Customer Service at Ll Bean

Abstract: This case discusses the customer service initiatives of LL Bean, Inc, a US-based multichannel retailer. LL Bean had evolved from being a mail order company selling hunting boots into a leading international retailer selling apparels, home furnishings and outdoor equipment. Its endeavor was to deliver quality products at reasonable prices and offer excellent customer service to customers. In its 98-year long history, the company had preserved the customer-centric tradition set by the founder and had, over the years, molded its operational policies to provide superior purchasing experience to customers. The company believed that a satisfied customer helped build customer loyalty and encouraged repeat purchases, which were essential to achieve success in the retail business. The case discusses in detail the customer-friendly policies of LL Bean and the customer service practices that had resulted in its being recognized as a customer service champion by consumers and industry observers. This also helped the company to perform better than its rivals during the global economic recession of 2007-2009. Experts felt that the company's superior customer service provided it with a competitive edge. The case will help students to: (1) understand the importance of customer service, particularly in the retail industry; (2) study the customer-centric policies of LL Bean and the various practices that the retailer followed to provide superior customer service; (3) understand how the customer-centric policies and practices contributed to the success of LL Bean; and (4) explore strategies that LL Bean could adopt in the future to attract more customers. This case is designed for MBA / MS students and is intended to be part of the marketing management curriculum. It can also be used in the business strategy curriculum. The teaching note includes the abstract, teaching objectives and methodology, assignment questions, feedback of the case discussion, and additional readings and references. It does not contain an analysis of the case.

Ellen and Edward represent Essay

Ellen and Edward represent the dynamic challenge of working with two people who enter therapy together, but present different levels of clinical symptomatology. In this case, Ellen appears to be experiencing the most difficulty functioning in her life. She reports a lack of energy, persistent sadness, and even occasional suicidal ideation. These problems are not new for Ellen as she has likely suffered from clinical depression for several years. Her termination of individual therapy may have triggered or intensified her recent increase in symptoms. Ellen’s diagnosis is Major Depressive Disorder. Her severity ranges from moderate to severe. At this time, Edward does not meet criteria for any Axis I disorders, but further information would be necessary to understand his personality and other areas of functioning more thoroughly. Neither member of this partnership meets criteria for an Axis II diagnosis. There are no medical conditions reported and therefore, no Axis III diagnosis. Axis IV psychosocial problems for Ellen include her previous abuse. As a couple, psychosocial difficulties include communication problems and marital discord. Ellen’s GAF is estimated to be 35 while Edward is functioning more effectively at a GAF of 65. The couple’s level of functioning is more reflective of Ellen’s more severe difficulties (Weeks & Hof, 1995). They are failing to communicate, meet basic needs of the household, and sustain meaningful aspects of the relationships. Because Ellen has experienced a mood disturbance for longer than the duration of her marriage, it is possible that even her mate selection of Edward was related to her diagnosis (Weeks & Hof, 1995). For this reason, Ellen’s individual diagnosis should be seen in the context of the relationship for the purposes of couple’s therapy. It is an integral part of their relationship and cannot be extracted if the couple wishes to fortify their relationship through marital counseling. Ellen would still be encouraged to seek her own individual therapy and consultation with a psychiatrist to address the severity of her depression. Ellen’s diagnosis was reached through the decision-tree method presented in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This method is a thorough way to match the presenting symptoms to the most appropriate clinical diagnosis. In this case, Ellen’s experience of a mood disorder was clear early in the initial session. The details she described about her past provided enough clinical information to eliminate bipolar disorders and more mild forms of depression. Major depressive disorder encompasses the duration and severity (i. e. occasional suicidal ideation) of her condition. The single criticism of the decision-tree method may be its tendency to over-diagnose. While this client clearly met criteria, there are very few paths out of the decision-tree should a client present mild symptoms that do not yet merit a full diagnosis. There are many different medication options that may supplement Ellen’s participation in psychotherapy. Lexapro and Zoloft, members of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, may be useful. If Ellen does not respond to these drugs or is at-risk for their adverse side-effects, Wellbutrin is another option. This drug has a complete different action mechanism than the others in the SSRI class. Ellen’s response and compliance with any antidepressant medication should be monitored closely. Her history of abruptly terminating treatment could indicate a potential to also stop taking her medication without warning. Many antidepressants need to be tapered off in gradually decreasing dosages. Abruptly ceasing treatment can cause dangerous side effects. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM IV- TR. (4th ed. ). Washington, DC: Author. Weeks, G. R. & Hof, L. (1995) Integrative Solutions: Treating common problems in couples therapy. New York: Psychology Press.

Philosophy of Education Idealism

The Philosophy of Education Ideals A standard by which we Judge things In our existence. Simple apprehension our intelligent apprehends or understands the nature or substance or essence of things. The essence is represented by an idea in the mind by the mind. Once an idea is formed, we compare it with another idea and pronounce their agreement or disagreement of one idea with another idea and we come up to Judgment. A philosophical approach that has as its central tenet (belief, view) that ideas are the only true reality and the only thing worth knowing.Emphasizes the study of man more and more because man is endowed with higher intellectual powers and show greater level of intelligence and discrimination and by his own moral and spiritual activities he has created. Idealism recognizes Ideas, feelings and Ideals more Important than material objects and at the same time emphasizes that the human development should be according to moral, ethical and spiritual values so that he acquires the knowledge A philosophical belief and outlook that material things do not exist Independently In the physical world but only In mind.A father of Idealism A Greek philosopher, who was remarkably equipped with natural endowments Plato did not think that man created knowledge. Rather, man discovered knowledge and always have stressed the Importance of mind over matter Plat's method of dialogue engaged in systematic, logical examination of all points of view†¦ Plat's idea was that the philosopher-king must be not only a thinker but also a doer. Dialectic (Socratic Method): A method of reasoning In which the conflict or contrast of Ideas Is utilized as a means of detecting the truth. Christian philosopher to formulate the doctrines of his religion in the most comprehensive and enduring manner take the position that matter might exist, but in a generally detrimental way. The search for truth is a search for God, and a true education leads one to God George W. F. Hegel A Gamma Heg el was sensitive to change. Change, development, and movement are all central and necessary in Hedge's logic. Ralph Wald Emerson An American Developed a variety of idealism known as transcendentalism Frederica Forbore based on kindergarten theory of idealism.

