Nursing And Diabetes Essay

Patients with diabetes need to understand what diabetes is. Patients who understand what diabetes is and the complicated process associated with the disease are more likely to comply with the prescribed regimen. Diabetes Mellitus is a syndrome with disordered metabolism and inappropriate hyperglycemia due to either a deficiency of insulin secretion or to a combination of insulin resistance and inadequate insulin secretion to compensate (Davis, 2001). Diabetes is a chronic progressive disease that requires lifestyle changes, especially in the areas of nutrition and physical activity. The overall goal of medical and nutritional therapy is to assist persons with diabetes in making self-directed behavioral changes that will improve their overall health (Franz, 2012). Blood glucose monitoring and goals of blood glucose monitoring Testing blood glucose levels pre-meal and post-meal can help the patient with diabetes make better food choices, based on how their bodies are responding to specific foods. Patients should be taught specific directions for obtaining an adequate blood sample and what to do with the numbers that they receive. Research has found that patients who have had education on the use of their meters and how to interpret the data are more likely to perform self-blood glucose monitoring on a regular basis (Franz, 2012). There are many different glucose monitors available for patients. The patient needs to have a device that is easy for them to use and convenient. A patient’s visual acuity and dexterity skills should be assessed prior to selecting a blood glucose monitoring device. A device is usually selected to meet the patient’s needs in collaboration with a diabetic educator at a health care facility. The patient needs to be reminded to record the blood glucose values on a log sheet with the date and time and any associated signs and symptoms that he/she is experiencing at the time the specimen was obtained. This log should be shared with his/her primary care practitioner. A discussion of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) should include the reasons for doing the test, how it is performed and how the health care practitioner will interpret the data. These laboratory tests are ordered on a routine basis along with other laboratory tests that are being monitored for the patient. A simple method to describe the HbA1c is to tell the patient that the test measures the amount of sugar that attaches to the protein in the red blood cell. The test shows the average blood sugar during the last three months. The higher the blood sugar the higher the HbA1c. The high blood sugar over a long period of time causes damage to the large and small blood vessels therefore increasing the risk of complications from diabetes. Medications and Insulin The patient with diabetes needs to be reminded that the addition of medications to help manage his/her diabetes is not because they are failing at diet management. Many patients with diabetes become depressed or despondent when they have to begin taking oral hyperglycemic medications and/or insulin. The teaching session should include a review of the different types of oral diabetic agents. A review of the different types of insulins and how to mix insulins should also be discussed. Teach the patient about self-administration of insulin or oral agents as prescribed, and the importance of taking medications exactly as prescribed, in the appropriate dose (Davis, 2001). Patients should be provided with a list of signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and actions to take in each situation. Complications from Diabetes The teaching regarding the complications encountered from diabetes should stress the effect of blood glucose control on long-term health (McGovern, 2002). The patient should be taught how to manage their diabetes when he/she has a minor illness, such as a cold, flu or gastrointestinal virus. The patient should also be taught how to watch for diabetic effects on the cardiovascular system, such as cerebrovascular incidents/stroke, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease. Patients should be taught how to be alert for signs of urinary tract, respiratory tract infections and signs of renal disease. Assessment for signs of diabetic neuropathy should also be included in the teaching plan. Diabetes is the leading cause of death by disease in the United States, it also is a contributing factor in about 50% of myocardial infarctions and about 75% of strokes as well as renal failure and peripheral vascular disease. Diabetes is also the leading cause of new blindness (McGovern, 2002). Patients with diabetes should also receive education on the importance of smoking cessation, cholesterol and lipid management, blood pressure monitoring and management and management of other disease processes. Skin and Foot Care Teach the patient to care for his feet by washing them daily, drying them carefully particularly between the toes, and inspecting for corns, calluses, redness, swelling, bruises, blisters, and breaks in the skin. The patient should be encouraged to report any changes to his/her health care provider as soon as possible. Advise the patient to wear non-constricting shoes and to avoid walking barefoot. The patient may use over-the-counter athlete’s foot remedies to cure foot fungal infections and should be encouraged to call their health care provider if the athlete’s foot doesn’t improve (McGovern, 2002). The patient should be reminded that he/she needs to treat all injuries, cuts and blisters particularly on the legs or feet carefully. Patients should be aware that foot problems are a common problem for patients with diabetes. Informing them of what to look for is an important teaching concern. The signs and symptoms of foot problems to emphasize are: feet that are cold, blue or black in color, feet that are warm and red in color, foot swelling, foot pain when resting or with activity, weak pulses in the feet, not feeling pain although there is a cut or sore on the foot, shiny smooth skin on the feet and lower legs Exercise and Diabetes A moderate weight loss of ten to twenty pounds has been known to improve hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. The target goal for body weight for patients with diabetes is based on a reasonable or healthy body weight. â€Å"Reasonable body weight is the weight an individual and health care professional acknowledge as achievable and maintainable, both short-term and long-term (Franz, 2012, p.8).† More emphasis is now placed on waist circumference, rather than on actual weight. A waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men and greater than 35 inches in women indicates a risk for metabolic disease. This is now part of what is referred to as metabolic syndrome. Reducing abdominal fat improves insulin sensitivity as well as lipid profiles. The benefits from exercise result from regular, long term, and aerobic exercise. Exercise used to increase muscle strength is an important means of preserving and increasing muscular strength and endurance and is useful in helping to prevent falls and increase mobility among the elderly (Franz, 2012). Regular exercise can improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, improve strength and flexibility, improve lipid levels, improve glycemic control, help decrease weight, and improve quality of life and self-esteem. Exercise increases the cellular glucose uptake by increasing the number of cell receptors. The following points should be considered in educating patients regarding beginning an exercise program. Exercise program must be individualized and built up slowly. Insulin is more rapidly absorbed when injected into a limb that is exercised, therefore can result in hypoglycemia (Ferri, 1999). â€Å"Patients need to be informed that exercise of a high intensity can also cause blood glucose levels to be higher after exercise than before, even though blood glucose levels are in the normal range before beginning exercise. This hyperglycemia can also extend into the post-exercise state and is mediated by the counter-regulatory hormones (Franz, 2012, p. 62).† The exercise program should include a five to ten minute warm-up and cool-down session. The warm-up increases core body temperature and prevents muscle injury and the cool-down session prevents blood pooling in the extremities and facilitates removal of metabolic by-products. Research studies show there are similar cardiorespiratory benefits that occur when activity is done in shorter sessions, (approximately 10 minutes) accumulated throughout the day than in activity sessions of prolonged sessions (greater than 30 minutes) (Franz, 2012). This is an important factor to emphasize with patients who don’t think they have the time and energy for exercise. Diet and Diabetes The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has established nutritional guidelines for patients with diabetes. Their focus is on achieving optimal metabolic outcomes related to glycemia, lipid profiles, and blood pressure levels. Patients with diabetes need to maintain a healthy diet consisting of multiple servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats, and poultry (Franz, 2012). The exchange diet of the ADA includes protein, bread, fruit, milk, and low and intermediate carbohydrate vegetables (Ferri, 1999). The food/meal plan is based on the individual’s appetite, preferred foods, and usual schedule of food intake and activities, and cultural preferences. Determination of caloric needs varies considerably among individuals, and is based on present weight and current level of energy. Required calories are about 40 kcal/kg or 20 kcal/lb per day for adults with normal activity patterns (Davis, 2001). Emphasis should also be placed on maintaining a consistent day-to-day carbohydrate intake at meals and snacks. It is the carbohydrates that have the greatest impact on glycemia. â€Å"A number of factors influence glycemic responses to foods, including the amount of carbohydrate, nature of the monosaccharide components, nature of the starch, cooking and food processing, and other food components (Franz, 2012, p.13).† Maintaining a food diary can help identify areas of weaknesses and how to prepare better menu plans. Recommendations for fiber intake are the same for patients with diabetes as for the general population. It is recommended that they increase the amount of fiber to approximately 50 grams per day in their diet. Insoluble and soluble globular fiber delay glucose absorption and attenuate the postprandial serum glucose peak, they also help to lower the elevated triglyceride levels often present in uncontrolled diabetes (Ferri, 1999). The discussion of diet management should also include a discussion of alcohol intake. Precautions regarding the use of alcohol that apply to the general public also apply to people with diabetes. Abstaining from alcohol should be advised for people with a history of alcohol abuse, during pregnancy, and for people with other medical conditions such as pancreatitis, advanced neuropathy, and elevated triglycerides. The effects of alcohol on blood glucose levels is dependent on the amount of alcohol ingested as well as the relationship to food intake. Because alcohol cannot be used as a source of glucose, hypoglycemia can result when alcohol is ingested without food. The hypoglycemia can persist from eight to twelve hours after the last drink of alcohol. When alcohol is ingested in moderation and with food, blood glucose levels are not affected by the ingestion of moderate amounts of alcohol. If the patient plans to consume alcoholic beverages they are to be included in the meal plan. The patient should be reminded that no food should be omitted because of the possibility of alcohol induced hypoglycemia (Franz, 2012). Coping with Diabetes The patient needs to understand that the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus as with any chronic illness can be unexpected and potentially devastating. Grief is the most common reaction of an individual diagnosed with diabetes. Resolution of the grief is dependent on variables such as education, economics, geography, and religious and cultural factors. The support of family and friends affects the long-term acceptance of the disease progression. Patients need to be aware that depression is common with chronic diseases such as diabetes. The depression should be recognized and treated as soon as possible since depression can affect glycemic control and complicate the management of the diabetes (Buttaro, 2008). The patient needs to understand that diabetes is a lifelong disease process that requires a lifetime commitment and lifestyle changes. The patient should be educated about empowerment – having the resources and knowing how and when to use them. The skills of empowerment that help the patient reflect on life satisfaction in the following areas: physical, mental, spiritual, family related, social, work related, financial, personal. The patient should be encouraged to establish goals which emphasize at least two of these areas in which he/she has control. In the session of coping with diabetes the patient should be assisted to develop better problem solving skills, which are necessary to manage a life-long disease such as diabetes. Coping with diabetes should also include stress management concepts. Stress management concepts should include: a definition of stress, the body’s reaction to stress, the effects of stress on diabetes management, identifying stressors, identifying methods of coping, relaxation exercises and identifying support systems to tap into. Management of the disease process should include eliminating or minimizing other cardiovascular risk factors for example blood pressure control, lipid control, and smoking cessation. Patients with diabetes should also be instructed on what to do when they become sick with a cold, flu, gastrointestinal virus, or other minor illness. They need to be aware that these minor illnesses can affect their diabetes and blood glucose levels (McGovern, 2002). Instruction on what to do when they become ill and the importance of continuing to take their diabetes medications and/or insulin and other general care should be discussed. Some basic guidelines for management during an illness or sick-day include maintain adequate hydration because of the risk of dehydration from decreased fluid intake, polyuria, vomiting, diarrhea, and evaporative losses from fever. Patient should be instructed to drink at least eight ounces of calorie free liquids every hour while they are awake. The beverages should be caffeine-free, since caffeine acts as a diuretic and can actually increase the chances of hypovolemia. If the patient is unable to tolerate fluids by mouth, antiemetic suppositories or intravenous fluids may be required. Vomiting that is persistent and intractable may require emergency room care. The patient should be encouraged to perform blood glucose monitoring more frequently while he/she is ill and to initiate urine ketone monitoring with urine dipsticks, during the illness (Franz, 2012). The patient should be instructed to continue taking his/her insulin and/or oral antidiabetic agents while ill and even when unable to eat. The omission of insulin is a common cause of ketosis and can result in a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. The patient should be given a list of foods that contain fast acting carbohydrates that they can consume when they experience signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia. Patients should be encouraged to seek regular ophthalmologic examinations to detect for diabetic retinopathy. Regular dental examinations should also be encouraged to evaluate to potential areas that can become infected and possible oral lesions. Summary The teaching program for the patients with diabetes is designed to be held for six sessions. However, the sessions can be lengthened or shortened to meet the needs of the intended audience. These two to three hour sessions allow the patient to absorb the material that is being taught and to be able to ask questions. The learning needs are focused on managing their glucose levels and preventing complications of diabetes. The patient needs to be educated on the multiple disease processes associated with diabetes and the factors affecting each of these areas. The patient also needs to have the knowledge of how to manage their diabetes when they are ill and warning signs that they are hypo/hyperglycemic. Diabetic patients should be advised to contact their health care provider any time they are unsure what to do or have questions on how to manage their disease. There are many teaching handouts and pamphlets that are available free of charge from the various agencies. These handouts are available on a wide variety of subjects that can be used with the teaching plan. The evaluation criteria for the teaching plan would include an evaluation tool in which the patients could complete anonymously at the end of the program. References Buttaro, T.M., Trybulski, J., Bailey, P.P., Sandberg-Cook, J. (2008). Primary Care: A Collaborative Practice, 3rd. Edition. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby, Inc. NO Davis, A. (2001). Adult Nurse Practitioner: Certification Review. Philadelphia, PA; Mosby, Inc. Ferri, F. (2012). Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby, Inc. NO Franz, M. (Ed.) (2001). Diabetes Management Therapies: A Core Curriculum for Diabetes Education. 4th Edition. Chicago, IL: American Association of Diabetes Educators. Franz, M. (2012). American Diabetes Association Guide to Nutrition Therapy for Diabetes, 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association. Herfindal, E. and Gourley D. (2000). Textbook of Therapeutics: Drug and Disease Management. Seventh Edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. NO McGovern, K., Devlin, M., Lange, E., and Mann, N. (Eds.) (2002). Disease Management for Nurse Practitioners. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corporation.

