Renal system

The renal system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. (virtual medical center 2006) It consists of all the organs responsible for the formation and release of urine. The kidneys perform vital functions like getting rid of waste through the excretion of urine. It regulates the amount of water in the body and allows filtration of sodium and chlorides. (virtual medical center 2006) It maintains the volume and composition of body fluid. (renal system 2006) The kidneys are â€Å"bean-shaped organ located in the lower part o the belly, situated in the posterior wall of the abdomen. (renal system 2006)The left kidney is slightly higher than the right in the abdomen to allow for the liver. (renal system 2006) There are two distinct regions of the kidney; medulla and cortex. The blood supply is taken directly from the aorta thru renal arteries and returned to the inferior vena cava thru renal veins. (renal system 2006) The nephron is the unit of the kidney that acts and respon sible for ultrafiltration and excretion of the waste products. (renal system 2006) Urine, the filtered waste material, will be passed down the ureters and collects in the bladder. (renal system)The ureters are tubes lined with smooth muscle. The 25-30cm long tubes help carry the urine through the bladder. The urine will be forced forward with the help of the muscular tissue. (virtual medical center 2006) Then the urethral sphincter at the base of the bladder relaxes, the detrusor contracts, and urine is negated thru the urethra. (renal system 2006)The bladder is located in our pelvis and pyramidal in shaped. It stores the urine and releases it into a tube which extracted the urine out of the body. (virtual medical center 2006) It can normally hold up to 500mls of urine. It has three openings which includes two for the ureters and one for the urethra. (virtual medical center 2006) The main muscle of the bladder is called detrusor that contracts to allow the urine to flow. The nervous control of the bladder that sends signal and tell us that the bladder is full is located in the brain and spinal cord. (virtual medical center 2006) The blood supply of the bladder is from many blood vessels named vesical arteries, obturator, uterine, gluteal and vaginal arteries. (virtual renal system site)The tube that is located from the bladder neck to the top of the vaginal opening is the female urethra whereas, the male urethra is running from the bladder to the tip of the penis. Female urethra is more prone to infections from bacteria than male urethra due to it is shorter in size. (virtual medical center 2006) The blood vessels of the female urethra are the internal pudendal and vaginal arteries. The male urethra is supplied through inferior vesical and middle rectal arteries. (virtual renal system site)An acute renal failure is a disease of the kidneys and a common medical condition that complicates hospital and intensive care unit admissions. (virtual medical center 2006)    It occurs suddenly and initiated by primal causes like dehydration, infection, kidney injuries and chronic use of over the counter pain medications. (virtual medical center 2006) It is often reversible and with no lasting damage. In renal failure, kidneys are not functioning properly or not work at all. Kidneys are unable to filter waste, produce urine and imbalances fluids. The dysfunction of the kidneys results building up of toxins which produces complications. (Gunsch 2006)Renal failure symptoms include edema or the accumulation of fluid distinctive in swelling, decrease in urination, general ill feeling, exhaustion and headaches. (Gunsch 2006)Often, these symptoms were not experience by a person with renal failure. (Gunsch 2006) A person with renal failure can actually lead a normal life. The recovery of the patient with renal failure will be depending on the severity, treatment options and patient’s coping to the rigors of renal failure.But to some cases, dialysis and kidney transplant is needed. (Gunsch 2006) Management of the treatment includes general measures or monitors to prevent complications, treat precipitating cause, and can be treated with medications or may require dialysis.   (wirual medical center 2003)Mary is admitted to the ward with acute renal failure. She is very confused and anxious. She is accompanied by her husband and daughter. She has high blood pressure and a respiratory rate of 30. She also has low urine out put. Mary might have felt self pity and a burden to her family. In Roper et.al’s activities of living model (1918-2004), it stresses patient’s continual assessment, facilitation of normal activities of living and individualized care. It considers and respects the characteristics of a person prior to development. (Roper et.al 1918-2004)The â€Å"model of living† incorporates twelve activities that engaged a person whether sick or well. (Roper et.al 1918-2004) It includes maintaining a safe e nvironment, breathing, communication, mobilizing, eating and drinking, eliminating, personal cleansing and dressing, maintaining body temperature, working and playing, sleeping, expressing sexuality and dying   Ã‚  (Roper et.al 1918-2004)To be able to provide care for Mary without making her feel as a burden or imbecile, she should be given the chance to have her individualism. Although she should be given special care and attention, she should be given a part to the treatment she is undergoing. Like if in case she needs to take her medicine, she should be the one to take it but her family or the attendants should also notify her the appointed time that it should be taken. Communication is highly regarded in this situation as well. Through having conversation with the patient not only shows that you care for her but also makes her feel that she is not disgusting.Mary should also be given assistance in personal cleansing, dressing and maintaining to have a good environment but not to a point that her personality will be injured. Her family should be involved in every activities or treatment that she is undergoing. Mary could have a certain activity every week that will detach her in always thinking about her sickness that makes her confused and anxious.Certain social activities or programs should be conducted or if in case having a new learning experience like training for dressmaking, cosmetology, or the likes that will be useful as well when she’ s already well. Death issues should also be planned so that she will have a pain free and dignified death wherever possible. Spiritual emphasis is also helpful for Mary to cope up with the situation. Lastly, she should also be treated and informed that her sickness could be cured and not malignant.REFERENCES:Answers.com retrieved 13 October 2006, Kidney, Available at: http://www.answers.com/renal%20systemGunsch, J. 2006, What is Renal Failure?, Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-renal-failure.htmN orthern Care Homes Directory 28 August 2000, Hulton Care Nursing Home, Available at: http://www.nchd.co.uk/Middleton/hulton_care.htmRenal System retrieved 13 October 2006, Available at: http://www.le.ac.uk/pathology/teach/va/anatomy/case4/4_1.htmlRoper, Nancy, et.al 1918-2004, Activities of Living Model, Available at: http://www.nursingtheory.net/gt_alm.htmlVirtual Medical Center 28 March 2006, Anatomy & Physiology of the Renal System, Available at: http://www.virtualrenalcentre.com/anatomy.asp?sid=14Virtual Medical Center   9 October 2003,   Renal Failure – Acute, Available at: http://www.virtualrenalcentre.com/diseases.asp?did=205Wikipedia retrieved 13 October 2006, Kidney, Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal

Existentialism and Human Nature Essay

Absolute individuality and absolute freedom: the basis of all existentialist arguments. The existentialist’s conceptions arise from their held views that since we are all ultimately alone, we have absolute freedom over our nature. Existentialists emphasize the â€Å"free and conscious self† which opponents constantly attack, exclaiming that there is a â€Å"higher power† enabling our consciousness. But are humans so simple? Can things be explained solely on blaming ourselves or another being for our nature? The existentialist generally believes in a sole existence; meaning that we are alone in the world, and that we have no one but ourselves. They also believe in the human being’s capacity to feel more than one kind of pain, and that there are three different levels to our pain, physical, psychological, and emotional. All of these types of pain can cause us to become irrational and anxious. But are we really anxious because of this pain, or is it because we ultimately feel alone? And if we are all individuals, can we really feel the same kind of pain as someone else? Existence precedes essence is also dominant in the mind and thoughts of the existentialist. That is, the idea that we are born into this world without a predetermined nature, and only later in life do we shape out nature through actions and choices. This opposes the traditional view that is that essence precedes existence, according to which we are seen as having a purpose, and values, all of which is determined before birth. (I personally think that the idea of essence preceding existence is rather obscure. There is no way that our values and purpose can be determined by genetic code. DNA is what we are, not who we are. ) Existentialists pose another question to the opposition: how can we be happy in a world devoid of significance and meaning? The loss of external values allows us to derive value from within ourselves. This value is greater than any imposed by outside forces, and thus cannot be taken away from said sources. Although many human beings live a life devoid of true happiness, it does not mean that we are incapable of attaining such a goal. If a person finds the meaning for their life, whether it be one meaning, or many, there is a large chance that they can achieve such a utopia without recognizing outside influences. People of different viewpoints follow different methods, as well as believe in different forces that shape our nature. It is in my opinion, as well as that of the existentialist, that we shape our own nature through decisions and actions made by our own free will; that we are ultimately free to act independently from the influences of outside forces. That we can ultimately ignore the views imposed on us, and achieve a sustainable level of happiness in the process. Human nature is a frail thing; people are just looking for someone else to blame for their actions and for who they are, even when there isn’t any. Therefore, there is no one to blame for who we are, but ourselves.

An Unforgettable Experience.

His sparkling green eyes always gave an aura of intelligence. Every time he smiled it made my heart melt like a hot knife cutting through butter. The only one who knew about this feeling of mine was my best friend, Ida. She was a very encouraging friend of me. She even helped me hooked up with Dustin. I was the girl who only focused on my studies and my social life was not exciting. Dustin, on the other hand, was one of the top guys in the girls’ list who was a must-go-date with. His popularity started when he scored a lot of baskets for his basketball team. But most importantly, he was the Captain of the Tiger basketball team. One day, the Tiger Team had a big game with Leopard Team. He played brilliantly with great jump, shots, dunks and assists. His teammates also played their hearts out to win the game. Just two minutes before the game ended, they were trailing 90-96. They managed to force three turnovers, two steals and scored five baskets. Three shots were made by Dustin. Finally, our Tiger Team won by 101-99. Ida and I were very excited and we screamed our lungs out for the victory. Dustin then took the microphone from the announcer. He said in front of hundreds of people that before he left high school, he wanted to tell everyone a secret. He liked someone, a girl. Nobody knew and not even his own friend. Suddenly, the stadium became quiet as all the girls wished that they were the chosen one. Then he said, â€Å"Amanda Ann, I do really like you,† â€Å"What? Did he just mention my name? I asked Ida. I was shocked and felt like fainting at that moment. I could not believe it. It was just like a dream came true. I suddenly dreamed that I was wearing a Cinderella gown and hearing the ringing of bells. Then, everybody in the stadium was staring at me. He then ran towards me and told me that he liked me a lot since the first day I sat foot in this school. I became dumbfounded and my face turned red as all girls w ere very envious of me. Even though this incident had happened a week ago, it was still fresh in my mind. An Unforgettable Experience. His sparkling green eyes always gave an aura of intelligence. Every time he smiled it made my heart melt like a hot knife cutting through butter. The only one who knew about this feeling of mine was my best friend, Ida. She was a very encouraging friend of me. She even helped me hooked up with Dustin. I was the girl who only focused on my studies and my social life was not exciting. Dustin, on the other hand, was one of the top guys in the girls’ list who was a must-go-date with. His popularity started when he scored a lot of baskets for his basketball team. But most importantly, he was the Captain of the Tiger basketball team. One day, the Tiger Team had a big game with Leopard Team. He played brilliantly with great jump, shots, dunks and assists. His teammates also played their hearts out to win the game. Just two minutes before the game ended, they were trailing 90-96. They managed to force three turnovers, two steals and scored five baskets. Three shots were made by Dustin. Finally, our Tiger Team won by 101-99. Ida and I were very excited and we screamed our lungs out for the victory. Dustin then took the microphone from the announcer. He said in front of hundreds of people that before he left high school, he wanted to tell everyone a secret. He liked someone, a girl. Nobody knew and not even his own friend. Suddenly, the stadium became quiet as all the girls wished that they were the chosen one. Then he said, â€Å"Amanda Ann, I do really like you,† â€Å"What? Did he just mention my name? I asked Ida. I was shocked and felt like fainting at that moment. I could not believe it. It was just like a dream came true. I suddenly dreamed that I was wearing a Cinderella gown and hearing the ringing of bells. Then, everybody in the stadium was staring at me. He then ran towards me and told me that he liked me a lot since the first day I sat foot in this school. I became dumbfounded and my face turned red as all girls w ere very envious of me. Even though this incident had happened a week ago, it was still fresh in my mind.