Drawing the Line: Normal and Abnormal Behavior Essay

The term abnormal is defined as deviating from the norm (Spoor, 1999). The definition however is problematic in that it addresses other factors. For instance, one needs to consider what the norm is and who labeled it as such. Norms are also dynamic; a norm today may no longer be one in the future. The fact that norms are also culture specific (Syque, 2007) leads one to consider that abnormality is largely relative.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Delineating between normal and abnormal behavior is thus more complicated in that a medical implication is often involved. Several criteria have been proposed to account for such. For instance, the first criteria accounts for the behavior’s deviation from cultural norms. Cultures impose upon its members certain norms and the deviation from such often results to being labeled as abnormal. Men who wore earrings forty years ago were thus considered abnormal. Second, abnormal behavior deviates from the statistical norm (Smith, Nolen – Hoeksema, Fredrickson, Loftus, 2003). Most people tend to fall within the mean of certain traits. An individual with an IQ of 40 falls on the extreme end and is therefore considered abnormal. Third, abnormal behavior is maladaptive; that is, it has detrimental effects on the individual and society. A woman who fears crowds and avoids taking the bus to work even if she has to is an example. Lastly, abnormal behavior causes personal distress (Smith, et al, 2003). An individual who harbors self – defeating belilefs about himself is deemed abnormal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abnormal behavior is rarely diagnosed effectively using just one from the aforementioned criteria. For a subject that calls to draw the line between normality and abnormality; one needs to be cautious in that people are inevitably affected and involved. References Smith, E., Nolen – Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B. & Loftus, G. (2003). Atkinson & Hilgard’s   Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction to Psychology, 14th Edition. Singapore: Thomson Learning Asia. Spoor, Katrina. (1999). What is â€Å"abnormal†? A Beginner’s Guide to Abnormal Psychology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Site. Retrieved December 12, 2007 from http://www.purgatory.net/merits/abnormal.htm Syque. (2007). Elements of Culture. ChangingMinds.org Site. Retrieved December 12, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚   from http://changingminds.org/explanations/culture/elements_of_culture.htm

Extra Tax on Fast Food Essay

Nowadays people always are overweight or obese. A big reason of this is unhealthy food like a Big Mac, Hamburger etc. Too much of any of those can cause serious health problems which a lot of people of the world today suffer from. The real problem is why are people making these choices? It’s simple, unhealthy food is cheaper than healthy food in many cases. Is it a good idea to introduce a fast food tax, or do unhealthy food observe to remain cheap and free of extra tax? To start things off, I will refer to this unhealthy food as â€Å"fast food†. One problem with fast foods is that they are low in satiation value. That is, people don’t tend to feel as full when they eat them, which can lead to overeating. Another problem is that unhealthy food tends to replace other, more nutritious foods. When people are snacking on chips and cookies, they are usually not loading up on fruits and vegetables. Already you can tell this is quite a problem, but it can be reduced to some degree if we raise the taxes on fast food. If the taxes are increased then people will be opted to buy healthier foods such as vegetables or other nutrient rich foods without added sugar or sodium. They will no longer be more expensive than the cheap, unhealthy, fast food. This in essence, will reduce the amount of unhealthy food that people will ingest. Another point is that the extra tax on fast food will saves lives. Heart disease is the second most common cause of death. Many lives could easily be saved. As well as saving lives, reducing obesity will also improve the quality of life. The argument against a extra tax on fast food is that those on low incomes are more likely to consume unhealthy foods, therefore this tax will increase inequality. However, if a tax on fast food saves lives, we should not avoid implementing it just because it is the poor who will mostly benefit. If we are really concerned about the impact on equality, the revenue from a fat tax can be targeted to the benefit of the poor. A increase in inequality need not occur from a fast food tax. Who is the government to tell people what to eat? If we want to eat salty and fatty foods then let us eat this. The whole point is people are still free to consume as much salty and fatty foods as they like. All in all it can be said that it is an unfair tax because fast food is bad for people who suffer obesity, shouldn’t mean that everyone who enjoys the quick, cheap service fast food offers. People who are in a hurry or people short on cash may find fast food an ideal service, but if it is taxed due to obesity, then it will also affect people who aren’t obese.

Contemporary Issues in HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Contemporary Issues in HRM - Essay Example When this happens organizations remain satisfied with single-loop learning or adaptive learning but unless this is supported by double-loop learning or generative learning, no growth can take place. Organizational culture plays a vital role in organization learning towards improvement and growth. Organizations must provide an environment of empowerment, encouragement and flexibility for the individual employee to take risks and be creative. Failures too have to be celebrated. The environment should not stifle the employees. The organizational environment at Starbucks, the specialty coffee retailer, was looked into and it has been found that while they do encourage contributions from their employees, learning is stagnant. The workers are trained for 25 hours once they join but the same procedures and training is imparted. Growth and success of an organization is not measured by low staff turnover or high sales figures. Innovation and creativity ensures a long-term strategy whereas foc us on sales is a short-term strategy. While the origin of the company lies in cognitive learning but no further innovation has taken place. The company has not yet been able to find a solution to the single-use paper cups in which coffee is served to those who do not wish to consume coffee in-store. The company has not provided an environment in which employees can find ways to develop a solution. There is reliance on legislation and government support but learning has to come from within. The employees have stock options and which most exercise. Hence, they should also be responsible for finding a solution for the cups. This can come through when the organization engages in double-loop learning and when personal mastery and team work is applied as organizational discipline. Suggestions for improving the organizational learning have been provided. These include training the front-line staff in convincing the customers and making it mandatory for the corporate executives to serve one shift at the counter every now and then. It is expected that these suggestion would bring about a change in the learning environment. When managers started facing competitive pressures and declining productivity, the traditional management practices were threatened. While the situation warranted new strategies and structure, the traditional habits, norms and assumptions became hindering blocks (Senge & Sterman, 1992). Change in strategy must be preceded by change in thinking. Managers and academics then recognized organizational learning as a process that could change shared understandings, and as a key to competitive advantage. Organizational learning can enhance the competencies of both employees and entire organizations. Learning has also been recognized as a route to achieve competitive advantage (Chaston, Badger, Mangles & Sadler-Smith, 2001). This is the reason that there have been contributions on the subject from the perspectives of psychology, management science, strategic management, production management, sociology and cultural anthropology (Chaston, Badger & Sadler-Smith, 1999). However, while all agree that organizational learning is a good thing there is little consensus on what organizational learning really is (Teare & Pantin, 2003). Being a complex concept, there is yet no widely accepted definition of organizational le

Mkt mgt part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mkt mgt part 2 - Essay Example This paper discusses the important facets which are required within the understanding of the final deliverable – the magazine itself (McCalley 1992). The segmentation, targeting and positioning of the product is quintessential towards achieving a clear cut understanding as to what exactly the newspaper is looking forward to in the coming times. In short, there has been an endeavor to balance the strengths of the magazine alongside its grey areas so that the company benefits from the same in the long term scheme of things. The market that is chosen for this product is that of United States of America. The market is comprised of individuals who hail from the middle class segment of the society. This segment of the society basically takes into consideration those people who earn their livelihood through day jobs and hence feed their families in a very hand to mouth approach. They buy newspapers in order to remain abreast of the world situations and events. Similarly, they will be receiving this magazine without any extra cost to their pocket. The market is segmented in such a way that it will cater to the desires of the audience and hence would take care of the needs and wishes of the segment that is being spoken about here. More than anything else, the segmentation is based on the principle of bringing about a major change within the lives of the youngsters by propagating a message of love, peace and understanding that will be inculcated through this new magazine that is a part of the newspaper which t heir parents have been buying for a long period of time now. Therefore the market would be segmented in such a manner that it brings about a proper divide amongst the masses and allocates the exact individuals who would be targeted with this magazine. The aim of the magazine is to make sure that the people remain in line with their understandings of a

