Wednesday, July 31, 2019

5 Things All Students Worry About

Let’s face it – being a student can be stressful at times. We know that you might be having the time of your life meeting new people and learning new things, but there are some fundamental concerns that most students face at some time during their university careers. Here are our top 5 concerns that students can face, and what you can do to alleviate them. 1. ‘I can’t afford being a student’ All student’s worry about money. The fact is, when you are studying pretty much 24-7 without a regular income, then finances can get a bit tight; after all your student loan will only go so far! Picking up some part-time work can be a great way to alleviate this stress, so why not check if any bars, shops or even your Student Union have any vacancies. You can also make ?50 easily by referring a friend to our site – Click here for more information. 2. ‘I’m falling behind on my course’ Sometimes your course can seem quite daunting, but that’s to be expected – you are being introduced to a lot of new ideas and a higher level of study. For many this can feel overwhelming and a lot of students stop attending lectures as a result. If you feel that you are struggling to keep up with your course, why not speak to your lecturer who will have helped others in a similar situation as you lots of times before.3. ‘I haven’t revised enough!’ This worry usually comes about when students see how much revision their friends are doing; but the fact of the matter is that everyone revises differently and just because your roommate has temporarily moved into the library doesn’t mean you should start to panic. The best way to reassure yourself that you are doing enough revision is to draw up a revision plan, clearly write out the key topic areas that you need to go over and make a plan to tackle each subject area bit-by-bit. Check out our guide to Essential Revision Tips. 4. ‘I feel so far away from my home and family’ Whether you are an international student, or have moved to another city – It’s very common for students to feel homesick and a little bit isolated when in an unfamiliar environment. The best remedy for this is to go out and embrace what the new location has to offer– explore the area and local clubs, get involved with the student union actives or sports club. Before you know it, not only will you have new friends, but also a familiarity with the city so that it will feel just like a second home. Check out our guide for International Students. 5. ‘I want the best marks – but I don’t even know what a top class essay looks like!’ This is a tricky one – many lecturers will hand out example essays for you to look at but rarely identify what it is that defines a top-quality essay, or the key things the examiners are looking out for. Even if they do, the essay might not be entirely relevant to your argument. This is a worry that our site can alleviate – we can provide you with top-quality essay guides and resources that are 100% tailored to fit your needs, and that you won’t find anywhere else. Fact. Click here to find out more.

Change Management and Communication Plan Essay

Riordan Manufacturing is doing big things to improve their organization. They have decided to change how the organization manages their customer management system. The company has not had any formal system for managing their customer information and has in the past left this up to each individual employee. This new system will incorporate the use of one customer management system that will be accessed by all employees. Our team will be assisting with this process and will ensure that our plan will make Riordan more effective. During this process we will need to have several planning meetings to assist with the implementation of this new process and the use of our new customer management system. We as a team will ensure that all steps are carefully planned and well presented to the employees. Our number one goal is to make the company more effective. The topics we will need to address include the organizational structure to include chain of command, organizational culture, and the strategy we will use to make these changes effective. Their current method of management is the chain of command. This allows each division to have a supervisor and many levels between the bottom and the top. The level of supervision includes supervisors, middle managers, and executive managers. The informal power structure is a team-oriented working environment. Assignments are currently being completed by appropriate communication among the employees. The lack of focus on individual success is often overlooked. Decentralization can also be a disadvantage as it can lead to control problems for management. This structure can generally increase conflict among employees. The most effective organizational structure that would benefit Riordan would include self-directed teams. Riordan’s team environment would be excellent for  self-directed teams. Self-directed teams can offer several advantages. The largest factor we considered is motivating the employees. This will allow them the highest level of job satisfactory by boosting morale and giving them meaningful positions. Employees that have high levels of job satisfactory are much more engaged in supporting their organization. An employee’s behavior is influenced by their company’s culture. The organizational culture at Riordan includes fairness, dedication, teamwork, performance evaluations and benefits accommodations. Everything the company offers is factored into the culture. These influence an employee’s motivation and will help an employee grow and gain additional experience and knowledge. Some potential influences include career advancement, job security which in return will lead to loyal employees, excellent customer service provided by the employees, and compensation satisfaction. One of the most difficult challenges a company is tasked with is implementing change. As long as a company knows and understands how to effectively implement change, the less resistance they will receive. Reasons that employees resist change include: lack of awareness to the change, fear of being out of comfort zone, fear of not understanding the reasons for change, personal feelings towards the change, conflicts, and fear for lack of job security. Management should always be prepared to effectively deal and handle the resistance most employees will impose. Some strategies Riordan Company should follow include; effective communication of any ideas and implementation of change prior to the change date. Management should always be mindful of employee concerns and work on different training methods to help them cope with any changes that will be occurring. Every employee should be given the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the changes. Another strategy is to expect the resistance when implementation takes place. The best way to handle that is to address it formally and identify the root causes of the change as well as appoint the right leaders to effectively communicate and address any potential issues. As far as the implementation of the new system goes, the next 12 months will be critical. A plan will help to dictate the direction in which the plan will take the business. Providing a detailed step-by-step instruction manual, so to speak, will be the best chance for the success of the implementation. It may take a bit longer, but implementing the plan only one step at a time will make for  an effortless transaction from one norm to the next. This will also allow for feedback of the employees without aggravation, which will also give them time for significant improvements. At first, the employees will likely be confused by the change. It will take time to adapt to the new norm before an evaluation of the success can be determined. Training will be of great importance. Having a pre-knowledge of the upcoming events will prepare the employees for the inevitable. We know that the change is coming and so should they. The customer base is the best way to know for sure if the plan is effective. Most businesses only exist as a service to a customer; therefore, training the employees on the right and wrong reactions to the customers and the service that they r eceive will be the primary goal for Riordan Manufacturing. This will give the sense that the company is making the necessary changes to better serve them. The Communication Plan Riordan Manufacturing communication plan will consist of a formal email being sent to all managers in charge of specific sectors about the Change Management Plan with a follow up of sector face-to-face meetings. A formal email being sent out will ensure the message being delivered in a timely fashion to prepare the managers for the change. It will also give them more time to prepare a face-to-face meeting with all sector employees before the change is made. The face-to-face meeting will ensure the employees that Riordan Manufacture messages about any change that could affect them are being relayed on a more personable level. This channel will also allow manager to receive feedback from employees whether it is questions or concerns. A barrier that could be a problem for the managers trying to deliver this Change Management Plan is Communication Apprehension. This kind of barrier takes place when an individual gets extremely nervous, anxious, or even tense when speaking or trying to send any type of communication to others. Since the managers are going to have individual face-to-face meeting with their group of employees, we hope that each manager will have the courage to speak up effectively and accurately about the change. To ensure that there has been effective communication to all employees the managers who delivered  the messages will have to send a report back about the reactions shared by the employees during the meeting. Riordan Manufacturing is excited to announce a new customer management system. This new system will be accessible by all employees and will allow us to provide the most effective customer service possible. During the next few weeks, Department Managers will have face to face meetings with all staff members. Team A will provide an overview of the new system and will allow the opportunity for employees to address concerns and ask questions. Please take this time and offer feedback, your feedback and concerns are vital to the success of this organization. Our number one goal is to deliver the best customer service to both internal and external customers. Together we can make this change a success. In conclusion communication and planning are the two most important things when implementing change within any organization. Employees need to know that their input is appreciated and heard. Allowing managers and employees the opportunity to provide feedback will increase morale and will maintain high levels of job satisfaction. Riordan Manufacturing has taken the necessary steps to implement the new customer management system with proper planning and communication.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Northstowe Good or Bad