Discussion of the four types of budgeting system

In Business terms if we talk about budgeting it is the ability of a manager to plan and allocate the available funds to different departments of the organization. This enables the organization to efficiently allocate the funds to more productive areas and cut back expenses from the less productive areas.This includes utilization of assets to generate income and public relationships. Normally budgeting is done by accountants, financial experts and representative of the respective department whose budget is being formed (Wisegeek, n.d, n.p)In daily life also budgeting is an effective way to determine the monthly living expenses keeping in view the bills of previous month. Say for example if an individual is earning $4,500 per month, by deducting his known bills from this amount before they even come, he can forecast his household budget, now instead of assigning fixed dollar amounts he can assign percentages to the rest of the sundries (Wisegeek, n.d, n.p).A successful budget is neithe r too strict nor too lenient but a balance between the two extremes because there are some expenses which are to be paid in full so it should be the strict side of the budget. In organizations, each and every department should know their upper limits on spending.The reason of forming a periodic budget is to have a clear cut view of the limits in term of expenditure (Wisegeek, n.d, n.p).Another view in budgeting is that not every project can be assigned a fixed dollar amount because an organization cannot forecast each and every expense and here comes the lenient side of the budget in which we are working with the percentages.Also there is always the chance of unexpected which requires immediate attention, so in that case if an organization or individual has fixed his budget he they would not be able to change or reallocate it. So what accountants and financial experts do is that they regularly adjust the figures according to their needs (Wisegeek, n.d, n.p).When the inflow of income is greater than the outflow most of the people negligent about budgeting, but those who have formed a practical budget and they follow it can survive even greater financial setbacks (Wisegeek, n.d, n.p).Traditional (Incremental) BudgetingTraditional or incremental budgeting is the most common type of budgeting used today, which includes forecasting for the whole year and no change is bought in the whole budgeting period. Because of simplicity and easy coordination traditional approach is mostly liked by the organizations (lmmattersonline, n.d, n.p).Imperative approach now a day is criticized from modern organizations. They say that this type of budgeting no longer serves the needs of organization, because mostly budget is timed incorrectly (for too long or for too short) period, depends on wrong measures (too basic or too composite), also too stiff in changing global environment and some times too political (which shows that benefits are only derived by upper management)If we look at the time period of traditional budgeting its fixed and specific, normally starting at the beginning of a fiscal year. The forecasted values of the budget also remains same during the whole cycle of the budget, the process of forecasting values is done keeping in view the values from the previous budget and the expectations are also made by looking at them.Finally the determination of goals is done by the top management, which is then communicated to lower management for implementation (lmmattersonline, n.d, n.p).The advantages of traditional or imperative budgeting approach are that it is easy to form, simple to manage and easy to evaluate. Furthermore every one’s goals are clear and accountability can easily be done (lmmattersonline, n.d, n.p).On the other hand disadvantages of traditional or imperative budgeting approach are that is unable to cater the needs of modern organizations and that the decision making during the year becomes difficult because of inflexibility in budget (lmmattersonline, n.d, n.p).Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB)Zero based budgeting (ZBB) is an alternate of traditional budgeting approach mostly used by government or not for profit organizations. Using this approach means that managers have to justify all expenditure and not only the changes from previous year. The benchmark for this approach is zero rather than last year’s budget (accountingformanagement, n.d, n.p).If we compare zero based budgeting (ZBB) with the traditional or imperative budgeting approach, in incremental approach the managers start from the last year budget and then add or subtract according to the predicted needs, taking last year’s budget for granted as baseline, while on the other hand zero based budgeting approach requires considerable documentation from the managers to justify the budget (accountingformanagement, n.d, n.p).Which not only includes the master budget document but also the decision packages showing all the activities of the part icular department ranked according to their importance and the cost of each activity should also have to be determined.Top executives then cross check the decision packages and cut back the expenses from less important areas (accountingformanagement, n.d, n.p).Zero based budgeting (ZBB) is considered to be a good approach; the only issue with it is the number of times the review is carried out. As this approach is quite time consuming and too costly to justify on an annual basis, also that annual reviews become mathematical and the purpose of budgeting is lost (accountingformanagement, n.d, n.p).For some managers zero based budgeting (ZBB) is quite helpful for others it is nothing but the wastage of resources like time and money. So it’s up to an individual what he chooses? (accountingformanagement, n.d, n.p).The advantages of zero budgeting approach (ZBB) are that the resources are utilized properly, and the identification of need and benefits become justified. ZBB also lead towards cost effective ways. It helps to identify inflated budgets and then helps the service oriented organizations to identify their output.The decentralization is also one of the benefits which increases the motivation of staff and gives them the message that they are also accountable for their actions (accountingformanagement, n.d, n.p).