Crime is the result of individuals making choices to commit crime; it Essay

Crime is the result of individuals making choices to commit crime; it is not the result of their social circumstances. Discuss this statement - Essay Example Due to these involvements with other criminals, the individuals view crime as desirable – something that can be used appropriately in social situations (Akers, 1998). Other people make them think that crime is something that can be condoned, and so they do it on their own, as they see it fit into their own lives. When it comes to teenagers, they learn how to engage in crime in the same way that they would learn how to conform to the needs of society (Matza & Sykes, 1961), despite that crime is not socially condoned. There are three mechanisms by which a person learns crime from others: differential reinforcement, beliefs, and modeling. The differential reinforcements are the rewards or punishments that a person gets from committing a criminal act. If a criminal is not caught, they are unable to be punished – they have only seen the reward to what they do. If they are caught and are punished, they can be conditioned to see that crime is a negative thing and is not condoned by society. A criminal might use their own mindset of beliefs on criminology to help others to see that what they are doing is not wrong. They try to get others to see things from their point of view. When modeling criminal activity, an individual does what might have been done to them: they influence others. The control theory focuses on the conformity that an individual goes through that may cause them to engage in criminal acts. Many sociologists wish to find out why people involve themselves in crime, while others want to know why people conform to begin with. Once again, we are back to the powers of influence and modeling. The control theory has to do with how much restraint a person is willing to put on him or herself to avoid partaking in criminal acts. Once a person gives in to conformity, they are no longer following their own unique rules about how to go about life and keeping to their morals. The labeling theory states that once a person is labeled a criminal, and

Skills Available For Acquisition and Career Building Strategies in Case Study

Skills Available For Acquisition and Career Building Strategies in Directing a Film - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that directing film entails different aspects but all the aspects result in an action that makes the audience realize that a video is actually out for viewing. Elliott asserts that for a film director to reach his or her prime objective, he or she must have come from a long way just as far as from script cutting room all the way to the climax. There are number pathways how someone can become a film director for example; a person may start as screenwriter, actor or film editor. Film directors are such responsible individuals who need to facilitate the differences in film budget limit and the vision of the career. There is number of roles expected from a film director. The directing film assumes different approach and with regard to this, directors give a general outline of the film and letting the actors improvise the dialogue. Other directors are in control of every aspect where they demand the crew and actors to follow all their instructions accurately. Other film directors write the screenplay or edit their film and appear in their film as well. The researcher has thought of directing a film at one point or another. The researcher watched a great movie and believed he could do much better in one of his own films. The author choses this career because it is his passion career because telling a story as well as learning how to construct a movie has been one of the achievements the researcher has always wanted to attain in visual arts and film studies as a whole. Unlike the general trend in film direction, most of the new generation directors are young. In addition, unlike in the ancient time, filmmaking is both artistic and commercial venture.

Research Article Assignment for Supply chain Essay

Research Article Assignment for Supply chain - Essay Example The first type of postponement approach is the product postponement. In this approach, a firm designs a product and uses standardized components to delay its customization (Brown, Lee and Petrakian 67). For companies like Xilinx, the final configuration of the product gets done when it is manufacturing or distributing its products. Implementation of the postponement approach was helpful to Xilinx because there was risk pooling. One of the benefits is that the risk pooling occurs particularly when aggregating the demand for the finished goods. In addition, the aggregate demand in the market becomes less uncertain which lead to Xilinx holding fewer inventories to offer similar level of services. Xilinx also benefits from having a reduced degree of customization which remains low through to the front-end stage (Brown, Lee and Petrakian 76). Firms prefer the traditional method of inventory management because it makes it easier for them to have virtual business models. For example, in the case of Xilinx, the business model allows it to operate at a high rate of flexibility and still maintains its processes at a low-cost. Xilinx also benefits from this model because it had new technical innovation and re-engineering ideas as a result of its improved manufacturing processes. The on-time delivery process of the products is also improved. One of the challenges is that redesigning a product to promote the process of postponement requires the manufacturer to wait for some time until the time when the customers change their designs (Brown, Lee and Petrakian 70). This happens in the new product generation releases. There is little that is done for a company that has implemented a postponement strategy and wants to create products without necessarily using the front-end stage strategy. Xilinx uses three processes to make their process postponement more effective. The first is the inventory modeling operation initiative and the second is the

Rhetorical Analysis of the Reformist Jane Adams Research Paper

Rhetorical Analysis of the Reformist Jane Adams - Research Paper Example In 1912, Addams was also among the lead supporters of Theodore Roosevelt on the Bull Moose (Progressive) party ticket; she also co-founded the Woman’s International League for Peace and Freedom which was a key facilitator of her winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. Cedarville Illinois was the birthplace of Jane, she had eight siblings and was the second-last born of the family; their father was a successful political leader (local), serving sixteen years in the Senate, fought as an officer in the Civil War and was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln; they used to call each other ‘My Dear Double’. Jane had an inherited spinal blemish that contributed to her physical instability throughout her life though it was often remedied by surgery. Jane graduated from the Rockford Female Seminary class of Seventeen in 1881, be given a bachelor’s degrees the following year after the school was accredited to Rockford College for Women; later on, she started studying medicine her health condition interfered as she was being hospitalized now and then. Jane traveled to Europe where she continued with her studies for slightly less than two years after which she spent two more years writing and reading as she laid her objectives for the future; while there Jane and her friend Ellen Starr took a visit to Toynbee Hall, a settlement house in London’s East End which assisted greatly influenced a similar idea she had of starting a similar place for the underprivileged in Chicago. Jane is known to have come up with a variety of quotes with the most common being ‘Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics’; others include; ‘Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world’.

Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Reflective Report - Essay Example These are then associated with my personal team work incidents which affected my team and me as an individual. Since all the incidents have some or the other consequence therefore the results of the mentioned incidents will also be discussed. Moreover, development of different tranferable skills including influence, power, team roles etc. will be mentioned. I have conversed about two events in this paper. First event relates to the huge marketing activity which I was supposed to conduct with my fellows within three different university campuses. As part of our marketing course we were given different products which were to be sold sometime later. During the project work I encountered different situations which are highly relatable to different group work and team building theories. Secondly I was asked to coordinate with other group members to organize a school trip for the kindergarten and primary students. Here, I experienced entirely different situations which actually relate to s ome other reflective theories. Eventually I developed certain transferable skills which helped me in performing later jobs and group assignments in a better way. Reflective techniques are highly significant in offering us different ways of doing something while making a sense and opportunity out of every uncertainty. These are also important in transforming us into a competent and ethical individual who can easily manage chaos and the edge orders (Ghaye, 2000, p.7). Reflection techniques are specifically based upon thinking and doubt. It may also be understood with the concept of perplexity and hesitation about the personal experience. It plays a vital role in comprehending the real complex situation by acting carefully and considering all the involved elements. Furthermore it emphasizes upon continuous learning while performing different tasks. In broader terms it can also be distinguished into reflection-in i.e. thinking during the event and reflection-on action i.e. thinking

Supply chain or operational challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply chain or operational challenges - Essay Example Companies have opted to relocate their manufacturing to low-cost countries across the world in order to respond to the customer’s satisfactions and demands on price expectations. The relocation is done to reduce the indirect and direct costs at the same time minimizing taxes. Global suppliers contribute to the problems that come with delivery time that is extended. In the emerging markets, customers not only want products of lower prices but also timely delivery of their products. Global chain of supply is complex. Adding this to the ever-changing feature makes the challenge greater. The customers immediately put pressure to the company to come up with something big next time after the release of the product. Innovation is, therefore, an important element in today’s market. To enhance their products, companies are forced to redesign their products so that they can meet the market demand. The demand of the customers in the modern market is more demanding than ever. Companies are trying hard to expand their distribution towards the emerging market to increase the growth in their revenues and market shares. Several companies are working had to expand both foreign and home markets. The introduction of new markets possesses difficulties from government policies, fees and trading policies. Companies have responded positively with global networks, expansion of markets and innovation of products. Several companies, today, rely on supply chain managers to optimize on the value chains so that they can remain competitive in the market (Shankar et al., pg.

