Government Spending on Healthcare

Government Spending on Healthcare Talia Oliver 10/22/2012 HCS/440 Donna Lupinacci, MSN The article I read was written by Margaret Cuomo, M. D. and it focused on health care costs and how the government is doing unnecessary spending in health care. According to the article, the government has spent about $750 billion dollars on medical care that was not needed. Some of the areas where the author believes that the money has been wasted have been in unnecessary services, excessive administrative costs, inflated prices, prevention failures and fraud.The issue is that this spending is not actually contributing to the improvement of patient health. The author the author had stated that â€Å"Flaws in the current system of cancer treatment contribute to unnecessary spending† (Cuomo, 2012). There is so much money being spent on the blood tests, diagnostic scans and other medical procedures that deal with cancer and it is costing about $200 billion every year. With their being so much unnecessary spending on healthcare, Cuomo discussed how a group called the IOM committee was able to come up with ways in order to cut the spending and be able to continue to provide quality health service.Government Regulation on Media in AmericaThe article discusses that the IOM believes that â€Å"Eliminating wasteful spending for just one year ($750 billion) would be equal to more than 10 years of Medicare cuts† (Cuomo, 2012). This wasteful spending according to the article can’t continue to happen and it is important that we understand where the money is being spent and how the excessive spending can be changed. My opinion of the article is that there is too much money being spent by the government on healthcare that is not contributing to ensuring the improvement of patient health.When you look at the unnecessary medical care, there are services that are not needed but the money is being wasted when it could be spent somewhere else. Cancer is a serious issue and I believe it is important for patients to get assistance to help treat cancer. However, there are times that some patients are a bit paranoid and believe they have cancer and request tests to be sure. This is not necessary if the patient shows no signs of having cancer and the money can be saved. I believe that the article is very valid with saying that a lot of the spending is going to unnecessary things.The reason why I believe this is because there are those patients who are able to afford care and can’t get covered for care due to the fact that there is not enough funding available. The article is also valid in identifying ways that the unnecessary costs can be cut without disrupting the quality of care given to the patients. The ability to save money by cutting the unnecessary spending can help the money go to services like Medicare. I believe that the spending discussed in this article is way too much on unnecessary services that are not helping to improve patientâ€⠄¢s health.There is no reason that $750 billion is being wasted and it could go to services that can help those who can’t afford healthcare and those on Medicare. I believe that the government could focus that money on prevention methods that would help to avoid patients requiring more care. Prevention efforts are important and yet the government doesn’t invest enough money in it. The article had stated that recently â€Å"The House of Representatives voted 236 to 183 to repeal the Affordable health Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Trust Fund† (Cuomo, 2012).Instead of trying to prevent the spending on unnecessary services and issues, repealing this act just ensures that there will be more costs to come due to the fact that prevention efforts are not being taken seriously. In conclusion, this article talked about the fact that a lot of the government spending on healthcare is being wasted on unnecessary services. The government is spending money on healthcare that can be cut in order to spend money where it is needed in healthcare.If the government focused more on being able to cut costs and provide quality care, $750 billion can go to Medicare services or even to state agencies that are trying to help uninsured patients get proper care. The government spending on healthcare should be spent on ensuring the improvement of patient’s health. References Cuomo, M. (2012, September 25). Margaret I. Cuomo, M. D. : The Truth About Health Care Costs. Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 23, 2012, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/margaret-i-cuomo-md/health-care-costs_b_1901742. html

Conflict theory Essay

Copy and ecause those in control of a disproportionate share of society’s resources actively defend their advantages. The masses are not bound to society by their shared values, but by coercion at the hands of those in power. This perspective emphasizes social control, not consensus and conformity. Groups and individuals advance their own interests, struggling over control of societal resources. Those with the most resources exercise power over others with inequality and power struggles result. There is great attention paid to class, racWhereas most other sociological theories focus on the positive aspects of society, conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, avoid social change, and believe people cooperate to effect social order, conflict theorists challenge the status quo, encourage social change (even when this means social revolution), and believe rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. Conflict theorists, for example, may interpret an â€Å"elite† board of regents raising tuition to pay for esoteric new programs that raise the prestige of a local college as self-serving rather than as beneficial for students. Whereas American sociologists in the 1940s and 1950s generally ignored the conflict perspective in favor of the functionalist, the tumultuous 1960s saw American sociologists gain considerable interest in conflict theory. They also expanded Marx’s idea that the key conflict in society was strictly economic. Today, conflict theorists find social conflict between any groups in which the potential for inequality exists: racial, gender, religious, political, economic, and so on. Conflict theorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This constant competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-changing nature of society. Critics of the conflict perspective suggest that it glosses over the complexities and nuances of everyday life and relationships of power.

A short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A short story - Essay Example Nobody took Professor X’s effort seriously dismissing that the Professor has been chasing a pipe dream of looking for something that does not exist. A wasted genius they say. But still, Professor X continued beaming his signals into the outer space. Then suddenly, a response. Professor X was ecstatic, he himself cannot believe that his radio transmission were returned. For the first time in the history of science, a contact was made with an intelligent creature light years away. Through the help of a team of expert of linguists, Professor X’s team were able to understand the language of the alien. The creature’s name was Apex. He was a male and an astronaut from the Planet Gaul of the Lunar System Ephsus who just like Professor X, has also been scouring through the stars for a possible contact with an intelligent being. They are as excited to have made a contact from another planet just as the people of the Earth. After months of exchanges of information about each other’s planet and civilization, it was finally decided that an official meet up and physical contact should be made. Earth does not have the technology yet to visit Planet Gaul so it was agreed that it will be Apex’s team who would be visiting the Earth. According to Professor X’s estimate, the aliens will be arriving on earth six months from now. Necessary preparations were made for the arrival of Apex’s party. All honors were conferred to Professor X who rose to sudden popularity due to his recent contact with an extra terrestrial being. He also received unlimited funding from the United Nation’s for his research and was made in-charge of the receiving party since it was only Professor X who was privy in communicating with Apex’s party. The day arrived. Apex made an excited announcement that his ship has already landed in the designated landing field which Dr. X prepared for Apex’s arrival. Yet Dr. X cannot find the ship. He asked for

Ask week2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ask week2 - Essay Example How would your organization develop these ideas and concepts? One of the ways through which such ideas can be formulated could be through the sensing that, the organization needs to adjust its readiness. This sensing may arise from the feedback of clients or simply by a personal feeling of inadequacy that is also shared amongst the staff. In order for there to be successful generation of ideas, it is apparent that a complex adaptive system that allows for the open interaction of management, staff and clients is vital. Explain the rationale of sensing, that the organization needs and importance of sensing that arises from the feedback of clients and staff. System concept (f) is about theory-building and increasing knowledge. Although your concern is not about finding theory, it is apparent that this concept would be applicable in some ways. In what ways are system concept (f) useful in your quest to finding the best way of increasing collaboration between subsystems in order to achieve better quality in the work tasks to be performed? Application of CAS in your work based problem clearly stipulates that, important factors to success are â€Å"who and why/how† they adapt the system and processes. In relation to this assertion, do you find it possible that application of CAS would help solve your work based problem? If yes, in what ways? Utilizing CAS in your work based problem may open up new ideas of solving the problem. However, you may need to apply action research in order to have best solutions to your work based problem. In what ways are action research relevant in the application of CAS? According to Stacey, (2011) double-loop learning â€Å"involves changing a mental model, a recipe, a mindset, a frame of reference or a paradigm†, (pp 109). In what ways would you apply double-loop learning in order to solve your work

Ccounting Systems Design and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ccounting Systems Design and Development - Essay Example The system of authorising leave and other human resource issues would be faster as the authorisation would be made electronically rather than waiting upon the paper documents. Moreover, the benefit through the opening of the new system might make The Royal Australian Mint to strictly record and monitor the working performances by tracking upon the working hours of the employees. In addition, the other benefit that the organisation might expect is that the new system would significantly effect upon their area of planning which will cover the entire organisation and also will diminish the need for people to design their own systems. The Royal Australian Mint hopes that the new system would transform the organisation into an efficient workplace along with enhancement of the productivity in future. The previous Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system of The Royal Australian Mint was not capable enough to comply with the changing information requirements of the management. Moreover, the previous system became very much complex to support the various additional programs and report requests which were required to be added into the system. In order to cope up with these sorts of problems, The Royal Australian Mint felt the need of introducing new integrated system of information. The Royal Australian Mint had made each business area map out their major process activities may be due to the fact that the organisation identified the requirement for a new integrated system that would enhance their business operations. The major motive of the organisation in mapping out their major process activities was to attain knowledge regarding their current procedure of executing working activities and also seeking for the ways in order to enhance their working procedures. The Royal Australian Mint might face certain difficulties while implementing the new integrated system of information. Due

