Stasiland by Anna Funder Historical Context Essay Example

Stasiland by Anna Funder: Historical Context Essay Stasiland by Anna Funder: Historical Context 1. Post-War Germany: a. Watch the film on World War I embedded in the Prezi next to the heading ‘World War I’. List between 3 – 5 important facts you learn about the war, especially facts relating to Germany. 1- During WW1, the British spared the life of a wounded soldier by the name of Adolf Hitler We will write a custom essay sample on Stasiland by Anna Funder: Historical Context specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Stasiland by Anna Funder: Historical Context specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Stasiland by Anna Funder: Historical Context specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 2- It took so long for Germany to pay off the Treaty of Versailles that there final payment was in 2010 3- Germanys debt from ww1 was the equivalent of 96000 tons of gold 4- Germany lost many neighbouring countries after the war b. Copy the sentences below and fill in the blanks: At the end of WWI, Germany was found to be ‘guilty’ of causing World War I and was ordered to pay compensation of 132 billion gold marks(Germany currency) The compensation was to pay for civilian damages caused during the war. Germany also had to give over land to neighbouring countries such as Poland, France and Belgium. Germany’s armed forces were also reduced to 100,000 men. c. How might the people of Germany have reacted to the high cost of reparations and to the suffering caused to them by the Great Depression? The German people would have felt mistreated and was seen as a national humiliation, the great depression would have help build resentment amongst the people against the allies. d. Nazism, as a political force, with Hitler as its leader, grew out of Germany’s humiliating loss of WWI and the economic suffering caused by the Great Depression. Why did these factors cause the rise of Nazism? The rise of Nazism was due to German resentment against the allies for causing a great depression in Germany therefore Germans were in need of a strong leader to lead them out of the ‘dark ages’and Hitler’s powerful public speaking and promises he made to end the suffering helped grow his support amongst German people. e. Watch the embedded film on WWII. List between 3 – 5 important facts you lea

4 Rules for Setting Designations off with Commas

4 Rules for Setting Designations off with Commas 4 Rules for Setting Designations off with Commas 4 Rules for Setting Designations off with Commas By Mark Nichol Where do commas go in the vicinity of references to city and state names, or when identifying a date? Is a comma necessary before Jr. or II after a person’s name, or between a corporate name and a tag like Inc.? The rules for use of such functional punctuation follow: 1. City-and-State Designations In a city-and-state (or city-and-nation) construction, the state is set off from the city by a pair of commas: â€Å"A point near Rugby, North Dakota, is the geographic center of North America.† However, when describing an address, no comma appears between the state name or abbreviation and the ZIP code: â€Å"He listed his address as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20500.† (Note that DC, like all other abbreviations consisting of two or more uppercase letters, requires no punctuation. Also, all the letters in ZIP, an acronym for â€Å"Zone Improvement Plan,† should be capitalized.) When should you list a state or nation in addition to the name of a city, and which cities are familiar enough that their location does not need to be further specified? The distinction is arbitrary and based on context: A local newspaper need not identify the state in which an obscure nearby town is located, but a publication with national distribution should provide more information about the community’s location; the approach for a book depends on whether the setting is local or the text refers to a variety of locales. Companies and organizations that regularly publish content featuring references to geographic locations should establish, as part of a style guide, a list of names of cities that stand on their own and those that should be accompanied by the name of a state or nation. 2. Month-Day-and-Year References In a month-day-and-year phrase, set the year off between commas: â€Å"Children born on February 29, 2012, will have to wait four years for their next birthday party.† If only the month and year are used, no punctuation is necessary: â€Å"Precipitation levels in April 2012 were nearly double those recorded last year during that month.† The same rule applies for holidays with years: â€Å"The caption identified the occasion as Christmas Day 2012.† No punctuation is used in the day-month-year system: â€Å"The next sample will be collected on 1 May 2012.† 3. Generational Suffixes Though those who append Jr. or Sr. (Jnr. or Snr. in British English) to their name may choose to use one or two commas (depending on whether the designation is at the end of a sentence or in its midst) to set the element off, this style is outdated and seldom applied anymore. For the sake of consistency, always omit such punctuation. Also, this usage is not, and never has been, correct in association with II, III, and the like to denote use of an identical name down through successive generations. 4. Legal Endings Likewise, Inc., Ltd., and other designations of corporate structure are variously treated according to a particular company’s preference, but the dictates of consistency overrule such choices. Of course, if you work for a company that deliberately sets the element off with punctuation, follow that style, but the importance of consistency necessitates that in your employers’ publications or documents, you refer to any other company according to the same rule even if the other company omits punctuation in its treatment of its name. (But what if that other company is a strategic partner, and you feel the urge to honor its style? Resist I won’t tell if you don’t tell.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)Latin Plural EndingsHow to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

The Great Depression and American isolationism affect on FDR's desire Essay

The Great Depression and American isolationism affect on FDR's desire to take an active role in international affairs in the manner of TR and Wilson - Essay Example According to Michael Leigh, FDR never made any attempt to persuade US public regarding ending of isolation. He also says that FDR had enormous preoccupation with the public opinion. (http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19950501fareviewessay5045/paul-johnson/the-myth-of-american-isolationism-reinterpreting-the-past.html ). This view contradicts the famous fireside chats of FDR to some extent, because he was a humanitarian and the Nazi killings must have worried him. At the same time, he moulded the public opinion towards participation in the war. Initially, that is before the Pearl Harbour, Roosevelt did value the American public opinion which was combined with the caution of Great Depression and American belief in isolationism. "Domestic political problems in the summer of 1937 had made Roosevelt particularly reluctant to risk anything in foreign affairs. The Court fight and the failure to break a series of sit down strikes have seriously ended his middle class support," Datlek (1979, p.14 7). Isolationists thought that alliances could be unsettling, and destabilizing. In President Hoover's opinion they were 'provocative actions' that have 'hitherto always cracked up in war itself'. The horrors of the First World War, Versailles treaty, fear of getting drawn into another war, Great Depression, scare of losing uninhibited decision making were a few causes of isolationism. Isolation had many more reasons and excuses: "Belief that the depression had been caused by W.W.I Belief that Europe was unworthy of our support Pacifism-people who hated and abhorred war Belief that arms manufacturers, bankers had caused war Belief that W.W.I had been a tragic mistake for the U.S " http://www.sagehistory.net/roosevelts/wwii/1920WWII1940.htm FDR initially was more engrossed with the domestic problems and his refusal to peg the value of the US dollar wrecked the International Economic Conference of 1933, to be held in London, which was partially encouraged by Hoover. FDR, instead, maintained Good Neighbour Policy and Pan Americanism and in Buenos Aires Conference, he demonstrated that America was uninterested in domineering weaker nations and he continued economic nationalism and cooperation both. Still, there existed a certain stalemate between an internationalist president and an isolationist congress. He recognised USSR, increased foreign trade hoping to alleviate depression, and his Neutrality Act of 1937 famously hurt Spain and made US a 'silent accomplice of Hitler'. His Quarantine speech in Chicago was intentional; but Americans were too wrapped up in isolationism and events like Panay, plight of China, and even the armament need of Britain and France did not move the Congress, despite President's efforts, though h e eventually succeeded in persuading Congress to send armaments to Britain, which is called America's 'first line of defence'. did not end till the onset of Second World War and the fear of it had slowed down America. FDR had to face this inertia, even though he wanted

