Community Health Project

Community Health Project- Part One – Identifying the Project's Focus Kathleen Rogers King Walden University November 26, 2012 Community Health Project-Part One -Identifying the Project's Focus This paper will identify a significant health issue and a particular population for a health management plan. Support for the significance of this health issue, and rationale for the selection of this population will be presented. Evidence about the population will be examined and discussed in regards to one asset and one challenge of this particular population.An approach to address the issue and the rationale for this choice will be provided with a minimum of five appropriate references. Health Issue and Population Defined as birth prior to 37 weeks gestation (ACOG, 2008), preterm birth affects about 12% of births in the United States. Preterm birth is an important public health priority costing over $26. 2 billion in 2005 according to the March of Dimes (2011) report on preterm birth. Prematurity is the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years, and the single most important cause of death in the first month of life (March of Dimes, 2011).More than 15 million babies are born too soon, with 1 in 8 babies born premature every year worldwide; of these, over 1. 1 million preterm babies die due to complications of prematurity (CDC, 2012). The cost of the first year of birth for a preterm infant is 10 times greater than for term infants (Howson, Kinney & Lawn, 2012). Support and Rationale Women and infants are a vulnerable population. Maternal mortality and morbidity disproportionally affect vulnerable populations of women, such as those living in poverty, facing racial and ethnic discrimination, and having limited language skills (Anderson & Stone, 2013).From a public health perspective infant mortality is considered the measuring stick for determining the health of the population, whereas maternal mortality is the divider between wealth and poverty (An derson, 2013). Eliminating racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities is critical for quality health care outcomes (Shi & Stevens, 2010). Preterm births occur more often among certain racial and ethnic groups with non-Hispanic black mothers being 1. 5 times more likely to have a preterm baby, and that baby 3. times more likely to die than a non-Hispanic white baby (CDC, 2012). Sadly, although 90% of preterm babies in high-income countries will survive, 90% of preterm babies born in low-income countries will die (Presem & McDougall, 2012). The implications of being born too soon extend beyond the neonatal period and throughout the life cycle, resulting in serious consequences such as cerebral palsy, and chronic lung disease, as well as, intellectual impairment, learning difficulties, poor health, vision and hearing loss (Institute of Medicine, 2007).In general, the more immature the preterm infant, more life-support is needed, the risks of re-hospitalization are greater, and the b urden of lifetime problems more significant (IOM, 2007). Assets and Challenges Preventing preterm birth remains a challenge (CDC, 2012). There is no test that can accurately predict a preterm birth, very little is known about the causes and mechanisms of preterm birth, or about how to prevent a preterm birth, and few effective preventative strategies are available (March of Dimes, 2012; WHO, 2009; IOM, 2007).Once a woman is pregnant, most of the interventions to prevent preterm birth only delay onset long enough to administer steroids to the mother to help prevent respiratory distress in the infant after birth and transfer the mother and fetus to a hospital for the appropriate level of care (IOM, 2007). Studies indicate that many of the factors associated the preterm birth frequently occur together, particularly in minority women, or those who have low socioeconomic status (IOM, 2007).Medical conditions such as chronic hypertension, diabetes, infections, and stress are associated wi th preterm birth, as are any history of a preterm birth in a previous pregnancy, a family history of preterm birth, infertility, and a pregnancy of twins or triplets (IOM, 2007). Any significant gains to be made in the study of preterm birth will be in the area of prevention and eliminating disparities (IOM, 2007). Feasible, sustainable, cost-effective care solutions can be made available by collaboration, cooperation and alignment of services (WHO, 2012).Clinical research continues to identify ways to prevent preterm deliveries. For example, a progesterone medication (17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate or 17P) may prevent preterm birth among women who have had a prior preterm birth (CDC, 2012). Approaches and Interventions Addressing preterm birth is now an urgent priority for reaching the WHO, Millennium Development Goal 4 (WHO, 2012). Reducing child deaths by two-thirds by 2015 requires a rapid expansion of our global commitments to implement change (WHO, 2012).Collaborative a nd partnership management models have evolved for addressing action and prevention programs such as, the World Health Organization’s Every Woman, Every Child, Global Strategy for Women and Children’s Health, March of Dimes, Save the Children, Born too Soon, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s 4 & 5) which aim to save the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015 (Howson et al, 2012; WHO, 2009).Nationally, the framework is complete; since 1980, the CDC’s Healthy People series has been based on core public concepts: population surveillance, population health, prevention and early intervention, identification of root causes, outcome assessment, and continuous feedback so that interventions can be adjusted appropriately (Manderscheid, 2009). To achieve the Healthy People objectives, it is essential to monitor improvement regularly to ensure the resources are directed app ropriately and effectively (Shi & Stevens, 2010).A set of ten measurable leading health indicators (LHIs) was developed, which also reflect the risks of preterm birth; these are physical activity, obesity, tobacco use, substance abuse, sexual behavior, mental health, injury and violence, environmental quality, immunization, and access to health care (Shi, 2010). Implementation and Rationale Implementing priority, evidence-based interventions for prevention include reducing unplanned adolescence pregnancies, short time gaps between births, unhealthy pre-pregnancy weight (underweight or obesity), substance abuse (e. g. tobacco use) and chronic disease (e. . diabetes, hypertension). Screening for infectious sexually transmitted disease (e. g. HIV, syphilis), and implementing early treatment can also help reduce the incidence of preterm labor (WHO, 2012). Internationally, all countries need to ensure universal access to comprehensive antenatal care, quality childbirth services and emerg ency obstetric care (WHO, 2012). In addition, workplace policies need to promote healthy pregnancies and reduce the risk of preterm birth including regulations to protect pregnant women from physically demanding work, and exposure to harmful pollutants (WHO, 2012).Greater provision for life-saving medications, supplies and services, as well as the resources and policies are needed to enable women and children adequate access to health care, especially skilled care at the time of birth (WHO, 2009). Empowering, and educating girls, providing health promotion, access to care for cost-effective interventions in contraception, and encouraging preconception family planning can increase the likelihood of healthy planned pregnancies, and improve preterm birth prevention according to the WHO, Born Too Soon: Global Action Report on Preterm Birth (Presem & McDougall, 2012).In addition, Kangaroo Mother Care (skin to skin incubation with mother) can cut preterm deaths in half saving an estimated 450,000 babies a year (Presem & McDougall, 2012). The provision of inexpensive antenatal corticosteroids and antibiotics is estimated to reduce the risk of breathing difficulties in premature babies, saving around 370,000 lives a year (WHO, 2012). Fontenot and Collins Fantasia (2012) concluded that 100mg of progesterone vaginally every night between 24 and 34 weeks gestation resulted in lower incidence of preterm labor, birth, and delivery.Approach and Action A recent article in The Lancet (2012), claims from a panel of experts, that five proven interventions could begin lowering preterm birth rates of 5 percent across 39 high-resource countries, including the United States, by 2015, and would prevent prematurity for 58,000 babies a year and $3 billion in health and economic costs (March of Dimes, 2012): * Eliminating early cesarean section deliveries and inductions of labor unless medically indicated; * Decreasing embryo transfers during assisted reproductive technologies; * Helpi ng women quit smoking; Providing progesterone supplementation to women with high risk pregnancies; * Cervical cerclage for high-risk women with short cervix. The majority of preterm births occur spontaneously with no known cause, recent studies show that a short cervix is the single best predictor of preterm birth. Slager and Lynne (2012) propose screening for shortened cervical length, a universal risk factor, in conjunction with a proven clinical intervention by transvaginal ultrasound.Although not available in all areas, transvaginal ultrasound is the most reliable method to evaluate cervical length, it is found to be most effective for risk estimates under 30 weeks gestation, and predictive results were improved by combining with obstetric history (Slager, J. & Lynne, S. , 2012). The combination of positive fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing and cervical length less than 25 mm is a strong predictor of impending preterm birth (Tharpe, Farley, & Jordan, 2013).As a MSN educator, my go al will be to educate nursing, midwifery, and medical students in the principles and methods of assessment, prevention and early intervention of preterm birth indicators. On the Perinatal Special Care Unit of my employment, a new system of prenatal education will be proposed to administration detailing the benefits of group prenatal care in reducing low birth weight in premature babies (Massey, Schindler Rising, & Ickovics, 2006). Centering Pregnancy Prenatal Care ModelCentering Pregnancy group prenatal care is an innovative model of care for addressing the complex psychosocial needs of the mother and her family. Centering Pregnancy prenatal care promotes relationship-centered care, facilitates learning, develops mutual support, and strengthens the opportunities for communication and nurturing among women. Centering Pregnancy prenatal care encourages social networking, supportive relationships with their significant other are developed, women experience less stress, fewer pregnancy complications, and fewer adverse neonatal outcomes (Massey et al, 2006).Research indicates that prenatal social support has been associated with improved fetal growth and greater infant birth weight. Good social support can improve birth outcomes; measured in longer gestations and significantly larger babies, increase women’s confidence, satisfaction, and increase self-nurturing (Massey, 2006). Centering Pregnancy is a model for group prenatal care that results in perinatal outcomes that equal or exceed prenatal traditional care, especially for teens, and other cultures accustomed to group support (Anderson, 2013).Centering Pregnancy exemplifies an evidence-based best practice for nurse-midwives. This model places all three components of prenatal care- risk assessment, education, and support- into the group setting. It fosters a sense of empowerment as prenatal group members are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health care and group members are encouraged to se ek information about healthy behaviors and common concerns of pregnancy, which builds a partnership between patient and provider (Massey, 2006).Translating this model of providing prenatal care for our hospitalized high-risk antepartum patients is the approach I intend to take because the evidence for improved outcomes with group care for high-risk women seems compelling, and may even be a future model of care for other countries, and women of diverse cultures (Tandon, Colon, Vega, Murphy, & Alonso, 2012). References American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2008). Use of progesterone to prevent preterm birth. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 112, 963-965. American Psychological Association. (2010).Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. (6th. ed. ). Washington, DC. Anderson, B. , & Stone, S. (2013). Best practices in midwifery, using the evidence to implement change. Springer Publishing. New York, NY. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CD C). (2012). Preterm Birth. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/PretermBirth. htm Fontenot, H. B. , Collins Fantasia, H. (2012). Vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth in high-risk women. Nursing for Women’s Health. Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. 37-241. ISSN: 1751-4851 Howsen, C. , Kinney, M. , Lawn, J. (2012). The global action report on preterm birth. Preterm birth matters. March of Dimes. 9-14 Lynch, E. , Dezen, T. (2012). Preterm birth can be prevented with a few proven treatments, Lancet article says: Global partners challenge 39 high-income countries. March of Dimes. http://www. marchofdimes. com/news/10898. html March of Dimes. (2011). March of Dimes 2011 premature birth report card. Retrieved from http://www. marchofdimes. com/peristats/pdflib/998/US. pdf Massey, Z. Schindler Rising, S. , Ickovics, J. (2006).Centering pregnancy group prenatal care: Promoting relationship-centered care . Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 35, 286-294. doi:10. 1111/J. 1552-6909. 2006. 00040. x Manderscheid, R. (2009). Aiming for a healthier population by 2020: Moving our fields toward prevention, early intervention, and population health. Behavioral Healthcare; 29, 1; Proquest Central. pg. 51 Presem, C. , McDougall, L. (2012). Born too soon: The global action report on preterm birth. World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved from http://www. who. int/pmnch/media/news/2012/preterm_birth_report/en/index9. tml Shi, L. , & Stevens, G. (2010). Vulnerable populations in the United States (2nd. ed. ). Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA. Slager, J. , & Lynne, S. (2012). Assessment of cervical length and the relationship between short cervix and preterm birth. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 57(1): S4-S11. doi:10. 1111/j. 1542-2011. 2012. 00209. x Tandon, S. D. , Colon, L. , Vega, P. , Murphy, J. , Alonso, A. (2012). Birth outcomes associated with receipt of g roup prenatal care among low-income Hispanic women. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. 57(5). 476-481. doi: 10. 111/j. 542-2011. 2012. 00184. x Tharpe, N. , Farley, C. , Jordan, R. (2013). Clinical practice guidelines for midwifery & women’s health. (4th ed. ). Jones & Bartlett Learning. Burlington, MA. 198-201. World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). The worldwide incidence of preterm birth: A systematic review of maternal morbidity and mortality. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 88, 31-38. doi: 10. 2471/BLT. 08. 06255 World Health Organization (WHO). (2012). Born too soon: The global action report on preterm birth. http://www. who. int/pmnch/media/news/2012/preterm_birth_report/en/index. html