How to Use the Social Media as a Platform for Employees to Raise Assignment

How to Use the Social Media as a Platform for Employees to Raise Grievances and Share Knowledge - Assignment Example Many people interact with others in the virtue communities using social media. However, social media can be used by the organization to enable employees to raise grievances and share information, which can benefit other employees in the organization. According to previous studies conducted on the benefits of social media, this problem has never been addressed, and is, that many people spend their time in the social communities there is a need to tap the energy and use it for the good of the organization. Many inconsistencies in the literature have been identified when it comes to the identification of how social media can be in the organization to achieve productivity. Therefore, the research is designed to answer a recommended future resea5rch question. The significance of the study is to identify how social media can be sued in an organization to achieve information sharing and raising grievances. This is because several employees have difficulty raising grievances in the organization, as their employees may be discriminatory. Therefore, by using social media employees can raise their grievances to the upper management; hence, ensuring that their grievances will be raised. According to, the use of scorecard on the social network that can use to help the organization in identifying new ways to improve knowledge flows. The information flow in the organization can be linked to communication media that is equal in all working environments.  The significance of the study is to identify how social media can be sued in organization to achieve information sharing and raising grievances. This is because several employees have difficulty raising grievances in the organization, as their employees may be discriminatory.  

The Commodity Exchange Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Commodity Exchange Act - Essay Example Any commodity contract offered or sold shall, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, be presumed to be offered or sold for speculation or investment purposes. A commodity contract shall not include any contract or agreement which requires, and under which the purchaser receives, within 28 calendar days from the payment in good funds of any portion of the purchase price, physical delivery of the total amount of each commodity to be purchased under the contract or agreement.[1985,c.643(new).]" (Title 32: Professions and Occupations, Ch.111-A: Maine Commodity Code (Heading: PL 1987, c.402, Pt.A.@174 (rpr)) http://janus.state.me.us)2 The 106th Congress, 2nd Session H.R.5660 was held to reauthorize and amend the CEA to promote legal certainty, enhance competition, and to reduce the systemic risks prevailing in the markets for futures and the so-called over-the-counter derivatives, and others. This bill was called "The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000" The Act was to: 1. Reauthorize the appropriation for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission 2. Streamline and eliminate unnecessary regulation for the commodity futures exchanges and other entities regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act 3. Transform the role of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to oversight of the futures markets 4. Provide a statutory and regulatory frame-work for allowing the trading of futures on securities 5. Clarify the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over certain retail foreign exchange transactions and bucket shops that may not be otherwise regulated 6. Promote innovation for futures and derivatives and to reduce systemic risk by enhancing legal certainty in the markets for certain futures and derivatives transactions 7. Reduce systemic risk and provide greater stability to markets during times of market disorder by allowing the clearing of transactions in over-the-counter derivatives through appropriately regulated clearing organizations, and 8. Enhance the competitive position of United States financial institutions and financial markets. (106th Session of Congress, H.R. 5660, Dec.14th 2000, www.cftc.gov)3 3.0 Who's who Commodity trading advisor Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the term "commodity trading advisor" means any person who: 1. for compensation or profit, engages in the business of advising others, either directly or through publications, writings, or electronic media, as to the value of or the advisability of trading in: (i) Any contract of sale of a commodity for future delivery made or to be made on or

Intervention process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intervention process - Essay Example Therapist and psychologist dealing with intervention must be careful about the practice to prevent any legal problems that may occur from the act of organizing an intervention. There are laws regarding psychotherapist/patient privilege which govern their actions when it comes to the situation regarding a client dangerousness to self, others, and property of others (Sonkin & Liebert). The therapist has to take every possible precaution to ensure the intervention session does get out of control. He must prepare the team well and may have to enforce some type of security measures such as a guard if the client profile justifies such a preventive measure. Ethics are a part of psychology and their different ethical aspects that must be considered during interventions. Three ethical considerations during this affair are veracity, beneficence, and fidelity. Veracity refers to telling the truth (McGuinness). During an intervention, the persons involved might have to tell the patient harsh wor ds and relive very emotional and personal events that occurred due to the addiction of the patient. The harshness of the message of the group is an ethical dilemma to consider. Beneficence involves making decisions for are incompetent and do not have the faculties to decide for themselves (McGuinness). Intervention with drug addicts has beneficence dilemmas associated with them. The addict, in reality, is not competent to make his own decision since the drugs have full control over his reasoning and judgment.

Briefing note on philosophy article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Briefing note on philosophy article - Essay Example The concept of language ability isn’t realistically explainable in theory divorced from the full model of how the human function is organized. The full model of how the human function is organized is not realistic because we don’t have a clear picture of ourselves as a scientific definition. There are different ways of looking at a definition for natural kinds. In the scientific method, we’re searching for an understandable theory that explains who we are with the known design of the natural sciences. Natural theories focus more on the nature of the function and reasonable goals for that function as opposed to the actual achievement of function. Chomsky asserts that certain linguists postulate that when thinking of words, a picture associated with that word forms in the individual’s mind; however that doesn’t define the word as to meaning for that individual. He further asserts that language use is not able to be subjected to scientific definition or study, and neither can anything be learned from studying the functionality of the brain with regards to how it processes language concepts. Language use is thought to be part of our common sense understanding with a special place in helping to define human life and thought processes. Concrete objects are not subject to scientific theory, rather they have value dependent upon whatever value we give them. The scientific function of the mind acts to perform scientific theory similarly as the language function acts to acquire and use language; through sharpening the focus to enable complete understanding.