In this study, I will endeavour to discover if Northstowe is the answer to Cambridge's problems and if anything has been learnt from development of earlier settlements, such as Bar Hill, Cambourne and Arbury. This means I am going to review the circumstances that were there when the settlements were built and see if the move made by the planners at the time was best for what happened in terms of the growth of the population and people wanting to live and work in the Cambridgeshire area, this has caused a lack of houses. This has meant huge price rises in houses making them unaffordable for first time buyers in the area. As people cannot move into Cambridge directly because of the lack of housing, they have to move into the surrounding villages and towns making them also full, this is producing a lot of traffic moving in and out of Cambridge everyday which is a huge problem as the roads cannot handle the amount of traffic as Cambridge is a medieval town and was meant for horse and carts. This has created a lot of problems such as congestion and pollution. I went to Cambridge, Arbury, Oakington, Cambourne and Bar Hill to compare the housing, layout of the settlement, the environment and the services and jobs available. I was looking for open spaces, good sized houses and houses in good condition and overall a nice environment to live in. I collected my data from what I observed and my thoughts of the visited location. Chapter 1 Just after the Second World War men were coming home and having spent years with the officers who were previously thought to be way above their class discovered that they weren't so different and so there was a huge demand for housing as men and their wives began to want houses of their own away for the family. Bar Hill began to be planned for in 1952 after the Development plan tried to contain growth, including the industrial growth inside the city of Cambridge and to limit the population to 100,000. Growth was instead to be encouraged in a ring of key villages around Cambridge. By 1964 these villages had grown so fast that the villagers were concerned that the character of the villages would be lost, so other villages further away were encouraged to grow. Also the idea of developing six new villages was put forward. Bar Hill was the only site to be developed. It met the three basic criteria, single ownership, marketable location, and well related to the existing development pattern. Bar Hill was designed to have 1,250 houses, shopping and social facilities and a light industrial estate. It used the â€Å"Radburn† design principle which is where vehicles and pedestrians are segregated by having a perimeter road which has residential cul-de-sacs inside, linked by pedestrian routes leading to the village centre. Bar Hill was divided into 12 parts residentially and it was up to private developers who would meet some of the cost of village infrastructure and services. Developers needed to sell houses at a competitive price and soaring caused several developers to sell out, and slowed development. The village centre didn't get built soon enough and so this discouraged people to buy houses more. The council had to eventually pay for a new fly over to encourage development, something that should have been paid for by the developers. A local plan was made that made the final population 5,000 and demanded higher quality housing as produced originally, before developers tried to cut costs. During the 70's houses building was slow but once the remaining land was sold off in parcels, construction speed up, although many low quality houses had already been built. More warehousing and office floorspace was put forward to decrease the commuting in and out of the village and create a more inwardly motivated community. The parish council promoted community facilities and in 1980 the village hall was finally built. A lot of progress was made when Tesco gained permission to build a superstore and petrol station, although Tesco bought the land and controlled what shops were allowed to operate. Tesco continued to grow, developing its floorspace and range of goods, it provides many jobs, although it reduced the number of smaller shops and services in Bar Hill. Industrially the land was taken up steadily, in 1985 there were 6 units vacant for a total of 56. Bar hill has attracted firms from abroad, other parts of the country and local companies wishing to expand in the area. In 1994 South Cambridgeshire District Council granted outline planning permission for the settlement of Cambourne, 9 miles west of Cambridge and south of the A428 in the parishes of Bourn and Caxton. It is planned on 1000 acres of land to be an almost self contained community. When completed it will be 3,300 houses planned around three villages with traditional village greens, a local shopping centre, a 50 acre business park, shops, community facilities, such as a health centre, library and community centre, two primary schools, a public open space including a country park and recreational facilities such as a golf course. In 1998 construction began on the infrastructure of the first housing areas as well as the site entrance and roundabouts. The first residents began living in Cambourne in august 1999, with 75 homes including low cost housing, occupied by the end of the year. More roads were built as more houses were built. Work began on the first phase of the business park, building two units. Landscaping started and the country park began. Construction began on the sewage system and balancing lakes. More houses and roads completed in Great Cambourne in 2000 and work started in on lower Cambourne, with 170 families living there by the end of June. Monkfield park primary school completed along with the first children's play area. The first phone box, post box and notice board were provided. Footpaths built in the Eco Park and country park. Structural landscaping continued on the outskirts of the site and Great Cambourne village green, and the five balancing lakes were finished. Morrison's supermarket opened in 2003. Planning permission for 1774 more houses was refused. By Easter 885 houses were occupied. 90 houses were built in 1999 and 300 more are being built per year over a further 11 years. 900 of the approximate 3,300 houses are to be rented. The homes are meant to be for all ranging from one to six bed roomed apartments and houses, retirement homes and affordable housing. The 50 acre business park, 5 acre industrial estate and village shops and services will provide at least 3,000 jobs so many villagers can live and work in Cambourne. Two primary schools will eventually be provided at Cambourne. Secondary education will be provided at an expanded Comberton village college. Once the 1000th house has been occupied the community centre has to be built. It is fifteen years since the government recognised that developers receiving planning permission should be expected to make a contribution to the local community from the uplift in value which occurs when planning permission is granted. This policy was enshrined in section 106 of the Town and Country planning act 1990 which introduced a system of planning obligations enforced by contract between the local authority and the developer. At the same time the provision for affordable houses became a material consideration. This means that permission could be refused unless an appropriate contribution was agreed in areas where there was an identified need for additional affordable housing, which encompassed the vast majority of areas in England. Providing affordable housing in this way has the potential for meeting thereof the government's main affordable housing objectives. Ensuring land is made available for that housing and does not have to be bought by housing associations on the open market. Providing a financial contribution from developers to expand the supply of affordable housing that can be obtained given available government funding. Supporting the mixed communities agenda both by putting as much as possible of the supply on the same sites as market housing and mixing what is provided between social renting and intermediate tenures to ensure that a range of household groups are on the site. This relates to the Greenbelt because if anything is going to be built on the Greenbelt, it has to be sent to the government to be approved which if it is given shows a true cause and it will also be a good thing for the place where it is being built. Chapter 2 In this section I have included annotated photos of the sites that went to and graphs to show the results of the neighbourhood survey. I am going to discuss how well each site was designed to be a residential environment, whether it has a well designed environment and whether or not the facilities are adequate whether self-contained or not and whether there are any problems for example parking or traffic and whether it helps to solve Cambridge's problems. Accordia, Brooklands Avenue Catherine Square, Arbury Oakington Bar Hill Cambourne Brooklands Avenue, as you can see in photo 1 the site was clean, the traffic was light and the houses were in good condition but the houses were not very spacious, there was a lack of privacy as well as a lack of open space and a lack of parking. As the graph 1, 2 and 3 show Brooklands Avenue although the housing isn't spacious show that the environment around is nice and it's in Cambridge and so there is not far to go to get into the centre. This suggests that it could have been planned better as the houses are not very private and are quite small, this maybe because the flats where built on a brownfield site so the planners did the best they could also there is a lack of parking which is a problem because people will have 2 park on the street outside, creating the traffic problem worse. From my analysis you can see that the recent high density like Accordia near the centre of Cambridge are bad because they create more traffic problems and there isn't enough room to house the cars. This supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it takes the parked cars off of the roads in Cambridge making the traffic move more swiftly. Arbury, as you can see in photo 2 the site is clean, the traffic was light, the houses were in a good condition, there was open space, it was more private than in Brooklands Avenue and the houses were more spacious and there was off street parking. As graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the environment is well planned because there is open space, it is clean, and the housing is spacious and private. From my analysis you can see that recent low density developments like Catherine Square on the outskirts of Cambridge are good because it takes people out of Cambridge but bad because they have to commute into Cambridge to work. This both supports and doesn't support the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because although it would be getting people out of the centre of Cambridge they would want to commute back into Cambridge to work so the traffic problems would worsen. Oakington, as you can see in photo 3 the site is clean, the traffic was light, there is off street parking, there was a variety of housing styles and the landscape was nice. As graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the environment was well planned, the houses were in good condition, the houses appeared spacious, there appeared to be amenities and the privacy was good, unlike Brooklands Avenue. This suggests the environment is well planned because the houses were in good condition, there was no vandalism, the houses had privacy, the area was clean and the place was well landscaped. From my analysis you