Mun,delegate of australia

The delegate of Australia Is very excited to collaborate with delegates and participate In this prestigious conference. Today our delegation Is here to discuss two of the most aggravating issues in the world. It is a great concern to our people, and we are sure that it is a great concern to the entire world as well. The house is here to firstly discuss the Rebuilding South Sedan's Economy, following its Recent Independence and Ongoing Conflict with Sudan.As a new nation, South Sudan is building some of TTS institutions from the very start, with core administrative structures and mechanisms of political representation beginning to emerge. The Government Is still struggling to provide basic services for the majority of the population. Since the country independence in July 201 1, high inflation has been affecting the economy, which remains relatively undeveloped. Secondly, the HIVE virus, most commonly known as AIDS. AS all of you are aware, Eliminating Stigma and Discrimination Agains t those Infected with HIVE/.They tend too suffers from a tremendous lack of lath care, which accelerates the population's death rate. The HEADWINDS is affecting 1. 1 million people in the country,therefore they are forced to leave their homes and are left In poverty. CLC. Due to Its history of so many civil wars, diseases and death rates are always increasing in The widespread destruction of homes and hospitals has left children without families and many people with sicknesses and injuries. Because of the country poverty, state health facilities offer no treatment for HIVE/AIDS other than voluntary tests and council.The HEADWINDS virus acts as a significant brake on the economic growth and development of the country, since the people affected are forced to leave their Jobs. For these reasons we urge all delegates of the house to vote In favor of our resolution. TLS delegate of Australia wishes to contribute and collaborate with other delegates to solve these very urgent issues. Than k you for your attention Topic 1: after decades of brutal civil war that left two and a half million dead, the devastated and vastly underdeveloped southern part of Sudan secured Its Independence In 011.The world's youngest country came into existence amid great challenges. Secession from Sudan marked a major milestone and opportunity for South Sudanese, but the nascent state has remained fragile. During its first years of independence, an oil standoff with neighboring Sudan, inter-communal violence, persistent rebellions by splinter militia groups, increasingly constrained political space, corruption, and limited economic opportunities troubled the young nation. Then, In 2013. Power struggle within the ruling political party mutated Into an armed conflict, first on the streets of the capital city, and then across the country. South Sedan's latest war has killed thousands and displaced almost one million people. Although a cessation of hostilities agreement has since been signed, it is not being enforced. As South Sudanese seek to move forward, they have to build stable inclusive national dialogue process, security sector reform, and real accountability measures are needed to address the root causes of South Sedan's violence.Otherwise, the continued violence raises the specter of further atrocity crimes, and ungenerous destabilize consequences for the region. Industry and infrastructure in landlocked South Sudan remain limited, imposing prohibitive costs on the procurement and delivery of relief items and other operational activities. Seasonal rains and annual flooding render large parts of the country inaccessible by road between June and November. Inter-ethnic conflicts continue in various parts of the country, causing internal and cross-border displacement. In Jingle, more than 132,000 were displaced by August 2013.The rate of refugee influxes from Sudan remains considerable, with almost 6,700 individuals registered between January and August 2013 in Unity and Upper Nile states. The South Sudanese authorities continue to provide protection and safety for over 234,000 refugees in the country and have allocated land for two new refugee camps in Unity and Upper Nile States. Following the creation of the Commission for Refugee Affairs in early 2013, the authorities established a regular presence in the refugee-hosting areas, ensuring effective coordination with humanitarian actors on the ground.In a newly independent nation, parts of the population remain at risk of coming stateless by virtue of being of mixed Sudanese-South Sudanese parentage, originating from border areas, or having resided in Sudan for an extended period of time. TOPIC 2 actors that contribute to Wealds-related stigma include: HIVE/AIDS is a life-threatening disease, and therefore people react to it in strong ways. HIVE infection is associated with behaviors (such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity) that are already stigmatize in many societi es.Most people become infected with HIVE through sex, which often carries moral baggage. There is a lot of inaccurate information about how HIVE is transmitted, creating irrational behavior and misconceptions of personal risk. HIVE infection is often thought to be the result of personal irresponsibility. Religious or moral beliefs lead some people to believe that being infected with HIVE is the result of moral fault (such as promiscuity or ‘deviant sex') that deserves to be punished. The effects of intervocalic therapy on people's physical appearance can result in forced disclosure and discrimination based on appearance

Conflicting Perspectives Essay

â€Å"An important outcome of studying this elective is the realisation that all representations of perspectives are designed to provoke an intended response. † To what extent does this statement relate to your study of at least one of Hughes’ poems and one related text of your own choosing? In some texts authors have the intention to evoke a personal understanding in the audience. However, the personal experience varies between each individual creating conflicting ways in response to a text. These responses to the messages from the authors are shaped through personal experience and values of the individual. The notion of conflict within perspectives is evident in â€Å"Birthday Letters† by Ted Hughes especially in the poems â€Å"Fulbright Scholars† and â€Å"Sam† as well as in Michel Gondry’s film â€Å"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. † The conflict within memory and connections leads to a representation of their conflict in perspectives. The nature and strength of memories is to some extent subjective in relation to events, situations and people. Hughes proves this idea of selective memory through the use of rhetorical questions asked in his first poem Fulbright Scholars such as â€Å"where was it, in the Strand? † and â€Å"was it when I bought a peach? These questions are evidence of his disordered memory. Hughes perspective of Plath is somewhat subjective as he remembers vague details of particular moments and her â€Å"Veronica Lake bangs. † In his second poem â€Å"Sam† depicts the same events as Plath’s poem â€Å"Whiteness I remember† but showing his conflicting interpretation of Plath’s memory. The two poems prove conflicting ideas through the tempo of the first paragraphs and Hughes ongoing use of caesura. Although Plath interprets the event to be a â€Å"great run† and â€Å"high as the roofs† conflicting this idea Hughes describes it as dangerous and Plath having â€Å"lost (her) stirrups. The text â€Å"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind† proves memory to be a selective sense; the character Joel displays merely a memory of selective moments, objects and feelings of his past relationship with Clementine. The key motifs are birthday presents and certain outings. The fallibility of memory can lead the distortion of connections between memory and reality. The author intends to create a particular emotional response to the text that is represented through a connection between the audience and their perspective of the text. The connection between the perspectives in â€Å"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind† show the author is being balanced and unbiased. The perspectives of both the character is shown equally to the audience, forcing and internal response in each individual. In â€Å"Fulbright Scholars† Hughes repetitively uses â€Å"you† to simultaneously speak to Plath as well as the audience, to create a more intimate connection with the text. This continues into his next poem â€Å"Sam† alongside alliteration and assonance in the line â€Å"horribly hard, swift river† increasing the intensity for the audience. In the final stanza Hughes personifies Sam as himself, and positions the audience as Plath. In the line â€Å"you strangled me† he uses accusatory language to gain an emotional response and connection from his audience, which relates back to the publics perceptions of him during this time. It is clear that all authors create their texts to gain a reflection the audience towards the text. Each text is a representation of the author’s perspective response to their memory, creating an emotional connection to their audience, which provokes an internal response. The connections made are used to intensify a reaction within each individual.

REFLECTION ON RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGICAL CHOICES IN THREE ACADEMIC Essay

REFLECTION ON RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGICAL CHOICES IN THREE ACADEMIC ARTICLE ON THEORY OF COMPLIANCE - Essay Example This write up presents the analysis of three articles dealing with different ideas regarding customer compliance. Casabov and Da-Cuhna (2004) evaluated whether call center services are comprised of client centricity or by control of customer by employees. Dellande and Nyer (2007) studied the impact of public commitment to customer compliance, while Dellande, Gilly and Graham (2004) evaluated the providers’ role in gaining compliance. Casabov and Da-Cuhna (2004) studied two Brazilian call centres seeking to determine whether the service interfaces fortitudes were customer guided or depended on the control of employees over the customers. The enquiry adopted the use of direct surveillance and semi structured interviews to collect the information. The information was collected from managers, overseers and technicians. The researchers carried out 33 interviews and two-week observations in two call centres. The study indicated that control was extensively practiced and did not resu lt in prolonged customer dissatisfaction. Dellande, Gilly and Graham (2004) evaluated the role of service provider in ensuring compliance. They used weight loss subjects from Lindora Comprehensive Weight Control. Lindora uses a platform based on medicine to regulate weight. The program has clinics throughout southern California. Data was collected by use of questionnaires disseminated to nurses and patients, use of archival data, and interviews. The data analysis method used was the PLS structural equation method given the complex mathematical nature of the data presented. They found out that provider expertise determined client’s role clarity, which in turn affected compliance. Attitudinal homophily was a significant factor in influencing compliance. Further, they concluded that role clarity, and role ability influence compliance. Dellande and Nyer (2007) evaluated the effect of public pledge on acquiescence. The study seeks to investigate the role of open commitment in gain ing client acquiescence. The study collected data using 3 x 2 full factorial designs employing three levels of commitment. They engaged the use of median split to generate two ranks of SNI (low and high). The subjects were drawn from an online marketing introductory course. 102 students participated but 96 completed the study. The researchers evaluated the effect of an open declaration to conserve paper on the students’ continued conservation of papers during the term. The researchers found out that people who made an open declaration to conserve papers conserved more papers that those who made private declarations and those who did not make any pledge. Further, those who made private declaration conserved more than those who did not make any pledges. Part two: Methodological evaluation of the articles Casabov and Da-Cuhna (2004): Employee Control in Call Centers The methodology employed in the article tackling the call centers service deliveries in two Brazilian call centers employed the use of exposed surveillance, where the researcher were strategically placed to view the reactions of the customers for two weeks. The study also engaged the use of semi-structured questionnaires to 33 employees of the two call centers. The respondents included call centers managers, their supervisors and the operative staff members. The sample size in qualitative researches has been debated by various scholars in an attempt to identify the ideal size. Stead, Struwig and Struwig (2001, p.