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

Operation management - Essay Example airlines, caterers, retailers, banks, etc). A good maintenance shop is a necessity for all major airports. Below is my diagram of what is needed for a fully equipped maintenance shop, from beginning to end. b. Prefabricated materials-these materials would include everything from light bulbs to mops. Bolts, screws, compressors, saws, hammers, nails, everything that is needed to fix things around the airport. Once again local suppliers need to be used whenever possible. 2) Imported materials- Craftsman tools, saws, drills, and other such items need to be imported from the United States. Trucks, bulldozers, and other vehicles need to be imported from Japan and the United States. 3) Finally a building, floor, or shop needs to be designated at the airport. All of the raw materials and imported materials need to able to fit in this area. This area also must consist of a concrete floor for easy maintenance. The area must consist of a large enough area to service airport vehicles, hold replacement parts, and work stations for the employees. 4) Customers Benefit-The customer will benefit from this service in numerous ways. From keeping the plumbing working, lights going, heat, air conditioning, to fixing anything that comes up, the customer benefits from a well working facility. 1(b). Imagine that you have been appointed as Director of Aircraft Maintenance at the new airport, responsible for all the aircraft maintenance facilities. You will not need detailed technical knowledge, as you will have a very well qualified staff of engineers and specialists, covering engines, avionics, instrumentation, heating and air conditioning, electrical and mechanical aspects and even specialists in cabin layout alterations. For about a dozen of the most popular aircraft types using the airport, the manufacturers of each aircraft type

Code of Ethics Paper Essay Example for Free

Code of Ethics Paper Essay The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a well-known government based facility that presents a web site that keeps its customer base well informed on a wide variety of topics. Providing and gathering knowledge for doctors and patients, this facility and website serve as an investigator. This ranges from heath issues to the medicine used to treat. The NIH has been a part of history ranging from advances in penicillin to machines used such as the MRI. Also, NIH has funded and researched thousands of drugs and physicians to find cures and treatment. As a team we believe that the NIH has social, ethical issues, as well as goals that are met every day as a part of their social responsibility. â€Å"NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.† (USA.Gov, 2013) NIH’s goals and their ethical principles If everyone were afraid about unethical research, nobody will participate or volunteer. Without the research subjects, developing new medicine and treatments would be impossible. Because millions of selfless and generous research volunteers, the world has benefited from an array of medical advances in used today. Furthermore, Effective chemotherapy and radiation treatments have cured millions of people with cancer, such as breast, thyroid, pancreatic, and cervical cancer to name a few. Additionally, we have also benefited from numerous vaccines that protect from deadly disease, for instance, polio, measles, chicken pox, and the seasonal flu. Moreover, these medical advances have made it possible to increase awareness about nutrition and health lifestyles (NIH, 2013). The National Health Institute’s goals are to cultivate and promote â€Å"fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies and their application as a basis for ultimately protecting and improving h ealth† (NIH, 2013, para. 1). In addition, their goals are also for helping support, and â€Å"renew scientific human and physical resources that will safeguard the Nation competency to prevent disease† (NIH, 2013, para. 1) Furthermore, they work tirelessly to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"expand the knowledge base in medical and sciences to enhance the Nation’s economic well-being and guarantee a continued high return on the public investment in research† (NIH, 2013, para. 1). According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), before any research is started there are seven ethical principles the researchers must comply with. These principles help to clarify meticulously a coherent framework for assessing the ethics of any clinical research studies: (1) social value- the research or study must define how are peoples health or well-being will improve; (2) scientific validity- the research must have a hypothesis to be tested, and controlled; (3) fair subject sel ection- an abroad group of people must be selected , including age (over 18), gender, and race, not vulnerable or privileged; (4)favorable risk-benefit ratio- the research shows that the riskier the study the more ethical it is considered; (5) independent review- an external group must review the research and will approve it or denied it. This practice makes people believe the study is more ethical and unbiased. Also, this will minimize potential conflicts of interest; (6) inform consent- the subject must be mentally capable to understand the full disclosure of the research, the decision must be voluntary; (7) respect for the enrolled subject- the volunteers privacy must be protected, withdrawal from the study cannot be denied, and their health must always be monitored. The researchers have the obligation to treat everyone who volunteers in an experiment ethically and respectfully (Emanuel, Wendler, Grady, 2000; NIH Clinical Center Department of Bioethics, 2012). NIH’s culture and ethical decision making The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one of the largest organizations in the world with regard to researching advancements in medicine and the improvement in delivery of health care. Culturally speaking, the NIH is as diverse as the population it provides services to. Therefore, the NIH encourages health care providers to become more culturally competent in order to assist them in improving the quality of services they provide. According to the NIH, (2013) â€Å"Cultural competency is critical to reducing health disparities and improving access to high-quality health care; health care that is respectful of and responsive to the needs of diverse patients† (par. 3). Possessing a better knowledge of the cultures  a health care provider delivers services to will allow him or her the ability to provide a higher quality of care and enable him or her to remain ethical when critical decisions need to be made. Currently, the NIH is collaboration with other groups and organizati ons to help health care providers become more aware of the cultures they serve, which in turn, will provide better quality of care to all Americans (NIH, 2013). End of life is an area of health care the NIH suggests is especially critical with regard to culture and making ethical decisions (NIH, 2013). There are many different cultures in the United States that do not share the same point of view when it comes to a family members’ last wishes. An article called â€Å"Diverse decisions. How culture affects ethical decision making†, written by Wright, Cohen, and Caroselli explains the importance of cultural competence and ethical decision making at the point of a patients’ end of life. This crucial aspect of health care can be especially challenging to health care providers if they are not familiar with their patient’s cultural preferences. If not treated with the sensitivity a family requires culturally, the health care provider will likely encounter probl ems in assisting the family in arriving at an ethical decision that best helps the patient. As stated by Wright, Cohen, and Caroselli, (1997) â€Å"When these difficulties are coupled with ineffective communication related to cultural insensitivity or unawareness, the effects can be devastating† (par. 1). Few moments in life present as many challenges as the end of a family members’ life. Therefore, the NIH not only challenges its organization to become more culturally competent, it also encourages and assists health care providers to do the same, especially when assisting patients and their families in making the appropriate ethical decision. NIH’s ethical values supporting our ethical values The NIH has clearly stated that â€Å"turning discovery into health† is part of their mission statement. Supporting this ethical decision in the United States alone there are many individuals with chronic diseases or health issues. Therefore, it is safe to say that because the mission of the NIH is to find cures and treatments to better our nation is in correspondence with most. According to the NIH, (2013) â€Å"Nearly half of all Americans have a chronic medical condition. NIH research makes significant strides toward  treating and preventing these long-term illnesses.† Along with promoting wellness, the NIH develops new technological tools to treat any or most ailments in the USA. They are always looking for bright and positive new recruits to help research and enlighten the NIH to provide answers to thousands of individuals who have questions. The NIH has conducted research and found that cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease is on the decline bec ause of the research they have contributed to society. Because of their code of ethics they are helping babies that are born today live to a common age of 79, a vast improvement from the last 100 years. NIH believes it â€Å"invests over $30.9* billion annually in medical research for the American people.† (USA.Gov, 2013) and posted under NIH budget they write â€Å"Research for the People†, a clear message that this company is high in ethical values. They plan on widening the research capacity of our country and foster exploration. For any individual finding treatment for loved ones or ones’ self goes hand in hand with the ethical beliefs of the NIH. Social responsibility for NIH in the community NIH has proven itself to be socially responsible for not only the community but the entire population. They have done research and contributed a vast amount of information that physician’s, staff, and patients alike use on a daily basis for personal or practice knowledge. For example, the NIH has provided hundreds of thousands of jobs to research new technology and to find cures ever the past years. In addition, â€Å"to directly supporting research, NIH funding spurs an impressive amount of spin-off economic growth in our communities, ranging from scientific equipment suppliers to biotech firms to businesses offering food and lodging.† (USA.Gov, 2013) So not only has it contributed to health of the population, but is has proved financial contributions to the population. It has contributed more than $62 billion in revenue. Because of NIH’s research it will have not only short term effects but long term ones as well. Employing over one million employees to do rese arch and development, the NIH has made a vast contribution for jobs to those who do not have one. Providing tours and other means to understand what they do to the public, they encourage public awareness. Providing funds for over 130 Nobel prize winners that have created such instruments like the MRI, NIH scientists have paved the way for many and future scientists. The  NIH expects â€Å"to expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nations economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research.† (USA.Gov, 2013) Providing leadership for this frontier in medical research, NIH is constantly making new advancements. Keeping archives of all research done in the past 100 years, the NIH keeps these records so future generations can learn. In conclusion, the goals of the NIH are to provide medical research, for the population of the USA. Their goal is to find cure and increase the wellness of the surro unding population. Also, the NIH is made up of a culturally diverse population making it successful in finding, curing or preventing most or all ailments. Encouraging physicians to be more culturally diverse, is one of the NIH’s main goals because of the background in genetics and their diseases. Their ethical values support ours because we are all in the same country. Where thousands if not hundreds of thousands diseases are present every day, and as part of the population most would like to see research and treatments available. â€Å"Our practical wisdom must balance the shifting demands and possibilities that our changing circumstances present.† (Fremgan, 2009) Knowing our past is important as knowing our future. And the NIH has provided a sanctuary for both. As a team we believe that the NIH has social, ethical issues, as well as goals that are met every day as a part of their social responsibility. References National Institutes of Health, (2013). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/about/FAQ.htm USA.Gov. (2013). National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/ Wright, F., Cohen, S., Caroselli, C., (1997). Diverse decisions. How culture affects ethical Decision making. Division of Nursing, New York University, New York. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9136346 Fremgan, B. (2009). Medical Law and Ethics (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Factors Influencing the Use of Presidential Veto Essay Example for Free