can see that old low density developments like Oakington outside of Cambridge are good because the housing is much better and the area is generally nicer, this supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it is out of the city so better housing can be built and the landscaping will be better, however the commuting traffic will still be a problem inside the centre of Cambridge. Bar Hill, as you can see in photo 4 the housing is small, and the style is unvaried and there is a lack of landscape, but the environment is clean and the houses are in good condition, but as graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the poor housing outweighs the good environment and the closeness to services and jobs. This suggests the environment was well planned but because it was built in the 50's the planners didn't think ahead and so the houses are too small and all the same style because they were built to budget. From my analysis you can see that the recent development of Bar Hill outside Cambridge is good because it is possible to never leave Bar Hill because you can work, shop and eat there but people commute to other places to work because the work there is all the same, this is a problem because of the traffic going into Cambridge causing pollution and congestion. Cambourne, as you can see in photo 5 has open spaces, spacious houses, the houses have amenities, the houses are styled differently, there private and there all in good condition. As graph 1, 2 and 3 show this was probably the best place we visited as I had the highest average score, also the area was clean, it was quiet, well landscaped and the traffic was light. This suggests the environment is well planned because of the good roads, the off street parking, the open space and the pavement for pedestrians. From my analysis you can see that the recent development of Cambourne outside Cambridge is good because it has made a place to live that u can live and work in without having to go elsewhere. This supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it keeps the villages which the greenbelt was founded to protect. Commuting people from villages who work in Cambridge have been severely affected by these developments because everyone is now trying to get into Cambridge the traffic is piling up and because Cambridge was not built to hold the vast amount of traffic that there is there are daily jams when people are trying to get in and out during peak times. Chapter 3 My analysis of the 2 Cambridge sits and the 3 out of Cambridge sites reveal that although the housing is better quality and the places are of better standard outside they are producing huge amounts of traffic going into Cambridge where there is nowhere for them all to go, whereas the Cambridge sites make Cambridge easy to walk to making the traffic problems less but at a reduced niceness of house. Advantages of Cambridge site Disadvantages of Cambridge site * Easy to get into town * Can do things in town without having to worry about getting transport back * Doesn't increase traffic problem * Not far from the centre of Cambridge * Not far from a train station * Not far from work * Not very much space * Can be loud * Can be impossible to get out of Cambridge because of the traffic * If there are road works you can still be late because of the traffic jams from the other cars * Houses small and expensive Advantages of non Cambridge site Disadvantages of non Cambridge site * Open spaces for parks and play areas * Cleaner environment * The area is well landscaped * Quiet environment * The traffic is light * There is off street parking * Pedestrians are well served for as well as cyclists * Good roads for motorists * Can be far away from Cambridge * Commuting causes huge traffic problems by large amounts of people all needing to get in at the same time * There might not be any public transport routes in where the new village is. The alternatives being suggested are new villages/towns, new business parks next to old settlements, re-use land inside Cambridge or to use land on the edge of Cambridge's greenbelt like Milton or King's Hedges. These are not likely to happen in the near future because Northstowe is currently being planned, also the new town idea is Northstowe, and it will be a new town when built. The best choice would be to use brownfield sites in Cambridge itself or to revitalise places by building business parks next to old settlements providing more work out of Cambridge. Chapter 4 6,000 new homes to be built at Northstowe by 2016, with an expansion to approximately 8,000 new homes by 2021 and beyond, there is going 2 be another boom in traffic in the centre of Cambridge and it won't be able to cope so the pollution level will increase and so will the vandalism and crime in Cambridge. The way to reduce impact on the city of Cambridge when Northstowe is built is by making Cambridge easily accessible by bus, guided bus or train, this would reduce the traffic in the centre of Cambridge. To make this settlement work, in my findings, there should be open spaces, spacious good quality housing, a variety of style of housing, the houses should have amenities and they should have privacy. Also the area should be quiet, well landscaped and should be suited for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. There should be nearby schools, leisure facilities, shopping facilities, and a business park and also it should be well served by public transport. Doing this would reduce Cambridge's problems by making jobs outside of the centre of Cambridge, reducing the commuting, likewise with the good public transport. The schools would mean that people wouldn't have to do a school run into Cambridge making the traffic even less. Having open spaces makes people stay in a village because they can go and relax there and also it means there can be clubs held which get the village together. Leisure facilities such as a swimming pool, cinema or a gym would give the people an alternative nearby instead of having 2 go into Cambridge for these. Also a village hall would be good for hosting parties or clubs such as a youth club that would keep youths out of Cambridge and keep them off the streets. Conclusion I agree that lessons have been learnt from Bar Hill and Cambourne but I doubt that these lessons will be used to full effect, because although Bar Hill's circular outer road has been abolished from Cambourne and from what they expect Northstowe to look like (see diagram 1) it was quite a clever idea. Also from Bar Hill we have learnt that just because there are jobs that are in the village/town you are in, it doesn't mean that the people will work there, they are more likely to commute to either Cambridge or London from a nearby train station. The lessons learned from both of these new developments are saying the same thing that Cambridge cannot cope with the traffic that is pouring in from all the new settlements and from all the older ones. Also they have learnt that schools must be built nearby or in the town to help cope with the children because they cannot fit into the existing schools and the commuting to school would also put huge amounts of traffic on the road and this is what we are trying to stop. I don't believe that Northstowe is the answer to Cambridge's problems but other than flattening it and starting again from scratch, which is not do-able I believe it is the best way forward. Another thing that should be built is a church of some kind because people commuting into Cambridge or nearby villages to go to church could also be seen as a problem to some people especially is a town like Northstowe had to move into the surrounding villages it would spell disaster for these quiet country villages. Evaluation If I did this project again I would improve it by going at a better time of day where there are more people about to complete the survey, and by visiting there more than once, to go back on a variety of occasions to see what exactly happens there. I think I'd need more time to get better feel for the survey and I could use more information on Northstowe to truly discover what they will be building.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Clock Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Clock Manufacturing - Essay Example All cuckoo clocks sold and manufactured within Austria have to comply with this new standard. However this new technical standard was not informed to the European Commission. European Parliament and Council Directive 98/34 on the provision of information in the field of technical standards, require that all new technical standards be notified to the Commission before they are brought into force. Secondly, from November 2005, following complaints from German trading standards officers about the poor quality of some cuckoo-clocks exported from Austria, all cuckoo clocks which did not meet the new technical standards specified were prohibited from being exported to countries outside Austria to preserve the reputation of the clock manufacturing tradition. This new legal provision was again not notified to the Commission. Considering these new standards and legal provisions in place and the fact that the European Commission has not been informed either of the new standards in place or the changes to legal provisions for export of clocks from Austria, legal advice on manufacturing and export/import issues could be given to the clients. The role of the direct effects of directives and access to justice for individuals with employment rights seem to be central in such situations1. Differentiating direct and indirect effects, indirect effects apply to a principle in EU law stating that EU directives are capable of dis-applying laws of member states if these laws are not approved by the EU under certain circumstances2. Thus in EU a directive is a legislative order requiring implementation by every member state of the union. Member states however do have the freedom to implement their own laws, yet they must comply with the aims of the original directives3. In contrast, regulations imply a single law that is directly effective on each Member state. EU law has the provision for incidental effects which is used in association with indirect effects of EU directives for suits that are filed against individuals4. An individual cannot be sued for failure to comply with EU directives. In a similar case C-194/94 CIA Security International SA v. Signalson SA and Securitel Sprl ([1996] ECR I-2201, the CIA had attempted to distribute a burglar alarm in Belgium which was not in accordance with the technical specifications laid out by the Belgian authorities. Yet, since the Belgian government had failed to inform the EU on these specifications, as required by a directive in 1983, the court ruled that this constituted a disrespect or degradation of the effectiveness of the EU directives. The EU directives are meant to remove barriers to trade within the EU5, and that the Belgian government's breach of this directive made the Belgian law inapplicable to individuals. This assignment is done to advise the clients Andreas, Bergland and Christina, who are facing similar problems and the cases for each are given below. The Legal Provisions: A new technical standard for Austrian cuckoo clock manufacturing was introduced in 2005 and this is a standard laid down by the Austrian authorities. The new regulations and legal standards that all manufacturers and sellers of Austrian clocks are required to follow are given in the context of advice to three clients namely Andreas, Bergland and Christina. The three cases are discussed separately according to the legal provisions available and the legal regulations