Logistics and operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Logistics and operations - Essay Example According to Airman (n.d.), different companies use different types of inventory systems for inventory management and asset tracking. Inventory systems help managers in keeping track of assets and stocks, as well as in knowing where and when they have used their assets within companies. Some of the widely used inventory systems include information services inventory system, fixed asset inventory system, and information system (IS) for inventory management. All of these inventory systems are useful as they help companies keep an eye over stock and assets. In this paper, we will discuss IS-based inventory management system in order to know its effectiveness, as well as the way managers can use this to track deliveries. In today’s age of information technology, almost every company and organization is making a good use of technology based information services to carry out business activities. An information system (IS) based inventory system is one of such tools which helps managers keep track of incoming and outgoing stock. According to Kietzman (n.d.), inventory software is a specialized computer-based program that is used to keep track of the stock inventory, quantity, location, and current status. IS-based inventory management system deals with the use of information technology tools to help managers in doing information processing and management. An information system is a part of internal business control system that deals with a company’s inventory information, stock keeping procedures, and information technology. IS-based inventory systems help managers in tracking deliveries while improving efficiency and keeping control of business processes. A manufacturing or distribution company can never be successful without an IS-based inventory management system because IS keeps proper record of information related to inventory that managers can use for analysis and decision-making purposes. IS-based inventory management

Employment law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Employment law - Assignment Example Sam was hired as an employee and Arnie was hired as an independent contractor. They both work in the same BRC office under the same supervisor. They both work Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Both are required to report weekly staff meetings. Sam is paid a salary and proper federal and state tax withholdings are made. Arnie does not receive benefits like retirement and health insurance and he is paid by the project with no federal and state withholdings. Arnie signed a contract that clearly stated that he was an independent contractor and not an employee. Answer: the employer has acted to fill a particular position, when the individual has followed the employer’s standard procedures for submitting applications, and when the individual has indicated an interest in the particular position. 8. Under the inevitable disclosure theory, a court may prohibit an employee from working for a former employer’s competitor, if the employer can show that there is imminent threat that a trade secret will be shared and the employee has intent to disclose the secret, and the trade secret would give the former employer’s competitor a significant advantage in the market. 1. Colton Manufacturing shuts down 3 manufacturing facilities without prior notice to its 3000 employees. Colton has graciously offered to provide outsourcing assistance to its displaced employees and informed them of their rights to continue to receive health insurance coverage through COBRA for eighteen months. Colton has to further liability to its former employees. 3. An employer can successfully defend a charge of disparate treatment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act offering a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the action taken regarding the charging party. 5. Davis Hosiery Mills has each new employee sign a form acknowledging receipt of the company’s handbook. The handbook states that employees will be terminated for good cause

Client entity letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Client entity letter - Essay Example To start with, a solo-proprietorship will require a small capital, few legal requirement if any and less demand in management. Conversely, the returns may not be much as compared to other entities. A partnership requires a group of people, who came together, pool their resources and pursue a common goal. The risk of business failure or losses is spread to a number of individuals hence proving more important that sole-proprietorship. The only requirement is the partnership deed required by the law. A third distinction occurs on liability issue. A sole-proprietorship and partnership are liable for losses that might occur in business. A creditor would claim their dues to be paid if such business collapses. For a limited company, limited liability partnership and corporations, the case is different. The claims would not fall under the owner of the business rather the business itself. However, this should not result from malpractice or professional negligence. These entities are recognized by law and have legal status. Finally, any form of limited entity be it a partnership, limited liability company, public company have access to better funding. The rate of returns is equally promising compared to unlimited form of

History of Greenpeace Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of Greenpeace Organization - Essay Example The campaigns to address these fundamental issues has garnered the organization its fair share of victories that is both incessant and remarkable considering the adversity of almost a David and Goliath proportion. Throughout the years, Greenpeace has continually fostered its rapport for trustworthiness and consistence. It has sprouted out from the plan of co-founder Irving Stowe to sail to the Arctic Ocean to protest a nuclear bomb testing. Dubbed the Greenpeace trip, 16,000 people gathered in a benefit concert to support the cause which ignited the continuing legacy of the project. The actions of the group can be described through their peaceful and inventive ways to voice out the concerns of many individuals for the benefit of all human beings. Since then, the revolution that was started by one campaign has materialized into a plethora that has spread across continents. Greenpeace International provides for the linkages among national or regional offices that are most visible in th e local level fortified by the help and support of its international counterpart. There are five core values upheld by the organization that is composed of bearing witness, nonviolence, independence, has no permanent friends or foes and promoting solutions. Being established by Quakers, hippies and other groups as acknowledged by Greenpeace itself, the need to be on the site of environmental destruction first hand is incorporated as there is no place far enough for them to reach and no amount of time long enough to make them leave. The passive and non-aggressive stance is another attribute that they are known for. The demonstrations are usually unconventional but they are never violent. They credit this as the main reason why the group had always been accorded a great amount of respect even among the governments and companies that they fight against including the trust of the general public. The indispensability of financial independence is crucial in the impartiality of any organiz ation. This is why Greenpeace has taken measures to ensure that there is no interest, whether political or economic, that would sway them from their mission by declining any contribution from such. They sustain trough personal contributions and grants from foundations. The possibility of any amicable settlement is not at a lost and this is even more imperative in a way that conjuring up solutions through peaceful settlements can be reached for the benefit of all those involved. Another noteworthy aspect of the Greenpeace projects is the inclusion of scientific studies and other works that are incorporated into the general solution process of all their advocacies. Greenpeace and Climate Change The most pressing and perhaps the primary crusade in the activities of Greenpeace is its battle against climate change. This is focused on energy [r]evolution, oil, cool IT, quit coal, climate impacts, arctic and solutions. All of these are parallel to each other and that the battle for one is not mutually exclusive of the other. In fact, they are all correlated in the effect that the campaign against climate change should inevitably need the concurrence of all. The organization is constantly updating its various national and regional branches on the campaigns that each of them are faced with. In the same way that many scholars coordinate with them to provide for updates on the latest studies that augment the level of awareness of people and how this helps in the campaigns against climate c

How to Apply Strategic Management Skills Research Paper

How to Apply Strategic Management Skills - Research Paper Example   Designing Vision and Objectives for the Firm It is important for managers to define the purpose of the organization. The vision of a firm informs the employees and the customers about the purpose and value of the firm (Mind Tools, 2011). It is an essential part of an application of strategic management skills to design vision of a firm so as to guide employees regarding their behavior. Customers can also learn through the vision of a firm about how can they be benefitted by the firm. Usually, the vision of a firm is defined in a sentence or a statement commonly known as the vision statement. It entails the long-term purpose of the firm and how employees are supposed to operate in the company. Strategic management is all about taking strategic decisions and strategic decisions have certain characteristics. Strategic decisions are of high magnitude, they have a long-term focus, and they require the high level of commitment (Haberberg & Rieple, 2007). The vision statement is also a strategic decision because it has all of three characteristics. Objectives of the firm are more specific short-term targets. Strategic management skills are applied to define short-term targets for the firm and short-term targets are important for a firm because they serve as steps that can lead the firm to the long-term targets. Firms also require regular assessment of their position and for that short-term targets serve useful. The vision of a firm is a broadly defined purpose of the organization, on the other hand, objectives are short-term targets that can be measured empirically and are specific. Managers should always check whether the firm is treading on the right path or not, and vision and objectives help managers in this regard. Allocation of Resources An important job of a manager is to allocate resources between different departments of the firm. Allocation of resources should be done in a way so as to maximize the profits of the firm at the lowest possible costs. In tod ay’s dynamic business environment all the business functions have considerable importance and allocating resources between different function can be a daunting task. This is where strategic management skills come into play. It is vital that the resources are distributed in the best possible way so that the profits of the firm can be maximized. Allocation of resources should be done in such a way that objectives of the firms are achieved (Alkhafaji, 2003). Resources should be allocated keeping in mind the current standing of the firm in the market. For example, a newly founded firm should allocate more resources to marketing and product development while a relatively old firm should focus on customer satisfaction and better financial performance. This is how the decision of allocation of resources may differ in different types of firms. Today’s tough financial situations have made an efficient allocation of resources essential for firms. Almost all firms have limited re sources and it has to finance all its major operations in order to survive.  Ã‚  

Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reform - Essay Example At that convention, the delegates adopted a platform that called for a broad range of social, economic, legal, and political reforms that would dramatically raise the status of women in American life. To the surprise of most of us today, the demand for womens right to vote (called woman suffrage) was the most controversial reform proposed at the convention. From the time it was first formally proposed in 1848, gaining the right to vote took the womens movement 72 years of struggle to achieve. This exhibit examines the development of a distinct female political culture and imagery that evolved to promote voting rights for women†. (Political Culture and Imagery of American Women Suffrage) However, Why there were Political Reforms movement, now and then and before? Meanwhile, â€Å"Political science and theory have evolved on the understanding that national boundaries demarcate the basis on which individuals are included and excluded from participation in decisions affecting their lives. There is a growing perception that democracy has failed to deliver both economic and social development. This perception has often been used to explain the rise in nationalism and ethnic tensions due to unmet expectations. It raises the question whether democracy should be pursued as an intrinsic or instrumental good and whether political justice seeks substantive equality or equality of opportunity? Is it appropriate to expect democracy to deliver human development?† (Political Power and Development). On this note, it is incumbent by those holding the mantle of leadership, (steering the government), and other stakeholders to adapt to the Political Justice. Without Political Justice, no meaningful changes will occur in making reform on the sector. As â€Å"political justice connotes the notion of fair and equitable exercise of political power a discussion of a political system that has the capacity to deliver political