Domestic and international HRM policies and practices Essay

Domestic and international HRM policies and practices - Essay Example historical development of SHRM, originated in succession with the paternalist view point, personnel, human relations, industrial relations & personnel management, HRM, SHRM and was succeeded by IHRM (Ryan, 2005; Hall & Hitch, 1939). However, Dickman goes on to state that "it is necessary to go beyond strategy and structure to focus on processes to begin to understand how sophisticated international HRM may contribute to increased efficiency, responsiveness and innovativeness." (2001: 1) Ryan (2005) states that the HRM mantra achieves five key variables these being: flatter structures, cohesive cultures, strong leadership, productivity through people and customer focus. In practice HRM is largely third position on the managerial agenda (Ryan, 2005:5). In short, HRM is concerned with the management of people, the employer-employee relationship or labour regulation which has existed since the first form of formal organisation (Kamoche, 2001). HRM is also seen as the differentiating factor between successful and unsuccessful organisations, more important than technology or finance in achieving a competitive advantage. This is more so in the service sector throughout the UK (Marchington & Wilkinson, 2005). HRM is predominately undertaken by an organisation to operate its human resources successfully and includes: planning, staffing, performance management training and development, compensation and industrial relations. However, there is much heated debate and scepticism put forward on whether HRM is differentiated from personnel management and industrial relations, as some claim HRM makes apparent the contemporary reality of today's competitive environment (Beardwell et al. 2004). Regardless of the continuing debate, it is generally accepted that the functional... HRM is predominately undertaken by an organization to operate its human resources successfully and includes: planning, staffing, performance management training and development, compensation and industrial relations. However, there is much-heated debate and skepticism put forward on whether HRM is differentiated from personnel management and industrial relations, as some claim HRM makes apparent the contemporary reality of today’s competitive environment (Beardwell et al. 2004). Regardless of the continuing debate, it is generally accepted that the functional responsibility traditionally falls under the HRM umbrella. It also involves the integration of goals throughout the firm, with the employer committed to the value of human labor (Guest, 1987). One must recognize that HRM practices are used in every organization to manage employee issues, but the degree of use varies. Nonetheless, HRM originated as a US based concept with the ‘Michigan model’ being the first o f its kind (Warner & Joynt, 2002).The economic growth of the 1990’s was associated with multinational companies (MNCs) and FDI expansion as 53,000 MNC’s controlled 450,000 subsidiaries, accounting for 25% of world output in developed economies and now the figures have risen extraordinarily. The organization of economic cooperation and development (OECD) concede that FDI has exonerated and achieved record levels of inflow and outflows as capital movement is not restricted (Beardwell et al. 2004).

Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reaction paper - Essay Example This was an indication of interruption of person Jack’s speaking. David would then take over speaking while counting the fingers on one hand from one to five, which is a gesture that can be attributed to the intensity of the issue at hand. At some point Jack’s face looked depressed and his eyes looked wet with tears. However, this facial expression changed when David began to smile as he talked and it seemed he was raising a point of encouragement since his smile was accompanied by a pat on the back of Jack. Apart from when David pated Jack on the back, touching as a form of body language was also evident in the manner that the two people greeted each other when they met. They shook hands firmly and moved their bodies close together and patted each other’s back smiling. This demonstrated the closeness between them and also the happiness of meeting. David welcomed Jack to sit by a show of hand towards a seat as he sat on an adjacent seat. David applied proxemics by moving his seat now and then closer and further from Jack and at times he could use his walking stick to draw figures on the ground as if he was demarcating boundaries. These movements varied between one to three feet from the position that Jack initially sat. It seemed David commanded great authority over Jack by virtue of his body language with regards to the utilization of the space around him. This was augmented by the hat that he wore, which indicated status in the society. Jack on the other hand seemed to be on th e receiving end as his body language ranged from being attentive to reacting emotionally to what David was saying. The diagrams drawn on the ground by David seemed to carry a lot of meaning to Jack by virtue of the way he gazed at them without blinking and shaking his head in acknowledgement. From the sound back-up, I learnt that the

Race, Racism and Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Race, Racism and Critical Thinking - Essay Example In other words, racists always consider people from others as second class citizens. They presumed to be having some kind of privileges in this society. Race is a social construct. In other words, a person belongs to a particular race not because of his activities but because of his genetics. This paper critically analyses the dimensions of race and racism. According to Albert Jacquard racism is an intellectual disease or â€Å"madness† (De Benoist, p,12). It should be noted that majority of the racists are intellectuals and well educated. In other words, racism occurs not because of the lack of awareness about this world or society, but because of the increasing awareness of the people. In fact majority of the uneducated people do not have racism in their minds even if they come from the elite class. That is why Albert Jacquard labelled racism as an intellectual disease or â€Å"madness†. According to Michael Billig: â€Å"The fact that a person expresses prejudicial feelings toward a particular alien group does not necessarily mean that the individual will always react with hostility to a specific member of that group† (De Benoist, p,12). In other words, individual elements have nothing to do with the feeling of racism. For example, Obama became the president of America for the second time. He is a person from black community. The election of Obama doesn’t mean that all Americans have left their racial feelings or black community has equal status with white community in America. In short, racism is a feeling against a particular community; not against any individuals. Pierre Fougeyrollas’ argued that â€Å"The social sciences must study racism as an ensemble of observable phenomena among others and in relation to other phenomena† (De Benoist, p,12). Sexism, stereotyping, colonialism, fascism etc are some of the terms which are similar in nature with racism. One of the peculiar aspects of these terms is the fact that m ost people keep these kinds of beliefs in their mind and it is difficult to observe such things. Nobody will openly declare that he is a racist, sexist, or a fascist. At the same time, their activities may reflect the elements of racism, sexism, and fascism. Therefore, racism or sexism can be studied only with the help of observable behaviours. â€Å"Racist ideology turns into a theory forged to justify an act of aggression or to legitimate a relation of domination from which one would expect to profit† (De Benoist, p,16). Profit’s word making is the motto which encourages racists to spread their ideology. We are living in a world of commercialization. In today’s world, every action is analysed in terms of the profit and loss it made. Only profitable actions are acceptable to the society whereas actions which result in some kind of losses are avoided as much as possible. Racial activities definitely bring more profit to the elite group even though it brings loss es to the underprivileged. Therefore, racists accept racism as an acceptable phenomenon whereas underprivileged or the victims label it as a unacceptable activity. â€Å"More broadly, racism is generated from the â€Å"normalization† of a relation of domination. This idea is frequently espoused by authors who see an intimate relation between racism, colonialism, imperialism, etc† † (De Benoist, p,16). â€Å"The doctrine of colonialism unquestionably mixes racist judgments

Management situation in which you are to apply a prominent motivation Essay

Management situation in which you are to apply a prominent motivation theory to improve performance - Essay Example This theory posits that every individual has specific motivational needs, which are the driving factors for their efforts. Vroom (1964) explains this model of motivation (M) based on three components namely, Valence, Instrumentality and Expectancy. The Expectancy theory or the VIE theory states that motivation is a product of valence, instrumentality and expectancy (M=VxIxE). Valence (V) refers to the value of an outcome that an individual places on various outcomes of their jobs like pay, incentives, interest in the work, relationships, etc. If an individual values relationships, then he/she would be happy to work where relationships are strong and valued. Instrumentality (I) refers to an employee’s opinion or belief about the extent of efforts required to achieve an outcome. Employees tend to put in efforts to perform a specific job only if they believe that their efforts would result in outcomes they value. The third component, Expectancy (E) refers to the employees’ perception about the extent to which his/her effort will result in certain level of job performance. Expectancy refers to level of confidence individuals possess about a specific action or job (George & Jones, 2008). These components have a strong relationship between each other and on overall motivation. The relationship between effort and performance is referred to as the E-P linkage, which is determined by expectancy. Instrumentality refers to the relationship between performance and outcome, referred to as the P-O linkage. Any limitation in these linkages or in the valence significantly impacts individuals’ motivation because motivation is a product of these three components (Isaac et al, 2001). In the present case two issues have been identified: one is related to the expectancy and the other is about instrumentality. The expectancy of few employees is low as evident from their low confidence because of knowledge and information related issues associated with the new pr ocess. The valence of this group lies in abilities, knowledge and skills. In this case, as suggested by Isaac et al., (2001) the supervisor must diagnose the members’ abilities and their perceptions related to the new process. Secondly, the supervisor needs to train, coach and mentor the members on the new process until they achieve the desired outcomes. The supervisor needs to spend more time with the team and encourage every achievement. Appreciating individuals that achieve the desired outcomes will improve their confidence because the appreciation will act as recognition to their valences. This will slowly improve their confidence and strengthen their expectancy and performance linkage. The supervisor needs to constantly provide support when team members are facing issues in achieving the desired outcomes; moreover, the leader needs to provide constant feedback to the team members in a way that their mistakes are being corrected and their self-confidence is also not being disturbed. Another motivational issue in the present case is with instrumentality, which impacts the P-O linkage. A few members that valued pay were not motivated to work because they believed that the amount of effort required to produce the specific outcome is not worth the pay they were getting. In such situation, the supervisor should talk to the individuals and explain the situation with