AICPA Ethics & COSO Framework for Internal Controls Essay

AICPA Ethics & COSO Framework for Internal Controls - Essay Example The first issue is about how Harold Potter gained employment and shares with Dumbledore Enterprise, a public company. Being supported by his uncle to gain entry to the company is not a serious issue. However, once he gained membership to the AICPA, there were implications that made his continuous involvement in Dumbledore risky. Section 101.01 states that a person should be independent in performance of professional services (Independence, 2011 para 1). This therefore means that once he was connected to Dumbledore as a previous employee and a shareholder, he would lose his independence and could not provide services for the company. Upon graduation, Harold decides to describe himself as 'Accountant' on his business card. Section 57 Scope & Nature of Services states that Members â€Å"...should observe the principles of the Code of Conduct in determining the scope and nature of services to be provided.† (Scope & Nature of Services, 2011 para1). There are issues with this descri ption because although he was qualified, he did not have the required level of experience to be considered a member. This therefore means that it was unethical for him to present himself as an accountant when he was not a full member. Section 191.65 forbids people to use the title CPA when they are not qualified members in Public Practice to use the designation of 'Accountant' without making disclosure of his capacity (Ethics Ruling, 2011 para 65). Clearly, Harold was not in public practice then so again, it was inappropriate to use the title of Accountant without specifying the scope of this designation. Using the Firm Name Aaron, Potter & Zzucker (3) For the sake of getting popularity and exposure in the phonebook, Harold decided to use the above name. According to Section 501.10 False Misleading or Deceptive Act in promoting or Marketing Professional Services members should not use false or deceptive means to promote their firms (Acts Discreditable, 2011 para11). Clearly, Harold Porter was working alone. There were no Aarons and Zzuckers in the firm who were CPAs. This therefore means that the use of the name was misleading. Further instruments in the Code of Ethics go against Harold in this direction. Section 502 prohibits members from advertisment, that is false, misleading and deceptive. Section 505.1 Form of Organization & Name says that members shall not practice public accounting under a name that is misleading (Form of Organization & Name, 2011 para 2). Providing Tax Services & Audit for Dumbledore (4) Although Harold did not have any experience in tax and auditing, he took the offer of his uncle to provide tax and auditing services for Dumbledore. There are two major components of the AICPA code which makes it unethical and potentially illegal for Harold to take these options. Section 201.2 Competence requires members to undertake professional services that they are reasonably expected to complete with professional competence (Competence, 2011 para2 ). Since Harold had never done tax and auditing before, it was wrong to do the books of a public company without any supervision because there was no assurance that he had the necessary professional competence. Section 57 Scope & Nature of Services states that members should observe the principles of the Code of Professional Conduct in

How does the concept of Citizenship contribute to our understanding of Essay

How does the concept of Citizenship contribute to our understanding of the experience of minority ethnic groups - Essay Example Legal British citizenship for the minorities has been changing concept recently with more regularities and demands. The citizenship requirement is not spread in an uniform way amongst the minorities; instead, the blacks seem to be having an upper hand here. "The rates of British Citizenship found across different groups contain a high degree of variance, with black Africans exhibiting the highest level of non-British citizenship in 1977," (Evans, 1999, p.105). Blacks who have migrated into Britain since the days of slavery and increased their numbers in recent decades, have become better naturalised citizens than other minorities. Complete naturalisation and acceptance of British way of life, while retaining some of their own traditional values, depends on many criteria. The main factor that should be considered here is the period of migration and the length of stay here. "These factors are the period of migration, the economic conditions of migration, the citizenship regime of the host state, and the ways in which the political cultures imported by immigrants from their original countries have combined with native political cultures," (Pennin... This means, an individual's mindset about Britain and its citizenship mainly depends upon the treatment he received from the British people after migrating here, the stereotyped models the individual has maintained in his mind and also the prejudiced or unprejudiced attitude he had developed over the years, either aided by the local population, or totally unaided. Victorians thought that the minorities were uncivilised people from far off colonies, and unfortunately they showed it in their attitude. This does not mean that there were no kind people in Victorian days. If the minorities had come into contact with well-balanced thinkers, there are instances of positive outlook where the person became happy under a helpful employer or a friend. The mass migration was from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and West Indies. The settlements were localised and some clusters emerged in London, Liverpool, Cardiff, in the early 1800s and in those days, they were all referred to as black communities. They lived a poor life, as any other immigrants of any country and tried hard to eke out a living. "A pattern of black minority ethnic settlement characterised by residential concentration, segregation and deprivation is now well-established in Britain.the day-to-day experience of most people living in Britain at that time was a white one," (Pacione, 2002, p.216). Eventually their living conditions, with their own hard work and government help, improved and along with it, improved the attitude of the British, who came to recognise the good qualities of their minorities. In any country, it is quite natural, to have wrong opinion, dislike, suspicion about the new people who look

Software localisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Software localisation - Essay Example (Reg1a) Alchemy Catalyst combines the power and flexibility of regular expressions like ezParse which makes it simple and quick to work with visual development environment in order to develop text parsers for virtually any file type. EzParse also supports the most popular encoding systems such as UTF-8, UTF-16 and Shift-JIS. (Cat1a) Requires personnel management, work organisation, planning, analysis, setup and coordination of resources, deployment of tools and software, tracking, reporting, and most of all flexibility. During the first analysis of the files that are to be localized we try to determine whether a glossary containing new terminology is necessary. At the same time we examine the extent of the project, and, depending on the deadline, we choose the most suitable means and technology for the work. Based on this analysis a list of files is generated, and a glossary; styles and formatting are defined, and procedural rules are established. We maintain full consultation with the customer. (Stage1a) Localization includes several levels of quality checking. ... Q3) a) Project Management Flow: Project Commencement Which activities would be undertaken, which areas would be addressed during this stage of the project, and what would be the output Requires personnel management, work organisation, planning, analysis, setup and coordination of resources, deployment of tools and software, tracking, reporting, and most of all flexibility. During the first analysis of the files that are to be localized we try to determine whether a glossary containing new terminology is necessary. At the same time we examine the extent of the project, and, depending on the deadline, we choose the most suitable means and technology for the work. Based on this analysis a list of files is generated, and a glossary; styles and formatting are defined, and procedural rules are established. We maintain full consultation with the customer. (Stage1a) b) Production Flow: Evaluation Which areas of a product would be covered during evaluation stage and what would be the output at this stage. Evaluation is done when the software is implemented at the client side in order to estimate the degree of accuracy needed from the software according to the business requirements. Production actually covers the translation itself, and document composition. This phase affects the quality of the product the most. Continuous Control: During the production period our customers are encouraged to check the translated text. They can see and verify that everything is being done as they require. Quality Checking: Localization includes several levels of quality checking. Language experts read through the whole text prior to the application of standard controls for translation precision, style, terminology and content. Special

Shan ss Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shan ss - Assignment Example However, the new CC outlet would eliminate distance barriers and provide the Sun Valley residents, including large number of teenagers and young adults, with the opportunity to purchase liquor so frequently. The organisation also plans to distribute high-strength alcopops and cigarettes. In addition, the CC will sell legal party pills which evidently cause issues including delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and suicidal tendency. Although such products are easy to sell, they can have an adverse impact on people’s health. Studies indicate that alcohol and substance abuse are the root causes of social problems like violence, sexual assaults, and gang crimes. Statistical data indicate that nearly 40% of the patients admitted to Accident and Emergency departments had consumed alcohol (drinkaware.co.uk, 2012). Furthermore, the firm’s new outlet will be near to the proposed new Sun Valley primary and high schools. Hence, school students are likely to buy and consume liquor and other intoxicants. Probably, such a situation would negatively influence the school’s academic environment and ultimately students’ future. The proposed business project has also a range of consequences on the environment. The case scenario reflects that several mature trees and an acre of uncovenanted native bush have to be cut in order to find place for the new car park under this proposal. Although the law does not prevent the company from doing so, this deforestation activity can have severe impacts on the environment. As Brown & Pearce (1994, pp.2-5) point out, deforestation evidently leads to the loss of biodiversity. In addition, deforestation may significantly alter the region’s weather distribution pattern which in turn would contribute to a decline in Sun Valley’s agricultural production. The place where CC plans to open its subsidiary is home to several species of

Embedded Formative Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Embedded Formative Assessment - Essay Example In essence, there were certain types of instructions issued by the teacher that seemed especially effective. For instance, the teacher would take us out to the field to learn about various phenomena and concepts related to the subject he was teaching. I think this was especially helpful because we used to directly learn about the concepts in practical situations hence we did not only enjoy his teaching lessons but we used to perform well in his subjects. Another approach that the teacher used in class was the discussion sessions whereby every student participated hence improving the general grade of each one. I think that besides the effective instruction methods, the teacher also used various assessments including but not limited to continuous class tests, end of syllabus exams, and a number of research papers. It is worthy to note that the types of assessments used matched the instructions employed in various ways. In his instructions, the teacher always encouraged class participations in order to keep every student at par with the topic of discussion. Perhaps I have to reiterate that this was the most interesting teacher and class in my entire academic life at least up to this point and

