The Knot

The Knot Case Study i. Opportunity analysis of People, Opportunity, Context and Deals. a. People: i. David Liu, Chief Executive Officer 1. Nine years of digital production and management experience 2. Managed staff of forty at video production company 3. Founded CD-ROM development firm ii. Rob Fassino, VP of Marketing 4. Eight years of advertising experience 5. Founded digital division of advertising company 6. Produced TV commercials iii. Carley Roney, VP of Creative Development 7. President of RunTime, Inc. 8. Six years as creative director and editor 9. M. A. in Cultural Studies v. Michael Wolfson, VP of New Business Development 10. Founded production company 11. Co-founded digital media division with Fassino v. Russ Casenhiser, Director of Operations 12. Co-founded Bridal Search, Inc 13. Developed industry’s largest searchable database of bridal gowns 14. Co-owned La Galleria – women’s apparel store 15. M. B. A. vi. Becky Casenhiser, Director of Merchandising 16. Co-founded Bridal Search 17. Maintained relationships with bridal gown manufacturers 18. Co-owned La Galleria – managed buying, sales, customer service 19.M. B. A. vii. Erik Herz, Director of Advertising Sales 20. Six years of sales experience in publishing industry 21. Helped launch Marie Claire in the American Market viii. Partnerships: 22. Online: a. Excite i. Features partner/ lifestyle channel b. AOL ii. Featured wedding resource iii. Exclusive honeymoon resource iv. Featured wedding content partner c. Yahoo! v. Developing Yahoo â€Å"I do† weddings 23. Marketing partnerships: d. Bloomingdale’s vi. Online and in-store marketing e. 1-800 Flowers vii. Marketing and promotion partner f. Atlantic Records viii. Marketing and promotion partner . Great Bridal Expo ix. Featured online wedding resource h. Museum of the City of New York x. *The Future of Weddings* i. Harley Davidson Cafe xi. Special promotions, live events j. WEDCOM ‘97 xii. Keynote speake r/online partner b. Opportunity: ix. What is The Knot selling? 24. Online content dealing with various issues in the early parts marriage k. Second marriages, elopement, same-sex marriages, premarital pregnancy 25. Provide convenience l. Wedding-planning m. Fashion n. Beauty advice o. Grooms p. Travel q. Gifts r. Home 26. Gift shop 27. Gift registry x. Customer: 28.People looking to get (re)married. 29. People looking for wedding gifts 30. Wedding-related services xi. Is this service/product a compelling purchase? 31. Yes. People don’t skimp on weddings 32. Recession-proof: 2. 4 million weddings a year/ 34 billion in annual sales and services 33. xii. Can The Knot grow? 34. Yes. Its online well established base will allow it continue growing at a faster rate than any of its competitors xiii. How fast? 35. xiv. How will The Knot reach more customer segments? 36. Not by magazines high cost of infrastructure and development 37.Continue to adapt to technological changes and trend s in the industry 38. Venture into wedding related markets (pregnancy, planning resources for people without money for huge weddings, etc) 39. Offer evolving and compelling information 40. Create new strategic alliances 41. Strengthen user loyalty 42. xv. What are The Knot’s economics? 43. P20 xvi. What stands in the way of success? 44. Competitors 45. Wedding planners 46. c. Context (factors that inevitably changed, but can’t be controlled by The Knot): xvii. Regulatory environment xviii. Interest rates xix.Demographic trends xx. Inflation d. Deals: ii. How much money should they raise? For what purpose? e. Money: f. Purpose: xxi. Increase investment to further develop the brand xxii. Maintaining relationships with advertisers xxiii. Build technological infrastructure xxiv. Launch sites in other countries xxv. Develop gift registry business (p7) xxvi. Develop technology xxvii. Protect trademark/trade names iii. From whom should they raise money? On what terms? g. Whom : xxviii. Venture capitalists 47. Well known team 48. Wedding market has a high growth potential 49. xxix. Strategic partners . Terms: xxx. Provide limited strategic decisions xxxi. Unlimited cash flow iv. What should David Liu and Carla Roney do? Why? i. What to do: xxxii. Continue to provide a wide range of products that keep the customers’ interest xxxiii. Broaden customer base launch sites in other countries j. Why: xxxiv. Maintain/develop technology xxxv. Keep current relationships with advertisers, customers, and retailers xxxvi. Maintain position above competition xxxvii. Respond effectively to competitive pressures xxxviii. Attract advertising from various industries

Program for Education, Health and Food in Mexico Essay

The United Nations formulated global targets to be attained by all nations which are referred to as millennium development goals (MDGs), which need to be met by 2015. This is the foundation for the major development agendas set by separate nations in the world today that all are geared towards these goals. For instance these goals includes poverty and hunger reduction, universal primary education, equitable access to all levels of education and a reduction in maternal and child mortality (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 45). Therefore in order these targets to be achieved globally, they ought first to be achieved by the individual nations as units making the globe. This therefore calls for the commitment of nations geared towards implementing multi sectoral strategies of these individual nations in the whole world to attain these MDGs which bears the common good to the majority. In this connection, Latin America is not an exception to the global programs. In this regard, Latin America established five conditional cash transfers programs aimed at reducing poverty and to increase human capital in form of education, (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 23) health and nutrition in order to contribute to the attainment of the United Nations development targets set by the year 2015 in the globe (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 178). These programs include Bolsa Escola program (which provides school grants), Programme for the Eradication of Child Labour in Brazil, the Families in Action program in Colombia, the Social Protection Network in Nicaragua, and Oportunidades program in Mexico. However this term paper shall give focus to the Oportunidades program in Mexico (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 63). Concepts of Conditional cash transfers The concepts of CCT (Conditional cash transfers) are new development programs adapted by nations as a result of global development challenges. The approach of CCTs are adapted with an aim to foster human capital accumulation among the young generation in order to break inter-generational vicious poverty cycle in the modern generation (ECLAC, 2002, p. 82), so that tomorrow world can have a poverty free generation with reduced social crisis. Therefore CCTs involves providing and availing money to poor families conditional upon investments in human capital such educating children, improving the health through creating health centrers close to the people and nutritional aspect (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 23). This is done through the use of the demand-side interventions to support directly the beneficiaries as opposed to traditional supply-side mechanisms like provision of general subsidies or investments in health providers of social services or health facilities and centrers or schools. In this regard therefore Conditional Cash Transfers programs targets at improving children’s human capital. Which is similar to the case of Latin America and Mexico’s Programa de Educacion, Saludy Alimentacion (PROGRES) (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 131). However in order to analyse the conditional cash transfers, the analysis should be based on the new approach to social protection, that encompasses risk management approach that is aimed at enhancing human capital and defeating poverty in the longer term plans (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 5). For instance the social risk management strategy indicates that individuals, households and communities are exposed to multiple risks in their environment. Thus Poverty translates to greater vulnerability of the poor community, simply because poor people in the community or society usually are limited to access to instruments that are necessary for risk management (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 213). In addition poor sect of society or community are always poorly prepared to cope with crises whenever they occur. For example the poor sect would handle a financial crisis using an informal method and approach like taking their children out of school and keeping them at home, which is insufficient approach to crisis management. This way of handling crises results to irreversible loss of human capital and perpetuated intergenerational poverty cycle that becomes hard and difficult to reduce (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 141). In this respect the social risk management model uses three functions that are vital for the public policies. This includes the prevention, mitigation and coping, which embraces the long term benefits and reduced consequences. Therefore, it ends up helping benefiting people living in structural poverty, people who are just above the poverty line and groups with special needs in the society. Therefore, the CCTs approach is rooted from the concept of social protection as human capital investment that holds that poverty is reproduced across human generations due to a lack of investment in human capital (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 63). In this respect CCTs approach is more effective than the traditional approach, since it incentivizes this human capital investment by attaching conditions to transfers to produce desired results to the community and world at large. The use of CCTs in education ensures that opportunity cost of education is reduced hence reinforces the income effect of the transfer in such a way that school attendance and child labour is not as a substitute to income effect. This is aided by implementation regulations such as compulsory attendance of school by children with income substitution to enhance its impact. In this case when the children spend much time in school they would not consume as much resources as they would consume when are at home. Hence in terms of conditional cash transfers it implies that,there will be a minimum transfer amount needed to produce incentives >0 to send children to school (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 56). Therefore, this ensures that the saved resources are put to development agendas that will enhance wealth creation and more investment realization. The program was created in the year 1997 by Mexican Federal Governments as a strategy to support rural families in extreme poverty to alleviate from those poor conditions (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 39). But the name changed to Oportunidades meaning Opportunities that was extended to urban populations by president Fox in the 2001. This program uses the conditional cash transfer concept within Latin America and its design marks a significant shift in social services provision in Mexico today. The guiding principles that the program uses to work are; targeting, intersectorality, empowerment of women and shared responsibility. The program was created for the purpose of increasing the capabilities of families that live in extreme poverty by investing in human capital in Mexico (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 42). This goal has three main objectives which includes education, health and nutrition. This is because the three component are dependent of each other. For instance, education will enhance technological development in the health and food production sectors to handle diseases and agricultural areas respectively, while education can not continue and progress within the environment that is infested by diseases and poor health as a result of malnutrition. Both components, if they are not balanced, can result to poor productivity in the economy and society. In this connection, the following section shall look at these three components Educational component The payments that concerns educational expenses are made to families with children under the age of 18 who are enrolled in school between the first year of primary education and the third year of secondary school. But in order to create and initiate incentive for families to invest in human capital, payments are conditional to children attending school. In addition, if a child has a non-attendance rate of over 15 percent in one academic month without a valid reason, the family does not receive the assistance that concerns education. By doing so, the government ensures that great emphasis is laid to education and eliminates unnecessary laxity in the implementation process, by involving parent to monitor their children and educationalists to keep updated record which the government uses to allocate payments to parents hence, each stakeholder participates in the process (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 272) . The amount of money that is transferred are set basing on the additional income the children would be fetching to the family if the child would be working and not attending to school. The payment rises with an increase in the age of a child. However, this is schemed higher for girls at secondary level (ECLAC, 2002, p. 71) . This is to encourage a girl child education like many parts of the world today do. In addition to regulation of the payment, the pay is designed to be inflation concious that prevents falling of value. In general, the grant is dependant on the enrolment and school attendance. While, the grant covers both direct costs required like school fees, school supplies, transportation and the opportunity costs as a result of attending school in Mexico (Davis, 2003, p. 30). Health component In relation to the health component Oportunidades program invokes the provision of primary health care to all members of the family, this to cultivate an enabling environment for the leaner to able attended to well. The health services are provided at clinics, dispensaries and health centrers which are operated and run by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute) and the Secretariat of Health (Davis, 2003, p. 128). These grants are targeted to newborn children of about 2-3 years of age (ECLAC, 2002, p. 129), hich may continue up to the time the children enrols in primary school level. In addition to the that, pregnant and lactating women are included in the program. This component consists of a cash transfer aimed at health care, nutrition education and food consumption that benefits mothers and children. The transfer is on the basis of compliance by participating household members with a pre-determined number of health centre visits and health and nutrition workshops which are attended, this ensures a full participation in the process and community unity (Gertle, 2000, p. 61). The children’s health care visits are linked to growth monitoring and vaccination protocols that needs to be observed by mothers. This ensures that, the health standards are maintained by citizen which forms a healthy nation. In addition to that, Health Care visits for pregnant and lactating women ensures appropriate prenatal, childbirth and puerperal care (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 76) through attending clinical check-ups once or twice per year in Mexico. This health component ensures that the society’s well being is taken into account therefore, this will translate to good education involvement and participatory. Therefore health component indirectly or directly promotes and support education. Nutrition component The grant provided is directed towards providing money to improve food consumption and availability, especially to children below age of 4 months to 2 years (Gertle, 2000, p. 232), weaned babies and breastfeeding mothers. This package is inclusive of children aged above the age of 2 years to 5 years who are at risk of malnutrition or those who are poorly nourished (ECLAC, 2002, p. 223) in the society. The condition to continue and get the grants is based upon ability to visit the health clinics regularly, in this way, the population continues to be updated on the health prevention and cure methods while the government gets the required statistics that are vital for planning and fighting infections to its citizens. It should be noted that the nutrition and health voucher as equivalent to the value of the time invested by the mother during the trip and waiting at the health centre to to get health services (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 267). For instance, the statistics indicate that health grant per beneficiary per month was set at the same level as the education transfer of about US$9, which is twice the monthly expenditure per person on health care and medicine costs.