Cracker Jack Case Analysis

The primary reason for the Borden Foods to divert itself from snacks is to emphasis its efforts and resources in the growth of their whole-wheat meal segments. Because of this valuation they had and a growth plan they had they decided to announce sale of Cracker Jack in 1997. The management team of Broaden also recognized that with the increase in competition they have not been able to successfully grow the sales figure in past five years. Also because the Cracker Jack brand has various packaging options and has been maintaining a huge product line of 32 Stock-Keeping Units (SKUs). However, currently Broaden production facility had only 32 percent of space allocated to Cracker Jack Products and has been operating at 32% of its full capacity.Cracker Jack Management believed that the broadened distribution was the most important element of their new strategy. They believed that Broaden sales force and broker/distributor network currently in use should be replaced by a direct-store-deli very sales force. It was believed that a DSD sales force would provide product placement in the grocery DSD snack aisles, which is the highest velocity snack aisles in supermarkets. However, a DSD sales force is more resource intensive than Borden’s present sales and distribution network. Borden Foods management was neither prepared to make the investment required nor equipped to handle a DSD sales force for Cracker Jack given the resource demands of other business opportunities.Problem identification and root causeFrito-Lay is the market leader in the salty snack food production having something different in their products will get a competitive advantage. Cracker Jack as a brand has a 97% awareness with people from the ages of 15 to 60 and a 95% awareness amongst the caramel popcorn users. This was a very well known brand even with a very few advertisements. There are other several reasons which is explained below why Frito-Lay decided to acquire the Cracker Jack. Frito-Lay sales and distribution team were starting to do the research as soon as the Cracker Jack acquisition opportunity became public. It was a great opportunity to fit in Cracker Jack in the existing Frito-Lay sales and distribution infrastructure. The Cracker Jack name registers virtually universal awareness and Cracker Jack has respectable brand equity due largely to its heritage and generally favorable image  foundation.It is a recognized brand with a positive reputation that has lost its momentum in recent years but still has that chance of growing to the peaks. According to the results of Simulated Test Market , almost 50% of the consumers are not buying this product because of no advertisements, non-availability in the area and product quality or value. Here is the best opportunity to improve and re gain that 50 % market share by winning over these customers. This might be one of the major reasons why Frito-Lay decided to acquire the Cracker Jack. Additionally the new division of the sweet snacks can create opportunities for the Frito-Lay by using appropriate existing distribution networks and marketing channels for the new add on product. Addition of Cracker Jack is one of the example of marketing enhancement which will create the additional retail selling points, giving Frito-Lay distribution opportunity in both salty and confectionery.SWOT Analysis Strengths Strong and Reputed Brand Name More Numbers of likes compared to dislikes of the products Brand awareness of 97% amongst the 15-60 years old A 100 years history of existence Huge room for expansion or addition of new products as has 50 manufacturing and processing plants Have tools and infrastructure to work closely with 480,000 retail trade locations weekly. Opportunities Stimulated test market Brand Extension Flavor extension Sales through different channels like small and large scale business. Weakness CJ has too many products SKU numbersThe weak financial position of Cracker Jack which incurred lo sses in 1995 and 1996 CJ increased the price of the product to maintain their net income resulting the Frito-Lay to decrease to remain competitive.Threats Competition Lack of adaptability Internal Developmental costs High price than other.Evaluation of AlternativeCracker Jacks sales will represent a tiny part of the Frito-Lay’s business currently, however the chances are high to get the numbers high from this division if proper decisions are made. Frito-Lay is the leader in the US market concerning market share and sales volume. So they can use their advertising and marketing experience to uplift CJ. CJ should be marketed as a stackable treat which is healthy as of natural ingredients like popcorn. Marketing researchers should focus on the small children as the target market as well. By launching the different sizes and convenient packages to the customers so that they can grab it and go rather than having a box. The CJ should be made available to as many stores as possible b y utilizing the same direct store delivery channels. A careful analysis has to be done to change any features like gifts in each bag and the flavor of the CJ, because that is the major point of CJ and most of the customers are attracted because of that particular features.RecommendationIn my opinion the Borden Foods will sell the company for above 30 million dollars based on the assets it has and the goodwill for the year ending 1996. However the Frito-Lay should only pay around 25 million dollars for acquisitions of the company. Because of the Cracker Jack current market shares and the popularity there is much more work needed to be done so that the product can gain the similar amount of sales figures as other general Frito-Lay products does. Also the price of the product has to be lowered to remain competitive which is another factor for Frito-Lay.

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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - Essay Example Though the technology is only a few years old, the amount of response it has received, in that short period is so overwhelming. The essay will provide more information on Bitcoin and its importance to the society. Apart from acceptance by many brick and mortar businesses such as restaurants and a number of online services like Amazon, it also uses Bit Coin technology. The most common way in which a person obtains Bit coins is normally through exchange or competitive mining (Shieber, 8). Mining is usually the process where individuals’ services to the network are rewarded. One thing that makes this technology unique is the fact that its mode of payment is easy. Unlike other purchases that require debit or credit card, for a Bitcoin purchase, one only needs a computer or phone (Shieber, 8). Through e-wallet application, one is able to make his payments because the only requirement is the recipient’s address. Bitcoin has a number of advantages. Unlike other financial institutions such as banks that operate from 8am to 4pm, Bitcoin has no such rules. Bitcoin is active at all times through the year, unless the system encounters an error or there it is undergoing an upgrade. Unlike ot her services such as PayPal that charge transaction fees, Bitcoin transactions are normally free of charge, only a small transaction fee is in situations where users wish to have the transactions done faster (Shieber, 9). Bitcoin also ensures that all transactions are secure and transparent. This is because the system is protected by cryptographically; therefore, there is little chance of tapping or altering information in the system. Whereas Bitcoin has many benefits, there are some limitations associated with it. Bit coin is far from being accepted because either people have not yet heard of it or they are still in doubt about this recent invention. Another disadvantage is that Bit coins can get lost in the network. With the massive number of Bitcoin transactions in a

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Ethics - Essay Example These ethical concerns can guide the actions of DWI in their official and unofficial position on any step taken by the FCC to allow the same company to control more media sources in a geographical location. The first ethical concern for DWI is to be utilitarian in its ethics to provide the best possible service to society. However, since society also includes the competitors of the company it would be difficult to apply utilitarian ethics to the company and ethical egoism appears to be a more realistic approach. In this approach the company has to do what it thinks will be the most beneficial course of action for the stakeholders of the company which includes the investors, the shareholders, the employees as well as the consumer. One method of doing that would be for the company to maximize its profits which can be done if it controls more of the media in a given location. Companies such as Viacom and Disney are doing exactly the same since it would be profitable for them to control a large share of a given market (Turner, 2004). If DWI is similar in size and market positioning to these companies it should take the same approach as taken by the other large firms and support the plans for allowing one company to control a greater share of the media business in a geographical area. However, since ethical egoism demands that DWI look out for its own best interest, if DWI does not have a media business as large as Disney or Viacom, it should seek to protect its business interests through going against the plans of the larger companies. In fact, the company should be quite vocal about smaller companies being pushed out of business with giants strong arming them and also talk to anyone who is willing to listen about the media situation. Further, to prevent the situation from developing, DWI could also bring the attention of the people to the fact that control