Financial Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Financial Statements - Essay Example However, the different groups use the various financial statements for different purposes. This essay focuses on the four types of financial statements identified above and their importance to internal users such as managers and employee as well to the external users such as investors and creditors. All the financial statements are useful since to individual as well as organizations whose decisions are affected by a company. The financial statement act as an indicator of how a company is performing. Moreover, the statements can be used to predict the future of a company. Balance sheet, which is also, referred as the statement of financial position acts as an indicator of the financial status at a given time. Balance sheet assesses the assets (economic possessions possessed by the entity) and the liabilities (sources of financing) as well as ownership equity. The assets possessed by a company are either classified as current or fixed assets. Current assets can be converted into usable cash easily and include cash, marketable securities, inventory, and prepaid assets. Fixed assets are not easily converted into cash and are awarded historical cost. Fixed assets include buildings, machinery, equipment, and land. Liabilities are those assets owed to creditors (Drake, Fabozzi, & CFA, 2012). Liabilities are categorized as current and non-current liabilities. Current liabilities include notes payable, interest payable, accounts payable, wages payable and taxes payable. On the other hand, non-current liabilities include bonds payable and mortgages payable. Equity is the proprietorship, partnership, shareholders, or stakeholder’s equity in a corporation. Equity owners are claimants of the residue equity after creditors have been paid. Therefore, balance sheet acts as a record of resources owned by an entity and acts as a crucial tool used to evaluate the capability of a firm to meet long-term obligations. Comparative balance sheet is an example of balance sheet (D rake, Fabozzi, & CFA, 2012). Creditors are involved in offering credit, which is a risky practice. Therefore, balance sheets are important to creditors since they use them to assess the wealth possessed by individuals or firms and determine their capability of paying for liabilities incurred. Creditors make use of other financial statements when providing loans to companies. In case companies file bankruptcy, the creditors make use of the information obtained from the various items to recover their money by liquidating the company’s assets (Drake, Fabozzi, & CFA, 2012). Income statement is another important form of financial statement that indicates the net income of a firm. The net income is calculated by subtracting the operating expenses from the revenue or fees earned. Therefore, income statement is reflective of the company revenue or income as well as expenditure. Revenue is the inflows that a company obtains from its operations while expenses are the outflows that a co mpany uses to create revenue. Net income of a company is obtained by adding the revenue to the gains less the losses and expenses. Income statement is thus indicative of the performance of a business (Drake, Fabozzi, & CFA, 2012). Statement of cash flows is a record of a company’s cash flow activities such as the investing, operating and financing undertakings. Statement of cas

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Buddhism - Essay Example Thus, Buddhism is a philosophy that can also be a religion. One of the passages that relates to personal ethics is this: â€Å"Wakefulness is the way of life†¦How happy he is! For he sees that wakefulness is life!...† (from the Dhammapada translated by Byrom as qtd. in Kornfield 1). When I am wakeful, I am aware of who I am and what I am doing in relation to the effects of my actions to others and my environment. Wakefulness is important to being mindful of my impacts on others. In addition, this passage is related to professional and public ethics: â€Å"A person of wisdom should be truthful, without arrogance, without deceit, not slanderous and not hateful† (adapted from the Sutta-nipata translated by Saddhatissa as qtd. in Kornfield 3). This is related to professional ethics because it emphasizes the importance of truthfulness in doing our jobs. It reminds people of the wisdom in being honest in all our roles and responsibilities as professionals. It is also related to public ethics because public employees should serve without malice and deceit. They should do their jobs with honesty and integrity. The moral framework of Buddhism works within some of our public topics because it highlights moral responsibilities for truthfulness and mindfulness that are important, such as when voting and public policy. For example, we have to be mindful when voting and be critical of whom we are selecting as our public officials because they are going to make important decisions with our taxpayers’ money and the power we give to them. Public policy also needs truthfulness in being sincere in serving people’s real needs and mindfulness in being aware of how every decision impacts different stakeholders. The moral framework of Buddhism can help citizens and politicians become more aware of their roles and responsibilities and how they can work together in solving social Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4 Buddhism - Essay Example Buddhism, as a few people know, is not as much a religion as it is a meditative inner power of sorts. Contrary to other religions, Buddhism does not bestow upon its followers a doctrine or set of instructions that one must follow if they do not want to be banished to eternal hellfire. In fact, Buddhism’s primary principles are based on the human psychology, something many people can and do relate to. Unlike a god that cannot be seen and that must be envisioned as being eternally powerful, Buddhism’s mantra revolves around inner finding, and inner peace with oneself (Hanh, pp.4 – 11). This lack of external factors incites people to come towards it and share in this belief. As it is human nature to be alpha dogs of society, this is ultimately the perfect combination of belief and human psychology since now man is satisfied that there is no factor outside his influence as far as life is concerned, and that, crude as it may sound, is a proposition that brings about s atisfaction to man today. The secret to Buddhism’s success lies within its principles; most ideas that conflict with man’s autonomous nature have been discarded by Buddhism. For example, Buddhism by and large rejects the tedious existence of God, angels, heaven and hell. So now, instead of feeling confined, forced and, in a way, threatened to believe in a religion, people are told that if they follow, they will be doing so only for their inner peace, and that equation settles well with most cynics and rebels of society. This lack of ultimatums makes man feel less violated and less forced; in short, it is a religion that actively allows man to practice according to his free will. In addition, thus, as a progressive religion that adapts to man’s nature, it has done pretty well in terms of acceptance on a global level, as can be seen from its increasing numbers. Transformation of consciousness is one of the primary aims of a Buddhist. In America, freedoms of