Management and leadership development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Management and leadership development - Essay Example From these definitions, it can be gathered that the primary traits of leadership includes development of a vision and aligning it with the personal interests of the followers. However, Hughes and Beatty (2011) argued that present scenario leadership includes motivation, strength, empowering, understanding the pros and cons, decision making and implementations. The scope leadership has magnified with the changes in the needs of the people and organizations. The theme statement of the essay reflected above signifies the changes in the leadership process in context of developing participative and democratic leadership. This statement will be analysed on the basis of corporate leadership, this essay will focus on the leadership of former CEO of American Automobile Company Ford, Alan Mulally, to examine the statement of Mahatma Gandhi. Adair (2010) noted that application of traditional leadership processes and theories have reduced in the business operations because of the complex influence of external forces and changes in the governing factors of business. Burkholder (2009) mentioned that as organisations have shifted their focus on profit generation to sustainable growth and development, the process of managing the internal functions and external relations have also changed. Davis (2011) highlighted beginning from the personality era of leadership, the traits of being a successful leader has changed regularly. For instance, during the Great Man Period, reformers believed that following the characters and traits of successful leaders can build the character of a potential leader. However, Edd (2011) criticised that the traits of leaders differ along with the situations and their vision and hence the personality leadership concepts were not a sustainable solution. The first form of participative leadership was de veloped with the influential era of leadership where

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

American History - Essay Example This act of civil disobedience became the spark that ignited the masses during the 1950’s and 1960’s in protesting the racial inequalities. The government, today widely viewed as a body that finds solutions to such social problems, was the entity that created this problem in the first place. The Jim Crow laws that disenfranchised black voters ensured that only white opinions mattered in the political process. Segregation, during the Jim Crow era, was not limited to transportation mediums. In Alabama, hospitals, whether public or private, could not require a white nurse to care for blacks (â€Å"Jim Crow Laws†, 1998). The subject of segregation became a much discussed topic during World War II. The nation that hailed itself as the symbol of freedom sent its young men to fight and die in a war to make the world safe for democracy. An embarrassing aspect of this high idealistic struggle was that U.S. blacks were subjugated within the very armed forces that were supp osed to stand for freedom of all nations. The black soldiers, of course, very much resented this lower class distinction as they bled the same color red as the white soldiers. The heroic actions by many black soldiers during the war began a change of direction in the attitude of whites throughout the country regarding race relations. The U.S. Constitution provided the lawful assurance that non-violent strategies were defensible in court. This allowed for the protests which inevitably led to the awakening to the black plight of many unwary whites who then joined the cause leading to the eradication of racist Jim Crow type laws forever. People, both black and white, were now willing to violate absurd, archaic local segregationist laws because they believed they were abiding and defending a ‘higher law,’ the Constitution. The original objective of the Southern Christian Leadership

Critical Review of Photography of Shelby Lee Adams Essay

Critical Review of Photography of Shelby Lee Adams - Essay Example Adam Lee is well known photographer whose pictures are viewed over the internet. His pictures cover large scenes and convey lots of information. This paper analyzes two photographs taken by Lee and makes claim of his skills in taking pictures of various scenes. Though a well-recognized photographer, Adam Lee’s photos fall short of characteristics of good photographs due to their appearance and manner in which they were captured (Shelby and Smith, 68). The first photograph above conveys an old man carrying a naked child. In the picture, it appears the man does not care about the bad scene created by the photograph especially when the child is wholly naked. From the features of a good photograph, the picture fails since it is not subjective and does not make the viewer react. This photo does not convey several information about the scene as it confuses the viewer (Shelby and Smith, 69). For instance, one wonders whether the child’s leg is swollen, thus suffering or it is just the wish of the man to leave the kid naked. Therefore, Adam failed in telling the audience the story through the picture thus not capturing the audience’ emotion even though the picture indicates a harsh reality. Secondly, the photograph fails to narrate the event covered. For instance, the photo fails to make the viewer understand the picture appropriately making failing to draw his emotions as per the scene of a man carrying the naked child with a swollen leg (Shelby and Smith, 70). The viewer fails to sympathize with the kid or condemn the man for carrying the naked child aimlessly. Third, Adam’s photo is not composed since it lacks some techniques in mind. For instance, the classic rule suppose the photo to be broken into three distinct equal parts. The picture contrasts this rule since the sky does not take even two thirds of its frame while the land takes less than a third. The photo lacks linear or cyclical effect thus cannot make the viewer move his eyes t hrough the picture. Therefore, this denies the photographer some extra appreciation from the viewer. Fourth, the photo is not emotional as required by the features of a good picture. For example, the picture of the man carrying the kid does not draw attention of a people suffering or just relaxing as per their wish. Consequently, it does not reveal to the viewer whether the man in the picture is widowed thus cares for the child on his own thus carelessness (Shelby and Smith, 71). Lastly, the photo is visionless as it fails to make the viewer feel its beauty. The picture of the man reveals to some extent that the child carried is crying thus causing a bad scene, which irritates most viewers. Most people feel sad on seeing naked children crying as they associate the scene with suffering. Photos of crying kids are often irritating more so to women who feel the child has been neglected thus making them not concentrate on the picture. Most of the photographs of Lee Adams lack a proper ba ckground. This clearly denotes that Adams is not a good photographer. A good photographer should be someone who understands several, if not all, the basics of taking photographs. Picture background should be one of the basic things that a good photographer must consider when taking photographs. Before taking a photograph, it is of crucial importance that the photographer identifies a good site that can best suit the type

