Advanced Computer Logic

In any organization, it is best that the purchasing transactions be organized in order to reduce purchase transaction costs (About, Inc). The importance of considering the methods involved in purchasing transactions is underscored by the fact that these transactions form the majority of the expenses of an organization (About, Inc). Indeed, it has been noted that â€Å"[i]n a typical organization, 80% of the purchasing transactions represent approximately 20% of the total dollars spent (About, Inc).†Thus, Tom Camp and Eleanor should discuss about changing their procurement process because apparently, it does not serve the best interests of the company. The facts given show that the equipments it purchases have a high obsolescence rate due to differences in preference and orders.Thus, there is a need to streamline the purchasing process of the company and minimize the differences in suppliers and orders, which only cause additional cost to the company.It appears that this situat ion is appropriate for the application of systems contracting. A systems contracting arrangement is described as â€Å"an agreement between the buyer and supplier where the buyer places a blanket order with the supplier and the supplies are delivered to a special area on the buyer’s premises (About, Inc).†This arrangement ensures that the inventory records are in order and constantly updated (About, Inc).In a systems contracting arrangement, the supplier retains ownership of the goods while they are purchase orders are still being generated and the customer is billed at established periods only (About, Inc). This system allows the buyer that his inventory commitment is kept at a minimum (About, Inc).Thus, the buyer is left to deal with his personal concerns regarding maintaining its inventory, without a huge commitment to the seller (About, Inc).  Another option for the company is to adopt the theory of reverse auction, wherein a single buyer would choose from among many sellers so that the buyer could get competitive bids on their needed equipment. This is also an option that could mean savings for the company because only the winning bidder would provide the procured equipment, and the company would no longer concern itself with differences in orders from among the difference departments of the company.Moreover, this could reduce the obsolescence rate of the equipments because the competitive nature of the selection and procurement process would ensure that only the best equipment would be ordered.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works CitedAbout, Inc. â€Å"Four Methods to Reduce Purchasing Costs.† 2007. 4 Oct. 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   .

Sample Contents of Feasibility Study

Sample Executive Summary For Your Business PlanApril 5, 2011 – 11:14 am Earlier in Invest Engine Blog we have talked about  executive summary contents  and  how to write executive summary. Using all this information we shall now pass to actually writing an executive summary taking restaurant business plan as an example. Writing executive summaries is among the most important business skills. The majority of investors whom you’ll address with your project will read your executive summary first. And only then will decide whether to proceed with your start up or leave it alone.So let’s get started! 1. Executive Summary Cover Passing along a naked text is not a good idea. So do provide a cover for your executive summary. The executive summary cover page should contain: * your company logo; * the title of your project; * your contact information; * the subtitle â€Å"Executive Summary† (not to confuse this document with the full version of your business p lan). 2. The Opening Statement: Who? What? When? Where? Why? From the very first sentence it should be understood what your project is about. Showing respect to your readers’ time and attention is highly appreciated.So if you can answer the  Five W’s  in a single sentence, it is perfect. But sometimes it is better to break it down into smaller sentences. And DO avoid general phrases and adjectives like â€Å"great†, â€Å"unique†, â€Å"exclusive† as they make you look boastful right from the start. From the cover page of our  sample restaurant executive summary  the reader knows that the project is called: â€Å"BBQ-5 – barbecue restaurant in Chicago, IL†. So the opening statement of the executive summary could be: â€Å"BBQ-5 is a new barbecue restaurant in Chicago, IL founded by Mr. BBQ.This will be the fifth restaurant of â€Å"Mr. BBQ Family of Restaurants† – the barbecue chain founded in 2005 and is alread y well-known in The Great Lakes area. † 3. Brief Company ProfileYou are sure to provide some detailed information about your company background, its mission and business objectives in your business plan. But the major highlights should be put into executive summary as well. Typically you are expected to say: * When was your business founded? * What are the major industries and regions of operations? * What are your business mission and business objectives? How many people work in your firm? * What is your position in the company? In the sample executive summary we are going through it is stated that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the  chain was founded in 2005 and is already well-known in The Great Lakes area† (the info about the year the business was founded and the region of operation is provided). And so it is continued: â€Å"The other restaurants are located two in Cleveland, OH, one in Detroit, MI and one in Milwaukee, WI. Each of the restaurants started by Mr. BBQ reached the break -even point within a year. Though Mr. BBQ and Mrs. BBQ are principle owners, it is Mr.BBQ’s  intention to offer outside ownership in â€Å"BBQ-5? restaurant on an equity, debt, or combination basis in order to facilitate the opening of BBQ-5 restaurant and further growth of the chain. † From this paragraph it is clear that the principal figures in the company are Mr. BBQ and Mrs. BBQ and their major business goal is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"further growth of the chain†. 4. Project Description Normally executive summary should always be written last. You already have a perfectly written product description in your business plan and can now copy-paste the highlights into your executive summary.It should really take minutes! In the business plan for BBQ-5 restaurant it was stated that location is a key success factor. So in the executive summary it would be perfect to start with the advantages of the location and target audience of the restaurant: â€Å"BBQ-5 will be opened in leased premises in the very heart of Chicago – the Loop district. The Loop is the center of Chicago’s cultural, commercial and financial institutions. It is also the major tourist destination. And the neighboring district – The North Side – is the most densely populated residential section of the city.It is also a popular take-away destination. So BBQ-5 will target residents of The Loop district, office workers and tourists. † Then we briefly describe restaurant’s projected capacity, its specialization and the key competitive advantages (these are also copy-pasted from the business plan): â€Å"The restaurant will specialize in traditional style barbecue meals: smoked pork, veal and fish, steaks and sandwiches. The menu will also include a variety of vegetarian meals and the widest range of sauces. The restaurant’s projected capacity is 340 seats. After that you can outline main business objectives of the project showing that you have a clear vision and know your goals. Then write a paragraph about major risks of your project but stay positive providing your solutions right away. Stress the strong sides of your company and the competencies of the team behind the project. 5. Key Business Plan Numbers By the moment you write executive summary you are supposed to know  exactly  how much funding you need. So provide the highlights in the form of investment summary table. It puts investment structure vs. nvestment purposes of your project. So anyone reading your executive summary will understand what you need money for, how much of your own capital you invest and how much is expected from other sources (direct investment, bank loans, start up grants etc. ) Also state how much revenues your project will generate (revenue projections) and of course the payback period of your project – how long will it take for your project to become cash flow positive. ple Projects  >  Sample #4| Sample #4| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. Company: Bentonville Medical Clinic   Contact Person: George Hendrichs Title: Business Manager/Administrator Telephone: (910) 273 – 8457 Fax: (910) 273 – 5419 Address: 413 Harmon Place, Greensboro, NC 27412BackgroundProvide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief description of the department/function/product that is the main focus of the study. Bentonville Medical Clinic is a 12 year old medical firm specializing in the practice of obstetrics and gynecologic services.The main office, located in Greensboro, is where the primary administrative functions such as coordination, billing, insurance claims, etc. are carried out, but the firm is also comprised of two satellite offices located in Reidsville and Eden. The firm employs 1 administrator, 7 clinical personnel, 9 clerical workers, and 5 physicians, who rotate through each of the three offices on a regular basis. Gross revenues for 1991 were roughly $3. 