the author and the narrator don't always have the same point of view doesn't necessarily imply that in this case, they have different points of view. Whitman was a follower of the Romantic tradition; by and large, his poems do reflect what he feels and believes. If he had wanted to, I'm sure he could have distanced himself from his narrator's point of view more explicitly; since he didn't, I assume that it wasn't his intention to do so. Returning to the poem, note the wonderful quality of the verse itself. There is a common misconception that 'free' verse implies a total disregard of form; this is, of course, far from the truth. Read aloud, I appreciate the way in which Whitman has echoed his reaction to the lecture in the long, somewhat droning lines that make no attempt to mirror the natural rhythms of speech, and the instant easing of strain when he leaves, allowing 'poetry' to reassert itself.

history Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1790 a new nation was on the rise. With the help of the French, the people of the thirteen colonies of America had united together to defeat the greatest empire of the world. This was the shining moment of America. Freedom was theirs, and this is what they have been wanting since the pilgrims arrived almost two centuries before. They were now going to take on an even greater task then fighting the British: establishing a system of government that would be fair and that would be accepted throughout all of America. One thing the founding fathers knew they had to do was establish a document that would unite the states under one system of laws, so they would be a single country. The Articles of Confederation were too weak and could not meet the demands the country as whole needed, so they drafted a new constitution. This new constitution was a brilliant document that expressed how there is no true sovereign power because the power ultimately lies in the people. This document, created in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, was to become the foundation for our country and is still the chief document that the America of today follows. Nevertheless, there were still some people opposed to this document. The Anti-federalists, as they were called, believed that if the constitution was enacted then the central government would become too powerful. They believed America would then become a tyrannical government, which is what America fought so hard to get away from. The anti-federalists said a bill of rights was needed to stop the national government from being tyrannical. It was clear that this country would need a bill of rights, so one of the main jobs of the first   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gaines 2 Congress was to create one. In 1789 twelve amendments were approved by congress and by the end of 1791 they had been ratified by the states and had become the Bill of Rights. They were the first ten amendments to the constitution, and they prevented a national government from ever becoming too powerful. These docum... ...told Washington that the list of prisoners from the rebellion had risen to about 150. Hamilton also informer Washington the rebels were no longer an assembled force, but some small parties not really causing much damage. The hype and rebellions slowly died down and on July 10, 1795 Washington issued a pardon to those who were imprisoned, but not yet sentenced. Also, Washington had already pardoned the two who were sentenced to death, and most of the people who were arrested were already acquitted because of a lack of evidence. Because of this event, the new Federal Government asserted its rights over the individual states, while also making the government more democratic and allowing the right of dissent without committing treason (Department of Treasury). The states were able to unify as one to overcome a challenge. This event showed that the constitution could indeed work, and that the national government must posses some power in order for the country to stay as a whole. This was just one obstacle that America would be faced with in its short history, but it showed that a government whose intent is truly for the people and by the people can survive and withstand any obstacles.