Engineering Management - Assignment EM1 Research Paper

Engineering Management - Assignment EM1 - Research Paper Example A low ratio in comparison with industry averages indicates an inefficient use of business assets. The Return on Assets Ratio is calculated as follows: Return on Assets = Net Profit Before tax / Total Assets = 1M / (1.2M + 0.7M -0.5M) = 1M / 1.4M = 0.714 Return on Investment (ROI) Ratio Return on Investment Ratio is the ratio of percentage of return on funds invested by the owners. The ROI is perhaps the most important ratio of all. The ROI should be high enough for an investor to invest in risk taking business proposition. The ROI is calculated as follows: Return on Investment = Net Profit before Tax / Net worth. (Word Count = 497) 1. (b) Do you think the above structure is satisfactory How would you change the structure and why would you change it To find answer to the above question first we have to look at what is an Organisation Structure I will just quote one, which I feel gives the essence of organization structure. 'The structure of an organization [is] the sum total of the ways in which it divides its labor into distinct tasks and then achieves co-ordination among them' (Mintzberg, 1989).' In analyzing the organization structure of Tees Valley Doors (TVD), I find that the organization structure is lacking some vital points. 1. This is a top-heavy organization structure. The total no. of employees are 70. For which there are 3 whole time Directors, 6 managers. 2. The allocation of jobs to the Directors are also not proper e.g. the Distribution Manger is having 4 assistants under him and the Warehouse manager is having 5 operators under him. I feel the posts of Managers here are superficial. It should be the job...It is calculated before income tax because tax rates and tax liabilities vary from company to company for a wide variety of reasons, making comparisons after taxes much more difficult. The Net Profit Margin Ratio is calculated as follows: This ratio reveals how well inventory is being managed. It is important because the more times inventory can be turned in a given operating cycle, the greater the profit. It is stated that inventory turn over is three times a year. This measures how efficiently profits are being generated from the assets employed in the business when compared with the ratios of firms in a similar business. A low ratio in comparison with industry averages indicates an inefficient use of business assets. The Return on Assets Ratio is calculated as follows: Return on Investment Ratio is the ratio of percentage of return on funds invested by the owners. The ROI is perhaps the most important ratio of all. The ROI should be high enough for an investor to invest in risk taking business proposition. The ROI is calculated as follows: 2. The allocation of jobs to the Directors are also not proper e.g. the Distribution Manger is having 4 assistants under him and the Warehouse manager is having 5 operators under him. I feel the posts of Managers here are superficial. It should be the job of supervisors to handle operators and assistants.

Kohlbergs Moral Stage Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kohlbergs Moral Stage Theory - Essay Example An examination of â€Å"developing structures† through which an individual makes moral judgments will enable us to understand moral development (p.54). I agree with Kohlberg’s Moral Stage Theory, and judging by its tenets of moral development I will place myself at Stage 5. At this stage, the sense of morality in me has bloomed to its full development, where I have attained the constructs of â€Å"social contract† and â€Å"legalistic orientation† and I perceive right action in terms of the alignment of citizens’ right with the behavioural standards as prescribed by the society (p.55). Through my education as well as insights from personal experience, at this stage, I, have been able to obtain necessary awareness of the â€Å"relativism of personal values and opinions† and the need to adhere to relevant rules before a specific action (p.55). Thus, when I take an action, I do not merely consider the legal aspects when deciding its propriety bu t also the rights of others as well as the impacts of my action on them, though it may not legally violate their rights. As a person involved in the study of criminal justice, I also have understood that I must be â€Å"especially sensitive† towards ethics in my personal and academic life as well as professional life in future (Pollock, 2011, p.4). In this context, law enforcement officers are endowed with a lot of power and if they use it indiscriminately, it can lead to misuse of official authority that entails in violation of human rights. However, I understand that even if police officers have immunity in most cases in respect of action against them, they should not indulge in any activity that may violate the rights of citizens. On the other hand, I also know those hat police officers an explicit responsibility to â€Å"uphold and enforce† laws, in the process of which, sometimes they may not be able to fully comply with principles of protecting the rights of othe rs.

Economics and Government Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economics and Government - Assignment Example The market only stabilizes where demand is equal to supply and an equilibrium price is determined. Many sellers meet and each produces what he/she is best at hence quality goods are sold by willing sellers to willing buyers at an agreed price (Harford, 61-65). Q2: What does Harford mean when he says that in competitive markets, "Things are going to the right people†? In a competitive market, there is free allocation of resources although the consumers are the ones who determine how resources are to be allocated through their purchasing power. All the players in the market have a self interest; the producers maximize profits, the owners of factors of production get rewards, while the consumers get maximum utility. The consumers demand goods thus forcing producers to produce the goods and the producers in turn allocate factors of production in the production process. All the players in the market thus get what they deserve; profits, rewards, and utility. The buyers get what they can afford based on their income and wealth (Harford, 61-79). Q3: When Harford talks about the absence of a market for schools, he argues that people find a way to trade in access to schools---they use the property market. Does this mean that, in fact, there is a market for schools, and that we should expect provision of schooling to be efficient? Provision of education is not profitable to businessmen hence there is no market for schools. However, where property market is thriving there is establishment of schools as businessmen cater for their needs or arising out of economies of scale. The workers who work in those properties require education hence more schools are established for easier access. There is market for schools but they are underprovided hence government intervention is needed to ensure all citizens have access to schools especially in poor areas where no industries exist. Q4: What is an externality? Give an example of an externality, and show how its presence makes the price of an activity diverge from the cost of the activity. An externality is an unintended consequence that results from production and consumption in the market thus affecting others not directly involved in the process. For example, the consumption of demerit goods such as cigarettes gives the individual satisfaction but affects the health of others who inhale the smoke. This is an additional cost to the society which is not included while determining prices in the market hence the price of the activity is lower than the actual cost of the activity (Harford, 79-108). Q5: What is a positive externality? Give an example of one, and show how in "complete, free and competitive markets" (to use Harford's phrase), too little of this good would be produced and traded. A positive externality occurs when consumption or production of a good is beneficial to other members of the society who are not involved in the transaction such that the social cost is less than private cost. For exam ple, research and development is beneficial to all. This means the producer engaging in research and development incurs high costs and in a free market, other producers will benefit from information or ideas generated from this research to improve their products. It therefore discourages producers from investing in research since the private cost is higher than social cost. More of the product will thus be needed than is available in the market. Q6:

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Journal - Essay Example I did not particularly like the essay in terms of proving its point with scientific evidence, but I do agree with its basic argument that rational punishment, even and particularly in the form of the occasional spanking, is beneficial for a child’s well-being as its replaces the parent in the role of authority. I have been interested in the creation of alternative power for a long time and wind generators are one of my major areas of interest. I have my own concerns regarding them, such as what will happen to wind patterns like the jetstream if enough of these towers are erected. I base this opinion on the effects that have taken place at Niagara Falls as a result of the construction of large buildings that prevent the wind from doing its job. The author uses logos combined with authority to argue his three main points against wind power, indicating that these are not exclusive of any other concern but merely some of the more pressing issues that must be addressed. I liked the article because I thought it was very straightforward in its presentation of facts and concerns while not getting too detailed for the amount of space available. This essay was of interest to my life because I am at least as affected by the capitalistic world I live in as the author of this story. The difference is that he is able to get away to a silent retreat when he wants to and I am usually pretty much trapped within the noise and bustle of the city. I don’t have a cabin to go to but I can certainly appreciate the value he places on his. The author uses pathos and metaphor to create a mood of quiet celebration of something that we usually take for granted. By appealing to the emotions of his readers and associating the falling rain and the sounds it makes to a festival, the author is able to foster a sense of appreciation for the free rain that still

VOLUNTARY SUSTAINABILITY DISCLOSURE (Accounting) Essay

VOLUNTARY SUSTAINABILITY DISCLOSURE (Accounting) - Essay Example It may be argued that the above definition portrays a simplistic view of sustainability. Hence, one of the greatest difficulties encountered by corporations is to break down the sustainability phenomenon into objective goals. According to O’Dwyer’s definition of what he terms as managerial capture, corporations must define sustainability for themselves keeping in view their primary concern of shareholder wealth maximization (O’Dwyer, 2003). This has called into question the existence of the â€Å"social† aspect in â€Å"corporate social responsibility†. Sustainability must not be viewed from organization’s perspective; rather, it should be viewed from the perspective of the holistic ecosystem. Owing to an increased focus towards sustainability in the corporate world, there have been expectations from accountants to adopt an influential role in using sustainability in a positive way to enable stakeholders achieve their goals. The environmental impact of the firm’s operations on its assets, liabilities, revenues and costs has been one way of incorporating sustainability into financial statements. ... â€Å"Integrated reporting† has, therefore, evolved as a relatively new concept which reflects KPIs depicting the organization’s economic, social and environmental performance (Gould, 2011). This, however, requires managerial co ordination and collaboration across all organizational levels and that the processes for gathering non-financial data are similar to those for financial reporting. Integrated reporting may not be possible even with a holistic reporting of social and environmental risks. Quantifying such non-financial information and developing appropriate KPIs for it is in itself may present a challenging task. Considering the trend towards sustainability reporting, various tools and techniques have been developed for accountants to incorporate this. Accounting like its social sciences counterparts relates to socio-economic framework of the society. Traditional experiments in the field have focused on multi-column accounting, triple-entry record keeping and the more recent, narrative disclosures (Bebbington, Brown, & Frame, 2007). Some quantification of data has been made including the number of workers employed, emissions resulting from use of product, use of resources versus the amount of final product produced etc. Researchers have called on placing greater emphasis on stakeholders to provide for multi-layered accounts and address power differentials in the social and environmental reporting (Bebbington, Brown, & Frame, 2007). Therefore, a transition is being made from the â€Å"monologic† accounting practices to â€Å"polyvocal citizenship† approach (Gray, Dey, Owen, Evans, & Zadek, 1997). Procedures such as SAMs (Sustainability Assessment Modeling Systems) have been adopted in the U.K whereby costs that were traditionally considered