The Nestle Internal Documents Management Essay

The Nestle Internal Documents Management Essay The research process followed in this study is outlined in Figure 1, it began with a review of the literature related to BPM and BPIs with a particular focus on researches that tackled Innovation and particularly Packaging Innovation in Food Industry. The literature review revealed a significant gap with regard to both the integration aspect of BPM and BPIs and the application of this integrated framework in the specific field of Packaging Innovation which led to formulate the RQ. In order to identify and describe the impact of the proposed framework on the Packaging Innovation Process a Case Study methodology has been adopted as a research strategy. This is because it is considered suitable to address the research question: How and why an integrated framework of Business Process Management and Business Process Improvement could improve the Performance of Packaging Innovation Process of a multinational company? This is also in accordance with Yin (2009, Loc 453) who confirms that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how and Why questions are more explanatory and likely to lead to the use of case studies..as the preferred research method. Furthermore, the focus on the contemporary events of Packaging Innovation Process in its real-life context and not requiring the control of behavioural events were additional reasons for choosing the case study method (Yin, 1981; Yin 2009, Loc 310). All the 3 conditions highlighted by Yin (2009, Loc 310) are met in order to adopt the case study as the most appropriate method. Once again Yin (2009, Loc 310) argues clearly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ case studies are the preferred method when how or why questions are being posed, the investigator has little control over events and focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within a real-life context. Case study design An embedded single case study design has been selected in this research. According to Yin (2009, Loc 740) there are four major types of case study designs. Placed in a 2ÃÆ'-2 matrix these relevant designs are: single case versus multiple case designs, then holistic with a single unit of analysis against embedded covering a multiple units of analysis. The aim for selecting an embedded single case design is to investigate a representative or typical case in order to capture the circumstances and conditions of an everyday or commonplace situation (Yin, 2009, Loc 1205). Embedded designs (multiple units of analysis) often add significant opportunities for extensive analysis, enhancing the insights into the single case (Yin, 2009, Loc 1215). Accordingly, this embedded single case is about packaging innovation process improvement in the context Business Process Management and Improvement and specifically the integration of both BPM and BPI disciplines. This involves as well several units of analysis which consist in baseline events and validation through an innovation project. In the baseline events one main illustrative project has been reviewed in order to understand the critical reasons that make a packaging innovation project fail. Then in order to assess the impact of a poorly designed packaging on the operation, twelve factories across Europe and Asia have been visited through a waste Audit methodology (Muda Hunt).The twelve factories have been chosen as subunits for this investigation because they were widely spread geographically across Europe and Asia and were using different packaging materials and technologies for various product categories. With this case study design, the emphasis is global touching the packaging innovation process and not on individual factories or on a specific packaging material or a product category. Yin (2009) stresses that a major drawback in an embedded single case is focusing only on the subunit level for example the individual factories and failing to return to the larger unit of analysis in this case the packaging innovation process improvement. On the other hand, a single case study has limitations in particular to its rigor of research and in relation to the scientific generalization of the findings and conclusions (Yin, 2009, Loc 554). Nevertheless, single case studies permit a precise analysis of cotemporary evidence in context and are generalisable to theoretical propositions (Yin 2009, Loc 573). Finally the systematic adoption of embedded case study as a research methodology using three unit of analysis gives more rigor as well, Furthermore, the validation of the proposed framework though a real packaging innovation project (Embedded unit of analysis # 3) enhances the quality output of the research and confirms its managerial implications. Data collection The data were primarily collected at Nestlà © Head Office, RD centres and affiliate markets and factories. Worldwide leader in Food and Wellbeing industries, Nestlà © uses a wide range of more than 177000 packaging materials and more than 66000 different packaging specifications in 450 production sites across the globe. Moreover, Nestlà © is also interested in improving its Packaging Innovation Process and attracted by exploring the new integrated framework which combines both BPM and BPI. Therefore the access to Nestlà © internal data and employees has been made relatively easy. Using Nestlà © posed no research bias since it gives total independence and full autonomy to conduct the whole research in order to avoid any influence neither on the research process nor on the outcome. Thus, Nestlà ©s internal documents review and semi-structured interviews with a group of concerned employees have been used in this research to collect data. To complement the second-hand data, waste audits in twelve factories have been carried out combined with a visit and interviews of tree key suppliers. The use of multiple sources of evidence, combined with key informants who have reviewed draft case study reports, helped to establish construct validity (Yin, 2009, Loc 734, 1057). All data were stored in a process Map using the BPM software Nimbus Control in accordance with Yins (2009, Loc 734, 1057) recommendations for establishing reliability. Internal documents and interviews Nestle internal documents were the first source of data collection for this investigation. These include corporate documents (General Instructions, Policies, RD and business reports, best practices library) produced by process owners, functional departments or experts. The process owners have mapped processes and issued instructions on how to implement and execute their processes. Having access to Nestlà ©s internal documents and employees helped to rely on a vast amount of relevant data. For the baseline review of a major Packaging Innovation project, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were carried out with 37 stakeholders and 3 key suppliers involved in the development process. An interview lasts between 2 to 4 hours, with a flexible schedule, according to availability of the individuals invited. The semi-structured questions were defined following a clear Process flow and Project Phases: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Project Inception / Initiation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Project Brief Objectives à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Project Organisation Planning Development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Project Execution, Management, Reporting and Steering Committee à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Packaging Design / Specification Quality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supplier Selection, Technical Qualification Approval Performance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Business Impact, Supply and Cost. Interviewees received a clear description with scope and objectives of the review as well as relevant questions before the interview. Participants were invited to comment on any phase with regard to their own experiences and learnings together with any recommendations they might have for improvement, as well as present copies of any relevant documentation that can support the review. The principle aim of the review and Gemba walk was to capture the learnings from all employees involved and who were encouraged to freely give any comments they might have related to the following questions: What happened? Why did it happen? How, and at what stage of the design / development phase of the project, could we have avoided these failures? How should we change our development / deployment approach as a result of these learnings? What went well? What did not go so well? What could have been improved? What could have been done differently? What Key Recommendations could you offer to improve the process in the future? All comments and feedbacks were grouped into a series of transcribed Notes following Miles and Huberman (1994) recommendation. The transcription is grouped by Function and Location with a summary of the inputs that were mapped in the BPM tool: Nimbus Control. This allowed an easier analysis and quicker understanding of the whole picture and piece together the complex interfaces between all entities involved in the Packaging Development Project called 24K. Field observations To collect first-hand data field observations were made using waste audits (Muda Hunt) approach in 12 factories across Europe and Asia. The concept of MUDA hunt is meant to provide awareness to obvious waste as well as none Value Added activities at the shop floor. The application of the Lean Six Sigma tools such as DMAIC methodology will help afterwards to reduce or eliminate the identified waste. Field observations in scope: Packaging areas of main production lines; Material flows in packaging areas; Packaging materials waste; Labour utilization, packaging material usage on the lines; Space utilization on the floors, storage inventory. Field observations Out of scope: Processing of raw materials; Production lines (mixing, moulding, ) The relevant filling and packing lines were selected for Muda Hunt if they are strategic to the Business and depending on their capacity utilisation, their Efficiency and Performance as well as their material waste level. All Mudas were mapped in a prioritisation matrix (see example below) depending on their impact High or Low and their effort to implement Easy or Hard. The proposals are then listed in tables as first priority in green colour and second priority in orange colour for actions planning. Limitations of Lean programs The origin of Lean goes back to the Toyota Production System which has been created more than 40 years ago. For R. Suri (Suri, 2010) a new ground cannot be forged by focusing only on refining and implementing 40-year-old approach. Based on studies with more than 200 companies during the last 15 years, he listed few limitations related to Lean. For Suri, Lean is designed originally for production system with relatively high-volumes. Organisations that are offering high variety or customised products could not see how to implement Lean principles. According to Atkinson (Atkinson, 2010), [] LEAN must grow with the culture and not be imposed upon it. The author highlighted that too much attention is focused on the technical aspect of Lean, rather than the ambition to build a real self-sustaining Lean culture. Atkinson has listed seven misconceptions regarding Lean; first, Lean is frequently considered as a toolbox of techniques and methods that are pushed down to the organisation, rather than pulled and tailored to it. Second, Lean is not a cost reduction exercise to remove unnecessary cost out. Third, Lean concepts often are not applicable to processes and functions beyond operations. Forth, Lean often doesnt impact the design and the innovation processes. Fifth, Lean is to frequently be sold, surrounded by all the exotic terminology, as Japanese approach for improvement. Sixth, Lean does not necessitate a culture of continuous improvement and finally Lean is less concerned by the culture change. In his research of the top reasons for the failure of the major Lean initiatives, Lucey focused on the other dimensions as leadership, employees engagement and communication. Atkinson on the other hand highlighted the importance of the organisational culture that decides the success of Lean or any other improvement initiative and demonstrated that applying lean principles and tools is certainly not enough to achieve business excellence. For Treat, organisations practicing BPM may apply common Business Process Improvements (BPI) initiatives for certain improvement; nevertheless the usage of these BPI tools does not mean that the organisation is devoted to the effective application of BPM. In the same context, Hammer underlined in his process audit framework the crucial importance of applying two defined groups of characteristics that are necessary for business processes to continuously improve and sustain. These characteristics as described in the first section of this research are ba sed beside process management, on people Leadership, culture, knowledge skills and behaviours. Hence its evidently crucial to compare BPM and BPI approaches not only according to the MEM but as well from the Management perspective looking at how these approaches tackled the issues of Leadership, Culture Change, Process Management, and Continuous Improvement. Leadership Management: This factor is related to the role of top leaders and their behaviour in driving the organization towards Performance and Continuous Improvement. This central role has been accepted by experts and researchers as one of the major success factors for reaching Business Performance. Management in general is more concerned about controlling, problem fixing and making short term results and Leadership is more about the ability of giving directions, developing a vision and setting strategies to achieve this vision (Kotter, 1993, Kotter, 1996). In few words, leaders foster change and transformation in the organisation. Engaging leaders and top Mangers is the key first step for a successful implementation of Process Business Excellence. Culture Change: The ultimate Culture Change objective is to drive performance across the whole organisation in order to exceed customer expectations and therefore to win in the market place. A robust culture would promote effective performance only when it contains values and norms that helps to engage people, manage the change and the shifting to a competitive environment (Atkinson, 2010; Kotter, 1993). Literature supports Kotter and states that this kind of culture will impact positively on the productivity and performance of the organisation. As an illustration, there is a clear parallel between people engagement and the sustainability of lean initiatives (Lucey et al., 2005). The research literature shows that engaged workforce can have a huge impact on growth, profitability and competitiveness (Lucey et al., 2005) therefore a measure and monitoring of this engagement is crucial for sustaining any continuous improvement process. Process Management: Businesses are driven by a multitude of various processes, but concentrating on the core and essential ones either in operation or beyond will improve the organisation Performance. Core Processes have to be continually reviewed, measured and improved and employees should focus on defining the perfect process, eliminating any unnecessary phases, challenging the lead times or the base costs. A Performing organisation is where processes are mapped, measured and improved for all core business activities. The development of a new business process is also one of the key activities affecting Business Performance and competitive abilities. The association between cause and effects, inputs and outputs of a process must be the guiding principles to applying BPI methodologies. Efforts and resources spent other than on managing processes and changing the culture to achieve strategic objectives is waste (Atkinson, 2010). Therefore getting