1 million, as a result of 37,000 patient encounters. The bulk of the revenues are taken in by the Greensboro office, which accounted for 72% of all receipts.Revenues grew regularly through 1990, but have leveled off since then as a result of the efforts of the government and other agencies to control health care expenses. Some primary points of emphasis for Bentonville Medical Clinic are: (1) maintenance of high quality of patient care, through the regular and efficient assimilation of new technologies, (2) continuous improvement of business efficiencies and cost reductions, and (3) provision of a reasonable return on investment for the firm's partners. The Project To Be StudiedDescribe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.One of the basic problems with health care today is the government wishes to control health costs, yet demands the highest quality of service available. Often, the government wishes only to pay amounts for these services that barely exceed the cost a medical firm incurs in providing them. The focus of the group will be to evaluate the costs of various types of patient visits versus the payment plans instituted by the government (the RBRVS system that calculates costs for medicare, for example), and determine how these plans affect Bentonville Medical Clinic's cash flows and revenues.Outputs DesiredWhat specific results would be expected, e. g. reports, recommendations, etc. Outputs desired from this study include:(1) Determination of the amount of medicare volume that can be profitably handled;(2) Identification of the various costs involved in particular types of patient encounters (which types of visits are most/least profitable for the firm)(3) Determination of how cash flows being affected by programs such Medicare's RBRVS cost conversion factors(4) Suggestions for some possible alternative s/strategies through which Bentonville Medical Clinic can maximize revenues in the current environment.Required/Available Resources- (List special or unique data, software, personnel, etc. required, or available):Summary/Key Word Information:Estimated team size: 2-3 person team   How was project obtained? : Referred by John Adams, Alum Previous Project? : No Project Focus – Primary: Accounting/Finance Other areas: Strategy, Health Administration Keywords: Costing, and cash flow analysis Brief Abstract: Contrast patient visits with reimbursement plans to assess the equity of payments received and determine their affect on overall cash flows and revenues. | Sample #1| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Comfort Apparel   Contact Person: Sam Talbott Title: Marketing Manager Telephone: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: (336) 745-7025 Address: 1234 Comfort Blvd. , Winston-Salem, NC 27123BackgroundComfort App arel manufactures and markets high-quality, high-value apparel using screen printing and embroidery.Comfort holds exclusive contracts with several boards of education in the Southeast to provide shirts, hats and sweatshirts with school logos for state championships in all major sports. Other boards are being pursued for contracts. A significant volume of business is obtained through short-term contracts with colleges, universities and sports associations to provide logo apparel for ceremonies and sporting events.Comfort provides consumer value by offering a high-quality embroidery look at prices comparable to regular screen-printed products with quick turnaround on short notice. The Project To Be StudiedAt Comfort, ordering, scheduling, invoicing, inventory control and shipping are done manually. Management decided to switch to an electronic system because of frequent and often unanticipated surges in volume, as well as recent overall growth. Several of Comfort’s accounts hav e requested EDI systems and other electronic media, including use of the Internet, to process orders and shipping.The study group will be responsible for determining what system could capitalize on emerging technology and be most appropriate for the company and how best to implement the system. The study will look at three main operating areas: * Information systems between Comfort and our manufacturing operations * Information systems between Comfort and our customers * Information systems between Comfort and our suppliersThe team must propose whether members will focus on one, two or all of the above applications.Outputs Desired * Provide Comfort with a list of information systems that capitalize on the latest technology and that could be installed and implemented, along with pros and cons of each * Propose a schematic design and determine the costs and benefits of each alternative * Recommend the best alternative and provide a plan for implementation| Sample #3| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Gourmet House Software Services   Contact Person: Rachel BenedictTitle: Director of Development Telephone: (910) 277 – 2347 Fax: (910) 277 – 9547 Address: 1600 Watley Plaza, Winston-Salem, NC 27011BackgroundProvide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief description of the department/function/product that is the main focus of the study. Gourmet House Software Services is a relatively small â€Å"software house† that specializes in software for restaurants and wholesale food distributors.The purpose of this type of software is to allow the user to better and more efficiently purchase and utilize their inventory and delivery systems. Gourmet House System is going into its twelfth year of business, and they estimate that they have roughly 160 users of their specialized software. The Project To Be StudiedDescri be the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on. The current computer system software being sold by Gourmet House is a third generation software component.They feel it is necessary to upgrade their software to a fourth generation, but want to make sure they can successfully market this new product to existing customers, as well as to other potential markets. The study group should concentrate on the following areas:(1) The various methods that could be used to market this new product to current market segments, while maintaining support and customer satisfaction for older products;(2) Identify any other feasible markets for this new product. Outputs DesiredWhat specific results would be expected, e. . reports, recommendations, etc. The outputs desired from this project would be as follows:(1) A list of options and an action plan for the introduction of the new software component(2) A risk analysis of the planned introduction, co mplete with benefits and drawbacks. (3) Financial considerations involved (ROI, etc). Summary/Key Word Information:Estimated team size: 2-3 person team   How was project obtained? : Wilson Thomas, Alum Previous Project? : No Project Focus – Primary: Marketing, Strategic PlanningOther areas: New Ventures, Business Strategy Keywords: Marketing and identifying new niches Brief Abstract: Recommend a marketing plan for a fourth generation of a software package and identify new markets the firm might enter in order to increase revenues and profits. | Sample #2| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Mountain Broadcasting Company Contact Person: Ms. I. M. Astarr Title: President Telephone: (910) 253-7827 Fax: (910) 253-1329 Address: 4321 Galaxy Boulevard, Mt.Airy, NC 27411Background-  Provide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief description of the department/function/product that is the main focus of the study. Mountain Broadcasting Company is a locally-owned radio company which operates under the call letters of WMBC (FM) and WNCB (AM). It employs 17 people, including 6 salespeople. The Project To Be Studied-  Describe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.Mountain Broadcasting contacted the Schools of Business to conduct a survey and analyze the results to determine what factors are critical when current and prospective advertisers make the decision to use radio as an advertising medium. Mountain Broadcasting also wanted to learn how effective its salespeople were compared to the competition, be it radio stations, television stations, or magazines and newspapers. Mountain Broadcast hoped to learn what it could to ultimately leading to an improvement in the company's profitability. Outputs Desired-  What specific results would be expected, e. . reports, re commendations, etc. Outputs desired from this practicum include:(1) Which local sales staffs within the industry are perceived as most competent/least competent? (2) What affect do program formats and program contents have on advertisers' decisions to buy? (3) How do the rates charged by WMBC and WNCB compare with other stations and how are they perceived by their customers with respect to the value received? (4) What affect do promotional support, purchase incentives, and the buying procedure have on the purchasing decision? 5) Which stations are perceived as most effective for reaching specific demographic targets? (6) How do stations' production capabilities affect their advertising rates? Methodology-  Possible strategies and analytical tools to employ. The data for this study will be generated by telephone interviews of approximately 100-200 prospective advertisers. The prospects will include current radio and non-radio advertisers, current customers, and non-customers of the stations, and direct advertisers and agencies and/or media brokers. The team will be supplied by the client with the list of prospects. | * ————————————————- About Us * ————————————————- Academic Programs   * ————————————————- Admissions * ————————————————- Beyond Academics * ————————————————- Careers & Internships * ——————————————â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Diversity * ————————————————- Faculty & Research * ————————————————- News & Events * WFU Charlotte Center | | Home  >  Beyond Academics  >  WF Business Solutions  >  Sample Projects  >  Sample #1| Sample #1| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Comfort Apparel   Contact Person: Sam Talbott Title: Marketing Manager Telephone: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: (336) 745-7025 Address: 1234 Comfort Blvd. , Winston-Salem, NC 27123BackgroundComfort Apparel manufactures and markets high-quality, high-value apparel using screen printing and embroidery.Comfort holds exclusive contracts with several boards of education in the Southeast to provide shirts, hats and sweatshir ts with school logos for state championships in all major sports. Other boards are being pursued for contracts. A significant volume of business is obtained through short-term contracts with colleges, universities and sports associations to provide logo apparel for ceremonies and sporting events.Comfort provides consumer value by offering a high-quality embroidery look at prices comparable to regular screen-printed products with quick turnaround on short notice. The Project To Be StudiedAt Comfort, ordering, scheduling, invoicing, inventory control and shipping are done manually. Management decided to switch to an electronic system because of frequent and often unanticipated surges in volume, as well as recent overall growth. Several of Comfort’s accounts have requested EDI systems and other electronic media, including use of the Internet, to process orders and shipping.The study group will be responsible for determining what system could capitalize on emerging technology and be most appropriate for the company and how best to implement the system. The study will look at three main operating areas: * Information systems between Comfort and our manufacturing operations * Information systems between Comfort and our customers * Information systems between Comfort and our suppliersThe team must propose whether members will focus on one, two or all of the above applications.Outputs Desired * Provide Comfort with a list of information systems that capitalize on the latest technology and that could be installed and implemented, along with pros and cons of each * Propose a schematic design and determine the costs and benefits of each alternative * Recommend the best alternative and provide a plan for implementation| |