How Important is it for managers today to have a good understanding of Essay

How Important is it for managers today to have a good understanding of the process of globalization - Essay Example (Steger, 2003: p. 37) With regards to the large supply of available work force in the labour market, medium- and large-scale businesses are taking advantage of hiring competitive employees. Likewise, it is also crucial for businesses today to actively participate in the trading of goods and services in the world market. As part of discussing the valid reasons that makes it important for modern managers today to have a good understanding of the process of globalization, a literature review will be conducted in the study. To give the readers a better understanding of the subject matter, the first part of the literature review will discuss about the general information and the main purpose of globalization followed by analyzing the factors that makes it important for modern managers to have a good understanding of the globalization process. To determine how well modern managers understand the globalization process, a structured personal interview with two selected managers combined with a Globalization is â€Å"a process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments of different countries which is driven by international trade and investment through the use of information technology.† (The Levin Institute, 2008) Basically, the concept of globalization allows business people to maximize their available financial resources by taking advantage of the low-cost products and services that are readily available from developing countries. Because of the differences in monetary exchange rate, large-scale businesses from developed countries are able to purchase more homogenous products and highly competitive human resources at a much lesser price. Therefore, large multinational companies could easily compete with small-scale local businesses by being able to offer homogenous products to its target

Role of Parents in Childhood Obesity in the United Kingdom (C3 & C4) Literature review

Role of Parents in Childhood Obesity in the United Kingdom (C3 & C4) - Literature review Example Data was collected from six online databases using the Boolean approach to extract a total of 25 articles relevant to address the research objectives in keeping with the study topic of childhood obesity. Findings of the study revealed that food and poor eating habit increases childhood obesity and lack of parental concern aggravates the impacts childhood obesity in the UK. In addition, the findings ascertained that family lifestyle and socio-economic status influence the occurrence of childhood obesity. With these in mind, the study recommended that the prevention and management of childhood obesity should be centred on parental modelling and health seeking behaviour. Obesity is the foremost contributor to deaths associated with CHDs in both adults and children (Adler & Stewart 2009). While the condition is perfectly preventable, the trend of childhood obesity is increasingly becoming a major health concern in most developed countries. It is vital to note that more than 75% of incidences occur without significant concern from parents (Canoy & Buchan 2007; Falaschetti et al. 2010). Thus, the thesis statement for this study is to examine the role of parents in childhood obesity in the UK. The prevalence of childhood obesity in the UK has been on the rise since 1995 and the trend seems to worsen by day (Reilly & Dorosty 1999; Kellow 2012). According to the BHF (2012), at least 33% of girls and 25% of boys aged 2-19 years in the UK are obese. That notwithstanding, it is projected that the prevalence of childhood obesity will be around 10.7% or higher by the years 2015 (BHF 2012). In a study conducted by the National Child Measurement Programme in 2012, it was ascertained that an estimated 33.9% of all children between 10 and 11 years of age in England are overweight (BHF 2012). When parents find it less important to define what their children should eat or what they should not, it becomes a

