Organizational Theory Final Paper Essay

Due to the recent and anticipated changes the U.S. government has made and continues to make in procedures regarding contract awards, as well as external market pressures from the economic downturn, I submit this proposal as a new approach to the existing organizational structure. Because talent and loyalty are at such a high premium in today’s workforce, I submit that the workforce be modified structurally rather than a full-scale reduction. This economic crisis will not last long and our current reaction and decisions will determine our longevity in the market. So the main objective of this restructure will be to make the best and most beneficial use of our employees that are committed to moving forward and to continue to build goodwill with our employees, shareholders, customers and suppliers. Changes in technology are not an issue for this particular proposal. The very nature of this company enhances flexibility in technological changes and even spear-heads changes in some aspects of industry. There may be mild behavior changes needed, but only to coincide with structural changes. The structural changes should prove to be positively accepted, as underutilization and overutilization issues should be resolved. The outcomes expected are: * reduced costs by realigning talent to appropriate duties * redefining merits for bonuses and certain benefits * offering more flexible working conditions for higher performance * creating diverse teams based on goals and projects * redesign Marketing division, re-evaluate goals, re-evaluate performance Forces Driving Change: * Characteristics of workforce have changed * The organizational structure of this company embraces military-like order. Modification of this approach is needed to empower team structure and welcome more civilian business approaches as â€Å"staff and middle management are better networked, more mobile, and smarter about their value and their options in the market.† (PWC) * Labor supply has changed * Much of the upper management and specialized employees are retired military, bringing them closer to a second retirement. While current conditions have delayed this trend it still exists. Competing companies aggressively recruit educated and experienced managers and industry specialists so we must create conditions that will foster satisfaction and loyalty. * Government contract allocation procedures have changed * More attention and emphasis must be put on other areas of the company’s businesses for wealth building. Government contracting has adjusted rates and opened the door for smaller companies to compete for Defense and Aerospace teaming contracts. * Economic downturns have caused readjustments in businesses and education * The Business Services company needs to update and integrate new business-to-business consulting approaches, enhancing and adding to our strict Six Sigma training. * The Advanced Visualization Solutions division needs to develop their products to serve beyond educational facilities, as most facilities are not currently able to invest in state-of-the-art technology. These products need to be streamlined to bring the cost of production and cost to customers down. * The Construction Company needs to focus on developing more domestic business. The international projects need to be managed by on-site managers via patriots or expatriate assignments. This will reduce expensive unplanned international travel as well as build goodwill with the natives of the country the project is based in. * The Marketing/Communications division has become obsolete, using old approaches of only upgrading the company website and only attending industry exhibitions and conferences. Marketing has become isolated from the energy that exists in the whole of the company, not working cooperatively or creatively with each subsidiary company. This is possibly due to absence of the sense of meaningfulness in the managers, thus lack of motivation. * The Core Divisions need more cohesion in their performance. Due to the overlap of duties between HR, Contracting and Accounting, there must be less antagonism and more cooperation between the managers. The executives rely on authoritarian leadership and â€Å"job-scare† tactics to motivate operations of these departments, thus the managers isolate themselves into their own responsibilities by not sharing information or working as cohesive teams to resolve challenges. Obviously, most of these problems have their origin in the culture that has been created in the company. While there are a few who remain loyal to the mission statement of the company and endeavor to sustain a family-like atmosphere, most managers and employees have become dissatisfied with not only the culture but with their own sense of meaning within the company. Thus, the owners and executives must be the first to revisit the mission statement and goals first set forth by the owners, create a more cohesive and safe culture and implement their own change of perspective. â€Å"Far too often, leaders ask everyone else to change, but in reality this usually isn’t possible until they first change themselves†. (De Smet, et al) One of the strengths to having retired military personnel in leadership and production is their ability to follow orders and to learn quickly. Most of their experience in military life was often being given an order (goal) and some of the necessary resources (most of the time), but little knowledge on how to execute it. Much of our nation’s greatest technology has come from such situations. For example, John Shergill itemized 10 American technological advances accomplished during wartime. One of the most outstanding was the development of a virtual environment, or the internet. â€Å"Conceived and designed in the late 1970’s during the height of the cold war as a defense against nuclear war. The thought was that if vital government information could be stored in a virtual environment, it would be impossible to take out communications at one location. The effect of this advancement is obvious to anyone reading this†. (Shergill) Necessity being the mother of invention was also observable when a young officer was given command over the technology department where he was deployed. Not only was the technology obsolete, but he had no idea how a computer worked. His order was to update and repair the system. Period. He quickly learned and implemented all he could and was successful in not only updating but enhancing new technology for that particular base. Today, as a retired Navy colonel, he is a professor of Networking, computer software and hardware at an outstanding US college. So the ingenuity and problem solving skills that exists within the retired military community is priceless, but their instinctive command-and-control leadership styles have become outdated and ineffective in a civilian business world, especially with civilian employees. Six Sigma approaches have been attractive to the Business Solutions department because it continues to embrace the command-and-control management skills; focusing on optimal production and very little on optimizing producers. Therefore I propose comprehensive and all-inclusive leadership-development training. I understand this may be especially opposed by our Business Services division, as these instructors consider themselves experts in the field of leadership. But it is vital that leaders stay ahead of trends in leadership especially if they train other leaders. Their expertise in traditional instruction of management mixed with the evolving principles will not only enhance, but possibly lead to more forward thinking and new approaches as they implement them. Again, it would be quite in character for the retired military leaders to take what they learn in this area and create even more valuable tactics and approaches that will enrich business leaders the world over. Thus creating a new benchmark for our company and creating a new competitive edge. In the April 2012 online edition of McKinsey Quarterly, three experts in the field of leadership training wrote of their findings in making leadership training the heart of large organizational change. The authors described the situation of one global company as â€Å"While the need for operational change was clear—the performance of the company†¦was inconsistent and in many cases far below that of competitors in terms of efficiency, productivity, and cost—so too were the organizational obstacles. Drives for improvement, for example, carried a stigma of incompetence; current performance was considered â€Å"good enough†; conflict tended to be passive-aggressive or was avoided entirely; and†¦employees felt that they were treated as cogs and that their supervisors were enforcers. The effect of all this on employees was disengagement, a lack of trust in senior management, and a pervasive fear of making mistakes—a worry reinforced by the company’s strong culture of safety and of risk aversion†¦ (So) the senior team had to look beyond technical improvements and focus on helping the company’s leaders to master the personal behavioral changes needed to support the operational ones. To that end, the company mounted an intense, immersive, and individualized leadership program† (De Smet, et al). The authors note that the program took four months for each participant, and included two week-long training programs and ongoing coaching to integrate what they learn with their work experiences. In the span of three years the return on investment in the participants has been tenfold for each leader. The program has increased the company’s income by almost $2 million, and the new leadership behavior has been crucial to the company’s success and is believed to have made the total organizational changes that were made more effective. So the development program I suggest needs to include: * Integrating leadership training with a BHG (big hairy goal). Without personalizing training it will be ineffective. Without an obtainable and desirable goal training will be a waste of time and effort. * Recognize the strengths and successes our company has and build on them. Bring in our strongest and most dedicated leaders (not necessarily formal managers) and train them in how to skillfully influence change by engaging everyone involved in the organization. These leaders may need to be considered as new or replacing current ineffective management or at the very least as team/discussion leaders. They are the bridge between corporate office and employee satisfaction. Use our Company Philosophy, found in our Employee Handbook, to employ our Core Competencies to realize our Vision Statement. * Any change in our organization must be based on honesty. Every employee of our company possesses, or at one time possessed, an expectation of good from us. Being a part of this organization was highly esteemed in the community and upon hiring, the employees felt important and distinct in their field because of our decision to employ. After being employed for about 3 years, the most common feature of the dissatisfaction that begins to set in is the irregular dispersion of information and a feeling that Corporate is not being honest or forthright with them. While this may be a military â€Å"need-to-know† approach to employee management, it is no longer efficient, as our employees are no longer military and they expect inclusion. The â€Å"leaks† and rumors that circulate on all of our job-sites and offices are much more damaging than the truth given from a trusted leader could ever be. * Common language and vocabulary used by leaders must be adopted. The language of a common vision is powerful, so leaders must be allowed to emerge and reassigned to influence the entire company. Success is contagious so the empowered managers will be able to empower employees. * Evaluate managers’ skills and interests and place them in the appropriate department. Technology can be learned, but it won’t be learned by a dissatisfied manager. * Modify benefits. Currently all employees derive their motivation from our bonus plan. Employees have been willing to accept the absence of sick leave, the infrequency of pay raises, and the absence of certain benefits in favor of expecting the year-end bonus. The Employee Handbook indicates that bonuses are â€Å"discretionary profit-sharing and performance-based rewards provided to employees base on a review of the factors previously mentioned in addition to management’s recommendations† (Our Company Handbook, pg. 11). It should be noted that every employee has different needs and motivations for working with us. We should modify our benefit offering by allowing them to make the decision of whether they would rather have a raise, receive a bonus or an enhancement to their provided benefits. * Subsidiary companies’ Business Development departments and company-wide Marketing/Communications must begin to work more cooperatively, beginning with information sharing and frequent interaction. Up to this point, these two departments have functioned exclusively of the other, relying only on each other for necessary information or for marketing tools for conventions/meetings. While BD has relied heavily on personal contacts networks, it must begin to utilize the principals and power of marketing. Marketing/Communications must begin to pursue the good of each BD department to enhance their efforts. The commitment to the structural changes, development of leaders and employee happiness must begin with the owners. It must also be an ongoing commitment, as sporadic attempts will only reinforce skepticism and heighten dissatisfaction. Leadership training must become a systemic process, not an event (Day, pg 8).