LGBT: Standing for Their Rights and What’s Right Essay

If you were to see a student in need what would you do? You would most likely step in and help that person. Am I right? Now what if that student was an LGBT student? You would most likely require more time to process the benefits and consequences of stepping in and making a difference right? Well when it comes to that statement I have to say that you are incorrect. It is the responsibility of every person, including you, to help a student in need no matter who that student is and regardless of the consequences. Nevertheless, LGBT individuals, including students, are the minority that is the most targeted against. We can no longer afford to let this injustice continue as long as there are people that exist who can make a difference. My friends the time for change is HERE and NOW. With those words I say this. Every individual who supports the rights of a fellow student, the LGBT student, should donate their time and money to the Southern Poverty Law Center as they strive to ensure the rights of LGBT students through the use of legal action, educational campaigns and combating the so called conversion therapy. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) campaigns for rights for LGBT students through their educational campaign known as the Teaching Tolerance Program. The Teaching Tolerance Program is a project of the SPLC whose purpose is to help educators improve their teaching methods through methods such as professional development and various activities within the classroom in order to compose a more complete and cultivating environment. The program has recently released Bullied in 2010. â€Å"Bullied† is a documentary for anti-bullying release throughout the United States. The document is made for use in the classroom and improvement for educators and highlights the tale of a student who struggled to stand up for what’s right against his anti-gay torturers. Although many know about the need for rights for LGBT students, on the other hand, there are those who may comment that there are those that refuse to listen to those who attempt to campaign peacefully and with reason. But it’s easy to see that there are many people out there who show absolute support for rights of ALL fellow citizens if we took a look back at history. An excellent example is Abraham Lincoln, who worked to end slavery once and for all. If a president is able to take the time out of his schedule to accomplish this feat, then we as Americans should be able to do the same for LGBT rights. After all is this no the land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE? Let’s follow the examples of our forefathers and campaign to make this world a little better each day. In addition to educational campaigns, the SPLC exerts their energy, time, and resources for the rights of LGBT students through the use of legal action which includes but is not limited to proceedings against policies hostile to LGBT students. This is done thanks to the help of our very own Constitution. For example, let’s say that a student wants to wear clothing or any accessories that show their support for LGBT rights but the school that he or she attends will not allow him or her to wear it. It is then clearly evident that the school is in violation of that student’s natural first amendment rights which allows the right to free expression. The only time that the school can prevent you from wearing anything is if the clothing is obscene or has gang related elements. However some may say that legal action will only continue to heighten backlash against the LGBT community and therefore only make the situation worse. On the contrary legal action has helped hundreds of students for the rights when there are times that ultimately call for legal action. After all, now and again there have been occasions where words of expression and educational campaigns just aren’t enough. Furthermore, the SPLC alleviates LGBT students by function to put a stop to this so called conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is a lethal practice based on the presupposition that people can alter their sexual orientation. However this cannot be true. Why? Everyone, including the SPLC knows for a fact that people are BORN gay or straight not made or altered. Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is not a form of mental disease or a pathological condition. Sometimes we as human beings do not realize that we do not have the power or the right to manipulate any of God’s creatures whatsoever. Luckily, Conversion therapy has been discredited by every major medical organization as there us nearly no evidence that conversion therapy is even successful. Yet there are some who articulate depending on their point of view that if an LGBT individual wishes to convert his or herself then we should let them. However it is unmistakably clear that most LGBT individuals do not want to be converted. People who went through conversion therapy have had increased anxiety, depression, and even suicidal intention. In a study made in 2002, 88% of individuals failed to turn homosexual, while only 3% changed their orientation. The rest had no change whatsoever. In the end, The Southern Poverty Law Center uses educational campaigns, legal action, and combat of conversion therapy. LGBT students are just like us. They are us. They are a part of this world just as much as we are. They are a prime example of what the United States of America are all about: the freedom of each individual to choose just how they want to live regardless of the consequences and obstacles that stand in their way. Therefore let us illuminate the problem of attacks on LGBT students so that we may better grasp the situation and work together to fight for a noble cause. For if we do not learn from history and change ourselves for the better, then we can never truly overcome our obstacles and we will ultimately end up within the remnants of our own downfall. Think about it.