Explain the Scientific Management Approach with reference to Henry Essay - 1

Explain the Scientific Management Approach with reference to Henry Fayol and Frederick Taylors principles of management - Essay Example tation of science was basically targeted at manufacturing industry and other regular responsibilities, in order to improve productivity and competence from top to lower echelon of leadership. On the one hand, Taylor suggests that the development of proven practices need to be anchored on comprehensive observation of business processes, and on thorough training and recruitment of the most qualified of workers, because by doing so, organizations will be guaranteed smoother processes and more profit (Maqbool, Zakariya, and Paracha, 2011). In light of this, Taylor summarised his approach in four principles namely: a) scientific creation of work processes; b) scientific selection and training of workers; c) enlightening workers on the benefits of scientific management; and d) specialization of employees (Taylor, 2013). All of these strategies are aimed at improving productivity and better gains in organizations. Taylor (2013) argues that developing a scientific system of work eases the measurement of employee output. With these analyses, positive adjustments could be affected to the equipment and workstation programs used by employees, which would eventually enhance efficiency and productivity of business. Scientific recruitment and preparation of workers to weather various workplace challenges helps to realign divergent employee aptitudes, and fit them to their respective job. In light of this, the role of management would translate in to selecting the most qualified of employees for a particular job, and training the candidates scientifically to enhance their productivity (Maqbool, Zakariya, and Paracha, 2011). For instance, a high school that is in need a graduate teacher specialised in specific subjects, would recruit such an individual from a pool of applicants, and train him or her on the best ways to relate well with students, fellow members of staff, parents, school clinicians and the immediate community to ensure they fit in the new workplace

Heaven on Earth Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Heaven on Earth Case - Essay Example As already discussed, the main issue is the resolution of the problems which emerged when Jerry took over the office and modified how things were done which proves to be detrimental both in the employees and company's customers. The supervisor is seen to have the more important role in making the effort of finding a solution to the problem while employees within the foodservice department should be cooperative of the solution to be implemented. Having been given the hypothetical role of being the supervisor, the proposed solution of this project is to consult Jerry and tell him to focus on his administrative duties. It should be noted that the case clearly stipulates that his main responsibility is only on administrative tasks and he should not have control on job routines, scheduling procedures, and menu plans. It becomes apparent that Jerry is doing something outside his job description disrupting the whole system in the process. However, this should be done in a very professional manner. Even though I've only been in this branch for the past six months, I have noted your sincerity and dedication for the job together with your ability to learn new concepts and skills fast. In recognition to your excellent performance as a cook for Heaven in Earth for the past 20 years, I am happy to inform you that you are now promoted as a Red Seal Chef. Your promotion will bring in new responsibilities which I would like to discuss in details with you on Friday, 15 February around 10am. I do hope that this new position will not hinder you in taking care of my children after office hours. I will be very happy and willing to assist you with the transition. Sincerely, Jerry Dashwood Manager Critical Analysis The letter is written by the new manager in order to inform Nita Jones of her promotion. In the case analyzed, it should be noted that Jerry is very fond of Nita and among the employees in the foodservice department; the latter is most receptive of the changes which the new manager is putting in place. Thus, it is only logical to assume that Jerry will more likely promote Nita to a higher position. The letter of Jerry to Nita follows the specific format of a business letter. The letterhead of the company is used to highlight business communication. It also utilizes a block format which emphasizes professionalism. Through this, Jerry is communicating that even though he treats Nita as a friend, this letter goes beyond this friendship and captures their relationship as superior and employee. The letter should be regarded because of its being direct to the point. Instead of highlighting the friendly relationship between them, Jerry wrote professionally and with authority. He states that Nita earned her promotion because of her performance and not because of his closeness with his superior. Overall, the tone of Jerry is less cordial and formal which is right for his purpose. However, there is one sentence which should not be included in the letter. This is about Nita having enough time to take care of Jerry's kids. In business writing, personal life should always be separated from what happens inside of the office. Also, the inclusion of this sentence is not appropriate because it goes beyond the

Heat and temperature Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Heat and temperature - Coursework Example As the kinetic theory of matter deals with the speed of particles of matter then the determination of particle speed can help us to study the kinetic theory of matter in greater detail. Therefore, the study of heat helps us to study the kinetic theory of matter. Heat is a form of energy that is transferred from one body to another in a system. When a warmer body is placed along a colder body, the heat from the warmer body will tend to go to the colder body. This process will continue until the energy of both systems becomes equal. (Reif, 2000) There are three modes of heat transfer better known as conduction, convection and radiation. Heat energy is important as it has direct relation to the physical state of a system. The addition of heat energy excites the particles present in a system. This enhances their random motion. Similarly, the removal of heat energy depresses the particles in a system which decreases their random motion. Temperature is a measurement that helps to quantify just how hot or cold a system is. Like other forms of measurement, the temperature scale is relative too. Temperature is used to measure just how much heat is being talked about. (Chang, 2004) Temperature helps to classify is there is some difference in heat between two bodies. This difference can be used to estimate the amount of heat transfer that will occur between both systems. Heat as already mentioned is a representation of the state of particle’s motion in a system. However, the speed of particles cannot be judged from one particle to the other. Therefore, there had to be some method of measuring the heat contained in a system. When a system contains heat, the particles in the system display random motion. This random motion is dealt with as the kinetic energy of the system. The speed of the particles and their weight are used to express the kinetic energy of a system. The total kinetic energy of a system is the heat content that resides in the system. This heat can be measured in reference to temperature. Temperature expresses the average measure of the heat contained in a system. Temperature expresses the willingness of a system to transfer heat energy if placed along a system with lower heat energy. Therefore, temperature is a method of measuring the total heat content of a system. (Kittel & Kroemer, 1980) Often heat and temperature are assumed to be one and same. However this concept is entirely false. Heat represents the total of a certain kind of energy possessed by a system. The temperature is only a method of measuring this energy possessed by the system. For example, if there were water standing in a pool which represented heat, then the measurement of its depth would be equivalent to temperature. Therefore, heat is a property possessed by a body while temperature is a measure of that body. Heat is possessed by all systems to varying degrees and is transferred by all systems to varying degrees too. However, the amount of heat retained by a system and the amount of heat transferred by a system vary in large part from one material to another. As an example, it is known that metals are good at the transfer of heat and insulators such as rubber are bad at transferring heat. The tendency of a body to both retain and transfer heat can be measured and expressed as well. This is also considered to be a property of the body and is known better as the â€Å"

Industrial Engineering, January Essay Example for Free

Industrial Engineering, January Essay Recent studies commissioned by the Quality Research Institute (QRI), a partnership between Philip Crosby Associates Inc. and The Gallup Organization, reveal a startling gap between business executives and customers and their perceptions of quality and customer satisfaction. While a decisive majority (73 percent) of CEOs believe American business is committed to quality, QRI found that consumers overwhelmingly (84 percent) disagree. Similar discrepancies showed up when industry managers and end-user customers from three specific industries retail, hospitality and utilities were interviewed to compare their perceptions of overall customer satisfaction. These studies point to a flaw in how businesses define and measure quality, a flaw destined to hurt bottom-line profits. Quality, in the final analysis, is defined by customers. They must be satisfied and remain satisfied if a company is to prosper. As long as corporate performance is measured only in financial terms, quality will continue to suffer. To offset this problem, more and more companies are turning to independent quality audits, and they are reporting the results alongside financial reports to demonstrate success in achieving both profits and quality goals. Problems and opportunities The 1993 survey, Profits Versus Quality, illustrated both problems and opportunities in customer perceptions of quality. In this national survey, most consumers said they believed business was more concerned with profits than with delivering quality products or service. They also criticized business leaders for a lack of focus on quality workplaces. Most striking, however, was the widely held belief that business leaders who do not put quality ahead of profits are missing a big opportunity. Almost ninety percent of American employees said they would feel more committed to achieving their companys financial goals if their managers were more concerned with delivering quality to the customer. The three industry studies offer more detailed insight. In these surveys, executives were found to seriously overestimate the overall level of satisfaction even their best and most loyal customers have with their services. For example, more than 60 percent of retail executives believed quality of service had improved, while fewer than 30 percent of their customers bad noticed service quality improvements. In the hospitality trade, 70 percent of the hotel/motel executives in the study believed their hotels met customer expectations all the time or almost all the time. Only about 40 percent of customers agreed. The results in the utility industry were even worse. While 64 percent of electric utilities executives said quality has improved, only 9 percent of their customers agreed. QRIs surveys show clearly that relying on experience and gut feeling, do not work. Companies must determine what really matters to customers and act accordingly. A well-managed Quality of Service Audit (QSA) can identify and define customers real requirements, including those attributes such as trust and confidence, that lead to preference and loyalty. Regular customer measurements also can point out problem areas so corrections can be made before they have a negative financial impact. In addition, QSAs complement total quality management techniques by bringing customers into the quality loop. Since quality efforts eventually are reflected in profits, companies which take quality seriously should report QSA results alongside standard financial reports to shareholders. Thus, quality must be monitored as accurately, objectively and in as much detail as the companys finances. An effective QSA also should be based on the highest quality standards, including those specified by ISO 9000, as well as the criteria for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the European Quality Award. Measures developed by such quality gurus as Crosby, Deming, and Juran also should be considered. In all cases, the quality audit must address all the product and service attributes that communicate value to the customer, lead to customer satisfaction, and affect customer preference. Figure 1 breaks out dissatisfiers versus satisfiers in the customers hierarchy of needs. Designing a useful quality audit To maintain the integrity of the audit, it must be done according to a strict process. Each research project is unique, but certain general guidelines always apply. Clear goals must be defined, and these goals must be incorporated into each phase of the audit, from questionnaire and sample design through data collection and analysis, if the results are to be accurate and projectable. Before the audit survey can be designed, serious consideration must be given to specific QSA goals and their relationship to larger organizational goals. In this phase, the company also should define the target population, identify specific concepts to be measured, and develop a general structure for the analysis. At this stage, it is important to get input from the kinds of people to be surveyed. Do the concepts to be measured make sense to the people who will be asked to provide service quality feedback? Is the domain to be evaluated (e. g. , client satisfaction and service excellence) adequately covered, or has something been overlooked? Are questions phrased in language that respondents use spontaneously when evaluating service excellence? This information will help pave the way for questionnaire construction. Particular care must be taken in this phase to ensure that issues of data completeness, response rates, and reliability are balanced with cost and time constraints. Data can be collected in several ways telephone, face-to-face interviewing, or self-administration by respondent each with different ramifications. For example, interviewer-administered surveys are more expensive, but usually have higher levels of cooperation, which, in turn, are essential to the reliability and projectability of survey conclusions. When designing the questionnaire itself, be careful that the order and wording of questions do not bias responses. In addition, the basic form of each question must be tailored to project goals. Also, should open questions be used to gain richer insights and identify new issues, or should response formats be standardized to facilitate statistical analyses? Once a questionnaire has been drafted, a pre-test should be completed to verify that the questions are easily understood and that interviews can be administered readily within a suitable length of time. With an appropriate questionnaire developed and pre-tested, the next phase is to select a representative sample from the target population identified earlier. Many statistical issues related to sample size and suitability must be considered. Random selection is just the beginning. The sample also must be tailored to meet the needs of the research goals. Dividing the sample into subgroups and sampling these subgroups separately helps enforce representativeness, and thereby improves the statistical efficiency of the overall sample. Stratification, in effect, reduces the margin of error statisticians calculate to allow for the possibility of uncontrollable error in the random selection process. Measurement frequency also must be considered. A survey designed to measure service quality, if it is to be linked to an action plan, begs for periodic measurement to assess whether the action plan is working. Turning reliable data into results All efforts to this point will be worthless if the people in the sample do not respond to the questionnaire. Gaining the cooperation of respondents is crucial because high rates of completion are one of the few ways to ensure the final survey results are not biased. Telephone interviewing is particularly well-suited to service quality measurements where the target population consists of professionals and executives. It provides for flexible cal1-backs to fit interview appointments into busy schedules. Non-response tends to be a much more serious problem in a self-administered survey because interviewers cannot intervene to expedite cooperation. Self-administered questionnaires require special attention to issues of clarity and ease of administration, as well as to devices that will help encourage cooperation. Once data are collected, the results must be analyzed in keeping with the initial research goals. The list of analytical tools available are a statisticians fantasy. Options include cross-tabulation, correlation and regression, including the multivariate version of each; many variations on factor and cluster analysis; multiple discriminant analysis; conjoint analysis; perceptual mapping; LISREL analysis; logistic regression analysis; log-linear modeling and on and on. Analytic methods should be chosen for their ability to provide precise answers to the research questions that have driven all the earlier phases of the research design. It is worth noting that a survey designed to provide an assessment of service excellence encompasses two related ideas by separate analytical tasks: understanding the dynamics of satisfaction and service excellence, and the relatively simple reporting of service quality measures developed in the course of this investigation. Practical and useful quality information Quality has become a strategic factor in the marketplace. Perceptions of poor quality service will ultimately be reflected in a corporations profit-and-loss statement. By measuring what customers really think about quality, QSAs can provide clear, practical, and useful information that will prove indispensable in the design of a program to achieve and maintain quality and service excellence. Jacques Murphy is senior vice president, managing director southeast division, of the Gallup Organization, Atlanta, Ga. J. A. Taylor is director of marketing for the same organization.