Foundation Degree in Accounting and Finance Essay Example for Free

Foundation Degree in Accounting and Finance Essay Introduction There is a radical change after the privatisation of Atlantic Water. The change not only affects the organisations objectives and strategic planning, but also its structure and culture. B Burnes (1996: 115) cited writers such as Handy (1986), Allaire and Firsirotu (1984) argued the issue as follow: to operate effectively and efficiently, an organisations culture need to match or be appropriate to its structure. Given that an organisations environment can change rapidly, as can its structure, situations will arise in the environment, structure and practices of the organisation. Observing organisational behaviour is not enough, we need to understand the meaning of the behaviour, and therefore, it is important to identify the culture and structure of an organisation, to enable management to react quickly for any external or internal change. 1. Defining Culture It is difficult to define culture, usually it is defined as how things are done around here or this is how we are. Culture within an organisation is influence by the personality of an individual, pattern of communication, work performance, behaviour of management and subordinate as a role. Schein (1983) defines organisational culture as: the pattern of basic assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaption and internal integration and that have work well enough to be considered valid, and, therefore , to be taught to new member as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems. Schein views culture as not being over behaviour or values, but the assumptions that underlie them. Here are the views based on three level of culture: * Level 1: The visible artefacts and creations, which are easy to observe, but do not explain why a group behaves the way it does. * Level 2: The values which can be inferred from interview, but which manifest the espoused reason for behaviour, not the underlying unconscious reason. * Level 3: The underlying assumptions which are typically unconscious, but which actually determine hoe people perceive, think and feel. The meaning of Organisational Culture was also defined in Oxford Dictionary of Business (2003) as follow: Organizational Culture: The values, customs, rituals, and norms shared by all the members of an organization, which have to be learnt and accepted by new members of the organization. Culture impacts most aspect of organisational life, such as how decision are made, who makes them, how rewards are distributed, who is promoted, how people are treated, how the organisation responds to its environment etc. This particular set of values, beliefs, customs and systems are unique to the organisation. 1.1 Organisation culture R Harrison suggested that there are four main types of organisation culture. They are the following: Power Culture is where the authority and control within the organisation are centralised. The control is passing from the central to key individuals. The power of members is based on control over resources and personal influence with the centre. Role Culture is where work within and between departments is controlled by procedures, role descriptions and authority definitions. Job position is central to this, not necessarily the job holder as a person. People are appointed to a role based on their ability to carry out the functions and to satisfy performance of the role. R Harrison (1972: 119-128) cited Role Culture as follow: Role culture often referred to as a bureaucracy, it works by logic and rationality. Task Culture is job or project oriented and the main purpose is to complete the task or project. This might involve getting the right people to work as a team, giving them decision making power to complete the task. Person Culture is when the individual is focus on. This includes their personality and personal feeling etc. For example if a group of people decided to do their own thing and other members of staff help, this is a person culture. It only existed for the people concerned. Many organisations have a mixture of the above culture, it is important to understand the concept of each of the above culture and to establish an appropriate structure. 1.2 Culture of the old Water Authority The old Water Authority had a complex grading framework, narrow spans of control and more level of authority, this resulted in a high hierarchical structure, and this indicated that the organisation had a strong power culture. It was mentioned in the case study that the old Water Authority called their managers officers and administered the organisation and ran almost along a military line, where the authority and control were centralised. The employees were job oriented where they can only carry out the job they were originally employed for, there was no need to re-organise their position, where they just followed the day to day procedures. Management saw their jobs as minimising external interference rather then seeking for some change to improve the performance of the employees. Employees in the old Water Authority had a certain level of job security where they could work extra hours where needed, which would give them an extra income. Due to the high hierarchical structure of the organisation, there would be a difficulty for employees career progression, this affected those who are seeking for career improvement and lower their motivation and morale within the organisation. Management did not offer new training skills nor did subordinates look for self improvement. From these evidents the old Water Authority had a mixture of the all the culture which R Harrison suggested. 1.3 Culture of new Atlantic Water Plc In the new Atlantic Water Plc, they re-structured their grading framework, the spans of control reduced the level of hierarchical structure and the result of this, employees had more opportunities to progress within the organisation. The organisation also decided to empower their managers to take more responsibility, the decentralization enabled decisions to be made closer to the operation level of work. In the result of job cuts after privatisation, Atlantic Water offers their employees a chance to gain qualifications and ensured they are cross-skilled. Not only the employees offered to gain new skill, managers are also sent on a training course, where they will have a clearer focus on the organisations objective and to create a new relationship within the organisation. Since Atlantic Water had a large number of jobs cuts, employees suffered from the job insecurity after the privatisation. Although the organisation encouraged them to gain new skills, the main reason will probably be for them to keep their job rather than looking for self improvement. On the other hand, the organisation introduced a new salary structure leaving many employees worse off financially. Since the employees are not gaining any benefits financially and suffering from job insecurity, this impacts the employees morale and their commitment to the organisation. 1.4 Comparison of the old Water Authority and Atlantic Water The old culture of Water Authority was inappropriate to their competitive needs. Atlantic Water changed the culture by shaping the value, beliefs and attitudes of their employees. They started by changing the recruitment, selection and redundancy policies. Managers were recruited from private sector, this effected the composition of the workforce so that promotion and employment prospects are dependent on those concerned possessing or displaying the beliefs and value the organisation wishes to promote. The introduction of the flatter hierarchical structure and decentralisation is an advantage of a private company. The managers can work closely with the working operational level and it will reduce the time it takes to make decision. This also demands a greater involvement of the staff and creates opportunities for employees developing their career. The encouragement of staff training is vitally important to the change of an organisation, this will not only benefit the organisations productivity, but will also improve the level of employees morality and to make them understand their value to the organisation. 2. Defining Structure P Drucker (1974: 52) defined structure as follow: Structure is a means for attaining the objectives and goals of an organization. An organisation existent is to achieve its goal and objectives, the work within an organisation has to be divided among its members. It provides the framework of an organisation and makes all process and application possible. The effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation will be influenced by the structural design and the behaviour of the people who work within the structure. 2.1 Organisational Structure An organisations structure is designed to ensure that rules and procedures are used and followed, it contains four frameworks of relationships within an organisation: the individuals job description, job specialisation, its lines of communication and its hierarchy. Organisational structure can be layered into three hierarchical structures: the technical level, the managerial level and the community level. It is important to have clear objectives within the organisation, good communications both horizontally and vertically can enable an organisation to perform effectively and efficiently. The correct grouping of individuals and work is also important to maintain a high level of performance. 2.2 The old Water Authoritys structure The old Water Authority was a public service organisation, its main objective was to provide a service to local communities. Job description was clarified to individuals and the working pattern was not flexible. The division of work was based on the employees skills, i.e. operation of clean water side and the dirty water side. It had a narrow span of control and more level of authority, this result in a tall hierarchical structure and there are a few problems with this structure. It restricts the decision making process and information is difficult to pass on from either level to another. It is not cost effective since there are more middle managers within the organisation and there could be a conflict between management if the objective was not clarified between departments. The old Water Authority was a centralised organisation where the decision making retained in the top level of management. There are advantages of centralisation, some of which applied to the old Water Authority. The decisions are fitted to broad organisations objectives and it is easier to coordinate the activities within the organisation. But the problem occurred when the decisions were not made close enough with the operational level, it might not be appropriated to the lower level of hierarchical structure. Line and staff management: A system of management used in large organizations in which there are two separate hierarchies; the line management side consists of line managers with responsibility for deciding the policy of and running the organizations main activities, while the staff management, and its separate staff managers, are responsible for providing such supporting service. Oxford Dictionary of Business (2003: 300) This explanation suited the structure of the old Water Authority, each operational department running parallelised and having advisory department across them (See Diagram 1). The mechanistic organisation theory applied to the old Water Authority, where employees had specified roles and definitions of the authority within the hierarchical structure. Communication and interaction are vertical, the structure of the old Water Authority was appropriate as the external environment was stable. 2.3 Atlantic Waters Structure The privatisation changed the Water Authority from a public service organisation to an economic organisation. The objective is no longer just to provide service, but to make a profit and to survive in the competitive market. Atlantic Water re-structured their grading framework, it reduced the level of management, the wider span of control resulted in a flatter hierarchical structure. It reduced the bureaucratic costs, i.e. less middle managers, less coordination problem and reduced the chance of information distortion. Decentralisation is another result of down-sizing the hierarchical structure, this allows decisions to be made closer to the operational level and reduces information overload on upper managers. Managers have more free time to do something else, i.e. provide personal care for its subordinates. The line and staff organisational structure also changed, it became a matrix structure, where there is more than one critical orientation to the operations of the organisation, such as they introduced the pay negotiations in house and fixed-term contractors. Atlantic Water encouraged their employee to gain qualification to enable them to be cross-skilled, so they can be deployed by their manager where and when they are needed, the flexibility of the working pattern is essential. The mechanistic organisation is no longer applicable in the lower level, it combined both the mechanistic organisation at the top of the hierarchy and the organic organisation at the bottom of the level. Organic organisation has a flexible system and structure which is characterised by the adjustment and continual redefinition of tasks. Communication and authority does not necessarily coincide with positional authority. 3. Organisational Change L Mullins (2002: 798) suggested organisation development is a key to organisational change. Organisation development is concerned with the diagnosis of organisational health and performance, and the ability of the organisation to adapt to change. In order to change the organisation effectively, organisation development is essential to have the correct strategies: survey research and feedback, T-group and team building. Survey and feedback involves using questionnaires to help identifying the attitudes of individuals within the organisation. Top management can analysis the feedback and discuss the problems, and the action to be taken to help to improve performance. T-group is also known as sensitivity training, it involve informal groupings to discuss the individuals feeling toward the organisation and to understand their abilities in themselves. Team building is identifying the task procedures and the pattern of interaction within the work group. The aim of this function is to improve overall performance of the organisation through the effectiveness of the team. Organisational development is not only about improving the organisation effectiveness and efficiency, but also improve the morality and commitment of individuals. 3.1 Strategies for Change and Innovation There are different strategies approaches to changes in the organisation, however it has to be carefully design and apply. From the strategic management point of view, organisational change has four main facets which need constant re-appraisal and planned action: * Human resource implications This involve training, personal skill development, the culture needed to be accepted. The organisation needs to encourage and motivate their employees by providing opportunity for improvement. * Functional implications Communication need to be improved between departments, the understanding of how the department works is also important, different area of organisation has their own way of working method. Decentralise the authority and appraisal system should be introduced. * Technological implications Increase use of technology can improve the productivity and administration of an organisation. Although there is a cost of the installation and operational cost, but it actually reduce overhead cost in long term, i.e. less manual labour and improve accuracy. * Organisational implications This involve change of relationship, work groups, routines and practices. There will be a new requirement of communications between departments and the management skills need to be improved to compromise within the organisation. 3.2 Atlantic Waters Approaches After the privatisation, Atlantic Water applied the organisation development techniques. They are role analysis, life and career planning, quality of work life and counselling. Role analysis Employees are trained to be cross-skilled so they can be deployed by their manager where and when they are needed, so their tasks are more flexible than before. Life and career planning The organisation encourages their employees to gain qualifications, this will not only benefit the individual, but also the performance of the organisation. The organisation also invested heavily in management development so the managers have a clearer commercial focus and a new relationship with its workforce. Quality of work life The new grading framework of the organisation creates opportunity for many employees who wish to develop their career. The organisation introduced a new salary structure, but it leaves many employees worse off financially, Atlantic Water failed to provide a better quality of work life. Counselling There is a programme to help individual to deal with stress which are caused from job insecurity. This will help and assist individual to attain their goal and to re-build their confidence. Atlantic Water has improved their performance in general by investing in training programmes for both the management and their staff, but they did not consider their employees feeling. The morality and commitment level had dropped significantly due to the amount of work load and insecurity of their job. Although they offered a counselling programme, their employees are not being awarded for the extra efforts they put into the organisation. The low level of morality and commitment has major influence on the level of work performance. Atlantic Water should try to re-build the relationship with their employees by re-viewing their salary structure. The employees should be informed at a reasonable level of the activity within the organisation, sharing the success of the organisation will also boost the level of confidence for the individual. The management training should not be limited to the knowledge within the industry, it should includes counselling, coaching and leadership skills. Managers have a major influence on the motivation and behaviour of employees. 4. Conclusion The change has a massive impact upon Atlantic Water, the structure, culture and organisational climate had changed significantly. They have taken a certain level of approach but the results are not all positive, they need to carefully re-build relationships with its employees. The organisational climate is an indication of the employees feeling and beliefs, obviously Water Atlantics climate needs to be improved. It must develop new ways to increase the loyalty and commitment of employees. This includes attention to reward strategies based on recognition of contribution rather than status or position. The management of organisational climate is an important means of improving productivity and standard of work performance. Diagram 1 Bibliography Burnes B. (1996) 2nd Edition, Pitman Publishing, London Drucker P. (1974), New templates for todays organizations, Harvard Business Review, London Huczynski A. Buchanan D. (1991), Organizational Behaviour, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, London Mullins L. (2002), Management and Organisational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, Essex Schein E. (1997), Organizational Culture and Leadership, Jossey Bass Wiley, London Schneider S. Barsoux J. (2003), Managing Across Culture, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, London Reference Burnes B. (1996), Managing Change, 2nd Edition, London, Pitman Publishing, Drucker P. (1974), New templates for todays organizations, Harvard Business Review, London Mullins L. (2002), Management and Organisational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, Essex Schein E. (1997), Organizational Culture and Leadership, Jossey Bass Wiley, London Oxford University Press (2003), Oxford Dictionary of Business, 3rd Edition, Market House Book Ltd, London