A Review of Family to Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy by Dr Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee Essay

Having two children of his own, Paige and Josh, Dr. Jerry Pipes has written several books dedicated to families and their connection to Christ. These include Building a Successful Family, Becoming Complete and the book being reviewed, Family to Family. Pipes received his B. S. at Texas A & M University, followed by his M. A. at Southwestern and then his D. Min. at Luther Rice Seminary. He is the President of Jerry Pipes Productions, which seeks to â€Å"impact people through cutting edge resources and events† (jerrypipesproductions. com). Pipes has written instructional booklets and training processes that have exceeded 18 million copies. His teachings have spread internationally through his involvement in assemblies, crusades and conferences. According to his website, Pipes most recent trip to the Northcrest Baptist Church in Meridian, MS resulted in over 445 decisions for Christ. Co-author Victor Lee entered full-time ministry in 1995 and is currently the Minister of Single Adults and Evangelism at First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, TN. He has contributed and edited several Christian publications, including special event evangelism material. Lee and his wife, Judy, reside in Wake Forest, NC. Content Summary  The cover of Family to Family shares instantly the book’s purpose: a way for hurried parents to leave a lasting legacy with their children and find true significance in the process. Pipes and Lee have constructed a guide aimed at growing as a family in Christ and sharing that relationship with one’s relatives, community and acquaintances. The introduction explains that the book is not a quick fix but a helpful tool for becoming a healthy, on-mission family. The books definition of family is â€Å"persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption† (p. 9). The first chapter discusses how to become a healthy family in Christ. Sharing shocking statistics concerning the lack of family engagement with one another, the authors instruct one to first examine one’s family. They teach that a healthy family should mirror one that spends quantity and quality time together; one that expresses commitment to one another and to the family as a whole; one that has both parents equally involved in raising the children; one that finds significance in Christ; one that passing the baton of faith to the next generation; one that spends God centered time together (p. 2-15). In order to have a reflection of a healthy family, the authors suggest six spiritual growth principles which include: quiet time, lordship, development of a powerful prayer life, personalization of God’s word, Christian friendships and accountability and development of a ministry (p. 13). Living out God’s purpose of the Great Commission is the framework of a healthy and growing family unit (p. 15). Chapter two focuses on developing a family mission statement. The mission statement serves as a centerline that intentionally submits to the ways of Christ. God’s priorities become the family’s priorities. The mission statement begins with the parents and is passed down to the children. When constructing a family mission statement, the family should consider the mission of Jesus (p. 27). The authors provide several Scriptural references to this mission. They also provide five foundational elements in considering a mission statement: (1) the authority of Jesus; (2) making disciples; (3) comprehensive nature of the call to teach â€Å"all nations;† (4) baptize new believers; (5) the eternal presence of God (p. 28-29). The process of developing a mission statement must be fun and inclusive of all members. The family should consider their goals, take a family inventory and conceptualize and personalize the statement. The authors provide many examples of family mission statements. Since nine in ten people come to Christ before reaching age 25, the authors dedicate chapter three to passing on the baton to the next generation. This requires trust, communication, involvement and discussion. Raising children to become mature in Christ begins with the parents and is fed by the church, not the opposite. The seven key elements to mentoring to children include: modeling, presence, affirmation, praying with and for, transparency, doing things with them and not for them and making one’s actions reflect the Word of God (p. 52-57). The authors give advice on family devotion and family worship (p. 60-63). Chapter four focuses on sharing one’s faith outside of the home. This takes the form of lifestyle evangelism. One is taught how to minister to one’s immediate family, relatives, friends, community, acquaintances and person X (p. 73). Person X is anyone who one will never (most likely) have further contact with. There is also guidance on ministering to special needs children. The authors provide several evangelism ideas for each type of relationship. They discuss ministry evangelism (including the key methods of look, listen and linger), lifestyle evangelism and family evangelism. Chapter five is closely linked to chapter four as it teaches one to go into the church. The authors share that an on-mission, healthy family will make it their effort to spread the Word of God by integrating ministry and the church (p. 7). The book gives an example of how to connect with the community while ministering through the church. It suggests a family block party that has the qualities of being inclusive, intimate, intentional, informal, interesting and imaginative. Pipes and Lee also instruct one to engage in family mission trips at least once every two years. It labels the Jesus Video as an effective and non-confrontational way to share Christ while in the mission field. Chapter six concludes the book as it teaches one to share the message. It stresses the importance of prayer and implements the heart  acronym in association with praying for the lost (H= heart is receptive to gospel, E= spiritual eyes and ears are open to message, A= attitude toward sin matches God’s attitude, R= God releases them to believe, T= trust in Christ to live a transforming life) (p. 105). The authors provide guidance on ministering to individuals where they are in life. They teach that receptivity will come in varying levels. Most importantly chapter six teaches that one is not alone in the mission of sharing the gospel. It also gives many methods to successfully sharing which in turn raises the family to follow the ways of Christ. The conclusion is simplified into one page, challenging the family to step out and respond to the call of evangelism and to be an on-mission family. Evaluation Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee have constructed a book that convinces the reader to mature as a family in the direction of Christ. It’s chapters overflow with logical and structural guidance to reaching this goal. Every section is presented in a categorized manner that is easy to follow. Along with this, the chapters include appropriate and practical examples for the particular lesson being discussed. The most interesting example provided in the book is in chapter six describing how to share the message of Christ. In this example the authors are explaining that one is not alone in the mission of spreading the gospel: After prayer, a man named Chris feels the deep need to be vulnerable and sensitive while sharing his faith. While Chris is on a plane he begins a conversation with a married couple. The couple asks Chris of his profession and he replies that he is involved in a ara-church ministry. In disgust the couple asks why he would do that. He replies in a heart-breaking manner that he, his brother and his best friend were all very depressed. The depression resulted in Chris finding Christ and the brother and best friend committed suicide. The couple is quickly moved to tears because they are on the way to bury their son who has recently committed suicide. This is a powerful story and one full of God’s presence. The authors used the story to show how greatly involved the Holy Spirit is in teaching, guiding and using his followers for the advancement of the Kingdom. The inclusion of examples is a strong point found in Family to Family. The authors also include biblical support throughout the book, stressing the Scriptural references to the Great Commission. Any instruction given is accompanied by biblical command. For example, the authors teach that discovering real purpose in life involves making choices about â€Å"who you are and what you stand for† and reference Joshua 24:15 which states, â€Å"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The author’s main presupposition, that many families do not spend adequate time with one another sharing the Word of God and the love of Christ, is supported with statistical data (i. e. 88 percent of the children who grow up in churches leave the church and never return) (p. 50). Pipes and Lee conclude that by following the suggested guide given in Family to Family, the family unit will be more prepared to have meaningful Christ-filled relationships within and outside of the family, respond to the call of Christ and pass the baton of faith to future generations. It is difficult to point out many flaws within the book. For the purpose of this critique, the only suggestion for improvement would be to tie in the theme of family in a more distinct manner throughout the chapters. At times it seemed that it was geared more toward evangelism rather than the books stated theme of leaving a lasting legacy with children and finding significance along the way. Nonetheless, Family to Family is an appropriate guide for growing in Christ (both individually and as a family). Implementation of its strategies and suggestions may prove to be a beneficial tool to parents and singles. Dr. Pipes has shared his book internationally and has continued to win souls to Christ. Family is an important aspect of life and when molded in the way of the Lord, the family, as a unit, can share the love and knowledge of Christ with the world around them. Salvation becomes a domino effect: family to family.

Strategic Role of Employee Performance Recognition in Increasing Statistics Project

Strategic Role of Employee Performance Recognition in Increasing Employee Productivity - Statistics Project Example The following section will discuss the findings regarding the values of correlation coefficients for each of the pairs under consideration. Correlation coefficient has been found to be positive statistically significant at 1 % level of significance. It simply implies that with increase in the level of employee participation in management and decision making process, the level of job satisfaction increases significantly. This finding provides great support to the findings of those studies which advocated increasing employee participation for the betterment of job satisfaction among employees (Coch and French, 1949, Pfeller, 1994; Verma, 1995; Maslow 1954; Herzberg, 1966). All these studies have talked about a strong positive relationship between employees’ participation in the work place and the level of job contentment. There have been a few studies which have not found any strong connection between employee participation and job satisfaction. But the findings of the current study have once again reinforced the positive relationship between job satisfaction level and the level of employee participation. (ANY QUAN TATIVE DATA FROM YOUR SURVEYS TO SUPPORT THIS? ) (table 1 itself shows the correlation coefficient) Hence, it would not be wrong to say that in the Effort companies selected for this study the efforts that have been taken to enhance the level of employee participation have resulted in increasing the level of self actualization among the employees along with enhancing the level of enthusiasm employees, all of which in turn directly resulted in higher level of job contentment among the employees of the companies as they have now obtained higher level of self-esteem. Such a strong significant relationship between the level of participation and job statistician might have stemmed from the fact that the process of participation involves distribution of the impact of participation among all the employees

H306 Mens Health Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

H306 Mens Health Interview - Essay Example Unlike in the past when I would run my garage efficiently, I currently had to leave some of my responsibilities to my juniors a feature that has drastically reduced my earnings. Patient: Prior to the discovery of the condition, I had a health cover with a local insurance company in the city. However, the insurance catered only for the time I remained admitted in hospital. Once I was discharged, I had to pay for my subsequent visits to the hospital besides the fact that I have to buy the drugs that I use in managing the condition. The costs of drugs and regular visits to the hospitals have been unbearable for my family. As I had said, I had to relinquish some of the duties I would engage in in the past at my garage. This reduced my earnings owing to the fact that the garage is a small business. Additionally, the fact that I had to keep company at all times further complicated my lifestyle since I have to engage one of my sons. The news of my condition scared the stability of my family. On the day I collapsed, it took long for the people around me to settle on the most appropriate cause of action. I therefore nearly died at the scene. When my family eventually came to see me at the hospital, my condition broke their hearts. However, they have stayed supportive always understanding my situation and sparing money whenever possible. They have reduced their demand thereby making it easier for me to cope with my condition. Despite their support and understanding attitude, I still notice the pain n their eyes and the strain they undergo having to readjust their budgets in order to sustain me. Interviewer: Sorry for the pain sir, your condition is a result of lifestyle complications. What was your lifestyle prior to the diseases and how has this changed once you realized you have the disease? Patient: My doctors told me so too and I have in deed restructured my life in order to lengthen my life and manage the condition. I loved sugary foodstuff

CASE 4 Electronic and Mobile Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE 4 Electronic and Mobile Commerce - Essay Example The free access to information across multiple global markets is severely disrupting the market dynamics as consumers are getting more aware and demanding in nature. Today’s global consumers are focusing highly on buying the right products, which provides them with a greater value as well as consumer satisfaction. This tendency of consumers is creating cross geographical demands for products and services. In order to capitalize on the business opportunity, associated with cross cultural demand for products and services, businesses need to make their presence in the online arena, which is managed by electronic and mobile commerce. This assignment intends to focus on the steps that businesses needs to follow to create online presence and the related skills that are needed to manage it. It will also take into account the opportunities and challenges associated with electronic and mobile commerce. The first step is the analysis of potential e-business initiatives. In order to do so, the online businesses need to focus on either value creation for stakeholders or improving cost efficiencies. In order to create value for the stakeholders through e-business, a firm should concentrate on customers as well as the related components of a value chain which comprises of suppliers, distributors and partners. For improving cost efficiency through e-business initiatives, the firm should concentrate on the internal business process and functions as it will benefit them in the long run. The next step is to analyze the functional scope of e-business initiatives. It is important to mention that the proper categorization of the e-business initiatives on the basis of functional scope enhances the ability of the firm to qualitatively identify the estimated business value along with cost savings. The third step is to analyze the scalability of benefits associated with the e-business initiatives. For the purpose of this

Homicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Homicide - Essay Example However, Daly and Wilson state ‘we lose the conceptual unity of intention that was the rationale for including attempted murders by defining homicide in this way’ (1988:14). Richards (1999) provides a clearer definition of homicide and refers to it as the interpersonal assaults and other acts directed against another person (e.g. poisoning) that occur outside the context of warfare, which prove fatal. This definition is supported by The Law Commission (TLC) who indicate homicide as ‘the unlawful killing of a human being by another human being’ (2005: 3). Homicide offences include murder, manslaughter and infanticide. In England and Wales, the structure of law concerning homicide centres on two broad offences; murder and manslaughter (TLC, 2005). Murder is classed as the most serious form of homicide, and has traditionally been associated with pre-meditated thought on the part of the perpetrator. However, TLC (2005) states that there doesn’t have to be an intention to kill or even a pre-meditated intention to kill to class a person guilty of committing murder. The Homicide Act (1957) introduced the concept of conviction for manslaughter and a person can be convicted of committing manslaughter rather than murder if they intentionally kill a person as a result of losing self-control through being provoked or if a ‘reasonable person’ would have reacted in the same way. ... nlawful killings whose offender intended to cause harm unlawful killings whose offender realised their actions involved unjustified risk of causing death but went ahead with their actions offender provoked, diminished responsibility or duress Manslaughter Comprises unlawful killings where the offender ; kills through conduct that is gross neglect (involuntary) kills though intending to cause harm (voluntary) How is Homicide Reported by Police Statistics? Richards (1999) claims that homicide is one of the few crimes that really get under-reported, and so homicide rates reasonably provide accurate measures of crime levels. However, it is also important to note that how government data counts homicide rates varies between Scotland and England and Wales. In Scotland for example, a single offence is counted for each act of homicide, regardless of the number of victims or offenders, e.g. Lockerbie in 1988 is closed as one act of homicide, rather than 270. In England and Wales however, each act of homicide is counted as an individual act. Richards (1999) also notes that a homicide case is generally presented in official statistics in the year in which the police record it. This however isn’t always the year in which the crime in committed, or when the accused is brought to trial, or when the suspect is either found guilty or innocent of homicide. During the past 50 years Parliament has barely touched the law of murder (TLC, 2005). The irregularity that exists in the way a person is convicted (as either murder or manslaughter) has resulted in seriously flawed homicide laws, which lack proper structure to convict people appropriately. However, police statistics relating to homicide rates do provide a number of useful information. For example, they let us measure murder and

HIS 342 question set 2 Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HIS 342 question set 2 - Research Proposal Example Primary education, conscription head tax, and military service were to be applied to non-Muslims and Muslims alike. However as Gelvin (2005) notes, "for all its good intentions a policy that attempted to establish equality among Ottoman citizens satisfied few Muslims or Christians" (p. 100). In summary, Osmanlilik ensured that all communities were considered equal in rights and responsibilities regardless of religious background. The Young Turks rebelled against the Sultan by drawing on sentiment among primarily the intellegentsia whom they were a part of as well as public mass sentiment of Turks and thereby leading to the successful overthrow of his power. Similar to the Osmanlilik the young Turks were interested in maintaining the Ottoman Empire's control which was rapidly diminishing. Unlike the Osmanlilik, the Young Turks combined a previously unlikely union of reform-minded pluralists, Turkish nationalists and Western-oriented secularists and indeed anyone who accorded the Sultan political blame for the weakening state of the Empire. The Young Turks had outlined four core reasons for their disgruntlement: a) a thirty year increasingly centralized government, b) increasing surveillance of all aspects of life leading to c) the assassination and exile of anyone who opposed the powers of the Sultan, and d) the consciousness that foreign dominance was increasingly a threat to the entire empire and that this would inevitable lead to the demise of the empire a responsibility that the Young Turks believed to be on the hands of the Sultan (Oktem, 2003). The Young Turks tried to employ Osmanlilik, which saw a revival during this time. This was done to strengthen the Empire however they were unsuccessful in doing so, making Turkish ethnicity dominant and overbearing and thereby straining relations with the ethnic minorities of the region (Oktem, 2003; Gelvin, 2005). 3. Future As discussed in response #1 the fact that the pioneers of Turkish nationalism the Osmanlilik and Young Turks had borrowed ideas from the French Revolutionaries and European Enlightenment illustrates that they were somewhat eager to transcend religious involvement in the State thereby laying the foundations for the modernization of Turkey in the 20th century. Enlightenment policies rejected the role of religion or tradition in society and especially the governing of that society. The rationale for this being that a traditional society in which religion predominated was not only locked within an archaic framework of thinking but that it would inevitably prejudice the rights of those who were either non-followers or non-religious. As such, and according to Oktem (2003) the modernizing of Turkey really was well seasoned upon the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923 by Officer Mustafa Kemal. Kemal, wishing to reach the level of Enllightenment of contemporary civilization broke away f rom the Turkish/Islamist past. The modernization of Turkey during this time included reforms such as secular/republican forms of government, European legal codes, the emancipation of women and the abolition of Arabic script all of which were looked upon favorably and all of which were previously embraced by Osmamlilik and the Young Turks (Gelvin, 2005; Khater, 2004). 4. 1870s The world wide economic downturn of the 1870s otherwise known as the Long Depression ran from

How Adam Smith's Writings Help Us to Grasp One or More Specific Issues Essay

How Adam Smith's Writings Help Us to Grasp One or More Specific Issues in Contemporary Politics - Essay Example In the book Wealth of Nations, Smith argued that wealth does not only mean possessing metal but also included the ability to satisfy one’s needs and desires (Otteson 7). He stated that prosperity can be increased if the division of labor is increased, which he demonstrated by using the example of pins. He established logical insights like equality of returns, which was explained by the relation between wage rate and the type of the work. In short, economic and political theories of Adam Smith provided the guidelines that help to understand the wealth of nations and throw light on the political scenario and policy making (â€Å"Adam Smith†). Theories of Adam Smith - Theory of Invisible Hand at Work and Division of Labor In his book Wealth of Nations, Smith has focused on the fact that market forces ensured the production of the goods and services in quality and volume. This was coined as the metaphor of invisible hand at work. People should be allowed to regulate the mar kets on their own. He was of the idea that if people are given the liberty to control the market, they will utilize the resources in the best possible ways with the welfare of the public as the byproduct. This will be possible when producers prefer making profits by supplying the products or services. This will increase competition, and thus the public life will be influenced in a better way. Smith suggested that this can be achieved only without the intervention of the government, thus devising a ‘laissez faire’ form of economy (Smith). Another theory proposed by Smith was division of labor in the book Wealth of Nations. He suggested that, with proper division of work, there would be an increase in productivity. With proper allocation of work, there is an increase in the efficiency of the worker as regards one specific kind of work. Assembly line made it necessary for the workers to focus on minute details, as any mistake in one part can make the entire assembly line n on functional. Smith proposed that a worker can perform best if he or she is assigned the work he or she is best at. He said that the division of labor would lead to producing tangible objects and in surplus amounts (Dhamee). The political environment during the time of Adam Smith was more capitalistic in nature. Mercantilism was present that dictated almost the society in its entirety. Adam Smith was the severe opponent against mercantilism. In mercantilism, the only beneficiaries were the producers and the monopolists. This was done at the cost of the interests of the consumers. The government had no policies to address the needs of the common man. Also, there was no proper division of work. Further, after the industrial revolution and the American Revolution, the western world flourished considerably. But it was only a section of the people who were receiving the benefits, while the condition of the average common man degraded (Skousen 6). The book The Big Three in Economics: Ada m Smith, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes by Mark Skousen in 2007 explained how Wealth of Nations dismissed the traditional economic outlook where mercantilists controlled the commercial and political interests of the society. This book reported that mercantilist policies benefited only the producers and

Construction Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Construction Management - Essay Example 10) gave the industry a poor reputation. During the last decade, a number of improvements have been made in the industry, such as partnering that has led to more integration, productivity, and success in construction projects. Collaboration Philosophy Collaboration philosophy in the construction industry is also known as partnering philosophy or partnering. Despite the fact that there has always been partnering between private clients and contractors, the concept gained explicit significance in the mid-1980s (McGeorge and Zou, 2013). The employment of partnering by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the efforts of the Construction Industry Institute of the United States are both acknowledged for introducing partnering as a drive in the construction industry at the end of the 1980s (McGeorge and Zou, 2013). Today, the United Kingdom strongly relies on partnering in order to promote productivity in the construction industry as encouraged by the Latham Report (McGeorge and Zo u, 2013). In Australia, the Gyles Royal Commission advocates for partnering in the construction industry for productivity. New Zealand also advocates for partnering in construction. ... e extent of the adoption of partnering by the construction industry at large is still difficult to quantify and in some quarters, there is some dubiety about its diffusion in the construction industry† (2013, p. 99). Australia falls after the United States as it has also relatively adopted partnering and run competitions on satisfactory instances of partnered projects through the Masters Building Association. McGeorge and Zou define partnering as â€Å"a process for improving relationships among those involved on a construction project to the benefit of all† (2013, p. 100). The philosophy is being applied as a management tool in the construction industry, to be applied from the start of a construction project. It is believed that partnering accentuates an environment of cooperation, trust, and teamwork among associations and groups of associations. Through the philosophy, functioning alliances that implement the systematic approaches of communication and commitment throu gh teamwork and trust to avoid disputes are created. This in turn forms a unified partnership that enables the successful completion of a construction project. Jones identifies trust, equity, commitment, implementation, development of mutual goals and objectives, timely responsiveness, and continuous evaluation as the principal elements of partnering (1998). Through the partnering process, the people mainly involved in a project get to analyse it, as well as their goals. From the execution stage to the end of the project a number of activities for the partnering process are carried out. These include instructing each party about commitment and the principles of partnering, the objective of the partnering is made clear at the beginning of the project, and commitment is obtained from the top management