Cultural Relevance of Artwork Essay Example for Free

Cultural Relevance of Artwork Essay The very spirit of an artwork remains in the time it was created. There is no better way to appreciate art than to understand its situational context, that is, the space and time of its creation. Works of art are like photographs taken in a particular time and place. In this paper we explore the situational context of three works of art: (1) Produced in the late seventeenth century, Wedding of Mary and Joseph is Peruvian painting; (2) Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Acrobats At The Cirque Fernando (1879) shows two young Parisian girls; and (3) Figure of a Mother Holding a Child, created in the nineteenth century by an unknown Lulua artist (See Appendix). All three pieces of art tell interesting, unique tales about their makers and the conditions of their times. What’s more, layers upon layers of human thought through different times and places of human history may be unearthed through this process of art appreciation. Our present understanding of historical societies and cultures must also influence the process of interpreting a work of art. After all, one scholar may consider a painting with the eyes of a sociologist in our time, while another may be a trained psychologist. Such designations did not exist before now. Regardless of how an artwork is interpreted and with what lens and in which frame it is looked through; works of art stay alive as we glean historical information through them. As the following section on Wedding of Mary and Joseph shows, it is possible to develop various interpretations about the time and place of an artist even if researched historical information is there to assist us in our interpretation. Wedding of Mary and Joseph Produced by an unknown artist, Wedding of Mary and Joseph is an oil painting on canvas, depicting the couple getting married before the high priest who is clothed in a â€Å"richly flower-patterned hooded mantle (â€Å"Wedding of Mary and Joseph†). † There are clergymen assisting the high priest. Joseph is carrying his staff which has flowers at the top. Moreover, both the bride and bridegroom have golden halos. Ann, the mother of Mary stands right behind the bride. By Ann’s side is a suitor of Mary who has been rejected by God’s command. The suitor is shown breaking his staff, which has not flowered like the staff of Joseph (â€Å"Wedding of Mary and Joseph†). The painting is enriched by â€Å"gold stamping,† which â€Å"unifies the composition (â€Å"Wedding of Mary and Joseph†). † There are Peruvian flowers scattered on the ground where Mary and Joseph stand. This transfers the scene of the Bible from the Holy Land to Peru (â€Å"Wedding of Mary and Joseph†). Furthermore, it describes an important movement in Peruvian art history by the name of Cusco School (Bennett). Indeed, this painting accompanies a very important period in Peruvian history. Spanish colonization had not only managed to transfer the Spanish Inquisition to the Spanish territories around the globe, but also brought European art into Peru (Bennett). The Spanish Inquisition had claimed many lives in Europe. In Peru, the Inquisition had centered on the discovery of people who were Jews by birth, but had claimed to have converted to Christianity. These people were suspected to have gone back from Catholicism to Judaism. Thus, the Peruvian Inquisition was about punishing the Jews or converted Catholics for apostasy (Lea). The Peruvian Inquisition had taken place in the seventeenth century. Seeing that the sociopolitical environment of Peru revolved around religious affairs at the time, it is not surprising that the Christian, Peruvian artists started a new art movement – the Cusco School – to create religious art in particular (Bennett). As a matter of fact, the Wedding of Mary and Joseph is a perfect example of Cusco art. The Cusco School happens to be the largest movement of art in the Peruvian art history. The movement was represented by â€Å"mestizo painters and sculptors who produced countless depictions of religious figures adorned in gold (Bennett). † The Spanish colonizers had used religious art to teach Christianity to the New World. Subsequently, the native artists of Peru had begun to meld European art with their local style and tradition (Bennett). So, while the figures of Mary and Joseph in the Peruvian painting reveal European, Christian influence on the Peruvian artist; the flowers and long tailed birds of Peru scattered on the ground show that the artist continues to love his land despite colonization. The golden halos of the bride and the bridegroom are, of course, the signature of the Cusco School. Hence, the painting, Wedding of Mary and Joseph, reveals itself as an excellent tool to understand the culture of Peru with respect to Spanish colonization. By discovering more about the conditions of the artist’s time, history of the Americas may also be studied in great depth. Moreover, this painting helps viewers to appreciate how artists are influenced by their environments and the times. Acrobats At The Cirque Fernando Produced in another place and time altogether, renowned Parisian painter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Acrobats At The Cirque Fernando (1879) shows two real girls, most probably between twelve and fifteen years of age, taking turns to perform their act at the circus (Mancoff). The facial and bodily expressions of the girls and their onlookers are open to any number of interpretations. One of the young girls is carrying balls around her chest while the other is communicating with the audience as part of her act. The girl who is communicating with the audience has a questioning, innocent expression on her face. The one who is carrying balls is possibly waiting for her turn to perform. She, too, is innocent and fresh in appearance as the other. However, she seems to be dwelling on her new experiences of semi-adulthood. Perhaps she is musing on the boys in her life – the young men who admire her very much. The audience depicted in the painting, behind the bodies of the two young girls, appears to consist of men alone after all. The men appear like judges, in their black coats, giving them the semblance of uniformed officers. Only one of the men has his face visible through the painting, and the face is hard enough for the girls to display their innocence in all its glory with the assumption that the counterpart of a harsh and doubtful attitude must be softness. Although the girl carrying the balls has her back turned toward the hard faced man, she knows that she too would have to perform. The expressions of the male and the females in Renoir’s Acrobats At The Cirque Fernando are rather similar to the expressions of the two sexes depicted in many of the artist’s works of the time. The woman is seen as the adored and innocent object that performs, even though the man is hard faced, perhaps weary of the work that he performs to fend for his family day after day. The woman is the amuser, the muse, and the object of entertainment to fend for. After all, she is beautiful (Norfleet). The only beautiful facet of the man is that he is strong – in Renoir’s paintings, at least. What is more, the man is always staring at the woman in Renoir’s works. He fondles her whenever he has the chance. The woman remains faithful to him – this is depicted through the innocence on her face. If she becomes unfaithful she knows that the hard faced man would discontinue supporting her. The French word for ‘thank you’ is merci, which, if used in English, perfectly describes the attitude of the woman in late nineteenth century Paris. Although Paris was one of the first places in the west where women were generally believed to have been liberated, Renoir’s painting reveals that the women were definitely not liberated through promiscuity or debauchery. Rather, the urban Parisian women in the late nineteenth century seem to have been given permission by their men to be out and about, entertaining them, while remaining faithful to their innocence as well as their marital vows (Norfleet). As the facial expression of the young girl carrying the balls in Renoir’s Acrobats At The Cirque Fernando reveals – women understood their position in Parisian society even as they were aware that men and women are equally dependent on each other. Then again, the painting remains open to numberless sociological interpretations. Figure of a Mother Holding a Child As our analysis of Renoir’s painting shows, it is possible to understand the situational context of a painting in any number of ways. Sociologists and historians may be more interested in discovering the history of society in a block of time. If psychoanalysts were to join in, there would be various intricacies of the human mind revealed through artworks. On that note, Figure of a Mother Holding a Child is a very interesting sculpture because there are multiple ways of understanding its import. On one hand, the sculpture is a perfect depiction of the pain of starvation that the African people have been experiencing for a long time, and that nobody outside of Africa has done anything consequential about – despite the fact that the entire world discusses it. On the other hand, it represents a ritual that the Lulua tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo had practiced for its own survival (â€Å"Figure of a Mother Holding a Child†). The sculpture is that of a skinny, African female with an infant in her arms. The woman’s head is larger than her body. The bone lines on her neck are particularly telling. Even so, the bone lines on her neck and the wrinkles on her face had actually been created by the artist to show that the Lulua peoples had used scarification to adorn their bodies (â€Å"Lulua Tribe: Democratic Republic of Congo;† â€Å"Figure of a Mother Holding a Child†). Indeed, it is scarification that adorns the woman carrying the infant. Just the same the viewer is made to feel sorry for the woman and her child because they appear extremely poor. Made with wood and copper alloy, the woman in the sculpture has bulging eyes and a â€Å"pointed base (â€Å"Figure of a Mother Holding a Child†). † According to the Brooklyn Museum, the base was most probably â€Å"thrust into a pot containing earth and various bishimba, or materials of mineral, plant, animal, or human origin endowed with protective powers (â€Å"Figure of a Mother Holding a Child†). † In actuality, the sculpture had been created for a Lulua woman who had experienced difficulties in childbirth. The Lulua people believed that it was the evil spirit which interrupted the process of childbirth for women. So that the woman would attract the ancestral spirit of the Lulua tribe and get rid of the evil spirit, the artist gave her the sculpture to care for until delivery. The bulging eyes of the sculpture reveal that the woman is aware of the influence of the evil spirit that is stopping her from becoming a mother (â€Å"Lulua Tribe†). The Lulua peoples had migrated from western Africa to the Democratic Republic of Congo during the eighteenth century. These people lived in â€Å"small regional chiefdoms,† and therefore formed closely knit communities (â€Å"Lulua Tribe†). Because they were immigrants, they were rather concerned about their continuity. Moreover, the Lulua people believed that their sculptures had to be created for religious reasons (â€Å"Lulua Tribe†). The Lulua artists who created sculptures such as the Figure of a Mother Holding a Child must have had faith that they were carrying out their moral duty toward their own people. Indeed, the religious values of the Lulua people were guarded by their art. Sculptures of females were quite popular among them, as these figures exemplified â€Å"the union of physical and moral beautify (â€Å"Figurative Sculpture†). † The Lulua people believed in equating proper behavior with physical beauty (â€Å"Figurative Sculpture†). It can be inferred that the Figure of a Mother Holding a Child and all other sculptures created for the same reason were reminders for the Lulua people that the human body cannot be separated from morality. This principle is clearly exemplified by the bond between mother and child. Conclusion We focused on the political conditions surrounding the artist of Wedding of Mary and Joseph. Societal context of Renoir’s painting, Acrobats At The Cirque Fernando, was explored with a brief overview of gender relations in 19th century Paris. This study may have been conducted with historical information gleaned through novels, too. Finally, the cultural context of Figure of a Mother Holding a Child was explored. Although this discussion was centered on political, societal and cultural contexts of three works of art, it was clarified as part of the discussion that an artwork may be appreciated in any number of ways. There are countless theories and innumerable stories about the history of mankind. What is more, every piece of artwork tells a tale about the space and time of its artist alone. The work lives on as students of art and historians delve into paintings over and again. Any number of assumptions could be made about the situational context of an artwork thus. Perhaps, therefore, it is reasonable to state that a work of art has as many minds as interpreters as the number of people that consider the artwork through the passage of time. Moreover, only assumptions can be made about the situational context of an artwork. History is best left to those that lived it. After all, we only make educated guesses about what people of the past lived through to gather useful information for our lives in the present. Works Cited Bennett, Caroline. â€Å"Art and Architecture. † Viva Travel Guides. 11 Nov 2008. http://www. vivatravelguides. com/south-america/peru/peru-overview/art-and-architecture/. â€Å"Figurative Sculpture. † Central African Art. 11 Nov 2008. http://africa. si. edu/exhibits/journey/figurative. html. â€Å"Figure of a Mother Holding a Child. † Brooklyn Museum Collections: African Art. 11 Nov 2008. http://www. brooklynmuseum. org/collections/african_art/50. 124. php. Lea, Henry C. â€Å"Inquisition in 17th Century Peru: Cases of Portuguese Judaizers. † Modern History Sourcebook. 11 Nov 2008. http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/17c-lea-limainquis. html. â€Å"Lulua Tribe: Democratic Republic of Congo. † For African Art. 2006. 11 Nov 2008. http://www. forafricanart. com/Lulua_ep_56-1. html. Mancoff, Debra N. â€Å"Paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. † How Stuff Works. 2008. 11 Nov 2008. http://entertainment. howstuffworks. com/paintings-by-pierre-auguste-renoir7. htm.