Customer loyalty programmes in the retail sector

Customer loyalty programmes in the retail sector The retailing is all around us. It permeates our lives. It is very obvious to buy products and services from their shop, their websites and their catalogue. There are plenty of procedures in which customers are attracted to buy from a certain store, one of which is the customer loyalty programme offered by them. The major reason for selecting this topic as my research subject is to gain an in-depth knowledge over it and resolve the questions rose on the topic customer loyalty programme. The approach to this dissertation will be to resolve the below questions. How does customer loyalty programme influence the retail sector What are the advantages of customer loyalty programme to the customers and retailers What are the measures that should be taken when implementing these programmes? How does these customer loyalty programmes affects the culture of retail chains and influence customers. The customer loyalty programmes are a concept adopted by the retail chains to attract their customer and retain them. These programmes are offered to provide customers with benefits over their purchase. Thus by the end of this research it would enable me to understand the benefits of the customer loyalty programme offered by the retail chains to their customers. The subject marketing communication has been a great interest to me, which cultivated a desire to opt my research into a topic of it. As we know that retail industry is at boom and the retail marketing strategy is a great concern for the retailers, I have opted for this area for my research which would enhance my knowledge on the subject. Review of Literature The nature of the customers does not possess an interest for loyalty. The only reason they purchase from a certain store is to satisfy their own needs. The style and presentation for the product and services from a business creates a response of customer loyalty. The only reason behind any purchase from any store is because the consumers desire to buy it. There is no compulsion to persistent purchase from any business. The consumer purchases are made from a certain store because they have a connection with them through offers made by products and services that appeal them. Consumers are self serving. Their main intention is to transact with a business that delivers them their desired needs. Consumer does not possess the characteristic of loyalty, it is the response from consumer to action to business, they are not inherently loyal or disloyal. The question should not be among the entire customer who is more loyal or why we dont possess much loyal customer. The question should be what are the ways in which we can retain our customers. The issue of customer loyalty is centred to business, not to the customers. Customer loyalty programme is the answer today as it has been in the past and will be in the future. This make the customer loyal and these loyal customers are easier to business with, are more predictable, and dont carry the expense associated with attracting new customers. Creating loyal customer by these programmes is considered as an answer to all the worries of retailer. A loyal customer has been an open option for any business to trade with. These customer loyalty programmes are at the common site for every consumer looking to satisfy its need. These programmes can be seen as Loyalty card holder schemes, Pay as you go scheme, buy now pay later schemes, etc. we can easily see all such programmes in any kind of retail store be it food, grocery, electronics, clothing, etc. Loyalty programmes have become an increasingly common part of retailers marketing strategies. Eventually, it was not uncommon for any business with an interest in a loyalty proposition to make an attempt at establishing its own variation. Following the financial crisis hundreds of stores ranging from corner shops to large department stores were forced to close their doors. But successful loyalty marketing allowed some companies to thrive and even expand. It can be noticed that the global competition in consumer market is rapidly getting intense and retailers and marketers are striving for the new strategies to maintain the interest and loyalty of their customers. Hence the associated marketing has grown in popularity since the past decades and the execution of associated marketing is slowly increasing (Noble/Philips 2004, P. 290). Presently retailers understood that satisfy and retain the customers with the usage of relationship building activity is one among the most potential form if sustainable competitive advantage. Though customer loyalty cannot be counted as the direct reason for profitability, various studies have found that profits for each year has been continually grown through custmners trust over the company and their continued purchases for every year (Meffert 2008, p.160; Noble/Philips 2004, p.290; Reinartz/Kumar 2000,p. 28) As merchant loyalty offerings began appearing in unprecedented numbers, loyalty programmes associated with just one retailer was no longer the rule. Consumption patterns have changed and consumers are becoming more frugal and discretionary in their spending. Major loyalty programme issuers know that customers are demanding increased flexibility and a wider variety of rewards. In a bid to survive many businesses experimented with cross-marketing; it is not uncommon to find ceramic ornaments offered through a hair salon loyalty card, or discounted health tests redeemable through a video rental chains membership programme. For many companies, the cross marketing of services is especially appealing as it removed the hassle of holding inventory for merchandise giveaways. A few years ago, the author of the Loyalty Paradox Report (Evans, 1999, P.4) criticised existing loyalty programmes for being mechanical, hard sell promotion, which overlooked the reason for repeat customers-emotions and trust, habit and inertia and communication and service. There is a danger that customers will be loyal to the programme itself rather than to the programme sponsor. It is clearly not sufficient to be an effective promoter of the economic benefits of loyalty programme participation. There is a need to offer consumer socio-cultural benefits, to provide the feel good factor that is missing from the shopping experience of other retailers (Burch, 2007). Burch also argues that it is the main reason why supermarkets are so keen to be perceived as a health promoting agency, a family friendly firm, and a household problem solver. As the manager of a Safeway (UK) store explained some years ago; Our success can be put down to our regard for our moral as well as our legal responsibilities (Cumming, 1994, P.5). For this reason, analysing the subtle mobilisation of consumer loyalty towards supermarket as an institution is as important as understanding the hard sell of loyalty programme activities and the negotiated supply chain partnerships. It is as both guide and guardian that supermarkets actively promote and regulate the social practices that underpin consumption behaviour. Contribution to Knowledge/Originality: The attractiveness of relationship marketing has progressively developed from the past few decades. To satisfy and retain the customer through relationship building is seen as the most sustainable competitive advantage adopted by the retailers. Though the customer loyalty cards are popular in the retail industry, many programmes of customer loyalty are almost transposable, with lack of attractiveness and differentiation. Thus it is essential to acknowledge the elements of customer satisfaction that relates to these programmes. Hence aiming towards the satisfaction of customers relates to understand and anticipate what consumer need from the loyalty programme. It is very common in retail to use the card based programs for loyalty enrichment strategy. These card based programmes issues special coded cards or special card that can be scan readable, those can be used at the checkout holding an objective to increase consumer tendency. Consumer gains few benefits on these loyalty card like reduction in price, percentage, gift pack service, own area for parking, etc. (Naslund 2002, p. 322). Loyalty cards are a common practice to offer in European retailing, after growing with 25 to 30 percent each year since 1990s. In some of the markets this card based programme has achived its saturation stage but in few it is still new process growing at a steady pace (Ziliani/Bellini 2004, p. 283f). Loyalty card Programs are the most admired relationship building activity in Australia. However, many loyalty card programme are almost transposable and customers dont use them (Hoffman/NaB 2007, p.6). There are numerous reasons why customers do not desire to bond in relation with retailer. Usually consumers dont sense the benefit those retailers offer are satisfactory or of no importance to them (Noble/Philips 2004, p. 300). In addition to this there is a lack of charm and delineation (Tomczak 2008, p. 325) Thus to offer suitable benefits to the customer, it is essential to understand the factors of customer satisfaction with the loyalty card programme. Focussing on the satisfaction of customer means to understand and anticipate what consumer desire from the loyalty program, through which a positive response is generate and posses the aptitude to astonish the consumer. The reason to opt for this study is to examine various attributes and recognise the major influential facto on consumer satisfaction. Methodology of Research The study will be based on the qualitative and quantitative approach. The primary source of data collection will be done by the questionnaire because it is said to be the least expensive procedure for the research (Trochim, 2002). The research forces me to investigate different retail chains that offers customer loyalty programmes to benefit the customer. Investigating on those retail stores will give me an elaborated idea over the benefits and drawbacks shared by the retailer and the customer through those loyalty programmes. The data collection sources will through book, journals, periodicals, news papers, articles, magazines, etc. The research will not limit itself with only reference of books and journal but as well extend its reach to gain the ideologies of the marketing experts and professionals working in the retail sector. The customer loyalty programme plays a vital role in enhancing a retail stores image by offering them benefits. Thus the focus of this research study will be on analysing the customers perception over these programmes and how does they view these loyalty programme. My main focus for the research will be to gain an overview towards the retail store, stating how these loyalty programs had benefited it. The qualitative approach will derive the perception of the respondents by using the tools as interviews and observation as this method believes in the opulence of data (Naslund 2002). Furthermore qualitative approach generates fresh idea and latest theory (McKenzie 2006). The conduction of interviews will be held to gain the views from the professionals working in retail industry and the marketing experts. The data collection will be done mainly through this area; Interviewing the professional working in the retail Industry Interviewing the managers working in the retail chains (sportsdirect.com, Marks Spencer, ASDA, TESCO, etc.) Discussing the subject with the professors of marketing Subject overview through collection of detailed data from books, journal, web sources, newspaper articles, etc. Observing and evaluating the previous research of different students on the topic and gathering information The analysing of data and information will be done through the following tools Diagrammatic Graphical presentations Flow Charts Anticipated Outcome The below are the anticipated outcomes of the study; The result of this study can be generalised to reflect the attitudes, perception and practices of a proportion of customers in the retail sector (UK) The research study will result in enhancing the knowledge on the customer loyalty programmes issued by retailers This research study will benefit the reader in describing the advantages and difficulties by customer loyalty programmes shared by both retailers and customers. The dissertation will state the different type of customer loyalty programme adopted by various retail chains and their experiences on its success or failure. The research will be deliver the literature contributed by various authors on the subject. The study will confine itself with few UK retail chains so that it does not exceed its limited completion period. Targeted deadlines TIME ITEM ACTIVITIES 21th Jan -26th Jan 2011 Investigation and assortment of data 1. Conduction of review of literature 2. Evaluate the obtained data. 30th Jan 2011 1st meeting 1. Extracting suggestions through discussing topic and how to go ahead with it. 2. Discuss the source for conduction of interviews 7th Feb 22st Feb 2011 Research Questioners 1. Design the questionnaires for research 2. Connecting it to the needed outcome of research 25th Feb 2011 2nd meeting 1. Confer about the task achieved and accomplishing task 2. Consult on the ultimate interview questionnaire 3. Identifying the targeted interviewers 27th Feb3th March 2011 Conduction of interview 1. Interviews initiation 2. Collecting the performance data of organisations 13th March 2011 3rd meeting 1. Evaluation and analysing data during interviews 2. dissertation structure discussion 13th March-21th March 2011 Dissertation Structure 1. Align thesis formation 2. Forecast the gathered data consequently. 24nd March 2011 4th meeting 1. Obtaining the supervisors ideas in writing the thesis 2. Proceeding sequentially as guided 3rd April 2011 5th meeting 1. Asking supervisors evaluation on the first draft 11th April 2011 6th meeting 1. Complete the final draft of the thesis Gantts Chart Time Table Activity Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Research Introductin Literature Review Research Methodoly Questionnaires Field work (Interveiw) Data Analysis conclusion Recommendation 1st Draft / 2nd Draft Submission of Dissertatin Ethical Issues The basic aim of writing this proposal was to gain an overview of the subject and head towards the research study. The proposal was completed with an aim of gaining knowledge and was done by thorough honesty. The quest for knowledge over the topic had enforced me to opt this subject and obtain the desired knowledge. Through the end of dissertations I will equip myself with complete details of the subject and enlighten my area of interest. The endeavour made to complete this thesis will benefit me and bright my IQ over the subject, so this work of dissertation will be done with total truthfulness and integrity. The approach to stay away from plagiarism would be to ensure the research with the software for plagiarism provided by the university called as TURNITIN. Additional software will be used as an added precaution to check the plagiarism with software called as VIPER accessible from internet. These measures are taken to be sure that the research conducted is not copied or plagiaris ed work. There would be proper referencing made in Harvard style to state any of the content that is adopted in the research. I would attend regular meeting held by my supervisor to get approval for my work and make the necessary amendments prescribed by my guiding professor.