Factors Influencing the Use of Presidential Veto Essay The democratic system of government relies mainly upon the proper functioning and the harmonious relationship between its three main branches: The Executive Department which has the power to execute the law; b) the Legislative Branch which has the power to propose, enact, amend and repeal the law; c) the Judiciary which has the power to interpret the law. Our constitution has divided these three most important functions to these three departments which are considered co-equal and supreme authority within their own domain. The principle of separation of powers has for its aim the prevention of the over concentration of authority in one person or group of persons that might lead to an error or abuse to the prejudice of the whole state. The idea is that the separation of power will produce greater action on the part of these three departments, prevent any of these three departments from over-extending their authority to the point of encroaching into the domains of the other department, to prevent the possibility of abuse by any department in the exercise of its power and to obtain maximum efficiency in the delivery of public service. Austin Ranney (1995) once said that any concentration of powers in a single branch is tyrannical and only true separation of powers will protect the liberties of the people against the aggressions of government. (Austin Ranney, p. 240) Checks and Balances The US Constitution has provided for the principle known as the checks and balances. Under this principle, the constitution has given each department certain powers by which it may restrain the other department from improvident action. This enables the whole state to maintain the right balance among them and preserve the will of the sovereign as expressed in the constitution. Thus, pursuant to the principle of Checks and Balances, one department is allowed to resist encroachments made by one department against another or to rectify mistakes and errors committed by the other department. The principle of separation of powers should not however be interpreted to mean that there is a sibling rivalry of some sort in the exercise of the powers of these departments. The fact remains that even if one department may control, interfere with or encroach upon the acts done by another department pursuant to the constitution, it is still the policy that each department have to interact with one another to achieve a unity of purpose. There is therefore no wall of isolation or animosity among the three departments. Blending of Powers Corollary to the principle of separation of powers and the checks and balances is the principle of blending of powers which is very evident in the manner every democratic government runs. In the performance of a constitutional task, one department acts in a manner complimentary to or supplementary to the other. The principles of separation of powers, checks and balances and blending of powers can be adequately explained in the manner of enactment of laws and statutes. The principle of separation of powers provides that to the legislative belongs the power and authority to enact, amend and repeal a law. To the executive department belongs the power to implement the law. Thus bills are passed by Congress and sent to the President for his approval. The principle of checks and balances is manifested in the way the president vetoes the bills passed by the Congress. The power to veto bills passed by Congress is stated under Article 1 Section 7 of the United States Constitution, to wit: â€Å"Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. (Article 1, Section 7, United States Constitution) Though the Congress enacts the law, the president has the prerogative to reject the law through his exercise of the veto power. In effect, the President, theoretically, can indirectly become a lawmaker by rejecting bills passed by Congress and by proposing to the Congress that certain bills be passed. The same is true for Congress which may greatly influence the exercise of the President of his authority to implement the law. It is clearly stated in the US Constitution that it has the power to override the veto power of the President provided it has the required numbers supporting it, to wit: â€Å"If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law. † (Article 1, Sec 7, United States Constitution) In addition, to its power to override presidential veto, Congress may opt to exercise pressure to the president by not confirming certain presidential appointments which the constitution has delegated to the Legislative Branch. In addition, the Congress may also exercise its power to commence and initiate its power of Impeachment. (Gary W. Copeland) In effect, the Congress if it really wants to enact a bill into law may convince the President with the exercise of its power to sign the bills into law. Factors Why the President Veto Legislation There are different views on the president’s exercise of his veto power. Some say that the more the president exercises his veto power the more effective leader he is. (Jong R. Lee) The theory is that a president who can influence the Congress is more likely to veto a bill and once vetoed this bill will not be overridden by Congress. This appears to be conclusive considering the following statistics: from the time of Washington to Nixon the veto was used 2,257 times. Out of these, only 75 vetoes or only 6% have been overridden by Congress. On the other hand, some say that the president’s exercise of veto is a sign of weakness on his part. The idea here is that if the president really had control and influence over the Congress then they would not have passed these bills that prompted the president to override them in the first place. The veto power is one of the potent weapons which a president may exercise under our democratic system of government. It is even stated that it is the power of the President to veto legislations that make him a dominant American political figure. Copeland) The veto power of the president serves as a check to the power of the Legislative branch to make laws by exercising its veto power. One of the reasons cited for the exercise of the veto powers is because the bill is unconstitutional. The primary function of the President is not to please his political party or to please the electorates. His main responsibility is to protect the constitution and to ensure that the laws are passed i n accordance with the United States Constitution. As its protector, the Constitution has expressly given the president the power to veto bills which are unconstitutional. Thus, several presidents have in the past vetoed bills on the ground of their unconstitutionality. Thus, consider President Andrew Jackson who vetoed bills that seek to extend the charter of the Second Bank of the United States because he insisted the Bank was beyond the power of Congress to create. (Bruce Fein) Aside from the bill’s unconstitutionality, the president has also in the past vetoed bills based on serious ethical and moral grounds. One particular example is HR 810 or the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2006 which authorized the Secretary of State to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic cells. This bill was vetoed by the president. (â€Å"Message to the House of Representatives†) In his veto message dated July 19, 2006, President George W. Bush states that as though he is in favor of exploring the potentials of the research on stem cell, he however is apprehensive about the ethical repercussions of the said research. Signing this bill will allow the deliberate destruction of human embryos for the purpose of research which is damaging to our nation. In addition, it is widely acknowledged that the past president have used the veto power not merely to protect the constitution. The president has in the past used the veto power not merely as a means for protecting the constitution but also for various political purposes. It bears stressing that not all presidents have the support of the Congress. Several presidents in the past have to contend with a hostile Congress to get the needed legislations they wanted. If the president would not be firm in his response, it is possible that certain important pieces of legislations may not be passed at all. To avoid this from happening some presidents in the past have resorted to the extreme method of vetoing more laws to remind that that he holds the power. Consider the case of Franklin D. Roosevelt who in the past occasionally vetoed a piece of legislation simply to remind Congress that he is still in control (Richard E. Neustadt 1976) Harry Truman and Gerald Ford used the veto power for the purpose of determining differences in Congress to build a political base. (Neudstadt) It is the essence of democracy that the legislative and executive departments though they perform different tasks are co-equal. This may or may not be advantageous for the whole citizenry depending on the condition of the nation. It may happen that the country may experience economic difficulties. During this time, laws must be swiftly passed so that the needs of the people will be addressed more quickly. The ideal reaction would be that the Congress should communicate with the President so that they will have an understanding of what kind of laws need to be passed that can help improve the lives of the people. However, the exact opposite happens during economic difficulties. It is at this point that everybody wants to go grandstanding thinking that it is his best time to point the blame to another politician. It is at this time when every politician wants to be recognized for the littlest things he has done in the past. It is because of this reason that during economic difficulties and hardships there are more bills that are being vetoed by the president. Research has also shown that the president who feels that more voters are in his favor are more likely to use the veto power. The idea here is that the more the president thinks that he has the electorate on his side the more that he will tend to exercise this power to veto legislation. This could be measured by analyzing the results of the election in the past, the higher the votes the president gets the more likely it is that he will exercise this power. The political party who sponsored the bill may also influence the decision of the president whether he will veto it or not. The theory is that the more votes the bill receives from the members of his own party in Congress, the more likely that the president will sign the bill into law. On the other hand, the less votes the bill receives from the members of his own party, the more likely it is that the president will not sign the bill into law. Normally, when a bill is sponsored by a representative from a political party different from that o the president, the best thing for him to do if he seeks to have the bill passed into law is to compromise with the president and the other political party. Compromise can be manifested by deleting some portions of the bill which is objectionable on the part of the other political party. It bears stressing that if the sponsor of the bill refuses to eliminate these objectionable portions it is more likely that the president will likewise refuse to sing the bill into law and veto it. Conclusion The democratic system of government is indeed a complex system which requires the proper balance among its three branches. Based on the foregoing, there are many factors why a president may make use of his veto power. It could be because of the personality of the president. There are some presidents who are more inclined to veto legislations because they feel they have support of the electorate. President may also veto legislation because of the person sponsoring the bill. It is possible if the sponsor of the bill is someone other than a party mate of the president and the former does not make any compromises with the president such as deleting any objectionable portion of the bill then it is possible that the bill may be vetoed. Also, it could be because of the defects in the bill itself such as it is unconstitutional, unethical and immoral or may be because it is not yet timely.