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay Example for Free

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay A budget is a tool that helps managers to ensure that the required resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently as the organization moves towards achievement of its objectives. The budgets are determined yearly and are based upon the previous year’s budget and variances. This paper will discuss a development of operating budget, comparison expense results with budget expectations, description of possible reasons for variances and strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommendation some benchmarking techniques that might improve budget accuracy. The operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). In healthcare organization the nurse manager of each cost center involves in the preparation and control of the operating budgets (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The finance office of the organization provides support throughout the budget process development. The budgets for the costs centers are combined, and the executive management of the organization makes final decisions on a budget to be submitted to the board for approval. The nurse managers need a variety of information to begin the process of preparing operating budgets for their cost centers, such as the information generated by the organization’s environmental review and by its development of general goals, objectives, policies, organization wide assumptions, program priorities, and specific measurable objectives (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). For example, the environmental review and the general goals, objectives, and policies allow the manager to understand what the organization wants to accomplish and what it believes it will be able to accomplish. For another instance, the organization-wide assumptions and specific measurable objectives then provide the manager with information needed to start preparing the specific details of the budget. In addition, within nursing administration, additional back-ground information is needed before nurse managers can commence cost center budget preparation (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Especially the organization’s approach to delivering nursing care must be clearly understood by all nurse managers. For example, responsibilities of LPNs as opposed to RNs, role of nursing assistants, or proportion of staff works on each shift. According to Finkler, Kovner, Jones (2007), the primary steps of the operating budget development include the calculation of expense budget for personnel, the expense budget for costs other than personnel services, and the revenue budget, budget submission, and budget implementation. To prepare the revenue or expense portions of the operating budget, the first step is to ascertain the volume of work for the coming year (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The amount of work performed by a unit is referred to as its workload (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Workload budget is budget that indicates the amount of work performed by a unit or department, measured in terms of units of service. Workload may be measured in a variety of ways, such as the number of patients, patient days, deliveries, visits, treatments, or procedures. Each cost center must determine the measure that is most appropriate for its unit of service. Once a cost center defines its key unit or units of service, it must predict the number of units of service that will be provided in the coming year. This will allow development of the operating budget. Expense budget for personnel is budget for all personnel under the manager’s direction, generally within a cost center such as RNs, LPNs, aides, and clerical staff (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Expense budget for other-than-personnel services is budget for all expenses for other-than personnel services such as supplies, minor equipment, including both direct unit or department expenses and indirect overhead expenses (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget submission is another step in budget development, when revenue and expense portions of the budget must be summarized and submitted for review together with detailed supporting calculations and narrative justification (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget revisions may be required as the result of a series of negotiations over the submitted budget (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget implementation is a final step of budget development, when managers must address a number of issues in implementing an approved budget, including development of a staffing plan that provides coverage for staff weekends, olidays, vacations, and sick leave as well as busy and slow periods (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). A budget variance occurs when the actual results of financial activity differ from your budgeted projections (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The expense reports show the difference between the budget and the actual amount spent and the result is called the variance. Variances may be within the budget, which is favorable, or over the budget, which is unfavorable (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The variance is used to predict the budget for upcoming years, help with spending during the current year, and help with evaluating the managers and their departments. To determine the cause of variances the managers must investigate and justify to upper management why the variance occurred. There are a variety reasons for variances, which must be identified and controlled if possible. While analyzing the nursing expense results from various units for a pay period, there were some favorable and unfavorable variances. While reviewing the expense record the paid productive hour’s variance was within the budget and the paid nonproductive hour’s variance was 60 hours over the budgeted hours. The unfavorable variance of paid nonproductive hours may have occurred due to some staff being on modified duty, sick leave, meeting time, or education time, which means they are getting paid with no patient care involved. The overtime percentage of hour’s variance was 7. 5% over the budget and the registry percentage of hour’s variance was 8. % over the budget, both are unfavorable. The overtime may have been caused by bad time management, late arrival of the next shift, or working past shift hours due to not enough staff. The increase in the registry hours may have been due to not enough regular staff due to hiring freeze or staff being off for personal or illness reasons. The hours per patient day (HPPD) licensed productive hours was . 13 over budget, the direct product hours was within budget, and the total productive hours was within budget. The hours per patient day over budget may have been caused by the unit being over staffed or also due to the overtime and registry hours. The average daily census (ADC) per unit varied from being within budget to 7. 50 over the budget. The daily census is very unpredictable and depends on the time of year, the admissions from ER or the clinic, and transfers from other hospitals or facilities. Strategies to keep the results aligned with expectations may be done by performance budgeting, which will analyze key reas such as staffing, cost control, increased productivity, and indirect and direct patient care. The activities affected by analyzing these performance areas would be daily staffing calculations, reduced cost to the unit, working more efficiently and better time management, patient care planning, and time spent on patient charting. Offering incentives could also be a good way to involve the staff by informing them of the budget goals. Benchmarking helps to identify performance gaps and identify where improvement is needed. â€Å"Benchmarking is used by large health systems and smaller practices alike as a tool to identify targets and set goals enabling staff to compare the operation’s service, process, and outcomes with those already attaining best practice† goals† (Borglum, 2008, para 12). There are many benchmarking techniques; for the purpose of this paper three will be discussed, financial, performance, and operational. Financial benchmarking is performing a financial analysis and comparing the results in an effort to assess your overall competitiveness and productivity† (Cimasi, 2006, para 10). â€Å"Financial benchmarking is among the more effective techniques for extracting information from a health care enterprise’s historical operating performance and presenting it in a form that facilitates informed judgments that help predict the subject entity’s future operating performance and financial condition† (Cimasi, 2006, para 16). Performance benchmarking involves comparing the performance levels of organizations for a specific process, this information can then be used for identifying opportunities for improvement and/or setting performance targets† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 26). â€Å"Performance levels of other organizations are normally called benchmarks and the ideal benchmark is one that originates from an organization recognized as being a leader in the related area† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 27). Performance benchmarking may involve the comparison of financial measures (such as expenditure, cost of labor, cost of buildings/equipment, cost of energy, adherence to budget, cash flow, revenue collected) or non-financial measures (such as absenteeism, staff turnover, the percentage of administrative staff to front-line staff, budget processing time, complaints, environmental impact or call center performance)† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 28). In conclusion, the operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year and developed by the nurse manager with support of the finance office of the organization (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Variances may occur at any time, may be internal or external, and in most cases are correctable once investigated by the mangers. Benchmarking is used in strategic management and compares processes and performance to help improve organizations. The use of financial ratios and benchmarking is critical to understanding an entity’s overall historical performance and to the forecasting function of valuation analysis† (Cimasi, 2006, para 28). This paper has discussed specific strategies to manage budgets within forecast, compared five to seven expense results with budget expectations, described possible reasons for variances, gave strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommended three benchmarking te chniques, and identified what might improve budget accuracy, and justified the choices made.