the processes right first is a prerequisite for achieving Performance objectives. Finally processes have to be visualised and communicated in a way that each employee can see and understands the process. Visual systems should allow everyone to have the capability to answer the question, if everything is flowing the way it should be and if we are on time to customer demand? BPM helps to create a current state map of an existing flow, then develop and implement a future state based on BPI principles. Continuous Improvement (CI): As mentioned in the introduction, organisations make efforts to implement Business Process Improvement programs to improve operational performance and achieve Business Excellence. Some of them try to move from episodic process improvements to building and sustaining their ability to improve processes continually. BPI methods help these organisations to understand and implement the concept of Continuous Improvement. But according to Brad Power (Power, 2011), if an organisation tries to institutionalize continuous process improvement based on just one approach, it will run into trouble because no single method has all the elements for sustaining continuous process improvement. Therefore Power emphasises the fact that if organisations want to keep their processes up to date continually, they need to be able to use many approaches to embedding improvement in their management systems. TQM started applying first the principle of Demings cycle Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) to continuously improve the quality, achieve customer satisfaction and reduce costs. While Six Sigma supporters claim that if you train enough people (belts..) and you measure performance, you achieve the cultural transformation toward continuous improvement. According to Hammer, advises organisations to continually assess their processes against his model of process maturity (Hammer, 2007). He advised to put in place the governance and the infrastructure to track end-to-end process performance and finally install the right culture of process centricity and continuous improvement. On the other hand Lean approach aims to cascade strategic objectives into implications for process improvements to have people aligned behind the same direction. To ensure continuous improvement attitude Lean philosophy trust executives to act as coaches, helping people at the front-line to understand the importance of waste elimination and problem-solving. Power underline that the few companies who succeed in sustaining their process improvement have actually selected and used the best from each of BPM and BPI approaches to embed continuous improvement in their organisation. This fact supports further the need of streamlining BPM and BPI approaches and extract the essence of each methodology hence the relevance of this research. Combining BPM and BPI approaches Mandatory elements of a method (MEM) Before digging further into the integration of BPI and BPM approaches, its relevant to describe the MEM elements used by Zellner to evaluate the methodological degree of BPI approaches. In order to have continuity and the same benchmark system the MEM five mandatory elements (Zellner, 2011) has been used as well in this research. First element is the Procedure model that consists of defining the order of activities to be completed when deploying the approach. Second element refers to the Technique which supports an activity to generate specific results. Third element is the Results as such which the output produced by an activity. The element number four is defining the Roles of who is carrying out and responsible of an activity. Finally the fifth element is the so-called Information Model which involves the above-mentioned components and their interactions. According to Zellner a good systematic approach should embody all MEM at the best. By explaining how the MEM can support the act of improving a business process, Zellner underlines the need of a structure model that can define clearly hat to do step by step, which activity has to be performed and by who and which result is expected in an improvement project. The only thing that without referring explicitly to BPM, Zellner was describing the fundamental elements of BPM: Defining and mapping step by step the process, affecting to each activity a role and responsibility or more precisely a RACI matrix (who is Responsible and Accountable and who has to be consulted or informed). Then the inputs, outputs and instruction are defined. Finally the process map will be the Information Model described by Zellner to describe the relationship with all elements and represent the results. The following table summarises the main factors identi ¬Ã‚ ed from literature search based mainly on the findings of Zellner regarding BPI approaches taken and adapted in table # 1 and then completing these findings by integrating Lean, Six Sigma and BPM. The aim of this comparative study is to have a systematic and holistic approach to develop the mentioned integrated model with relevant constructs that will answer therefore research question RQ2. Lean and Six Sigma vs. BPM Lean and Six Sigma principles are now being applied to business processes. From one side Lean philosophy and Six Sigma techniques address performance improvement by reducing wastes and process variability while BPM provides the platform to implement this performance and to sustain it on an on-going basis across the whole organisation. With ERP system, most companies find it very difficult to implement Lean programs. This is because ERP systems have been focused around transactions and not processes (Nayak, 2007). Automated business processes are a complex set of system transactions requiring human and machine interfaces that make the changes difficult and time consuming. In this context BPM is an enabler for driving business process improvement in Lean and Six Sigma (Nayak, 2007). BPM tools provide the capability for monitoring, documenting, improving processes therefore are imperative for fulfilling the objectives of Lean principles. The following table benchmarks the key characteristics between BPM, Lean and Six Sigma. BPI BPM in Innovation Before concluding this literature review section and preparing the next chapter of the cross-case study on Innovation process, it is essential to review the literature regarding how BPI and BPM tackled specifically the innovation issue. Literature shows actually that BPI initiatives were focused mainly on operations where link to product, customers or consumers is obvious. The interest of operation management lay in production, material handling and wastes, cost efficiencies, planning, etc. and all activities related to things and logic but less with people, behaviours and interfaces. BPI beyond the operations is therefore quite novel and organisations have great opportunity for improving as well non-operational processes such as RD, HR, Finance or other Support and Management processes. With BPI and BPM, organisations have great opportunity for improving processes beyond operations. Much of waste in processes beyond operations is viewed as minor in nature and therefore ignored. Despite the impressive results that BPI techniques can achieve at operational level, many organisations failed to grasp its potential benefit for their processes beyond operations such as in RD, Management or Support processes. The difference between manufacturing and other areas beyond operations is that the employees introduce intrinsically variability into their activities. Therefore the challenges become quite different from those occurred in manufacturing environment. Conventional approaches to reduce waste: In order to eliminate or reduce wastes from processes beyond operations, companies can take the four typical actions, the first action is to reduce processing failures and activities that dont add any value to the customer; then to eliminate superfluous and inconsistent controls. The third action is to speed up the processes by decreasing lead times and complexity and final action is to ensure a constant effort on detecting perfections that customers really want. Innovation process is one of the core processes which are key facture for insuring sustainable growth and Profit. This process will be considered in this research in next Chapter of a cross-case Study. From the literature review and the research conducted by IBM Institute for Business Value in 2006 looked at number of companies that used BPI approaches as Lean-Six Sigma to improve performance and succeed broad-based innovations. Researchers from IBM identified four distinguishing elements of approaches that set some organisation apart from those keeping a traditional operational improvement mind-set. These characteristics are first having an innovation vision based on accurate customer and market insights, then a committed Leadership to permanent innovation; third having an alignment across the whole company and finally setting up organizational capabilities that made innovation a routine way of working. Gartner stated in 2010 regarding Innovation Process that a [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] successful innovation needs a disciplined management to transform novel ideas into business value and Innovation management requires a clear strategy, a business focus and a defined process model. According to Gartner, generation of revenue will increase and operational effectiveness will also improve if Companies succeed to manage properly their innovation programs. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS): Through DMAIC methodology organizations were able to make great improvements in reducing number of defects and therefore quality costs. However the quality level of Five Sigma (233 defects per million opportunities) is hard to exceed. The only way to improve further and achieve the ultimate level of Six Sigma is to redesign completely the process, product or service using Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology (Antony 2002). According to Antony DFSS is a powerful approach to designing products, services and processes in a cost effective way to meet customer expectations. The aim of DFSS is not to substitute the NPDI (New Product Development and Introduction) process but to make it more robust, cost effective and capable to achieve high performance in meeting customer expectations (Antony 2002). Antony listed several benefits that could be gained by adopting DFSS: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduced time to market for new products development or renovations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduced products life cycle costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Better understanding of Customers needs and expectations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduced number of design changes and hence prototypes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Enhanced quality and reliability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Improved ability to manage risks in designing products services or processesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Methodology and tools of DFSS The methodological process of DFSS starts with Customers needs as an input and ends with high quality products, services or robust processes as an output. One popular DFSS methodology is the DMADV. It remains the number of characters and stages, and the general feeling the same as in the DMAIC acronym. The five phases of DMADV are defined as follows: Define the project goals and customer requirements (internal and external), Measure and determine customer needs and specifications, Analyze the process options to meet customer needs. Design the process to achieve customer needs. Verify the design performance and ability to meet customer needs. Another methodology of DFSS named IDOV is a known design approach especially in the manufacturing sector. The abbreviation is defined as IDOV: Identify customer needs and specifications (CTQs), Design to translate the customer CTQs into functional requirements and alternative solutions. A selection process selects the list of solutions to the best solution, Optimize uses advanced statistical tools to predict and model the performance or calculate and optimize the design or performance and Validate to confirm means and ensure that the design which is developed reaches the customer CTQs. Lean product development LPD or Lean Design as the name indicates, draws on ideas from Lean Production as described above in chapter Background of Business Process Improvement which condensed Lean thinking into five principles: specify value, identify the value stream, make the value flow, create pull in the process and pursue perfection. Although lean production can be described at various levels, Shah et al. (2008) argue that the dominant view rests on a set of practices and tools used in eliminating waste. They also present the four main features of lean production as being quality management, pull production, preventive maintenance and human resource management. In the early stages of lean thinking, the focus was on the area of production. An exception, although not using the LPD label, is Kennard (1991), who uses six characteristics to summarise the Japanese approach to product development processes: information-intense, continual learning, constant customer contact, phases overlap, adaptability and spe ed/accuracy in execution. Another early describer of Japanese product development efforts is Funk (1993), who emphasised multifunctional problem-solving, close relationship with customers and suppliers, incremental improvement and learning. Karlsson and Ahlstrom (1996) specified later on the applicability of the Lean principles in product development by defining LPD as follows: Lean product development comprises numerous interrelated techniques, including supplier involvement, cross-functional teams, concurrent engineering, integration of various functional aspects of each project, the use of a heavyweight team structure, and strategic management of each development project. Another aspect associated with LPD is that the leaner way of working will eventually speed up the development process. However, as advocated by Crawford (1992) accelerated product development is associated with risks such as trivial innovations driving out break-through innovations and mistakes happening when skipping steps that did provide necessary information. Finally, Yang and Cai (2009) point out that LPD does not directly support the issues of quality, reliability and robustness in the product design. Combining BPM, DFSS and LPD The main potential seen in merging BPM, DFSS and LPD is to achieve improvements in quality by reducing unwanted variation (as advocated in DFSS), while at the same time being able to increase flow and speed in the development processes (as focused in BPM and LPD) (Chang and Su, 2007; Jugulum and Samuel, 2008). As summarised by Yang and Cai (2009, p. 97) DFSS improves product value and product quality, whereas LPD improves product development lead time, efficiency, flexibility and product development cost. BPM will provide the right platform to map, enhance and manage the whole process. One challenge pointed out by Jugulum and Samuel (2008) is the differences in implementation of Six Sigma initiatives and lean. The latter being broad in focus (looking at end-to-end processes and launching improvement events therein) while Six Sigma works with in-depth projects focusing on a small improvement area within a process. To some extent the integrated approaches proposed appear to be rather standard DFSS approaches with the addition of LPD tools. In contrast, authors like Karlsson and Ahlstrom (1996), Haque and James-Moore (2004) and Morgan and Liker (2006) emphasise the importance of viewing LPD as a system rather than as a set of tools, which impacts working methods throughout the organisation, such as seeking supplier involvement and cross-functional integration. BPM, LPD and DFSS have different focuses, such as improvement, innov