Risk And Uncertainty When Entering A New Market Economics Essay

Risk And Uncertainty When Entering A New Market Economics Essay When entering a foreign market for the first time, a firm will be faced with many unknowns. Distinguish between the concepts of risk and uncertainty when a firm is entering a market of your choice. Give examples of types of risk. INTRODUCTION This paper will examine the concept of foreign market incursion by domestic business entities. It will analyse the risks associated with and probe uncertainties inherent in globalizing the local business. The market of choice used in this paper is the entertainment industry in general and the music industry in particular, with a special focus on the music industry in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper will begin by defining key terms used and then give a broad background of international business and globalisation. The paper will then narrow its focus to the business context within which it will define risks and uncertainties. Each type of risk is expounded upon within the context provided and a conclusion made. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Credit Risk: (also called default risk) the risk of non-payment or uncertainty associated with payment of financial obligations when they are due. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Any investment abroad in which the company being invested in is controlled by a foreign entity or corporation. Foreign Exchange Risk: The risk of loss or money depreciation through change in currency exchange rates between the host country and country of origin of foreign investment. Interest Rate Risk: Uncertainty associated with changes in interest rates. Location Risk: These are spillover or contamination effects created by challenges or problems specific to the region in which a country is in. Piracy: The act of misuse of other peoples intellectual property. Pirate: Someone who uses anothers intellectual property as if it were his own. Political Risk: Actions by groups of people or governments which have the potential to affect the immediate or long term viability of a firm. Price Risk: Uncertainty associated with potential changes in the price of an asset cause by changes in interest rate levels and rates of return in the economy. Pure Risk: The type of risk which only offers the potential for loss but never results in gains. Risk: The likelihood of an occurrence of an outcome which is disadvantageous or harmful. Sovereign Risk: This is the risk that the government or one of its agencies will refuse to honour agreed terms of a loan agreement whenever the situation makes it arduous or undesirable for it to pay. Speculative Risk: The type of risk which offers both the potential for gain and the potential for loss. Systematic Risk: Risk which influences a large number of assets and which are impossible to prevent such as political events or acts of nature. Also called market risk. Talent: Someone with an exceptional ability. Uncertainty: The quality of human knowledge or information concerning risk. Unsystematic Risk: (Specific Risk): Risk which affects a very small number of assets or which is specific to a company such as a lockout at a recording studio. Visibility: The level of exposure to public scrutiny offered by such factors as a good marketing strategy. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND GLOBALISATION The term international business is concerned with the exchange of goods and services between individuals, groups and organizations in two or more countries. It includes all cross-border transactions between nations with commercial or political value, both by government and by private entities. Although globalisation is a complex construct to measure, it is widely acknowledged that much of the worlds business is either crossing borders and becoming global, uses imports in its manufacturing and/or supply or competing with foreign products in the same industry. Globalisation is a force that simply cannot be ignored. For purposes of clarity and due to differences in academic opinion on the subject, a working definition of globalisation for this paper will be derived from Hamilton and Webster (2009): Globalisation involves the creation of linkages or interconnections between nations. It is usually understood as a process in which barriers (physical, political, economic, cultural) separating different regions of the world as [sic] reduced or removed, thereby stimulating exchanges in goods, services, money, and people (Hamilton Webster 2009, p.5). The concept of globalisation acknowledges a world evolution into a global village where activities in one part influence and have marked significance over those in other parts in a short space of time (Katsioloudes Hadjidakis, 2007 p.366). Rapid technological advancement has undoubtedly improved connections between countries by expanding telecommunications, transportation services, government operations and general enterprise. There are, however, both strengths and weaknesses to be derived from the inexorable advancement of globalisation. Supporters of the concept argue that globalisation has brought about amazing dividends including a sharp fall in poverty; improved global health evidenced by an increased global life expectancy and a drop in infant mortality; a rise in global literacy; and an unprecedented wave of democratization (Ã…slund A Dabrowski M, 2008 p.3). THE CONTEXT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY The music industry is a blend of producers, promoters, talent, the musical art form, the product format and modes of distribution. Unlike in Western nations where big production studios such as SONY BMG, Motown Record Company, and Arista run the industry through music production, record sales, publishing and related merchandise, in many sub-Saharan African countries, the producers are entrepreneurs who more often than not exploit young and inexperienced talent to turn a profit. Returns to the local industry have been handicapped by piracy and the inability or unwillingness of governmental structures to protect intellectual property in itself a reaction to the growing rates of youth and graduate unemployment. The music industry in the region has therefore experience limited growth until recent years. Today, advancement in music production technology, the internet, and the influence of multinational enterprises such as telecommunications giants like AIRTEL and MTN are reshaping the musical culture through intense exposure and multi-faceted advertising campaigns promising to deliver new and exotic musical forms to a global market characterised by quick and ready consumption for innovative and new products. Through this economic globalisation, a new musical culture is emerging, and relatively unexposed classical and contemporary musical art forms in sub-Saharan Africa are beginning to enjoy global exposure. The advantages which the music industry in Africa has to offer are in the uniqueness of the product offering, the vast array of products or individual artistes with individual music and dance styles, and the novelty of the African experience. The Product Life Cycle (PLC) theory explains that the growth stage of international products is characterised by fast growing demand. From an analysis of the music industry in Africa, one could argue that it is rejuvenated into a growth phase in a new product cycle. There is evidence of demand for the new African musical product from such groups as Africans in the diaspora, African Americans, and art lovers from diverse cultural backgrounds. This can be said to be the justification behind the consistent exchange of musical artists between Africa and the West in corporate promotions of international