Challenges to the Attainment of Work-life Balance

Challenges to the Attainment of Work-life Balance The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature on the recent state of theoretical and practical issues affecting the attainment of work-life balance within organizations. It also challenges some of the metaphorical assumptions associated with work/life balance. The balance between work and life is becoming an important strategic component in the Human Resource Management arena. Hence, to successfully maintain key human resource functions such as attracting and retaining talented staff within the organization, policies should be focused towards endorsing work-life balance. Introduction For the past ten years there has been increasing interest in work-life balance and has drafted innumerable attention from popular presses and scholarly journals. This increase in attention is in part ambitious by recent concerns stipulating that an imbalanced work/life relationship can reduce the health of individuals resulting in lower work performance and can have negative impacts on family life. The concept of work/life balance began to emerge in the 1980s and 1990s where companies first started to offer work/life programs. While the first effect of these programs were mainly to sustain women with children. Theses included maternity leave, home-based work, flex-time, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and child-care referral. During the 1980s men also began voicing work-life concerns. However, todays work/life programs are less gender-specific and recognize other commitments as well as those of the family. The issue of work/life balance began to emerge to the forefront of research and organizations when Rosabeth Moss Kanter revealed the phenomena in her influential book Work and Family in the United States: A Critical Review and Agenda for Research and Policy (1977).. However, the term work-life balance was first coined in 1986 in reaction to the unhealthy choices that many Americans were making in favor of the work place, as they opted to neglect family, friends and leisure activities in the pursuit of corporate goals. The articles published at that time suggested a sharp increase in the working hours of the Americans and this had started to affect their families and individual heath. Work life balance then slowly started gaining grounds in the various organizations. By the end of the decade, work-life balance was seen as more than just a womens issue, affecting men, families, organizations and cultures. Since, then it has developed in to a multidimensional facet with factors affectin g the both the individual and is critical for organizational success. It is formidable to note that the term work/life balance is widely but an official definition of this term still remains indefinable. Even though there are many conceptualizations of work-family balance occurring in recent literature, a direct developed measure of the construct does not exist. This unreliable measure of work-family balance undermines the ability to fully explore the rudimentary facets of this phenomenon. However, this negatively impacts investigations into the policies with respect to individual and organizational outcome variables. Within organizations and corporations there is increasing attention among organizational stakeholders (management, executive directors, owners etc.) for the introduction of work/life balance policies. This has become a predominant issue within the workplace. Many organizations have implemented proficient polices and programs with the objective of improving employee experiences of work-life balance. In the absence of a well developed measure of work-family balance, assessing impact of such interventions empirically becomes problematic. However, there is the need to fully understand and find an effective measure of work/life balance. This allows human resource practitioners to employ a proactive approach towards seeking innovative ways to augment their organizations competitive advantage. It will also aid in finding a balance between challenges of the work/life dilemma and recommend complimentary solutions. In attempting to find an effective measure of balance, the organization would t hen be capable of assessing the impact of the policies created on employee discernment of balance. This can also promote inter-organizational assessment of the levels of perceived work-life balance which can provide useful information to organizational stakeholders for policy drafting. Definition of Work Life Balance Work/life balance can be defined as the absence of unacceptable levels of conflict between work and non-work demands Greenblatt(2002). It incorporates the achievement of a reasonable level of involvement among the various roles in the lives of individuals and assesses their ability to deal with simultaneously with the complex demands of life. There are various definitions of work/life balance that is commonly associated with an equilibrium or sustenance of a sense of harmony in life. However, the meaning can take on different characteristics as it can mean different things to different groups. For example, work/life balance is different within different stages of life every individual experiences. An individual who has recently graduated from university and is not married would have a different conception of work-life balance compared with an individual who may be married and has responsibility to their spouse and children. Johnson (2005) suggests that ones perception of work-life ba lance is dependent on the individuals environment, age and lifestyle. Another important consideration is the level of conflict between work and family spheres especially when there is role conflict (Kossek and Lambert 2005). Furthermore, the job requirements of the individual in the workplace would often hamper with their family life responsibilities. (Williams 2008). The meaning is dependent on the circumstances of the discussion and the researchers viewpoint. There are some acceptable definitions regarding work/life balance and some definitions may overlap and some are evolving which are discussed further. The Traditional view of work/life balance The traditional view of work/life balance assumes that it involves the commitment of equivalent quantity of time to paid work and non-work roles. There are generally five major perspectives used to explain the correlation between work and life stipulated by Zedeck and Mosier (1990) and ODriscoll (1996). The first perspective is the segmentation model which theorizes that work and non-work are both independent domains of life that are separate and have no influence on the other.   This appears to be offered as a theoretical possibility rather than a model with empirical support.   The spillover model is the complete opposite of the segmentation model hypothesizes that both spheres are interdependent on each other either in a positive or negative way.   The research into this sphere can support its proposition however it is deemed having little value as it is too general.   This standpoint needs a more meticulous proposal about the causes, nature and effects of spillover.  The other models examined are more detailed adaptations of the spillover model. The third model is the compensation model which states that the demands or satisfactions that is lacking in one sphere can be made up in the other.   For example, work may be routine and undemanding but this is compensated for by a major role in local community activities outside work.   The other model is an instrumental model whereby an activity in one sphere accentuates the other sphere.   The traditional example is the instrumental worker who will seek to maximize earnings, even at the price of undertaking a routine job and working long hours, to allow the purchase of a home or a car for a young family.   The final model is a conflict model which states that each sphere has multiple demands, thus requiring individuals to prioritize and make choices that can lead to conflict. The contemporary view of work/life balance The contemporary view stipulates that the concept is recognized to be more complex and a number of different issues are to be incorporate. Contemporary studies have explored and measured six aspects of work/life balance that can provide a valuable construct for theoretical advancement and practical human resource interventions. The framework consist of six conceptualizations of work-life balance found in recent literature are as follows multiple roles, equity across multiple roles, satisfaction between multiple roles, fulfillment of role salience between multiple roles, a relationship between conflict and facilitation and perceived control between multiple roles. Work-life balance defined as multiple roles This view is drawn from an individuals multiple life roles which stipulate that the non work (personal/ family) demands are spilled over into the working day of the individual that negatively affects the health and work performance of the individual. This can be referred to as a multiple demand carry over which is referred by Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) as bidirectional, denoting home-to-work and work-to-home spillover. It is now accepted that there are positive as well as negative carry over with recent research identifying the bidirectional constructs of work-family facilitation and enhancement, as well as conflict. Within recent works Greenhaus and contemporaries have defined the multiple role conflict of work/life balance generally as Work-family balance reflects an individuals orientation across different life roles, an inter-role phenomenon (Greenhaus, Collins Shaw 2003). Work-life balance defined as equity across multiple roles The multiple roles definition of work-life balance as further examined by Greenhaus that explored with further focus on the fulfillment across an individuals multiple life roles or the equality of time. Work-family balance was therefore defined as the extent to which an individual is engaged in and equally satisfied with his or her work role and family role. There are three components of work family-balance that are time balance, involvement balance, and satisfaction balance (Greenhaus, Collins Shaw 2003). Time balance refers to an equal amount of time devoted to work and family roles and involvement balance refers to an equal level of psychological involvement in work and family roles. Satisfaction balance stipulates that there is an equal level of satisfaction with work and family roles. The individual components of work/life balance can represent either a positive balance or negative balance depending on the levels of time, involvement, or satisfaction which are equally high or e qually low. However, the work/life balance can be viewed a continuum anchored that is skewed to one end by disparities in favor of a certain role (family, personal roles). It can also be relatively balanced state to extensive imbalance in favor of the other role (work). Work/life balance can be conceptualized as an independent variable of an individuals desires or values. Bielby and Bielby (1989) observed that married working women may emphasize their family in balancing work and family identities and Lambert (1990) discussed maintaining a particular balance between work and home. The term balance here is used to represent an array of diverse patterns of dedication, rather than parity of dedications across roles. It can be inferred that an individual who gives extra priority to one role than the other is relatively imbalanced even if the distribution of commitment to family and work is highly consistent with what the individual wants or values. This conjures the controversial question whether su ch imbalance in favor of one role is healthy or not. Work-life balance defined as satisfaction between multiple roles Kirchmeyer research have focused on the importance of individual satisfaction with multiple roles defined work-life balance as achieving satisfying experiences in all life domains and to do so requires personal resources such as energy, time, and commitment to be well distributed across domains (Kirchmeyer 2000). Clark (2000) also focused on individual satisfaction within the description of work/family border theory and defined work-life balance as satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict (Clark 2000). Work-life balance defined as a fulfillment between multiple roles This aspect focuses on the individual satisfaction where there is an overlap with the acknowledgment an individuals perspective the multiple roles in relation to its importance. This point of view recognizes that the salience of roles is also not a static evaluation but may change over time with diverse familiar life changes such as work promotion, new baby, sick spouse or parents etc. Greenhaus and Allen then defined work-life balance as the extent to which an individuals effectiveness and satisfaction in work and family roles are compatible with the individuals life role priorities at a given point in time. Similarly, work and life balance research should focus on whether ones expectations about work and family roles are met or not. Eby, Casper, Lockwood, Bordeaux and Brinley (2005). Work/life balance defined as a relationship between conflict and facilitation Recent research has revealed the psychosomatic constructs that map work-life balance, noticeably conflict and facilitation. Consequently, work-life balance is been defined as an absence of conflict and a presence of facilitation where low levels of inter-role conflict and high levels of inter-role facilitation represent work-family balance (Frone 2003). The assessment of the four bidirectional conflict and facilitation constructs can be used as a framework to test this definition: Balance is a combined measure whereby work-family conflict was subtracted from work-family facilitation, and family- work conflict was subtracted from family-work facilitation (Grzywacz Bass 2003). Work-life balance defined as an apparent control among multiple roles This aspect is the least supported within the research literature. It states that work-life balance can be interpreted as a degree of independence where an individual perceives themselves having control over their multiple role demands. Fleetwood states that Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work (Fleetwood 2007). Apparently, work-life balance can also be seen as a result of individual sovereignty over the roles most salient to the individual. Therefore, an individual could reduce their work hours to spend time with for example their children which can be perceived as effective work-life balance. Finding a balanced work/life measure The brief review of the literature denotes that there has been limited systematic effort to clearly develop one clear definition or one specific measure of work-life balance. It is important to work towards a consensus of the precise meaning of work-life balance. With the emergence of a specific definition of work-life balance, it would foster decisive outcome variables to authenticate the contemporary theoretical models that describe the relationship among common moderators, outcome variables and the background of work-life balance. This would ensure that a detailed measure of work-life balance could also be used to contrast the levels of perceived balance among the levels within an organization. This would be significant for comparisons among the levels of balance among organizations. It would incorporate questioning employees to rate their present discernment of work-life balance to avidly create an effective measure of balance. The development of a systematic scale would also be necessary to sufficiently authenticate such a measure. The review of the literature reveals that is difficult in capturing a simple holistic measure of the meaning of work-life balance. A basis for recognizing the common