Mark Antony: Loyal Friend or Cunning Politician Essay

Mark Antony was a cunning, strong-willed, and loyal Roman. He was a devoted friend to Caesar. He looked at life as a game in which he had a significant part to play, and played that part with excellent refinement and skill. Antony was a devoted follower of Julius Caesar. Because he was a good friend, he was willing to be second hand to Caesar, the new king. Whilst Caesar would become the king, the most valuable but least powerful piece in chess, he would become the rook, a semi-valuable, very important piece. He wanted the crown to be given to Caesar so that the political vacuum would be filled and no conflicts would occur. Antony was unsettled by Caesar’s death but mainly sought to use this to his advantage and gain power. He showed how clever and cunning he could be when he convinced the crowd at Caesar’s funeral ceremony to side with him and not with the murderers. The people became excited and rowdy when he teased them about the will, waving it in the air and pretending as if he was not going to read it. Antony took advantage of the public idiocy when he first pretended to respect the conspirators calling them honorable men, and then slowly proving that they were not. He spoke out against them because he wanted power for himself, and unlike Brutus, he was politically ambitious and so believed that if he could take control while the state was in turmoil, he will remain in power. He was alone in making this oration, showing he had the confidence and courage needed to take charge. Rome began to collapse once Caesar was killed, so Antony joined the new government in order to lead the Roman people into a new age of prosperity. He did this partly due to a feeling of responsibility as Caesar’s friend, and also from his own ambitions. Antony was viewed as a threat by all of the conspirators but Brutus. They wanted to kill Antony as well as Caesar because they feared that he would become as powerful as Caesar and possibly a dictator. Brutus persuaded the others not to add to the assassination by saying, â€Å"And for Mark Antony, think not of him: for he can do no more than Caesar’s arm when Caesar’s head is off†(2.1). Brutus underestimated Antony and perceived him as a person who didn’t always take life seriously, couldn’t have a serious nature and  therefore, not a thinker. Brutus continued to argue with Cassius who did not believe him. â€Å"Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him. If he loves Caesar, all that he can do is to himself — take thought and die for Caesar. And that were much he should, for he is given to sports, to wildness, and much company† (2.1). Brutus judged him as being frivolous, and simply liking sport and partying, with a reputation for womanizing. This caused Brutus to see Antony as a pushover and a force that could be molded to their uses. Unfortunately for Brutus and the conspirators he turned out to be quite the orator and the people immediately loved him. Antony’s character was slow to emerge, and it wasn’t until he was forced to show his true potential, that he could he really be judged. He was a character with many hidden traits until he was forced to show his genuine character while trying to take the throne after Caesar’s death. Once he became a leader of Rome, his true character was uncovered.

Ethical Issues on Accounting Essay

Society is composed of many institutions that have various purpose and position. These institutions may sometime have contradicting goals. Money is something people work hard for making it such a sensitive issue. Disputes regarding money are often entangled in heavy disputes and are hard to settle. The accounting is the field that specializes in the job of taking care of other people’s money issues. Ironically, the accounting business has been bombarded by controversies regarding how they do their job and how they settle disputes if there are any. Practicing accountants consequently developed an image of being either strictly professional or, at worst, dishonest. Unfortunately for the accounting field, it is considered by many that moral standards of this field are deteriorating. This is where ethics come into play. It is very problematic to weigh issues without a set of conventions to guide them in the decision making. Ethics came form the Latin â€Å"ethos†, that means character and customs. Ethics basically deals with how people interact with each other. Ethics also sets what is good or bad, right or wrong but definitely much broader than the common notions of the rightness or wrongness of things (Cornwell University Law School). On the academic terms, ethics pertains to not just personal feelings, religion, laws. Feelings most of the time leads us to do unethical acts. Being religious too doesn’t necessarily mean that one is being ethical. Of course, religion sets very high ethical standards. But not all people are religious, non-religious people also have their own ethical standards. Also, being ethical doesn’t necessarily mean abiding by the law. Most people view the law as having the same grounds as ethics. Laws are formulated to meet ethical standards. But like feelings, the law can have certain biases, therefore can be sometimes can be viewed as unethical. Since ethics is basically right or wrong, it proves to be a very important tool such problematic fields such as accounting. Codes of professional conduct Many fields of profession formulate a highly developed detailed set of codes to guide them in their practice. They have allotted a considerable amount of their time and resources just to come up with these codes. These set of codes are more commonly regarded as â€Å"professional codes. † In the case of accounting, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or AICPA has Codes of Professional Conduct which serves as ethical