Individual Food Intake Essay

After using the food assessment tool at www.choosemyplate.gov I found that my daily intake of food was not sufficient for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Many of my goals were not achieved or were overachieved. This assessment revealed an imbalance in my eating habits. Like many Americans I am on the run and constrained by time. Going to school and working fulltime often forces me to eat quickly and make hurried choices. Often my choices are not in my best health interest but rather based on what is fast. When I have time, I tend to try to make better eating decisions but this is not sufficient for a good diet. In accordance with the Food Guide Pyramid I fell short in many areas of necessary consumption and went over in other areas. For the three day period I went over in grains (14.5 oz.) and over in proteins (10.5 oz.). I was insufficient with vegetables (1 cup), fruits (3/4 cup), and dairy (1 cup). What I found disturbing was that the bulk of the items I went over on was not balanced across three days but was instead committed on one to two days of the tracker. This means that on one day I had reached limits. This could be seen clearly on the third day and specifically with regard to lunch and my numbers jumped dramatically. I believe that I need to reshape my diet around the six classes of nutrients. The six nutrients include: 1. Water 2. Carbohydrates 3. Proteins 4. Fats 5. Vitamins 6. Minerals Each of the six nutrients is necessary in varying degrees in the body. Using the Food Pyramid I can identify the levels of nutrient intake and then  design my diet in accordance with balancing these numbers. For example, I eat a banana each day but this only provides me with a portion of the fruit intake I need and thereby cuts down on the vitamins and minerals I receive. By increasing my fruit intake I can increase this number but this is only part of the solution. I need to add more variety of food which will better encompass the wide range of nutrients needed. For example, strawberries and blueberries could be added to my diet and this would increase antioxidant intake as well as vitamins such as C. It is not just fruit intake that would need to be altered in this way; vegetables and meats also need to be examined. The intake of green vegetables would help to increase vitamin A, foliate, and iron, among other essentials. By expanding my varieties of foods I can incorporate this into my diet, as well as the elimination of certain types of foods could be used to increase nutrient intake such as removing the fast food burger in lieu of leaner fish which contains higher levels of Omega 3 and better quality proteins. Leaner meats that do not require heavy cooking also require less energy for the body to process and provide more useful calories. By modifying my diet in accordance with the Food Pyramid, I believe I can become healthier. The key is to determine the different foods that I will need to incorporate into my diet and to find the quantity that balances my caloric intake. For this I will need to do some research because I still need my diet to be somewhat convenient as well as nutritionally balanced. I believe it should also be mentioned that the level of fats that are taken in should be monitored as well, because almost a third of my diet was empty calories which had no nutritional value. There was also a very high sodium intake and my saturated fats were over the limit. These issues present many long term concerns which need to be addressed. This diet failure also explains my feelings of fatigue and my propensity for illnesses. My body has simply not been receiving the nutrients and levels that it needs to properly function. By watching these numbers I should be able to increase energy and make sure that my future health is strong. I also need to watch what I consume because my mother has had colon cancer, so the healthier I eat the  chances are less that I will contract that cancer. References Contemporary Nutrition, WileyPLUS ®, iProfile

Barack Obama - Speech to a Joint Session of Congress on Health Care Reform (9 September 2009)