threads of meaning can develop using the six definitions of work-life balance previously reviewed. Some definitions consist of the concept of perceptions of good balance as imperative to the significance of work-life balance. The realization that levels of work-life balance can change over time according to the salience of specific life events is also important to note. This would acknowledge the repeated readjustment to several demands that most employees cope with over their period of employment. An integration of the two core meanings or definition of work-life balance can equate the following definition, Work-life balance is the individual perception that work and non-work activities are compatible and promote growth in accordance with an individuals current life priorities (Kalliath 2008). The literature proposed that any appraisal of work-life balance should include individual preferences of current roles. This definition further acknowledges that an effectual balance would lead to positive improvement within the work and non-work spheres. Consequently an individuals work/life precedence can be voluntarily changed to incorporate the development of non-work activities (eg new baby, travel vacations) or growth at work (working harder to gain a promotion). This definition of work-life balance has to be operational within the context to measure validation and development across variant samples. Theoretical Framework: Work-Family Border Theory (Clark, 2000) The theoretical framework employed to understand the balance between work and life is the Work-Family Border Theory. The work-family border theory (Clark, 2000) and boundary theory (Ashforth, 2000) each contribute to the study of work-family connection by depicting the circumstances under which changeable degrees of work-family integration are likely to positively or negatively affect an individuals well-being. These theories deals with how people build, preserve, negotiate and cross boundaries. It shows how people depict the lines between work and family (Clark, 2000). In both theories are similar by an incorporation or segmentation as indicated primarily by displaying characteristics of flexibility and permeability. It is suggested that both are integrate evident when two or more spheres are highly flexible and permeable with respect to one another. The Boundary theory and work-family border theory are common with respect to the extent of work-family integration depending on similarities among these domains with each other (Desrochers Sargeant, 2004). However, the two theories diverge on the nature of the relationship and implications for work-family balance. The difference among roles is the determination of the clarity of how substantial the boundary is between one domain and another that consequently influences the possibility of work-family conflict Ashforth (2000). (Desrochers 2005). This theory has a propensity to focus on transitions within an organizational context Matthews (2007). Even though, reference is made to conversion between organizational roles and non-organizational roles (conversion between work roles and family roles), Clark (2000) states that the transparency of the work-family border is distinguished from the correspondence of role domains in which these two factors interact to influence work-family balance. Matthews (2007) states that this theory is mainly focused on the approach of people transitions between the work and family domains. The Work-family border theory denotes how individuals negotiate and control both the borders between work and family spheres and try to find a balance between them (Clark, 2000). The design of this theory is focused on finding a framework to undermine the criticism and gaps of previous theories on work and family (Akdere, 2006) by dividing the boundaries within the employees life. The theory seeks to deal with how the segmentation and incorporation, management and border creation and border crossers have on the relationships of work and home factors influence on work-family balance. The term border-crossers are referred to employees that are intending on making constant daily alterations between their work and family lives. The distinguishing factor between Work-family border theory and boundary theory in that its definition of borders not only encompasses psychological categories but also the substantial boundaries that divide place, people and time that is associated with work versus family spheres (Desrochers 2005). However, Clark (2000) research tries to comprehend the progression of work-family conflict. The earlier approaches were inadequate as they lacked predictive ability and offered modest direction in either forecasting work-family conflict or solving problems that arise from trying to find a balance between work and family responsibilities (Clark, 2000). Not all individuals are characterized engage in this transition of border-crossing as the language and customs are highly alike within both spheres. Within work domain the language and behavior that is expected are diverse from the expectation within the family domain and consequently a more extreme transition is required. The underlying concept of work-family balance theory refers to satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict (Clark, 2000). The foundation of this theory is built upon the roles between spheres and has the possibility for further clarification on the work and family conflict processes between the family and the workplace (Bellavia Frone, 2005). The fundamental concepts of the work-family border theory are the work and home domains, the borders between work and home, the border-crosser with other important domain members. The Work and Home Domains The work and home are regarded by Clark as being two different domains that has differential behavior rules, and thought patterns. The differentiation among the work and home domains can be classified in two distinct groups that are the differences in value ends and differences in value means (Rokeach, 1973 as cited in Clark, 2000). The Work primarily deals with satisfying the means and ends of providing an income and giving a sense of accomplishment, while home life satisfies the ends of attaining close personal relationships. Within the work sphere the desired ends of responsibility and capability were ranked as the most important whereas the life aspect the desired ends of loving and giving were ranked the most significant means in achieving happiness in the home (Clark 2000). Due to the differentiation in spheres, individuals often find a balance that assimilates both work and life to some degree (Clark, 2000). With respect to the way in which individuals deal with differences of the two domains can be explained on a continuum with one end being integration and segmentation on the other Nippert-Eng (1996). The Borders between Work and Family Within the context of the border theory, an individuals role takes place in a detailed sphere of life and these domains are distinguished by borders that demarcate from either being psychological, chronological, or physical (Clark 2000). The physical borders define where domain or behavior takes place regarding to the workplace or within the home (Clark 2000). Within the research frameworks, the literature is geared towards more controlling and setting time schedules in examining the role conflict boundaries, however less consideration is given to space Ahrentzen (1990). The temporal border refers the time in which work is finished and when responsibilities of the family initiate (Hill 1998). The psychological borders refers to the rules an individual creates that dictate their emotions, behavior patterns and thinking patterns which are appropriate within a specific domain such as work but not family life (Clark, 2000). Psychological borders are used by individuals to identify the ru les that create the physical and temporal borders. It is created as an endorsement which a process in which individuals takes elements given in their environments and organizes them in a way that makes sense (Clark 2000). Work-Family Conflict The various predictors of work/family conflict can be grouped into two general categories role environment and personality. The Role environment consist of several types of role related predictors of work/family conflict such as behavioral involvement, psychological involvement, role-related stressors and affect, and role related resources. Behavioral involvement represents the amount of time devoted to work and family roles. As more time is devoted to one role, it would be expected that less time would be available to meet the demands of another role. Consistent with this notion, a number of studies have found that the time devoted to family activities and chores is positively related to levels of family to work conflict, whereas the time devoted to work is positively related to levels of work to family conflict. Work and family stressors, dissatisfaction, and distress have been examined as potential causes of work-family conflict. It is generally hypothesized that role characteristics can produce role-related dissatisfaction or distress, which may lead to cognitive preoccupation with the source of the distress or to reduced levels of psychological and physical energy. The resulting increase in cognitive preoccupation or reduction in energy can undermine an individuals ability or willingness to meet the obligations of other roles (Frone, Yardley, 1997). Consistent with this line of reasoning, past research has found that work demands, work-role conflict, work role ambiguity, and job distress or dissatisfaction are positively related to reports of work/life balance conflict. Work and family social support have been explored as potential resources that reduced work-family conflict. For example, a supportive supervisor may not make excessive demands that would cause an employee to work at home. Likewise, a supportive spouse or other family member may provide direct assistance with demands at home, thereby reducing the likelihood that an individual is preoccupied with these problems at work. Past research has found that higher levels of social support at work are related to lower levels of work-to-family conflict, whereas higher levels of social support at home are related to lower levels of family-to-work conflict (Adams, 1996). Personality. Although most research has explored role characteristics  as potential causes of work-family conflict, a few studies have begun to  examine personality dispositions as causes of work-family conflict. Various  personality characteristics, such as mastery, hardiness, positive affectivity,  and extraversion may be conceived of as individual resources in that they  capture a tendency to actively cope with problems at work and home,  thereby reducing the likelihood of work-family conflict. Other personality  variables, such as negative affectivity and neuroticism, may be conceived  of as individual deficits in that they capture a tendency to avoid problems  at work and home, thereby increasing the likelihood of work-family conflict. Several recent studies have found that high levels of hardiness, extraversion,  and self-esteem were associated with lower levels of both work-tofamily  and family-to-work conflict (Bernas Major, 2000; Grandey Cropanzano,  1999; Grzywacz Marks, 2000). One study reported that high  levels of neuroticism were associated with higher levels of both work-tofamily  and family-to-work conflict (Grzywacz Marks, 2000). Managing the boundary between the work and family spheres The review of the literature have show that little studies have examined an individuals perception within the boundaries of work and family roles (Nippert-Eng 1996). The analysis of borders can elucidate the extent in which individuals can control the issues determining work and family balance (Guest 2002). This allows for the analysis of physical and psychological controls, an examination of the nature of border permeability and the extent in which they can be managed or moved. This is consistent with the centrality of the issue where individuals perceive the parameters of work and family activities, which create personal meaning and the management of relationships among families and work Zedeck (1992). Kirchmeyer (2000) views living a balanced life as reaching a level that satisfies experiences within all life domains and requires individual resources such as commitment, energy and time to be well distributed across domains. Similarly, Clark indicates that work and family balance i s a satisfaction and good functioning of roles at work and at home with least role conflict (Clark, 2000). Furthermore, another definition of balance stipulates that a balanced life is productive, healthy and satisfying including facets of love, play and work (Kofodimos 1993).These definitions of balance share two important elements. There is the notion of equality, or near-equality, between experiences in the work role and experiences in the family role (Reiter, 2007). Clark (2000) and Kirchmeyer (2000) imply similarly high levels of satisfaction, health, functioning and efficiency across the various roles. Furthermore, the definitions of work and family balance implicitly consider two constructs of equality that are inputs and outcomes. The inputs are the personal resources (Kirchmeyer, 2000) that are applied to each role. Kirchmeyer (2000) states that balance within work and family requires that each role be approached with approximately an equal level of involvement, time, commi tment or attention. The balance achieved can either be negative or positive. A positive balance refers to an equal amount of attention, time, involvement, or commitment, whereas negative balance refers to an equally low level among these inputs. These inputs determine an individuals level of role commitment in accordance with the time dedicated or psychological involvement in each role. There is difficulty in determining an individual who is substantially balanced as being more betrothed in the work role than in the family role. The other component of balance is the resultant outcomes that are experienced in work and family roles. A frequent outcome included in definitions of balance is satisfaction (Kirchmeyer 2000; Clark2000). The relationship between work/life balance and quality of life The balance between work and life is denoted to promote well-being. It is suggested that an imbalance in work will stimulate high levels of stress, cause a reduction in the quality of life and diminish an individuals job performance (Kofodimos 1993). Within an organization the promotion of work/life balance can be promoted by an organizational change approach proposed by Hall (1990). This organizational change can take effect, by companies and individuals considering the advice given by literary publications providing on how to promote a greater balance in life (Cummings 2001; Fisher 2001). However, the question arises on how work/life balance can enhance an individuals quality of life. With respect to individuals, multiple roles can protect and create a buffer from the effects of negative experiences in any one role in an individuals life (Barnett Hyde, 2001). Work/life balance not only produces this buffering effect but can directly promote well being. Marks and MacDermid (1996) states that individuals who are believed to have a balanced life are deemed primed to seize the moment when they meet a role demand since one role is seen no less than the other. Within this way of thinking individuals who are perceived to have balance experience lower levels of stress when enacting roles due to the assumption that they are participating in role activities that are salient to them. It is evident that individuals that have a balance have experienced less role overload and less depression compared to individuals that were deemed imbalanced MacDermid (1996). Furthermore, when an individual has a