Apple Inc. Study Essay Example for Free

Apple Inc. Study Essay 1. Executive summary Apple Inc. is a technology company, which designs, produces and sells goods of the Computer, Music and Mobile-phone Industries. It is differentiated by its brand-perception and identification. Over the last couple of years, Apple has become a cult-brand, thanking it’s iLife, iTunes, QuickTime and iMac lines. Apple Inc.’s short-term goals is currently increasing the sales  of the just launched iPad (the most innovative web=browser in market). In the long-run, Apple aims for the top of the market, becoming the number one leader. Apple Inc. has incorporated numerous features that are unique and well known in the market today. We consider that there are several Apple products with several appealing features such as: iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. These products represent a revolutionary era for the development of Apple. By placing such products in the market, Apple Inc. has attracted a lot of customers in one way or another. Highly advanced technology, simplicity and design, and the sense of luxury are the main features integrated in these products. Moreover the comfort and convenience that these products provide are very crucial. â€Å"Think Different† One of the main reasons which inspired me to choose Apple Inc. is its unique, simple and luxurious image that Apple has created in the market over the years. â€Å"Think differently† which is an inspiring motto, made us believe that simplicity and creativity combined with luxury can lead to a successful and profitable company, such as Apple. Another component that we found to be challenging for us was to understand Apple’s goals, objectives and their secret of being successful. A very important fact about Apple products today is that these products are globally spread. This has created among us the idea that Apple products are no longer luxuries but real necessities due to the technological developments. Moreover, what has motivated us most to select Apple Inc., is the way we relate ourselves with its products. Each of us being an Apple consumer has build trustworthiness relationship with the products that this company offers. Owning an iPod or iPhone today definitely w ill make your life easy and simple. As mentioned above, 2010 came with the launching of the iPad, which is a totally differentiated product in the market. It is a web-browser, which also can be used as laptop, and can be useful in every aspect of educational and professional areas. Its price, compared to regular Apple prices, is pretty affordable ($499), which is an incentive for more buyers to purchase. This is the main goal of Apple in the current day. 2. Introduction According to (OPPapers, 2012).Apple Inc is an American multinational  organization located in 1 infinite loop, Cupertino, California 95014, in the middle of the Silicon Valley. It is focused on designing and developing the personal computers, other related software products, and the electronic products such as MP3 players and iPods. Apple Inc’s main products are iMac, iPod, iPhone, and its latest advanced product is iPad, which is on the verge of creating another revolution after iPhone. Apple Inc was founded in 1976 and since then Apple Inc has been leading the way in innovating new products, however it has encountered numerous ups and downs since then. Apple Inc produced the first ever extremely successful personal computer. It has been always on the forefront of innovating new products; however it has often struggled to maintain the hold on the market share in the product line. Lately, Apple Inc has transformed its image from an inventive computer manufacturer to a fully-fledged consumer’s electronic company. Some facts of its success can be calculated from its sales of $13.95 billion in the year 2005. In year 2005, Apple Inc had controlled 4.2% of the US market in PCs. Also, Apple iPods models had controlled 70% of the hard drive MP3 player market. Apple Inc enjoys the leading share in the handset market, generating over 71% of the industry’s profit with 6.5% of the international handset market. Apple unveiled its first iPhone on 9th January, 2007. The most recent iPhone, is iPhone 4S, and it was announced on 4rth October, 2011 and was released 10 days later. 3. APPLE Inc. According to (Scribd Inc., 2013) Apple has to be one of the greatest success stories of all time. The beginnings of Apple started with Wozniak assembling a simple built computer machine. It was in the summer of 1971 Wozniak 21 and Jobs 16 were introduced to each other by a mutual friend Bill Fernandez. Wozniak had shown Jobs his simple built computer machine and this impressed Jobs to the point Jobs believed he could sell it for a profit. It was here they would form a strong friendship because they not only shared a passion for computers, but because they were both known as outcasts and for the first time they had a great understanding, admiration and respect for each other‘s abilities, personality and intellect. They would begin the Apple project by selling some of their possessions: Wozniaks HP scientific calculator and Jobs Volkswagen, they raised $1300 and assembled their first prototypes in Jobs bedroom. When the project became too big for the bedroom  they moved the pro ject into Jobs familys garage, it was on a huge wooden work bench that served as their first manufacturing base. The computers were hand built by Wozniak and first shown to the public at the Home brew Computer club. After selling a number of the machines Apple was established on April 1, 1976 and went public on December 12, 1980. Apple has maintained its great success with its ability to understand what the consumer wants before the consumer even knows what they want; Apple effectively creates wants by their constant creative innovation and unique design which is stylish, user friendly and affordable. They have also been able to create a brand in the high technology world just as Chanel has in the fashion world. People can easily recognize an apple whether its the I-Pod, the I-Phone, the Mac Air or the I-Pad. It has become a product that defines ones identity in how they desire to be seen by society that is a person who is highly innovative, intelligent, stylish and apart of the in crowd. This is pure marketing genius. This marketing genius of Apple has seen this company outperform beyond the b usiness worlds expectations. While so many companies are struggling to break even in the current recession Apple is getting stronger by the day. Apple’s Most Successful Products and Services iPhone 4, iPadiPad 2, iPhone, iTunes, PowerBook G4, iPod, OS X, iMac, Quick time, Mac, Apple II. PRODUCTS and SERVICES Apple Store, Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes. Other Products and Services Desktops, Xserve, Notebooks. 4. Vision Statement It is especially important for managers and executives in any organization to agree on the basic vision that the firm strives to achieve in the long term. A vision statement should answer the basic question, â€Å"What do we want to become?† A clear vision provides the foundation for developing a comprehensive mission statement (David, 2011) a. Vision Statement of APPLE Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems andstructures, and not subordinate to them. i. Explanation of APPLE’s vision  According to (Hamilton, 2011) Apple lives this vision through the technologies it develops for consumers and corporations. It strives to make its customers masters of the products they have bought. Apple doesnt simply make a statement. It lives it by ensuring that its employees understand the vision and strive to reach it. It has put systems in place to enable smooth customer interaction. It has put objectives in place to continuously move forward; implemented strategies to fulfill these objectives; and ensured that the right marketing, financial and operational structures are in place to apply the strategies. 5. Mission Statement â€Å"What is our business?† is synonymous with asking the question â€Å"What is our mission?† An enduring statement of purpose that distinguishes one organization from other similar enterprises, the mission statement is a declaration of an organization’s â€Å"reason for being.† It answers the pivotal question â€Å"What our business?† A clear mission statement is essential for effectively establishing objectives and formulating strategies (David, 2011). a. Mission Statement of APPLE â€Å"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.† i. Mission Statement Analysis for APPLE Inc. Apple is mainly focusing at the following components of mission statement: 1. Apple may not be important to elaborate on its concern for its employees or to thoroughly outline its customers and targeted market. Apple is a trendy technology company which prides its self in providing easy to use electronics and efficiently run software systems. Because of this it is most important for Apple’s mission statement to focus on components like company philosophy, self-concepts, and current technologies. These aspects of Apple are what make it popular and successful today. 2. Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the  1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store. 3. Apple’s mission statement only includes descriptions of products and services and past and present technologies. 4. The mission statement from Apple is somewhat unconventional. It’s more of a brief history rather than a summary of the corporations overall purpose. It does however paint a picture of where Apple came from, how far it has come, and where it’s continuing to go. But for such a popular company it may be beneficial divulge into points like its self-purpose and their concern for public image. 6. Values As stated in (appleinvestor, 2012) Apple Values are the qualities, customs, standards, and principles that the company believes will help it and its employees succeed. They are the basis for what they do and how they do it. Taken together, they identify Apple as a unique company. These are the values that govern Apple’s business conduct: Empathy for Customers/Users Aggressiveness/Achievement Positive Social Contribution Innovation/Vision Individual Performance Team Spirit Quality/Excellence Individual Reward Good Management 7. External Audit The purpose of an external audit is to develop a finite list of opportunities that could benefit a firm and threats that should be avoided. a. External Analysis for APPLE Inc.  External environment determines the present situation of Apple Inc., and also helps find out the possible influences of the political, economical, and  social and the technological factors on the organization. b. PESTL Analysis for Apple Inc. i. Political Factors As stated in (CNetnews 2012) Apple Inc. has reportedly obtained 52% of its business from outside US in 2007. Due to the bad international relations, wars and terrorism might influence Apple Inc. in a huge way, and also the organization has no control over these factors. Apple Inc. manufactures a number of its parts and products from outside the US, like Czech Republic, Ireland, China, Korea and Cork. The bad political relations between US and the other world have bad outcomes for the Apple Inc. (CNetnews, 2012). ii. Economic Factors By the (Apple Inc., 2012) The global economic crisis had huge impact on Apple Inc. The inflation rate went high and so did the unemployment rate in the country, and since Apple Inc. products were viewed as luxury products, the customers started pending less on them. US dollar value keeps fluctuating, and thus again which have a bad impact on Apple Inc. products, however the company has purchased itself foreign currencies and thus, the economic effects on the company are minimized. Thus, Apple Inc. revenue has increased in the global market. iii. Social Factors Throughout the history of Apple Inc., two factors have been on the forefront of Apple Inc. products, the quality and the design of the product. Thus, globalization plays a very important role in Apple’s products. As the world cannot be imagined without the gadgets, thus Apple products have marked their presence on the international market. Also, as the purchasing power of the common has risen in various markets across the world the purchasing of luxury products have gone up, for e.g. the iPhone, iPods and the latest technology iPad. Possessing these items is considered as status symbols in many societies which have also increased the sales of Apple Inc. products. Another big social influence to Apple Inc. products is the rapid growth of the music industry, which have increased markets over the cyber space as well. The main virtual music store is the iTunes. Thus, in all Apple products have benefitted from the social factors as it has begun defining a modern individual lifestyle. iv. Technological Factors Apple Inc. has invested largely in its product research and development field and thus, Apple products are at the top of the new innovative products ranking. Apple Inc. has invested largely in its product research and development field and thus, Apple products are at the top of the new innovative products ranking. The technology has been fast changing in the world and the market for it has become gigantic, which has added to more and more competition and thus, as soon as technological change are concerned the product life cycle has been shortened drastically, which the Apple Inc. takes the advantage of by introducing newer products in the market, which ultimately lead the market. v. Legal Factors Nokia has filed various lawsuits against Apple Inc., claiming the violation of 13 additional patents by iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, this apart from US complains covering 24 Nokia patents. Also, in China Apple Inc. has been fighting the battle for its right to the iPad trademark. 