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Deductive arguments, and nondeductive arguments and deductive argument Essay

Deductive arguments, and nondeductive arguments and deductive argument persuading us to a conclusion, and a theory explaining wh - Essay Example Both males and females have been steeped in new consumer standards, shifted via cradle to grave marketing, and they have the propensity for commodifying themselves and other to a greater degree than preceding generations. Consumer standards such as the American obsession with celebrity beauty translate into acceptable objectification for both women and men. Arguably, this new American consumer culture has cultivated an astonishing trend that is motivating this movement of established objectification. Harris’ misguided supposition that reproducing beauty children gives them an advantage in society is plain objectification of beauty. In the American culture, women are progressively depicted as pure objects and the indirect issue, the patron, is characteristically male. And objectification of beauty in the American popular culture has become a part of everyday lingo (Berger 34). Harris’ projection that reproducing beautiful children will give them an advantage in the socie t

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 15

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The expatriate managers has to play a very significant role in the sustainability in foreign market as they have better knowledge regarding the company so that it can able to identify the areas of changes to be incorporated in business unit present in the foreign land (Miles, 1995, p.24). This section will attempt to discuss and present issues faced by a MNC company and to offer a set of plausible recommendation. Background and Issues Raised in the Case Study Fidelity Plc is primarily a UK-based IT consultancy MNC, present in a number of countries like France, India, Germany, China etc. From the very beginning of its internationalisation, Fidelity went expanding its business units in foreign count in an unsystematic way causing loose management. It means that Fidelity has failed to assess the necessary factors in foreign markets like cultural differences and internal capabilities like competent managers. Moreover, it has not also offered proper training to its managers for managing the international business units. Noe et al, have identified three necessary assessments for global expansion i.e. organisational, task and person analysis (Noe et al, 2007, p261). However, the prevailing management of Fidelity has identified three major issues for managing subsidiaries companies. Firstly, it needs to recruit competent managers who are able understand basis needs to organisation and can play a vital role in international business development.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Nutri Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements Research Paper

Nutri Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements - Research Paper Example The competition is what poses the greatest threat to entrants in the market as they have to consider bridging any gaps between what the consumer wants and what is being provided for them in the market. Unfortunately, more organizations in the market translate to the consumer having more bargaining power, which is never a good thing for the company. The paper seeks to identify the competition that will face Nutri Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements as it enters the market. It is fair to say that there is no single market that is not prone to competition. Naturally, an investor identifies a consumer need and develops a product that will satisfy the need. Later, the demand for the commodity increases and the company makes increased profits. As other investors note the growing demand, they develop their own version of the products. More investors join the market flooding it and bringing more choices to the consumer. Eventually, only those manufacturers that have a competitive edge r emain in business or make any profit. Nutri’s entry to the market will face stiff competition from popular manufacturers of food supplements and vitamins. These competitors include but are not limited to Bayer, Seven Seas, Bayenica, and Boots (Leah 10). Internet use has become widespread over the past decade. However, not every company has utilized the full potential of using the internet to market its products. The advent of social media has made online marketing more effective as a platform for companies to use to create awareness of the products offered. A company that takes advantage of every opportunity they have to market their goods becomes the best possible way to remain competitive and thus profitable. Nutri is aiming to take full advantage of what technology offers companies and will be using an online platform to sell the supplements.  