Benefits of Evidence Based Healthcare Practice

Benefits of Evidence Based Healthcare Practice Evidence based practice refers to clinical practices that include best available scientific evidence (Levin and Feldman, 2006) based from expert opinion, clinical guidelines and findings from researches, combined with good clinician judgement and client’s preferences (Kim and Mallory, 2011) on issues relating to healthcare. The whole essence is to ensure the best care for patients and to be able to explain why certain clinical interventions are applied. This piece of work will briefly outline the importance of evidence based practice before analysing four pieces of evidence in the care of a stroke patient, Omar Banerjee, and its usefulness other users. Oman et al (2003) states that evidence based practice started to be appreciated and recommended by the National Health Services (NHS) in the UK in the early 1990s. The reason was to have effective and less costly interventions while providing high quality healthcare system. The intervention should be based on best available evidence and provided in the best interest of the patient such as Omar in this analysis. In addition, when a particular intervention is used on a client, evidence is required to back up that particular action (Kim and Mallory, 2011). In the UK this support can come from the NICE guidelines, Care Quality Commission and the codes and practices of professional bodies like Nursing and Midwifery Council. Evidence based practice ensures accountability. Aveyard and Sharp (2013) noted that professional health carers who belong to various professional organisations are expected to comply with their standards, codes and policies. This will be enabling them to justify their actions if required to do so. The first analysis of Omar’s condition is based on Cross (2008)’s evidence on stroke care. This evidence was obtained from the UWE blackboard website. I have chosen this article because it has statistical information helpful to Omar and his carers. It identifies important areas of his care needs and why stroke research should continue to be an on-going process. Sander (2013) defined stroke as a disease caused by the disturbance of the flow of blood in blood vessels in the brain which could have been necessitated by a bursting blood vessel or blood clot. Omar’s stroke was caused by a blood clot in the brain. Stroke has become a big problem and the second main cause of death and disability in developed economies after heart related diseases (Cross, 2008). Sander (2013) emphasises out that stroke is affecting about 150, 000 people in the UK yearly. However, the article reports a decline in deaths because of improvements in stroke care, management and awareness. More resources have been put towards short to long term care of stroke patients such as admission to acute stroke units and to rehabilitation areas (Cross, 2008). The report says this evidence, among others, is being used to develop new stroke treatments and guidelines in the UK. NICE (2008) which provides tools and quick reference guide to stroke related cases could have emerged as a result of this. These developments may give hope to Omar and his distressed family. The article cited two evidence of good practice from two hospitals. It is reported that the stroke management team at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust assess stroke patients on admission to the AE, take brain scans and admit relevant patients to a stroke unit within 24 hours. The other evidence is from Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust where patients have brain scans, swallow screens and initial dose of aspirin given to relevant patients. These practices are recommended by NICE (2008) guidelines and may reduce further risks to patients. Omar received these interventions. This shows the strength of this article to Omar’s case and how early intervention may result in positive outcome. Although the article stressed the need for nurses to continuously monitor patients during the early stages of stroke on certain variables, it did not provide guidelines to back up the checks. Locally agreed hospital policies suggested may not meet NICE standards. Despite the improvements noted in the research, caution should be taken when making decisions based on the findings. These are 2008 findings and a lot has happened since then. Omar may be interested in hearing recent studies such as that of Sander (2013) who points out that in addition to the swallow screen stroke patients should further be screened for malnutrition using Malnutrition Universal screening Tool (MUST) in line with the NICE (2008) guidelines. The second analysis of Omar’s care is based on a qualitative study of Tutton et al (2012) on ten staff and ten patients’ views on the concept of hope on a British stroke unit. The evidence was obtained from EBSCO via CINAHL database and UWE library section. I chose this evidence because CINAHL is considered as one the good sources of evidence (Levin and Feldman, 2006) and the concept may be useful to Omar to learn other patients’ experiences in a similar hospital setting. The aim and key search terms in the article relate well to Omar’s case. Hope is defined as getting better from illness and being able to do things as before (Tutton et al, 2011). This was echoed by some of the patients in the study. An in depth analysis of key terms and the codes used in qualitative study (Aveyard and Sharp, 2013) may help carers to understand how it feel to have a stroke. Omar and his family may share the same thoughts as they are finding it hard to come to terms with sudden change of things in their family. Despite taking long time on data collection and variations in stroke severity Omar may be encouraged to learn that some patients took less than a week in hospital. This result is echoed by Arnaert et al (2006) in a similar study based on ten patients in Canada. They reported that some clients were hoping for a quick recovery and self-healing. The article is good evidence as it stated what is already known about this topic and nursing implications. These aspects are echoed by Arnaert et al (2006) but Tutton et al (2011) further identify what the paper has added such as the multidisciplinary team involvement in caring for stroke patients to make hope a realistic thing. Although the article mentioned that consent was obtained from both participants, there are still some ethical issues in the article. Some of patients’ names are mentioned in the article. This is confidential information and Omar may find himself in a similar situation. Furthermore, relatives and carers of patients were not interviewed in the study. It may be necessary to hear their views as well especially after learning from Preeti how she was struggling to come to terms with Omar’s condition. Her understanding of hope would improve our knowledge on this aspect. It is generally accepted that qualitative evidence is ranked second from the bottom in the hierarch of evidence (Polit and Beck, 2012) and uses a small sample size for the purpose of in-depth analysis of topic under consideration (Aveyard and Sharp, 2013). Although a large sample size may be costly and time consuming, caution must be taken when making inferences on large population size like 150, 000 patients mentioned earlier. A third analysis of Omar’s care considers service audit and evaluation evidence from Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) (2013). It is a national audit on stroke patients admitted to hospital in the first three months of 2013. The research looks at the processes of care at early stages of stroke (72 hours) from hospital arrival. I have chosen this evidence because SSNAP is a nationally recognised organisation and works with other organisations in stroke related cases. Its recent results obtainable through Google, SSNAP Audit Report (2012) and Royal College of Physicians links have strong implications on Omar’s condition. SSNAP (2013) results show the importance of using guidelines in any intervention involving stroke cases. There is strong evidence in the article that stroke patients were immediately taken for brain scans and admitted to the stroke units, as in the case of Omar, upon arriving hospital. This is in line with NICE (2008) guidelines. Most of the trusts were able to meet this standard. However, it is worrying to learn that there is a lower chance of having scan during the weekend and night times, the time of the week when Omar experienced the stroke. NICE (2012) guidelines stipulate that people who have had TIA should have first dose aspirin upon initial assessment. Although Omar received one, the outcome in the report is not very pleasing. It is clear from the research that this standard was not met by all trust as there are huge variations. The research was only focused on 72 hours upon hospital arrival. It may benefit the public and give confidence to Omar if the care he received from the ambulance crew were up to standards. NICE (2012) guidelines require people suspected to have had stroke to be screened using a FAST tool. There are no statistics regarding this in the article as the research excluded time before hospital arrival and the rehabilitation. This information may enlighten the public the importance of early intervention in stroke care. This evidence is not peer reviewed and the way data was collected is of concern. Because the SSNAP is a single source of data nationally (Paley et al, 2013) and an online web-tool was used to gather information one may wonder whether variations in results may appear if a different organisation undertakes the same research. Caution should be applied when interpreting this data. The audit results stress the importance of early intervention by multidisciplinary stroke team in the care of stroke patients. However, there are some areas