Resistance of a wire Essay Example for Free

Resistance of a wire Essay Fair Testing Definition Fairness implies that the outcome of the activity truly depends on what is being investigated, and is not being distorted by other external factors. Therefore a fair test is one where all the variables are kept constant or the same, except the variable that is being investigated. A variable is anything that can change and which may influence the outcome of the investigation. List of variables   Length of a wire.    Temperature of a wire. Resistivity of a wire.   Thickness of a wire. Person that measures the length.   Person observing the metre readings. Number of variables.   Position of the variable resistor needs to stay constant.   Number of times you do the experiment to get the average.   Apparatus needs to stay the same, so you need to do it on the same day. Statement of fairness To make it a fair test, I am going to keep all the variables the same, except the length which I am going to change. I am going to take the measurements of the voltage and the ammeter readings. Range of Measurements to be taken (for the variable being tested) I will take the ammeter and voltmeter readings of different lengths. The different lengths will be in 10cm increments, from 0cm to 100cm. Experimental Procedure Apparatus: 1. 2 Batteries 2. Voltmeter 3. Ammeter 4. Metre ruler 5. Variable resistor 6. Rheostat 7. 1m wires mounted on a metre ruler 8. Crocodile clips 9. Connecting Wires Diagram: Method: When I set up the apparatus as the diagram above, I will put the slider in the middle of the variable resistor and I wont change its position throughout the experiment. I will get a metre ruler, which has wires mounted on it. I will get the crocodile clips and put one of the clips on 0cm and the other clip on 10cm. I will read the voltmeter reading as well as the ammeter reading. I will then take the other crocodile clip from 10cm and put the clip on 20cm. I again will read the voltmeter and ammeter readings. I will do the same for 30cm, 40cm. 100cm. I will repeat the experiment 3 times so the experiment will be a fair test. Safety Precautions I have thought about the safety precautions and I dont think there are any precautions to take. The wire could get hot if the voltage was too high, but in this particular experiment the voltage is supposed to be low. Results. Results Table Experiment 1 Experiment 2 Length of a conductor (cm) Voltage (V) Current (I) Resistance (? ) Voltage (V) Current (I) Resistance (? ) Average Resistance (? ) Results (trends or patterns of observations) From my table you can see that as the length of the conductor increases the resistance and voltage also increase but, the current decreases. Each time the length of the conductor doubles the resistance more or less doubles as well. The average is only really useful when the voltage and current are about the same. If the numbers are not around the same figure the average wouldnt really mean anything. It wouldnt be a true reflection on the other results. Conclusion In the planning part of this investigation I predicted that as the length of the conductor increases the resistance will also increase because the electrons will have more cations, the electrons will find it harder to go from one side to the other side. From my results table you can see that as the length increases the resistance will also increase. When the length goes from 40cm to 80cm, the resistance goes from 3. 96to 7. 95 The reason it happens is that in my theory I stated that the length of a conductor is similar to the length of a hallway. A shorter hallway would allow people to move through at a higher rate than a longer one. Resistance in wire depends on how thick and how long it is, and what it is made of. The thickness of the wire is called its gauge. The smaller the gauge, the longer the wire. Calculation of the percentage errors from the graph Experiment 1 Experiment 2 Length (cm) Voltage (V) Current (A) Resistance (? ) Voltage (V) Current (A) Resistance (? ) Average Resistance (? ) Line of Best Fit Difference % error Evaluation How accurate was the investigation? I think the investigation was quite accurate because I repeated the experiment 3 times and the results in the results table were all close to each other. The replicates are close to together, which means I could calculate a representative average. The apparatus was accurate because I had the right amount of everything I needed. However, if the connecting wires were a bit thinner than it would have been an even more accurate investigation. Overall I think the accuracy of the apparatus was good enough for this particular experiment because it is standard and the majority of the schools in England also use this apparatus. I dont think that the method could have lead to any inaccuracies, because everything was more or less accurate. The line of best fit looks perfect and there arent any anomalous results. Was this a suitable procedure? It was a suitable investigation because I got what I expected and it proved my prediction. Also, a lot of people done this investigation like this because it is good. My graph is also good, so I know the suitability of the investigation is positive. Was the evidence sufficient to support a firm conclusion? Yes, because if you look at my graph, it was done to a good degree of accuracy. As the length doubled, the resistance also doubled, so it was reliable. Also the % of error was less than 5. 00% all the time. The replicates are close to the average. I got what I wanted because I did some research so I knew what to expect. How could the investigation be improved? Improvements I would do the experiment more time to get a better average. I would do the investigation 3 times which would mean I could do it on 3 separate graphs with the same apparatus. I would also use a longer wire from 1m to 2m. Further work After doing this investigation, I could investigate another variable such as resistivity (type of wire). I would do the experiment by doing the following; 1. I would set up the apparatus. 2. I would cut 30cm of copper, tungsten, constantan, nichrome and steel wire. 3. I would measure the voltmeter and ammeter readings. 4. I would calculate the resistance. 5. I would repeat the experiment 3 times to get an average voltage and an average current. 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Sophocles Oedipus The King English Literature Essay

Sophocles Oedipus The King English Literature Essay Aristotle defines tragedy as an replication of an action that is made to look serious, comprehensive and of a specific enormity. There as thus six elements which, according to Aristotle, make up the quality of a good tragic drama. These include the plot of the story which gives the flow of the events in the story. The plot must contain the cause and effect whose climax is reached as a result of the earlier incidents and whose end is arrived at from the presiding events. The second element is the character whose work is to support the plot of the drama. For the protagonist, s/he should be celebrated and prosperous and his fortune changes from good to bad. The next element is thought which seen when something has been proved wrong or right. Thought also include the themes that are illustrated in the drama. The fourth element is diction which entails the pronunciation and extraction of the meaning of the story in words. Melody or song is the fifth element and it is attributed to the cho rus and should be wholly incorporated in the play just like the actors. Last is the spectacle which depends on the attractiveness of the stage rather than the creativity of the poet. Aristotle goes ahead to give the characteristics of a tragic hero; he mentions that is of nobility and greatness, he is not always perfect, he should encounter a downfall which is out of fate, and he is to face a punishment that exceeds his crime. However his fall is not a total loss; he becomes aware in the mistakes he makes and though his tragedy arouses some emotions, it does not leave the audience depressed. The play Oedipus the King by Sophocles describes the story of a city, Thebes, which has been struck by a plague. Oedipus is the king of Thebes and his people gather in dismay and ask him to do something so as to save them. Oedipus has already sent Creon to the oracle to consult on how they can save the city. He however comes back with a message that the plague will only end when the killer of the former king of Thebes, Laius, is expelled from the city. He then calls for prophet Tiresias to come and tell him what he knows about the murder. Tiresias seems to know who the murderer is but he is unable to speak. Oedipus blames him for keeping the secret while the people suspect that it is Oedipus who liked the former king (Sophocles, 1947, p.16). In that argument, Tiresias mentions Oedipus parents and he is surprised at how he knew about them while he was brought up in Corinth. Tiresias tell him that he knew Oedipuss parents mysteriously and as he left the stage he points out that the mur derer of Laius will become the brother and father to his own children and the offspring of his own spouse. At the mention of this, Oedipus threatens to kill Creon for siding with Tiresias and the whole place becomes noisy (Sophocles, 1947, p.17). At this point, Jocasta, the window of Laius and also the current Oedipuss wife, comes in and asks what the noise is for. Oedipus explains that the prophet has accused him for the death of Laius but Jocasta assures him that the murder was committed by thieves on a three-way junction before he, Oedipus, came to Thebes. The description of the murder however sounds familiar to Oedipus and he highly suspects that he could be the murderer. He tells Jocasta that he overheard that he was not the true son of the royal family and when he looked for the truth he was told that he will kill his own father and sleep with his own mother thus to avoid this from happening he flee away from Corinth. In his journey, he encountered a group of people who attacked him and killed them all except one in self-defence and that all this happened at the same spot that Jocasta had mentioned (Sophocles, 1947, p.19). He asks for the man, a shepherd, who had survived the tragedy to come and testify hoping that he will not identify him as the murderer. Before he arrives, a messenger comes with the message that Oedipuss father, the king of Corinth is dead and that Oedipus should go and take over the kingdom Jocasta rejoices at this (Sophocles, 1947, p.46). He also mentions that he should not worry since the king was not his biological father and that there was one shepherd who new the whole story well. Oedipus calls for this shepherd to come and testify. Suspecting that the truth will be revealed, Jocasta goes back to the palace. The shepherd does not want to reveal the truth but Oedipus threatens to kill him if he does not tell him. He finally discloses that Oedipus was the son of Laius but was adopted by the king of Corinth after he was disowned by his parents following a prophecy that he would kill his own father and make his mother his wife. Realising his true identity, he yells and goes back to the palace. He finds Jocasta has hanged herself; he removes the pins from her cloths and blinds himself. He comes back bleeding and asking to be expelled from the town (Sophocles, 1947, p.63). He is expelled and goes to wonder in unknown places until steps on a holy ground when he remembers that at some point the gods promised him that he would rest on that ground. He calls for Theseus, the king of Athens who pities for what had befallen Oedipus and offers to help him. Oedipus requests Theseus to take and live with him in until he dies though he cautions that this would bring the rage of Thebes to Athens. Just before his death, a dreadful thunder is heard and Oedipus calls for Theseus. He tells him that his time of death had come and he must perform some rites over Oedipuss body so as to protect the city. He leads Theseus to the place of his death and tells him no to disclose to anyone except his son during his death who is also to do the same. The earth burst open and he just disappeared (Sophocles, 1947, p. 65). From the unfortunate flow of events, we can confidently affirm that Oedipus is the perfect example of Aristotles tragic hero. As a child, a prophecy was made that when he grew up he would put his father to death and marry his mother. His biological parents, Laius and Jocasta try to evade the prophecy by killing him but the gods protect him and he is adopted by a royal family where he is brought up as a prince (Sophocles, 1947, p. 24). As he grows he believes that he can avoid the oracle that he will kill his father and take his mother in marriage. He leaves Corinth thinking that he has outsmarted the will of the gods but instead they are manipulating his will and leading him to the very place that he would commit the murder. At first, Oedipus is a good person and as a king, he virtuously rules Thebes and saves the whole city by giving a solution to the Sphinx riddle. When Thebes experiences the second plague, he tells them that he feels their suffering and that his is even worse than theirs. He knows what is best for his people and they trust his to an extent they take him for God. All the people in Thebes acknowledge his for his good leadership This is the house,and he is the good sir within (Sophocles, 1947, p.46) Since a tragic hero is not perfect, he falls because of his character. He is bad tempered and stubborn; will do anything that he thinks of without considering the outcome. His temper makes him kill his father and his wish to do anything led him to knowing the truth about his ability. Jocasta keeps on telling him not to seek for more information since it may cause him great harm but he insists that he must know the truth. Thus he falls by killing his father and marrying his mother due to his imperfection, an act which he is responsible of. He is born to noble family and the society does not expect him to fall and when he falls, it seems more of a calamity that involves the whole community. The moment he suspects that Laius and Jocasta were his true parents, his suffering begins. He is not at peace and he struggles to know the truth. He seeks information from all reliable sources and when he finally realises the truth, his punishment begins; he pricks his eyes and becomes blind for the rest of his life living away from his rightful home. This punishment is more than he deserves (Sophocles, 1947, p. 63). As his downfall comes to pass and the play comes to an end, the story gains the purgation of the viewers. Throughout the play, Oedipus brings out the sense of fear and pity to the audience. They fear his true identity and do not want to find it out. The pity is brought out by his downfall towards the end of the story. Thus the story is a tragedy drama because it brings out the purgation of the viewers and Oedipus is the tragic hero he has arouse these feelings and fulfilled the other Aristotles requirements.