Education Insurance Awareness Essay Example for Free

Education Insurance Awareness Essay An Overview In 1965, Yarri proposed the use of life insurance to insure against lifetime uncertainty resulting for the mortality risk of individuals. Premature death of a family head can bring serious financial consequences for the surviving family members because the family head’s earnings are lost forever leaving unfulfilled financial obligations, such as dependents to support, children to educate, and a mortgage to repay. Life insurance allows individuals and families to share the risk of premature death with many others and to alleviate the financial loss from the premature death of the rimary wage earner (Garman Forgue, 2006). The purchase of life insurance is one of the most important purchasing decisions for individuals and families (Anderson Nevin, 1975) and it is a critical component of a long-term financial plan (Devaney Keaton, 1994). 2). Introduction to Child Education Insurance Policy A child education policy is a life insurance product specially designed as a savings tool to provide an amount of money when a child reaches the age for entry into college normally 18 years old and above. The funds can be utilised to partly meet a childs higher education expenses. Also, if purchaser opts for a payor benefit rider, an education policy provides the assurance that, in the event of an untimely demise of the parents or legal guardian, the child will have access to funds to help finance his or her education expenses. Under a child education policy, the child is the life assured, while the parent or legal guardian is the policy owner. 3). Types of child education policies available in life insurance market. There are two main types, i. . an endowment or investment-linked policy. The difference between the two lies in the structure as well as the nature of investments. 3. 1) Endowment policy is an endowment policy combines a savings component with protection coverage. Endowment policy may be either participating or non-participating. As the name implies, non-participating policy do not participate in the life insurance funds profits but all insurance benefits are fully guaran teed. On the other hand, for participating policy, a portion of insurance benefits are guaranteed. However, the ultimate amount of benefits at maturity is not guaranteed as these depend on the performance of the insurance companys participating life insurance fund. 3. 2) Investment-linked policy is an investment-linked policy combines the elements of investment and protection based on your requirement as the policy owner. It offers flexibility as you are able to increase or top-up your monthly premium contribution as your income improves. If you wish to be more aggressive with the instruments of investment, an investment-linked policy will also allow you to choose the types of funds your money will be invested in. However, like any other similar investment, there are higher risks involved and there are no guarantees on the returns, which may be higher or lower than projected. 4). Research Background An increasing trend of education expenses to enter college or university nowadays, a lot of parents using financial sources such as Employee Providence Fund or rely on borrowing from Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Negara to afford the study expenses of their son after leaving secondary school for a higher level of study. As an alternative source of financial protection against high education expenses, parents can purchase an education insurance starting from their children young age. Compare with withdrawal of lump sum of money from EPF (Employee Providence Fund) or make borrowing from PTPTN (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Negara), a parents just need to pay for a small amount of premium and parents as a payer can be covered by insurance in case death or total permanent disablement occurred by paying for an extra insurance rider in the particular education insurance policy. Therefore, this research carried out to examine the level of awareness among parents in Sibu Region towards education insurance provide by insurance companies in Malaysia. This thesis aims to examine both the type and amount of life insurance purchased by households. To this end, comprehensive models of households’ demand for life insurance were developed, which included demographic variables (age, education, employment status, health status, number of children, marital status, and race), economic and assets variables (income, homeownership, debts, as well as portfolio elements such as liquid assets, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, bonds, stocks, individual retirement accounts, annuities, other miscellaneous financial assets, and nonfinancial assets), and psychographic variables (attitude toward risk, attitude toward leaving a bequest, and one’s expected life expectancy). The effects of these factors on either term or cash value life insurance purchased by households were examined separately. Research Objective General objective To examine the parent’s awareness towards education insurance. Specific Objective 1). To investigate whether parents had purchase education insurance or not for their children at their young age. 2). To identify from which channel of information that made parents aware of education insurance. 3). To identify whether insurance industry playing an effective role in promoting education insurance in life insurance market. ). To examine parents interest towards education insurance products administered by insurance company in insurance market. 5). The main purpose of this study is to examine whether demographic factors influence the purchase of education insurance among parents in Sibu Region. Research question 1). Do you know there is education insurance product in insurance market? 2). Had you purchased any education insur ance from any insurance company for your children? 3). Had any insurance agent approach or introduce and give explanation to you regarding education insurance? 4). Are you willing to purchase any education insurance for your children? 5). what type sources of information you needed to enhance the knowledge regarding education insurance? Problem statement Financing child’s education is one of the major investments that any wise parent is prepared to undertake. A sound university education is not only among the basic requirements to establish a good career; it can also form the foundation of your child’s intellectual maturity for life. We all start learning since birth and the brief period of academic education in our lives represents another landmark in a life-long learning process. But given the high cost of education and the competition to enter well-known universities, it is necessary to have an investment plan to fund our children’s brief sting of three to four years in university. With the limited places available in local universities, many Malaysian students have wisely invested in university education abroad. Faced with the rising costs of overseas university education, how can parents save and invest to finance the tuition fees, let alone the living costs. The depegging of the ringgit from the U. S. dollar last year is a welcome move for many Malaysian parents because under the flexible exchange rate system, the ringgit is likely to appreciate over the long term. This will help Malaysians reduce the cost of overseas education in popular countries such as the U. K. , U. S. and Australia (Charles Goh, www. fimm. com. my/pdf/investor/articles/09). One of the biggest worries for parents nowadays is how to fund their children’s education, which does not come cheap. In addition, as with everything else, education expenses, is it in foreign and local colleges/universities, private primary and secondary schools are expected to trend upwards in future (Elaine Ang, http://thestar. com. my/ September 18, 2010). The trend is upwards as far as education costs are concerned. In predicting the future, we can only use assumptions such as cost and inflation factors in child education planning. The general increase for local studies is about 3% per year and foreign about 5% and this applies to a general business degree of three years (Mike Lee, CTLA Financial Planners Sdn Bhd managing director, 2010). An average increase of between 5% to 7% annually in education costs for studies locally and in countries such as Britain, United States, Australia, Canada and Singapore excluding foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Moreover, there are certain years where the increase can be in a lump sum instead of percentage depending on the circumstances. (Matthew Gan, E. T. Education Services Sdn Bhd managing director, 2010). Some of the common mistakes parents make when saving for their child’s education fund are starting too late, saving without investing and not considering foreign exchange fluctuations for those who aim to send their children overseas. It is important to determine what the education costs are in current value and identify a suitable savings and investment vehicle. Some parents don’t even have a clue how much education costs (Yap Ming Hui, Whitman Independent Advisors Sdn Bhd managing director, 2010). Save and invest your money as early as possible. Let your money grow with your child, school fees for primary and secondary education range from RM15,000 to RM17,000 per annum with an average 10% increase in fees every two years (Rina Thiagu-Kler, Marketing manager Sri KDU, 2010). Because of less study and difficulties to obtain data regarding education insurance demand in Sibu Region. A brief interview conducted with Mr. Ten Kim Loong, Unit Manager of Kumpulan Elite Ten from Etiqa insurance agency on 2nd December 2011 where he indicated that most of the insurance product demanded by household within Sibu region is medical card and personal accident policy, it is because the premium affordable by policyholder, moreover among the clients approached did not know what policy to purchase and how much sum insured should be enough for protection need†. A discussion session also conducted with Mohamad Faizuli Bin Abd Karim, a financial planner from Takaful Ikhlas Sdn Bhd reveal that among the prospects that approached by him saying that they are not interested in any of insurance products and they worried the premium payment can become an extra expenses as per we noticed the living standard and price of basic necessity good are very high nowadays. The Breakdown of Schooling Expenditure As shown in Table 2, the average cost of schooling overall was found to be RM1,782 per student per year. The cost in rural areas which averaged RM1,590 was about 22 per cent lower than urban areas.