that require attention if the all standards are to be fully met. The final analysis of Omar’s care is based on quantitative study by Beavan et al (2010) on whether looped nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding improves nutritional delivery to acute stoke patients with dysphagia. The evidence was obtained from UWE blackboard website. I chose this evidence because the intervention, tube feeding, helps to resolve Omar’s swallowing difficulties and improve nutritional needs. The research helps in answering questions on whether there are other alternatives and any effects associated with the intervention. The research was necessitated by the poor nutrition on patients on admission to hospital and the dislodgement associated with adhesive nasal stickers. Findings from the research reported more benefits in using the loop system than the other method. Some of the benefits include fewer checks for NGT position, less supplementary feeds required, more volume of fluids and feeds and less dislodgement of NGTs. This is vital information to Omar as it highlights why the intervention is used. However, the costs were seen to be high for the two week period. It is important to explain to Omar that studies of this nature are useful and commonly used in clinical interventions. It is a view shared by many authors like Polit and Beck (2012) and Aveyard and Sharp (2013). They rank randomised controlled trials as second best on the hierarch of evidence after systematic reviews and meta-analysis. There are some ethical issues regarding the funding for the research. Procare Ltd supplied the loops. The researchers stressed that it was not involved in any logistics or interpretation of the results, but one may wonder why the loops were sold at a bulk price. Could this have resulted in a discount? If the answer is yes then it is likely that the costs could be higher than the reported one. In addition, the aspect of tolerability was mainly based on the views of nurses and family members. Although it is understandable that most of the patients were having communication problems, the number of patients unable to communicate is alarming to the extent that caution is required when using this evidence. The study was done some years ago and the results published in 2010. A number of changes may have happened since then. Omar will be susceptible on why using such an old piece of evidence. Recent research results may be easier to convince Omar and his family than old results. To sum up, stroke is a major disease affecting many people and causing disabilities among survivors. Any nursing intervention will require evidence to back up. Four sources of evidence have been analysed in relation to Omar, a stroke patient. The strengths and weaknesses associated with each of this evidence will enable any intervention in Omar’s care to be made in rationale way and to his best interest. WORDS: 2 089 Reference Aveyard, H. and Sharp, P. (2013) A Beginner’s Guide to Evidence-Based Practice in Health and Social Care, 2nd ed. Berkshire: Open University Press. Kim, M. and Mallory, C. (2011) Statistics for Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing, Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Oman, K.S., Krugman, M.E. and Fink, R. M. (2003) Nursing Research Secrets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Hanley and Belfus. Pilot, D. F. and Beck, C.T. (2012) Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice, 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Levin, R. F. and Feldman, H. R. (2006) Teaching Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing: A Guide for Academic and Clinical Settings, New York: Springer Publishing Company. Arnaert, A., Filteau, N. and Sourial, R. (2006) Stroke Patients in the Acute Care Phase: Role of Hope in Self-healing [online]. 20 (3), pp137-146. [Accessed 14 November 2013] Beavan, J., Conroy, S.P., Harwood, R., Gladman, J.R.F., Leonardi-Bee, J., Sach, T., Bowling, T., Sunman, W. and Gaynor, C. (2010) Does looped nasogastric tube feeding improve nutritional delivery for patients with dysphagia after acute stroke? A randomised controlled trial. Available from: https://blackboard.uwe.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-3425495-dt-content-rid-4569416_2/courses/UZWSN3-15-1_13oct_gl_feb14_1/Tube%20feeding%20after%20stroke%20RCT.pdf [Accessed on 19 November 2013] Cross, S. (2008) Stroke care: a nursing perspective. Nursing Standard. 22 (23), pp 47-56. Available from: https://blackboard.uwe.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-3473085-dt-content-rid-4709333_2/xid-4709333-2 [Accessed on 29 October 2013] National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2008) Audit support (NICE clinical guideline 68 – Stroke) Available from: https://blackboard.uwe.ac.uk/bbcwebdav/pid-3461610-dt-content-rid-4659555_2/xid-4659555_2 [Accessed 12 November 2013] NICE (2008) Understanding NICE guidance: Early assessment and treatment of people who have had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) Available from: www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/cg68publicinfo.pdf [Accessed on 01 December 2013] Paley, L., Campbell, J., Hoffman, A. and Rudd, (2013) Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP): Clinical audit first pilot public report, National results. Available from: www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ssnap_pilot_national_report_january_-_march_2013_admissions_with_appendices_.pdf [Accessed on 11 December 2013] Pale, L., Campbell, J., Hoffman, A. and Rudd, (2013) Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP): Clinical audit first pilot public report, National results. Available from: www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ssnap_pilot_national_report_january_-_march_2013_admissions_with_appendices_.pdf [Accessed on 11 December 2013] Sander, R. (2013) Prevention and treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. Nursing Older People [online]. 25 (8), pp 34-38. [Accessed on 4 December 2013]. Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) (2012) Acute organisational audit report: Public Report for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Available from: http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ssnap_acute_organisational_audit_-_public_report_2012_0.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2013] Tutton, E., Seers, K., Langstaff, D. and Westwood, M. (2011) Staff and patient views of the concept of hope on a stroke unit: a qualitative study [online]. 68 (9), pp 2061-2069. [Accessed 14 November 2013] 1

mcdonald :: essays research papers

In January 2003, McDonald, for a company that has enjoyed sizzling growth for decades announced its first ever-quarterly loss--$343.8 million. One of the main reasons for this is because McDonald has expanded too much and too fast both locally and internationally. Because of their fast growth, they sacrificed their customer services and quality. McDonald, the company that had been opening 1,700 stores a year over the past decade is dramatically reducing their number of new sores openings worldwide. According to David Grainer’s (2003) Can McDonald’s cook again? An article taken from the Fortune 5 Hundred magazine stated, â€Å"McDonald’s-the company that once made its living on prompt, friendly service-has ranked at the bottom of the fast-food industry since 1994. It now sits below every single airline as well as the IRS† (Grainer, 2003, p.120). More significantly, in 1993 due to the frustrated franchisees the company allowed the restaurant national grading system to be eliminated which in affect was a bad leadership move. McDonald has let its services slip because they thought they could afford to, in return it shows the arrogance in the leadership until they were slapped in the face by their fast growing competitors such as Taco Bell, Pizza Huts and Kentucky Fried Chicken. In addition, there are more subway restaurants than McDonald’s in the U.S. (Grainer, 2003, p.129). Furthermore, the company was mostly focusing on the growth of their real estate than to their quality and service. With every franchise McDonald sold, the more profit that they gained from the rent. They concentrated more on the spread of the franchise than they did on the quality of their service. They should be aware that if this franchisee does not do well, in return it would affect on McDonald’s overall profits.

Maglev Consequences Essay -- essays research papers

Maglev Consequences Magnetically levitated ground transportation, or "maglev," is an advanced mode of surface high speed transportation whereby a vehicle gliding above a guide track is suspended, guided, and propelled by magnetic forces. Because they never touch the guide track causing friction, maglev vehicles can be designed to travel at extremely high speeds, 500 kilometers per hour (300 miles per hour), or more! Americans traveled 3.2 trillion passenger kilometers (2 trillion passenger miles) by car, truck, bus, and public transit, and 9.8 billion passenger kilometers (6.1 billion passenger miles) on Amtrak. As populations have grown the traditional systems have become stressed. Congestion on highways and at airports not only wastes time and fuel and increases pollution, but constrains mobility to the extent that economic growth and productivity are adversely affected. Increased demand. Between 1980 and 1990, with deregulation and consumer demand for fast inner-city travel leading to lower airline fares, commercial air traffic has increased by 56 percent. Adding to the congestion and delay is increased commuter and regional air traffic. Those short distance flights take valuable landing slots that could be used for larger planes on more profitable, longer flights. With the maglev vehicles the shorter trips excluding access time can be cut a lot. With a study of 16 major ...