reference. Much of these codes were later merged with the public law. The merging of the codes to the law gave it much more enforceability. Setting aside the technical education, accounting undergraduates were also given ethics courses before they conduct practice in the field. They may have discussed basic ethical. They might have been supplied a lecture of the codes of professional conduct. The generally accepted set of codes for accounting is supplied by the AICPA. One of the primary functions of the AICPA is the major role in the self-regulation of practicing accountants. Majority of the AICPA’s resources is devoted to developing the â€Å"professional codes† for CPA practitioners. Aside from the codes of professional conduct, there is also GAAP or the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Just like the codes of professional conduct, the GAAP serves as a reminder that accounting practitioners should keep in mind that they have to follow certain moral guidelines. It also includes rules and the agreed sanctions if these rules were violated. The Codes of Professional Conduct and GAAP both remind accounting practitioners that they must do their function responsibly. Basically, both these sets of moral codes states that accountants should not commit frauds even if the temptation of personal gain is prevalent. The codes and principles also remind them not to violate the set rules for it could mean heavy sanctions like renouncing of licenses. The use of professional codes is one way to resolve ethical deterioration in the accounting profession. On the other hand, it can be viewed as selfish on the part of accountants as it only heeds to their individualistic goals. Also, having a set of ethical codes grants accountants an image of trustworthiness and competence. Accounting is a field that has a very high demand by the public. The public, with all their money, is in need of accountancy services so that they could spend their precious time earning more money rather than the grueling task of sorting it. Accounting, as many perceives, is a very technical field, so accountants dedicate themselves to the complex technical aspects of the field leaving out on moral values. Accountant themselves see themselves as professionals that doesn’t require moral codes to conduct practice. Accountants develop an attitude which can be broadly described as lack of incorporating moral judgment on their work. Experts coin this as â€Å"ethical dissonance. † Ethical dissonance in accounting pertains to the attitude of accountants to treat their chosen field as completely morally neutral. As the word suggests, ethical dissonance is very prone to conflicts. Accountants suffering ethical dissonance have a different set of moral codes, or at worst devoid of any, so conflicts with other institutions will be very hard to resolve. The root of this problem is traceable to various issues like â€Å"self-regulation† practiced by the accounting field. Self-regulation Self-regulation of the accounting field basically means that the accounting field itself makes their own set of codes rather than extracting it from the society. Self-regulation can be something good as it can give the field of accountancy more focus on their field. Self-regulation gained popularity as it is regarded as â€Å"effective control† and the most efficient tool for minimizing errors. Accountants acquire some privileges that other members of the society don’t have. This includes the exclusive right to determine who can do the accounting work and how it should be done. These special privileges are granted to them by the state. But their acquired â€Å"autonomy† doesn’t come free. As an act of courtesy, the accounting profession now burdens having special public interests responsibilities that they should keep high competence and high ethical standards (Gaa, 1994). Once the regulations are agreed upon, it is formalized by law or by organizations of the same field. The organizations monitor and penalize its members if they abide or violate the agreed regulations. If violations are reported, investigations are done by the government or the organization, where the violator is a member. Also self-regulation allows accountants have more focus as they wouldn’t spend time and effort developing professional codes. Self-regulation can incite conflicts because in the end it will have to adjust to what the public wants. For many accountancy experts, self regulation in accounting cannot work accordingly. If extracted a tautological meaning, they are merely regulating themselves of what they should do and those that they cannot violate. The public and the accountancy field is both divided in this issue. Some people tend to go with the decision to leave their financial affairs to their accountants (Gowthorpe & Blake, 1998, pp. 1-3). They wouldn’t question however the accountants will do the job. In this respect, they recognize it that the accountants are the specialists in this field. And so they don’t bother in meddling (or arguing) with their accountants. The gray area of this point is that it is very prone to malpractice, intended or unintended, that can lead to ethical conflicts between the public and the accounting field. Since the moral code is self-regulated, what may be right or wrong for the accountants may be contradicting to those of the public. However, if the state gave the accounting industry autonomy, it means they are given more weight than other institutions. In this sense it is quite unethical for the state have certain biases. Moreover if the accounting industry is given this autonomy, in return they should provide the public quality and honest service with high regards to ethical standards and competence. Ethical lapses in accounting I have acquired examples of ethics in action in the accounting field. I will have to not name the