Essay --

Arts and Culture Elective assignment Name: Nishant Sharma Stream: Radio Roll no: PGDJ-13091 National School of Drama The national School of drama is considered to be of the foremost theatre-training institute in the world and one of its kinds in India. Every year hundreds of students apply for NSD and only 26 are selected. The school has produced some very fine actors like Pankaj Kapur, Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan and Surekha Sikri. Recently the hard work of one of the alumni of NSD also turned fruitful and that is Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It took him around 12 years to finally make his entry in Bollywood. The list of successful alumni’s of NSD is very diminutive. Every year NSD recruits 26 students for its 3 year course and their future still remains in dark. What role does institutes like National School of drama play in a country like India? How institutions like these are helping to expand the scope of theatre within the country? Before we delve into the shortcomings of NSD, let’s understand NSD and what all initiatives it takes to encourage theatre as an art form within the country. NSD was set up by Sangeet Natak Academy as one of its important units in 1959. Initially the school was situated at Nizamuddin West, and was called 'National School of Drama and Asian Theatre Institute, whose first batch passed out in 1961. But in 1975 it became an independent entity under the Ministry of Culture. The kind of Training that is imparted at NSD is considered to be highly intensive and is based on a comprehensive syllabus covering every aspect of theatre- Theory and practical. Students are also required to produce plays during the curriculum. These shows are then performed before the public. So Theory and practic... ...g to English daily also mentions that that nowhere in the world can one make a living out of theatre alone. According to him NSD should train actors for television, radio and films. He said â€Å"It would be fantastic if they could bring the kind of intensity generated in theatre training to other forums†. Also teaching theatre as an art needs to move and develop with time. There hasn’t been much change in the curriculum of NSD since its inception. They train people but they themselves have no clue about what’s next after the training. NSD should expand its wings and should open up more repertories in the country. The thing is NSD should not only hold workshops and festivals in Delhi but also in other parts of the country in order to promote the art form. The more it will reach out, the more people will show participation. It should not just be restricted to one place.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of DSM-IV TR Essay