8. SWOT analysis for APPLE Inc. SWOT analysis stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat for a particular organization, which can help in formulating a strategy for its business and can also help in analyzing its internal environment (Strengths Weakness) and external environment (Opportunities Threats). a. Strengths According to (Wharton, 2012) The first and foremost strength of Apple Inc. is its technological edge over its competitors. IPhone have turned out to be a great success and has been associated with status in many of the countries. ITunes has turned out to be a wonderful revenue generating source and since it also sells with its own tool i.e. the iPod, thus, revenue has multiplied for Apple Inc. Another strength for the organization is that for every software that Apple Inc. produces, it introduces its hardware with it too, which leads to its expertise in both the industries. Apple Inc. products are classified as luxury items, thus its products provide enough room for it, so  that the competitor products are no longer a competition. The another strikingly advantage over competitor’s products, is the design of the Apple products, and which are also simple to use. The brand loyalty of its product and its super dedicated research and development department are also its major stre ngths. b. Weaknesses Weaknesses are the disadvantages that are hindrance in obtaining the business goals for the organization. The poor relationship with the market than Microsoft is surely a disadvantage to Apple Inc. Another point could be that the products introduced by Apple Inc. have very short life cycle, which concludes that the research and development department has to be constantly maintained, which requires huge capital. Apple Inc. has very low presence in the advertisements, and also it has very small market occupation as compared to its main rival Microsoft. Thus, all this leads to the fact that Apple Inc. gets very less business from its home country US, and major of its business is from outside the US. c. Opportunities According to (Marketingteacher, 2012).Opportunities can affect both the present as well as the future condition of an organization. Apple Inc. opportunities are the introduction of more and more PC viruses, on which Apple Inc. can capitalize on. The second opportunity is the population of the world is growing at a rapid pace and thus, this opens the front for many new markets, also the purchasing power of a common man has increased drastically, who can be pursued or impressed to buy the luxury Apple products. The online sales of the organization are increasing and also, the bonds and the partnership with the other organizations have been on the rise in the past few years. Products such as iPhone have create a new set of potential customers altogether which can be targeted in the future i.e. the young population who have a craze for any new technology gadget (MarketingTeacher.com 2012). d. Threats In the past few years, many competitors have come up for Apple Inc., especially in the field of laptops, like Dell, Sony, HP, and Toshiba. Another threat could be that many of the customers have started downloading  the music for free instead of purchasing at iTunes. The product expensiveness is itself a threat to the product, as substitutes at a lower price are always available. Long lasting recession could also be a threat to its products. Windows 7 software is gaining more market place after vista flopped and last but not the least, the technological advances that have been taking place every single day, is a big threat to Apple Inc. 9. Porter’s Five Forces Model Porter’s Five-Forces Model of competitive analysis is a widely used approach for developing strategies in many industries. The intensity of competition among firms varies widely across industries (David, 2011). a. Porter’s Five Forces Model for APPLE Inc. Porters Five force Model is a very powerful tool to understand the core of the power in a business or in a company. The Porter Five Force Model for Apple Inc. is shown below: Model 1: Showing Porter’s Five Forces Model at APPLE Inc. 10. External Audit An External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix allows strategists to summarize and evaluate economic, social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, governmental, legal, technological, and competitive information (David, 2011). a. Factors Evaluation (EFE) for Apple: EFE Matrix Model 2: Showing EFE matrix for APPLE Inc. 11. Competitive Profile Matrix The Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) identifies a firm’s major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firm’s strategic position (David, 2011). a. CPM for APPLE Inc. Model 3: Showing CPM for APPLE Inc. 12. Internal Audit All organizations have strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of business. No enterprise is equally strong or weak in all areas (David, 2011). a. Internal Audit for APPLE Inc. i. Internal Environment VRIO framework The VRIO framework can be stated as the value, rarity, imitablity, and organization as a whole. VRIO framework is extremely important for the internal analysis of Apple Inc organization. Resources and Competencies 14. SWOT Matrix The Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Matrix is an important matching tool that helps managers develop four types of strategies: SO (strengths-opportunities) Strategies, WO (weaknesses-opportunities) Strategies, ST (strengths-threats) Strategies, and WT (weaknesses-threats) Strategies (David, 2011). a. SWOT Matrix for APPLE S-O Strategies Increase awareness through the web of the immunity of Mac products to worms and viruses. (S5, O1) Advertise using individuals that will link Generation X Y to the iTunes and other related products. (S1, O2, O4, O5, O6) Using movies and music groups that are geared towards Gen X and Y to promote computers and laptops. (S3, S5, O2, O5, O6) S-T Strategies Increase and promote the compatibility to Window operating system. (S5,T1) Promote the originality of Apple computers and the different style and stable system that is slightly more but worth the price difference in style, stability and speed. (S2, S5, T2, T4, T5) W-O Strategies Increase ties with Microsoft and Intel and their products.(W1, W2, W4 O2, O3) Promote to business the safety of having a worm and virus free computer by using Mac. (W2, W4, O1, O5, O6) W-T Strategies Improve relationship with Microsoft and Intel so that companies will see them as compatible. (W1, W2 T1) Increase productivity and turn around of high demand products to compete with Dell and HP (W5, T2) 15. The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix is four-quadrant framework indicates whether aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive strategies are most appropriate for a given organization. The axes of the SPACE Matrix represent two internal dimensions (financial position [FP] and competitive position [CP]) and two external dimensions (stability position [SP] and industry position [IP]). These four factors are perhaps the most important determinants of an organization’s overall strategic position (David, 2011). 15.1 SPACE Matrix for APPLE Model 6: Showing SPACE Matrix for APPLE Inc. 16. BCG Matrix When a firm’s divisions compete in different industries, a separate strategy often must be developed for each business. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is designed specifically to enhance a multidivisional firm’s efforts to formulate strategies (David, 2011). a. BCG Matrix for APPLE Model 7: Showing BCG Matrix for APPLE Inc. 17. Internal External Matrix The IE Matrix is similar to the BCG Matrix in that both tools involve plotting organization divisions in a schematic diagram; this is why they are both called â€Å"portfolio matrices.† (David, 2011). a. IE Matrix for APPLE Model 8: Showing IE Matrix for APPLE Inc. 18. Grand Matrix The Grand Strategy Matrix has become a popular tool for formulating  alternative strategies. All organizations can be positioned in one of the Grand Strategy Matrix’s four strategy quadrants. A firm’s divisions likewise could be positioned (David, 2011). 19. The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM), which comprises Stage 3 of the strategy-formulation analytical framework. This technique objectively indicates which alternative strategies are best (David, 2011). a. QSPM for APPLE Model 9: Showing QSPM for APPLE Inc. 20. Finance/ Accounting Financial condition is often considered the single best measure of a firm’s competitive position and overall attractiveness to investors. Determining an organization’s financial strengths and weaknesses is essential to effectively formulating strategies. a. Financial Ratios for APPLE Sale Ratio Model 10: Showing sales ratio for APPLE Inc. Asset Turnover Ratio Model 11: Showing Asset Turnover ratio for APPLE Inc. Inventory Turnover Ratio Model 12: Showing Inventory Turnover ratio for APPLE Inc. Gross Profit Margin Ratio Model 13: Showing Gross Profit Margin ratio for APPLE Inc. 21. Conclusion It is concluded from the strategic management analysis at APPLE Inc. that technological industries are never easy to compete with. They have a lot invest at RD and have to be proactive in order to compete with their competitors in the industry. As for APPLE is concerned they have been working so well as it is shown form their products. As Apple Inc. is increasing also, those other businesses are increasing and trying to do something interesting for their own good. APPLE needs to make a drastic change. They don’t need to wait for people buy their products only when they are on sale but they need to focus more on the customer support and improve the areas they already have problems. 22. Recommendations Strategy 1 Open six computer retail stores (not just peripheral and accessories). Apple currently has stores opened throughout the United States with only peripheral and accessories for their computers. Adding the hardware should generate more hands-on awareness and use already established locations. This will increase product accessibility for those who wish to view items other than just accessories and increase awareness of the originality of Apple’s products. 2 percent increase over the next 2 years in sales representatives for the computer hardware. Strategy 2 Contract music spokesperson to attract the upcoming generation who are attending high school and college. This will invoke a sense of style and linking apple with a distinctive and memorable top 10 hit. This will stay in the customer’s awareness and influence future purchase decisions. Contracting one music spokesperson estimated $6 million. Strategy 3 Add more features to current products for greater Wintel compatibility. Features such as iTune software compatible with windows based computers, Office programs loadable from PC installation disk (This would require a software agreement with Microsoft). In late October 2003 Apple released an iTune software package that is PC ready. It will increase the United States market share at least 30 percent for the next 2-3 years. $50 million is the estimated cost for Research and Development. 23. References 1. David, F, â€Å"Strategic Management Concepts† 13 edition, Pearsons, 2011. 2. http://alvinalexander.com/blog/post/mac-os-x/apple-business-philosophy-mission-statement 3. http://writepass.co.uk/journal/2012/12/strategic-analysis-swot-and-bcg-matrix-of-apple-inc/ 4. http://blogs.hbr.org/fox/2013/01/apple-versus-the-strategy-prof.html 5. http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/apple-swot-analysis.html 6. http://investor.apple.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1193125-12-444068 7. http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/01/by-the-numbers-apples-fiscal-2012-annual-report/ 8. http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Supplier_Code_of_Conduct_V3_1.pdf 9. http://myassignmenthelp.info/assignments/marketing-assignment-essay-writing-analysis-review-online-apple-swot-pestle-analysis/