Supplier Relationship Management

Supplier Relationship Management An important feature of a world class organisation is the way the organisation has been able to develop and link its suppliers with its external processes, Peter Hines, World Class Suppliers, (Pitman, 1994). Supplier relationship management can be defined as the relationship that exists between the supplier and its buyer based on long term commitments and trust with the ultimate aim to maximise the potential value of the relationship. This will include the management of different forms of supply relationships such as partnership, joint venture and vertical integration. 1.2 Importance of Supply Relationship Management The critical importance of supplier relationship types to achieve supply chain competitiveness can be viewed under the following headings: The effective use of strategic partnership Typical traditional short term relationship is characterise by irregular or one-off transactions that give rise to supply uncertainties, difficulties in choosing suppliers, and is price oriented making this type of relationship unreliable and unsupported. Organisations can move from this type of relationship towards a long term relationship known as partnership based on trust, shared goals and risks to achieve mutual benefits. Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Operations Management, (Pearson, 2010), define partnership as an agreement between two firms that seek to accomplish a common objective. The Japanese, James P Womack et al, the Machine That Changed the World, (Macmillan, 1990) , used the concept of partnership and lean to gain competitive advantage because they realised their partners had the expertise, the technical knowledge and were reliable. Effective partnership with suppliers made them to compete favourably in the market because of good product quality, lo w cost and reliable delivery. Therefore, firms can use this same method to rationalise their supply base and use the lean concept to produce efficiently which will lead to reduce product lead times, reduce inventory and inventory cost. The implementation of new management tools and systems A key element of supply relationship management that gives firms competitive advantage is the implementation of the lean concept of monitoring supplier performance and continuous improvement. Monitoring performance is a post-contractual procedure in which the buyer continuously keeps an eye on the supplier by either managing the suppliers activities to make sure all commitments are met or using a measurement matrix such as key performance index (KPI) to compare supplier progress and divergence from targeted objective. The overall competitive advantage is an operation that is continuously improved in terms of quality, delivery and service. In 1989, Chrysler benching against the Japanese companies, initiated the Supplier Cost Reduction Effort (SCORE) program aimed to reduce cost, quality and monitor supplier performance; Dawei Lu et al, Supply Chain Management module notes (WMG, University of Warwick, 2011). The integration of knowledge and technology to create an all new technology Integration with supplier is all about coordination. Here, the buyer and supplier come together to align their processes thus improving communication and supply chain visibility for both parties. When firms integrate their knowledge and technology they are able to meet the needs of end customers by getting the right product at the right price and quality, giving them a competitive edge. This strategy was used by Bose Corporation 1990 that led to the extension and creation of the JIT2 concept, a logical extension of JIT that eliminates waste in the system, improves communication and reduces demand variability. Efficient consumer response (ECR) to demand variability caused by the forester effect. Firms are always seeking solutions for continuous demand variation and consumer requirements. Through effective supplier and buyer collaboration, firms will be able to achieve competitive advantage by efficiently managing their supplier relationship to meet the needs of the end consumer creating a fluid inventory flow from suppliers to the consumers reducing lead times, demand variability and uncertainty. This has led to initiatives such as Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), a tracking technology that provides real time information and location of goods. Tesco, UKs largest grocery retailer has exploited this technology strategy and is piloting pallet-level RFID to manage its logistics; Christos Tsinopoulos and Carlos Mena, Competing Supply Chain Strategy: Tesco, Aldi and Lidl, (ECCH, 2010). Increase competition amongst firms to secure and increase domestic and international market share. Domestic and international market pressures are just other facets that have pushed firms to collaborate and develop strategic partnership with suppliers to gain competitive edge. Using this approach, firms use both local and international suppliers to broaden their sourcing base, reduce product lead time, and stream line cost through cheaper, global and local sourcing alternatives. The benefits are quick response to demand variation and high availability of variety of products at reasonable price and quality. This in turn attracts a greater amount of customers and increase market share. This is a strategy which IKEA, a Swedish international furniture company has successfully used to provide quality products at reasonable price and secure a large market share both domestically and internationally. 1.3 Relationship Management Framework 1.3.1 Introduction A relationship defines an interaction between individuals, organisations and groups; Kenneth Lysons and Michael Gillingham, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (Prentice Hall, 2003). There are many possible supply chain relationship types because very few companies can operate on their own. These relationships can be categorized as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumers (B2C), consumers-to-business (C2B) and customers-to-customers (C2C). B2B relationships are most common and have been used in many approaches and models such as IMP, SCOR, HP, GSCF, Service supply chain and IUE-SSE to help explain supplier-customer interaction. 1.3.2 Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) interaction Approach The IMP interaction approach is a dynamic model of supplier-customer relationship developed in the mid 1970s by a group of five European countries and universities; IMP Group.[online].(http://www.impgroup.org/about).(Accessed 06 Feb 2011). Based on investigations of about 900 business relationships, the IMP group developed a model of an interaction process at both the firm and individual levels creating a dynamic, complex and long standing relationship rather than one based on a short term stable relationship; Bensaou M (1999), Portfolios of Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, 35-45. This relationship is influenced by soft factors such as power, cooperation, closeness and expectations as well as external environmental factors such as market structures, dynamism, internationalisation and position in the market. The IMP Group approach and model provide a good overview of buyer-supplier relationships and have formed the basis of other frameworks like David T. Wilson, (1995) Integrated model of Buyer-Supplier relationships, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , Vol. 23, 335-345. 1.3.3 Supply Chain Frameworks Customer-supplier relationship management models and frameworks can also be viewed within the context of the different types of supply chain models that exhibit customer-supplier relationship management. This will include a variety of supply chain models which address customer-supplier relationships such as HP, SCOR, GSCF, and IUE-SSC model. These models identify customer-supplier relationships by adopting two differing views; product and service supply chain view. Product oriented models adopt a manufacturing approach that involves the physical movement of goods under uncertainties managed to satisfy customer demands and include the HP, SCOR and GSCF models. The Hewlett Packard (HP) model was developed by the Hewlett Packard Company as a result of spiral inventory and customer dissatisfaction the company was facing with its order fulfillment process. Lee, H. and C. Billington, (1995), The Evolution of Supply-Chain Management Models and Practice at Hewlett-Packard, Business Source Premiere, Vol. 25, 42-63, used this model to demonstrate how suppliers, manufacturers and customers are linked in the flow of goods with multiple warehouses providing inventory at each stage to buffer demand. The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model is a highly structured and broad model developed by the Supply Chain Council to measure total supply chain performance; Supply Chain Council. [Online].(http://supply-chain.org/f/SCOR%2090%20Overview%20Booklet.pdf ) (Accessed 06 Feb 2011). The SCOR model adopts a process manufacturing viewpoint and identifies supplier- customer relationships by breaking down the supply chain into links, each link made up of processes representing supplier-customer relationships. These relationships are then benchmarked using Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to assess the success within the supply chain. This model, although it improves customer satisfaction through improved supplier-customer relationships, it does not attempt to describe some elements of post delivery customer support, a critical feature of supplier-customer relationship management. The Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) is yet another supply chain framework that adopts the process manufacturing approach and identifies supplier relationship management as one of its eight key business processes of product flow. Croxton L. Keely et al, (2001), the Supply Chain Management Processes, International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 12, 13-24, depicts this model as an end-to-end process where each process is linked and managed to interface with key customers and suppliers. This creates eight business processes among which is customer-supplier relationship management to allow the smooth flow of product within the supply chain. 1.3.4 Service Supply Models The above three models define supply chains purely from a traditional perspective of product flow. However, with the growing importance of services and service industry, Ellram et al, (2004), Understanding and Managing Service Supply Chain, The Journal of Supply Chain Management, Vol. 40, 17-32, adapted this manufacturing approach into a new line of service thinking that uses service capacity and delivery, instead of products to classify supply chains as the key processes. This service supply model captures customer-supplier relationship via an end-to-end supplier and customer process that include capacity and demand management, cash flows and service delivery management, and just like manufacturing supply chain, customer relationship management. This is a very good approach that identifies relationship management but limited in that services are intangible and this makes them difficult to visualise and measure. A follow up to the service supply chain viewpoint is the work of Baltacioglu et al (2007), A New Framework for Service Supply Chains, Service Industries Journal, Vol. 27, 105-124, who proposed the IUE-SSC model. IUE-SSC model represents the initials of the affiliated organisation of the authors and Service Supply Chain Model. This model identifies customer-supplier relationships by breaking down supply chain into three basic parts: the supplier, the service provider and the customer. Here, the service supplied by the supplier constitutes a core and supporting service and just like the service supply chain model by Ellram et al, this model identifies a number of activities that includes some customer-supplier relationship management essential to the service supply chain. Relationship types are diverse and could either be of business type such as B2B or consumer type such as C2C. In my thinking the popularity of B2B and the historical context of consumer-supplier behaviour pushed the above mentioned authors to focus exclusively on B2B relationships in explaining customer-supplier behaviours in the models they proposed. But the general shift in consumer behaviour and the impact of globalisation and information technology should trigger a move to contemporary models of consumer-supplier relationships in business-to-consumer, consumer-to-business or consumer-to-consumer. I therefore think that the modern business world would appreciate models build around E-commerce type relationships and a move from product or service approach models that explains consumer-supplier relationship management. 1.4 Relationship Portfolio and Management Approach Conventional thinking suggests that relationships tend to vary with companies and there is no fit for all purpose relationship. A logical step after organisations are able to identify the various types of relationships is to focus on the relationship portfolio they want to build with their suppliers and to effectively manage this relationship for competitiveness. A number of methods and approaches have been adopted ranging from the various types of relationships to more analytic models such as Kraljics Purchasing/supply portfolio-analysis and the power regime. Firms have adopted different approaches to tailor the different types of relationships to fit their particular products, service or markets. These relationships tend to follow a pattern from a short term traditional arms length relationship to a new form of close and long term relationship known as partnership or vertical integration; Alan Harrison and Remko van Hoek, Logistics Management and Strategy, (Pearson, 2008). Others have viewed this trend as a continuum and included additional types such as strategic alliance and joint ventures. Depending on its strategy, a firm might adopt a range of style such as develop strategic partners by rationalising its supply base and dealing only with a few suppliers, a popular approach most firms are now adopting. It might also adopt a variety of relationships style depending on the markets and the products. The Kraljics model analyses the purchasing portfolio of a firms product into high and low supply risk and supply impact on the financial results. The end result is the segregation of products as: strategic, leverage, routine and bottlenecks as shown below; High Low Fig 1: Kraljics model Leverage products Alternate source of supply available Substitution possible Competitive bidding Strategic products Critical for products cost price Dependence on supplier Performance based partnership Routine products Large product variety High logistics complexity Labour intensive System contracting E-commerce solutions Bottleneck products Monopolistic market Large entry barriers Secure supply and search for alternatives Low Supply Risk High Source: Dawei Lu et al, Supply Chain Management module notes (WMG, University of Warwick, 2011). Using this method, management can therefore spend time and develop performance based relationships such as partnership on those suppliers whose products matter most, for example, strategic products and outsource non critical or leverage products. Bensaou M (1999), Portfolios of Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, pp. 35-45 adopted a similar approach based on product and market conditions to create a supplier portfolio of our different relationship profiles; captive buyer, strategic partnership, market exchange and captive