Political Party and Internet Essay Example for Free

Political Party and Internet Essay HARATAL In modern strife torn state hartal has become a common affair. It is observed at the call of a political party or parties to press their demand to protest against the corruption, misuse of power and the evil deeds of the ruling party. Sometimes students and people of a locality call hartal to express their demands. On a hartal day normal course of life is stopped. All means of transport and vehicles do not move on the roads. People are to take a lot of troubles to attend their offices. They go on foot as vehicles are not available. As a result the attendance is very negligible in the offices, factories, industries and shops. The economy of the country suffers a heavy loss. Mills, factories, industries and shops stop their work. All the business centers, markets and shop remain closed. The supporters in favor of hartal bring their procession. Often clashes occur between the police and the picketers. Sometimes clashes take place between the supporters of the opposition and the ruling political parties which result in some deaths. On a hartal day the sufferings of the people know no bound LOAD SHEDDING Load-shedding is the suspension of electricity supply on certain lines when demand is greater than the generation. It occurs when the generation of power is less than the demand. Besides, unplanned distribution and illegal connection of electricity are also responsible for it. It creates various serious problems. The students are affected by it if it occurs at night. They sit idly in the dark closing their books. They suffer terribly owing to load-shedding on the night before their examination. Mills, factories, industries, all academic and socio-economic institution seriously suffer due to it. It seems that everything comes to a standstill and so life becomes rally painful. In a country like ours it is very difficult to solve the problem of load-shedding. Yet we can go a long way by establishing new power plants, ensuring planned distribution, reducing system loss and checking illegal connections. If these are ensured, we may expect to get rid of the curse of load-shedding. Governme nt should also take effective steps in this regard. Computer The computer is one of the most brilliant gifts of science. This device was originally developed by Charles Babbage. Most countries have developed fast due to computerization. Writing a program is essential for a computer. Speed, accuracy, reliability, and integrity are the main characteristics of a computer. Many of the routine activities today at home and in business are done by computers. The computer has proved a friend and servant of science, technology and industry. Most offices, shops, factories and industries use computers. The Internet is a storehouse of information. The computer is boon to all. Telecommunication and satellite imageries are computer based. Computer has made the world a global village today. The Internet The information system of the world has become globalized with the magical touch of internet. Like a spider-web the Internet has spread its interconnected link with tens, hundreds or even thousands of computers. And it has enabled them to share information and communication with one another widely, effectively and inexpensively.The Internet has made it possible for people all over the world to bring the information and communication system within their palm. The Internet has brought new opportunities to government, education and business. Governments use the Internet for internal communication, distribution of information and automated tax processing. Bangladesh as a developing country does not have access to the Internet in all spheres. Still internet here has some access to the business world and the banking system. Educational institutions also use the Internet to some extent. Internet here also allows a great variety in digital entertainment. People can enjoy music, movie, gaming, chatting with friends, sharing views and ideas about world affairs just by pressing few keys. We hope that we will get full-fledged access to the Internet, an international computer network, to make our Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country. TRAFFIC JAM Traffic jam is one of the most irritating problems in bangladesh. It has taken a very serious shape in city areas.This problem is the result of rapid growth of population and the increasing number of vehicle. In proportion to our population, roads have not increased. Moreover, cities are full of rickshaw and rickshaw pulles do not follow the traffic rules never maintain a queue while waiting to proceed. Untimely loading, unloading of goods of trucks, unauthorised markets by the road side, unwise parking to vehicles, public meeting, processions etc. Generally cause traffic jam. Narrow roads in another cause of traffic jam. Most often traffic jam occurs at office time and also at the time when the officer break. Sometimes traffic jam is so heavy that it blocks half a kilometre. It kills our valuable time and cause great suffering to the dying patients being carried in the ambulance. However, this problem can be solved by adopting some measures. Well planned spacious road should be constructed. one way movement of vehicles should be introduced.Traffic rules should be imposed strictly so that the drivers are bound to obey them. The number of traffic police should be increased.

Teachers and bullying Essay Example for Free

Teachers and bullying Essay â€Å"Bullying poisons the educational environment and affects the learning of every child. †(Olweus) Some of the common effects of bullying on children include sadness, depression, poor body image and eating disorders, skipping school, bad grades, headaches, stomach aches, sleeping trouble, thoughts and even acts of suicide. The study also looked at relationship between empathy of the teacher and how they handled bullying incidents. Among the teachers who thought that the incidents were not serious or thought that the victims misperceived the situation, it was found that those teachers who felt empathy for a child at least tried to understand the child’s experiences and factors that shaped his or her behaviours. The teachers who did not show empathy did not try to understand the children. The research also cites two teachers who described some children as crying fake tears while describing their experiences. The teachers did not try to comprehend the children’s experiences or behaviours. They termed the children as provocative victims who exhibit that both the peers and adults find irritating. When such children report victimisation and bullying experience, the school personnel tend to be unsympathetic and ignores it. This strengthens the findings by researchers such as Craig et al (2000), Eslea and Smith (2000), Kallestad and Olweus (2003) that defies empathy as a key factor in how the teachers characterise and respond to bullying incidents and also how they implement anti-bullying programs. The research found that even when the individuals are able to articulate a clear definition of bullying, other factors can influence how they characterise and respond to the bullying situation. This can have an affect on the children if they perceive that sufficient action has not been taken by the teachers. Hence it would be beneficial to provide the teachers information on the factors that can influence individual’s decisions about what constitutes bullying and not. Indirect bullying was found to be the most challenging for the teachers to recognise as well as to know whether and how to intervene. Most often the teachers were unaware that children were bullied and did not consider the child’s case serious. This was also found by researches Craig et al (2000), Hazler et al (2001). Research by Siann et al (1993) found that teachers neglected to consider repetition in most of their definitions. The research found out that the assumption of the teacher about the characteristics displayed by the victims prevented them from recognizing the victimised children when they did not match the assumptions made. Researches conducted by O’Moore (2000) found that focussing on the individual characteristic of children who bully or who are victimised can minimise the awareness of factors such as social context and can obscure other factors that are central to the bullying such as the victimised child’s experience with distress due to the bullying activity. Researches conducted by Siann et al (1993) and Ireland and Ireland (2000) found that that subjectivity, especially when related to the indirect bullying can severely influence the intervention negatively. The teachers doubting the child’s view may contribute to the further lack of disclosure to the teachers. This was found to be intertwined with empathy shown by the teacher. Craig et al (2000), Kallestad and Olweus (2003) found the important relationship between empathy and how teachers responded to the bully victims. It was identified that the teachers require assistance to become cognizant of their attitudes also that their views may not correspond to the views of the children. This helps teachers to understand that sometimes the child’s distress may be greater than that anticipated by the teacher. According to Landau, Milich, Harris and Larson (2001), this understanding can increase the teacher’s ability to recognise and intervene in bullying situation. This assumes greater importance considering that the educators need to protect children who are victimised but who may not recognise or feel that they are being bullied. The research also found out that majority of the teachers was themselves subjected to bullying as children. According to the teachers, this personal experience influenced how they reacted to the bullying of their students. Kallestad and Olweus (2003) found an association between the teachers who identified as bullied as a child with the responses and interventions they participated in. However a study conducted by Nicolaides et al (2002) indicates that there is no strong influence of bullying during the childhood on the response of the teacher to bullying. Gibbons, Lichtenbert and van Beusekom (1994) found that it is necessary for the educators and other professionals need to deal with their own feelings that the incidents may evoke in order to respond effectively to the bullying situations. According to the research conducted by Boulton (1997, Craig et al (2000), Townsend-Wiggins (2001), training is essential for the teachers to increase the confidence and competence to respond to the bullying activities. It was found that most of the teachers had not received any training and expressed their desire to undertake this type of training. (Mishna, F. et al, 2005).