American Civil War Essay -- essays research papers

The American Civil War In 1860, arguably the world's greatest nation was locked in Civil War. The war divided the country between the North (Union) and South (Confederate). The war lasted five years and by 1865 the Confederate forces were truly beaten. Out of this horrendous war though, where some 600,000 men died grew a greater sense of nationalism than is today, unrivalled around the world. The American Civil War is interpreted differently by many historians but most see the catalyst as slavery, the motivation as economic, the outcome was a unified national identity. Slavery was a major issue that triggered the American Civil War. Slavery started out, as a few individual slaves coming from England that were generally white. This changed however, and soon the Southern slave traders began 'stealing' blacks to take back to the South. The slaves were forced to work 16-hour days, slave women were only seen as breeders and there were no laws against the rape of a female slave. In 1860 slaves accounted for one third of the South's population and even still they had no rights (see appendix one). The Unionist North many people believed it was immoral to own another human being. These people were called Abolitionists. The South relied strongly on the slave trade and when the North spoke of abolishing it, the South spoke of forming there own country, The Confederate states of America. The South began to see that the North was going to take action against the South's inhumane slav...

Internet technology boost china in next 10 years :: essays research papers

INTERNET TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT BOOST CHINA FURTHER A perspective look at the country ¡Ã‚ ¦s transition in next decade relative to internet technology Bo Li, School of Technology & Management Submit to: Mr. Paul Reynolds INTRODUCTION Since 1980 China ¡Ã‚ ¦s economy has grown by more than 9 percent a year. The country now manufactures 75 percent of the world ¡Ã‚ ¦s toys, 58 percent of the cloths, and 29 percent of the mobile phones. More than $1 billion in foreign direct investment arrives each week. By 2008 China will be the world ¡Ã‚ ¦s third largest exporter, and by the decade ¡Ã‚ ¦s end its economy will be larger than that of either France or United Kingdom (Emmanuel, et al., 2004). China ¡Ã‚ ¦s GDP in 2004 growth by 9.5 percent to  ¢G851,072 million and IT(information technology) ¡Ã‚ ¦s contributions account for 25 percent. It is predicted that the IT market will growth by 15.8 percent every year to 2009. Economists are curious to know how long will China ¡Ã‚ ¦s strong economy be. When the advantage of low labor costs in China will subside in the future, what will support its fast growing economy? According to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) ¡Ã‚ ¦s 2005 report, 94 million internet user and half of them are using broadband connection. China now has 4 internet-based companies listed in NASDAQ. As they reported profit since the SMS business introduced in 2002, many economists think there will be an internet technology boom in China again. IT industries in developed countries now are facing both challenge and opportunity since many mergers and acquisition happened in west countries from Chinese maker. That what will happen in China on internet technology in the next 10 years will affect every international business around the world. This study begins with the analysis of upcoming internet technology ¡Xexamining the effect of future internet technology and China ¡Ã‚ ¦s policy  ¡Xand then move on the analysis of the impact of internet technology on China ¡Ã‚ ¦s industries in next decade as well as its future contribution to the country ¡Ã‚ ¦s stellar growth. Internet Era Just Begin Internet will change more dramatically in the next decade than it has during its entire history. We have just seen the beginning of what the Internet can do for use as a revolution in communications and the way business is done (Gates, 2000). Internet application had moved from transaction phase to platform phase at the beginning of this decade. There are some trends will be prevailed. ƒÞ  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wireless connection on multi-device Wireless connection between different devices at high speed is probably the key component that is really going to take the scenarios of empowerment that we have always believed in and make them a reality.

Reader Response to James Joyces The Dead Essay -- Joyce Dead Essays

Reader Response to Joyce's The Dead       James Joyce's story "The Dead" has a tremendous impact on the readers, especially those who are familiar with the political situation in Ireland at the time about which the Joyce wrote the final story in Dubliners.   In exploring the meaning of James Joyce's long short-story, "The Dead", there are many critical approaches to take.   Each approach gives readers a lens, a set of guidelines through which to examine and express ideas of the meaning of "The Dead."   Joyce himself said that the idea of paralysis was the intended theme of all the stories in The Dubliners of which "The Dead" is the final story.    Of all critical approaches, reader response works best for me.   This approach examines the images, symbols, point-of-view, characterization and setting of "The Dead" in such a way as to reveal the theme of paralysis that Joyce intended.   The two characters that appeal to me are, Gabriel and his wife Gretta who are invited every year to a family gathering by Gabriels two aunts on New Years eve.   Gabriel, who is a university professor, does not want to be identified with Ireland. He wants to be identifies as a citizen of the world. His arrogance is revealed in his interaction with others.   A primary example would be the way he treats his wife Gretta as an object.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Peter J. Rabinowitz informs one that in reader response criticism the "...activity of reading always alters the text at hand.   Unless we are limiting ourselves to reading in the sense of uninflected recitation, reading is never a passive activity to which the reader contributes nothing.   In the reader res... ... Gabriel is paralyzed emotionally, as he does not know what is going to happen next.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion the narrators attitude towards the events is perhaps how he wants the reader to interpret the events.   The narrator perhaps wants to tell the reader despite all the tension at that time, the people in Dublin still want to forget the problem and enjoy at least on New Years Day where it can be with their loved ones to relax.    Work Cited    The Dead.   Dir.   John Houston.   Perf.   Anjelica Houston, Donal McCann. Bestron Pictures, 1987    Joyce, James.   The Dead.   Ed.   Daniel R. Scwarz.   Cornell University, 1994    Rabinowitz, Peter J.   "A Symbol of Something": Interpretive Vertigo in "The Dead."   Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1987    Scwarz, Daniel R., ed.   The Dead.   Cornell University, 1994   