supplier. To effectively manage the relationships such as the Captive buyer and Market exchange, Bensaou suggested the use of management practices such as treating each other with respect and fair profit sharing and for strategic partners to regularly exchange information or pay frequent visit creating a social climate that is trusting and collaborative. The ABC analysis method is another commonly used technique by businesses to segment supplier relationship portfolio. Wagner S. and Johnson J. L., Configuring and Managing Strategic Supplier Portfolios, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 33, 717-730 adopted this approach using a wide range of factors such as volume, suppliers performance, supplier strategic importance, price and quality to segregate suppliers into category (Cat) A, B and C. Cat A suppliers where suppliers that supplied a total 80% volume, while Cat B supplied 15% and finally Cat C, 5%. Very little time is spent on managing and developing Cat C supplier because of their limited volume. In most cases they are used by the company as a way to reduce cost by either direct sourcing or via e-procurement. On the other hand, Cat A suppliers should be considered imperative by top management and a close relationship or partnership should be developed. This relationship can be monitored through regular and annual meetings with suppliers as well as creating an award for suppliers to maintain motivation. In addition, the buyer can invest on supplier development by either assisting or sponsoring supplier to improve performance. Another approach is that by Andrew Cox et al (2004), Managing Appropriately in Power Regimes: Relationship and Performance Management in 12 Supply Chain Cases, Supply Chain Management, an International Journal, vol. 9, 357 371, that correlates the findings of relationships and performance management strategies in power regimes. In a power regime, a business can decide on the appropriate relationship and relationship management style(s) depending on their power condition, as shown on the fig 3. Therefore, in a business deal where the buyer is dominant or has an interdependence power position, it will be better to choose a relationship approach based on supplier development. Conversely, in a supplier power regime relative to supplier dominance and/or interdependence then the option is for a supply chain management approach to be adopted. A change in the power structure in this technique will lead to a change in the relationship portfolio and this will lead to improve performance outco mes especially when either parties change their behaviour. 2.0 STRATEGIC OUTSOURCING A significant decision facing most businesses today and which have a long term impact on the firm is whether to produce internally (insourcing) or use an outside supplier (outsourcing); Robert Monczka, Robert Trent, and Robert Handfield, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Thomson, 2005). 2.1 Outsourcing and Supply Network Design Outsourcing, sometimes referred to as make-or-buy, is a strategy by which an organisations management decides to hand over its non-core activities to a specialised third party that can efficiently provide the service; Kenneth Lysons and Michael Gillingham, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Prentice Hall, 2003). Therefore, central to outsourcing is the make or buy decisions and the relationship that is formed between the purchaser and the supplier. The make or buy decision arises because organisations have come to the realisation that they cannot produce or make everything on their own and can effectively spend more time on core competence while non core competence could be outsourced. This decision to outsource or make or buy is a strategic one that will create a new supply network of suppliers and sometimes suppliers suppliers. In this new supply network, the organisation will need to adjust its operation in line with its new suppliers and, where possible, its suppliers suppliers creating a total supply network; Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Operations Management, (Pearson, 2010). This strategic decision to outsource brings a whole new chapter within the organisation and will prompt a key design decision; how to configure the new network and how much of the network should be retained by the organisation. This will help management to decide on how it intends to influence and manage the overall new structure . 2.2 Outsourcing Decision Process and Influencing Factors Traditionally, the main outsourcing decision process focused on cost reduction. However, the importance of outsourcing decision to an organisation competitive position has pushed many organisations to consider a number of other factors. The decision process adopted here is one adapted from Robert Monczka, Robert Trent, and Robert Handfield, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Thomson, 2005). 2.2.1 Planning phase The initial process in undertaking any outsourcing motive is to initiate a project of a cross functional team and define its scope and objectives. The team should identify activities to be outsourced and present to management for acceptance. Explore the Strategic Implications phase Strategic implications will mean aligning the outsourcing decision with three main factors: The companys long term plans and its impact on other activities and functions. This means if the activity that is being outsourced should disrupt the companys future plan or affects other functions, it is better off being insource. Furthermore, the decision should be in line with an understanding of the organisations core competence. If outsourced activity is not perceived as being core capabilities, the firm might decide to outsource. Analysis of the impact of process technological and how it compares to its competitors for competitive advantage. If analysis shows minimal competitive advantage then the organisation can decide to outsource but in cases where in house process technology provides competitive advantage, the organisation could reconsider to insource. 2.2.3 Tactical implications phase Tactical decision process will consider the following factors, and the ability to test prospective outsourcing initiative. Alternatives to outsourcing: Being tactical is crucial in outsourcing because the final decision to outsource can be very expensive for the organisation. Therefore, before making that final decision, the organisation could reconsider alternatives to outsourcing such as producing in-house, subcontracting or vertical integration. The length of contract: Outsourcing decision could mean being tied down in a long term contract which could impact on other strategic objectives. Impact of size: Also the size of the outsourcing activity can impact on the decision process as management can decide on other options if the activity to outsource is too large and can have adverse effect on core activities. Corporate culture: The impact on corporate culture is another key tactical factor that should be considered on outsourced activity to organisation. This means considering employees feelings regarding the activity to be outsourced. 2.2.4 Cost analysis phase Critical to any outsourcing decision process is its ability to be cost-effective at a quality level competitive in the marketplace. An accurate cost-effective calculation looks beyond the initial and obvious costs and is based on a marginal costing principle; a cumulative costing concept including total variable cost, total fixed cost and operating costs. Other costs will include the opportunity cost which is the potential benefits forgone if the activity being outsourced is done in house. Implementation phase The implementation process will be driven by effective service provider selection and managing post-contractual relationship. Because outsourcing usually involves a long term contract and high investment, selecting the correct service provider is imperative. The selection process will include; Market research: This involves carrying out a thorough market research to determine market price and terms of conditions, and identifying potential service providers with the right expertise, capacity and similarity in corporate culture. Develop a tender request. The tender request should provide in detail the outsourcing requirements as well as general information about the organisation including the scope and the objectives of outsourcing. This document will form a good guide to potential service providers. Conduct site visit. After tenders have been submitted, a site visit to potential service provider will aim to compare reality to what is on paper. It will be an opportunity to look at the corporate culture, its processes, the people, and how they can fit in to the outsourcing organisation. Negotiate. Negotiation will aim to find a common ground for a win-win situation. Central to this will be: quality of service and the performance level, scope for improvement and change, pricing and management style including assimilation of employees. The implementation process is not complete without any form of decision to manage post-contractual relationship which is very important to the sustainability of the whole outsourcing process. The key factor is to develop a key performance indicator (KPI) to continuously measure and monitor performance of service provider so that service quality is maintained and relationship continuously improved. In conclusion, the decision to outsource by a firm is a crucial and strategic one because it affects a greater part of the firm and it can be used as a competitive tool. Traditionally, this decision was based simply on cost and benefits but as discussed above, the decision process is now influenced by many factors and departments. Therefore, for an outsourcing decision process to be effective and efficient, a cross functional team should be selected to be part of the whole process. Implementation Problems Shawn McCray (2008). [Online].(http://www.tpi.net/pdf/papers/Top_10_Problems-with_Outsourcing.pdf).(Accessed 23 February 2011), identifies poor change management and governance as key issues in implementing outsourcing. Some of the problems related to implementation are: Post-contract processes poorly written: This occurs because both parties after signing the contract do not want to work together. The root problem being mutual misunderstanding of contract and the scope of outsourced activities resulting to services not performed and increase frustration amongst staff. Cultural clash: Cultural clash, corporate or international, can tend to produce tension, distrust and misunderstanding. This is problematic especially in a situation of offshoring where communication is limited to email or phones. This will be further compounded in difference in work ethics which if not streamlined will create added tension. Quality of service: A main reason management decides to outsource is to improve the quality of service. Where service provider is unable to achieve this, the whole outsourcing process becomes questionable and creates problems surrounding contractual performance and implementation. Lack of Coordination: Coordination and the lack of a coordinating team present an implementation problem. This is because as soon as the contract is signed, the client quickly shifts all responsibilities to the service provider who is still trying to get started and there is no team in place to coordinate activities. This will lead to a slow start, confusion within the system and poor quality service provided. Loss of talents: Outsourcing decision creates lots of uncertainties which will push some talented employees to look for jobs elsewhere. Moreover, some of these employees may feel de-motivated working for a new service provider. The loss of talent and unsatisfactory employees can cause a drop in the quality of service provided. Service provider lacks required skills: Some service providers may lack the necessary skill and may be depending on hiring new staffs and/or train existing ones. If this process takes too long as in a client retained organisation, service provider may be unable to produce contractual results thus affecting operational implementation. Cost of service: The cost of providing the outsourcing service might actually tend to be high because cost estimations were not properly carried out and certain activities not taken into consideration. Other costs and barriers to operational implementation will be that service provider is unable to deal with the volume of activities, as well as find it difficult to handle and maintain client equipment and facilities. 2.4 Key Benefits and Potential Outsourcing Risks Kenneth Lysons and Michael Gillingham, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (Prentice Hall, 2003), explain that the main benefit associated with outsourcing is that it gives management the necessary time to concentrate on the core business operations. The Outsourcing.Institute.[online].(http://www.outsourcing.com/content.asp?page=01b/articles/intelligence/oi_top_ten_survey.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.outsourcing.com/content.asp?page=01b/articles/intelligence/oi_top_ten_survey.htmlnonav=trueHYPERLINK http://www.outsourcing.com/content.asp?page=01b/articles/intelligence/oi_top_ten_survey.htmlnonav=truenonav=true).(Accessed 23 February 2011) in a survey highlighted some other important outsourcing benefits; Outsourcing of non-core activities to a world class provider encourages reengineering and its associated benefits on improvements in performance in terms of cost, quality, service and speed. Outsourcing can be used by management to reduce huge capital investment on non-core business functions thereby making funds available to areas of the business involved in direct production. Operating cost incurred in outsourced activity is also reduce as expenses such as marketing and research and development are passed to the service providers. Outsourcing could help an organisation build a new capability from start due to lack of internal resources and expertise required to get this activity start up. Also, risks related with government compliance, late deliveries or technology innovation and failures are either reduced or shared as activity is passed on to the expert service provider. Another major outsourcing risk is making the wrong outsourcing decision on what to outsource and what not to outsource and the need to effectively manage relationships. Any wrong decision will be too costly for the organisation. Outsourcing is a crucial decision for any company and it is recommended that the final decision process accommodate a cross functional team that should critically evaluate both the cost and benefits including the strategic and tactical perspectives of outsourcing. REFERENCING BOOKS Alan Harrison and Remko van Hoek, Logistics Management and Strategy, (Pearson, 2008). James P Womack et al, the Machine That Changed the World, (Macmillan, 1990). Peter Hines, World Class Suppliers, (Pitman, 1994). Kenneth Lysons and Micheal Gillingham, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (Prentice Hall, 2003). Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Operations Management, (Pearson, 2010). Robert Monczka, Robert Trent, and Robert Handfield, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Thomson, 2005). JOURNALS Andrew Cox et al (2004), Managing Appropriately in Power Regimes: Relationship and Performance Management in 12 Supply Chain Cases, Supply Chain Management, an International Journal, vol. 9, 357 371. Bensaou M (1999), Portfolios of Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Sloan Management Review, Vol 40, 35-45. Baltacioglu et