particular agencies involved as it is unethical. Perhaps one of the biggest acknowledgements of ethical misconduct in accounting was done by an insurance company by swapping insurance assets to artificially increase their growth. This is an example of an â€Å"end justify the means. † The insurance company had only thought of its own good not minding how their action affects others. With their artificially fattened network gross, investors are lured to risk their money on a company that has not performed as the unknowingly deceived analysts say. (Flanagan, 2007, pp 38-46) Another ethical lapse in accounting is discrimination. Some insurance companies have gender, racial, and age related biases before they sell their service. This act of discrimination is highly unethical because it contradicts the responsibility of accountants to the public. Researches found out that gender seems to have a great effect on negotiations (Flanagan, 2007, pp. 60-64). (a) Women seem to be greater in number in terms of financial disputes. During negotiations, women prefer being perceived as reasonable. Men are treated to have more economic orientation so they can maximize economic income. Women are treated to have lots of self-doubt about their financial capabilities so they would have to settle with smaller financial settlements. Some companies perceive this as risk to their economic gain so they unethically reject smaller settlements. Women are allegedly to have lesser successes in negotiations in comparison to men. As gender awareness is increasing popularity these days, this ethical lapse would mean many disputes for the accounting industry. (b) There is also aversion for elderly people during negotiations. Many companies see clients with old age (65 up) as great investment risk. Elderly people seem to have more difficulty getting auto insurances. They also find it difficult to cash in their insurance as it could just be interpreted as a scam. Insurance companies group their clients in to two whereas one group is of the adult (23-60) and the other is either very young or very old. The latter group which has both extremities of the age group is treated much differently as opposed to the prior group. The latter group is perceived as to have a higher frequency of accidents that would lead to higher insurance claims. Also, younger defendants are assed more fault than relatively older defendants while all other are treated equally. Again the lapse here is that economic consequences were given more priority than being ethically agreeable. (c) Accounting services seem to have biases in terms of race. Loan default rates are higher for black applicants than white applicants. The lender cannot use race as a qualifier in whether to give out loans or not. There are also variations in insurance terms when race is being considered. Discrimination, the word itself is not obviously ethical. Ladd, 1998, pp. 63-90) Although these acts of discrimination are considered illegal, many practitioners still commit this unethical practice. If there are variations to insurance terms, the act could meet up with the legal definition of discrimination that could cause the agency legal prohibition. Although if there was a denial in loans due to gender, age, and race, even with the legal laws, it would be difficult to resolve because of the self-regulated ethical codes that the industry of accounting is equipped. Economic consequences of ethical issues Probably, one reason why it takes lot of time and discussions before ethical solutions are implemented is because corrections of errors will cause a lot of money for the accounting agencies. Profit maximizing is the priority concern of most businesses, even if they admit it or not. Moreover, maintaining and formulating proper ethical codes would cost companies much money that they would want to put into investment instead. Ruland had identified three philosophical perspectives that addresses the questions of whether accounting regulators should be guided by economic consequence issues. (Ruland 1984) The question of whether ends justify means for the accountants. It is often asked if the desired economic outcome of practicing accountancy justify what ever ethical approach they are taking. We can view this thinking as both negative and positive. On one side, we can view it as the actions should be judged weighed on its moral values. There is also the notion of â€Å"positive and negative responsibilities. † Positive responsibilities hold individuals accountable their own actions. On the other hand, negative responsibilities hold individuals accountable for actions they fail or allow to properly address. In simpler terms, positive responsibilities hold accountants responsible for their own actions, and contrastingly, negative responsibilities hold accountants responsible for the action of other people. Arguably, positive responsibilities can provide a fair presentation of accounts because the accountant’s reputation is on the line, as opposed to negative responsibilities whereas the accountants can’t be blamed for errors of other people. Many still argue that positive responsibilities should not be replaced by negative responsibilities just to avoid financial consequences. There is also the concept of â€Å"the distinction of duty to refrain and a duty to act. † Many accounting firms believe that the pursuit of the best accounting practice is the most important duty of accountants. They are tasked with a duty to refrain by any distractions. They are to focus only on their service, and nothing else, even if it may cause some ethical disputes. An important word here is â€Å"priority† as the duty to act gives more priority to addressing issue rather than refraining. Those who argue that economic consequences issues should be the main focus of regulations are favoring the duty to act.