Barack Obama Speech to a Joint Session of Congress on Health Care Reform delivered 9 September 2009 Madam Speaker, Vice President Biden, members of Congress, and the American people:When I spoke here last winter, this nation was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month. Credit was frozen. And our financial system was on the verge of collapse.As any American who is still looking for work or a way to pay their bills will tell you, we are by no means out of the woods. A full and vibrant recovery is still many months away. And I will not let up until those Americans who seek jobs can find them until those businesses that seek capital and credit can thrive; until all responsible homeowners can stay in their homes. That is our ultimate goal. But thanks to the bold and decisive action weve taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink. I want to thank the members of this body for your efforts and your support in these last several months, and especially those whove taken the difficult votes that have put us on a path to recovery. I also want to thank the American people for their patience and resolve during this trying time for our nation. But we did not come here just to clean up crises. We came here to build a future. So tonight, I return to speak to all of you about an issue that is central to that future and that is the issue of health care. I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last. It has now been nearly a century since Theodore Roosevelt first called for health care reform. And ever since, nearly every President and Congress, whether Democrat or Republican, has attempted to meet this challenge in some way. A bill for comprehensive health reform was first introduced by John Dingell Sr. in 1943. Sixty-five years later, his son continues to introduce that same bill at the beginning of each session. Our collective failure to meet this challenge year after year, decade after decade has led us to the breaking point. Everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured, who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans. Some cant get insurance on the job. Others are self-employed, and cant afford it, since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer. Many other Americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or too expensive to cover. We are the only democracy the only advanced democracy on Earth the only wealthy nation that allows such hardship for millions of its people. There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage. In just a two-year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point. And every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage. In other words, it can happen to anyone. But the problem that plagues the health care system is not just a problem for the uninsured. Those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than they do today. More and more Americans worry that if you move, lose your job, or change your job, youll lose your health insurance too. More and more Americans pay their premiums, only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick, or wont pay the full cost of care. It happens every day. One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadnt reported gallstones that he didnt even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it. Another woman from Texas was about to get a double mastectomy when her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. By the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer had more than doubled in size. That is heart-breaking, it is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America. Then theres the problem of rising cost. We spend one and a half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we arent any healthier for it. This is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages. Its why so many employers especially small businesses are forcing their employees to pay more for insurance, or are dropping their coverage entirely. Its why so many aspiring entrepreneurs cannot afford to open a business in the first place, and why American businesses that compete internationally like our automakers are at a huge disadvantage. And its why those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it about $1,000 per year that pays for somebody elses emergency room and charitable care. Finally, our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers. When health care costs grow at the rate they have, it puts greater pressure on programs like Medicare and Medicaid. If we do nothing to slow these skyrocketing costs, we will eventually be spending more on Medicare and Medicaid than every other government program combined. Put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem. Nothing else even comes close. Nothing else. Now, these are the facts. Nobody disputes them. We know we must reform this system. The question is how. There are those on the left who believe that the only way to fix the system is through a single-payer system like Canadas where we would severely restrict the private insurance market and have the government provide coverage for everybody. On the right, there are those who argue that we should end employer-based systems and leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own. Ive said I have to say that there are arguments to be made for both these approaches. But either one would represent a radical shift that would disrupt the health care most people currently have. Since health care represents one-sixth of our economy, I believe it makes more sense to build on what works and fix what doesnt, rather than try to build an entirely new system from scratch. And that is precisely what those of you in Congress have tried to do over the past several months. During that time, weve seen Washington at its best and at its worst. Weve seen many in this chamber work tirelessly for the better part of this year to offer thoughtful ideas about how to achieve reform. Of the five committees asked to develop bills, four have completed their work, and the Senate Finance Committee announced today that it will move forward next week. That has never happened before. Our overall efforts have been supported by an unprecedented coalition of doctors and nurses; hospitals, seniors groups, and even drug companies many of whom opposed reform in the past. And there is agreement in this chamber on about 80 percent of what needs to be done, putting us closer to the goal of reform than we have ever been. But what weve also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have towards their own government. Instead of honest debate, weve seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. And out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned. Well, the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care. Now is the time to deliver on health care. The plan Im announcing tonight would meet three basic goals. It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance for those who dont. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government. Its a plan that asks everyone to take responsibility for meeting this challenge not just government, not just insurance companies, but everybody including employers and individuals. And its a plan that incorporates ideas from senators and congressmen, from Democrats and Republicans and yes, from some of my opponents in both the primary and general election. Here are the details that every American needs to know about this plan. First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Let me repeat this: Nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have. What this plan will do is make the insurance you have work better for you. Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition. As soon as I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it the most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies because theres no reason we shouldnt be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives. Now, thats what Americans who have health insurance can expect from this plan more security and more stability. Now, if youre one of the tens of millions of Americans who dont currently have health insurance, the second part of this plan will finally offer you quality, affordable choices. If you lose your job or you change your job, youll be able to get coverage. If you strike out on your own and start a small business, youll be able to get coverage. Well do this by creating a new insurance exchange a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices. Insurance companies will have an incentive to participate in this exchange because it lets them compete for millions of new customers. As one big group, these customers will have greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage. This is how large companies and government employees get affordable insurance. Its how everyone in this Congress gets affordable insurance. And its time to give every American the same opportunity that we give ourselves. Now, for those individuals and small businesses who still cant afford the lower-priced insurance available in the exchange, well provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need. And all insurance companies that want access to this new marketplace will have to abide by the consumer protections I already mentioned. This exchange will take effect in four years, which will give us time to do it right. In the meantime, for those Americans who cant get insurance today because they have preexisting medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill. This was a good idea when Senator John McCain proposed it in the campaign, its a good idea now, and we should all embrace it. Now, even if we provide these affordable options, there may be those especially the young and the healthy who still want to take the risk and go without coverage. There may still be companies that refuse to do right by their workers by giving them coverage. The problem is, such irresponsible behavior costs all the rest of us money. If there are affordable options and people still dont sign up for health insurance, it means we pay for these peoples expensive emergency room visits. If some businesses dont provide workers health care, it forces the rest of us to pick up the tab when their workers get sick, and gives those businesses an unfair advantage over their competitors. And unless everybody does their part, many of the insurance reforms we seek especially requiring insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions just cant be achieved. And thats why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance just as most states require you to carry auto insurance. Likewise likewise, businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care, or chip in to help cover the cost of their workers. There will be a hardship waiver for those individuals who still cant afford coverage, and 95 percent of all small businesses, because of their size and narrow profit margin, would be exempt from these requirements. But we cant have large businesses and individuals who can afford coverage game the system by avoiding responsibility to themselves or their employees. Improving our health care system only works if everybody does their part. And while there remain some significant details to be ironed out, I believe I believe a broad consensus exists for the aspects of the plan I just outlined: consumer protections for those with insurance, an exchange that allows individuals and small businesses to purchase affordable coverage, and a requirement that people who can afford insurance get insurance. And I have no doubt that these reforms would greatly benefit Americans from all walks of life, as well as the economy as a whole. Still, given all the misinformation thats been spread over the past few months, I realize I realize that many Americans have grown nervous about reform. So tonight I want to address some of the key controversies that are still out there. Some of peoples concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Now, such a charge would be laughable if it werent so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple. There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms the reforms Im proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina: You lie! President Obama: Its not true. And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place. Now, my health care proposal has also been attacked by some who oppose reform as a government takeover of the entire health care system. As proof, critics point to a provision in our plan that allows the uninsured and small businesses to choose a publicly sponsored insurance option, administered by the government just like Medicaid or Medicare. So let me set the record straight here. My guiding principle is, and always has been, that consumers do better when there is choice and competition. Thats how the market works. Unfortunately, in 34 states, 75 percent of the insurance market is controlled by five or fewer companies. In Alabama, almost 90 percent is controlled by just one company. And without competition, the price of insurance goes up and quality goes down. And it makes it easier for insurance companies to treat their customers badly by cherry-picking the healthiest individuals and trying to drop the sickest, by overcharging small businesses who have no leverage, and by jacking up rates. Insurance executives dont do this because theyre bad people; they do it because its profitable. As one former insurance executive testified before Congress, insurance companies are not only encouraged to find reasons to drop the seriously ill, they are rewarded for it. All of this is in service of meeting what this former executive called Wall Streets relentless profit expectations. Now, I have no interest in putting insurance companies out of business. They provide a legitimate service, and employ a lot of our friends and neighbors. I just want to hold them accountable. And the insurance reforms that Ive already mentioned would do just that. But an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange. Now, let me be clear. Let me be clear. It would only be an option for those who dont have insurance. No one would be forced to choose it, and it would not impact those of you who already have insurance. In fact, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates, we believe that less than 5 percent of Americans would sign up. Despite all this, the insurance companies and their allies dont like this idea. They argue that these private companies cant fairly compete with the government. And theyd be right if taxpayers were subsidizing this public insurance option. But they wont be. Ive insisted that like any private insurance company, the public insurance option would have to be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects. But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits and excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers, and would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities. Now, it is its worth noting that a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort Ive proposed tonight. But its impact shouldnt be exaggerated by the left or the right or the media. It is only one part of my plan, and shouldnt be used as a handy excuse for the usual Washington ideological battles. To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage available for those without it. The public option the public option is only a means to that end and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal. And to my Republican friends, I say that rather than making wild claims about a government takeover of health care, we should work together to address any legitimate concerns you may have. For example For example, some have suggested that the public option go into effect only in those markets where insurance companies are not providing affordable policies. Others have proposed a co-op or another non-profit entity to administer the plan. These are all constructive ideas worth exploring. But I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans cant find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice. And I will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need. Finally, let me discuss an issue that is a great concern to me, to members of this chamber, and to the public and thats how we pay for this plan. And heres what you need to know. First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits either now or in the future. I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that Im serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised dont materialize. Now, part of the reason I faced a trillion-dollar deficit when I walked in the door of the White House is because too many initiatives over the last decade were not paid for from the Iraq war to tax breaks for the wealthy. I will not make that same mistake with health care. Second, weve estimated that most of this plan can be paid for by finding savings within the existing health care system, a system that is currently full of waste and abuse. Right now, too much of the hard-earned savings and tax dollars we spend on health care dont make us any healthier. Thats not my judgment its the judgment of medical professionals across this country. And this is also true when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid. In fact, I want to speak directly to seniors for a moment, because Medicare is another issue thats been subjected to demagoguery and distortion during the course of this debate. More than four decades ago, this nation stood up for the principle that after a lifetime of hard work, our seniors should not be left to struggle with a pile of medical bills in their later years. Thats how Medicare was born. And it remains a sacred trust that must be passed down from one generation to the next. And that is why not a dollar of the Medicare trust fund will be used to pay for this plan. The only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as unwarranted subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance companies subsidies that do everything to pad their profits but dont improve the care of seniors. And we will also create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts charged with identifying more waste in the years ahead. Now, these steps will ensure that you Americas seniors get the benefits youve been promised. They will ensure that Medicare is there for future generations. And we can use some of the savings to fill the gap in coverage that forces too many seniors to pay thousands of dollars a year out of their own pockets for prescription drugs. Thats what this plan will do for you. So dont pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut, especially since some of the same folks who are spreading these tall tales have fought against Medicare in the past and just this year supported a budget that would essentially have turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program. That will not happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare. Now, because Medicare is such a big part of the health care system, making the program more efficient can help usher in changes in the way we deliver health care that can reduce costs for everybody. We have long known that some places like the Intermountain Healthcare in Utah or the Geisinger Health System in rural Pennsylvania offer high-quality care at costs below average. So the commission can help encourage the adoption of these common-sense best practices by doctors and medical professionals throughout the system everything from reducing hospital infection rates to encouraging better coordination between teams of doctors. Reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan. Now, much of the rest would be paid for with revenues from the very same drug and insurance companies that stand to benefit from tens of millions of new customers. And this reform will charge insurance companies a fee for their most expensive policies, which will encourage them to provide greater value for the money an idea which has the support of Democratic and Republican experts. And according to these same experts, this modest change could help hold down the cost of health care for all of us in the long run. Now, finally, many in this chamber particularly on the Republican side of the aisle have long insisted that reforming our medical malpractice laws can help bring down the cost of health care. Now there you go. There you go. Now, I dont believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but Ive talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs.So Im proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. I know that the Bush administration considered authorizing demonstration projects in individual states to test these ideas. I think its a good idea, and Im directing my Secretary of Health and Human Services to move forward on this initiative today. Now, add it all up, and the plan Im proposing will cost around $900 billion over 10 years less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration. Now, most of these costs will be paid for with money already being spent but spent badly in the existing health care system. The plan will not add to our deficit. The middle class will realize greater security, not higher taxes. And if we are able to slow the growth of health care costs by just one-tenth of 1 percent each year one-tenth of 1 percent it will actually reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over the long term. Now, this is the plan Im proposing. Its a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight Democrats and Republicans. And I will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead. If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen. My door is always open. But know this: I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that its better politics to kill this plan than to improve it. I wont stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent whats in this plan, we will call you out. And I will not and I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now. Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it the most. And more will die as a result. We know these things to be true. That is why we cannot fail. Because there are too many Americans counting on us to succeed the ones who suffer silently, and the ones who shared their stories with us at town halls, in e-mails, and in letters. I received one of those letters a few days ago. It was from our beloved friend and colleague, Ted Kennedy. He had written it back in May, shortly after he was told that his illness was terminal. He asked that it be delivered upon his death. In it, he spoke about what a happy time his last months were, thanks to the love and support of family and friends, his wife, Vicki, his amazing children, who are all here tonight. And he expressed confidence that this would be the year that health care reform that great unfinished business of our society, he called it would finally pass. He repeated the truth that health care is decisive for our future prosperity, but he also reminded me that it concerns more than material things. What we face, he wrote, is above all a moral issue; at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country. Ive thought about that phrase quite a bit in recent days the character of our country. One of the unique and wonderful things about America has always been our self-reliance, our rugged individualism, our fierce defense of freedom and our healthy skepticism of government. And figuring out the appropriate size and role of government has always been a source of rigorous and, yes, sometimes angry debate. Thats our history. For some of Ted Kennedys critics, his brand of liberalism represented an affront to American liberty. In their minds, his passion for universal health care was nothing more than a passion for big government. But those of us who knew Teddy and worked with him here people of both parties know that what drove him was something more. His friend Orrin Hatch he knows that. They worked together to provide children with health insurance. His friend John McCain knows that. They worked together on a Patients Bill of Rights. His friend Chuck Grassley knows that. They worked together to provide health care to children with disabilities. On issues like these, Ted Kennedys passion was born not of some rigid ideology, but of his own experience. It was the experience of having two children stricken with cancer. He never forgot the sheer terror and helplessness that any parent feels when a child is badly sick. And he was able to imagine what it must be like for those without insurance, what it would be like to have to say to a wife or a child or an aging parent, there is something that could make you better, but I just cant afford it. That large-heartedness that concern and regard for the plight of others is not a partisan feeling. Its not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character our ability to stand in other peoples shoes; a recognition that we are all in this together, and when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand; a belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgment that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise. This has always been the history of our progress. In 1935, when over half of our seniors could not support themselves and millions had seen their savings wiped away, there were those who argued that Social Security would lead to socialism, but the men and women of Congress stood fast, and we are all the better for it. In 1965, when some argued that Medicare represented a government takeover of health care, members of Congress Democrats and Republicans did not back down. They joined together so that all of us could enter our golden years with some basic peace of mind. You see, our predecessors understood that government could not, and should not, solve every problem. They understood that there are instances when the gains in security from government action are not worth the added constraints on our freedom. But they also understood that the danger of too much government is matched by the perils of too little; that without the leavening hand of wise policy, markets can crash, monopolies can stifle competition, the vulnerable can be exploited. And they knew that when any government measure, no matter how carefully crafted or beneficial, is subject to scorn; when any efforts to help people in need are attacked as un-American; when facts and reason are thrown overboard and only timidity passes for wisdom, and we can no longer even engage in a civil conversation with each other over the things that truly matter that at that point we dont merely lose our capacity to solve big challenges. We lose something essential about ourselves. That was true then. It remains true today. I understand how difficult this health care debate has been. I know that many in this country are deeply skeptical that government is looking out for them. I understand that the politically safe move would be to kick the can further down the road to defer reform one more year, or one more election, or one more term. But that is not what the moment calls for. Thats not what we came here to do. We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when its hard. I still believe I still believe that we can act when its hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet historys test. Because thats who we are. That is our calling. That is our character. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. Source: WhiteHouse.gov