Communication is the cornerstone

Communication is the cornerstone Introduction (executive summery) Communication is the cornerstone of any successful business and is one of the very most important and unavoidable part in a modern business organization. Success of an organization depend upon a very high extend on the effective internal and external communication of the organizations. In present scenario, if there is a change to be happened in an organization it should be reached to each and every member of the organization which will add up to the success of the company .this is achieved through proper communication. An effective internal communication helps the manager to handle their employee smoothly and professionally. In this assignment we are discussing about various situation and stages of managerial communication and challenges faced by managers while dealing with different changes happening in organizations. Types of communication used in an organization External communication:external communication is referred to the communication of a organization with external world or public, it may be about their new product, about their shares, new, research and development and even new events organised by a organization. External communications are reached to the public in different Medias such as advertisement, news, websites etc. Internal communication: external communication is the communication happening with in the company with the members of the company. It should be very effective or the company may fall to achieve its goals. It is the process before external communication usually. It may happen between the higher members to the lower members through a series of procedures, it is not required two individual speak in order to hand over the massage. Newsletters, company portal, website, meeting, employee gathering are some examples through which internal communication can be implemented. It can be happened between two teams of same organization in different counties, when such international communications are usually done by the help of internet and telecommunication systems. Some other mode of communications Formal communication:this type of communication generally takes through the formal channels of the firm which is established by the organization. formal communication are generally written and can take forms,manuals,policy etc. the formal communication has its own advantages such as it will help to maintain the authority relationship in a firm and also disadvantages such as it is a time consuming process Informal communication: Communication that happens outside the formal channels in an organization. Informal communications does not follow the same path as that of formal communication. Informal communications gives more importance to relationships within the organisation. Managers could be your close friend and most of the time you could make your suggestions as if he is your friend in an informal communication. success of a company depend up on the various communication methods of the manager to a very high extend for example Assume that If there is a change in the timing of the operations of a company, to implement this change there are certain challenges to the manger as it is will change the day today routine of the employees. This can be solved by an effective internal communication between the manager and the employees. Communication handled in different level Communication is happened randomly in a business organization even though there are certain area which certain messages are only kept in a top- level but not all level such as middle -level and lower- level. It is not required to share all information with every members of the company, to be more specific top level strategies may not be shared with the lower level employees as it may indirectly cause damage to the company For example, assume that ownership of a company is to be changed, in this case after the deception is made it will not be told to the lower level workers in the company because it may lead to various strikes and the situation may go worse, some employees may even resign from the company. This may lead to rejection of the proposal from the other company. This is the case of communication happening in the top level managers, and at any cost this kind of information shouldnt be communicated among the lower level of employees at an early stage. Now we will see an example of communication held between top level and middle level management, assume that pricing of products of a company is changing, this kind of decisions will be communicated among the top-level and the middle level management. The various aspects and impacts of the decision will communicated to the middle level managers by the top level managers, this is discussed between the top level mangers and the middle level managers but not to the lower level workers, as it is not required to share all information with every members of the firm. And for the last case, where a proper communication from top-to-bottom is needed, we could take the example of salary for the workers in a manufacturing company. Decisions of this kind cannot be taken by the top-level or middle level management alone. They need to seek the opinion of the union leaders before coming to a conclusion on decisions like this, as this kind of decisions can affect the proper functioning of the company. So it is important to seek the opinion of the labourers and to know what the workers are expecting. Effective internal communication and different communication support As shown in the above diagram the managing director comes in the top most position (top -level)and then comes the sales and marketing, production directors, human resources directors, finance director, comes in (middle- level) they communicate to the managing director and then comes factory manager, quality control manager(lower- level) who report to the production director, Management accountant and financial accountant (lower level) report to the finance director as well. After this comes factory workers who work in production process of various products. Above explained is the main internal structure of an organization if a change is planned by the company in its normal routine the first level decision is taken by managing director and middle level managers. It is the duty of the middle level managers to inform the lower level employees about new decision; the middle level manager usefully hands over the information to the union leaders and finally reaches the workers. Communication supports: if a change has to be implemented in a company it should be communicated with in the members of the company it can be done using various methods according to the size of the firm. If the organization is small it is easy to communicate to all employees affectively by methods such as group meetings or group gatherings etc, if the size of the firm is big then various communication systems are used rather than team meetings or team gatherings. Now we can discus about various communication supports used in a company in order to achieve affective internal communication of them are as follows: employee portals by meeting by group gathering intra website sending news letters For an effective communication it depends on the nature of the organisation/company. If its a manufacturing company and you are trying to use the employee portals and intranet website for implementing effective communication, then that kind of decision will be a strategic failure. Because the employees in such kind of company will not flexible using computers and wont be familiar with the internet age. In such kind of situations it is necessary that the middle level managers informing the decisions to Union leaders in a meeting and later these union leaders are communicating the decisions with the union members. In an IT organisation communication can be effectively implemented by deploying intranet websites, employee portals, sending newsletters as the emails. Its the employee culture that they used to check their emails intranet portals regularly before starting their work. Updating the change information in an employee notice board will be a good way of communication among all kind of industries. So it depends on the nature of organisation to choose which way will be better to communicate among the different hierarchy levels in an organisation. Impact of change in communication process A change in the organisation will affect the process of communication to a high extend. And so is important to manage the change properly so it wont affect the communication flow within an organisation. Considering in a present scenario as example, assume that a manager is resigning from a firm, and a new manger is been appointed this change will definitely cause difference in normal play of the organization. as changes are mostly rejected by the employees it will take time to adjust with the new manager and this will lead the new managers job challenging one, if the manager communicate in proper track this problems can be solved .if the manager is having the skill to deal with situation he can overcome this challenges. Hence the impact of change will affect the various aspect of an organization. So it is important to implement a â€Å"Change Management† policy within the organisation. Change Management policy should be in such a way that all the information regarding the work should be properly documented so that a new manager replacing the existing manager wont have that many difficulties in carry on with the normal operations. This is the case with a manager replacing an old manager. If we consider the change management in a network support organisation, any change made to the hardware configuration should be done via a change management policy, as this will be communicated among all the team members working in that particular project. So an effective communication can be established among all the team members and other person responsible in the project. This is one way to handle a change in the communication process within an organisation. Obstacles or challenges and their solutions in context of change There exist many obstructers or challenges which will affect the smooth running of a firm; they may be communication gap between the managers and employees, between top level management and middle level management. This can be overcome by the following methods Newsletter and other information such as intranet website may not be usually used by all employees at all circumstances. So it is better to implement a desktop policy, such as making the company intranet website as the default webpage in the internet browsers, such a policy will enable employees to look at the website whenever they open the internet browsers. Make a rule in a company that all the members should check or visit their employee portals, newsletters, and other information sources. For example assume there is change in sections of employees to communicate this information the managers can use different methods such as newsletters, company website, employee portals and many other, if an employee is not checking his mail or failing to see the portals in some circumstances and come to different work site rather than going to right work site the position mend for him will be vacant at the time and it will lead the company to loss. In some cases, whether employee ignorance to the newsletters and employee portals, the management can make them read the newsletter and ask the employees to give them a compulsory feedback. This will enforce the employees to go through the newsletters and the intranet portals on a regular basis. Also you can give rewards to the employees for the best feedback, so they will have an interest to read about the company. Challenges met when dealing with an international team. The main two mode of communication with the international team is over the phone, emails instant messaging. In all these three cases we are very much dependent on the Telecommunication Internet service provider. If anything goes wrong with the service providers link then we will lose contact with the international team, since they are not communicating face to face, there will be a small communication gap, and it is difficult to establish effective communication between international teams. To a certain extent we could avoid this problem with the help of video conference meetings. But still we are dependent on the external service provider to get this done effectively. Appointing a group of staff in our company who are in contact with international team during the work hours of the international team may help in maintaining the communication gap to certain extends. For example assume that a particular products price is to be changed internationally and they have decided in a meeting to implement this to its other sister concerns in other country, if this have to be communicated effectively this can be done by the above mentioned procedures. Time constraints in different geographical location are a major challenge dealing with the international teams. Suppose there are two teams working on a project and one team based in UK and one team based in India, there is a major time challenge between the countries. To avoid this challenge one of the team should work in parallel with the other countries time zone. It is the responsibility of the project manager asking the employees to work in the time zone of the other country. This will help the teams maintaining a proper communication between the two teams and will help the two teams in maintaining the level of progress of the project. Managers role in communication in context of change. When a change is happened in an organisation it is the duty of the manager to verify that if the internal communication is successful or not. if the communication is not complete the manager has make sure it has reached every one, this is one of most imported step in by a manger which will help the company to grow more rapidly and smoothly. Manager has to see that the employees are checking their mails, website and portals regularly He has to make sure that all employees are one time for group meeting and group gathering in various occasions, at which various informations about the changes of the firms are discussed Change policy should be implemented in firm so that it will help the new mangers to run the firm smoothly and professionally. For example assume that if salary of workers are going to be decreased due to credit crunch the employees will protest against this, at this time it is the power of a manager comes in to action, that he can console the workers about explaining the situation globally as many lower level employees may not be much educated, and he can tell them the upcoming future of the company and can give them promises that the will be paid once the company reaches its success Conclusion: After analysing various situations and levels through which a manager moves it is understood that effective internal communication is one of the most impotent and unavoidable aspect of an organization which lead the organization to success, and a role of manager dealing with this in different changing environment is a challenging process, as a manager there might be certain situations you need to be informal while dealing with certain cases, hence the role of informal communication is also important and it is the skill of a manager to deal with all various situation in order to archive the goal of the organization.

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ :: Essays about Jesus Christ

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This verse - John 3:16 - is perhaps the most important in the Bible. Jesus Christ was the son of God, but he was also the son of man. Jesus had a human mother, Mary (see Luke 1:30-31 for example), but his father was God (see John 3:18 for example). Jesus was human, not God. Consider 1 Timothy 2:5:"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" There could not be a clearer statement that Christ was a man. Because Christ was human he experienced all the trials and temptations that we experience. Christ, however was strong enough to resist all temptation and lived a life without sinning - that is without disobeying God."[Jesus Christ] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15). Christ was "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.". (Philippians 2:8) "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15), or as Paul puts it in Romans 6:23 " the wages of sin is death". Christ never sinned, and therefore did not earn the wages of sin. Therefore God raised him from the dead "having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (Acts 2:24). The full story of Christ's death and resurrection can be found in Matthew 27 & 28, Mark 15 & 16, Luke 23 & 24, and John 18 - 21. After his resurrection Christ spent some time with his disciples. Then he ascended into heaven. He will one day return from heaven to rule on earth as King. The Crucifixion Jesus Christ lived a sinless life even up to his death by crucifixion. Far from being a way of appeasing a wrathful God for the sins of Mankind the Crucifixion is really an example of God's love toward us. Consider Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.". At first this seems slightly strange: how was God's love manifested towards us through the Crucifixion? Through his death Christ gained forgiveness of sins for all who follow him (see "baptism"). Titus 3:13,14 says "our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity".