Review On The Capital Structure Debate Finance Essay

Review On The Capital Structure Debate Finance Essay Corporations fund their operations by raising capital from a variety of distinct sources. The mix between the different sources, generally referred to as the firms capital structure has attracted considerable attention from academics and practitioners. Debt and equity are raised by firms to finance new investment projects. As such, both of them are sources of funds for the business. Debt usually consists of bank loans either long term or short term whereas equity consists of stocks and bonds. Hence, capital structure refers to the mixture of debt and equity finance used by a company to finance its activities. The correct choice of the mix of debt and equity is questionable. Financial managers problem is to find out the combination of securities that have the greatest overall appeal to investors. Moreover individual firms often change their debt ratios over time, perhaps responding to changes in investment opportunities, agency costs and so on. According to R Charles Moyer, James R. McGuigan and William J. Kretlow (1982), leverage is closely related to capital structure in the financial field. 2.1.1 Importance It is found that there are basically three types of financing decisions taken by firms namely the (i) the distribution of earnings which is the consumption decision, (ii) the capital budgeting decision,i.e, the investment decision and (iii) the capital structure decision. The capital structure decision is fundamental in order to carry out the other two financing decisions, i.e how much cash should the firm lend or borrow in order to carry out the consumption and investment decision. The capital Structure decision is important since profits of various organizational constituencies are maximized as well as the organization is able to deal with its competitive milieu. 2.2 Theories of Capital Structure 2.2.1 Traditional View The traditional view specifies that when a firm uses the right mix of debt and equity, the lowest its WACC, the more it will maximize the firms value due to the tax advantage of debt. If a firm wants to make an optimal capital structure decision, it will have to choose those sources of finance that gives the lowest cost of capital which will in turn lead to the lowest WACC. However, it is to be noted that as gearing increases, the cost of equity and consequently the bankruptcy risk will increase which will in turn lead to an increase in the cost of debt. However, the validity of this theory has been criticized since there is no underlying theory which shows by how much the cost of equity should increase due to increased leverage and by how much the cost of debt should increased due to increased in bankruptcy risk. 2.2.2 Modigliani and Miller Theory In their landmark paper in 1958, the Modigliani Miller Theorem (Modigliani and Miller, 1958, 1961) says that the value of a firm and the investment decisions should be autonomous from its capital structure. In other words, leverage should have no effect on investment decisions. However, the Modigliani Miller Theorem assumes a world with no taxes, information asymmetries or agency costs. Assuming perfect capital markets, they propounded to what is today widely known theory of capital structure irrelevance which means that the capital structure that a company chooses does not affect its value. Later theories argue that leverage clearly can matter due to the effect of taxes, information and agency costs (Myers, 2001). Later, in 1963, Modigliani and Miller took taxation under consideration and proposed that companies should employ as much debt capital as possible in order to achieve the optimal capital structure. Along the lines with corporate taxation, numerous studies also analyzed the case of personal taxes imposed on individuals. Miller (1977) suggests tax rates in the tax legislation of the some of the OECD countries that evaluate the total value of the company. These are the corporate tax rate, the tax rate on income in the form of dividends and the tax rate on interest income. According to Miller, the value of the company depends on the relative percentage and importance of each tax rate, compared with the other two. With respect to theoretical studies, there are two widely acknowledged competitive models of capital structure namely the static trade off model and the pecking order hypothesis. 2.2.3 Tradeoff/ Static Theory This approach presents capital structure as a balance between positive and negative effects of leverage respectively linked to a firms tax advantages and financial risk. The trade off theory introduces into the capital structure debate the benefit of the debt tax shield on one hand and the cost associated with financial distress on the other. The implication of this theory is that each firm has an optimal debt ratio that maximises value, although this level may vary between firms. Moreover, the trade off theory is often further extended to incorporate agency considerations. This is in the spirit of Jensen and Meckling (1976) who note that debt is valuable in reducing the agency costs of equity but at the same time debt is costly as it increases the agency costs of debt. However, there are factors that this theory cannot explain such as why companies are generally conservative in using debt finance, for example, some successful companies such as major pharmaceutical manufacturers continue to operate with low leverage. Furthermore, this theory cannot explain why leverage is negatively related to profitability as reported by Myers (1993), Titman and Wessels (1988) and Fama and French (2000). 2.2.4 Pecking Order Theory Pecking Order Theory is considered as one of the most influential theories of capital structure According to Myres (1984), this theory advocates an order in the choice of finance due to different degrees of information asymmetry and related agency costs embodied in distinct sources of finance. As such, retained earnings are used first since they constitute the cheapest means of finance, hardly being affected by any information asymmetry. Second, debt is used as there is low information asymmetry due to fixed obligations acting as an effective monitoring device. Finally, external equity is used only as a last resort as it conveys adverse signaling effect as explained by event studies. This theory also claims that there is no optimal capital structure that maximises the firms value. The attraction of interest tax shields and the treatment of financial distress are therefore assumed to be second order of importance, because debt ratios change when there is an imbalance of internal cash flows net of dividends and real investment opportunities. Profitable firms work down to low debt ratios, while those whose viable investment opportunities exceed internally generated funds tend to borrow more and more. The pecking order form of financing is also influenced by information asymmetries which are where investors make inferences about a firms prospects based on managements financing decisions. A positive impact on the share price only occurs if management chooses to refinance with debt rather than equity, because the firms prospects are then viewed as being good (i.e. by investors). Managers thus avoid the alternative scenario (a decline in the share price due to new equity issues) by maintaining a borrowing capacity or financial slack that consists of retained earnings and/or marketable securities. 2.2.5 Agency Theory Jensen and Meckling (1976) pinpoint the existence of the agency problem which arises due to the conflicts either between managers and shareholders (agency cost of equity capital) or between shareholders and debt holders (agency cost of debt capital). Promoters with major shareholding usually consider the impact of raising funds via equity financing. However, more equity shareholders would imply a dilution of control. Therefore, in order to retain control over management, some firms prefer debt financing. Theory supports that leverage matters due to the effect on agency costs. Leverage is predicted to reduce the agency costs from the manager-shareholder conflict; thereby mitigating the investment inefficiency resulting from this conflict. The Free Cash Flow theory (Jensen, 1986) suggests that debt reduces the agency cost of free cash flow. He also argues that, since debt commits the firm to pay out cash, it reduces that amount of free cash flow available to managers to engage in self interest activities. Debt financing ensures that the management is disciplined to making efficient investment decisions which will maximize the firms value and that they are not pursing individual decisions which will increase the profitability of bankruptcy. The mitigation of the conflicts between managers and shareholders constitutes the benefit of debt financing. Furthermore, Jensen argues that debt also imposes strong control effects on managers. Debt holders can exert a stronger control of the firm than shareholders. A promise to shareholders to payout a certain amount in dividends is considered weak since it is not binding (dividends can be reduced in the future). Debt creation, however, forces managers to effectively bond their promise to pay out future cash flows. The debt holders have the right to take the firm to bankruptcy court if the firm cannot make its debt service payments. The threat caused by failure to make debt service payments serves as an effective motivation force for managers to make their firms more efficient. Thus, through the reduction of free cash flows and control effects, leverage is presumed to mitigate the manager-shareholder conflict and overinvestment. According to Harris and Raviv (1990), the role of debt in allowing investors to generate information useful for monitoring management and implementing efficient operating decisions. Debt-holders use their legal rights to force management to provide information. The optimal amount of debt is determined by trading-off the value of information and opportunities for disciplining management against the probability of incurring costs. Monitoring costs would be incurred by debt-holders to ensure that the managers do not increase the risk of the firm by investing in risky projects. However, by investigating in risky projects, free cash flows can fluctuate and debt holders might not be paid. To prevent this, banks will have to monitor the firm and will thus impose a number of conditions, for example, the firm will keep a particular liquidity ratio as decided by the banks analysis. Subsequently, the cost of debt will increase since it will include the agency costs. As a result WACC will increa se and eventually the value of the firm will decrease. Hence, the firm will not be able to take maximum of debt since the cost of debt will increase because of the monitoring costs that have to be adhered to. Therefore, firms with relatively higher agency costs due to the inherent conflict between the firm and the debt-holders should have lower levels of outside debt financing and leverage. 2.2.6 The Signaling Hypothesis The Signaling Theory is based n the assumption that managers possess superior knowledge as insiders as opposed to outside investors who know much less about the economic health of a firm. This hypothesis suggests that managers may choose financial leverage as means to send signals to the public about the future of the company. Ross (1977) claimed that greater average financial leverage is used by managers to signal an optimistic future about the firm. Furthermore, Leland and Pyle (1977) argued that an owners willingness to invest in his own project conveys a positive information to the market since it can be used as a signal for project quality. 2.2.7 Bankruptcy Cost Arguments against/For debt (put I table in Appendix in case in excess)