Policy Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Policy Report - Research Paper Example The existence of these two arguing controversial ideas makes the issue about global warming not an exact science. Lately, this was the same argument used by those people in the industry that produces heat-trapping gases. The federal court in Washington lately declared based on Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) finding that industry and vehicles which contribute significant amount of heat-trapping gases actually would also result detrimental impact on public health (Wald, 2012). This decision was able to make up the mind of some companies to block the rule of EPA as they argued about the controversial issue of global warming. However, the court dismissed the existing argument about the science of global warming and some unreliable studies related with it. As a result, the court promulgated rules or policies that would set limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and other stationary sources. Those who opposed this challenged EPA’s timetable for enforce ment and even its target to have saturated effort over big polluters (Wald, 2012). Wald added that EPA’s line of defense on this issue emphasized the fact that it is not part of its rule to reprove whatever discovery in science that would come across scientific inquiry in the future. Lately, the federal government backs on this issue and even supported the decision of the Washington federal court. In response to this, there were fourteen states including Virginia and Texas which led a petition to block the ruling, while other fifteen states spearheaded by New York, California and Massachusetts came to support EPA emissions rules (Wald, 2012). It is clear that the regulation is now inevitable. The next challenge would be for congress to initiate action plan in order to ensure the implementation process to be efficient and less costly. However, the congress’s blow on this issue leads to the consideration of the harmful impact of EPA emissions rules on the economy as it w ould potentially drive energy prices higher (this would create strong economic impact, as oil is the lifeblood of modern economy), create joblessness, and slow down the US’s economic recovery (Wald, 2012). On the other hand, global warming issue and the existing argument about the exactness of its science would eventually remain a potential threat to policy makers as this would continuously become a significant source of controversial issues prior to their future decisions. As observed, there were more than one group trying to have essential stands or points on the environmental issue pertaining to global warming and associated EPA’s emissions rules on it. This issue does not only involve scientific matters, but it also leads to social, political, economic and environmental concerns. As observed, this environmental problem about global warming and emissions of heat-trapping gases poses remarkable concern about environmental sustainability. However, along the way, polic ies must be implemented, efficiently and effectively. Policy-making is not easy on this part as there are many other elemental things or concerns that need further considerations. Policy makers at this point must have substantial knowledge regarding group behaviors as there are varying groups

Problem of Human Trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Problem of Human Trafficking - Essay Example Various countries have their own human traffic control authorities and disciplines which ensure mitigation of human trafficking within its borders and across. Internationally efforts are being made to counteract this turbulence; however the need is for a more effective joint venture across the platform internationally. The parent organizations need to join hands against the nuisance. This can be made possible through expansion of human intelligence, more effective borders surveillance systems and signing of accords that allows actions across the borders. United Nations General Assembly in 2000 passed a resolution in the form of Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Human Trafficking in Person, which is seen as a positive step towards the culmination of human trafficking (Gupta 2006). However, the job is far from being accomplished and more needs to be done internationally, in order to make the world a better and safe place for many who fall victims to it every year. Having highli ghted the issue of human trafficking, it must not be deducted that all kinds of immigrations are illegal and non conducive. Immigration and migrants are natural phenomena and is a need of many countries. It allows exchange of people, and many a times, a particular country’s economy heavily relies on the working of immigrants since they provide low rate labor (Zheng 2010). One of the five truth commissions: The truth commission that got established was for the purpose of humanitarian efforts for restoring peace and punishing the guilty. This took place in 1983 when the civilian President took over in Argentina and took a step forward to investigate the wrong doings conducted by the military junta of the predecessor regime who had once forcefully overthrown the elected government back then. During the military rule oppression was quite common in practice and as many as thirty thousand people went missing, while others are harassed in various ways. They visited the places that w ere used for torture and as prisons along with all other evidences that were left and could help in the investigation process. High level official investigation was conducted in this regard which lasted over an extensive long nine months and the entire findings were named as â€Å"Never Again†. As a result of this, trial was conducted and the once mighty military rulers were brought to justice through this effort launched by the then President of Argentina. The movement went very well amongst the folks and people supported this entire process (Robben,2007). Justice: Justice is the pivot towards the balanced operations of any society. It is the fact of equality, humanity, unbiased attitude of individuals and organizations. Justice could be either in form of motivation of as institution. The former is an individual effort, while the latter pertains to the society and judicial setup. Legal system is defined as one that constitutes all the essentials which make up for a system th at would suffice the needs of a society. Any crime committed or any offense is dealt according to the legal system of a particular society and country (Orme, 2007). Political Justice pertains to the legal and social judicial norms practiced in the helm of political activities, which primarily embodies the