Benefits of Resisted Sprint Training

Benefits of Resisted Sprint Training In the modern day sprint training is the most common method in the new age of sports training, to enhance the ability of an athlete to run at optimum speed, sprint training must be an essential part of an athlete’s training regime (McKenna, M et al, 1997). As equipment advanced so did training methods, therefore to improve performance a certain amount of resistance was added to further enhance an athlete’s performance therefore improving an athlete’s overall speed this was named â€Å"Resisted Sprint Training† (RST) is defined by Alexander 1989 as running at top velocity while resistance forces work in the opposite direction. There is countless ways of applying an opposing force; weighted clothing, sleds containing weights, parachutes with different surface areas and common hills are all used to counter act the sprints being undertaken by the athlete. Due to the research that has gone into this area of RST it has provided coaches with more options to exper iment and implement with their athlete. The author of this review will be analysing literature and research into sled training commonly shortened to ST and whether the common usage of this in a training programme is an effective method to improve certain variables such as acceleration, maximum velocity, force application and finally stride length/frequency. As RST is a popular method for most modern day sports people from low to elite levels, it has an uncertain concluding factor as to the links to improve sprint kinematics. (Faccioni, 1994a) â€Å"The benefits of the use of resisted sprint running is that it recruits more muscle fibers, requires more neural activation† therefore due to this quote the effects of ST have been probed and primed for many years, especially the way the way it influenced the acceleration on track athletes. After completing a study using males taking part in resistance using 10% plus of the participants body mass, a decrease in stride frequency and stride length was evident, while performing the tests other visual physiological differences were evident such as increased muscle flexibility especially in regards to the hip flexors. When concluding their findings in 1994 they found that when carrying a heavier load. Stress was evident on the participants body therefore hampering the test, this is why a lower weight was used to improve acceleration when using ST for RST. Murphy et al 2003 study was establishing the load for sprint training with sled towing in the maximum velocity phase. 12 athletes participated in the study. They ran 30 m flying sprints, an unloaded sprint and sprints pulling loads of 6%, 10%, and 15% of their body mass, on a synthetic track surface wearing spikes, they found that this equitation lets coaches and strength trainers to calculate the load for resisted sprint training with sled towing due to the increase in Mean maximum velocity, 30-m sprint time. These findings support another study that was done in 2004 by LeBlanc, J. S.et al who studied the comparisons and differences between free sprint training and resisted in relation to the key attributes of sprinting in the top phase of the athletes speed. Both results show significant differences and shows signs towards ST being beneficial for sprinters top speed phase. When looking at the literature published the main area of study which has been evident is whether ST increased maximum speed and overall acceleration Hansen, K. T.et al (2006).found that RST with 8% body mass sled towing for 4 week improves transition performance (16-31 m), while traditional sprint training improves performance in the maximum velocity phase (31-51 m) in elite athletes. In contrast to improving overall acceleration and maximum speed studies have been done to improve sprint specific strength Ettema, G. J. C. (2006) et al stated that RST does improve this evidently in the lower body being the legs and lower back, having this strength is always going to beneficial due to the strength of the lower limbs. The way this evaluation was concluded was down to using and comparing a weighted belt for the athlete to wear, a parachute to provided resistance to the athlete and finally the sled to be able to place weights on to provide a resisted force when completed 30 metre flying sprints. It became evident that the sled training was best for developing maximum sprint strength, however the literature contradicts itself when talking about biomechanical properties which could affect the athletes speed therefore further biomechanical analysis needs to be undertaken to provide a coach with exact biomechanical movements to fully utilise the ST. After researching the literature which is available to get a good insight into ST, when talking about biomechanical influences in the ST, the practioners should be using 3D analysis software to enable them to have a clear view of the correct posture and movements in each phase especially when the athlete is being specific to stride length, stride frequency and velocity also as other areas in the forever changing world, further research will give myself a better and broader insight into the ability of ST in relation to RST. Putting a focus into the specifics of each ST session such as sets and repetitions of the training being undertaken this therefore would need to client specific as previously stated the weight of each ST is set to a fix rate, however increasing this could either have a positive or negative effect on success and sustainability. When focusing on the suggested correct amounts of training when concerning sets and reps, no previous research has actually indicated a set number to work from. This is why variation and expert analysis needs to be scrutinised to enable a benchmark to be set for initial improvement. References Alexander, M.J.L. The relationship between muscle strength and sprint kinematics in elite sprinters. Can. J. Sport Sci. 14:148–157. 1989. Cronin, J. B., and Hansen, K. T. (2006). Resisted sprint training for the acceleration phase of sprinting. Strength Cond. J., 28, 42-51 Faccioni, A. (1994a). Assisted and resisted methods for speed development: Part 1 Modern Athlete Coach, 32, 3-6. Kristensen, G. O., van den Tillaar, R., and Ettema, G. J. C. (2006). Velocity specificity in early-phase sprint training. J. Strength Cond. Res., 20, 833-837 LeBlanc, J. S., Gervais, P. L. (2004). Kinematics of assisted and resisted sprinting as compared tonormal free sprinting in trained athletes. Proceedings of the 22th International Symposium onBiomechanics in Sport, Ottawa, Canada 536. Lockie, R. G., Murphy, A. J., and Spinks, C. D. (2003). Effects of resisted sled towing on sprint Kinematics in field-sport atlethes. J. Strength Cond. Res., 17, 760-767. McKenna, M. J., G. J. F. Heigenhauser, R. S. McKelvie, J. D.MacDougall, and N. L. Jones. Sprint training enhances ionic regulation during intense exercise in men. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 501: 687–702, 1997 Murphy, A. J., Lockie, R. G., and Coutts, A. (2003). Kinematic determination of early acceleration in field sport athletes. J. Sports Sci. Med., 2, 144-150.

Osmosis Essay -- Papers

Osmosis Introduction I obtained my scientific knowledge from the "AQA science: double award modular." This is an experiment that will explore the osmosis theory To make this experiment safe I will wear goggles to protect my eyes and also will make sure that when using the borer to cut the potato I have a white tile underneath. The experiment will be a fair test as I will keep the weight of the cut potato the same throughout the water and sugar solutions. I will try to keep the potatoes surface area and volume the same. I will make sure that both pieces of potato are placed in their solutions at the same time and pulled out together. I will make the weight of the potatoes the same by using the top pan balance and keeping the weight roughly the same through out the different potatoes. I will measure the potatoes to 2 decimal places (g). I will make sure the experiment is fair by completely submerging both potatoes under their solutions so they all have the same chance of releasing and taking in water or sugar solution. When repeating the experiment to get a more accurate result I will make sure I use the same controls. I will be sure to have a different test tube as some of the solution maybe left in the test tube after the last experiment. I predict that when the potato chip (in high concentrated sugar) is placed in the sugar solution it will either lose or gain in weight. As the potato is in a concentration that is higher in water than itself it will gain weight and when a potato is in a concentration that is lower in water than itself will lose weight. This is due to osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water from a... ...also have an assistant to help me remove and place the potatoes in the solutions so that they all had equal amounts of time in their solutions. I can not make my experiment perfect as the are some limitations to my equipment. To obtain more evidence with osmosis I could improve certain addition aspects like the amount of solution in the test tubes, so that you could get results on whether the amount of solution affects the amount of osmosing a potato chip can do. Some potatoes could have more sugar in than others, so to extend my investigation I could produce results on which potatoes have more protein in. I could add additional information about the time it takes for osmosis. I could retrieve information on the time it takes for the potato chips to reach its limiting point that is if there is a limiting point.

Saint Augustine Essay -- Biography

Many consider Saint Augustine of Hippo a main figure in the development of orthodox Christian doctrine during the early Christian Church. Augustine was born in Northern Africa in AD 354. His father was a pagan and his mother a Christian. Though his parents were not extremely well to do, they had enough money to allow Augustine to obtain an education in the liberal arts. This education will eventually affect how he sees Christianity, especially concerning the use of neo-Platonic ideas in Christian theology. Augustine converted to orthodox Christianity late in life. He struggled with the many earthly things he needed to give up for a complete conversion of body, mind, and soul. It is in Confessions that Augustine shows the world this struggle with and eventual conversion to orthodox Christianity. Though the conversion did not come easily, Christianity held a variety of appealing ideas for Augustine that influenced how he viewed the world in which he lived. In turn, the late conversion of Augustine allowed for his non-Christian experiences and study to have a strong effect on how he viewed orthodox Christianity and the number of heresy-sects of Christianity that continued to thrive during his lifetime. His education also created a unique view for Augustine concerning the use of pagan philosophies in Christian doctrine. Finally, all of the experiences and views of Saint Augustine eventually had a profound influence on orthodox Christian doctrine and philosophy. Augustine was actually born a Christian and taught Christian doctrine by his mother Monica while still young. However, born Christian and not interested in pagan religions, Augustine was also not particularly interested in orthodox Christianity either. He ... ...that it is God's mercy that will save him, nothing else will. Because of this belief, God's mercy becomes an important aspect of orthodox Christian belief. Augustine found Christianity appealing on many levels, though the main attraction was the ability to use logic to understand religion. Augustine also understood that God's words came in many forms, and he was not afraid to search out pagan ideas that fit into Christianity. Augustine is often seen as a major contributing force to the doctrine of orthodox Christianity. His learning and life experiences influenced his ideas about God, Christ, and religion. In turn, it is these ideas that have a long and lasting impact on orthodox Christianity. Both Catholics and Protestants believe that Augustine was correct in his views on orthodox Christian doctrine. His ideas are still used today to study Christianity.

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture Essay -- Farming Genes Science Essa

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture "Whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before would deserve better of Mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." -The King of Brobdingnag, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, 17271 Introduction Genetically engineered foods are the rage of the day for farmers across the world. Farmers are able to grow larger, tastier, more colorful foods that are more readily available and attractive to consumers. At the same time, farmers actually have been saving money because their crops are now more resistant to drought, frost, insect infestations, and bruising during transportation to markets. How does this work you ask....genetically modified foods. With the world's population growing at a rate that earth's resources simply can't support naturally, scientific intervention has become and will become even more inevitable. Feeding the world's hungry is becoming a more difficult problem to deal with everyday as the populations in unfarmable locations grow to sizes that cannot be supported by the current world food supply. My only question is: Will food or water run out first? Background For thousands of years 2, humans have been selecting the seeds of plants with certain desirable genetic traits to plant the following years crop. For years upon years, growers have identified and cultivated useful plant variants through selective breeding and environmental alterations. Corn, as it is known today, is nothing like it was a thousand years ago. Gregor Mendel, the "Father of Genetics", wrote his first major paper on genetics in 1865 where he puts into words wha... ...cannot be predicted, but we should do our best to preserve a species when possible. Let us feed the world with caution for the environment, morality and humanity. Bibliography 1. Plant Physiology, C.S. Prakash; May 2001, Volume 126, pp. 8-15 (no link) 2. Transgenic Crops, History of Plant Breeding http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops/history.html 3. Webster's Dictionary (online) http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=transgenic 4. The Scientist, Using Transgenesis to Create Salt-Tolerant Plants, Ricki Lewis; March 2002 http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/mar/research1_020304.html (To use this link you will have to use a registered email, use wmeissner@scu.edu) 5. Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, August 2003; http://pewagbiotech.org/resources/issuebriefs/geneflow.pdf

Royal Mail Privatization

According to the Business News on ‘BBC’ which was updated on 8 October 2013, the government intended in privatizing Royal Mail as this had been planned for many years. Royal Mail employees have been given 10% of the shares as part of a stock market flotation. Business Secretary Vince Cable described it as â€Å"the biggest employee share scheme for almost 30 years†. Meanwhile, the public have been given the opportunity to apply to buy shares online until 8 October.An amount of 750 pounds will be the minimum investment for public while the minimum investment for those Royal Mail employees who wished to buy additional shares is 500 pounds. However, an additional 15% of the government’s stake will be sold if the demand for the shares is very high in what is called an ‘over-allotment’ option. â€Å"The company needs access to private capital in order to grow and compete. † said the government and Royal Mail management.Parcel delivery from in ternet shopping is far more important to Royal Mail’s business compared to the delivery of letters, which is shrinking. Furthermore, in order to try to cut public from spending and borrowing more money, the government has been reluctant to invest large sums of money at a time. Moreover, Royal Mail has also been facing competition from private operators such as ‘TNT’ and ‘UK Mail’. Post Office will not be affected in the privatization because it is now a separate company from Royal Mail.The government said that they want to invest more money in the Post Office network as they want to prevent branch closures and eventually set it up as a mutual business. In conclusion, the reason I have chose this particular topic is because Royal Mail is one the most popular and fast delivery postal service Company in the United Kingdom and I personally agree in Royal Mail being privatized as it is giving them a chance to grow and compete in business.