College Admissions Essay: My Dad :: College Admissions Essays

My Dad    In writing about an important person in my life, there are a number of people that I could discuss. But, I feel that the person who is very special to me and one who has been the most influential, is my dad.    He is the type of person that makes me very proud to say that he is my father, and the type of father that I am most fortunate to have. My father and I have always been very close. He is both loving and caring and the type of person that always puts his family first.    My dad has always been there for me both as a parent and a friend. When I was little, my dad got involved in coaching in my little league baseball, basketball and soccer, and always made time for these father and son activities. We liked to play ball together and still do at times. My dad is a big sports fan and so am I, and I look forward to the weekends when we watch the ball games together. My dad started to take my to the ball games when I was about 5 years old, and we've been doing that ever since. But, playing ball isn't all that's important in life. My father has given me the necessary guidance and has taught me values as a person that have helped me develop from a child into a responsible adult. I want him to be proud of me too, and I know that he is.    His influence has been very strong and meaningful, as I have gone through some difficult periods where he has helped me to be more focused on my goals and trying to accomplish what I set out to do. We discuss my problems, try to put them in the right perspective and deal with them properly. As I am still living at home, with my parents and sister, I am constantly

Affirmative Action Violates Constitutional Rights Essay -- Argumentati

Affirmative Action Violates Constitutional Rights In 2003, the United States Supreme Court will hear two affirmative action cases. Each is dealing with the actions of the admissions office of the University of Michigan. The cases, Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger, have been called "this generation's Brown v. Board of Education." (Montoya.) These cases have much hanging in their mists, "The outcome of †¦ affirmative action cases will determine whether our society moves forward towards greater equality or backwards to resegregation [sic] and greater inequality"("New†¦"). Affirmative action which is, as defined by Webster's II New College Dictionary, "A policy or program that seeks to redress past discrimination by increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups, as in employment." Affirmative action not only increases opportunities for women and minorities it decreases opportunities for white men. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. - Amendment XIV, section one The U.S. Constitution is clear, the privileges and immunities will not be decreased, and states can not deny any person in its jurisdiction equality. Affirmative action lessens the immunities of white men; they are no longer guaranteed an "equal opportunity employer." White men who are in the jurisdiction of the United States are denied equality. This is proved by the fact that qualifications are not the top reason for whom is hired, instead the main reason white men are turned down, when ... ...//clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/ OP/html/aa/aa02.html> Stephanopoulos, George, and Christopher Edley, Jr. "OTHER FEDERAL POLICIES: THE FCC AND THE DEPARTMENTS OF TREASURY AND AGRICULTURE." Affirmative Action Review Report to the President. 19 July 1995. 16 Dec. 2002 <http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/aa11.html> Stephanopoulos, George, and Christopher Edley, Jr. "Letter to the President." Affirmative Action Review Report to the President. 19 July 1995. 16 Dec. 2002 <http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/aa-lett.html> United States. Department of Justice. "MEMORANDUM TO GENERAL COUNSELS." Washington, D.C: Office of Legal Counsel. 28 June 1995. <http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/ap-b.html> United States. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. "The Civil Rights Act of 1964." 15 Jan. 1997 <http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/vii.html>   

Diabetes Mellitus Essay -- Health, Diseases

Diabetes refers to a set of several different diseases. It is a serious health problem throughout the world and fourth leading cause of death by disease in the country. All types of diabetes result in too much sugar, or glucos in the blood. To understand why this happens it would helpful if we understand how the body usually works. When we eat, our body breaks down the food into simpler forms such as glucose. The glucose goes into the bloodstream, where it then travels to all the cells in your body. The cells use the glucose for energy. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps move the glucose from bloodstream to the cells. The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus further explains the concept on how this disease works. Pancreas plays an important role of the metabolism of glucose by means of secreting the hormones insulin and glucagon. These hormones where then secreted by Islets of Langerhans directly to the blood. Inadequate secretion of insulin results on impaired metabol ism of glucose, carbohydrates, proteins and fats which then result to hyperglycemia and glycosuria. Hyperglycemia is the most frequently observed sign of diabetes and is considered the etiologic source of diabetic complications both in the body and in the eye. On the other hand, glucagon is the hormone that opposes the act of insulin. It is secreted when blood glucose levels fall. There are two types of diabetes. The type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is referred to as dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), or juvenile onset diabetes mellitus. The pancreas undergo an autoimmune attack by the body itself, and is rendered incapable of making insulin. It is in type 1 diabetes where abnormal antibodies are normally found. Antibodies are proteins in... ...e importance of taking nutritious foods and multivitamins, try to stop drinking coffee for two or three days. Eating regular well balanced meals. Avoid fast-food lifestyle that can cause great fluctuation in blood sugar. Lastly, the patient will be able to describe the benefits of regular exercise and how regular exercise can improve blood glucose control. They should know the importance of relaxation and exercises, deep breathing which are popular ways to relieve stress and to avoid strenuous physical activity. Meditations, yoga are good ways of relieving stress. Therefore, learning about the concept of diabetes in general is very important to prevent further complications of other critical diseases. It is best to understand and to stress out the importance of good nutrition, exercise, diet, healthy active lifestyle to the improvement for someone’s well being.

Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities Essay

The Project Manager is the person responsible for developing, in conjunction with the Project Sponsor, a definition of the project. The Project Manager then ensures that the project is delivered on time, to budget and to the required quality standard (within agreed specifications). He/she ensures the project has sufficient resources and manages relationships with a wide range of groups (including all project contributors). The Project Manager is also responsible for managing the work of consultants, allocating and utilizing resources in an efficient manner and maintaining a co-operative, motivated and successful team. Additional responsibilities include: managing and leading the project team,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   recruiting project staff and consultants, managing co-ordination between the partners and working groups engaged in project work, detailed project planning and control. Control would incorporate: Developing and maintaining a detailed project plan. Managing project deliverables in line with the project plan. Maintaining records of and managing project issues. Resolving conflicts at project level. Managing project scope and change control and escalating issues where necessary. Monitoring project progress and performance. Providing status reports to the project sponsor. Managing project training within the defined budget. Liaison with, and updates on progress to, the project steering board/senior management. Managing project evaluation and dissemination activities. Managing consultancy input within the defined budget. Final approval of the design specification. Working closely with users to ensure the project meets business needs. Definition and management of : â€Å"User Acceptance Testing† stage. Identifying user training needs and devising and managing user training programmes. As an illustration of the roles and responsibilities of a Project manager, I am going to use the simple example of changing the wheel of a car with one person in charge (project manager). In the exposition that follows, the steps followed will be under the headlines of the five essential ones outlined in the PMBOK: Initiating The initiating stage in replacing a punctured car-wheel is the process of preparing to replace the wheel. To begin with, the project manager, or whoever is overseeing the operation, ensures that all the tools necessary for the job are available. The tools necessary in this case would comprise the jerk, wheel spanner, the unique key-for some car models, maybe some props such as stones where there is a possibility of the car slipping downhill and finally, labor. Planning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once the initiating stage is completed, we move on to the planning stage whereby different strategies are proposed and quickly debated with one being agreed upon. The role of the project manager in this stage is to ensure that everyone is given an opportunity to express their opinions on how best to approach the problem. Then, he/she should harmonize every participant’s views and in cases if the group cannot reach a resolution unanimously, he/she should apply his/her critical thinking abilities and skills in choosing the most reasonable approach that would be most efficient, effective and feasible. The planning would entail deciding which nuts to unscrew first e.g. diagonally, where to place the jerk and the props and where to put the tools and nuts in such a manner as to ensure they don’t get lost or pose a hazard to any of the team members. The Plan will also incorporate delegation of duties amongst the team members i.e. deciding who will place the jerk, who will unscrew the nuts, who will carry the spare wheel, and who will screw the new wheel back. The delegation of duties should be fair such that no member feels exploited or alienated and it is the work of the project manager to study everyone’s character and tell who is suited best for what. The final parts of the plan involve training participants as necessary, scheduling everything, and monitoring progress. Executing or Implementation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After initiating and planning, finally the time comes to put the plan into action. During this stage, the team implements the strategy decided upon with a view to achieving the intended objective. The team removes the bad wheel and replaces it with one that is in good condition. The work of the project manager is to ensure that each participant plays his/ her assigned role and that the operation goes according to plan by correcting any digressions and getting rid of any impediments that might arise in the course of the implementation. Controlling and Monitoring   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to controlling and monitoring, this entails putting measures in place in anticipation of pitfalls during the process of implementing the plan. Pitfalls to be anticipated might include: some members do not like the roles they are assigned and so they don’t play their roles with the necessary devotion. Also it is possible   that some members might want to sabotage the project for any of a number of reasons or one of the tools gets damaged and cannot be repaired in time for the work at hand. To avoid alienation, the project manager should make every member feel as though they own the project and when it succeeds the glory will be shared and the benefits mutual. In addition, the project manager has the responsibility of ensuring that, if a member were assigned a role he/she does not like, they are free to voice their concerns so that a speedy resolution is sought. The speedy resolution could be training or instruction where a member is assigned work they do not know how to do. Alternatively, members could swap roles to resolve any stalemates. Finally, a backup plan should be in place to cater for unanticipated hitches. Closing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In finishing up, the project manager should ensure the team tightens the nuts to the required extent and remove the jerk and props. He/she should also ensure that any member who sustains any injury should be attended to and all the tools-wheel spanners, jerk, props, key- together with the bad wheel are all returned and checked to ensure they are in good condition, then put in their respective places of storage. BIBLIOGRAPHY K. Bainey, The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 3rd ed. Project Management Institute, New Jersey, 2004