Characters in Glass Menagerie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Characters in Glass Menagerie - Essay Example The characters could be entertaining, spiteful or even painfully confusing but understanding their characters, circumstances, fears and longings, can make readers understand why they act and talk as they do. In this paper, an in-depth study of the three main characters will be done and an attempt to explain the reasons for their words and actions will be undertaken in the hope that readers will come to understand further the motives of the characters or understand the characters themselves and a little background of the author will be included to connect him to his characters. Amanda Wingfield is a beautiful woman who had a number of suitors during her younger days. She seems to be greatly indulged with her past, oftentimes speaking about her glory days (deafed.net) to her children which made her son, Tom, quite tired about it as reflected in his conversation with his sister, Laura. When their mother told them about her suitors when she was young, Tom mentioned he knew what was comin g but his sister told him to let their mother tell her story anyway and Tom answered, â€Å"Again?† (Williams, 754). Understandably, every person would want to talk about the good old days. They somehow help ease the pains of living a bitter present (Debusscher). For Amanda, she seems to go back to her past (Cummings), refusing to believe or accept the fact that she was not receiving suitors for her only daughter who was already growing old. She perhaps wanted to think that there is no reason at all for her daughter not to receive gentleman callers because she received so many of them during her youth. It would be an insult to a mother for her daughter not to have any suitors especially to a woman who seems to take pride in her beauty. For her, the implication that her daughter is not beautiful enough to attract suitors is simply unacceptable. In addition to a mother’s pride, Amanda’s desire to see her daughter married to a responsible man seems to make her very anxious about the young maiden’s having no boyfriend. She is concerned about the health conditions of her daughter and she probably was already considering her future if she remained unmarried. She wanted her daughter to be married very soon and she wanted that very badly because she knows it would only be a responsible husband who could assure her daughter of a good future. She knows how it is to be a helpless individual, unable to provide even for the basic needs of the family. That is why, even though they are not really the affluent kind of family, Amanda did her best to put her daughter in college for her to have something to lean back on during difficult times, for her to become independent in the future. However, the weak character of Laura (which will be discussed in detail later) did not make Amanda’s wishes come to pass. To some, Amanda may seem to be a manipulative mother who is trying to let her children do things which she was not able to do when she was young. Nevertheless, on another angle, she is seen as a mother who wants only the best for her children. With her husband leaving her alone to take care of the children, Amanda has experienced grievous days and perhaps, she was just trying to keep her children away from such unfavorable circumstances. Considering that Amanda asked her son to look for a responsible caller for Laura, someone who did not drink liquor but was an opposite of her own husband, shows that she indeed did not

Critically explore the risks, challenges and key issues in relation to Essay - 2

Critically explore the risks, challenges and key issues in relation to starting up a new restaurant in Cardiff Bay in light of the current economic climate in the UK 01312 - Essay Example Full and quick services restaurant growth for 2015 is forecasted up to 3.4% and 3.7% respectively (Technonic, 2014). The industry value in UK economy with around 35,032 business, 590,915 employees and value of  £26.7billion in 2014 (IBIS World, 2014 and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, 2014). The industry also witnessed an increase in distribution index on an average 1.3% with 4.7% increased outcome for 2014 (Office of National Statistics, 2014 and Office of National Statistics, 2015). The development of world’s deprived regions has widely captured the attention of opportunists for being early starters in the new markets via filling the spotted gap. One of such regions emerging regions offering fair opportunities is Cardiff Bay. The mining valley holds the status of world’ first industrialized city (Cardiff Caerdydd, N.d).The last two decades history of the region is adventurously full of growth events and developments. A forecasted population growth and heavily changed lifestyle are promising measures for services business industry (Cardiff Caerdydd, N.d). Ranked as the 10th largest UK city, Cardiff Bay attracts around 18 million visitors a year till 2012. From 1000 registered buildings, 547 are of food businesses including bar, cafà © and restaurants in Cardiff Bay (Ruddick, 2012).Though, the region still needs huge reforms and administrative facilities but critics show positivity towards success of the growing entity. A new sole-proprietorship entity has developed a business plan for entering the Cardiff-Bay restaurant industry to capture opportunities. The plan is apparently developed but lacks the description of risks and challenges associated with the external environmental factors. It is agreed upon a fact, that developing an effective business plan is as challenging and attention seeking as the running a business (Mullins, 2012 and Chesbrough, 2012). Hence, below presented report is a

Succession Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Succession Planning - Essay Example In simple terms, succession planning is an organisational process of pinpointing or selecting certain competent people as successors for key executive appointments like CEO, CMD etc. after expiry of terms of their current occupants and proactively planning their career moves in that direction. This process is straightforward in a family business where the heirs are obvious and well known. However, in other organisations, succession planning is required to be logical and well thought out management process in short and long terms requiring considerable effort towards grooming an individual for an extended period to take on the top job. This is the only tool we have today which sanctions the organisation to plan well-tailored and proactive career moves for their most talented pool of future managers. (Hirsh, 2000) However, if such succession planning is put off or ignored by the top management, the consequences can be catastrophic. This is especially so if the existing talent pool lacks competencies to take on challenges of a modern business world and there is no suitable candidate available from outside the organisation to take on the top job. Consequently, opinions vary considerably on whether succession plans should involve selection of existing talents within the organisation as discussed by Groves, Biggs (2004), Blackler & Kennedy (2004) and Cogner and Fulmer (2003) or top jobs should be handled by tapping talents from the outside market. While selecting employees from within the organisation has its own benefits like better motivation, higher integrity, reinforcement of management's faith in employers, good in-depth knowledge of strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and support from within due to familiar face at the top, but it is true that sometimes familiarity breeds contempt. In addition, there is possibility of previous conflicts with some good performers complicating or inflating into serious differences of opinions or rivalries. Nevertheless, it can be safely stated that succession planning is an important course of action at senior levels failing which an organisation can face tremendous difficulties i n the event of a sudden requirement to replace top executive. Further, once the successor is selected, the most important phase of his career planning or grooming for handling things at the highest level begins. Most family owned businesses lack in this professionally oriented grooming and training due to inherent complacencies of an assured future, which sometimes leads to complications due to personal rather than a proficient outlook. In extreme cases, this has even resulted in splitting up of large businesses into smaller units due to family feuds, sibling rivalries, and mutual disagreements over leadership and ownership aspects. In honest opinion of this author, such unpleasant dissections and associated negative publicities could have been avoided simply through proper succession grooming. Sadly, the lessons are never learnt and succession training to develop right competencies has never been given due importance. One aspect inhibiting proactive approach may be due to perceived and misplaced feeling of indispensability among the top management. The succession planning overcomes this very indispensability of an individual. Everyone becomes dispensable then. These conflicting perceptions can also lead to

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Financial Management - Essay Example They should who the business is currently progressing and how it is likely to perform in the future. Accounting has its objectives which it is supposed to fulfil. In order to fulfil these objectives, there are concepts and conventions that have to be followed and adhered to. This essay describes ten accounting concepts citing practical examples for each concept. The essay will distinguish between the concepts which are contained in IAS1 from those that are not contained in the IAS1. IAS1 accounting concepts Consistency The first concept of accounting is the consistency. The accounting records should be consistent. The financial statements of one financial year should be consistent with the financial statement of another financial year (Stickney, 2010). They should be easily comparable. There are instances where the methods used in the preparation of financial statement of a certain year are changed in the next financial year hence it becomes difficult to compare the two. This should only be done when the reason is very genuine and satisfactory. Otherwise, the methods should always be similar. A good real life example of the consistency concept is that of a company that uses straight line method in computing depreciation of assets. In all the subsequent years, straight line basis should be used in the computation. This will enable the comparison of depreciation in various financial years. Going Concern Under this concept, it is assumed that an entity should continue to operate for an indefinite period. Recording of assets in the financial statement should be on the basis of original costs rather than the market value (Stickney, 2010). In addition, the concept assumes that the assets will be useful in the business for an indefinite period of time. The idea is that there is no intention to sell the assets in the foreseeable future. In preparing the financial statement, the management is supposed to keep in mind that the business will be in operation for a long per iod of time and in case there are any plans that there are some assets which will be liquidated in the near future, disclosures should be made on the statements. A real life example of a going concern is where a business is being sold to another person. The business will be sold with all its operations, liabilities and assets as they were under the ownership of the previous owner. Nothing should be changed since under the going concern concept, the business is expected to continue as it is indefinitely. Accrual basis It is the requirement under IAS1 that the financial statements of a business entity should be prepared on the accounting accrual basis (Stickney, 2010). Only the cash flow is exempt from this requirement. This means that revenue is supposed to be recorded in the time it was earned. It does not matter when the money or the earnings will actually be received. In the case of expenses, they should be recognized in the year they were incurred and the time they have actually been paid does not matter. For instance, if the business issues goods on credit in a certain financial year, this transaction should be recorded in the financial statement of that year even if the money is to be received in subsequent year(s). Materiality In a business, there are transactions which have the ability to affect the decision making of the management (Stickney, 2010). Such transactions