Nike Inc. Business Executive Essay

Nike, Inc. is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of all different types of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide range of sports as well as fitness activities. As far as the locations of where Nike, Inc. sells and distributes, the company licenses its products in approximately over 200 countries around the globe, focusing its products under seven different key categories including running, basketball, football, soccer, men’s and women’s training, Nike sportswear, and secondary Affiliate Brands (Converse, Inc., Hurley International LLC, Jordan Brand, and Nike Golf). Currently, Nike, Inc. is operating segments in over six different global locations including North America, Western Europe,  Central Europe, Eastern Europe, China, and other emerging markets. As far as Nike consumer products go, Nike operates as a company that specifically specializes in fast pace industries concerning various different types of athletic footwear, clothing, and equipment. Right now, this industry is right on point in its competitiveness, exposing Nike to the risk of falling behind to its competitors or by not meeting the demanding innovation standards that are demanded by customers. In order for Nike to stay on top of customer demand, the company must continue to revolutionize and predict consumer preferences. Other companies that are in this industry such as Adidas and Reebok rely on a strong reputation and creative brand images in order to obtain worldwide recognition. If, in the rare occurrence, Nike, Inc. was to attract any negative publicity through the press, it would substantially affect the company’s revenue as well as growth rates. As far as Nike’s strategy goes, it is shooting to achieve a long-term revenue growth by creating various different types of innovative, â€Å"must have† products that will build a deep personal connection with its consumers. As far as Nike’s brands go, the company strives to deliver comp elling consumer experiences through not only retail stores, but online avenues as well. Being the global leader in athletic sportswear, Nike is no longer considered a stranger to the increasingly distinctive and unstable environment of the global economy that has been experienced through recent years. All of Nike’s products have now been subject to the risks that have been associated with overseas outsourcing as well as manufacturing and financing. In lieu of the decline of global capital and credit market conditions that have been threatening to Nike’s business, Nike stands strong in remaining focused on its business strategy, and the company continues to expand long-term growth for its stakeholders. One may wonder exactly how Nike plans to do this in a variety of difficult conditions. The answer is innovation. Innovation and constant improvement at Nike is all about how the company leverages its new ideas and expands them into new parts of the world by driving through barriers and in short, thinking outside of the box. Disregarding the ongoing challenges the harsh economy throws Nike’s way, somehow the company is still able to continue delivering a record revenue in the fiscal year of 2012, continuing to outperform its past five fiscal years. Nike’s r evenues had grown from 16% to $24.1 billion and net income has increased by 4% to  $2.2 billion in fiscal 2012. Looking back at Nike’s past four fiscal years, the company has continued to deliver a positive return on net income despite being subject to the economy’s unstable tax and currency rates. As mentioned previously, in fiscal year 2012, Nike’s revenues increased among all operating segments, specifically North America, contributed to over 7%, while other emerging markets as well as China contributed only 4%. Provided with the information, it is now visible how the brand Nike, Inc. continues to be the powerhouse of revenues by generating $13.4 billion alone. Throughout the years, Nike continually invests into innovative strategies the company believes will continually raise annual growth. As a result of the company’s optimism, in 2012 Nike signed an agreement to sell two of its affiliate brands: Umbro and Cole Haan. Despite Nike parting ways with these two developed brands, that action now enabled the company to focus on the highest possible opportunities to d rive a maintainable, profitable growth margin for its shareholders. With the provided information above, it is clear to see exactly what a powerhouse Nike, Inc. is when it comes to athletic sportswear. Although this statement is correct, the interworkings of the company are much more complicated than they seem and more importantly, Nike still has plenty of room for work and improvement. From an operations analysis standpoint, this paper will include specifically how Nike is an effective company. Specifically the main topics will include: products and services, operations and management, alignment of operations, business strategy, and finally just a brief summary of everything and recommendations that are hypothesized to make Nike a better company. History (Robert Leoniy) The two men that started this athletic powerhouse were Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. Bill Bowerman was a nationally recognized track and field coach at the University of Oregon and Phil Knight was a talented middle-distance runner who ran for Bill Bowerman’s team in the Fall of 1955 at the University of Oregon. Between 1950-1959 is where everything all started. In 1964, the first deal for Nike had been made. At that time Nike had not been called Nike. It had gone by the name of Blue Ribbon Sports. The first deal was on a mutual handshake, $500, and mutual trust between both partners and the first order of 300 shoes was placed in January 1964. Between 1970-1979, the birth of the Nike Brand had emerged. Around 1971, the company decided to expand being just a footwear distributor to designing and selling an original line of shoes. Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, selected and made the brand mark known today as â€Å"the swoosh† in January of 1972. The logo was then unveiled at the U.S. Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. They then needed an athlete to promote Nike. They chose Mr. Steve Prefontaine, a young man who was a track athlete from the small coastal town of Coos Bay, Oregon. He also challenged Knight and Bowermann to become more and more creative. He died tragically in 1975 at the age of 24, but is still considered by Phillip Knight as â€Å"the soul of Nike.† Since the ‘80s, Nike has continued to grow and become an innovative company in the athletic industry. Phillip H. Knight is still the Chairman of the Board of Directors while Mr. Mark Parker is the current President & Chief Executive Officer of Nike, Inc. They have grown immensely from just footwear and will continue to do so through innovation. Mission/ Business Strategy (Brian Frederick) Nike’s Mission, as stated on its website is, â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world† (Nike.com). The asterisk that goes next to athlete in the mission and on the bottom of the mission statement signifies, â€Å"If you have a body, you are an athlete† (Nike.com). Bill Bowerman, co-owner of Nike, is the one who formed this quote. This is a smart marketing and business strategy for Nike Inc. because some people might not feel that they are athletes if they have not played sports or anything of that nature. It can be a boost of confidence for those people that do not consider themselves to be athletic. It also can be sense of motivation and that start that they need to become active. If a well-known athletic brand like Nike Inc. tells consumers that everyone is an athlete, then people will get motivated and want to live a healthier more athletic lifestyle. Also, when people live a healthier and more athletic lifestyle, it helps Nike, Inc. become more and more successful. Nike is all about athletic apparel. They range from athletic clothing to athletic shoes to athletic accessories, etc. They have a Nike Sector for almost every sport. They have Nike Football, Nike Basketball, Nike Soccer, Nike Golf, Nike  Running, Nike BASEBALL, Nike Sportswear, Nike Women’s, and many more. Nike indeed caters to every different kind of athlete. That is part of the reason why Nike does so well. They are an extremely diversified company in terms of the athletic market. They cover all ranges making them attractive to all kinds of people. Although the company has many different avenues, Nike Inc. is most famous for their shoes. When you think of Nike, you think of the swoosh symbol and their shoes. The two most popular types of shoes are their running shoes and their basketball shoes. They definitely have created the most revenue and have been the most successful sector within Nike Inc. over the years. These shoes, especially the basketball shoes, have a lot of celebrity endorsements. Professional basketball players, like Lebron James, have their own shoe lines. People wait in line for hours to get these special edition shoes. While considering basketball players with their own shoe lines, it is relevant to mention how Nike differentiates itself by retaining some wholly owned affiliates. Converse, Inc., Hurley International, LLC. and Nike Golf are all affiliated with Nike, Inc. As of the first quarter for 2014, Converse is recorded separately while Nike Golf and Hurley International are included in the overall financi al statements for Nike. Continuing from the statements above, Nike owns Jordan Brand. Jordan Brand was created by Michael Jordan, who is said to be the best basketball player that has ever lived and played the game. Signing Michael Jordan to his own brand of Nike basketball shoes did wonders for Nike. The celebrity endorsement has lead to great exposure for the company. Because of Michael Jordan having his own Nike brand, the basketball shoes sector of Nike grew a tremendous amount. While Nike has the swoosh symbol that is very well know, Air Jordan has the jump man symbol that has become very popular. It is almost as recognizable as the swoosh symbol. With Jordan Brand, Michael Jordan has been able to gain many basketball superstars and give them their own shoe lines. This has been something that has been very popular for Nike in the past and this prospect seems it will continue to become more and more successful. Jordan Brand already has superstars like Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Lebron James with full-fledged lines of basketball shoes and the l ist will only grow. Nike’s main goal has been its ability to develop  and mature. They have always been innovative in the athletic department. They are always developing new kinds of athletic materials whether it is a new kind of shoe, a better shirt, or a new accessory. All of their products are developed and made with the idea of optimizing each and every athlete’s performance. The company tries to help an average athlete feel that he or she can make it to the next level if he or she chooses Nike products. Nike ties in its business strategy of optimizing athletic performance with its marketing tactics by doing this. Not everyone is a super-athlete, but if Nike can help a consumer feel that he will be the best athlete possible and perform his best while using Nike products. Also, on its website Nike has an article titled Our Sustainable Strategy with the subtitle The game has changed, forever. It states, â€Å"Our vision is to build a sustainable business and create value for Nike and our stakeholders by decouping profitable growth from constrained resour ces† (Nike.com). They have taken this strategy and will apply it with much research. Because they have â€Å"sustainable strategy,† that does not mean that Nike will not continue to be innovative. They will continue â€Å"sustainable innovation† where the company will improve its products that it has, but will also continue to make newer and better products. SWOT Analysis (Brian Frederick) An article on valueline.com, shows a SWOT report of Nike, Inc. The article is titled NIKE:A Short SWOT Analysis and was written by Justin Hellman on March 10, 2014. The first strength talked about in the chart was talked about earlier when talking about Nike’s business strategy. That strength is product innovation. The article states, â€Å"Nike has a long tradition of staying ahead of the technology curve, which has helped it attract loyal followers and influential endorsements from professional athletes, from Michael Jordan to Tiger Woods† (Hellman Paragraph 3). Like stated before, Nike continues to improve their products to help athletes all over the world perform to their best abilities while have major superstars endorse their products. The second strength is strong cash flow. Nike often has a good amount of cash on hand which can help itself a lot when it wants to buy back stock and increase its stock price. Justin also stated, â€Å"The company generates a lot  of free cash flow, a good portion of which it uses to enhance