DSM-IV TR, which stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition), Text Revision was published by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000 and serves as a guide book for many health professionals to diagnose a patient with a mental disorder. It also helps health professionals to determine what types of treatment could be carried out to help the patient. The latest DSM is widely used, especially in the USA and many European countries.1However, it may not be completely followed by health professionals as they know that there are some weaknesses of the latest version of DSM as well. This essay will discuss the strengths and the weaknesses of the latest DSM and new changes for the DSM-V, which is expected to be published in May, 2013. DSM’s strength would be that it standardizes psychiatric diagnostic categories and criteria2, making the diagnosis of a mental disorder relatively easier than it was in the past. It allows health professionals to diagnose a patient, use the DSM to give them possibly the best treatment and overall, help them to cure the patients if the disorder is curable. DSM also has statistical data such as the prevalence of a certain disease in different genders, age of onset of diseases, etc. This allows health professionals to have a very wide range of knowledge which may be very useful for diagnosis and treatments. Besides, the DSM allows a common language for discussing diagnosis. It provides clear criteria for certain disorders so that every clinician would come up with the same diagnosis. This makes sure that a person is not diagnosed with different types of disorders in different clinics.Thus, treating patients more efficiently. Compared to the older versions of the DSM, the latest DSM also has more subtypes and specifiers which increases the diagnostic specificity. As I mentioned before, this increases the chance of diagnosing a patient with the same disorder in different clinics, assuring that they are diagnosed with the correct disorder as misdiagnosing them could possibly lead to serious damage. For some disorders, such as bipolar disorder, there are severity indicators such as mild, moderate and severe as well. This helps clinician to decide the course of the treatment according to the severity of their disorder. This is one of the strength of DSM as using the same treatment for different severity of the same disorder will not be very appropriate or efficient. However, this severity indicator is absent in some disorders such as manic episodes which is one of the weaknesses of DSM-IV TR. These were some of the strengths of DSM-IV TR. However, we know that another edition of DSM, DSM-V is expected to be published soon. This is obviously because there are some, or many weaknesses in the current DSM with which people are not satisfied. One of the major weakness of the current DSM and probably all the older editions is â€Å"Cultural Bias†. DSMs are mainly published by anglo-Americans and most of the behaviour that is considered as â€Å"normal† in the DSM is actually what is considered normal by the anglo-Americans. That is, some of the behaviour that is considered as abnormal in the DSM might be considered as normal in other cultures. For example, in some cultures, people tend to put a lot of emphasis and values filial piety and due to that, they would behave in a way that might not be considered as normal by the anglo-Americans. Would that classify them as abnormal? What exactly is normal anyways? According to the DSM, it it, I believe, what is considered as normal by the anglo-Americans. This is one of the weaknesses of the DSM which is well-known and I think it is because of this reason that DSM might not be as popular in countries where the culture is much different compared to countries like the USA and many European countries. Another weakness would be that DSM promotes a mechanical approach to mental disorder assessment. The clinicians may focus excessively on the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and they might not put much emphasis on a more in-depth understanding of the clients/patients problems. This problem have improved but it is still a problem caused by the DSM. DSM-IV TR also does not consider patients subjective experience of a disorder. That is, the  approach is not a dimensional approach as there is no first-person report but rather, observations are usually carried out which may neglect the more somatic and psychological processes that underlie the symptoms (Flanagan, Davidson & Strauss, 2007).3 Also, DSM causes most clinicians to be primarily concerned with the signs and symptoms of a disorder rather than the underlying cause by giving a list of certain criteria for diagnosis. Another weakness and debate about the DSM is that it is an unscientific system and it is the opinion of a few powerful psychiatrists. This has raised a lot of questions and have caused people to question the validity and reliability of the diagnostic categories as well. The validity and reliability were especially questioned after the Rosenhan experiment in the 1970s in which it was concluded that the sane could not be distinguished from the insane in psychiatric hospitals. Thus, even though the reliability and validity has improved now when compared to the 1970s, it is still a weakness which I believe could not be entirely fixed. However, validity problems of the diagnostic criteria especially arise when children or adolescents are involved. For example, the DSM-IV TR criteria for bipolar and manic disorder were originally developed for adults but right now, after a few changes, it is used for children as well. This increases the chance of misdiagnosing children with bipolar disorder. This information is supported by the fact that in the last 10 years, there has been a 40%4 increase in the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It is believed that there is not a sharp increase in the number of children with bipolar disorder but rather that the clinicians have been applying the diagnostic criteria (which were originally developed for adults) much more aggressively to children.5This is one of the weakness of DSM-IV TR that needs to be improved in the future as the effects could be devastating. One of the weakness, which I believe is not very significant but still is a problem and which is actually questioned by people is the definition of the mental disorder. This was also mentioned in the lectures. According to DSM-IV TR, a mental disorder is â€Å"associated with present distress or disability or significant increased risk of death, pain, disability and important loss of freedom†. This raises the question.. what about those  individuals who engage in activities that threatens their lives but they actually enjoy it? Such as mountain climbers, scuba divers, etc. Obviously they are no considered as abnormal but according to the definition of the DSM, they are considered as having a mental disorder. But we know that this is not correct. Thus, there is a problem with the definition of the word ‘mental disorder’. There are many other weaknesses as well such as with Personality Disorder diagnosis. It is believed that the description of symptoms is very broad. This means that patients diagnosed with the same disorder could actually have very different clinical presentations. For personality disorders, DSM uses a categorical approach6. However, it would be better to use a dimensional approach so that the different types/ degree of disorder could be distinguished and thus, could be given different and more efficient treatments. Another major weakness of the Axis II personality disorder is that there is a very high degree of overlapping or co-occurence with each other. This is also a problem for Axis I mental disorders.7 There are many other weaknesses with specific disorders of DSM especially about the diagnosis criteria and some other issues such as whether ‘Paraphilias’ should be included or not. Most of the major ones has been discussed above. Now, the new changes for DSM-V will be discussed. There are many new changes for the DSM-V. I will mainly mention those that are related to the weaknesses mentioned above. However, the new changes are discussed, the 4 principles behind the current process for revising DSM should be discussed. (Obtained from APA DSM-V Development’s official website) 1) Clinical Utility- the manual should be useful to those who diagnose and treat patients with mental illnesses 2) Recommendations should be guided by evidence 3) DSM-V should maintain continuity with previous editions whenever possible 4) No priori restraints should be placed on the level of change permitted  between DSM-IV and DSM-V From these 4 principles, it becomes clearer to us why DSM-IV is being revised and what changes should be expected. One of the changes is that in order to better assess the severity of symptoms, a dimensional assessment will be included. For example, other factors such as sleep quality, mood, etc will be considered regardless of the diagnosis. This will help to reduce the problem of â€Å"mechanical approach† as mentioned before. They will also help to address symptoms that are not included within the diagnostic criteria for specific illnesses (e.g. the problem of insomnia for patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia). DSM-V might also include something that could solve the problem of how to handle patients with co-occuring disorders, which is a major weakness of DSM-IV TR. Besides that, DSM-V will also have improved diagnostic criteria that are not precise in DSM-IV TR. Also, a few words would be changed as well in the new DSM. For example, the word â€Å"Mental Retardation† would be changed to â€Å"Intellectual Disability†.   Another change that would also be included would somehow, indirectly address the problem of cultural bias. In the new DSM, careful consideration would be given to the gender, race and ethnicity. This, I believe could help to lessen the severity of the cultural problem as mentioned before. Besides that, another ‘proposal’ is that, the criteria should be more stringent for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children. This also addresses one of the weakness mentioned earlier. This is a very important proposal as I believe it is not very humane to misdiagnose children with â€Å"Mental Disorders†. It could affect their life significantly. Another major changes is in the assessment and diagnosis of personality disorders. As mentioned before, a dimensional approach will be used rather than a categorical approach. This can help to determine the different severities of disorders and determine the ‘subtypes’ more accurately. Overall, it would make the diagnosis much more accurate and thus, more  efficient treatment could be used. These changes were mainly in response to the weaknesses mentioned above. Other changes include creating a new category called â€Å"Behavioural addiction†. This category is solely based on gambling. Internet addiction was also proposed. However, due to the lack of research in that field, it was rejected. This shows that they somehow followed principle 2 which emphasizes on the importance of evidence. Another category called the â€Å"Risk Syndromes† is also being considered. This will help clinicians identify earlier stage of mental disorders. The category of substance abuse and dependence will be removed and it would be replaced by a new category called â€Å"Addiction and Related Disorders†. This is done to help clinicians distinguish between similar types of disorders more easily and lower the chance of misdiagnosis (e.g. dependence is often confused with compulsive drug-seeking behaviour addiction). 8Another change is that the criteria for some eating disorde rs such as Anorexia Nervosa has been improved. Overall, the diagnostic criteria for many disorders has been improved and a dimensional approach is being used in DSM-V rather than the categorical approach used in the previous editions. All of these changes, together with many other minor ones, aim to improve the diagnosis process and thus, ensures that people are saved from misdiagnosis (which could lead to devastating effects) and so that they can receive better treatment which would increase their chances of being cured (if the disorder is curable). Bibliography Berman, J. (n.d.). Understanding the DSM-IV TR. Retrieved on 15th March, 2013, from http://www.ceuschool.com/librarydocs/SOC222.pdf Dombeck, M., Hoermann, S., Zupanick, E.C. (2011). Personality Disorders: Problems with current diagnostic system. MentalHelp. Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=569 Flanagan, E., Davidson, L. & Strauss, J. (2007). â€Å"Issues for DSM-V: Incorporating Patients’ Subjective Experiences.† Am. J. Psychiatry, 164(3), 391 – 392. Kleinplatz, P.J., Moser. C. (2005). DSM-IV-TR and the Paraphilias: An Argument for Removal. Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/MoserKleinplatz.htm Kronemyer, D. (2009). Phenomenological Psychology. Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://phenomenologicalpsychology.com/2009/06/how-can-dsm-iv-be-improved-as-it-transitions-to-dsm-v/ American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC. Bipolar Disorder in Children. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder_in_children Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders DSM-5. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 14th March, 13 from http://en.wikipe dia.org/wiki/DSM-5 DSM-5 development: Frequently Asked Questions. American Psychiatric Association.Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://www.dsm5.org/pages/default.aspx Rosenhan Experiment. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 14th March, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment

My First Resident †Creative Writing Essay

My First Resident – Creative Writing Essay Free Online Research Papers My First Resident Creative Writing Essay Listening to the clock ticking on the wall, I started to feel the burgeoning uneasiness. Over the quiet but melodious play of the strings in the cafeteria, cackling giggles of janitors, prattling chats of nurses, and chuckling laughs of doctors overlapped scenes with sweating doctors and overloaded nurses from Grey’s Anatomy. About ten minutes later, I was walking down a long and dark hallway with other volunteers and was stunned by a sudden contrast. The fastidious-looking volunteer manager parroted, â€Å"This side of the hospital is where all four of you will be volunteering,† over clattering noise of her hills. As glancing around the tranquil complex, I saw the dusty sign by the main door: Welcome to the Eagle Ridge Manor. When I skimmed through the list of offered volunteer positions, my heart palpitated wildly. I envisioned assisting nurses with their paperwork and doctors at special occasions; however, the offered task from the hospital disappointed me deeply. Feeding. The hackneyed term did not appeal to me. But I learned that my perception was very different. At five forty-five sharp, residents’ dinner trays were delivered to the dining room. I looked at the white board to check the appropriate resident whom volunteers were allowed to feed. My first resident was Marguerite. She was sitting erectly in her wheel chair at the very first corner of the dining table. â€Å"Marguerite,† I called her quietly as putting her tray down on the table, but she seemed not to hear me. I carefully tabbed her arm and introduced myself. She did not respond me. Suffering from Alzheimer for ten years, Marguerite had already lost the track of time, place and people. Smiling awkwardly at her, I opened up her tray. Tomato soup, roasted chicken with carrots, a raspberry yogurt, and a cup of tea were nicely sealed in scaled containers. Looking down at her tray confusingly, I started with a spoonful of her chicken meal, but she did not swallow it. Paranoid by impending mistakes, I tried to recall instructions from training sessions, but I ended up loo king at a nurse with a confused look on my face. She told me to wait. However, waiting for Marguerite was not the right answer, I thought. Puzzled by an unexpected dilemma, I began to massage her back to alleviate her tension, but she began to pour tomato soup on her dried chicken. She spilled the soup on the table and on her pants, but, suddenly, a burst of compassion emerged inside me. I could not stop her. My long journey resumed, and she seemed to forget that she was eating her dinner at every second spoon. I gently patted her arm or called her tenderly to remind her. Suddenly, I realized that I might have been one of strangers to her after all. I started talking about my day at school and promised her to take her out to the garden as soon as it stopped raining, and I was struck in awe. She smiled at me. Container after container, we started to empty her tray more quickly. Every Monday, I still visit her. Although my manager rotated volunteers to other complexes, I reminisce the very day when I had grabbed a fragile but warm hand. She taught me how I can make others smile. She taught me how I can be a trustworthy friend in a long journey. And she taught me how to love myself. Research Papers on My First Resident - Creative Writing EssayThe Hockey GameLifes What IfsThe Spring and AutumnQuebec and CanadaWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHip-Hop is ArtAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Standardized Testing

Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Essays

Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Essays Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Paper Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Paper Also in 1 994 Gregg acquired 424 bakers oven shops which enabled Gregg to have an in store bakery this enabled them to put Gregg shops in built up busy areas and Bakers oven shops in smaller previously untouched areas with a lower population as the shops could bake what is needed for demand. Gregg offers take outs so it can be a quick and easy visit to the store whilst bakers oven offers seating and works similar to a restaurant for people on the move wanting a seat and something to eat. Gregg competes with all bakery chains and food outlets as ell as coffee shops to gain customers as Gregg relies on people needing food so they must make their products affordable and of high quality in able to ensure that customers will choose their products rather than other food retailers. Gregg has also set the standard for other bakery chains by expanding outside of the UK with two shops in Belgium and plans for many more shops in Europe making them the first British bakery chain to attempt and expansion outside of the ASK. In 2008 the global bakery products market is estimated to have been worth SIS$275 billion making it a very profitable market which is ever increasing. The forces talked about earlier are environmental forces, which are made up of the macro and micro environment, macro environment is uncontrollable external factors to the business, which consists of political, economic, social, technological, legal and CEO environmental factors. The micro environment is made up of stakeholders and how their ideas and demands affect how the business operates. For the purpose of this essay will concentrate on the macro environmental forces in the form of a Pestle analysis. Gregg is British bakery chain which operates mainly in the LIKE with at least 1 500 shops, the overspent in the UK is classed as stable so this is of benefit to Gregg as it does not have to keep changing because of an unstable government making changes to laws and legislations or with a shift of power between parties battling to gain power. Political factors affecting Gregg consist of health and safety regulations for employees which means that Gregg must operate in a safe way in order to prevent any injuries to staff or customers. All businesses must take great interest in health and safety but Gregg being a bakery chain that sell food products must pay extra attention to health and safety as a cut loud contaminate products and cause waste. Staff members must be careful while working to ensure there are fire exits accessible and the floors are clear of obstruction along with suitable oven cleaning equipment and personal protective equipment. Gregg must adhere to food hygiene legislation set forth by the government such as the HACK to ensure that no cross contamination has occurred and no bodily fluids or pathogens have come into contact with the food which could cause harm to a customer through food poisoning. Also any plasters worn must be blue in color and waterproof o if it comes off in the baking process and comes into contact with any of the bread mixes or pastry mixes it is easily identified and taken out preventing contamination through blood etc. Therefore all food must be of optimum quality and not posing a risk to consumers health and wellbeing by being unhygienic or uncooked. This brings me onto my next point of food safety legislations that state that meat products must be cooked to achieve a temperature of degrees also legislation to do with hot holding foods and how long food can be hot held. Another political factor is the minimum wage s the government and not Gregg sets the minimum wage it expects Gregg to pay its workers, this can pose threats to some bakery chains as the pay rate for people over 21 is E. 8 and usually there are a few people in the stores working for a few hours so this is going to eat away at the profits and smaller stores will be the worst affected however it will affect the likes of Gregg as well through eating profits. Gregg must also adhere to public holidays by not opening up on days that are specified to enable workers to have a day off, the government sets the public holidays and the business es must adhere. Gregg stated that the 2 extra public holidays in 2011 had cost the business E million in profit. The government in the UK may be classed as stable but the economy of the UK like so other many countries is in ruin, but has this had an adverse effect on Gregg? At the Start of the recession in 2008 Gregg pre-tax profits were EYE. 2 million up from EYE million in 2007 which was just before the start of the recession. Was this rise in profits a freak anomaly? No, Gregg is making steady progress year on year throughout the recession with pre-tax profits in 2009 of EYE. Million and 2010 EYE. 2 million especially. This goes to show that the recession has actually helped Gregg as a business with people cash strapped and in need of food the delicacy of a reasonably priced pasty seems to have been first port of call. However the recession has affected people all over the UK and in 201 1 the London riots showed just how bad it was with 19 shops being forced to closed whilst one shop was looted and another set on fire in Peacock. The London riots also badly disrupted the Gregg delivery vehicles through prevention of access to stores and damage to vehicles. This has ultimately caused damage to profits Of roughly El . 2 million as profits dropped. The London riots were one Of few social impacts that affected Gregg in 2011 along with recession which as I have already said saw Gregg prosper with profits rising, this was due to Gregg selling cheap, quality food in readily available areas to attract customers. Gregg, like all businesses cares about its consumer perception, this has led to the creation of 1 50 breakfast clubs in primary schools which aim to give school children a free nutritional breakfast which is provided by Gregg. This scheme also gets parents and careers in on the action as they can lunette to serve up the food after the delivery of food is made to the schools this will give Gregg a better consumer perception. The breakfast club scheme has been running since 2000 and will continue to run and expand to include more schools. Gregg also recognizes that where its shops are located will determine the sales outcome, so it has opened stores in student friendly areas in towns and indeed in some university campuses as it recognizes that the typical student stereotype is someone that is always busy hasnt got time to wait around and is pretty skink most of the time, what better place to locate popular bakery that has cheap products than in an area that is predominantly student and work orientated with lots of people wanting the products on offer. Gregg also has a foundation set up with a hardship fund, this helps there consumer perception as they allow people to apply for household appliances if they cannot afford to buy them due to poverty. The hardship fund operates in the four counties of Northeast England and has been running since 1993 and has so far given around E million to people in poverty in the Northeast. Having things like this showing people that Gregg Ares will predominantly boost sales as it helps their social status and people will know that Gregg helps people in poverty with its profits and as a result of this people may be more willing to purchase Gregg products. Technologically Gregg has been affected with an increase in computer technology which has led to new advertising campaigns, as well as Gregg advertising with billboards and television adverts etc. Hey now also advertise on the internet through their easy to use website and not only are their advertising techniques improving with technology but their checkout ermines are improving too with new compactness technology being implemented in stores which enables bank cards with this technology to just be tapped against the terminal and the payment will be made, this has been implemented to cut down on queues at peak trading times to keep the customers happy so they are not waiting around for ages. Gregg also benefited through some free advertising on the 20/6/2011 with a newspaper having the headline queen has Gregg cater for dinner party with 8000 big name guests, this will no doubt have boosted Gregg sales With royalists hinging if its good enough for the queen its good enough for us so this will have led to an increase in profits. Gregg has plans to open up 600 more stores in the UK to help boost profits by having more stores in areas that do not currently have Gregg stores to tap into new customer pools to generate a larger customer base. Along with the plans for expansion in size are plans to expand into new areas such as frozen food with Gregg planning to create branded frozen foods such as sausage rolls to be sold the Iceland food store chain. This will help Gregg also tap into new markets as they have never before been involved with frozen food sales and this offers great scope for expansion. Gregg is affected legally though hygiene laws and requirements such as the HACK food hygiene regulations guarding against food poisoning. This prevents Gregg from being unhygienic and posing a risk to consumers. Gregg must also abide by the data protection act 1998 as it takes customer information for storage etc. It must not distribute this to third party groups or do anything else with it without the persons permission. Gregg is also legally required to pay the national minimum wage to its employees. When laws are eased in regards to bakeries etc. Gregg must accept them and work within the law or face the risk of prosecution, court cases and potential fines or store closures. Like all businesses Gregg knows that people are getting more environmentally friendly and as a result are striving to be more CEO environmentally friendly themselves, trying to work upon the reduce, reuse and recycle principle. Gregg is trying to reduce landfill waste, recycle what it can and reuse what it can in order to cut down on pollution. Gregg is also offering some of its unsold food to charities in order to try and give people he chance to have food if they cannot afford it or if they are homeless. Gregg are not handing out free carrier bags to everybody now as well unless people ask for one if they have a lot of stuff they wont get one. Also on Gregg paper bags it says keep Britain tidy which shows that it wants the customers to put the packaging in the bin or recycle it if possible. Paper is also bio degradable so will rot away so will not damage the environment as much as plastic will. Gregg knows that it needs a good consumer perception and as a result throughout the different environmental forces affecting the inning of the business Gregg has stayed focused on this aspect with focus on charities and the Gregg foundation along with the breakfast clubs. Gregg is an ethical company with interests to help the people in need of it and trying to reduce its carbon footprint whilst offering tasty, reasonably priced foods. Gregg is not really threatened by the changing environment as it is still making a profit which is getting bigger every year it is more prompted to do things slightly different for example the packaging and not giving out free plastic bags to everyone. As a result of my PESTLE analysis have formulated n Insofar matrix to help formulate an idea for Gregg to respond to and prosper in its changing environment. For market penetration I thought of new advertising campaigns advertising new applications for android and tablet technology such as the pad which will give users details of where the nearest Gregg store is and what deals are on in the store along with prices. This brings me onto my next idea for market penetration, with the UK being in a financial crisis if prices are slightly lower or there are offers on for multiple purchases this could increase the sales and ultimately the profits if here is say a 2 for El . 0 on app pasties this will no doubt increase the number of sales as people like to think they are getting a bargain. For market development came up with the idea of new stores in other areas that do not currently have Gregg possibly because of a smaller population, this could gain Gregg a larger customer base. Also came up with the idea of focusing on expansion and opening more stores outside of the UK in order to globalize Gregg more so further expanding the customer base. My last idea for market development is to have Gregg stores on more university campuses tit student friendly deals on which would boost sales on products currently sold through Gregg. For product development I came up with the an idea for more pasties and sandwiches along with more varieties of hot drink potentially even a coffee bar inside the stores or in certain stores kind of like a mini Cataracts so there are a larger range of coffees so that people can call in and get a quick bite to eat and get a nice coffee in the same place rather than have to go to numerous places or just settle for a basic coffee. For diversification I came up with an idea for frozen food, as a kind of expansion o Gregg plans to sell frozen sausage rolls in Iceland stores and develop from there I thought Gregg could sell part baked frozen breads in store for customers that potentially want bread but not straight away for example if they are having a dinner party and are preparing a week in advance or so they could buy them put them in the freezer and are then able to bake them prior to the event starting so the bread is still warm. I also thought Gregg could allocate a cake maker to larger stores so they could receive orders for cakes for special occasions and make cakes to specifications of the customer or example special birthday cakes or a cake for a wake after a funeral. The idea I think Gregg should take on to prosper in the changing environment is simply market penetration, I believe they would benefit from an application for android or tablet technology which would inform potential customers where the nearest Gregg store is and the deals they have on. Also new television advertising campaigns advertising the application and the deals that are on in store would increase the number of potential customers entering the stores. Having lower prices or better promotions on products will cost profits as more people will be willing to buy more than one thing so will increase their basket spend, this would mean that potentially a El visit to the store could turn into a E visit with the right promotions in store and advertised well. Due to the current financial crisis and talk of double dip recessions believe this would help Gregg continue to make profits in tough times and potentially make profits soar higher. By lowering prices and having better promotions it eliminates the risk of being undercut by smaller bakeries as they will not be able to afford to undercut the prices of Gregg as they will et less customers and if Gregg a more reputable bakery is cheaper they will struggle to generate as many sales. Also new technology and advertising campaigns could increase the size of the customer base with potentially more people hearing about the deals and knowing where their nearest store will be. Smaller bakeries will not be able to afford extra advertising to this scale or the increase in technology to hire someone to create applications. This would also see off threats from supermarkets with bakeries as Gregg would stay market leader for bakery products in the UK and it would give them the scope o develop further.