Impact of Technology on Society Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Impact of Technology on Society - Research Paper Example At the present, the Internet is being used for a large number of reasons. Though, it has brought a large number of benefits and opportunities to this world however, there are also some risks and challenges associated with its usage. In addition, the benefits of the Internet cover up the associated challenges. The basic purpose of this research is to determine the impact of the Internet on society. This paper presents a detailed analysis of effects that have been posed by the Internet on society. This paper discusses advantages and ways people and organizations are currently making the use of the Internet. 2. Introduction Up till now, no other technology has received as quick recognition and acceptance as the Internet has received. Without a doubt, it has changed the entire world and turned this world into a global village where people are from all over the world are connected to each other. At the present, almost everyone uses the internet to carry out specific or ordinary tasks. In fact, the internet has turned out to be a significant part of the majority of people’s lives. ... This paper also discusses some of the negative effects that this technology can have on society. 3. An introduction of Internet The internet mostly acknowledged basically â€Å"the Net,† the Internet is a universal structure of computer networks-a network, in which users at any one computer can receive information from any other computer (as well as they can communicate straightforwardly with users at different computers in different locations). Nowadays, the Internet is a, supportive, public, self-financing facility available to hundreds of millions of users internationally. Actually, the Internet makes use of a part of the whole resources of the presently accessible public telecommunication networks. In principle, what differentiable the Internet its use of a collection of protocols known as TCP/IP (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, p. 71). The appearance and growth of the Internet has made business markets more workable and competitive than ever before. With the In ternet, every organization (small, medium, and large) in the world is potentially a local competitor. At the present, all the business marketers understand that the Internet is a precious instrument or technology for extending reach to international markets and dealing customers in a superior way (Summers, Gardiner and Lamb 67). In addition, at the present the ways business organizations and people of a society carry out their tasks and survive in the twenty-first century are measured via the huge web of electronic networks that was referred to normally as the information thruway however at the present is generally acknowledged as the Internet (Turban, Leidner and McLean). The internet can be defined as a huge network of networks that connects the millions of businesses, government

Global inequalit, and caste systems Essay Example for Free

Global inequalit, and caste systems Essay Describe the trend in global inequality over the course of the last century. Based on where we have been and where we are now, predict where the world may be a century from now. What prediction would modernization theory support? What about dependency theory? What do you think will happen? Why? Briefly describe the main characteristics of caste systems and class systems. How are these types linked to different kinds of economic production (agrarian versus industrial technology)? In what ways are people in class systems more equal than those in caste systems? What are the different justifications for inequality in each case? Question 1 Global inequality has been on the rise over the past century with the boom of the industrial and the information revolution. Countries known as the first world have far surpassed third world countries. Modernization theory points out those countries that had been the poorest have developed and have become richer due to the trade expansion and industrial revolution. This trend will rise in countries that have the technology to pursue this fast pace movement but countries that do not have the technology will see almost no change at all. I believe this trend will continue. Question 2 In the class system people are equal because more competition is at hand. People are only held back by the amount of energy they wish to expel to their careers or life style. In caste systems people are placed into pre-determined situations such as work or marriage purely based on who they have been born to and what their families have done for a living. The main characteristic of a caste system is based on arbitrary placement.  People are made to marry only others from within their own race such as in South Africa, and India. In a caste system, a son of a plumber will be a plumber. However, some characteristics of the caste system are seen here in the United States, which is a class system. Examples of this would be clearly the George W. Busch family and the Robert Kennedy family. Both are considered powerful political families created by passing down from one generation to the other their political influences and by marrying into other rich and influential families. What justifies caste and class systems are economics. Countries that depend on farming benefit from a caste system, because farming would be past down from one generation to the other making it to be more productive. Industrial nations on a class system use the most qualified persons from any class or social group based on their individual achievements and not solely based on birth. Therefore, a baker may have a son who makes great strides in science and help the nation develop.

International Project Management Association Essay Example for Free

International Project Management Association Essay ?International Association of Project and Program Management (IAPPM) Vision- (iappm. org 2013) To enhance and add value to our global members and the project community at large allowing them to manage projects and programs successfully using the right tools, skillsets and methods. Mission- (iappm. org 2013)As a worldwide global project organization IAPPM will create value together with our members, project communities, business partners and corporations by leveraging our content, collaboration and business management insight. The IAPPM focuses on project and program management in the private sector, offering their insight to partners, PM communities, and members globally. International Project Management Association (IPMA) Vision- (ipma. ch, 2013) Our Vision: IPMA is the leading authority on competent project, programme and portfolio management (PPPM). Through our efforts, PM best practice is widely known and appropriately applied at all levels of public and private sector organizations. IPMA directs attention to the portfolio aspect as well as project management on a global scale. IPMA also includes public sector project management for governments and other public agencies. American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (ASAPM) Vision- (asapm. org, 2013) asapm is the U. S. A. ’s premier Project and Program Manager performance-based credentialing organization, and a tireless advocate of effective project management practice throughout all organizations. Appropriate and effective elements of PM Performance are widely demonstrated and acknowledged, not just by PM practitioners, but by all individuals in all organizations. ASAPM acknowledges interest and membership for any individuals for membership. ASAPM also claims to be part of IPMA as an American focused branch. Project Management Institute (PMI) PMI does not have a vision statement. They do however, have list of core values. From these values I infer PMI focuses on certifying and advancement of PM professionals. They also clearly define and explain project management to inquisitive and unaware. References http://www. iappm. org/about. htm http://ipma. ch/about/ http://www. asapm. org/a_home. asp http://www. pmi. org/

Protein Concentration in Food: Changes over Time

Protein Concentration in Food: Changes over Time Sou, Oi Ying   Food processing practical report Ultra filtration UF Experimental data Medium inlet pressure(bar) exit pressure(bar) Average pressure(bar) Pressure Difference(bar) Temperature Retentate flow rate(Ls-1) Flux rate(Ls-1) A. Flux rate with water Cold water 3 1 2 2 18.7 0.053 12.8 4 2 3 2 19.7 0.053 20.3 5 3 4 2 20.5 0.0605 29.3 6 4 5 2 21.4 0.053 37.6 7 5 6 2 22 0.0605 46 4 3 3.5 1 22.6 0.0189 22.6 4.5 2.5 3.5 2 23.5 0.0151 30 5 2 3.5 3 24 0.098 27.3 5.5 1.5 3.5 4 24.6 0.1286 26.6 6 1 3.5 5 25 0.1428 27 Discussion During ultrafiltration, molecules in solution are separated based on size using membranes (filters) of different pore sizes. Also, the feed stream is continuously re-circulated across the membranes with the primary objective of removing excess water and buffer from the feed stream. The simplest ultrafiltration setup consists of a vessel to hold the retentate and a pump to recirculate the product over the membranes. According to the experimental results, temperature increased when average pressure and pressure different are increasing. About retentate flow rate, it only affected by increasing the pressure different but not average pressure. Also, flux rate of cold water only affected by increasing average pressure while it seems remain constant by increasing pressure different. Ultrafiltration of skim milk Because rejection = , Cf is the concentration of any component in the feed and Cp is the concentration of that component in the permeate. So, the result is in below table.       Concentration of skim milk time(min) pressure(bar) temp(oC) permeate flux rate(Ls-1) Retentate solids% Retentate protein % Retentate lactose % 0 6,2 42 10 0.5 3.38 4.67 15 6,2 38.6 8.666666667 4 4.02 4.66 30 6,2 36.1 7 4.5 5.04 4.76 45 6,2 37.8 6.666666667 5 6.5 4.87 60 6,2 41.7 6 5 8.6 4.82 75 6,2 45.2 5.333333333 5.5 11.4 4.8 Calculation: 4   (initial factor for protein) Use this information to show protein concentration changes with time and how the flux rate change with protein concentration, and explain any other findings. With respect to flux behaviour, the retentate and permeate fluxes decrease over time at different operating pressures during filtration. The filter medium resistance increases linearly with the filtration time at different operating pressures during concentration. Therefore, the permeation flux rate of skim milk will decrease with times. The major problem in membrane separation process is decline in flux over time of operation. This flux decline is attributed to the fouling (In this case, retentate solids and protein accumulated) through ultrafiltration of membrane. Membrane fouling is affected by three major factors, namely, the membrane material properties, the feed characteristics and the operating parameters (Platt Nystrà ¶m, 2007). Since we have known that retentate and permeate fluxes decline during concentration of milk was measured with time of process, the possible reason has been suggested. In early staged of milk ultrafiltration, the characteristics of proteinaceous foulants and flux, and adsorption fouling is probably the primary mechanism of flux decline. Reverse Osmosis RO experimental data Medium Pressure (bar) Temp(oC) return flow(Ls-1) Flux rate(Ls-1) Feed conductivity(uS) Permeate conductivity(uS) Cold water 10 17.7 0.312 0.012666667 920 44 20 19.1 0.028666667 958 29 30 20.3 0.075384615 999 19 40 21.7 0.072 1041 13 50 22.7 0.224 0.065333333 915 9 Estimate the power consumption for the highest pressure 1. Because pressure head = , g = 9.81m/s2, p1 = 0 and = 1ÃÆ'-103kg/m3 So, power = mass flow rate ÃÆ'- pressure head ÃÆ'- g = mass flow rate ÃÆ'- ÃÆ'- g = mass flow rate ÃÆ'- Because 1bar = 14.7psi = 105N/m-2 So the lowest power = 10bar = 10ÃÆ'-105N/m-2 = 1ÃÆ'-106N/m2, the highest power = 50 bar = 50ÃÆ'-105N/m-2 = 5ÃÆ'-106N/m2 P10 = mass flow rate ÃÆ'- =   = 312W P50 = mass flow rate ÃÆ'- = = 1120W Because rejection = , Cf is the concentration of any component in the feed and Cp is the concentration of that component in the permeate. So, the result is in below table.       Juice Pressure(bar) Temp.(oC) Flux rate(Ls-1) Retentate solids(%) Permeate solids(%) 10 15.7 0.017333333 5 0 20 18.7 0.016666667 5 0 30 20.1 0.110666667 5 0 40 21 0.116666667 5 0 50 22.6 0.278571429 5 0 0 min 50 26 0.257142857 5 0 5 50 26.2 0.03 13 0 10 50 23.6 0.02 15 0 15 50 23.2 0.013333333 22 0 20 50 25.7 0.014 21 0 25 50 29.7 0.009333333 26 0 30 50 33.3 0.005 30 0 35 50 36.4 0.002166667 22 0 Plot 1: flux rate curve of water and juice with pressure The flux of a RO membrane is directly proportional to temperature and pressure. According to the diagram, the flux rate pf water and juice are increasing because of the risen of pressure. In addition, the flux rate of water should be higher than the flux rate of juice at the same pressure condition because of the viscosity. However, it is not an experiment in ideal condition. In these two trial, the temperature of two sets of experiments are slightly different which might affect the result and difficult to compare. Plot2: Temperature of juice and cold water against pressure Is there any change of temperature during this procedure? If so, why? The effect of temperature on membrane performance is the vital indicator. Energy consumption is increased as the applied pressure increases (Elimelech, M., Phillip, W. A, 2011). Under the same pressure, temperature of juice and cold water are both increasing with the risen pressure, therefore, we can state that pressure increased, temperature increased at the same time. It is because the energy for processing juice have been dissipated. How do the permeate flux rate and retentate solids change with time? Plot 3: flux rate curve of juice with time Plot4: Retentate solids of juice against time Base on the result, the osmotic pressure of a solution is related to the concentration of the solute and temperature. They are in proportional relationship. The flux rate of juice decreases with increasing retentate solid concentration. However, the acidic properties of juice might lower the rate of process. Because it would cause the membrane imperfections. From some studies, it revealed that higher the number and concentration of low molecular weight water soluble components in the raw juice, higher processing loss in reverse osmosis (Jiao, B., Cassano, A., Drioli, E., 2004). Permeate flux is a function of feed concentration. Feed concentration differs with membrane and permeate flux is a function of feed concentration. As feed concentration increases, permeate flux decreases and vice versa (Jayaraman, K. S., Das Gupta, D. K., 1992). Given by graph, the flux rate of juice is almost approach zero after 35mins. It is because the concentration of retentate solids have been accumulated by time. The reason is that the increase of retentate solids (foulants), which accumulated on the membrane would stop the process until it cleans. Plot 5: Temp of juice against time The average processing capacity can be increased by temperature rise of feeding material. Relationship of soluble solids and sugar was slightly increased. At higher temperature, the membrane permeability coefficient is higher, the diffusivity coefficient in the solution increases and the viscosity coefficient decreases. The average processing capacity can be increased with the increased temperature of feeding material. The relationship between soluble solids and sugar increased slightly under higher temperature condition. At higher temperatures, the membrane permeability coefficient is higher, the diffusion coefficient in the solution increases and the viscosity coefficient decreases (Ghosh, A. K., Jeong, B. H., Huang, X., Hoek, E. M., 2008). Therefore, in our experiment, the temperature of juice is increasing by times. Use the sugar concentration data to estimate the rejection for sugar and compare this to the ideal situation In ideal condition, the speed of permeation of solvent depends upon the pressure applied, provide that the concentration of the solute constant and thus the osmotic pressure of the solution remains constant. For an ideal situation, the flux is linear to the pressure of feed. Also, requirements of ideal membrane are as follows: (i). The highest possible water permeability (ii). Greatest possible selectivity (iii). High pressure resistibility (iv). Reasonably long life when using in production (Martin, M., Eon, C., Guiochon, G, 1975) However, in our experiment, that is not in an ideal condition. The concentration of retentate solids are increasing and the membrane blocked to stop the process after 40 mins. Therefore, the rejection for sugar would happen when the foulants are on the membrane and not allow the juice pass through anymore. In this case, it happened at 40 minutes in the process. The flux rate is almost dropped to 0%. In normal industry, there are cleaning process to ensure the whole process are keep running and would not be stopped. References:         Ã‚   Bahnasawy, A. H., Shenana, M. E. (2010). Flux behavior and energy consumption of ultrafiltration (UF) process of milk. Australian Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 1(2), 54. Younos, T., Tulou, K. E. (2005). Energy needs, consumption and sources.  Journal of Contemporary Water Research Education,  132(1), 27-38. Jimenez-Flores, R., Kosikowski, F. V. (1986). Properties of ultrafiltered skim milk retentate powders.  Journal of Dairy Science,  69(2), 329-339.1 Jiao, B., Cassano, A., Drioli, E. (2004). Recent advances on membrane processes for the concentration of fruit juices: a review. Journal of food engineering, 63(3), 303-324.Al-Mutaz, I. S., Al-Ghunaimi, M. A. (2001, October). Performance of reverse osmosis units at high temperatures. IDA. Jayaraman, K. S., Das Gupta, D. K. (1992). Dehydration of fruits and vegetables-recent developments in principles and techniques. Drying Technology, 10(1), 1-50. Ghosh, A. K., Jeong, B. H., Huang, X., Hoek, E. M. (2008). Impacts of reaction and curing conditions on polyamide composite reverse osmosis membrane properties. Journal of Membrane Science, 311(1), 34-45 Elimelech, M., Phillip, W. A. (2011). The future of seawater desalination: energy, technology, and the environment. science, 333(6043), 712-717. Martin, M., Eon, C., Guiochon, G. (1975). Study of the pertinency of pressure in liquid chromatography III. A practical method for choosing the experimental conditions in liquid chromatography. Journal of Chromatography A, 110(2), 213-232. Contamination Level of Mold: Entero Bacteriaceae Family Contamination Level of Mold: Entero Bacteriaceae Family Chapter III   METHODOLOGY 3.1. Introduction The research methodology used a qualitative approach. The study has been conducted in November 2016 in Bandung city. The survey, observe and microbiology contaminant sampling was collected from food vendors premises as the study population. The study design used to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) and contamination level of mold also Entero Bacteriaceae family. In addition, socio-demographic questions and others premise information that can be predicted factors for understanding the relationship between food vendors characters.   