Photography in Advertising and its Effects on Society Essay examples --

Photography in Advertising and its Effects on Society Memory has been and always will be associated with images. As early as 1896, leading psychologists were arguing that memory was nothing more than a continuous exchange of images. (Bergson) Later models of memory describe it as more of an image text; a combination of space and time, and image and word. (Yates) Although image certainly is not the only component of memory, it is undoubtedly an integral and essential part of memory’s composition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Photography was first utilized over 100 years ago in an attempt to preserve life as it existed before the industrial revolution. Over time photography has gradually corrupted memory in a variety of ways, despite its original intention to preserve it. From there, photography has evolved to become a pressing threat not only to memory, but also to consciousness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As seen in paintings of battle scenes and portraits of wealthy Renaissance aristocracy, people have always strived to preserve and document their existence. The creation of photography was merely the logical continuum of human nature’s innate desire to preserve the past, as well as a necessary reaction to a world in a stage of dramatic and irreversible change. It is not a coincidence that photography arose in major industrial cities towards the end of the nineteenth century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The industrial revolution created the societal circumstances necessary for photography to be born. The first and most obvious condition is that of technological advancement. Industry was advancing and expanding so rapidly that history appeared to be distancing itself from the present with unusual speed. Up until this time period life had not changed much from decade to decade or even from century to century. Photography’s popularity during the industrial revolution was, in large part, a result of people’s desire to slow down the perceived acceleration of history (McQuire). It has been argued that the acceleration of historical time is â€Å"leading to the possible industrialization of forgetting† and that â€Å"we will not only miss history†¦we will also long to go back to space and times past.† (Virilio)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The desire to stop time and preserve the way things were are the primary reasons why the majority of photography in the late nineteenth century focused on documenting dying traditions, practices, and ways of life... ...dvertising.† Picturing the Past: Media History & Photography. Ed. Bonnie Brennen, Hanno Hardt. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1999. 158-181. Freund, Gisele. Photography & Society. Boston: David R. Godine, 1980. How Much Information?. 9 May 2002. University of California. Kramer, Edith. â€Å"The Art Therapists Third Hand: Reflections on Art, Art Therapy, and Society at Large.† American Journal of Art Therapy Feb. 1986: 71-86. Liss, Andrea. Tresspassing Through Shadows: Memory Photography & The Holocaust. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1998. McQuire, Scott. Visions of Modernity. London: Sage Publications 1998. Miller, Denise., et al. Photograpy’s Multiple Roles. New York: Distributed Art Publishers, 1998. Schwartz, Donna. â€Å"Objective Representation: Photographs as Facts.† Picturing the Past: Media History & Photography. Ed. Bonnie Brennen, Hanno Hardt. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1999. 158-181. Sontag, Susan. On Photography. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday, 1973. Virilio, Paul. The Art of the Motor. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1995. Yates, Frances. The Art of Memory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966.

Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a truly outstanding author. His detailed descriptions and imagery will surely keep people interested in reading The Scarlet Letter for years to come. In writing this book he used themes evident throughout the entirety of the novel. These themes are illustrated in what happens to the characters and how they react. By examining how these themes affect the main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, one can obtain a better understanding of what Hawthorne was trying to impress upon his readers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first theme expressed in The Scarlet Letter is that even well meaning deceptions and secrets can lead to destruction. Dimmesdale is a prime example of this; he meant well by concealing his secret relationship with Hester, however, keeping it bound up was deteriorating his health. Over the course of the book this fact is made to stand out by Dimmesdale’s changing appearance. Over the course of the novel Dimmesdale becomes more pale, and emaciated. Hester prevents herself from suffer the same fate. She is open about her sin but stays loyal to her lover by not telling who is the father of Pearl. Hester matures in the book; becomes a stronger character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fact that revenge destroys both the victim and the seeker is another theme presented in the Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale is the victim of Chillingworth’s revenge upon Hester and whoever her lover happened to be. Dimmesdale, beside his self-inflicted harm was also not helped by the fact Chillingworth enjoyed watching him waste away. However, Chillingworth is also subject to this destiny as evidence by his change in the novel. Chillingworth was considered wise and aged in the beginning of the novel, although, later he is seen as being dusky and evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lastly Nathaniel Hawthorne brings out that we absolutely must accept responsibility for our actions or suffer the consequences come with them. Hester is the prime example for this here because she was smart and freed herself of this great weight quickly so that it wouldn’t drag her down. This theme was not as applicable to Dimmesdale, however, who decided to hide his wrongful actions and was bearing this secret upon his heart and mind at all times.