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Commodity Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commodity Trade - Essay Example The agreement aims at covering the bulk of the world trade in the commodity concerned and seeks to ensure corporative nature of the association. The associations also aim at safeguarding through participation, the interest of the producers and the consumers and insert provision that cater for all other entities (21). Any organization aims at implementing its provisions by carrying out specific functions that establish and strengthen their international accord. Challenges faced by the organizations International commodity agreements have been difficult to run and administer due to the current global economic crisis. There has been difficulties in the arranging and administering agreements partly due to technological problems surrounding the production and trading of products(27). The organizations have been facing the problem of conflicting interest between the importers and exporters where the importers want low quality products but of high prices. On the non-competitive imports, the importers require commodities of low prices and their respective quantity determined by demand. The international distribution of products is directly affected by government policy and the manner of trade restrictions within national bounds. Commodities transferred from the rich to the poor countries have an impact of accelerated economic impact. Large capitals are required to fulfill growth targets for the organizations and their payments are from the exchange earnings (29). For commodities that are largely produced in poor countries but consumed at the rich countries the agreement price set might be above the market levels or inelastic. These incidences give the market organizations to make negotiations with the producers who end up incurring losses or failing to strike a deal (31). The international trade organization having been facing another major challenge in the price stabilization, meant to implement support purchases. Theoretically, prices are set by the long term interli nk of the supply and demand to bring the equilibrium price and commodity. However, stabilization effect is not achieved in buffer stocks without heavy financial commitment (37). Failure to obey these, upward price fluctuations or heavy accumulation of inventories and burdensome will ultimately result. Currently (in order to reduce the risk of market volatile global markets) the international commodity trades are giving loans to the less developed countries. These loans are available to countries that have an annual shortage in annual shortage in the foreign exchange earnings due to commodity price declines. These loans are for compensatory effect to these countries (41). The compensatory financial scheme is operated strictly as a program to offset short-term market instability and global volatility. The recipient countries are to repay within five years. In order to curb the risk of volatility in the global market the terms of finances should be liberalized and the repayment made co ntingent upon recovery of the exports of a certain country (43). This makes the loan doable in all season unlike now where it can be taken only if the trading prices are high enough. ICC INCOTERMS Inco terms are international rules that are accepted rules accepted by governments, legal authorities, as well as practitioners

Investment plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Investment plan - Essay Example There is usually a stated value on each stock certificate called the par value. However, some stocks have no-par value. The total par value is the number of shares issued multiplied by the par value of each share and is sometimes referred to as the dedicated capital of a corporation. Shares of common stock are the fundamental ownership units of the corporation. The articles of incorporation of a new corporation must state the number of shares of common stock the corporation is authorised to issue. The board of directors of the corporation, after a vote of the shareholders, can amend the articles of incorporation to increase the number of shares authorised; there is no limit to the number of shares that can be authorised. There is no requirement that all of the authorised shares actually be issued. Although there are no legal limits to authorising shares of stock, some practical considerations may exist. Authorising a large number of shares may create concern on the part of the invest ors, because authorised shares can be issued later with the approval of the board of directors but without a vote of the shareholders. Capital surplus usually refers to amounts of directly contributed equity capital in excess of the par value. The sum of the par value, capital surplus, and accumulated retained earnings is the common equity of the firm, which is usually referred to as the firm's book value. The book value represents the amount contributed directly and indirectly to the corporation by equity investors. The conceptual structure of the corporation assumes that shareholders elect directors who in turn elect corporate officers-more generally, the management-to carry out their directives. It is the right to elect the directors of the corporation by vote that constitutes the most important control device of shareholders. Directors are elected each year at an annual meeting by a vote of the holders of a majority of share who are present and entitled to vote. A proxy is the l egal grant of authority by a shareholder to someone else to vote his or her shares. For convenience, the actual voting in large public corporations usually is done by proxy. Many companies have hundreds of thousands of shareholders. Shareholders can come to the annual meeting and vote in person, or they can transfer their right to vote to another party by proxy. The value of a share of common stock in a corporation is directly related to the general rights of shareholders. In addition to the right to vote for directors, shareholders usually have the following rights: (1) the right to share proportionally in dividends paid (2) the right to share proportionally in assets remaining after liabilities have been paid in a liquidation (3) the right to vote on matters of great importance to stockholders, such as a merger, usually decided at the annual meeting or a special meeting (4) the right to share proportionally in any new stock sold (Ross, Westerfield, and Jaffe, 1996, p. 365-369). A distinctive feature of corporations is that they issue share of stock and are authorised by law to pay dividends to the holders of those shares. Dividends paid to shareholders represent a return on the capital directly or indirectly contributed to the corporation by the shareholders. The payment of dividends is at the discretion of the board of directors. Here are

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Managing Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Operations - Essay Example Vertical integration will ensure that the company owns upstream buyers as well as downstream suppliers. This kind of strategy, unlike the horizontal integration, is characteristic of one firm engaging in diverse production processes that include manufacturing, transportation, marketing of its products and the end process of retailing. Vertical integration will also enable the new company expand vertically through processes of acquisition (Holloway, 2002). Such processes of acquisition will enable the company to expand. Expansion in business is desired because it consolidates the supplies needed by the company in the production of the needed products and their subsequent marketing and sale. This results to a more diverse and efficient business entity that incurs lower costs of production and surge in profits. Related to this is lateral expansion, which means growth of the business through acquisition and purchase of similar firms in anticipation of attaining economies of scale. Throug h these kinds of expansion strategies, there are increases in scales and market shares. However, internal/external losses and gains are characteristic of vertical integration. They differ depending on the technological state of the manufacturing sector/industry that produces power hand equipment/tools (saws, sanders, and electric drills). They correspond to the stages that characterize the industry’s life cycle. The company is therefore set to gain in terms of lower costs in transaction, the synchronization of demand and supply along the supply chain’s products. The supply chain is also set to gain from higher levels of investment and lower uncertainty. Another gain that the proposed business is set to achieve is the ability to capture and monopolize the market by selling high quality products that are capable of propelling the company’s fortunes in profits and market share. Vertical integration would also translate to strategic independence of the company in ca ses where vital inputs are scarce or their prices are highly volatile (Bovel, 2003). Vertical integration also attracts some losses to the company. These losses touch on high coordination costs, high organizational and monetary costs brought about by changing to other buyers/suppliers. There is also less motivation for quality performance at the beginning of the business because sales are guaranteed and substandard quality may be included into other types of inputs at subsequent stages of manufacturing. Five major performance metrics ought to be adopted by the proposed supply chain business. These metrics ought to be measured regularly, for instance, after a period of one month or so, for each specific product of the business. One of the performance metrics that should be used to measure performance of the supply chain is the Fill Rate, which is the order percentage, delivered on schedule/time. This means the products are delivered to the customers on time as requested. Another perf ormance metric that should be incorporated by the supply chain is the Response delay, which is the difference between the negotiated day and the requested day of delivery expressed in normal working days. Measuring frequencies of different delay values can enable estimations of the statistical order distributions with a specific delay value. In this instance, managers ought to be interested in the probability of surpassing a given value. Stock is the next

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Human resource management - Essay Example The principles and concepts that underlie behavior are basic. Diverse studies of human behavior in work organizations identify the crucial role of managing human resources to assist in the improvement of productivity and performance, in marketing the products and services, and in designing strategies for recruiting, screening, hiring, evaluation, development and the promotion of workers. Human resources management is defined as the art and science of acquiring, motivating, and developing people in their jobs in the light of their personal, professional, and technical knowledge, skills, abilities, needs and values, and in conjunction with the accomplishment of individual, organizational and societal goals (Martires, 2004, p. 6). In this regard, the objective of this essay is to proffer relevant concepts and issues that pervade human resource management in organizations. Specifically, the following questions would be addressed: (1) what is the role of the HR function within a Company? (2) Which are the main responsibilities? (3) How do you think the HR Area gives a positive contribution to Management in order to achieve organizational goals? (4) How do you think this contribution can be measured? And, (5) what are the 3 most important HR best practices that should be developed and included in the HR strategic plan? Role of HR Functions In an organization, the human resources department (HRD) performs five functions for other departments – job organization and information, acquisition, maintenance, development of personnel, and research on human resources. Its role is advisory utilizing the personnel policies of the organization, the data it accumulates and the studies it makes of its workers. An effective human resources management (HRM) is integral to the functioning of the organization and must therefore be the concern of management. By and large, these functions assume two very important elements in an organization which are jobs and people. Jobs are to be determined and established first after the organization philosophy is conceived. People are brought in to man the jobs in order for the organization to move. Jobs and people interact with each other. Gordon (2000) describes the real role of HR as magnetic management that â€Å"can be the power that pulls disparate departments into a single productive unit† (p. 500). The HR manager should know and understand how an organization, particularly businesses, works specifically on the profit-and-loss aspect. The HR manager can be of great assistance in staffing the organization with the most qualified and productive people including executives who can contribute to profit or good delivery of services. Main Responsibilities The specific and technical duties of the HRD are complex and multifarious and are categorized according to its five functions – job organization and information, acquisition, maintenance, development and research on human resources. The HRD performs gen eral management functions in relation to top management and to the HRD staff. Before hiring workers, available jobs have to be classified and corresponding job information described mainly in terms of duties and responsibilities. Qualifications of those who are to perform these jobs should be delineated in job specifications. The function of acquisition or procurement of HR includes five aspects: human resources planning, recruitment, screening,

Monday, July 22, 2019

Obey Direct Orders Essay Example for Free

Obey Direct Orders Essay There are more than a few reasons that lawful orders should be obeyed. These orders are given for a variety of reasons, and should be followed whether or not you understand or agree with them. Orders are sometimes given simply to keep soldiers to maintain their military bearing and display a proper image of the United States Armed Forces. Other times they are given to protect the soldier or to protect the soldiers around him/her. No matter what, an order should be carried out without question, because if you question orders that seem less important, you could get someone hurt because you were wasting time ignoring or questioning an order that you thought was unimportant. A soldier is given a great many orders that fall into the first category I discussed, maintaining military bearing. These orders range from keeping in step and swinging your arms in formation, to not moving while talking on your phone. All of these orders have reasoning behind them that has applications on the battlefield. For instance, if you are keeping in step and swinging your arms in formation, then you are paying attention to the cadence that is being given, so if you get a command by whoever is marching you, you are already paying attention and can react quickly. This can be the difference between life and death in a combat zone. The same thing can be said about talking on the phone while walking around. You need to not have any distractions when you are patrolling an area. If you are not alert, you could get yourself killed by an IED, or worse you could get others killed. So while these orders may not seem to have all that much importance in the here and now, they actually have a great deal of importance in that they train you in how you need to behave while deployed, so they should be followed with just as much care as any other order. Another type of order that is given is an order that is designed directly to protect you or those around you. Every time you are given an order to do guard duty or a cleaning detail, that order is there to protect yourself and others. When you are asked to pull guard duty, you are actively watching for threats to those that you are guarding. If an insurgent were to try to enter your AO when there was no guard, he could do a lot of damage before he was noticed, and he could kill a lot of people. If you have a guard on post, the same insurgent is likely to be killed or taken into custody with no loss of U.S. Soldiers. When here in training you are practicing the ability to stay alert while on those guard duties. If you were to fall asleep on duty, or not report, then you could be responsible for the deaths of your fellow soldiers. A less obvious threat than insurgents are the bacteria and diseases that you are helping to keep under control every time you follow an order to do a cleaning detail. If these orders are not followed then our fighting force could become crippled by sickness. So you can see even cleaning details are in place to help protect you and your fellow soldiers. In the end the point is, whether or not you understand the reason you are being given an order, or agree with that order, it needs to be followed. Failing to follow orders can cause people to get hurt, or can put you in the position of not having the focus or discipline to stay out of harms way yourself. Follow orders every time.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Working with Allied Health Professionals

Working with Allied Health Professionals This work is a reflective piece based on my experience of working within a multi-professional group setting. I will be using the model by Gibbs model (1988) to aid my reflection and present my account. Although I will be contemplating how the group performed as a whole, ultimately I aim to guide my own learning, thus aiding my preparation for future similar situations. Task Description Once strategically placed within an inter-professional group of students, we were asked to work as a team to develop an IPL strategy for the pre-registration training of Allied Health Professionals. Our efforts were to be centred on creating a twenty minute presentation based on our idea to our AHP peers. This was carried out over a week, with our presentation was expected to be given on Friday afternoon. Our Implementation of the Task and Personal Thoughts We first assembled and became acquainted with each other on Monday morning. Initial introductions and group communication were aided by a simple but effective exercise to assist preliminary group collaboration. This activity was fun, and valuable in helping us begin to establish the group relationship, and personally extinguished any uncomfortable feelings which I may usually have in a situation like this. I also felt confident that this particular group of individuals worked well together and at this point I had no concerns about the task ahead. Subsequently, we were given our main task. Although I felt that there were some very valid and intelligent thoughts brought forward during our brainstorming, I began to worry that there were perhaps too many which differed somewhat, and that as a group we were not using our time efficiently. In addition, people could not agree on the simplest practicalities, which I felt was unhelpful. The group met again on Wednesday morning, with each individual bringing their contribution of research to share. We discussed a possible structure to the presentation, although as the meeting went on it became clear that there were unquestionably some conflicting views on what our approach should be. At this point, I began to feel doubtful that the group was capable of decision-making, and started to feel anxious about our assignment. In addition, I felt that one particular member of the group seemed to feel strongly about their own outlook on the task, and that perhaps they were slightly negative regarding other ideas, unhelpful for the overall morale of the group. The following day we met in a skills lab to take some photographs for our presentation, which was successful. This was followed by a short discussion, where some of the members of the group voiced their concerns that they had lost track of how the group would present. It was then disclosed that one particular idea had been developed outside of the meetings and that there was no need to be concerned, which made me feel excluded from the decision-making. As a result, I resolved to prevent my thoughts becoming too negative by concentrating on my particular research and presentation role, accepting the decision made. On the day of the presentation, we met up beforehand and rehearsed using our amalgamated slides. I was pleasantly surprised about how the whole thing flowed, and felt relieved. The group as a whole also seemed reassured. Evaluation Individual Performance I believe that I tried my upmost to show commitment to the group and its task, and to give support when necessary. This is reflected in the peer evaluations that I received after the task was over. At the same time, I also tried to keep the group focused and remind them of time constraints. Nonetheless, I have come to realise that I was anxious and distrustful that the group would not be able to finish the work that had been set. Because of my unease of the groups relatively slow progression, I think that I subliminally withdrew from the group in that I was only confident in my own individual component of the work, deciding to stop being concerned with the overall work. One of the manners of conflict identified by John Hunt (1987) is unhelpful flight behaviour (psychological, physical or symbolic withdrawal), which blocks and inhibits group work. In my opinion this describes the negative way in which I acted, which on reflection was likely detrimental to group effectiveness. Group Performance I think our final presentation artefact was successful, reflected by the unexpectedly positive feedback which we received. I found this surprising, because of the amount of conflict and lack of decision-making that went on during the process. Charles Handy (1993) is of the opinion that although groups collaboratively produce fewer ideas than individual brainstorming, the quality of the ideas is superior in that they are more thought through and better evaluated. Even though our proposal is not what I would have gone for individually, I have come to realise that collaborative ideas are of sound quality and should not be distrusted. Despite our conflict, I realise that with regards to ethical concerns all of us were extremely understanding of certain members individual needs. For example, instances where it was necessary to consider child care issues whilst deciding meeting times were all taken into account, with everyone being very considerate and accepting. I appreciate that acting fairly and in a reasonable way to each other is critical, as agreed by the first of the four ethical principles drawn up by Beauchamp and Childress (1995): Respect for autonomy. However, in my opinion it is important to recognise that group effectiveness seemed to break down as the week went on. Aspects contributing to this included conflicting ideas, poor decision-making and lack of time for healthy group development. I firmly believe that the latter was especially damaging to our group communication. The groups decision-making was so meagre that individual members of the group had no choice but to take initiative and make decisions without the entire groups permission. Although I felt that this represented group decision-making failure, in hindsight it probably saved us from ultimate failure of the task. Analysis and Reflection of my own and my groups performance Within this section are a few key elements that I regard as being important aspects of this experience to learn from: Team-working In my opinion, there were some very good aspects within our team-working, taking into account our ultimate success. Spears (1992) describes the METHODS model, which uses an acronym for its seven concepts. I have thought about this with regards to my group experience, and feel that the team worked well in carrying out individual research, then coming together to educate each other to provide the necessary sustenance to produce the presentation. In addition, I think the team came up with exciting although challenging ideas that took the theme a creative step further, when a more demure approach would have been acceptable. Hence in my opinion, we achieved the Dream element of the model, taking the time to be imaginative. However, I think more effective team-working would have been possible if we had set clear goals to be met in our meetings, which would have avoided anxiousness and confusion. In addition, I think we would have benefitted from some outside feedback to improve our working and reduce conflicts. Furthermore, although many creative ideas were put forward, some were unfortunately met by some negative attitude damaging to the innovative environment. On reflection, I think that our group would have undoubtedly benefitted by planning our work using the METHODS model. In particular, I will definitely strongly advise my future groups to use goal-setting to encourage improvement, to gain feedback throughout and to optimise team success by encouraging innovation rather than cynicism. Decision-making I think that the groups decision-making was poor due to a combination of the large number of ideas, avoidance of conflict, and lack of planning and organisation. Although in my opinion lots of ideas can only be positive, group meetings lacking structure and orientation meant that this large amount of suggestions made things confusing, hence positive decisions were impossible to achieve. As observed by C. Handy (1999 p.173), the decision-making procedure could be by authority, majority, consensus, minority or no response. During our group work, the only decisions made were negative, via a minority or no response process. I think that this is because we failed to decide upon an appointed decision-making method during the early stages of group development. In my opinion, the role that I played within my group experience affected the decision-making negatively, in that I was so concerned the task would not be completed, I avoided conflict and went along with the strongest voice in the group. Looking back, my thinking was to try to aid progression, as I thought that further conflict would slow things down further. Works by Hall (1971) includes advice for good decision-making, for example the recommendation that group members should avoid changing their minds merely to avoid conflict, and to actively seek out differences of opinion. This is something I will take with me and implement in future situations. From this reflection, I have learnt that forward planning is key. For example, an authoritative leader should be appointed from the beginning, as should a method of decision-making. In addition, meetings should be planned and well structured, with goals set to be met by the end of each one. Diversity and Difference Current theory by Cox (1993) states that although diversity in groups often leads to disagreements, it also means more productivity than with a group which is more homogenous, including a higher level of creativity and innovation. In my group experience, there was some definite heterogeneity within group members characteristics, including different personalities, attitudes, and in turn influence and group integration. I think that this was the cause of the conflict that occurred, although as I have already mentioned, the group did collaboratively produce a vast range of ideas and importantly was successful in its end goal. I believe that although conflict would have been absent had there been less diversity, so would have the quantity and quality of imaginative ideas. To reflect upon my group role, I will use Holm and Stevensons prompt questions (1994): What was my role in this situation and was I comfortable? Belbin (1981) noted that if any of the eight team roles is absent or inadequate, the overall team will be off-balance. Prior to meeting my group, I carried out a Belbins Team Roles Questionnaire, finding that typically I am an Implementer and Teamworker. In retrospect, whilst I was part of this particular group, I believe that I took on a different role. Although I remained an Implementer, in my opinion I acted more as a Completer-finisher than a Teamworker, considering my anxiousness that the group was inefficient and that the task may not get done on time. I believe my role changed to facilitate the groups progression and even out an imbalance. This change did cause me to feel slightly uncomfortable, mainly due to the unease associated with it. How did others act? Were the actions appropriate? Looking back, I think that in particular there were too many team workers. The group regarded the conflict and tension that had occurred as negative, and people were keen to avoid this as much as possible. Although our actions were appropriate given our situation and the task at hand, things may have been implemented in a more effective and planned way. From this reflection, I have come to realise that some diversity (although associated with disagreement) is positive, and ultimately necessary for good productivity. Additionally, although each team role is associated with some negative aspects, all are crucial for good team-working. I will bear all this in mind in future, and will no longer shy away from some healthy conflict. Management of power and conflict When the group met after each individuals research, there was some tension and disagreement over the groups priorities, and the method by which the task should be carried out. As conflict continued pressure mounted, not helped by time constraints of the room booking. The Tuckman stages of group development (1965) describe part of the Storming stage as the group beginning to settle disagreements and setting priorities, however this was unachievable due to lack of time available. As a result of this situation a clear leader surfaced, providing much needed structure and clarity. She listened to everything that all had to say, somehow having the ability to create an innovative environment whilst simultaneously bringing some degree of organisation into the proceedings, precisely what the group was actively looking for. She also had huge confidence in the group as a whole, emitting positivity and confidence, vital to the needs of the team at the time. Although the storming stage was not entirely complete, the norming stage commenced because of this newly-found structure. Even so, as I have described disagreements were not all entirely resolved. This resulted in tension and some continuing conflict being present within the group throughout the rest of our time together. This was unfortunate, as one particular member of the group began to interpret some of the discussion as being a personal attack, thus becoming defensive. However, I am pleased to say that on the day of the presentation we managed to set aside all hostility and presented our work proudly together and as a team. From this analysis element, I have come to realise that time should be made for healthy group development to allow time for conflict resolution. Clinical Reasoning One of the CAIPE principles of effective Interprofessional Education (2002) is to respect the contribution of each professional within the patient care pathway. As a group, I think we demonstrated this, as there was much amicability in considering each others needs, responsibilities and alternative responsibilities in order to reason meeting times and the amount and type of individual work each person took on. It was reassuring to realise that this is possible within interprofessionals. One of the thoughts behind interprofessional learning is that it enables professionals to learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care. In terms of my own personal experience of the group work I think I have certainly significantly enhanced my knowledge of other healthcare professionals alongside the undertaking of the task. This module has allowed me to further appreciate the value of the IPL activities that are in place as part of our learning, for example the observation of MDT meetings. I appreciate that my learning would benefit from developing my clinical reasoning skill set further, and I have identified this as an essential area for my professional development. Conclusion The conclusion is a fundamental part of the Gibbs model of reflection, prompting reflection on what else I could have done. To aid this, I shall continue to refer to a selection of Holm and Stevensons reflection questions: How could I have improved the situation? By easing my anxiety in having more trust in my peers and in the group as a whole, my personal experience would have been much more positive. In addition, forward planning, for example the setting of goals and early decisions as to how the group will work would have been beneficial. Do I feel as if I have learnt anything new about myself? I have become aware that I am able to be flexible according to the needs of my group in the role that is required of me. I see this as a positive concept, as during my time as a healthcare practitioner, I will come across a diverse range of situations, where malleability will be key. Has it changed my way of thinking in any way? I have come to realise that individuals are diverse in their characteristics, attitudes and beliefs, and appreciate that this diversity is very positive within a group setting. I have also come to realise that a degree of conflict is good for productivity and creativity (although time must be allocated for any conflict to be resolved). Action Plan Attend a successful team worker course to work on my group skills. Find ways of relieving anxiety, by perhaps attending a course on this. Strongly suggest use of the METHODS model during future group scenarios to aid effective team-working. Strongly propose to decide on a decision-making procedure early on in a future group situation. Actively make time for healthy group development. Ask for relevant and professional feedback to be given to the group throughout. Try out different reflection models for different experiences to help me determine which are most useful for my own personal learning and to aid me in becoming a successful reflective practitioner. Participate in as many IPL activities as possible to develop my clinical reasoning skills.

Cipla Pharmaceutical Company Business Model

Cipla Pharmaceutical Company Business Model INTRODUCTION This is an essay to identify CIPLA a generic Pharmaceutical companys business model and to explain the reasons why the company has to change its existing business model. This is done by first identifying the term business model and then using the definition to explain the business model adopted by the company, also determining the inherent changes in world policies and economic environment that prompt the change of the present business model. The second part of the essay addresses the issue of the conflict between the big ethical pharmaceutical companies and the relatively smaller generic pharmaceutical companies business models. This is addressed by highlighting the big pharmaceutical companies business model and comparing the two models (which will reveal the nature of their competitive relationship) thereby identifying if there seems to be a convergence in their models and they are both becoming competitors in the same market or companies producing the same products but competing in different markets or companies where a symbiotic relationship has become inevitable for their survival in this present economic situation. Conceptualization of a Business Model. A definition of a business model is required to highlight the context to which CIPLAs (a generic pharmaceutical company) business model can be identified. Chesbrough and Rosenbloom (2002) describe a business model to be a concept where technology and potentials are changed into economic output through the market and customers, comparatively, Rayport and Jaworski (2001 cited in Wimmer 2004) defined a business model as the four choices of (1) a value proposition or a value cluster for targeted customers (2) a market space offering which could be products, services, information or all three (3) a unique dependable resource system and (4) a financial model. However Shafer, Smith et al (2005) suggests that a representation of a firms underlying core logic and strategic choices for creating and capturing value (p.202); is a design or creation, not an accident; what structures are in place to ensure firms capture value. Also Brink Holmà ©n (2009, p.109 cited in Lambert n. d.) explains tha t The business model concerns how a firm creates value, the internal source of the firms advantage and how the firm will capture value. Factually no sole definition can adequately cover all aspects of the term business model; however a combination of all the stated business model definitions will give a better explanation for the Generic pharmaceutical company business model. Firstly the focus will be on the definition of this model since most generic companies including CIPLA initially followed this business model before the need for change in 2005. The focus on India is also due to the fact that CIPLA originated from that country. The Basic Business Model of Generic Pharmaceutical Companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Company (GPC) business model in India is characterised by the production and selling of copy cat pharmaceutical drugs discovered and developed by the Big Ethical Pharmaceutical Companies (BEPC) such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), this was achieve through the reverse engineering of the drugs invented by the BEPC and sold at lower costs. This was made possible in India due to the availability of cheap labour in the country and the favourable environment encouraged by the Indian government at the time, which allowed low restriction on process patents, limited multinational companies having equity share in pharmaceutical companies in India and imposed price ceilings on some bulk and formulation drugs. (Greene 2007) Financial evaluation of CIPLAs business model Using the Profit and loss account for 2000-2010, sales turnover steadily increases from 2000-2004 but in 2005 there is a decline of about 10% which can be attributed to the implementation of the WTO law that affected the number of drugs available for replication. This also affected the earnings per share which dropped from about 51 to about 13 in 2005. Investment and debt also showed a steep decline of over 100% from 2004 2005; this corresponds to the change in business environment which can infer a reduction of debt incurred for drug production. However the excise duty showed steady increase from 2000-2005 indicating company focus on domestic market but in 2006 there is a steady decline in excise duties paid and this can be as a result of increased exportation of drugs following a change in business model. Change in CIPLAs Business Model The era of this type of business model however draws to an end as various changes in the economic situation and world policy will threaten the very successful model in which the generics pharmaceutical companies in India have been thriving. In 2005 Indian government changed its law concerning patent drugs and fell in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Related Intellectual Property Agreement (TRIPs) this limited the production of certain drugs that was filed as a patent from January 1, 1995(Greene 2007). Another important point is that the rate at which ethical pharmaceutical companies come up with new blockbuster drugs is declining, as the well known procedure for creating chemicals to treat ailments is not as productive as in times past (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). With a shift of investment from Research and development (RD) to marketing this trend will continue in the nearest future. This can be as a result of the immense cost to deliver a new drug to the market; costs can range from 802million 1billion over a period of 10-15 years (Mogalian, Myrdal 2004). Yusuf Hamied (CEO of CIPLA) stated in an interview that it was his belief that since the implementation of the law in 2005 their businesses where at risk of being taken over by multinational drug companies. Most generic companies in India adapted to this setback in their business model by transferring focus from domestic market in India and increase export of copy cat drugs to Western Europe and the United States, also entering into RD agreements, mergers and acquisitions of foreign drug companies and developing alliances with foreign pharmaceutical firms. CIPLA however chose a slightly different approach than most generic pharmaceutical companies in India by focusing on organic growth in India and only seldom indulging in strategic business alliances, technological services (such as knowhow transfer, plant supply etc) and in licensing with big pharmaceuticals. CIPLA however increased the exportation of generic drugs to countries like United States and Western Europe. Some points in CIPLAs corporate presentation in August 2009 highlight the companys focus: Business model based on international strategic alliances- Business focuses on organic growth and leads to reduced capital commitment and regulatory/litigation risks. RD targeted at ensuring efficient utilization of resources and focused at developing and launching niche products. The graph below shows a steady increase in the value of Indias pharmaceutical RD expenditure from 2001-2006 as a result of a shift in business model. Exhibit 1 Source: William Greene, US Trade Commission (2007) The emergence of Indias pharmaceutical industry and implications for the US generic drug market, US Office of Economics Working Paper 2007-05-A The graph above shows the increase in RD expenditure in the generics companies in India where they now focus on creating their own branded drugs. This approach was also used by CIPLA to better compete in the changing business environment. They boasted of new drugs like Imidara, Lopimune, Bifilin and many more (CIPLA seventieth annual report 2005-2006) Business models of Big Ethical Pharmaceutical Companies and rational for changes in the model. The big pharmaceutical company business model is the traditional pharmaceuticals company business model which comprises of large scale Research and Development departments which discover new drugs for diseases and the sale of those drugs to consumers .This is a rudimentary definition of their business model as it also entails many more components than those mentioned above for instance in recent times we see a shift of emphasis from the research and development to sales and marketing campaigns due to the competitive nature of the environment. Mogalinan and Myrdal (2004) describe the process of bringing out a new drug to entail the discovery of a new branded drug for which the company has to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by handing in a new drug application containing a report on the drugs efficacy and safety. The document also highlights dosage, strength and dissolvability of the drug. Once approved the company sells the drug exclusively under the brand name for as long as it is under patent protection. However a new external threat has evolved apart from the usual competition of rival companies in the form of Generics pharmaceutical companies. These companies as mentioned in prior section of the essay have used the process of reverse engineering to create cheaper replicas of the drugs produced by these big pharmaceutical companies and selling the drugs at cheaper costs to consumers. This has been of great profit to the generics companies as they had to indulge in little or no cost consuming research for the development of new drugs in the first place and the availability of low cost of production was just an added advantage to their business model. Martinez and Goldstein (2007) noted however the treat of the generic pharmaceutical wont be a problem if the big pharmaceutical companies were creating new block buster drugs, but that is not the case. Exhibit 2: The decline in RD productivity Though the industry doubled its investment from 2002 till 2006 in RD it yielded 43% less than it had in five years during the 1990s of chemical-based drugs. There is a change in the business environment for generic companies in India however with the 2005 adherence to WTO laws. They generics companies are focused on RD to produce their own patent drugs and generic drugs have become more accepted in Western countries over the years, with the rising costs of healthcare these governments are looking to cut costs and are therefore encouraging the adoption generic drug prescriptions to patients. Another major factor affecting the big pharmaceutical companies is the problem of expired patents. Companies like Pfizer that had a blockbuster drug called Lipitor a cholesterol lowering drug will be coming off patent in 2010 and this will allow the generics companies to bring in a cheaper replica of the drug which will reduce the sales of the company drastically. Similarly Martinez and Goldstein (2007) explain that the expiration of patent will affect big pharmaceutical profits adversely, where a drug formally grossing 90% 95% profit under patent protection will fall in profit when its goes off patent and generic companies offer the drug at a reduced price (sometimes the cost of production). Furthermore drugs meant to be under patent protection for 20years will fail to get to the market before 10years have already elapsed. *Sales data is from IMS World Review (except for China and Poland) ** Patented/generic split is from ESPICOM. Generic defined as a drug whose patent has expired ***2001 values for China; 2000 values for Poland; 2003 values for Brazil reflects patented/unpatented (unpatented includes branded unpatented, generics, similar) Sources: IMS; ESPICOM; Factiva; EGA; Mckinsey team Analysis This development will result in the increased encroachment on the market share of the big pharmaceutical companies, though we can see from the chart that countries like China, Brazil, India and Poland have higher percentage of generic drug usage than US, Japan, Germany, France and UK the problem of the global recession may cause an increase in the use of the generic drugs in these countries as well since developed countries like UK are hoping to cut costs on public expenditure like healthcare costs. Definition of relationships Based on these new developments in the business environment of pharmaceuticals companies and my research I begin to recognize a trend where big pharmaceuticals and generics have increasingly instances of working together in order to thrive in the new environment. This aids me in my definition of in tension asked in the question, I identify this as the type of relationship generating between the big pharmaceutical and the generics companies and we can see that it if morphing from a completely competitive one to a more competitive-collaborative relationship, where we can even see a convergence in their business models in some cases. We see the return of big pharmaceutical companies to India after the 2005 law passed by the government protecting their drugs, so they can benefit from the availability of cheap labor and low cost of innovative talent, they are even cooperating with the generics companies for Research and Development, in licensing and use of their distribution lines to transport their drugs to underdeveloped countries formally catered to by mainly generics companies. Companies such as AstraZeneca, Bristol-Meyers and GlaxoSmithKline have announced their intention to outsource a portion of manufacturing to countries such as India ,Eastern Europe and China since they believe it is of the same quality and at a cheaper cost to them (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). However though we see them working together big ethical pharmaceuticals companies still have some strategies to compete with generics pharmaceutical companies. Some defensive strategies of the big pharmaceutical companies are to develop new generic subsidiaries of their organization so as to be able to better compete with generics companies. By having their own licensed generic companies, they are able to limit the rate at which generics encroach on their market share for drugs that are off patents, they accomplish this by allowing their licensed patents to release generic copies of their blockbuster drugs into the market just before they are off patent thereby gaining market share before the other generic companies release theirs. Novartis CEO Dr. Vasella foresees bountiful opportunities for quick growth in generics as a result of impressive performance of its generic unit Sandoz which accounted for 20% of its overall revenue and grew about three times as fast as its initial operati on (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). Competitive strategies of the big pharmaceutical companies include investment in biotechnology and diversification. Biotechnology is of great appeal because of the inability for generics companies to create copies of the drugs as of now. Diversification on the other hand will allow the company to expand the range of services it offers its customers and allow it to get alternative sources of income. CONCLUSION In conclusion we make-out CIPLA business model to be the production of copycat drugs by reverse engineering of branded drugs and the sale of the generic drugs at cheaper prices to the Indian economy and any other country where the big pharmaceutical drugs do not have patent rights, however a change in the business model became inevitable in 2005 because of the Indian government adoption of WTO laws and caused a shift of the business model of CIPLA to focus more on RD for the production of its own Branded drugs and strategic alliances which entail cooperation with Big Ethical pharmaceutical companies through in-licensing and know how transfer. Another point to note is the change in relationship between the generic company and the big pharmaceutical where we see a competitive symbiotic relationship brewing, with increased dealings between the two types of firms where big pharmaceutical companies benefit from the cheaper cost of production and access to generic companies distribution pi pelines and generics gain from the in licensing agreements where they share profits with the bug pharmaceutical companies. However big pharmaceutical companies still maintain development of competitive strategies to combat the generic companies by creation of their own generic companies and increased investment in both diversification and biotechnology. Biblography Brink, J., Holmà ©n, M. (2009). Capabilities and radical changes of the business models of new bioscience firms: Changing Business Models of New Bioscience Firm., 18(2), 109-120. Chesbrough, H., Rosebloom R.S. (2002). The role of the business model in capturing value from innovation: evidence from XEROX Corporations technology spinoff companies. Boston Massachusetts. Harvard Business School. CIPLA Corporate presentation August 2009 Lambert, S.(n. d.) Business Models available from http://www.audiencedialogue.net/documents/Businessmodels_Lambert_000.pdf (accessed 15 December 2010) Martinez, B., Goldstein, J. (2007) Big Pharma Faces Grim Prognosis Industry Fails to Find New Drugs to Replace Wonders like Lipitor Mogalian, E., Myrdal, P. (2004) Whats the difference between brand-name and generic prescription drugs? USA.   The University of Arizonas College Rayport, J.F. , Jaworski, B.J. (2001). e-commerce. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Shafer, S.M. Smith, J.H. Linder, J.C. (2005) The power of business models. In: business horizons. 48(3), 199-207 William, G. (2007) The Emergence of Indias Pharmaceutical Industry and Implications for the U.S. Generic Drug Market .U.S. international trade commission 05-A, 1-36. Wimmer, M.A. (2004) Knowledge management in electronic governance. 5th ed. IFIP International Working Congress. (2009) CIPLA Pharmaceuticals Yusuf Hamied: I Am Not Against Patents I Am against Monopolies. India [emailprotected], May 07 available from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4374 (accessed 10 December 2010)