FAMILY CHILDREN NURSING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FAMILY CHILDREN NURSING - Essay Example Introduction Case Study Serena, a young girl of 20 months old is brought by her parents to the emergency department of their local hospital at around 0200 hours. An assessment conducted on her reveals the following: 2/7 history of sore throat Fevers Profuse nasal discharge The girls developed barking cough in the evening and Experienced difficulty in breathing. The Clinical Problem Initially in the 20th century, croup like illness were often confused with diphtheria but today croup is a term used to refer to several respiratory illnesses that vary in inspiratory stridor, barking cough, and hoarseness that result from obstruction in the larynx regions. Classification and Epidemiological Features Historically, croup illnesses have changed over time, but with imprecise classifications. Laryngotracheobronchitis is a term used to describe a spasmodic croup or laryngotrachetitis. The common classes of croup are; spasmodic croup, acute laryngotracheitis, LTB and LTBP and Laryngeal Diphtheri a. Croup is an illness that attacks infants and children less than 6 years in age but rampant incidences occur between 7 to 36 months. Boys are more prone to its attacks than girls at a rate of 1.5 times. It has a biennial midautmn peak and annual summer trough (Cherry 2008. P.384). Croup Host factors Parainfluenza virus infections, especially type 3 is common in infants as well as young children. Despite this, croup develops only in a small percentage of children exposed. Reoccurrence of croup in children is linked to allergy. Spasmodic croup is triggered by parainfluenza virus type 1 and 2. Levels of Assessment for Severity Croup The levels of assessment of severity croup are mild, moderate, severe and impending respiratory failure. The mild level is characterized by occasional barking cough. At a rest position, the infant has no audible stridor. Retractions of the skin of the chest wall could be mild. At a moderate level, barking cough becomes frequent with easily audible stridor when the child is resting. Suprasternal and sternal retractions with no agitations are noticed. In the severe stage, barking cough remains frequent; inspiratory becomes prominent with occasional expiratory stridor. The expiratory stridor is marked with sterna retractions, agitations and distress. At impending respiratory failure level, the barking cough fails to be prominent with hard to hear audible stridor when the child is at rest. The sterna retractions cannot be recognised as the child experiences lethargy. In the absence of supplemental oxygen, the infant appears dusky (Scally & Donaldson 1998 p. 67 D). Strategies and Evidence Evaluation Croup illnesses differ in severity and treatment and therefore require differential diagnosis (Cherry 2008.p388). Other acute obstructive illnesses in the larynx region must be diagnosed. These include epiglottitis, foreign body, and angioneurotic edema of the epiglottis. Epiglottitis is signified by lack of a croupy cough, sitting position o f the child, a pushed forward chin and reluctance in lying down. Apprehension and anxiety in the child is spotted rather than inspiratory difficulties. Foreign body and angioneurotic edema cause obstruction in the upper airway. These occur suddenly without fever and infection signs. Lower airway signs like crackles, air trapping, wheezing

Situational Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Situational Leadership - Assignment Example This model portrays leadership as to having two dimensions. They said that these dimensions were; leaders who were task oriented and leaders who were relationship oriented. The leaders who were relationship oriented laid more emphasis on their relationship with their followers. They tend to create a good working environment by enhancing good relations and follower appreciation. On the other hand is the task oriented leaders who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals or accomplish their professional duties. This meant they are solely determined to perform their tasks irrespective of their relations with the followers This model categorized follower maturity in to four levels. The levels were; the high maturity, moderate maturity which was subdivided into two and finally the low maturity. Each of these levels was characterized by the difference in ability and willingness of an individual. Prior to that, the model had relative comparison of the relationship behavior and the task behavior. This relative comparison gave rise to four quadrants. This model was expressed diagrammatically as illustrated below. In the leadership behavior model we have the four quadrants S1, S2, S3 and S4. (S1) represents low relation and high task leadership behavior. They said that this type of behavior is where the follower character is unable and unwilling and this requires maximum supervision of performance. He referred to this as telling style. The next quadrant (S2) represents a high task high relationship leadership behavior characterized by an unable but willing follower. The situation exhibited here is where the leader gives instruction but expects clarification from the follower. Hersey and Blanchard recommend this a selling style. Quadrant (S3) represents a leadership behavior characterized by high relation and low task which corresponds to unable but unwilling follower. They said that in this situation there ought to be participation. By participation