Periodic Performance Review Essay

DEFINITION: A periodic performance review (PPR) is a self-assessment of standards all of which are applicable to a health care organization. The Joint Commission of Healthcare Organization conducts triennial surveys of health care organizations. The PPR involves an annual assessment of an organization’s performance. The PPR show the organizations performance in relationship to the standards set forth by the Joint Commission. The standards are measured by elements of performance. Some elements of performance require a simple response of yes or no while others require multiple possible responses (e.g., compliant, partial, and noncompliant). The PPR helps determines and organizations readiness for an accreditation audit PURPOSE OF PERIODIC PERFORMANCE REVIEW An integral component in the Joint Commissions accreditation process, PPR promotes continuous standard compliance through ongoing internal monitoring. Beginning in January 2006, the Joint Commission expects organizations to conduct annual self-assessment against applicable Joint Commission standards, develop plans of action to address identified areas of non-compliance and identify measures of success in the identified problem areas to validate resolution. At the mid-cycle point, the organization is expected to share information with the Joint Commission. The staff at the Joint Commission will work with the organization to refine its plan of action to assure that the corrective efforts are on target. To address concerns about the potential discoverability of PPR information, particularly where it is shared with the Joint Commission, the Joint Commission has established three options to the full PPR, for accredited-health care organizations: Option One: The organization performs the full self-assessment, develops the plan of action and measures of success (MOS), but does not submit PPR data to the Joint Commission. At the time of the complete on-site survey, the organization provides its MOS to  the Joint Commission surveyor team for assessment. Option Two: The organization remains accountable for conducting a full self-assessment and developing plans of action and applicable MOS, but does not submit PPR data to the Joint Commission. The organization undergoes an on-site survey, which will be approximately one-third the length of a typical full on-site survey. The organization receives a report of the survey activities. Option Three: The organization remains accountable for conducting a full self-assessment and developing plans of action and applicable MOS, but does not submit PPR data to the Joint Commission. The organization undergoes an on-site survey, as in Option Two, but no written documentation or written report of the survey is provided to the organization. Nightingale Community Hospital is completing a PPR to assess the readiness of the hospital for an upcoming accreditation by the Joint Commission. This analysis will include: 1. The current compliance status of the hospital. 2. Trends evident in the case study that may cause the organization to not be in compliance with regards of patient care as set forth by the Joint Commission. 3. A review of staffing of the hospital’s patient care unit with regards of the performance improvement standard by doing the following: a. An analysis of the data to determine the staffing patterns of the patient care unit. b. A plan to develop a staffing plan to minimize the number of falls in the patient care unit. CURRENT COMPLIANCE STATUS In reviewing the data of Nightingale Community hospital, there are a number of compliance standards the hospital will need to address to remain in compliance with the Joint Commission standards which fall into several broad accreditation functions 1) Environmental Care – the environment of care is made up of several areas in terms of patient care including the he building or space, including how it is arranged and the special features that protect patients, visitors, and staff, equipment used to support patient care or to safely operate the building or space, and people, including those who work within the hospital, patients, and anyone else who  enters the environment, all of whom have a role in minimizing risks. The self-assessment noted deficiencies with interim life safety measures (ILSM) which refers to the health and safety measures that are put in place to protect the safety of patients, visitors, and staff who work in the hospital. Environmental factors that include signs and pathways to an egress point, fire protection systems including smoke detectors (specifically noted in the self-assessment), fire suppression, fire extinguishers and fire alarm systems, smoke barriers, emergency evacuation plans, in additi on to many other items that contribute to the well-being and safety of occupants in the hospital or healthcare facility. 2) Nursing leadership – this specific deficiency noted out of compliance showed inconsistencies in nurses documentation and timeliness which affected morale 3) Record of Care – this compliance standard refers to all the data and information gathered about a patient from the moment he or she enters the hospital to the moment of discharge or transfer. The particular deficiency noted is verbal orders are not authenticated within 48 hours. This particular problem is noted under on several floors within the hospital 4) Life Safety – A particularly critical standard in terms of patient care that is crucial in terms of patient and staff safety. The self-assessment noted clutter in hallways and carts in the hallways as noted in the observations during the PPR rounds. 5) Information Management – this patient care standards refers to the whether the hospital has a written policy regarding the privacy, security and integrity of health information. The deficiency noted prohibited abbreviations found in nursing notes and or physician orders as noted in the chart review conducted the PPR rounds 6) Medication Management – this is an important component in palliative treatment of many diseases and conditions. To minimize harm, the hospital needs to develop an effective and safe medication system. The hospital deficiencies with this standard was noted in the staff interviews where it was shown nurses did not follow range order policy or could explain how this is executed. It was also noted the syringes were found unlabeled in the OR and Cath labs. 7) Provision of Care, Treatment and Services (PC) – these standards revolves around assessing patient needs and planning, providing and coordinating treatment and services. Several deficiencies noted in audit included day of procedure reassessment inconsistencies and absence of documented plan of  anesthesia 8) Universal Protocol – Hospitals are charged with developing guidelines for the implementation of the universal protocol for the prevention of wrong site, wrong procedure and wrong person surgery. There were several sentinel events noted in the self-assessment which appear to demonstrate an absence of a guideline for this crucial standard. A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof. These events included lung biopsy side unmarked and a knee arthroscopy site not marked. 9) National Patient Safety Goals – The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) have become a critical method by which the Joint Commission promotes and enforces major changes in patient safety in thousands of participating health care organizations around the world. The criteria used for determining the value of these goals, and required revisions to them, are based on the merit of their impact, cost, and effectiveness. Two findings noted in the observation during the PPR included unlabeled basins and pre-labeled syringes. 10) Medical Staff – The organized medical staff and the governing body collaborate in a well-functioning relationship, reflecting clearly recognized roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities, to enhance the quality and safety of care, treatment, and services provided to patients. This collaborative relationship is critical to providing safe, high quality care in the hospital. To meet this standard and to remain in compliance, the Joint Commission (JCAHO) requires accredited hospitals to examine and evaluate performance data for all practitioners with privileges on an ongoing basis as part of their Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) initiative. It was noted in the interviews with the medical staff the OPPE process does not meet standards. CURRENT TRENDS IMPACTING COMPLIANCE In preparation for the audit, the self-assessment analysis included a review of current trends that may cause the organization to not be in compliance. Several major trends noted in the case study include Fire Drill History ( Environment of Care) – the data shows that the fire drills were not routinely performed in Nightingale Community Hospital that requires one drill per shift per quarter. There was an average of three drills per quarter with no consistent methodology for conducting the drills per shift  or floor. This environment of care standards observation as noted above in the previous section indicated smoke wall penetrations which could have been discovered in there were routine fire drills. Moderate Sedation Monthly Audit (Provision of Care, Treatment and Services) – Moderate sedation provides a minimally reduced level of consciousness in which the patient retains the ability to independently and continuously maintain an airway and respond appropriately to p hysical stimulation or verbal command. The data showed in the Endoscopy Department a lack of pre-sedation ASA (American Society of Anesthesiology) and no documentation plan of anesthesia noted in endoscopy. The data shows that in pre-procedure, during procedure, and post-procedure no documentation was consistently recorded. The trends show the first quarter had a high of 100% and low of 75% and a fourth quarter high of 100% and low 79%. Pain Assessment Audit (Provision of Care, Treatment and Services) – Pain assessment is diagnostic tool to measure the pain level of a patient before administration of a medication and following administration. The goal is assess the patient’s pain relief and thus the effectiveness of the therapy. The data shows that pain assessment and reassessment is consistently missing in the Emergency Department(ED). The data shows a trend of this occurring with a range of 65% to 82%. The data shows the other departments listed have a higher a level of compliance. 3E shows a range of 90% to 97%, whereas the Post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) shows a higher range of 95% to 99%. PI (Patient Injury) Data Falls 4E (Life Safety) – Falls in 4E were highly prevalent. The target goal for falls with injury is 0.62 per 1000 patient days. Several months (January, February, April, July, and November) experienced 0 falls. In contrast, the other months experienced rates varying from 1.72 to 5.6. Data suggest trends show a marked increase over the last 7 months as compared to the first five months of the year that the data was collected. The target goal for all falls is set at 3.21. This number was achieved in five months, with 2 months (January and August) experiencing 0 falls. The data for falls overall in 4E appears to conflict with the data shown for fall with injury. The data shows no falls for the month of August, however, August also reports 4.5 falls with injury. Also, the month of October shows 4.1 total falls vs. 4.37 falls with injury. This brings to mind the reporting of the data, which has to be in error. PI (Patient Injury) Data falls For the Entire Hospital (Life  Safety) – Overall, the hospitals falls and falls with injury are lower than that of 4E. That being said, trends show there is a rise in both categories over the course of the year. In total falls there were peak months in March and September showing 5.1 and 4.9 respectively. In falls with injury, three month April thru June showed no injury related falls. Overall, the falls with injury are below the target as a mean total for the year. That being said, data clearly shows a trend towards increase of falls with injury. Prohibited Abbreviations (Information Management) – The Joint Commission has sent forth a list of prohibited abbreviations that should not be used by healthcare organizations. This list includes but is not limited to medical terminology, disease states, units of measurement, and drug dosage forms. The use of abbreviations can lead to a misinterpretation of meaning which could use lead to an adverse event. The audit monitored the abbreviations â€Å"cc† and â€Å"qd† because they are the most frequently used prohibited abbreviations. Cubic centimeters are a measurement of volume and are abbreviated†cc†. It is the cubic amount required to hold 1 milliliter of water. If poorly written it can be misread as â€Å"U† for units, ml should be used instead of cc. The term qd† means once daily. However, it is often misinterpreted for â€Å"qid† which means four times daily or â€Å"qod† which means every other day. The word daily should be written out. Aggregate data for the audit included the ICU, Telemetry and floors 3E and 4E. These abbreviations should never be used. The data suggest a high prevalence of the u se of these abbreviations. The abbreviation â€Å"cc† was used far more frequently than â€Å"qd†. The monthly range for its use was 20 to 47 times monthly according to the data. By contrast the monthly range for the abbreviation â€Å"qd† was 10 to 25. The data suggest a steady trend in the use of prohibited abbreviations. Staffing Effectiveness (Nursing Leadership) – Effective staffing by definition is the competency, number, and skill set of staff in its relation to patient care and treatment. The data used by the hospital to measure effectiveness utilizes key indicators from clinical/service screenings and human resource screenings. This data is then analyzed to look at ways to access and improve staff effectiveness on a continuous basis. Clinical indicators include patient falls, patent falls with injuries, ulcer prevalence, and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). Human resource indicators include nursing care hours and overtime. The  care areas associated with this data were ICU (intensive care unit), 3E and 4E. The data suggests no trends in relationship to nursing hours and falls and nosocomial ulcers in 3E. In ICU, data shows a decrease in falls from previous year from 4.1 to 1.9 per 1000 patients. Of the 1.9, which represents seven falls, five occurred in the first quarter of FY09. VAP increased from 2.2 per 1000 ventilator days to 3.0 for current year. Trends show a decrease in falls however an increase in VAP. Trends also show a decrease in nursing care hours. In 4E, there was an increase in patient falls and nosocomial pressure ulcers. Falls increased to 4.37 per 1000 patient days as compared to 1.47 per 1000 the previous year. Trends shows there appears to be relationship with falls and nursing care hours which shows an increase. There was also a slight increase in nosocomial ulcers during the period which appears to be a relational trend. Verbal Orders Authenticated Within 48 Hours (Record of Care) – Data indicates a trend showing a decrease in verbal order authentication during the year collected. Quarterly averages show: Q1-84%, Q2-87%, Q3-73%, and Q4-81%. The first half year average is 85.5% as compared to second half year average of 77%. PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT STANDARD: STAFFING A) STAFFING PATTERNS – DATA In analyzing the data, 3E (Oncology) maintained a relative consistent range of hours in nursing care over the course of the year. Peak nursing hours were used in the month of October which corresponded with the lowest amount of fall prevalence. However, the second month with the highest amount of nursing care hours had the highest amount of fall prevalence. There is also a linear trend showing an increase in falls over the course of the year. Data shows a decrease in nosocomial ulcers over the same time period. Prevention of falls and nosocomial ulcers are a focus point of this unit due to patient population. Several staff members attended the NICHE program. The name stands for Nurses Improving Care for Health system Elders and is designed to improve recognition of age-related changes and increase nurses’ sensitivity. Nursing staff members who attended program shared knowledge with their colleagues and changes were implemented to improve patient care and outcomes. Changes included nurses prompting patients every two hours to  void while awake to decrease urgency which could lead to falling or incontinence which could lead to pressure ulcers. The unit’s nosocomial ulcers decreased from 2.76% in FY08 to 1.23% in FY09. The units’ year end falls average was 5.45 compared to previous years 5.57. The linear trend which shows an increase in falls over the course of the most current year indicates that more training is needed. 4E experienced an increase in nosocomial ulcers and falls during the past year. The relational trend in nursing hours shows an increase through the year. The trend towards ulcers also shows an increase in through the year. However, the peak month for nosocomial ulcers shows occurred during the month that the third fewest nursing hours were used. This does not indicate a relational trend. The number of falls in 4E increased sharply in the year compared with the previous year. The current year showed an increase average to 4.37 as compared to the previous year’s average of 1.47. The peak month occurred in December showing an ever increasing trend. The nursing hours increased over the course of year. Data appears to suggest a relational trend with nursing care hours and patient falls. ICU showed an increase in falls from 1.9 from the previous year’s average of 0.41. Five of the seven falls that occurred happened in the first quarter of FY09. There appears to be no correlation between nursing care hours and patient falls. VAP (ventilator associated pneumonia) increased from 2.2 per 1000 ventilator days to 3.0. This number indicates two infections versus one infection during the respective fiscal years. There appears to be no relational correlation with VAP and nursing hours. Due to the increase in VAP, the following actions were implemented that included: * VAP bundle implementation including sedation vacation * Mouth care protocol * Daily rounds with the intensivist B) STAFFING PLAN – MINIMIZE FALLS Based on the data, an initial conclusion can be drawn the number of falls decreased in 3E based on nursing staff after attending the NICHE Program and sharing information learned with colleagues the increase of falls prevalence through the year suggests more training is necessary. The other units could also benefit from more training conducted on a monthly basis with the  desired outcome to reinforce policy and to impact future accreditation reviews. Inpatient working conditions have deteriorated in some facilities because hospitals have not kept up with the rising demand for nurses. This situation has motivated some state legislatures to enact or consider regulatory measures to assure adequate staffing. These regulatory measures assign some minimum level of staffing that all hospitals must meet regardless of the types and severity of patients. The number of nurses is not always a mitigating factor in the reduction of patient falls. However, there are a number of variables which should be factored in reviewing the falls such as fatigue from mandatory overtime with patient care and time consuming but necessary administrative tasks such updating patient records and documenting physician and other medical orders etc. Model Staffing Patterns — In researching, various staffing models several require acute care hospitals maintain minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Required ratios vary by unit, ranging from 1:1 in operating rooms to 1:6 on psychiatric units. Most state legislation also requires that hospitals maintain a patient acuity classification system to guide additional staffing when necessary, assign certain nursing functions only to licensed registered nurses, determine the competency of and provide appropriate orientation to nurses before assigning them to patient care, and keep records of staffing levels. The Joint Commission recommends all nursing units be supervised by a registered nurse. Nursing Staffing Plan Based on Type of Care — Another factor for consideration is the knowledge, skills and ability of the individual nurse. The safety and quality of patient care is directly related to the size and experience of the nursing workforce, Such as thoroughness in documentation, following protocol, and work pace. A comprehensive staffing pattern will have to take this into account in terms of reviewing the effectiveness of the individual nurses to reduce the occurrence of incidents. The chief nurse must monitor the performance of the nursing staff on a continuing and ongoing basis.