Furthermore, support from the local government as a regulatory role on food street activities was investigated to identify and to understand how to enhance better implementation in food hygiene. 3.2 Methodology Design and Study Instrument 3.2.1 Methodology design The data survey presented the understanding, behavior, and implementation of hygiene practice by food vendor premises. The aspects were all assessed as follow: Knowledge; an assessment of hygiene practice knowledge was carried out using an interview survey. Attitude; Likert 5 points agree-disagree questions were asked for measuring the food handlers attitude. Practice; an observational study of food hygiene was used in the assessment. This audit used the score for measuring of its implementation. Microbiological contaminations sampling; an investigate study of cleanliness of cooking utensil. The presence of an implementation of regulatory aspects of street foods. The social demographic questions and food premises information were also surveyed to explore the characteristics of respondents. 3.2.2 Study Instrument In this present study, we used a constructed questionnaire based on the references. This questionnaire consist of (1) General questions regards to social demographic characteristics, (2) Food premises information (3) Knowledge, Attitude, Practice questions (4) The presence of an implementation of regulatory aspects. Socio-demographic questionnaire as a complementary questionnaire consists of factors predicted that influence on respondents (food street vendors) knowledge, behavior and practice on food safety and hygiene which are constructed based on literature such as age, sex, marital status, education level, number of employment, employee type (self employer/ employee), how long they have been a seller and also their profit per day. Food premises information showed the premises condition and type of food that sale, food preparation, food packaging material, type of facilities (i.e stall, mobile street vendors, tend, stand, or handed), and also hour length of sale. The knowledge questionnaire, consists of 10 questions containing multiple choices questions, was giving to respondent for reviewing their awareness on food hygiene. The questions concerning knowledge about food hygiene from storage, cleanness, preparation and personal hygiene linked to transmission of microorganisms, and respondents were asked to choose one answer from among three options. The questions of attitude consist of 10 questions. The answer options for these question used Likert scales ranging from 1 (very disagree) to 5 (very agree) to show a subjective response on their agreement on food hygiene implementation. The scores for attitude were similar with the range from 1-5, the higher score represents better manner on food hygiene. The scores for practice on food hygiene were calculated from 50 questions based on an audit that observed on premises. The appearance of reducing cross contamination on food handlers/vendors was noted e.g. personal hygiene, food storage, pest control and utensil/ equipment. The source of water supply was investigated also the ice (whether commercially bought or self-made). The presence of food exterior facilities and sanitary utilities was determined e.g. availability of toilets, adequate washing facilities, sink, surface, waste, and food packaging. The availability of cool storage/refrigeration storage was also checked. For microbial contaminant testing, VBRG dip slide type was used to determine whether there is evidence of entero bactericeae and mold in the food street premises e.g. cutting board, utensil, plate, glass and other food equipment. 3.3 DataCollection An interview survey was carried out in one sub-district in Bandung city in November 2016. The minimum number of food street vendors was randomly selected as much as the result from prior validation questionnaire tests. The validation of questionnaire process has been conducted in July 2016 in Bandung city for improving the questionnaire and determining the appropriate sampling size also an area which should be chosen. The sample size minimum required for the study are calculated based on as the result of the prior validation study. Based on the level of significant of 5% with a confidence interval of 95%, 253 premises/ respondents are needed for this study. In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 272 respondents from one sub-district. Face to face interview was conducted in November 2016 by using Bahasa/Indonesian language and common Sundanese language as an ethnic language in the study area. All study instruments were in Bahasa/ Indonesia version and interview were taken on their premises. The study was supported by assistant researchers, as interviewers, who had food science background and understood both languages. The interviewer had been trained with regard to study such as food safety in a brief view, how to conduct the survey, interview method, study instrument, and ethical requirement including informed consent. The interviews were set in respondents premises to easier for answering the questions and to observe their practice on food hygiene. Informed consent form was read out by the interviewer. The interview taken as well as the respondents   were agreed to participate, questions were read out   by interviewers, and interviewers also marked the answer on the questionnaires instruments. The interviewe rs also acted as an auditor for observing the hygiene practice on their premises and recorded into practice audit sheet. Sampling for determining microbial contamination used a dip slide that consists two agar sides, the first side the red side was used to confirm the presence of Entero Bacteriaceae family and the second side that flaxen color for mold. The sampling procedures were: Remove the dip-slide from the tube by pulling the plastic tab at the top of the dip-slide. Take care not to allow the dip-slide agar (the jelly type substance on each side) to hit the edge of the clear plastic tube. Place dip slide agar down onto the surface, and make sure the entire agar has full contact with the surface.   Keep the agar applied to the surface for approximately 20 seconds, then turn over to the other side and apply the other agar to the surface. Replace the dip-slide into the sterile plastic tube taking care not to damage the agar. Next, place the dip-slide tube into a dip slide incubator at 37 0C or warm place. The incubation period is 2- 3 days for bacteria. The optimum temperature for most mold/yeast is from 27 0C to 30 0C and the incubation time is 2 7 days. After 3 days, generally, both of results were read and recorded. Bacteria present in the sample liquid will grow and form colonies. The selective agar for Entero Bacteriaceae colonies will appear in red. A bacterial reference chart is used to determine the number of bacteria in the sample. The bacteria reference level has five charts that showed how many colony-forming-unit( CFU)/cm2 e.g. 2.5 (very slight growth), 12 (slight growth), 40 (moderate growth), 100(heavy growth) and 250 (very heavy growth). While the evidence of mold form appears in the furry colony. The chart of mold consists of slight (0.4), moderate (1.6) and heavy (4). 3.4 Statistical analysis Food safety knowledge scores for the respondents were, calculated based on the multiple choice answer from   each question, only for the items of correct answers was assigned a score: +1 and 0 in the case of dont know/wrong option. For ten attitude questions were calculated from the Likert scale point 1-5, for question number 2, 6 and 9, the reversible point was used to calculate the point because it was a negative question. The answers were classified as +1 point when the auditor/interview found out the correct evidence on respondents premises and 0 points when they failed to find it. However, not available marked for a respondent who did not have the correlation item with the type of food. The total percent score for the respondents attitude was then calculated by sum up all score in total. Statistical analysis of the association between Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) questionnaire answers, social demographic characteristics and food information also microbial contamination level were carried out to determine the relationship between them and explore the pattern. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20. Based on the level of significant of 5% with a confidence interval of 95%, all analyses were considered statistically significant at P ≠¤ 0.05. The descriptive analysis, Fishers χ square test, was performed to describe socio-demographics characteristics of the respondents. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test was used for comparing mean scores between all factors and observing the relationships between KAP and predicted factors that may influence on KAP. Furthermore, to investigate whether this relationship systematically varied by specific socio-demographic characteristics for Independent variables included age, gender, and education level, and work experience, type of job which was full time or part time and having attended courses on food hygiene were conducted. Ethicalconsiderationreview This study has approved by Ethics Committee of the University of Birmingham, School of Chemistry Engineering, United Kingdom. The identity of respondents will be treated securely and the outcome only will be used for academic purpose. The researcher and university supervisor will keep all data collection with confidential care. Chapter IV RESULT 4.1 Sociodemographic We obtained 272 responses from one area, 269 participants have completed the questions (response rate= 98.89%). Distribution of some socio-demographics characteristics respondents described in Table 1. Variable category Number % Gender Male 205 76.21 Female 64 23.79 Age group (years) Teen(15-24) 42 15.61 Young people (25-40) 102 37.92 Mature (41-60) 119 44.24 Elderly (> 60) 6 2.23 Marital Status Married 216 80.30 Unmarried 53 19.70 Education Level No Schooling 5 1.86 Elementary school 71 26.39 Junior High School 99 36.80 High school 78 29.00 Diploma 10 3.72 Graduate 6 2.23 Profit per day (IDR) < 50 K 17 6.32 50   100 K 131 48.70 101   200 K 64 23.79 201 300 K 26 9.67 301 400 K 9 3.35 > 401 K 22 8.18 Eat your own product Never 13 4.83 Rarely (1 4 times a month) 68 25.28 Sometimes (1-4 times a week) 75 27.88 Often (> 4 times a week) 35 13.01 Very often (every day) 78 29.00 Job type Part time 5 1.86 Full time 264 98.14 4.2 Food premises information