shareholder value,† and later states, â€Å"There’s ample cash, in the meantime, for NI KE to maintain a large R&D budget† (Hellman Paragraph 4). Nike has a lot of cash to increase the stock’s value but it also uses that money to help continue its innovation procedures. Nike’s only real big weakness is it’s high advertising costs. Justin states, â€Å"Part of the company’s marketing strategy involves locking up major sports stars in lengthy endorsement deals† (Hellman Paragraph 4). All of the major celebrities that NIKE endorses do take a hefty amount of their revenues to pay. Their advertising expenses are high because of the major celebrities but Nike shows that the feel spending the extra money on those celebrities helps them out in the overall scheme of things. Justin Hellman states two major opportunities for Nike also. He states that there are â€Å"favorable industry trends†, â€Å"direct to consumer†, and â€Å"emerging market growth†. Two major things play into the favorable industry trends opportunity. Consumers now have a desire for, â€Å"minimalist footwearà ¢â‚¬  where they want the lightest shoe possible which also links to the increased popularity of running (Hellman Paragraph 5). There is also an increase in the want for fashion in the athletic apparel industry and Nike already has a very well developed logo to go with its name. The next opportunity is â€Å"direct to consumer† (Hellman Paragraph 6). Ecommerce is a major factor in this opportunity and is expected to multiply by almost four times going from $540 million to $2 billion. Also, â€Å"At present there are over 750 retail units worldwide, including over 300 in the United States† (Hellman Paragraph 6). While there are already 750 retail units worldwide, Nike is planning on expanding that number in the future. The other opportunity is â€Å"emerging market growth† (Hellman Paragraph 7). China is definitely a key opportunity that Nike would like to enter. Hellman states, â€Å"But China, with its huge population and emerging middle class, still represents and excellent long-range opportunity for the company† (Hellman Paragraph 7). Nike might not emerge in China just yet but, if it can, that would be a great boost to Nike profits. Also, Justin talks about how Brazil presents a great opportunity with its large population and passion for sports. Finally, there were two major threats stated and those were â€Å"heightened competition† and â€Å"product cost inflation† (Hellman Paragraphs 8 & 9). In recent years, companies have increased the quality of their products and such. There have  also been more companies that have been created and have given good competition to NIKE. The most notable company has been Under Armour that went public in 2005. The price of materials has also increased since the beginning of NIKE and seems that it will continue to increase. â€Å"Rising raw material costs are apt to be a long-term headwind, with the developing world continuing to use up more commodities. Labor inflation will likely be an issue too† (Hellman Paragraph 9). As the prices and costs to make the products of Nike, Inc., increases so will the price of the products Nike provides. Overall, Nike still seems to be a company that will be successful in the future. Most of the strengths and opportunities seem to outweigh the weaknesses and threats. The threats that Nike, Inc. has might damper the profits of the company a little but not anything too significant. Also, with the pr oblems of inflation and increased competition, Nike is not alone in the fact that all companies have to deal with all of those factors also. Nike, Inc. will still be a competitive force and can still be a leader in the athletic industry. Company Operations (Catherine Aloise) Because Nike is such a large and complex company, the operations that go with the day-to-day and long-term operations are extensive and multifaceted. The operations management strategy decisions that are generalized for every company can be applied to Nike just as well as any other company, but as stated above, each decision and step to the strategy contains many parts that correlate to the vastness of the worldwide company. Competitively known for the array of sports equipment, the design of Nike products and services is crucial. Nike is known as a modern brand that appeals to the younger generation. A waltz through a busy night of exercise at Montclair State’s very own recreation center will show any passer-by how truly popular and trendy Nike’s products really are. Good looks are not Nike’s only concerns, fortunately. Through considered design, Nike is reducing waste throughout the design and manufacture of products by using environmentally ideal materials and removing toxins. Nike encourages its designers to make smart, sustainable choices at the start of the creative process. Nike wants designers to choose to achieve design breakthroughs and reduce unwanted impacts through ways that are safe for the environment and  safe for consumers. This concept goes hand-in-hand with managing the quality of goods and services (â€Å"Designing Products† 1). Furthermore, Nike is responsible for maintaining products that are of good value and quality to consumers. The company cannot afford to lose business on malfunctioning shoes because of manufacturing problems and product defects. In the event of a customer purchasing a product defect, he or she is directed to the website where he or she is able to return the product and then choose from a list of options including the approval of a full refund, Nike credit, or a complimentary product of equal value. Nike cannot mess around with customer approval like this which is why quality is valued with utmost regard within the company. If Nike was to lose its consumer base, Nike’s top competitors like Asics, Reebok, and Adidas would sweep the market. Next, location and layout strategies are key in Nike’s business strategy. These two business strategies have a lot to do with marketing. When speaking about layout, every shelf and hanger must be placed according to what appeases the customer’s eye when he or she walks into a Nike store. The placement of the register and the spacing of the displays in the store must also be selected strategically. If a customer walks into a store and feels cramped and crowded by the tightness of space to move around the store, he or she will not linger for too long when grazing through the store. NIKE employees must also consider the seating and dressing rooms for customers to try on clothing within the store. A businessman stopping by the Nike store in a nearby mall will not be seen hopping up and down on trying to maneuver the latest Nike free run onto his aching foot after a long day of work. He will not be seen as a fool in the presence of other customers and Nike employees. This is why chairs must be placed near shoe displays and fitting rooms. Similarly, as businessmen may pass a Nike store in the mall neighboring the office park, corporate Nike employees must think about the location of each store. It is not wise to place a Nike store in a lower-class town that has a low average disposable income. People that reside in towns of this nature  will not be able to afford high-end Nike products and the store would flounder and eventually be closed down. It is wise, however, to build a store located in an urban city such as New York City where there are many middle and upper class consumers bustling around on a daily basis. The same concept is applied on a national level. Nike is wise to sell lots of products and have many locations in the United States and England because countries like these are known to spend money on products Nike sells. Meanwhile, Nike would do well to reconsider the thought of expanding to third-world countries in Africa because inhabitants of these countries can barely afford water, let alone high-end exercise equipment. With all of the countries that are actually able to afford Nike’s products, this leaves the company with more jobs to take care of, one being to keep track of the inventory. In early 2000, Nike had some major inventory management problems. The company lost around $100 million in sales due to these issues. Fortunately, following this failure, Nike developed an improved inventory management solution to solve their problems rapidly. In 2001, Nike implemented a modernized version of their inventory management software. Based on historical sales data of different products, and based on some market growth estimates, Nike would first prepare a demand forecast for different families of products. This demand forecast is then used to determine optimal inventory levels, reorder points, material lead times etc. And the entire manufacturing plan for months is determined using these numbers produced by the inventory management software (â€Å"Nike’s Inventory Management Solutionâ₠¬ ). Computer systems that predict how to manage inventory must be maintained in a certain way so that problems and malfunctions do not arise. There are also computer systems used in human resources and scheduling. Error-prone human beings no longer make schedules. Fortunately, there are many options for companies large and small to use when seeking software to create schedules. It is simple and mistakes are few to none. Like everything else, maintenance is required. Alignment of Operations with the Strategy (Catherine Aloise) As stated above, Nike has many ongoing operations within the company but  only one outlook and aim when selling products. Nike is selling a lifestyle. With advertisements on television, consumers get an image of an athletic, motivated regime that will help each individual associated with Nike become a better person. This is a very important strategy because what Nike has a strategy to sell an intangible item: a lifestyle that makes people want to â€Å"just do it†. This is the design of goods and services. Once this image of Nike is sold to consumers, the physical products will sell themselves. In order for consumers to be on board and spend money on Nike products, the consumers must then fall in love with all the different avenues offered by Nike. This part of the operation can be seen in the layout strategy. If someone from the nearby country club is in a Nike store looking for golf clothing, he might come across a nice pair of biking shorts that would be great for the upcoming spring weather. Once the Nike biking section is in full view, the opportunities of purchases are endless. Summer is just around the corner so why not invest in a nice flattering pair of Nike swimming trunks as well? The five pounds gained from Easter dinner will just melt right off after all that biking and the trunks will fit like a glove. Once this innocent young man has left the store with his wallet considerably lighter, a small smile lingers on his face as he mutters the phrase â€Å"just do it† subconsciously under his breath as he walks to the car. This strategy is more common than one may think. The layout strategy can be seen in the short story above simply by the way a Nike store is set up and what catches a customer’s eye. The inventory management and design of goods and services go hand in hand with the expansion of athletic and sporting clothing offered by Nike and the innovation of currently existing products. Designers for Nike are always looking for new, innovative ideas to put on the market like the Nike+ fitness application available for smart phones. This application was once just a gleam in the eye of a Nike Designer before it went viral in the iTunes store. The application map individual runs, tracks progress, and get the motivation needed to keep going. The Nike+ Running app tracks distance, pace, time and calories burned with GPS, and gives audio feedback during a run. Users can automatically upload to nikeplus.com to see past runs, including routes, elevation and NikeFuel  (â€Å"Join Me on Nike+†). Summary/Recommendations (Collaborative) Nike, Inc. is definitely one of the most successful athletic companies in its market and industry today. The company continues to be the industry leader and does not seem to be slowing down. If there were to be any recommendations, it would have to be to keep doing what they are doing and not to lose sight of innovation. If Nike continues to be inventive and groundbreaking and continues to introduce new products on a consistent basis, they should be able to maintain success in the market. Nike, Inc. seems to have all the right tools to do well in today’s economy. Works Cited â€Å".† . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Designing Products.† NIKE, Inc. -. N.p., n.d. Web. . . Hellman, Justin. â€Å"Research Hub.† NIKE: A Short SWOT Analysis. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Nike’s Inventory Management Solution.† Ordoro Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. . . â€Å"Nike. Just Do It.† Nike.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Strategic Analysis of Nike, Inc.† Strategic Analysis of Nike, Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .