Case Analysis: Employee Attitudes Essay

1. Which of Schwartz’s 10 values are driving the behavior of managers at Bain & Company, Home Depot, and Best Buy? Provide examples to support your conclusions. Bain’s management is driven by he Schwartz’s values of power and self- direction. In a downturn, he chose to go against the grain and take advantage of the situation, hiring people instead of laying off which allows him to snatch up recently unemployed or underemployed quality candidates. His approach is clever and keeps him ahead of the competition. He also spreads out from the market in recession and looks for opportunities in emerging ones. In the case of Home Depot, the management is driven by universalism, lowering the target goals for the employees so they can more easily achieve bonuses when business isn’t booming. This also touches on security, in that they are building loyalty and dedication within their workers. Best Buy chose to bring their employees into being part of the solution. The value of universalism is seen here as they encourage their workers to think globally to solve a problem. While I understand that this approach has value, making employees part of the solution fosters a feeling of team spirit and working together, I believe it could also backfire, leaving employees feeling they must help solve company financial issues or they could be left without a job. I am not sure Best Buy’s approach is enough. 1. How would you describe Steve Ellis’s affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of his attitude toward managing in a recession? Be specific. Steve Ellis’s attitude toward managing in a recessions contains an affective component, reflecting emotions and feelings towards his ideas. His affective component is positive, optimistic and enthusiastic. His cognitive component, which reflects his beliefs about this situation, is shown as his belief that doing the counter intuitive thing by hiring and expanding to  other markets will result in better power and profit, regardless of the recession and certainly when the market recovers. His behavior component, how he plans to act in this situation, is clever, insightful and strategic based on experiences and instincts he has gain during his career. 2. How are Home Depot and Best Buy trying to increase employee involvement? Home depot and Best Buy are trying to increase employee involvement in similar and also different ways. Home Depot cut the targets employees needed to hit to achieve a bonus, allowing the bonus to still be possible in an economic downturn. They are ultimately creating loyalty and a feeling of working for a company that values and understands its employees. Best Buy is bringing their employees into the management process by taking their feedback and using that to create processes and policies that help manage costs during the recession. This also can create loyalty and a sense that the company values the employees. 3. Use Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (Figure 6–3) to analyze how managers can increase employee performance during a recession. Be sure to explain what managers can do to affect each aspect of the theory. Managers must first change the employees attitude about their work. They can create engagement by seeking feedback, making employees a part of the solution. They can create a level of loyalty and a feeling of being respected by being honest about the company’s financial state, long term goals and challenges. They can also do as Jet Blue did and show the employees that everyone is affected, from the highest ranks, by lessening salaries at the top and spreading the negative impact fairly throughout the organization. Next they need to convince the employees that the behaviors they want the employees to harbor are important to the employees. They can do this by tracking process and showing them results of the behaviors, keeping communication open to allow updates, bringing the employees into the process so that they understand the bigger picture impact of their individual and group behavior. Finally, they must convince the employees that they have some control over the outcome. Show them that every change has an impact and give them some decisions to make. Allow them to choose  between equally important processes. 4. Based on what you learned in this chapter, what advice would you give to managers trying increase employees’ organizational commitment? I believe that a good manager has the ability to inspire individuals and teams, has a strong ability to recognize strengths and weaknesses in individuals and teams and capitalize on the strengths while lessening the impact of the weaknesses. Managers must always communicate the goals and objectives, repeating often to keep the focus on them. They must recognize achievement with pay, but also recognize the other things that drive and motivate employees, like awards. In my company, sales people are always rewarded for high achievement with money, but many of the other teams appear more satisfied with awards relating to recognition, promotion, sitting on committees, etc. Managers must foster teamwork, and allow working conditions that give a good work life balance. They should encourage work to be a fun, fulfilling part of the employees’ lives, not a job.

Riba & Its Types

Riba' The word â€Å"Riba† means excess, increase or addition, which correctly interpreted according to Shariah terminology, implies any excess compensation without due consideration (consideration does not include time value of money). Types of Riba: 1. Riba' AnNisi'ah: This is the stipulated interest which the lender takes from the borrower in consideration of the time given to the borrower to pay back the capital. It is HARAM based on the Quran and the Sunnah and the consensus of Muslim scholars. . Riba' Al Fadl:   This applies to barter (exchanging one commodity for another), where   commodities of the same type are exchanged in unequal amounts, especially the exchange of precious metals and foodstuffs, it is HARAM, by the Sunnah and the concensus of scholars; as it paves the way for Riba' nNasi'ah. Numerous ahadith have demonstrated the prohibition with regard to gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates, and salt. The Prophet sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wa sellem said, â€Å"Gold for gold, and silver for silver, and wheat for wheat, and barley for barley, and dates for dates, and salt for salt, like for like, equal for equal, from hand to hand (the transaction must be completed before the two sides leave each other). But if the types are different then sell as you wish, as long as it is hand to hand. †Ã‚   (Muslim) The Prophet sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wa sellem also said, â€Å"Whoever gives more or asks for more (than what he gave) commits an act of Riba', the given and the taken are equivalent (in the sin). (Muslim) The Prophet sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wa sellem said, â€Å"Prohibited selling food (of the same variety) except equivalent in weight and hand to hand. † (Muslim) â€Å"Do not sell gold for gold unless equivalent in weight (and from hand to hand), and do not sell less amount for greater amount or vice versa, and do not sell silver for silver unless equivalent in we ight (and from hand to hand), and do not sell less amount for greater amount or vice versa and do not sell gold or silver that is not present at the moment of exchange for gold or silver that is present. †Ã‚   (agreed upon) To lend a bank money or borrow from it on the condition of a payment of a fixed annual or monthly percentage rate of interest, say 2%, or more or less, is a form of PROHIBITED RIBA'. â€Å"†¦ whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba' (usury)†¦ †Ã‚   2:275 Poverty isn't an excuse for Riba'. Mudaraba: which is a form of partnership where one person invests money and the other invests his skill and effort, and they share the profit or loss of the enterprise, so Islam did not impose any hardship on the people (by prohibiting Riba') but rather it provided them with a viable alternative to it, among them are the following: . Qard Hasan (a beautiful loan): Istead of a Muslim loaning his money on interest which causes pollution and blight on all his property and oppresses the borrower, Islam encourages him to make the loan Qard Hasan, and promised him a gracious reward for it;   Allah said, â€Å"Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that Her ma y multiply it to him many times? †Ã‚   2:245 2. Giving an extension to a person who cannot repay the loan on time because of financial difficulty, until he gets back on his feet. And Islam encourages the lender to forgive the loan altogether in this circumstance;   Allah said, â€Å"And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay, but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know. † 2:280 3. Mutual Aid by all means: This encompasses mutual aid on a social level, in industry and in agriculture, and social security by financing farmers and industrialists and craftsmen in order to enable them to produce effectively. This returns a benefit to the whole Ummah. Also, opening schools and buidling hospitals and homes for the elderly and the incapacitated and all other items alike fall under the mutual aid mentioned in the verse†¦ â€Å"†¦ help you one another in Al Birr and atTaqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety);†¦ †Ã‚   5:2                    The society which realizes these means will proceed, in the shade of this comprehensive mutual aid, happily and far removed from the distress of Riba'. . We should not forget the payment of Zakat to those who deserve it. This will have a major impact on getting rid of Riba'. BEWARE:   from putting your money in a *nonIslamic bank*. Even if you don't take interest on it, the bank takes your money and loans it out to gain interest. So you are helping the Riba' system, and are indirectly responsible and beware from taking loans from those banks.

How does Shakespeare use the theme of love to create a comedy?

â€Å"Twelfth Night† is a romantic comedy with true love at its heart. The play does have occasional dark undertones but generally the genuine love and the misunderstanding make it a comic play. It was written originally for the Twelfth Night celebrations after Christmas in 1602. These celebrations were light hearted and a time for revelry. It was sometimes known as the â€Å"Feast of Fools† and normal behaviour and sensible acts were suspended at this time. Authority was turned up side down. In most universities, private houses and the law schools, a Lord of Misrule was elected. Usually a servant became Master of the Household for a short period of time. He organised dances, masques and make-believe activities. Everything was allowed; pranks, deception, etc., ruled this period between 25th December and 6th January. Afterwards, everything goes back to normal and the original hierarchy is once more obeyed.Love Poem Even though comedy is a large part of the play, love is most definitely the main theme. There are love triangles, love based on disguise and true love al involved in the lives of the characters. The play transforms one type of love for another, for example, selfish self-love is transformed to genuine love. This aspect shows that true love wins through in the end. Shakespeare uses all of the different types of love to create comedy towards the audience. For example, the self-love is so masochistic that the audience looks on with humour with the over-exaggeration. Unrequited love also makes quite a big romantic impact because the character is seen making a fool of themselves. Twelfth Night is a mixture of all emotions; an audience will laugh, cry and fume at the characters that Shakespeare creates. There are three characters at the heart of the play involved in a love triangle. Orsino is the first that we are introduced to. Shakespeare represents Orsino as a parody of the romantic lover, in love with the idea of love. He is comic at times because of his obsession and the exaggerated language he uses to talk about love: QUOTE: ACT 1, SCENE 1 â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on Give me the excess of it, that surfeiting The appetite may sicken and so die† This quotation shows how melodramatic Shakespeare makes Orsino. It is so exaggerated that the audience would find him comical as he is portrayed as thinking that no other experience is as good as his intense feeling for love. He is obsessed by Olivia and is comical because of his obsessive nature. He also frequently seems quite fickle in his feelings which adds to his comic nature: QUOTE: ACT 1, SCENE 1 â€Å"Enough; no more. ‘Tis not so sweet now as it was before† This quotation is an example of how Orsino changes his feelings in an instant. Later Orsino is talking to Viola/Cesario about men and women in love. He claims to be the model lover, talking about his love for Olivia: QUOTE: ACT 2, SCENE 4 â€Å"For such as I am, all true loves are Unstaid and skittish in all motions else† His lines are made particularly funny and he seems unperceptive because the audience is aware that Cesario is of course a woman and that despite what Orsino says about women having less capacity for love than men, Viola/Cesario in fact loves him a lot and much more constantly than he loves Olivia. This is a good example of dramatic irony. Shakespeare satirises Orsino's exaggerated obsessive form of love. The second character involved in the love triangle is Olivia. Orsino and Olivia are quite similar in a number of ways but their main similarity is in their characters. They both provide comedy in the play because of their obsessive love and their fickleness. Examples of this for Olivia are her obsessive love for her dead brother and Cesario and how she changes from seven years mourning to loving Cesario and then changing from Cesario to Sebastian. A quotation for her obsessive nature is: QUOTE: ACT 3, SCENE 1 â€Å"Have you not set mine honour at the stake And baited it all with th'unmuzzled thoughts That tyrannous heart can think† Here, Olivia is openly expressing her love for Cesario which ends up being comical because it is unrequited. She pours her heart out which adds to the nature of the scene. Olivia criticises Orsino's stereotypical view of love because it doesn't sound real to her. Her actions towards love are actually much the same but she does not realise this, making her hypocritical and therefore criticising her own way of thinking. Also, she claims that she will never love again but that all changes when Cesario comes into the picture. Shakespeare creates her character to be an unrealistic and vain, top-class person which shows through in her language. Orsino praises her for her looks, not for her as a person and this once more accentuates their similarities and comic personal lives. This act depicts how shallow Orsino is. One of the most comical parts of the play to do with Olivia is when she falls in love with Cesario, or who the audience knows is Cesario. This is highly amusing for the audience as they know the truth and they watch Olivia make a fool of herself. Shakespeare uses love from Olivia to Viola to create a high point of comedy throughout the play. He uses over-exaggerated language once more to really highlight the shallow feelings of Olivia: QUOTE: ACT 1, SCENE 5 â€Å"Let him send no more Unless (perchance) you come to me again To tell me now he takes it† This quotation is Olivia talking seductively to Cesario, once more openly expressing her feelings for â€Å"him†. Again, comical to the audience, for seeing a woman flirt with another was a very amusing but unheard of thing at the time when this play was performed. When Sebastian appears on stage a comical effect takes place because we can imagine the blank looks on the characters' faces as an identical twin becomes part of the plot. Sebastian becomes a love interest to the fickle Olivia, once more creating comedy because of her changeability. By making Olivia so fickle and over-exaggerated Shakespeare creates a large amount of comedy based around her and the people she is involved with. The third and final part of the love triangle is Viola. She disguises herself as a man and serves Orsino which is comic first-off because of how she changes herself. The audience sees the change and therefore can compare the different reactions and feelings between the characters of Viola and Cesario. The audience would be used to this kind of dramatic behaviour, as a long tradition of plays at this time had these kind of comic complications. They would find it excessively funny seeing a beautiful woman able to disguise herself as a man yet no other characters able to notice. This is dramatic irony for the audience is let in on the secret but still can watch everyone not in the know create a jolly and comic atmosphere. Viola is sometimes witty and is involved in a range of comic situations most of them involved with the love complications in the play. The funniest single scene involving Viola has to be her comic duel with Sir Andrew which is set up by Sir Toby because both men are rivals for Olivia though of course neither does actually love her. There are several comic moments involving Viola where she gets herself caught up in situations that accentuate the comic nature of the play. Ironically Orsino fails to realise that his wonderful new servant is actually a woman despite the hinting conversations they have: QUOTE: ACT 1, SCENE 4 â€Å"Thy small pipe is as the maiden's organ† Here Orsino is speaking and commenting on Viola's unnatural high, shrill female voice yet he still does not catch on that she is actually a woman. This also has a slightly bawdy tone to it which was very popular at that time and would definitely have made the audience laugh. At the end of the scene the audience realises the romantic comedy is underway as Viola reveals her true feelings for Orsino: QUOTE: ACT X, SCENE X â€Å"I'll so my best to woo your lady (Aside) Yet a barful strife Whoe'er I woo myself would be his wife† The language here is romantic and wistful for Viola has to assist someone else, who she perceives not worthy of his love, to love Orsino although underneath she has true romantic feelings for him. Then Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia who falls in love with Viola! This is ironic and what starts off the love triangle. Shakespeare writes a speech for Viola to say to Olivia which is romantic, lyrical and paints vivid romantic pictures. It is also quite comical for the audience as they realise Olivia is in love with Viola. Viola can actually be quite witty and we can see this in her conversation with Maria: QUOTE: ACT 1, SCENE 5 â€Å"Some mollification for your giant Sweet lady† Viola is being rude and sarcastic to Maria referring to her as a â€Å"giant†, therefore commenting on her lack of height. This is a small indication of what the real Viola is like underneath her male costume. By the end of the Act, Viola realises that Olivia has fallen in love with her, creating yet more amusement among the audience. Comedy is also involved when Orsino fails to realise Viola's feelings despite some heavy hints: QUOTE: ACT 2, SCENE 4 â€Å"Of your completion†¦..About your years, my Lord† These are just two of the lines or hints that Viola says when she is in Orsino's company. Viola says a long speech about the sincerity of her love. Shakespeare really goes all-out on the imagery in this section which reflects how Viola is feeling. It is a powerful insight into her life and feelings which is then cast into a shadow by Orsino's weak and misunderstood response. QUOTE: ACT 2, SCENE 4 â€Å"But died thy sister of his love, my boy?† This is comic because even though Viola is her heart out for him, he is too bound up in his love affairs to notice. The duel is a very comic moment because Viola and Sir Andrew are both terrified of each other thanks to of the crafty ways of Sir Toby. He also urges them both on to the fight. Viola's aside line would make the audience laugh: QUOTE: ACT 3, SCENE 4 â€Å"Pray God defend me! A little thing would make me tell them how much I love of a man† This would be very comical for the audience for it reveals Viola's fright and nervousness towards the fight. Also she is supposed to be a man but everyone thinks that her slightly feeble attitude towards the fight is cowardly, and they would probably also doubt her masculinity therefore resulting it into and ironic and comic situation. In the final scene there is a mounting sense of comic confusion, particularly when Olivia thinks she has married Viola then Sebastian himself enters. You could see what confusion this would amount to on stage – everyone looking from Viola to Sebastian and back again. Shakespeare creates a huge amount of confusion with Viola because of her mistaken identity. Comically, everything turns out more or less well for her and Shakespeare successfully uses love to create comedy. Shakespeare creates characters primarily for comic effect in this play and each of them are in some way involved in the theme of love. Sir Andrew is one of these. He is a figure of fun, but can also be seen as a sad person. The audience feels sympathy for him while laughing at his antics. He has been tricked by Sir Toby into believing he is in love with Olivia, which shows how easily he can be manipulated. Therefore he is constructed as a comic character. Sir Toby tells him to do stupid things like dance wildly, his appearance is comical to the audience (long, lanky figure, rather dim expression) and most comical of all he repeats Sir Toby's words but misunderstands them: QUOTE: ACT 1, SCENE 3 â€Å"Good Mistress Accost I desire better acquaintance† He gets confused with what people say and this puts a very comical and stupid air about his character. Shakespeare always portrays him as foolish. But he also has speeches which make you feel slightly sorry for him: QUOTE: ACT 2, SCENE 5 â€Å"I knew t'was I for many do call me fool† Even Sir Andrew is aware that people call him a fool which is a funny, yet heartfelt feeling put across by Shakespeare. Another poignant yet comic line is: QUOTE: ACT 2, SCENE 3 â€Å"I was adored once too† A famous line for you can tell his sorrow at being unloved yet you can laugh at his pathetic view on love. The main comic scene for Sir Andrew is the duel in Act 3, Scene 4. Shakespeare uses Sir Andrew for a key element of plot development in Act 4after fighting. Sir Andrew is terrified at the prospect of fighting someone and proceeds to do cowardly actions and act pathetically. This would seem hilarious to the audience because of how Shakespeare portrays Sir Andrew leading up to the fight and during it. Sir Andrew is left unhappy and alone at the end for everyone is married and have a happy ending. He does not but still his false love and stupidity casts him to be an important part of the play. Malvolio is another character who Shakespeare uses to create comedy in relation to love. He is a Puritan, satirised by Shakespeare, and filled to the brim with self love. Malvolio is not a sincere Puritan because of the letter plot in the box tree scene. This cleverly arranged plot reveals what a hypocrite Malvolio is about lusting after Olivia, as he frowned upon Sir Toby and Maria before, but when it relates to him he doesn't care. This scene is the first comic element of Malvolio; the letter tricks him into smiling inappropriately and wearing awful clothes to impress Olivia, obviously all of this failing dismally in winning her affections, dramatically increasing the comedy of Malvolios character. In Act 3, Scene 4, the trick is revealed and Malvolio appears very ridiculous as he realises what a fool he has been. Sir Toby is very rude and cruel to him which makes him realise how unhappy his life is and how much disrespect people have for him. These elements do put a damper on the comic play but Malvolio does contribute with his comedy and love based antics. Although Shakespeare uses the theme of love primarily to create the comedy, the play also has much darker undertones. Feste is an ironic commentator on human nature and on the way in which people behave when they are in love. He has a very different perspective on love to the aristocratic figures in the play. Shakespeare ends the comedy with an epilogue from Feste, telling some very bitter thoughts about human nature, love and life. It ends with: QUOTE: ACT 5 SCENE 1 â€Å"But that's all one, our play is done And we'll strive to please you every day This is an acceptance of the sad conditions of life. A very unexpected end to a comedy. Feste is philosophical in all of his bitter songs and they all have poignant lines in them: QUOTE: ACT 2 SCENE 3 â€Å"Youth's a stuff will not endure This is a saying that youth, love and beauty will not last forever. Another sad line is: QUOTE: ACT 2 SCENE 4 â€Å"Sad true lover, never find my grave This tells us about how people hide away and die for love. Feste provides us with comedy about love but his main role in this play is to make the audience come back to their senses and realise the reality of life. Overall, this play has many ways to show how love and comedy combine to make a story of passion and heartbreak, love and unhappiness. Every character I have analysed here contributes towards the intense tone of the play, giving comedy and love to the audience. Yes, there are a few who reveal the darker undertones but these characters are essential in making the play as provoking, passionate and realistic that it is. QUOTE: ACT 5 SCENE 4 â€Å"A great while ago the world begun With hey, ho the wind and the rain But that's all one, our play is done, And we'll strive to please you every day†

Introduction to business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to business - Essay Example While the first wave of public management reforms happened between 1979 and 1999, the turn of the millennia has shown increased reforms aimed at better servicing the public. The example of the way in which government employees are put into a culture of purpose, a social contract in which pay is only a part of the reward system, shows the way that reforms of the conservatism that hampered the system are being healed. The public management field is concerned with the areas of interest that are defined by the needs of the public. In order to fully understand this field, it is important to have definitive understanding of what the word public means. According to Bovaird and Loffler (2009), public refers to â€Å"collective choice and activity† in which â€Å"it has the ultimate responsibility for constituting a society as a political community which has the capacity to make public choices† (p. 5). The concerns of the public are the concerns of creating a community in which the needs of the individual are addressed in such a way that they best benefit the needs of the community as a whole. One of the prime concerns for public management is increasing the value of the money that is spent in serving the public, in creating the best possible result for the least amount of money in order to create the broadest number of services. In understanding the services of public management, it is beneficial to contrast it to the purposes of public administration and governance. Public administration is concerned with holding the budget, with administering the finances and how they are spent Governance is concerned with determining the structures through which decisions will be made and judging if those structures have been effectively followed. Both of these types of control are determined a great deal by the way in which the public perceives the effectiveness of their application (Bovaird and Loffler 2009 p. 6). Public management is concerned with managing the need s of the public through efficient use of the funds that are available so that the most people see the best and greatest amount of benefit. An example of the difference is shown by Bovaird and Loffler (2009) through a simplified consideration. When considering the topic of clean streets, governance is concerned with the actions of the citizens in preventing further littering, while management will be concerned with how to improve street cleaning services (p. 9). While this is a very simplified version of the differences, those differences can be viewed through the lens of this example. In the year 1999, Pollitt and Bouckaert wrote about the need for public management reforms. There are five areas of interest that define the reasons that reform was called for during this time. The examples of public management within Finland and Sweden could not be reached due to differences in the structure of the United Kingdom. The first difference that is remarked upon is that the U.K. reflects a deeper complexity of political governance. The second difference is within the per capita wealth of the country. The third concept is within the capital growth within the country. The fourth is within the differences that can be appreciated general governance expenditure. The final aspect that must be considered when approaching reforms in order to reflect the nature of the U.K. social and political structure is in the wide variations in wage and price increases

Response Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Response Memo - Case Study Example nly receive the various biometric systems that we manufacture, but also ensure that we carry out follow up procedures and installations to ensure the effective working of these systems. It is critical to go through the responsibilities of my subordinates for it allows for the understanding of their operations, review their character and abilities and also advise on the best manners through which they can improve in their roles. The first assistant operating officer is one of the major characters that work with me in the organization. As a chief operating officer, I have the task of reporting to the board the various activities that the company engages in. In addition, I ought to gauge and report on the performance of the junior staff. This information is gathered from carrying out various rounds in the organization and seeing their performance. The first assistant operating officer has the responsibility of reporting to me in the case of employee negligence or any other form of hiccup that may hinder full functioning of the organization. The first assistant officer also reports to me on the various market trends that take place in the technology environment and through this I have the ability to make recommendations to the board regarding the functioning of the organization and the changes required. The second assistant operations manager handles the research part of an organization (Stair 26). By going through magazines and mobilizing personnel that receive payments through commission, these officer reports to me on changes that other competing firms incorporate in their functioning. Such information is very important for an organization and this is because competitors are very innovative and have the ability to incorporate new strategies that may deem my organization slow in development. Understanding the changes brought about by these organizations is effective for it allows ID Security Inc to carry out appropriate measures and offer new inventions in the

Economic And Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic And Management - Essay Example Elasticity is an easy way of enumerating cause and effect correlations. It is described normally as a mathematical measure of the responsiveness of one economic variable (the dependant variable) following a change in another influencing variable (the independent variable), ceteris paribus. Now we shall understand what Price Elasticity of demand (PED) is, it is the measure of responsiveness of demand for a good following an alteration in its own price. If demand is elastic, then a little transform in price will consequence in a comparatively big change in amount demanded. However, if price increases by too much and quantity demanded descends vaguely, then demand would be price inelastic. (Hubbard and O'Brien, 2008) If co-efficient of PED = 0, it means that demand is perfectly inelastic. This means that any change in price whether increase or decrease does change the quantity demanded. Hence making its demand curve a vertical line in price(x axis) to quantity(y axis) space. If co-efficient of PED is between 0 and 1, when we get values of PED between 0 and 1 than we say PED to be inelastic this means that percentage change in demand is lesser than percentage change in price. Producers know that the change in demand will be proportionately smaller than the percentage change in price. ... Producers know that the change in demand will be proportionately smaller than the percentage change in price. Therefore Demand curve will be a very steep slanting line in price(x axis) to quantity(y axis) space. If co-efficient of PED = 1, when a percentage change in price changes the percentage of quantity demanded by the same proportion the PED is said to be unitary elastic. For example a 10% rise in the price of apples causes a 10% fall in its quantity demanded. If co-efficient of PED > 1, when the value of PED exceeds 1 then demand is said to be elastic, which means that a % change in price causes the quantity demanded to change by more than proportionate. For example a 10% rise in prices of apples cause its quantity demanded to drop by 15%. (Lipsey & Chrystal, 2007; Sloman, 2006) Factors Determining Price Elasticity of Demand: Now let us take a look at the key factors that determines the PED for goods and services. They are as follows: The range of near substitutes for a product / attractiveness of the good- the more the number of substitutes of a good the more elastic would be its demand because consumers can easily turn to other alternative good. For example coke's perfect substitute is Pepsi, and therefore if coke raises its price people will turn to Pepsi instead. And the more the product is unique the more inelastic would be its demand. (Tucker, 1999; Samuelson & Nordhaus, 2001) The fee of toggling amid different products - there may be noteworthy dealings expenses caught up in changing among dissimilar goods and services. For example, mobile phone service suppliers may incorporate penalty clauses in agreements or persevere on 12-month

JP Morgan's scope of global operations, location of major foreign Research Paper

JP Morgan's scope of global operations, location of major foreign subsidiaries , their activities, and share in global revenues - Research Paper Example nd Chase brands, the bank has gained millions of customers across the worlds’ most prominent institutional, corporate and government clients (Oshri, et.al p.76). The firm has made an oversea priority by expanding its operations globally. JPMorgan Chase gets almost quarter of its revenue from the foreign operations by having branches outside the United States. The company focuses on mainly in West Europe as it main target for international operation by investing in banking and treasury services (Mergent Industrial Manual, p.167). Although the company has faced major competition from big banks such as HSBC and Standard Chartered that has toeholds in emerging markets, it subsidiaries are still performing good. For example, the Citigroup has been rank to derive almost 60 percent of its revenue from overseas market and has also recorded good performance in China and India for decades (Loosvelt, p.34). The bank had been laying the groundwork for international expansion for sometimes and its now planning to open more branches in China, Russia and India. The bank assigned two top lieutenants to explore out the potential consumer overseas (Kumar, p.167). The bank created a network of global adviser that included Tony Blair the former British prime minister and established a partnership with buyout firm to hunt for overseas acquisitions. Due to the global credit crisis, the plans were postponed but the top executives are committed to bolstering the bank’s overseas business. The market plans to focus on a dozen of emerging markets that includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China as well as places like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and parts of Africa (Nelsons Directory of Investment Research, p.178). The company has  set several strategies  that have increased the bank’s international portfolio. For instance, the company has purchased trading units from the Royal Bank of Scotland. The company has greater plans to buy one of the Brazilian asset management firm known as

Construction Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction Economics - Essay Example 2.0 Basis of the Report and Assumptions The report is based on the relevance of cost benefit analysis in determining the feasibility of a project. It is assumed that the developer is aware of the prevailing market rates but is not conversant with the costing strategy that can match the rates. The essence of this report is therefore to recommend the actions on whether the project is viable or not depending on the cost benefit analysis results (Schmitt, B., 2007). 3.0 Site Location Information The construction site is located in London, towards the south east of England. It has a conglomeration of retail constructions, residential and commercial properties. The environment is well developed and the area has easy accessibility to the center of London City. The plan is to have the ground floor as a shell for tenants who intend to rent to fit them out to their suitability. The rest of the floors will be for multipurpose businesses. Figure 1: Rental Units in the Commercial area Figure 2: R ental Units in the Residential Area 4.0. Market Conditions Affecting Value The construction site is in a prime area. The demand in the area for real estate properties is so high in the area pushing the cost of acquisition and development of the plot to go up. ... assessment, the competition from other developers in the area could be a challenge however setting competitive rates will be advantageous to the business (Schmitt, B., 2007). Also the inflation rates in the real estate property market could be a challenge however with the stability in the market the rates could be manageable to the stakeholders. Using the same assumptions, the future demand may be unbearable but the value of the project may be a great advantage to the stakeholders in the future. The high demand for land in the area and the continued rising rates is propelling the already high costs. 5.0 Developers Budget 5.1. Development Cost The cost of development at the present market value covers the cost of acquisition of the site together with the cost of labor and construction materials. The budget for the development is as follows: Demolition: ? 150,000 Planning costs and fees, including s.106 agreement – upgrading infrastructure: ? 250,000 Site surveys: ? 25,000 Const ruction costs: Infrastructure: ? 273,000 Landscaping: ? 15,000 Structure: ?1,100/m2 Extra for office floors: ? 550/m2 Extra for residential floors: ? 650/m2 5.2. Expected return Out of the budget, the return from the rental units will determine whether the expenses are higher than the earnings or less. The present market rates for residential property units will earn about ?500 per month, coming to about ?6000 per unit per month. For the 7 rental units available, the total earning will be ?42000 per year. For every office unit, the project will earn about twice that of residential units, which is about ?84, 000 per year. Parking will be expected to earn about ?10000 per year, making the total annual revenue a consolidated estimate of about ?136000 per year. With the continuous growth in market

EasyJet plc and British Airways Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EasyJet plc and British Airways - Research Paper Example esayJet plc is growing from strength to strength. easyJet plc's working capital position is very strong. BA's stability can be threatened, if there are sudden adverse circumstances like the 9/11. It could find itself unable to meet its current debts if the receivables become uncollectible. Gearing has improved in BA by 23.5pp. However, easyJet has resorted to borrowing to fund the capital expenditure. However, the key operating data in BA are encouraging and will appear to provide a firm footing to lift itself out of this prevailing troubled circumstances. Despite the current circumstances, BA is continuing to invest in operating assets to improve its value-added services, which it considers to be the backbone and introducing cost reduction schemes to minimize the financial burden arising from the magnitude of operating expenses. The improvements as seen on the operating data are welcome news to the Senior Management at BA. If the trend continues BA will be on its way to the financial recovery. easyJet plc Consolidated financial and operating data Year ended 30 September Change (unaudited) 2006 2005 % Key performance indicators Return on equity (1) 10.1% 7.1% 3.0pp Profit before tax per seat () (2) 3.32 2.38 39.6 Revenue per seat () (3) 41.66 38.66 7.8 Cost per seat () (4) 38.34 36.28 5.7 Cost per seat excluding fuel () (5) 28.36 28.78 (1.5) Seats flown (millions) (6) 38.9 34.7 12.1 (http://academia-research.com/files/message/603169_EasyJet%20annual_report_2006.pdf) British Airways 2005-06 2004-05 Group results Revenue m up 9.6% 8,515 7,772 Operating profit m up 26.8% 705 556 Profit before tax m up 20.9% 620 513 Attributable profit for the year m up 19.6% 451 377 Net assets m up 48.5%...It could find itself unable to meet its current debts if the receivables become uncollectible. Despite the current circumstances, BA is continuing to invest in operating assets to improve its value-added services, which it considers to be the backbone and introducing cost reduction schemes to minimize the financial burden arising from the magnitude of operating expenses. The Core competence of easyJet plc is the winning combination of 'low cost with care and convenience'. Low cost is by far the most important component. Convenience is not only about their award winning website but also the network of centrally located airports, which give their customers quick access to where they want to go. The Core competence of BA is in being an Internet age airline with online systems and features that make the travel experience simple and hassle free. Providing superb customer service and products, which their customers want is at the heart of our business. The main activities of the Company and its subsidiaries are the operation of international and domestic scheduled and charter air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. The key achievements of easyJet plc have been given prominence, cleverly projecting and differentiating itself and gaining mileage in image building.

Friedrich Froebel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Friedrich Froebel - Research Paper Example Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) was born in the Oberweibach area of Thuringia, Germany on 21 April 1782. His father was an orthodox Lutheran pastor who ran the parish there. So it was not surprising that the Church and the Lutheran religion became the first pillars of Froebel’s own education. To his bad luck, the health of Froebel’s mother began to fail soon after his birth and she died within nine months. Froebel’s father also passed away in 1802 and he was sent to live with an uncle in the adjoining village of Stadt-Ilm. Froebel started his career as an educationist in 1805 as a secondary school teacher in Frankfurt. At this time he was impressed by the work of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, also working with him in Switzerland to further develop his ideas. In 1811 Froebel once again went to Berlin and became a teacher at a boarding school for boys that specialized in pedagogy and patriotism. After serving in the Napoleonic wars of 1813-14, he was employed in the Institute of Mineralogy by Christian Samuel Weiss. However he did not hold this job for long and ultimately founded the German General Educational Institute in Arnstadt, Thirungia. He began publishing pamphlets about the need for education in 1820. In 1826 he published the Education of Man, his main work, followed by the Educating Families in 1828. In 1840, he finally started the first kindergarten concept in Germany at the Play and Activity Institute which he had established in 1837 (Rusk & Scotland, 1979: 32). He also designed toys and activ ity materials dubbed Froebel’s Gifts for these young kids. He died at Mariental on 21 June 1852. Important Contributions Froebel was instrumental in including the concept of play and free association for kids in the classroom. He also trained people in his teaching methods and discipline. Following the success of his methods, his student Margaret Schultz opened up a kindergarten at Wisconsin in 1856 and Elizabeth Peabody in Boston in 1860. By 1911, kindergarten education was officially recognized in Germany under its own state and regulatory laws. Froebel College in South West London in the UK was started in 1892 to respect and follow his traditions. He also was the first to train women in pedagogy at the premises granted by the Duke of Meiningen for this purpose(Weber, 1969: 13). According to Sniegoski (1994: 3), Froebel can be credited for ignoring the idea that the child was like a plant or a lump of clay into which education can be implanted. This concept originated by Lo cke was in vogue at the time, but the tireless efforts of Frobel and his followers soon brought in a new concept, namely the importance of play and learning at one’s own pace. Each new activity grew out of a previously available idea and thus a child was able to grow in stages of intellectual development. Much the same thing has been recognized and identified by other thinkers such as Jean Piaget. Froebel regarded play as the most important basis for the spontaneous development of the child. Another idea Froebel encouraged was self activity. He preferred that the learner educate himself. The task of the teacher was just to create a learning environment for the child, and shield the child from danger or unwanted processes. Froebel opined that for the first year of life, the mother was a child’s most important teacher, while they depended on the whole family for support and contentment. As the child

Terminating the Patient-Provider Relationship Essay Example for Free

Terminating the Patient-Provider Relationship Essay Introduction Problem Overview With the advent of 21st century medical technology, health care procedures, ethical and legal considerations and scopes of practice among health care providers have become greatly complex. According to Servellen (1997), one of the most confronting issues of the modern provider-patient relationship is the often misunderstanding of accountability, responsibility and liability of care measures towards the patient (p.334). Legal considerations of providing care and duty of obligation of the provider towards the patients start when the health care professional enters into a relationship with a patient. However, the agreement of care relationship does not only require role of the provider. According to Scott, Ed and Scott (2005), compliance of the patient throughout the care procedures rendered by the provider is another significant component of caring process (p.162). In fact, providers include initial assessments on patient’s level of compliance prior to the start of care process, and more importantly, health professionals inform the patient about the written policy imposing the responsibility of the patient to comply with the process of health care interventions. As considered by American Academy of Nurses, if the patient becomes noncompliant or initiates actions violating professional rights of provider or the patient’s rights, the provider possesses the benefit of terminating the working relationships as considered by the appropriate grounds (Scott, Ed and Scott, 2005 p.162). On the other hand, if the provider terminates the relationship, such professional decision now confronts the issue on breaching the pledged role of devoted care and legal duty of service. Termination of patient-provider relationships is confronted by question whether or not conflicts between the professional role of the provider and the legal duty to provide care (Servellen, 1997 p.334). The current implementations of patient care disengagement largely depend on the institutional policy. According to Scott, Ed and Scott (2005), â€Å"termination of the provider-patient relationship is justified when the patient makes a knowing, voluntary election to end the relationship, either unilaterally or jointly with the provider† (p.162). Upon signing the consent of care, both participants of the care process obtain their own roles in the entire procedure of care. Mason (2004) emphasizes that the professional relationship with the patient can just be terminated due to personal or other inappropriate grounds (p.307). Termination of care is only considered ethical and appropriate when (1) the patient has already reached the maximum benefit of the procedure as supported by clinician’s judgment, or (2) when the patient has already achieved cure from the procedure. However, termination of patient-care relationship on the ground of patient non-compliance imposes a conflict issue between duty of care and patient’s participatory role in the process of care delivery. As supported by Servellen (1997), the provider’s duties to the patient, involving a breach of duty, relates to the standards of practice for all health care professionals (p.334). According to Mason (2004), termination of patient care may result to a legal accusation of abandonment, which â€Å"is the discontinuation of an established patient-provider relationship† (p.307). According to AMA, a non-compliant patient is considered as a â€Å"difficult patient† and candidate for the reconsideration of patient-provider termination of care. However, termination of care must follow appropriate procedures without interfering the continuity of patient care. Terminating the patient care somehow conflicts with the element of maintaining the continuity of care. As explained by Carter, Levetown and Foley 2004), noncompliant patients under reconsideration of patient-care termination still possess the rights of continuous care until another health care reliever has been reassigned (p.120). Moscow (2004) points out that terminating patient care without proper reliever of care is automatically considered a liability against the established patient-provider relationship contract (p.120). According to Servellen (1997), despite the protective and patient-focused approaches of the provider, inevitable times wherein a provider is confronted with situations (e.g. DNR requests can sometimes impede to patient’s right of autonomy, etc.) that can possibly or actually impinge patient’s rights can still occur (p.335). According to American Hospital Association (AHA), the four basic consumer rights state that the (1) patient has the right to safety, (2) right to be informed, (3) right to choose, and (4) right to be heard (Servellen, 1997 p.335). Considering these components as part of the reconsiderations in the ethical discussion of patient-provider care termination, it is indeed inappropriate to terminate the relationship set prior to the start of the process. As mentioned by AMA, provision of care towards non-compliant patients is still under the governance of the elements of (1) health care provider’s duty to provide continuous care, (2) fulfilling the expectations of care for the patient, and (3) carrying out the obligations of care (Mason, 2004 p.307). Terminating the care relationship set during the formal contract establishment between the provider and patient is automatically considered a breach in the legal nature of such relationship. Such action is a considerable ground for the legal liability of abandonment. Despite the issue on termination of care, there are still possible grounds wherein a health care’s refusal to care can be considered appropriate. According to Servellen (1997), provider’s may terminate or refuse care process when (1) the procedure caries physical risks to either the provider or the patient, (2) rendered care violates patient’s rights to autonomy and self-determinations, and (3) religious or moral issues followed by either of the two parties (p.335).   According to Carter, Levetown and Foley (2004), the actual patient-provider relationship is founded on trust and relationship, and not merely on legal holds or set contracts (p.120). Considering this as a form of assertion to the later supporting principles of patient-provider relationship termination, the issue on role fidelity arises as another essential consideration aside from autonomy and the contractual-based patient-provider relationship. Carter, Levetown and Foley (2004) emphasize the value of adhering to the moral and professional role of the nurse, and not solely limiting the care provision on to the patient’s level of compliance (p.120). Guided by the principle of â€Å"patient’s best interest† and fidelity, Mezey and Berkman (2000) support the idea pointing out on the idealistic elements of nursing practice wherein professionals should consider their importance in administering care under holistic and universal perspective regardless of potentially solvable conflicts (p.502). Despite of the relationship established after the setting of contact, the provider needs to consider the nature of non-equalitarian partnership and not the coequal partnership; rather, leading, establishment of rapport and serving the best interests to as the patient as the care provider must all be considered.   As supported by Shamus and Stern (2003), patient-provider relationship imposes a duty of unauthorized disclosure of contract care process without appropriate grounds (p.74). The 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) indeed protect the patients from such decisions brought by health care providers. However, compliance and sets of patient’s participatory obligations throughout the procedure count significantly on the entire health care delivery process (Shamus and Stern, 2003 p.74). Insurance of care does not only direct the obligations and tasks towards the provider but also from the patient. According to Earp, French and Gilkey (2007), patient-provider relationship is expected to work as an enhancing strategy for patient’s trust towards their health care provider. Furthermore, such relationship supports a therapeutic alliance and patient care processes involving high levels of trusts, rapport and patient satisfaction (p.195). By this principle, patients are indeed subjected to participate and cooperate in the process of health care delivery. However, in case the patient declines to participate, health care providers must not immediately terminate the procedure since they are no coequals of the patients and resistance towards care measures are sometimes inevitable. According to Rothestein, Brody and McCullough et al. (2001), health care providers must continuously administer care and interventions necessary for the well-being of the patient despite of the non-compliant behavior (p.620). In case the patient becomes notoriously incompliant to either selective or general procedures scheduled for administration, AMA suggests a series of assessment for the noncompliant behavior without involving one’s professional role outside the scope of care provision (Mason, 2004 p.307). Furthermore, the patient’s decision to not comply entirely depends on himself or herself; although, it is an important protocol consideration to check institutional policy for the proper consent documentation of such patient’s behavior. Most public institutions implement waiver signing when the patient refuses to take medications for example. According to Earp, French and Gilkey (2007), this is done for the purpose of formality and protection from possible accusations of abandonment or care quality infringements (p.195). On the other hand, when provider-patient relationship is not anymore pursuing its beneficial state or health care alliance status, AMA suggests the termination of health care management. As supported by Rubenfield and Scheffer (2006), the duty of the provider in relation to the physician-patient relationship includes (1) fulfilling the patient’s expected care, (2) carrying out the health care roles of the provider towards the patient, and (3) delivering care guided by the principles of fidelity and nonmalificence (p.96). If the provider has been determined to satisfy all these criteria, the duty to treat or provide care to the patient is indeed not violated. However, if the patient pursues his or her state of noncompliance despite of the standards of care being administered and the potential of further causing harm to one’s self, terminating the set provider-patient relationship is indeed justified. Nonetheless, as supported by the AMA Code of Ethics in 1998 Doc #1, p.5, â€Å"physicians cannot withdraw from a case without giving notice to the patient, the relatives, or responsible friends sufficiently long in advance of withdrawal to permit another medical attendant to be secured† (cited at Rothestein, Brody and McCullough et al., 2001 p.621). The health care provider is still tasked to service the patient until the reliever of care becomes available. Meanwhile, despite the legal recognitions in terminating the provider-patient relationship, the question still lies if whether or not the provider breaches his or her professional role as the higher component of the alliance considering the noncompliant state of the patient. Statement of the Problem The participation of both parties in the patient-provider relationship is an important consideration to the entire success of the health care delivery process. Once the provider accepts the task pf providing care to the patient, it is lawfully and professionally understood that the provider agrees to setup a transactional bond with the patient. According to AMA code of ethics, the setting of contract between the provider and the patient includes participatory roles from the two parties, and compliance to the higher participant of the alliance, the health care provider, must take the lead of health care management (Rothestein, Brody and McCullough et al., 2001 p.621). Added by Earp, French and Gilkey (2007), â€Å"patient-provider relationship is even ideally characterized by high levels of provider informativeness, interpersonal sensitivity and partnership building† (p.189). However, in some instances, patient may pose as the incompliant participant of the body system, which can greatly compromise the delivery of care as well as the role function of the provider. As emphasized by Servellen (1997), if the patient manifests a noncompliant behavior towards the care being provided by the assigned health care professional, the code of ethics should rather consider the termination of the bonded agreement than forcing the two participants to maintain their relationship since this can actually be detrimental to both patient’s health and provider’s role (p.336). Hence, termination of patient-provider relationship in relation to patient’s incompliant behavior can be possibly done via appropriate process of separation mandated by the institutional policies. It is important however to consider the validation of the provider’s claims followed by the written acknowledgement signed by the patient. After establishing an agreement of termination, the provider is expected to maintain the level of care being provided to the patient until the endorsement of the patient’s care to the assigned reliever. AMA has imposed significant abandonment liabilities once the provider terminates the established relationship without properly engaging to the set institutional policies. According to Rothestein, Brody and McCullough et al. (2001), terminating the established relationship between the provider and the patient without properly notifying, validating and documenting the said action will immediately resort to legal liabilities (p.621). Termination of patient-provider relationship must be laid down to the patient for recognition and prevention of legal accusation of abandonment. Despite the valid points and supporting rationales in terminating the patient-provider relationship, the issue still lies questioning the appropriateness of termination in relation to the ideal practice of role fidelity and duty of care. Due to this very reason, we have proposed a descriptive and non-experimental study analyzing the legal, ethical and moral nature of terminating the set patient-provider relationship. The objectives of the study proposed are as follows: To determine the ethical stand point of terminating patient-provider relationship in relation to the ideal principles of (a) duty of care and (b) role fidelity To determine the perceptions of the patients on the potential effects of terminating patient-provider relationship towards the level of trust and health care satisfaction Scopes and Limitations Due to the continuously evolving policies of health care system, changes in the patient-provider relationship have also evolved progressively. Despite the idealistic principles of fidelity and duty of care, health care providers still encounter inevitable instances wherein the client becomes non-compliant towards selective or general interventions implemented as part of the care process. According to Servellen (1997), instead compromising the care delivered to these patients, code of ethics have now reconsidered the procedure-based termination of patient-provider relationship to prevent the delivery of reluctant or incompetent care management due to patient’s incompliance (p.327). However, Carter, Levetown and Foley (2004) and Mezey and Berkman (2000) assert that terminating patient-provider relationship violate the principles of duty of care and role fidelity since it is always the task of the provider to carry-out the needs of the patient as guided by the principle of â€Å"patient’s best-interests† regardless of the patient’s response to health care. In this proposed study, the primary goal is to determine whether or not the ideal principles of health care (role fidelity and duty of care) are breached once the provider terminates the established relationship with the patient. At the end of the study, the following questions must be answered: What are the supported grounds for terminating patient-provider relations approved by AMA and AAN? Cite the legal, ethical and moral comparisons between the two policies. Does the health care provider breach the established relationship once he/she requested for termination due to incompliant behavior? Significance of the Study Despite the defined institutional policies supporting the process of termination, the issue on breached principles of health care still remains questionable. Federal health care organizations, such as AMA and AAN, have clarified the issue and process involving the termination of patient-provider relationship on the grounds of non-compliance and failure to adhere to the provider’s instructions. According to Servellen (1997), during the times of the HIV epidemic, termination of care is considered professionally inappropriate; hence, care provided towards these HIV patients became detrimental to the patient’s health due to the reluctance and exaggerated care measures implemented by these providers (p.327). The issue involving the termination of such established relationship covers both ethical and legal principles (e.g. role fidelity, duty of care, etc.) governing the pledged role of the provider and the assigned participatory role (e.g. patient’s rights, patient’s task of compliance, etc.) of the patient. Clarifying the care issues on the termination of patient-provider relationship is significant due to the following reasons: By understanding the limitations and defined grounds of terminating the patient-provider relationships, the study can aid in identifying the relationships of ethical principles that shall answer the confronting issue of patient-provider relationship By understanding the legal and ethical considerations on patient-provider relationship termination, the study can help in defining policy proposals on the proper procedures for implementing the termination of patient-provider relationship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The conceptual framework of the study illustrates the proposed program of implementation addressing the issue on termination of patient-provider relationship. The conceptual framework is based from the primary goal of the study – to determine the standpoint of the termination of patient-provider relationship. By determining the subjective responses from two types of samples, patients and nurses (selected â€Å"provider† population), the procedure should be able to reveal the ethical justifications and oppositions on the subject of terminating patient-provider relationship due to noncompliance. After determining the collation of responses, the procedure analyzes the data in order to obtain significant relationships pertaining to the issue on breaching the principles of role fidelity and duty of care upon termination of such care contracts. Program Proposal f.1. Research Design   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study proposes a non-experimental and descriptively designed survey methodology as the program for analyzing the issue on termination of patient-provider relationship. Using the perception-based methodology, the study explores the different insights of the two parties involved – patients and nurses/ providers – in the issue targeted by the study. The proposed program utilizes open-ended questions depicting the different possible perspectives of the samples – approval, opposition, suggestive– towards the issue imposed. The design of the study relates to the patterns illustrated on the conceptual framework. The emphasis of the survey questions is derived from the primary goal of the study – to determine if whether or not the termination of patient-provider breaches the concept of role fidelity and duty of care.   The collated responses obtained from the survey are compared to the ethics analysis condu cted in the literary reviews. f.2. Samples and Sampling Technique Used   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study aims to achieve the total target population of 100 patients and 100 nurses proportionately divided into two different sample hospital locales. Using a simple random sampling method, selection of patient respondents is guided by the following criteria: (1) 18 and above, (2) patients must be admitted within the hospital premises for at least two days, and (3) must be conscious and coherent. On the other hand, sampling criteria among nurses are as follows: (1) must be licensed professional, (2) must be employed and working within the hospital premises, (3) must have at least 2 years of nursing experience from the surveyed hospital locale or other institution. f.2. Data Gathering Procedure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Data gathering procedures shall be composed of two different methodologies: (a) ethics analysis conducted in the literary reviews and (2) survey methodology implemented on two groups of samples. Ethics analysis from the literature reviews comprise of the different ideas answering the ethical disputes on termination of patient-provider relationship. In the process of ethics analysis, the principles of role fidelity and duty of care involved in the issue are the emphasis of the analysis. The main objective of this procedure is to answer the ethical standpoints of the issue based on whether the termination violates the principles of role fidelity and duty of care. On the other hand, the second methodology deals with the perceptions answering the issue on breached principles of role fidelity and duty of care through the termination of patient-provider relationship. After gathering the results of the two data sources, the integration of data is conducted aiming to answer the primary goal of then proposed study. f.3. Instrumentation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Survey questionnaires are the primary instrument used for the gathering of data and responses from the qualified samples. The questions used have been derived from three categories inclined to the different possible responses of the respondents. Categories used include (1) approval, (2) opposition, and (3) suggestive. Using open ended-questions according to the four categories, the respondent must select their preferred side among the four categories. Approval selection depicts their positive response over the termination of patient-provider relationship, opposition is the reverse,   and suggestive implicates the possible changes they want. The results of the survey are collated for the purpose of analysis and implications of data. f.4. Program Implementations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the process of implementing the proposed program for evaluation and assessment of the issue, methodologies shall comprise (a) ethics analysis via records review and (b) the qualitatively designed survey of the chosen sample population. Implementation process shall begin with the gathering of records and reviews on issues and bioethical discussions on termination of patient-provider relationship. In the process of analyzing the obtained data, the study shall document (a) the ethical principles associated to the termination issue, (b) the conflicting ethical principles, and (c) the violated ethical principles upon implementation of the issue. After gathering these three components, the data shall be analyzed drawing appropriate implications from the documentation acquired. With the acquired results from ethics analysis, we shall now relate these to the two principles – role fidelity and duty of care that are hypothetically breache d upon terminating patient-provider relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the application of the second procedure, the survey methodology shall now begin its pilot study with a smaller sample population of at least 10 qualified respondents from the chosen research locales. During the process of pilot testing, the research processes involving the survey questions, respondent interaction, collation of data, analysis and interpretation of data shall be tested for validation and revision in case necessary. After the pilot study, the actual survey procedure shall commence targeting a population of 100 qualified respondents from each of the two hospitals chosen. Furthermore, 100 target samples from each institution shall be divided into two comprising of 50 qualified nurses and another 50 qualified patient respondents. The total sample population shall therefore be 200 qualified respondents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After gathering the survey results using open-ended questions and simple random sampling technique, the results shall be collated according to the three categories of the questions used -(1) approval, (2) opposition, and (3) suggestive. The results shall be analyzed according to the data obtained from the records review. Implications associated to the ethical issue proposed (termination of patient-provider relationship) shall be drawn from the results of the interview. With the implications and analysis of the survey results, the next procedure integrates the study results from the records review and survey results to draw the general relationship between the perceptive study and theoretical ethical discussion on the issue proposed. Finally, the results drawn from the integration should answer the primary goal of the study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.5. PICO Analysis Table 1: P.I.C.O Analysis Population The main subjects concerning the research topic are the patients and associated providers, such as nurses and physicians. Program implementations involve similar sample groups as well (patients and nurses). Intervention Ethics analysis on patient-provider relationship utilizes the general overview of nursing and clinical care procedures (e.g. medication administration, wound care, etc.). On the other hand, the program implementation utilizes two interventions, specifically (a) Survey with corresponding questionnaires and (b) records analysis. Comparison Variable comparisons involve (a) patient perception versus (b) nurses perception on whether or not termination of patient-provider relationship violates the principles of duty to care and role fidelity. Outcomes Expected results of the study differentiate among the two parties involved. Nurses perceive the termination an ethical consideration under the basis of noncompliance and breach in the contract of relationship set prior to care delivery. Meanwhile, patients perceive the termination as an ethical breach since the tasks of the nurses must always comply with the duty to care and role fidelity. Conclusion In summary of this research proposal, we aim to determine the ethical standpoint of terminating patient-provider relationship on the grounds of patient incompliance despite the set agreement and principles governing the role of the health care provider. Since termination of patient-provider relationship has already been acknowledged by federal organizations (e.g. AMA, AAN, etc.), we determine if such termination of accounts on the basis of patient’s incompliance breaches the ethical principles of role fidelity and duty of care. In order to strengthen the ethics analysis of the issue, we have incorporated a descriptively designed survey method to obtain the perceptive response of both patients and nurses towards the imposed issue. After collating the results of the survey, the next step is to integrate the results obtained from the records review and from the survey conducted. References Carter, B. S., Levetown, M., Foley, K. M. (2004). Palliative Care for Infants, Children, and Adolescents: A Practical Handbook. London, New York: JHU Press. Earp, J., French, E. A., Gilkey, M. B. (2007). Patient Advocacy for Health Care Quality: Strategies for Achieving Patient-centered Care. New York, U.S.A: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Mason, J. (2004). Concepts in Dental Public Health. New York, U.S.A: Lippincott Williams Wilkin. Mezey, M., Berkman, B. J. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geriatric and Social Care. London, New York: Springer Publishing Company. Rothstein, M. A., Brody, B. A., McCullough et al., L. B. (2001). Medical Ethics: Analysis of the Issues Raised by the Codes, Opinions, and Statements. London, New York: BNA Books. Rubenfield, M., Scheffer, B. K. (2006). Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses: Tracking, Assessing, and Cultivating Thinking to Improve Competency-based Strategies. New York, U.S.A: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Scott, R. W., Ed, N., Scott, W. (2005). Legal Aspects of Documenting Patient Care for Rehabilitation Professionals. New York, U.S.A: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Servellen, G. (1997). Communication Skills for the Health Care Professional: Concepts and Techniques. New York, U.S.A: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Shamus, E., Stern, D. (2003). Effective Documentation for Physical Therapy Professionals. New York, U.S.A: McGraw-Hill Professional.

Is Nick a Good Narrator Essay Example for Free

Is Nick a Good Narrator Essay As the teller of facts for all of his observations, Nick proves to be a reliable narrator for this story. He is unaffected by what goes on around him, despite people bringing him into personal situations. Nick is factual with details. He is as well, a very private person though, and tells us little of himself during the events. In telling us about his growing up years shows us that Nick has learned many admirable things. In Chapter 1 he tells us how he was raised and the advices given him by his father. These included council on how to speak to people in general. As quoted by Nick, his father told him â€Å" ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had. ’ â€Å" He admits to us here that â€Å"In consequence I’m inclined to reserve all judgments†. He did not appear to like being drawn into drama and would avoid it at all cost. The abnormal mind is quick to detect and attach itself to this quality when it appears in a normal person, and so it came about that in college I was unjustly accused of being a politician, because I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men. Most of the con? dences were unsought frequently I have feigned sleep, preoccupation, or a hostile levity when I realized by some unmistakable sign that an intimate revelation was quivering on the horizon. † When describing events, Nick seems again unattached. He tells us what people wear, what they say and how they say it, with much emotion. On his own home in the af? uent area that he had moved (Chapter 2) â€Å"My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires all for eighty dollars a month. When he tells us about Tom he explains (Chapter 2) â€Å"His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked—and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts. When he introduces Daisy and Jordon for the ? rst time in (Chapter 2) â€Å"The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored Is Nick a good Narrator? ESSAY THE GREAT GATSBY! PJD balloon. They were both in white and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house. † he then goes on with further detail â€Å"The younger of the two was a stranger to me. She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless and with her chin raised a little as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall. If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it—indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in. The other girl, Daisy, made an attempt to rise—she leaned slightly forward with a conscientious expression— then she laughed, an absurd, charming little laugh, and I laughed too and came forward into the room. The only time we see him express any real emotion is when he realizes that they are all sitting around doing a lot of nothing except to anger and upset each other and that not one person has wished him a ‘Happy Birthday’ that day. He himself, until that moment had forgotten that he turned 30 on that extraordinarily hot day (Chapter 7) â€Å"‘No I just remembered that today’s my birthday. ’ I was thirty. Before me stretched the portentous menacing road of a new decade. † Nick’s privacy is highlighted in events that have taken place in the novel, but not carried forward with any great detail. Though he describes his college year, followed by his time in the army and going to war, he leaves a lot of personal things out. The ? rst couple of things that stand out regarding his personal privacy. He makes friends with a co-worker and after knowing each other a very short time, the two decide to rent a house together in the country. The friend is shipped off to Washington by the ? rm immediately on renting â€Å"a weather beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month†. In that same paragraph, we learn that Nick has a dog with him â€Å"at least I had him for a few days until he ran away. Nor does he talk about having a girlfriend out west or someone that he has befriended at very least, though in Chapter 2 after he meets his cousin Daisy, her husband (and Nick’s former classmate) Tom and their friend Jordan Baker (a Is Nick a good Narrator? ESSAY THE GREAT GATSBY! PJD professional golfer). Daisy suddenly says to Nick, as he is leaving â€Å" ‘I forgot to ask you something, and it’s important. We heard you were engaged to a girl out West. ’ â€Å" Nick wards of the question saying â€Å" ‘It’s libel. I’m too poor. â€Å" He then goes on privately that he was aware of this story, but that it was not true. He says â€Å"The fact that gossip had published the banns was one of the reasons I had come east. † He only refers to the woman at hand as an â€Å"old friend†. Nick spoke with clarity on the events of the summer. He described in detail, the costuming and events, the locations and people. Nick seemed unbiased and disconnected in an unemotional way, until the events of his own birthday. Overall, Nick seemed to have a good grasp of the people and events of that summer, while leaving details of himself to be determined.

The History Of Indra And Purusha Theology Religion Essay

The History Of Indra And Purusha Theology Religion Essay The Indo- Aryan society believed in many gods. The Aryans believed that many natural events were being influenced by their gods. These people also seemed to follow some laws or code of conduct to keep order in their society. They also had a caste system. The early Aryans did not use writing but they composed plenty of poem, hymns, and songs that gave site into their religion and literacy. Everything was transmitted orally from one generation to the next. They communicated through a sacred language known as Sanskrit. The earliest of those transmissions where the four Vedas, which were named the Rig Veda. The Aryans told stories of how their deities helped their people with the problems that came upon the society. Most of the songs in The Rig Veda are dedications to the deities and their greatness. Indra was the most important of the Vedic gods. Indra was the Aryans chief deity. It is said that Indra eats Soma to hallucinate and gains victory over the dragon. This dragon that they talk about is the dragon of drought that is a plague for their people. The Aryans are a farming group of people, and the need for water is a very high necessity. Indra defeats the dragon, and then lets the waters flow free, which tell us that the clouds that were described as the dragon opened up and poured on the land. After the defeat of the dragon Indra was considered the ruling god over all in the Aryan nation. Some people were starting to lose faith in Indra and that he needed to be reinforced as the supreme ruling god. Many events that happened to the Aryan people were said to be because of his intervention in the world. This passage tells us that there was some unrest about if Indra really was doing well for the people. Some people are discontent with their deity and are losing the faith, but people see him he is mighty as a bull and he was the one whom let rivers flow so that the people could flourish. He strikes down his enemies and the enemies of the people such as Rauhina. Aryans relied on the gods to answer the unknowns in nature. The sun, the moon, the rain, the wind, the animals, and even the seasons were determined by Indra. These people were afraid of their god. They offered sacrifices to help appease the god so that he would not punish them with natural disasters. We can tell that the people of the time were either really religious or doubting; this passage on the victory over Vritra was made for those doubting people by the religious people who feared Indras displeasure with the doubters. This knowledge of wrong doing seems to give us some insight into moral codes and public laws. These people feared the god and believed that they could anger those gods, so they must have followed some kind of public code of conduct. Purusha was said to compose everything in the world. He makes everything that we see and use, he is everywhere at every moment. Purusha is held in high regard by these people and is considered the creator of everything and is also considered to be in everything in the natural world. During the Vedic age the Aryans were in battling the enemies or dasas, but not only outsiders but they fought themselves. They didnt have a common government but chiefdoms with each a leader known as a raja or king. The men from one village often raided herds from another. After migrating south the Aryans learned how to make iron tools and weapons. Now having these iron tools this made cultivating easier which in hand make a large growth in agriculture. This allowed the Aryans to settle into a permanent community instead of always migrating from place to place. From my readings I can see that the Aryan people had many gods and beliefs; they had common laws that were followed in practice and also had a caste system of their people. As time passed the memory of Indra receded into almost nothing the Aryans use the battle as inspiration to build a great society. But then they migrated they connected with the Dravidians and from being enemies to becoming one. Their combined legacies led to the development of a distinctive and rich cultural society. Early Aryans practiced a limited amount of agriculture, but they depended a lot on a pastoral economy. They prized their horses and herds of cattle. The Aryans adopted Dravidian agricultural techniques. They used a formal political institution. After settling in India the Aryans changed from relying on herding to relying on political structure and they produced a well-defined social hierarchy. This social distinction was based on ones occupation and role in society. This was known as a caste system. The Aryans used the term Varna to describe the major social classes more on agriculture. The Rig Veda shows us that the early Aryan civilization had a caste system comprised of the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra. If we consider where each of these groups is on Purusha we can look into how important people believed they really were. The Brahmin held the top position on the caste system, they were priests. Kshatriyas were nobles and aristocrats. Vaishyas were the cultivators, artisans, and merchants. Shudras were the land peasants and serfs. In the end of the Vedic Age a new category was added and those people would become the untouchables, the ones who performed dirty and unpleasant tasks. These four castes were said to b e the four body parts of the Aryan deity Purusha. This was a fixed system to maintain Aryans high power. Under these four main levels there were 3,000 sub castes known as Jati. Each individual had darma or a responsibility and if you do right your get good karma. Ones goal is to reach mulksha which is the release or liberation from the caste system. While building a social hierarchy on the foundations of caste and varna distinctions, the Aryans also created a strongly patriarchal social order based on gender. Within the Aryan society Indian men dominated. Anyone would was important was male. The Law book of Manu dealt with proper moral behavior and social relationships, including sex and gender relationships. This was created to advise men to treat women with respect and honor. This book also specified the duties of the women. One custom one the Indian society was Sati. Sati was the practice of the voluntary action when the widow threw herself on the funeral pyre of her dead husband, these never became popular. The combination of the Dravidian and Aryan society gave light to the Upanishads. The Upanishads were the practices of disciples gathering before a sage for discussion of religious issues (Tradition and Encounters 81). The Upanishads taught that the body and soul are separate, that each person is a small are of a huge soul called Brahman. They also believe that we are not only born once but many times over again. The goal of ones soul is to escape the cycle of birth and rebirth. The Upanishads created multiple doctrines and one of the main ones were of samara. Samara is a place after death where souls go to the World of Fathers and return to earth reborn. By the end of the Vedic age the Aryan and Dravidian traditions became the ground work for the Indian society. Agriculture spread thought out India. The caste system helped maintain public order. The role of human beings and their religious views sparked further reflection on spiritual and intellectual matters.

Concepts of the Body, Medicine and Madness in Mary Shelley’s Frankenste

I intend to examine to what effect concepts of the body, medicine and madness are presented in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). I shall perform close analysis to parts of the text referring to explorations in new technologies, advances in medical science, and there psychological impacts. I shall discuss social implications of the growth of man’s technological evolution during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Mary Shelley’s Gothic science-fiction novel Frankenstein (1818) was written and published between two major historical events. It followed The French Revolution (1789-1799) a period of radical social and political upheaval, and was written during The Industrial Revolution between the eighteenth and nineteenth century, a time of great socioeconomic and cultural effects. The French Revolution acted as ‘the single most crucial influence on British intellectual, philosophical, and political life in the nineteenth century.’ (David Cody, French Revolution: 2010). The Industrial Revolution marked ‘the transition from a world of artisan manufacture to a factory system.’ (Shirley Burchill et al. The Industrial Revolution: 2010). The advancements in machine based manufacturing brought social implications of anxiety. Frankenstein can be viewed as a reflection of the turmoil and change seen within society during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, thro ugh the explorations and growth in man’s technological evolution. Frankenstein is an epistolary novel, comprised of letters, journals and diary entries, allowing the reader a sense of verisimilitude – a sense that it might have actually occurred, enabling the author to change points of view when required to further the plot. The story follows a young grief stricken ... ....com. Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 2011. Available from www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/Prometheus, [accessed 12th January 2011]. Russell A. Potter, A Chronology of Frankenstein. Available from www.ric.edu/faculty/rpotter/Frank-chron.html, [accessed 12th January 2011]. Robert W. Anderson, Body Parts That Matter: Frankenstein, or The Modern Cyborg, 1999. Available from www.womenwriters.net/editorials/anderson1.htm, [accessed 12th January 2011]. Shirley Burchill, Nigel Hughes, Peter Price & Keith Woodall, The Open Door Website, The Industrial Revolution, 2010. Available from www.saburchill.com/history/.../001.html, [accessed 12th January 2011]. U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Frankenstein Penetrating the Secrets of Nature, 2010. Available from www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/frankenstein.html, [accessed 12th January 2011].

Analysis of McDonald’s Corporation Advertising :: Advertising

Advertising generally tries to sell the things that consumers want even if they should not wish for them. Adverting things that consumers do not yearn for is not effective use of the advertiser’s money. A majority of what advertisers sell consists of customer items like food, clothing, cars and services-- things that people desire to have. On the other hand it is believed by some advertising experts that the greatest influence in advertising happens in choosing a brand at the point of sale. Advertising appeals to consumers through common images; the logo used is well-designed and there is a clear separation of art from commerce. Advertisers use these iconic images to appeal to consumers since they symbolize or stand directly for something. The image for MacDonald’s symbolizes its non-conventionality. Hence advertisers use these images to communicate much more than words, since they seem to convey the message without too much effort. According to McDonald’s website, their mission statement is â€Å"to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat. Our worldwide operations have been aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to win centering on the five basics of an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience. (http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd) For decades, Macdonald’s has maintained a broad advertising campaign. In addition to the media, the company makes considerable use of signage and billboards, sporting events and coolers of drinks with their logo for all kinds of events. The company has used twenty-three diverse slogans in United States for advertising. At the same time the company has few other slogans for the selected countries and regions. In the case of McDonald’s advertising the texts used are effective. They have contributed in attracting targeted clients to the company. The wordings are aesthetically pleasing and successful at getting the consumers to buy the product. The phrase ‘I’m Lovin’ it’ which is used in one the advertisements, indicates a piece of advertising that is particularly striking. According to Cross â€Å"propagandas is simply a means of persuasion†, which they have applied that to their place because it is evidently an artistic expression, yet is trying to sell something to the consumers.(Cross,149) The company has had to face are numerous. The company has been involved in quite a number of lawsuits, most of which entail trademark disputes. MacDonald’s has threatened many food production industries with legal action unless the companies drop their trading name.

Sports Narrative - Wrestling :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Wrestling CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, echoes through my head as I walk to the middle of the mat. "At 160lbs Aidan Conner of La Junta vs. Rodney Jones of Hotchkiss." All I can think of is every bead of sweat, every drip of blood, every mile, every push up, every tear. Why? All of this: just to be victorious. All in preparation for one match, six minutes. For some these six minutes may only be a glimpse, and then again for some it may be the biggest six minutes of their life. Many get the chance to experience it more than once. Some may work harder and want it more than others, but they may never get the chance. All they get is a moral victory. Every kid, every man comes into the tournament with a goal. For some is to win, for some is to place, others are just happy to qualify. These six minutes come on a cold frigid night in February at a place called the Pepsi Center. Once a year this gathering takes place when the small and the large, the best of the best, come to compete in front thousands of people. I am at the Colorado State Wrestling Championships. Ever since the previous season I had my standards set high. I had placed fifth, which was all right for the time being, but I knew as time went on I needed to push myself and increase my level of wrestling. I decided that I would do whatever it took, through thick and thin. I traveled to small local tournaments in Colorado, and a couple out-of-state tournaments, I even traveled to Delaware. It didn't really matter how I did at these tournaments because it was just all practice until February. So, I lifted and wrestled just about every chance I got. It was all in preparation for one match, six minutes. Starting the season as the second ranked wrestler in the state, I was just where I wanted to be, noticed, but not the "top dog". I did well during the season; not losing to anybody in the 3A classification. I didn't do quite what I wanted, but I wasn't going to complain. A broken hand after the second weekend of competition didn't help any, but I fought through it and kept my eyes set on one opponent, one goal, one match, six minutes.

Entering True Religion Brand Jeans into Mauritius Essay

In 2002, Jeffrey Lubell founded True Religion– a brand of premium, vintage-inspired denim. Iconic for its precise fit and bold stitching details, True Religion has grown exponentially as a company and continues to operate according to its mission statement: â€Å"†¦to make quality, American-made, authentic, timeless, great fitting, 1970’s inspired jeans wear, with a trendsetting appeal for today’s consumer† (True Religion Brand Jeans, 2009). The company currently offers a wide variety of apparel and accessories for men, women, and children, and is one of America’s leading designer denim brands. As the demand for premium denim has risen over the past decade– giving rise to companies such as 7 For All Mankind and Paige Premium Denim– True Religion has remained successful by entering its products into foreign markets. True Religion jeans can be found all over Asia, Europe, and in less-developed countries such as Egypt. It is this global presence that allows the brand to maintain an edge over its competitors. Which foreign market should be entered next? While countries such as France and Italy are typical target regions amongst clothing brands, developing countries with a large tourist industry could be promising as well. One country in particular shows great potential as a new market for True Religion– Mauritius. An island located off the southwest coast of Africa, the country offers some of the world’s most stunning beaches, diverse people, a cosmopolitan society, and a booming tourist industry; all of which, would be beneficial for launching True Religion Brand Jeans. Officially named The Republic of Mauritius, the political system of the island is a democracy that has been modeled after the British Parliamentary system. This allows for free elections that take place every five years, and secures a separation of power within the government. Its legal system is primarily based on the civil law system of France, as well as English common law (Government of Mauritius, 2009). The government’s prominent presence in the Mauritian economy has proved to be extremely effective and beneficial to the country and its people. Several acts have been put into effect to diversify the island’s economy and build upon sectors that are currently successful, while striving to become a modern society with a high standard of living. The success of the country’s political and legal systems are further illustrated by Mauritius having a current real growth rate of 5. %, and being voted as the best-governed country in all of Africa (Government of Mauritius, 2009). Although developing countries may be perceived as a risky business investment, Mauritius’ economic growth and development through the years have proven otherwise. As the official government website of Mauritius states, â€Å"An attractive blend of advantages is offered to international investors. These include: political stability, pleasant and peaceful living conditions, efficient telecommunications, pool of qualified professionals conversant in English and French†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Government of Mauritius, 2009). Mauritius has an ultimate goal of modernizing its society– this includes modernizing its retail industry. Introducing True Religion jeans to the country provides the company with an untapped resource and would give True Religion a competitive edge against other premium denim brands. There are many opportunities that developing nations such as Mauritius offer. With a society that wishes to be worldly and up-to-date as well as a tourist industry that brings in people from all over the globe, Mauritius can offer True Religion Jeans an entirely new group of potential consumers, in a new and exciting location.