Framework for Praxis Essay

Medical advancement and repair alongs exact changed wellness tutelage over the categorys. As the health per centum system changes so does the business office of a adjudge. As the elderly population in the United States grows the have for primary awe excessively appends but the in sop up of shield Practiti unmatchablers is estimated to reduce the shortage of primary mete out services (Schiff, 2012).This paper allow leave alone an overview of the benefit of a poser for give session for an Adult autochthonic apprehension think of Practitioner (APCNP) and examine how the good example helps in the instruction of billing for intimacy. The writer pull up stakes give an overview of the role of an APCNP and how this role keep help enrich the general health deal system. The paper will look ideological, theoretical, and good components that conducts and contribute to the growth of an APCNP example for recitation. The paper will finally examine a berth s tudy of the consumption of the manakin for praxis in a clinical setting.Overview of practice sessionPraxis is defined in numerous ways for unalike disciplines, for the keeping for profession it is defined as the faction of practice and speculation (Kilpatrick, 2008). Many healthcare practitioners see acquaintance acquired by means of clinical practice (praxis) as subjective and not real knowledge beca physical exercise sup mail is ceaselessly linked with scholarly achievement, as such it is difficult in present daytime nursing practice to recognize the immenseness of praxis (Penney & Warelow, 1999) check to Chinn and Kramer (2011) praxis whitethorn arise out of a whiz person or a group. Praxis arising at an individual level is ground a person chartering and pondering on an issue that controls ones capabilities and insureings, thus taking the function in ever-changing the issue for themselves and others affected (Chinn & Kramer, 2011). A prodigious intent of praxis is the incorporating of possibility and practice that helps in the acknowledgment and valuing different types of knowledge (Kilpatrick, 2008).Chinn and Kramer (2011) states nursing praxis set and labels those clinical experiences by bringing together the worlds of nursing practice and theory by the use of reflection and action (p. 83). It is believed nursing praxis helps in knowledge nurture. With each bring of reflection and action at least four ideals are used as abenchmark for determining the expense of emancipatory knowledge, these are sustain office, social justice mandate and demystification (Chinn & Kramer, 2011, p. 84).breast feeding praxis is important to an APCNPs practice it creates opportunity for change by influencing personal nursing theory and the receivement of nursing knowledge through self-reflection. Self-reflection helps contend the APCNPs personal and professional standards. Praxis may also help advance the role of the APCNP by reducing the d isparities surrounded by clinical practice and concepts (Chinn & Kramer, 2011). Incorporating theoretical, respectable and philosophical beliefs of the APCNP will help provide a framework for praxis.Overview of the role of an Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (APCNP)An Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (APCNP) is a primary care provider and is at the forefront of providing healthcare to the public. Certain standards mustiness be attained before one stand become an APCNP these accommodate alum didactics with a concentration in an APCNP program and certification through examination. Duties of an APCNP include persevering culture, performing physical assessments, canvass and prescribing medications (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & OGrady, 2014). APCNP may practice in private clinics, subtle care facilities, semipermanent care facilities or public health de go awayments (Fitzpatrick & Emerson, 2011). As the elderly population in the United States grows the demand for primary care also increases, as such the use of an APCNP is estimated to reduce the shortage of primary care services (Schiff, 2012).The expanded use of APCNPs increases the ability to increase access to health care, peculiarly in the commonly underserved areas (Schiff, 2012).Ideological Influencesdismissal theory by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator establishes a technique of tenet literacy for underprivileged adults based on talks (Sanford, 2000). The Liberation theory is chosen as the philosophical basis for practice because its centered on tolerant education and building trust between the hold up and longanimous through talks .The use of liberation theory and the theory of self-efficacy by Bandura will help the APCNP in the progression of health education. fit to Cody (2011), health is draw as an attitude that reflects accepting responsibility for self in developing aim in life (p. 377). Health is before long viewed much more than the absence of disease. According to Bandur a (1989), the theory of self- efficacy is based on self-confidence and is a good index for motivation to happen upon behavioral changes.Self-efficacy theory is based on the mastery of skills, modelling of skills especially by others and social idea of others to help create the belief that the persevering is capable of mastering skills. Health literacy in the overall healthcare system is alert it improves enduring satisfaction, decrease tolerant concerns, increase compliance to care, creates enduring self-reliance and increases overall quality of life. Utilizing theories provide the APCNP with the opportunity to in effect check to enable the tolerant to understand their current health conditions in orderliness to be able to make fitted healthcare decisions. As an APCNP it is necessary to explore ways to effectively trail uncomplainings because enduring education is a vital part of continuum of health (DeMarco, Nystrom, & Salvatore, 2011).Theoretical InfluencesTheory d evelopment is the fundamental step for expansion of nursing knowledge. The theory of oddment attainment by Imogene superpower addresses the phenomena, enduring role education. The theory was runner presented in the 1960s by Imogene King (King, 1997). The basics of Kings Theory encourage apply diligent communication the breastfeed helps the patient set objects and work together with the patient to attain the goals (King, 1997). The theory focuses on patient education, through interpersonal social intercourseship with nurses and patients allowing the patient to acquire knowledge or develop skills to help achieve goals. The theory encourages dialogue between the patient and nurse and this mould opens the possibilities for participants to present problems, to seriously reflect and to identify solutions not previously realized. Essential attributes of the theory that influences patient education includes the necessity to make all health information ready to hand(predicate) to the patient. Due to the importance of disease stripe patient education is vital as such the APCNP should determine the best feasible theory to help achieve in demand(p) outcomes through patient education. good InfluencesAccording to Cody (2011), people should be afforded the opportunity to betreated with dignity by having their values respected without judgment by others (p. 168). An APCNP providing patient health education can be faced with respectable dilemmas (Pavilish, Brown-Saltzman, Hersh, Shirk, & Rounkle, 2011). honorable knowledge is required in nursing to guide practice because care outcomes depend on the nurses honorable and virtuous perception (Chinn & Kramer, 2011). Ethics help by identifying principles and create basics that help avow human rights, and ethical values (Hamric et al., 2011). The changing healthcare system and patient care delivery systems have increased the complexity of ethical issues (Hamric et al., 2011). According to the American Nurses com panionship (ANA) (2001), the code of ethics provides an outline nurses can use in making ethical decisions when performing their duties to the public, to members of the health team, and to the nursing profession.Ethical principles include autonomy, beneficence (bring rough haughty good), fidelity (trustworthy), and veracity (honesty) (ANA, 2001). As ethical agents and patient advocates, we know patient education includes scripted actuals, but its also known that most written material available is above reading levels of the overall public. It is vital as an APCNP to take into neb your responsibility to the ethical element of autonomy or fidelity in relation to patient education. Patient education is sometimes directed toward supporting patients to make decisions about signing consents.It is the responsibility of the health care professional who is educating the patient to confirm that the patient has enough understanding about the consequences of the diagnosis, running or proce dure that they are accept to. In order not to coddle the principle of autonomy, veracity and beneficence, the primary ethical step for healthcare providers would be to learn more about the patients literacy level and then assess to get appropriate educational materials suitable for the patient. In order to provide the most countywide educational material to patients and not violate on ethical principles, providers need to carry the importance of using appropriate written materials at patients discernability level.The combination of the APCNPs ideology, theoretical and ethical framework helps provide a framework for praxis. This also gives nurses the opportunity to help conflict changes to the health of the community by concentrating on the quality of life of the community. As an APCNP creating a practice thatpromotes health literacy, empowerment, acceptance and compare is important. This can be done through the use of patient centered care model that helps in promoting effect ive patient education. With the use of liberation theory and theory of goal attainment the healthcare provider will be able to go bad assess patient and provide health education tailored for each patient. Ethical theories have to be examined and integrated passim the patient education process to condition patient services provided meets specific needs. face StudyMr. Bick is a 50 year old with hypertension who comes to the clinic for a attend up appointment after a stroke. During his appointment the nurse establishes a alliance by having a dialogue with patient inquiring about patients overall life, through the dialogue the patient is able to share personal struggles with medication compliance cod to work schedule. The nurse is able to educate patient on how to effectively take all medications without interfering with the patients work schedule .The patient sets a goal to reduce BP, the nurse guides the patient with different methods on reaching his goal, including sustenance modification and increasing activity level.The case study utilizes the liberation theory to educate by building trust between the nurse and patient through dialogue. In the case study, it is noted that the patients self-efficacy made the patient more clear to the health education offered by the nurse. The patient learnt different options for medication adherence without contraceptive device in his work schedule. The theory of goal attainment was also utilized the patient set a goal and the nurse helped by educating the patient on different options to achieve his goal.ConclusionAPCNPs are considered as nurses who are equipped with the clinical and focus skills necessary to meet the key roles in transforming healthcare. breast feeding obligation to patient education is entwined into many theoretical frameworks. The intent of the framework for praxis is to place the practice of patient education in a position where significant relations can be made between experiences of everyday pr actice, clinical research and scholarly inquiry.ReferencesAmerican Nurses knowledge (ANA), (2001), Code of ethics for nurses, American NursesAssociation, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http//www.nursingworld.org / principal(prenominal) MenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsfornurses /code-of-ethics.pdf Bandura, A. (1989). Regulation of cognitive processes through perceived self-efficacy.Developmental Psychology, 25, 729-735.Chinn, P. L., & Kramer, M. K. (2011). Integrated theory and knowledge development. (8th ed.).St Louis Mosby Elsevier.DeMarco, J., Nystrom, M., & Salvatore, K. (2011). The importance of patient educationthroughout the continuum of health care. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet,15(1), 22-31. doi 10.1080/15398285.2011.547069.Hamric, A. B., Hanson, C. M., Tracy, M. F., & OGrady, E. T. (2014). Advanced practicenursing An integrative approach. St. Louis, MO Elsevier.Kilpatrick, K (2008), Praxis and the role development of acute care nurse practitioner. Nursing doubt 15(2), 116-126. King, I. (1997). Kings theory of goal attainment in practice. Nursing acquisition Quarterly 10(4),180-185.Pavlish, C., Brown-Saltzman, K., Hersh, M., Shirk, M., & Rounkle, A. (2011). Nursingpriorities, actions, and regrets for ethical situations in clinical practice. Journal ofNursing Scholarship, 43(4), 385-95. doi10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011. Penney, W & Warelow J. (1999) Understanding the click of praxis. Nursing Inquiry 6, 259-268 Sanford, R. C. (2000). Caring through relation and dialogue A nursing perspective for patient education. Advance Nursing Science 22(3), 1-15 Schiff, M (2012). The role of nurse practitioners in meeting increasing demand for primary care National Governors Association. Retrieved fromhttp// www.nga.org/cms/ floor/news-room/news-releases/page_2012/col2-content/nurse-practitioners-have-potenti.html