Elderly Person :: History

Elderly Person Chang Sing Lok, also know as Uncle Lok is famous for his mouth watering â€Å"Chau Kuey Teows† which is a kind of fried noodles. He is very well known in Taman University, Petaling Jaya for his exquisite dish. He was born on March 23, 1926 at ShenYang, eastern China and he was brought up there until the age of 9. He is the youngest of the six children in the family and that is why his parents named his last name as Lok, which means six in Cantonese. He is from a poor family. His father was a cook and his mother was a maid. Both parents served a rich family in ShenYang. He was brought up in a village and he spent his formative years nurtured by the humble, traditional values of Chinese village life. He lived with his family in a typical wooden house and the crystal clear water of the stream nearby his house was made his playground. As years passed, the World War II occurred. The Japanese army invaded most of the eastern part of China. At that time, most of the citizens of China had migrated to the other countries since they could not suffer the hardness of life in China. Chang Sing Lok had also decided to migrate to ‘Tanah Melayu’. So he came to ‘Tanah Melayu’ with about a hundred of others Chinese who had decided to migrate to ‘Tanah Melayu’ too by a very old style ship. At first, life was not very good and not stable since he had not get any job. It was because there are too many labour sources in ‘Tanah Melayu’ at that time. Furthermore, he was also too young for any heavy job. Finally, he got a job at a Chinese restaurant as a cleaner. He helped the employer to cleanup the entire restaurant as well as washing all the plates. It was there he first started gaining knowledge of cooking. At that time, he had a negative attitude towards the past, as he had went through lots of difficulties and struggled his way through World War II, where he had lost his family, friends and property. But he had a more positive attitude towards the future. According to him, future is the continuity of the present and if he succeeds in his present life, he believed that the future would be better for him as well as his family.