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Aleander Hamilton Essay -- Biography Biographies

alexander hamilton Alexander Hamilton is among a group of men extolled as the founders of America. These framers, as they are best known, tend to be grouped, by modern Americans, into a single, homogeneous aggregate of people, with identical beliefs, political tactics, and goals. This generalization is far from reality, however. This is demonstrated in Forrest McDonald’s book, Alexander Hamilton: A Biography. Perhaps the most interesting part of the life of Alexander Hamilton was its first half. During this time, Hamilton formed many of the beliefs and practices that would guide the rest of his life and our nation, first, as the Secretary of the Treasury, and, later, as President of the United States of America. Hamilton’s early life can be divided into three main sections: his childhood, his education, and his public service. Hamilton was the son of a respectable French woman, Rachel Faucett, and a Scottish nobleman, James Hamilton. Alexander’s parents separated when he was two. His mother took custody of himself and his brother. Living in a single parent home, truly a rarity in the 18th century, young Hamilton was forced to labor tirelessly as a child to help support the family. It was this hard work, however, that gave Hamilton the work ethic that he would later so frequently employ. His mother died nine years later. Hamilton, thus, continued his pattern of self-reliance. Most revealingly, the boy longed for fame. This lust, a direct result of his ro...

Friday, July 19, 2019

Violence in the Media :: TV Violence Music Movies Television

Many video games, television programs, adverts, films and music lyrics depict different forms of violence. Some people feel that there is too much violence exposed in the media. Many studies have made the claim that the media is responsible for much of the violence seen in the world we live in. However, people have choices and responsibilities we cannot allow ourselves to blame it on other things such as the media. The violence seen in our media has an impact on both adults and children. Since children are also exposed to various forms of media, there has been additional concern for how they process and think about the violence they see, read or hear. Excessive exposure to media violence can also affect people in many ways as they can become disturbed and develop serious fears of being victimized in real life. Nevertheless, the entertainment industry and those in favour of the media argue that censoring these images or music will not solve the problems of a society, which is already violent. Many areas of the media contain violence in different forms. There are four different types of violence shown throughout media-actuality, realistic fictional, choreographed and comic. Actuality shows the public images that have not been enhanced, altered or composed. These are mainly shown in TV news and newspapers and have stirred various opinions of its necessity to be shown. People feel that it is unacceptable to show these kinds of images, as some scenes can be of those in agony therefore pointing a camera on them is disrespectful. However some actuality images are less harmful as it may not be an extreme act such as tackles in football matches. Realistic fictional is when violence is acted out which can potentially happen in real life. This may be unacceptable to people as it can be influential and seem as exciting therefore there are temptations to copy it. Choreographed violence in the media are images that have been rehearsed and planned out, these are often found in films and cause a

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Encephalitis - Essay examples -- essays research papers

ENCEPHALITIS Encephalitis literally means an inflammation of the brain, but it usually refers to brain inflammation caused by a virus. It may also be called “acute viral encephalitis or aseptic encephalitis';. Encephalitis is an infectious disease of the Central Nervous System characterized by pathologic changes in both the gray and white matter of the spinal cord and brain. It may be due to specific disease entity such as rabies or an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus), or it may occur as a sequela of influenza, measles, German measles, chicken pox, herpes virus infection, small pox, vaccinia, or other diseases. The specific viruses involved may vary. Exposure can also occur through insect bites, food or drink, or skin contact. Once the virus has entered the blood stream, it can localize the brain causing inflammation of brain cells and surrounding measures. White blood cells invade the brain tissue as they try to fight off the infection. The brain tissue swells (cerebral edema) and can cause destruction of nerve cells, bleeding with in the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage), and brain damage. This can cause neurologic deficits such as parplysis, speech changes, increased intracranial pressure, respiratory failure, seizure disorders, and shock can occur. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Mild cases absent superficial reflexes Sudden fever ***  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  exaggerated deep tendon reflexes Poor appetite  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  opisthotnos Loss of energy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nuchal rigidity General sick feeling  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  increases resp. tract problems Severe Cases High fever  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sore throat Severe HA ***  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  malaise N/V ***  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ... ...rin 90% resp. tract infection 5 to 7% prior illnes (chicken pox) S/S: 5-7 days after viral illness, n/v, mental changes, lethargy, indifference, confusion, delirious, rapid breathing as progresses breathing sluggish, seizures, coma may die TX: no cure support heart, lung, and brain function Keep blood levels balanced. ICU. Blood samples, I&O, adjusting blood by IV, b/p, icp, breathing monitored 1st recognized in 1963 by acute encephalopathy and fatty infiltration of liver and pancreas, heart, kidney, spleen, and lymph nodes. Mortality rate as high as 80% S/S: hepatomegaly without jaundice in 40%, encephalopathy and altered liver function, combative behavior TX: blood electrolytes controlled carefully, liver biopsy NI: Neurological assessment, temp, alleviate hyperthermia, seizure precautions, I&O, impaired hepatic function, (signs of bleeding), tell don’t give aspirin. Peak incidence age 6. 1st noted in 1974 with 400 cases following epidemics of influenza B outbreak and chicken pox TX: aggressive support to correct metabolic abnormalities (hypoglycemia) and hemorrhage from blood clotting disorders Since 1987 no more than 35 cases/yr nation wide (usually

Discuss the Significance of Names in of Mice and Men Essay

As seen in the book Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck uses a range of different names for his character, but as it seems, it is not just a coincidence that they are named this way. Steinbeck uses these specific names to match personality of a character and to show the significance of these characters to the society. Many characters names begin with a C for example Candy, Crooks, Curley, to create a direct reference to ‘Cain’ a nomad from the bible; who was cursed by God that he would never be able to settle down because of his wrongdoings for power, this signifies that the characters and Cain have a similarity; they are not able to settle down but are forced to keep moving from one area to another. Curley’s Wife, is perhaps the most major female character that is essential to the story, but has no name in the book. The most obvious assumption as to why Steinbeck has decided to do this is because he is using a historical reference to the American community, where woman were considered to be a man’s possession. â€Å"When they had them previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ it wouldn’ta cost me a cent because I was in the pitchers†. In the book, Curley’s Wife has a dream/desire to have her name known as an icon, however, the results were that she had married a ‘nobody’ which makes her an even smaller existence to the society and the world. We can come to a conclusion that Curley’s wife is unnamed because Steinbeck reflects her complete lack of individual identity. Lennie Small, one of the two most major and necessary characters in the storyline, has a very ironic name. ‘Lennie’ is short for ‘Leonard’ or abbreviated to ‘Leo’ has a definition of lion, has symbolizes courage, rulership and strength, which is a complete opposite of Lennie’s character. ‘Small’ is also an addition to the irony, where Steinbeck uses this to emphasize his huge physical appearances. â€Å"I don’t want no trouble, don’t let him sock me George†. As seen in the book, Lennie is a ‘coward’, as he has a huge body and strength, yet doesn’t know how to defend himself in certain situations and cannot stand-up for himself. Slim is perhaps the most unique characters throughout the whole book. The reason as to why Steinbeck has decided to name this character in this way is to reflect on the American society (similar to Curley’s wife’s reasoning) as to where people were depressing and rarely had a reason to laugh or be ‘positive’ meaning that his physical appearance as being a tall skinny man refers to this. Slim however, is often thought as a hero, and thinks deeply about his actions toward other people as seen in chapter 6 where Slim out of all men goes over to check on Curley’s Wife’s lifeless body. â€Å"Then Slim went quietly over to her, and he felt her wrist. One lean finger touched her check, and then his hand went under her slightly twisted neck and his fingers explored her neck.† In other words, Slim’s naming is decided on to reflect and perhaps to criticize the American society at the time. Carlson, is the complete opposite of Slim, with ‘Carl’ meaning ‘man’ or ‘manly’ and ‘son’ meaning son, creating a definition of man’s son. Carlson as seen in the earlier parts of the story is seen to show no respect or value to Candy’s dog because of its putrid odor, not considering that the pet could be Candy’s only companion, showing that his character is arrogant and selfish. Carlson’s name is also decided to reflect on the American society, where his physical appearance also represents the average man. â€Å"Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, and then the two of them went out the door†. Nonetheless, Carlson shows in chapter 2 that he pays respect to the more superior than him, in this case to Slim, as he precedes back to let Slim past by. In conclusion, the names of characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are not just coincidences. In fact, the names John Steinbeck have chosen a re to symbolize and signify certain images and personalities and sometimes to criticize the American society, therefore, names in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are also a great significance to the story.