Life of Pi Analysis

Summary Piscine Molitor Patel – Protagonist in the story, also the narrator – also known as Pi Ravi Patel – Pi’s older brother by three years Santosh Patel – Pi’s father, owns a zoo in Pondicherry, India Gita Patel – Pi’s Mother Satish Kumar – Pi’s biology teacher in Pondicherry Father Martin – A catholic priest that introduces Pi to the catholic faith Satish Kumar – A Muslim mystic that shares the same name with Pi’s biology teacher Hindu Pandit – A man whom is never named, he becomes very angry at Pi for practicing religions other than his own Pi Patel, a Hindu boy from Pondicherry, India, narrates this novel.The novel begins with Pi going into great depth about the life of a sloth, which reminds him of a god. Pi explains how he got his name – from a swimming pool. This leads into Pi’s life story, which begins with his fond memories of his father’s zoo in India. Fo llowing this is a memory of a trip he took with his family, where he meets a catholic priest who introduces him to Catholicism. Later on this trip, Pi meets a Muslim mystic who introduces Pi to the Muslim faith.Pi is deeply intrigued with other religions and their practices, but his curiosity crushed when a Hindu Pandit informs Pi’s parents that he is practicing other religions than his own. Significant Quotes â€Å"I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both. † Page 21 This quote shows how closely related Pi sees animals and religion.People misunderstand the life of animals in the wild; they do not understand that life in captivity at a zoo might very well be a better life for an animal – just as people misunderstand what it means for someone to be free of a religion. Religion can take away the harshness of reality, just as the walls of a zoo enclosure can show one r eality, but not the one beyond the walls. Pi is trying to show how religion can make a life simpler and more enjoyable. â€Å"I can well imagine an atheist’s last words: â€Å"White, white! L-L-Love! My God! †Ã¢â‚¬â€and the deathbed leap of faith.Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, â€Å"Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,† and, to the very end, lack imagination n and miss the better story. † Page 70 This quote illustrates how closely religion is linked to creativity and imagination. How an atheist believes in the nonexistence of god, still believes in something and has the capacity to change their beliefs, where as an agnostics are uncertain, with no beliefs and therefore lacking imagination to devise a guide for their life.Without stories of beliefs in our lives -like in an agnostics life – lif e is ‘dry ‘ and ‘yeastless’ or flat and dull. â€Å"I couldn’t get Him out of my head. Still can’t. I spent three solid days thinking about Him. The more He bothered me, the less I could forget Him. And the more I learned about Him, the less I wanted to leave Him. † Page 63 This quote shows the depth of Pi’s faith at such a young age. He seeks God not only through his own religion, but also in religions that he adopts throughout his journeys. Pi’s goal is to love God – innocent but extremely powerful.

Illegal and Prescription Drug Abuse; How Do We Prevent It? Essay

Drug abuse is a psychological or physical dependency with a mind altering substance1. There is continued drug use even though a person knows that the drug causes harm. Physical dependency is the result of the body building up a tolerance to the drug and needing to increase its dosage to have the effect desired and to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Psychological dependence has something to do with the mental and emotional make up of the person; some people may also have a genetically linked tendency to addiction. Early signs and symptoms of drug addiction involve building up of tolerance to the present dosage. Late signs of drug overuse may show mood swings and irritability, and physical symptoms like craving. Having the right knowledge about drug abuse can help people prevent addiction. The three types of widely abused prescription drugs are CNS depressants, CNS stimulants, and narcotic analgesics. CNS depressants like barbiturates, methaqualone and benzodiazepines can slow down the normal functioning of the brain and can cause uncoordination. CNS stimulants like nicotine, amphetamine, cocaine and caffeine on the other hand enhance the brain’s activity to increase energy and alertness. This may cause an increased heart rate and blood pressure. Narcotic analgesics like opiates (eg. Morphin and Demerol) are used for pain. On the year 2006, the abuse of painkillers ranked 2nd, while marijuana is the first, as the community’s most common illicit drug problem2. Most drugs being prescribed by doctors are opiate based and therefore can be very addictive. One drug called Oxycontin is a pain reliever that has a strong opiate base and causes people to be addicted to it. Other specific drugs that are widely abused are Heroin, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana. Normal college students have been noted to use drugs that are for patients with disorders. Many students take Adderall, a drug for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which helps heighten their concentration for studying for an examination3. This imposes danger to many students using this and has caused death in about 5 people per 1 million individuals taking it. Even though some drugs can be addictive, there are drugs that can substitute for them 4. Dexamphetamine is shown to help with CNS stimulant addiction 5 and clomethiazole can help in managing alcohol addiction 6. For cocaine addiction, desipramine and bromocriptine is effective 7. A psychoactive drug that can interrupt addictive rersponses for nicotine, cocaine, SSRI, and heroin addicts that’s being studied is Ibogaine 8. There are many studied physiologic mechanisms involved in drug addiction. Acute use of a certain drug can release and prolong serotonin and dopamine’s action in the reward circuit. Almost all addictive drugs increase the reward circuit or mesolimbic pathway’s dopamine release which in turn activates the feeling of pleasure 9. The more one engages in a pleasurable act, the more one wants to repeat it. To add to the reward circuit, it is also studied that stress mechanisms may have a function in promoting the sequence of acquiring addiction.  µ-opioid receptor system, is acted on by enkephalin and influences the reward system 10. A behavioral operant conditioning is also showed in addicts, being able to link a behavior or an action to seek the reward, which is the drug’s effect 11. One enters into a fresh allostatic state as he progresses into being an addict. A person taking a drug for a long period of time may also develop sensitization and a psychological tolerance to the drug. Taking the same dose doesn’t seem to have any effect and leaves one feeling dissatisfied and depressed, therefore he turns to the drug for the pleasure with an increased or more than maximum dosage 7. One must know how to recognize a drug addiction to prevent it. This happens when an individual seems to have an inability to withdraw from the drug. The first step is to know the signs and symptoms experienced by an addict. The second step is evaluating the risk of being addicted as various kinds of drugs are further expected to be abused than others. In addition, having a family member with a history of drug addiction may put an individual at a higher risk of abusing medications. Consulting with a medical professional with this issue may lower the chances of becoming addicted. The third step involves religiously sticking to one’s prescription, taking only the prescribed amount at the recommended times. A person must contact his/her doctor if the drug doesn’t seem to have any effect. The fourth step is considering the drug type one is taking and the length of time he/she has been using the drug because using a drug for long terms may add to the possibility of being dependent on it. Step five is making a plan that will help one in gradually getting out of his/her prescription. Being prescribed with an addictive drug requires one to slowly reduce it’s dosage before eliminating it. The sixth step requires one to consult a medical professional once he feels that he may already be drug dependent. This is possible when one is experiencing the early signs and symptoms of addiction. The seventh step is disposing of drugs that aren’t needed. This can remove the tempting effects of taking the drug. Eighth is contacting a drug abuse treatment center or a doctor for specialized and professional advice and prevention. And lastly, take note of having the late signs of drug abuse. To break the series of constant drug use, individuals that are drug-dependent must build vital changes in their attitudes and life styles. Psychosocial and behavioral treatments are the foundation of services accessible to assist drug abusers to attain and carry on important periods of abstinence. The other illegal use of drugs, especially cocaine, is frequently a main target of behavioral managements. There are current studies for the treatment for cocaine and opiate, including tobacco smoke abusers. For the treatment of ones who abuse opiates, new studies have exposed that counseling for drug abuse with procedures of abstinence incentive and psychosocial services access is an active element in its treatment. 90 – 100% amongst patients in the VA methadone maintenance sample who received incentive procedures and psychosocial services were abstinent from cocaine and heroin for as long as eight weeks; merely 30% of individuals who received methadone with no other services were abstinent 12. Management is most important for cocaine abusers. It relies completely on psychosocial and behavioral therapies since there have been no successful medications revealed to date. Relapse prevention therapy however, which teaches abusers to distinguish high-risk situations for the use of drugs and to apply coping techniques, has also revealed assurance for management of cocaine abusers 12. For the treatment of tobacco smokers, studies show that nicotine replacement with gum or patch and behavioral therapy is the most effective. Moreover, smokers who have a history of depression experience a hard time with quitting 12. On the other hand, research efforts in this significant region have remained quite inactive in relation to the speed of studies on molecular and biological bases of medications development and drug dependence. Bibliography 1. Brittanica Concise Encyclopedia. 2. Pat Moore Foundation. Prescription Drug Abuse – As Addictive and Dangerous as Illegal Street Drugs. Get the Facts. Orange County, California. 3. Izzo, T. Social functioning and emotional regulation in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. 2000;29: 30 – 42. 4. Johnson RE, Chutuape MA, Strain EC, Walsh SL, Stitzer ML, Bigelow GE. A comparison of levomethadyl acetate, buprenorphine, and methadone for opioid dependence. N. Engl. J. Med. 2000; 343: 1290–7. 5. White R. Dexamphetamine substitution in the treatment of amphetamine abuse: an initial investigation. Addiction. 2000; 95: 229–38. 6. Majumdar SK. Chlormethiazole: current status in the treatment of the acute ethanol withdrawal syndrome. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1991; 27: 201–7. 7. Giannini,AJ. and Billet, TA. Bromocriptine-desipramine protocol in cocaine detoxification. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 1987; 27:549-554. 8. Alper KR, Lotsof HS, Kaplan CD. The ibogaine medical subculture. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008;115 : 9–24. 9. Nutt D, King LA, Saulsbury W, Blakemore C. Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse. Lance . 2007; 369 (9566): 1047–53. 10. Koob G, Kreek MJ. Stress, dysregulation of drug reward pathways, and the transition to drug dependence. Am J Psychiatry. 2007; 164 (8): 1149–59 11. Jones S, Bonci A. Synaptic plasticity and drug addiction. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2005; 5 (1): 20–5. 12. The College on Problems of Drug Abuse. â€Å"Behavioral & Psychosocial Treatments for Drug Abuse. 2007.