Karl Marx :: essays research papers

The late 1800's was a time period where new ideas, theories, and philosophies ran through the minds of many young people. Amongst them was a man be the name of Karl Marx who stood out in the crowd. Known as a man of great integrity and intelligence, Marx was thought to be one of the greatest thinkers of all time. "Philosophy and Myth in Karl Marx: 2nd Edition" by Robert C. Tucker is a book about Marx and his philosophies. Robert C. Tucker in this book ventures out to critique and give an interpretation of Marx's philosophical thoughts. Marx's was the man who was responsible for the well known and highly acclaimed philosophy of Marxism also known as Communism. Karl Marx was born in the German Rhineland to a well-cultured family, one that was not revolutionary. As a young man he received a classical education. Marx entered the University of Berlin where he read law, majoring in history as well as philosophy. His years at the university was the time period that was a turning point in Marx's life. From his early school days, philosophy had been a subject that sparked interest in Karl Marx. He was greatly concerned with humans' freedom and reviving the ancient concept of communism. The University of Berlin was where Marx had first become acquainted with the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Hegel's ideas known, as Hegelianism was the concept where the main focus was a self- alienated man. Man should worship himself as a Superior Being. What attracted Marx to Hegel was his "surmounting of the characteristic difficulty of idealism." However, when Marx was later introduced to the philosophies of Feuerbach, his thou ghts completely changed. According to Feuerbach,"man has so far in history lived primarily a life of religion, and that the essences of religion is man's estrangement from himself," At the same time of Marx becoming acquainted with these thoughts, he was jumping from one place to another causing his family to live in wretched poverty. Later on, using both the concepts of Hegelianism and of Feuerbach, Marx arrived at the formulation of his own philosophical anthropology. He first states that the primary determinant of history is economics where the history of society is viewed as the history of class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariats. The bourgeoisie are successful by extracting money from the proletariats for profit.

Killing Is Never Justifies :: essays research papers

Killing Is Never Justified Capital punishment, by definition, is the legal killing of an individual. Now, how someone could be killed legally when murder is universally recognized as a violent and serious crime. It is irrevocable, meaning that once an inhabitant of death row pays the ultimate price. The death penalty is corporal punishment in its most severe form and is considered to be the ultimate form of retribution for those who have committed society's most heinous crimes, including rape and murder. Ultimately, Capital punishment is wrong due to the likelihood of error, the unjust racial allocation, and the violation of constitutional rights. However, many people believe that capital punishment is morally correct and preserves human dignity. Primarily, until human judgment is proved to be infallible, capital punishment will always carry a likelihood of error along with it. As Hugo Adam Bedau said in his writings, â€Å"Since 1900, in this country, there have been on the average of four cases per year in which an entirely innocent person was convicted of murder. Scores of these people have been sentenced to death† (Bedau 8). Considering that four completely innocent citizens had been sentenced to death, in a period of twenty years about eighty innocent people would have been wrongly sentenced to death. Human judgment and the justice system in which the United States of America is based on will never be perfect; there will always be a margin of error. Because of the infallibility of human nature, a few people each year are accused of crimes in which they did not even commit. Should innocent citizens be placed on death row and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit? Because the justice system will never be perfect and mistakes are inevitably going to be made, capital punishment is not a just solution, especially for the innocent. Furthermore, many innocent convicts have been executed, while others have been lucky enough to prove their innocence in time. Subsequently, according to the Atlanta Weekly newspaper, In Georgia in 1975, Earl Charles was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. A surviving victim of the crime erroneously identified Charles as the gunman; her testimony was supported by a jail-house informant who claimed he heard Charles confess. Incontrovertible alibi evidence, showing that Charles was in Florida at the very time of the crime, eventually establishes his innocence–but not until he had spent more than three years under his death sentence.

Role of Communication in Health and Social Care

P1 Explain the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in a health and social care environment.Communication‘Communication is about passing messages between people.’(http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/people/communicationrev1.shtml). There are different types of communication in the health and social care sector. When communication is effective the conversation is clear and no one gets confused by what the other person’s meanings. Effective communication in a health and social care environment is very important and there are many types of it.Being able to effectively communicate with the service user requires the person to be open minded in respecting other people's thoughts and opinions in avoiding passing judgment on what that person is saying. Active listening is also another form of being an effective communicator as it allows you to increase your understanding of that person's thoughts and feelings. Eye contact and facial expressions are also a form of being an effectively communicating as this shows understanding and interest in what the other person is saying, allowing one to hold the conversation for longer with more understanding and enjoyment of the conversation.Formal communication, Informal communication:Formal communication is including writing letters, emails, speaking clearly and using standard English rather than using ’slang’. This is often used to shorten terms and phrases to make it quicker o type when texting and messaging on Facebook. This is used when talking to friends and family, making sure that it isn’t used in the working environment is crucial as tit can be classed as unprofessional. Informal communication can be used in case of emergencies to contact ones manager, and can also be used when one is contacting the client once there is a good understanding between the care worker and the service user. It can help the user to feel more comfortable with the car e worker too.Forms of CommunicationTexting There are other ways of communicating with the service users such at text messaging, this is technologic communication. But this is only an effective way of communicating depending on the relationships between the sender and receiver. For example, one wouldn't text their boss to have a laugh with them, but may text them if they are running late for work or are unable to make it into work on that particular day. Although they may text a colleague whom they have befriended to discuss matters which are non-work related and can also text them to tell them they are sick or that they may need someone to cover a shift for them.Another way that it could be used is if a social worker wanted to communicate with their teenage client, they could so by coming down to their way of communicating. They may choose to do this as it's the preferred way of communicating for teenagers. An example of when this can be used is, ‘What time shall I come see yo u today?' This the teenage will not feel intimidated by the situation in which their social worker is communicating in regards to.Sign Language & Other non-verbal ways of communication.Having the capability to effectively communicate with the service user it does not only mean verbally, it means that the carer can communicate either through verbal or non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is a form of interpersonal interaction by gestures and eye movements.Non-verbal communication skills such as one’s body language and hand gestures improve relationships by helping to accurately read people's emotions understanding what they are feeling, creating trust and responding to non-verbal clues to show that you understand notice and care about what the patient is saying. In such situation where a client is deaf or hard of hearing signing is an effective way of communicating the deaf and hard of hearing. It's effective because signing is the main way to communicate with th e deaf and can sometimes be the only way of communicating with a certain deaf person as this is the only form of communication they may have learned over the years.Music & DramaMusic can be used in a health and social care environment as therapy as well as communication; it may allow service users to understand how they would like to voice their opinions. This can also allow the service user to use technology like computers and laptops to not only listen to music but also for watching dramas which also have morals and give the service user the ability to hopes and aspirations.Pictures & WritingPictures and writing would be used as communication for service users with learning difficulties to help them with speech and communication skills. They also enable the service user to see situations and life problems from a third persons view.BrailleThis is a series of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or whose eyesight is not sufficient for reading printed material. Teachers, parents, and others who are not visually impaired ordinarily read Braille with their eyes. Braille is not a language. Rather, it is a code by which languages such as English or Spanish may be written and read. But this allows the service user to be able to ‘read’. (http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/reading/how/braille/braille/Pages/what_is_braille.aspx)Written:Newspapers –Inform you about what is going on throughout the world socially and economically. This is a form of communication via the media.Online, )Books – These can be both fiction and non-fiction. The non-fiction is things like biographies. They are communication with the outside world of what the author has done throughout his life or the incidents or crisis’s they have experienced in their lifetime.Magazines – These keep the rest if the world informed with the day to day events of the actor, singers, and other famous and popular people around the world . This is via the paparazzi, it is said that they invade their privacy to keep their fan in touch with what is going in their daily lives.Technological: This is communication that has been made easy by the development of the technology over the years.Computers – This is technology is used for communication, with this you can access the internet and a person can access social networking through this such as Yahoo, Facebook, MSN and so on.Telephone –This technology that has been designed to communicate with someone who is far away from others. They have to pay for it. Sometimes it is quite expensive but it is quite often affordable. When an individual have a mobile phone they do not need to worry about missing a phone call or. These are more modern and convenient as they come is smaller sizes and are easier to handle.P2 Discuss Theories of Communication.Theories of communicationArgyle's Communication Cycle.â€Å"According to Argyle, skilled interpersonal interaction (so cial skills) involves a cycle in which you have to translate or ‘decode' what other people are communicating and constantly adapt your own.† (Whitehouse,2007,P19)Argyle's stages of the communication cycle were when an idea occurs, message coded, message sent, message received, message decoded, message understood.The first stage is ideas occur this is the process where we think about what we are going to say and who to. The second stage, message coded, is where we think about our idea and plan what to say. The third stage is message sent, this is where we speak or sign what we are saying. The fourth stage is message received; this is where the person they are speaking to has listened to what they have to say. The fifth stage is message decoded; this is where the message can be translated if needed to. The final stage is message understood, this is where the receiver can clarify the meaning or ask any questions to clarify misunderstandings. Argyle's theory of the communica tion cycle centres on six core concepts, or, a cycle. The cycle is as follows:1. A idea occurs. For example, the service user’s idea is that they want to buy a car.2. Message coded. This would be them putting their desire of a car into whatever means they wish to communicate with. This may be a language, pictures, writing, or any other means of communication that they can think hold a conversation with.3. Message sent. Here they have communicated their desire for wanting a car.4. Message received. The person they wish to notify of their desire to have a car in this case it would be a care worker who has received our message.5. Message decoded. The service user now must take what they have said and attempt to decode it. Now, â€Å"I want a car† is pretty straight forward0000000, but remember, not everyone is as obvious as this, and this is the step where communication breakdown may occur as they may decode our message incorrectly.6. Message understood. Hopefully the las t step was effective and carer was able to understand what the service user was trying to communicate about. Now the cycle can begin anew, with the start of a new conversation. (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Argyle_communication_cycle)Tuckman’s Stages of Group InteractionTuckman described the four distinct stages that a group can as it comes together and starts to operate. This process can be subconscious, although an understanding of the stages can help the group reach effectiveness more quickly and less painfully. â€Å"Stage 1: Forming Individual behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team organisation, who does what, when to meet. But individuals are also gathering information and impressions – about each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, b ut the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually gets done.Stage 2: Storming Individuals in the group can only remain nice to each other for so long, as important issues start to be addressed. Some people's patience will break early, and minor confrontations will arise that are quickly dealt with or glossed over. These may relate to the work of the group itself, or to roles and responsibilities within the group. Some will observe that it's good to be getting into the real issues, whilst others will wish to remain in the comfort and security of stage 1. Depending on the culture of the organisation and individuals, the conflict will be more or less suppressed, but it'll be there, under the surface. To deal with the conflict, individuals may feel they are winning or losing battles, and will look for structural clarity and rules to prevent the conflict persisting.Stage 3: Norming As Stage 2 evolves, the â€Å"rules of engagement† for the group become establish ed, and the scope of the group’s tasks or responsibilities is clear and agreed. Having had their arguments, they now understand each other better, and can appreciate each other's skills and experience. Individuals listen to each other, appreciate and support each other, and are prepared to change pre-conceived views: they feel they're part of a cohesive, effective group.However, individuals have had to work hard to attain this stage, and may resist any pressure to change – especially from the outside – for fear that the group will break up, or revert to a storm. Stage 4: Performing Not all groups reach this stage, characterised by a state of independence and flexibility. Everyone knows each other well enough to be able to work together, and trusts each other enough to allow independent activity.Roles  and responsibilities change according to need in an almost routine way. Group identity, loyalty and morale are all high, and everyone is equally task-orientated and people-orientated. This high degree of comfort means that all the energy of the group can be directed towards the tasks in hand.Stage 5: AdjourningThis is about completion and disengagement, both from the tasks and the group members. Individuals will be proud of having achieved much and glad to have been part of such an enjoyable group. They need to recognise what they've done, and consciously move on.† (Whitehouse,2007,P19)From Tuckman’s theory it is shown that by the way that people are feeling and the views they have on different topics of discussion. It also has a big impact on if the individual feels as though they belong in that group.

Erikson’s Stages of Development, Relating to the Great Santini Essay

Erikson’s Stages of Development, Relating to the Great Santini The Great Santini is about a father who is a great pilot in the military. He uses his military training to help him be a father; treating his children like recruits. He has a supportive wife, and four children, including Ben, the oldest. He commands his children and they must obey his every orders. Ben has a hard time dealing with his father and his need for acceptance. The movie focuses on his cluelessness to family life and being a father. Ben has a hard time succeeding through the stages of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, because his father’s authoritarian parenting styles keep him from progressing. Authoritarian parents are â€Å"parents who make arbitrary rules, expect unquestioned obedience from their children, punish transgressions, and value obedience to authority† (E. Wood, S. Wood, & Boyd, 2011, p. 261). During Erikson’s first stage, trust vs. mistrust, â€Å"infants learn to trust or mistrust depending on the degree and regularity of care, love, and affection provided by parents or caregivers† (Wood et al. 2011, p. 261). When playing a basketball game with his son, he resorts to pushing and shoving in order to win. Ben’s father tells him that no one in the family has ever beaten him in anything, then, Ben makes the last basket and beats his dad, his dad changes up the rules and makes him play for another basket, this time he begins to call his son a little girl and tells him he is nothing. Ben is unable to develop trust with his father, which will cause an unhealthy personality. Researchers have concluded, â€Å"Erikson’s theoretical propositions have had wide influences on understanding and further theorizing in areas of child development, adolescence, adulthood, and aging. Much child-rearing, educational, and clinical practice has also been influenced, either explicitly or implicitly, by his stage model of development† (Rosenthal, Gurney, & Moore, 1981). Ben is more harsh and rough on the outside, but soft and sensitive on the inside, because his father has not shown him love and compassion. His mother, who is loving and supportive, helps balance out his personality. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt is Erickson’s second stage, this stage is when â€Å"Children learn to express their will and independence, to exercise some control, and to make choices, if not, they experience shame and doubt† (Wood et al. , 2011, p. 261). Ben’s father holds such high standards that he must come out autonomy because his father has told him there is no other option. This also goes along with stage three, initiative vs. guilt, when â€Å" Children begin to initiate activities, to plan and undertake tasks, and to enjoy developing motor and other abilities. If not allowed to initiate or if made to feel stupid and considered a nuisance, they may develop a sense of guilt† (Wood et al. , 2011, p. 261). Ben has a great amount of pressure on him to be the best and do the best, he is afraid that he will not live up to his father’s expectations. When Ben had finally beat his father in the backyard basketball game, his father wanted him to win by two baskets instead of one, he was putting him down and telling his son he wasn’t good enough. His mother had to step in to support her son and says to her husband, â€Å"Don’t you talk to me like that! Now, he beat you and it was beautiful†(Carlinio, 1979). His mother helps him become initiative rather than his father who makes him feel guilty for not being good enough. Ben has major conflict in the stage of industry vs. inferiority, this is â€Å" Children develop industriousness and feel pride in accomplishing tasks, making things, and doing things. If not encouraged or if rebuffed by parents and teachers they may develop a sense of inferiority† (Wood et al. , 2011, p. 261). Ben has always been told to be the best; he is becoming a well-rounded boy on the outside because of his acceleration in sports and school. He takes a sense of pride in his work, but on the inside still doubts himself. He knows his father wants more from him, Ben knows he will never be able to be as good as his father. In the stage, identity vs. role confusion he is finally able to start caring about his wants more than his fathers. At his high school basketball game his father is screaming at him from the sidelines and he chooses not to listen and does what he thinks is best. He wins the game on his own and sees that he can do it without his father. The movie ends about the time that Ben is in the stage of a young adult, â€Å" Adolescents must make the transition from childhood to adulthood, establish an identity, develop a sense of self, and consider a future occupational identity. Otherwise, role confusion can result† (Wood et al. , 2011, p. 261). Ben is able to love his father after a night of his eighteenth birthday, when his father becomes extremely drunk, and lets down his guard, and makes a toast to his son, â€Å"I’d like to propose a toast, to my son. He is eighteen today. He has just ordered his first drink. Before he drinks it, I’d like to wish him a long life, a wife as fine as his mother, and a son as fine as he’s been. To my son† (Carlinio 1979). This shows Ben that his father loves and respects him. He is able to show compassion to his father, making it easier for him to show compassion to others. Because of Ben’s fathers authoritarian parenting styles and high demands, Ben has a hard time maturing through Erickson’s stages, but Ben is finally able to develop a sense of self. When watching The Great Santini, I noticed that Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development show through in Ben’s personality and self. Each stage Ben experiences, and depending on how he is treated, will affect the outcome of the person he will become. The reason people are not the same is because every one experiences different things during each stage, which makes every one different. Each person must work through the conflicts in each stage to become a healthy person, just like Ben does in the movie.

Time talks with accent

Writing a Summary In the article, â€Å"Time Talks, with an Accent', author Robert Levine explores a cross cultural contrasts In the Idea of time, called ‘social time'. He discovers that this concept includes the components of waiting, rushing: being early or late: as well as the past, present and future. He chose to be a professor of social psychology so that he could manage his own time. While teaching in Brazil, he discovers the concept of amanha, which signifies that everything that can be postponed, should be.He observes that not one clock in the city of Niteroi is accurate and students arriving to is class are casual about when class began and ended, which contrasts with how Americans relate to time. Levine has numerous mishaps with amanha during his stay. When he consults his department chair about the issue, she arrives late for their appointment. His students come and go to appointments without reason. Levine then tries to use what he has learned about amanha when his landlord runs late. Levine runs an errand and misses the appointment and angers the landlord for keeping him waiting.Levine concludes that the understanding of time concepts are part of larger, cultural values. He outlines the work of Edward Hall, a social anthropologist whose work focused on what he called the â€Å"the silent language† (30) of time, which is unspoken, yet easily learned by children. understanding this silent language is vital for the success ofa foreigner living abroad. Since his time in Brazil, Levine has focused on the concept of punctuality and its effects on the health of people and society. He has found great diversity in the concept of time, among cultures and within countries.