telecommunications giants including Airtel, MTN, Orange and Safaricom in several sub-Saharan African countries. One could similarly argue that since the election victory of Barack Obama, the first US president of African parentage, African American entertainment moguls wishing to identify with the motherland have been creating opportunities for more interaction between Africa and North America in music and film. Film and music festivals such as the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), African movie Academy Awards (AMAA), the MTV African Music Awards (the MAMAs), have been consistently attended by American stars of African descent in an effort to increase the involvement and presence of the American entertainment industry (a global leader in the field). Other Awards in the north such as the Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBOs) and the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) have been striving to acknowledge and recognise African talent in order to spread awareness of the budding industry. One of the reasons why organizations engage in international business is to minimize risk by securing their product in a market with an expanding economy or to counter the strategies of competitors (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2009, p.60). When establishing operations abroad, however, a company also exposes itself to certain types of risk. In making an incursion into a foreign market, music businesses are often faced with several unknowns which are highlighted under types of risk. RISK AND UNCERTAINTY Both risk and uncertainty are factors which inherently influence corporate, strategic and tactical decision making in firms. Risks are calculable or known premises of the probability of having an undesirable outcome. They are a combination of the probability of occurrence of hazards and the magnitude or impact of their likely consequences. People who make decisions always have a certain level of knowledge about risks they take. The music producer, for instance, understands the risk of piracy in his immediate environment and the impact it may have on his ability to turn a profit from the music business, or he may understand the risk taken on investing in and promoting hitherto unproven talents in the industry based on mere intuition. The tolerability of risk is the willingness of a subject to live with a certain level of risk in exchange for some certain benefits. While the risk of competing with pirates who have minimal production and set-up costs may be high, the trade-off is often industry visibility for the product which enables the producer or label to get beneficial contracts for live and sometimes international music events. Further risks faced by the music industry in an effort to globalise are outlined below under risks faced by the industry. Uncertainty, on the other hand, is the situation in which the decision maker has no precise knowledge of the probability of occurrence of different states of outcome. The decision maker, in essence, has no predictive knowledge of the probability of any form of outcome. The music producer may be largely uncertain whether his or her product or talent is suitable for a market which has a different cultural context which may include a language barrier. He will also probably be uncertain about whether there will be a terrorist attack (a political risk) at any one of the shows organised for the benefit of promoting his talents abroad, even though he may be warned in advance of the risk of a cyclone and other forces of nature. TYPES OF RISK Risks may be typified along several different and distinct lines but due to volume restrictions and for the purposes of this paper we shall be examining the typologies listed below: Country risk Political risk Transfer risk Economic risk Foreign exchange risk Location risk 1. Country risk All businesses which transcend borders become exposed to a certain measure of risk which is not present in their domestic activities and transactions and these are known as country risks. In the narrower view of the concept, country risk is defined as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ risk that a country will not be able to honour its financial commitments (Katsioloudes Hadjidakis, 2007 p.185-6). In the broader context, however, country risk analyses are general aggregates of sub-risk factors present within the country. They may be calculated and form the basis on which to determine the desirability of choosing a country upon which to invest. For instance, countries which favour external investments and remove restrictive trade barriers are normally considered to be safe ground for foreign direct investment. By and large many third world countries like those of sub-Saharan Africa have not got the best end of the globalisation bargain (Waters, 2001 p.45) Due to usual high levels of uncertainty, country risk is not always easily calculated. However, some practitioners calculate country risk by dividing it up into sub-categories of risk which are then aggregated. These usually include: political risk, economic risk; transfer risk; foreign exchange risk; location risk; sovereign risk. According to current country risk ratings, Norway as the country with the least risk for investment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_risk). 2. Political Risk Political risks include all risks associated with the actions of government especially those to do with the legal dimension, relationships between countries, and security of investments. As with every other facet of business, political risks influence the music industry and the feasibility of globalisation. The African music and entertainment industries desire to move into Asia and North America because of the influence, technology and financial pull of Bollywood in India and Hollywood in the USA. Countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq are not ideal destinations due to political turmoil and the potent risk of loss of life, property or investments there. Other countries with an Eastern or socialist inclination are not attractive to those with capitalist orientations. In order to avoid fallouts of a political nature in investing in a global music enterprise, those in the African music industry simply need to do some country research to acquire relevant information about political stability and diplomatic relations between the country of potential investment and the country of the investors origin. There are a variety of web-based services which offer information on countries via country reports. The probability of travel restrictions barring temporary immigration or work based travel and visa denials due to stringent conditions are also elements of a political nature whose risks need calculation before any major investment can be made. 3. Transfer risk Sometimes the country of an individual who borrows money in an investment restricts the ability of people in that country to buy foreign exchange. The impact of this is that the borrower may not be able to meet his/her obligations to repay in foreign currency the currency of the borrowed amount. The risk of this occurring is normally known as transfer risk and because of the role of government in this type of risk; it is also a type of political risk. This risk is mostly present in countries where democracy is not the system of government. 4. Economic Risk Economic risk in the context of globalisation is the risk that the investment will be economically unsustainable. Variations in different financial inputs and outputs of the enterprise need to add up to ensure that the risk of fallout is checked. In the music industry, when the investment in an artist in terms of publicity and promotion, training and logistical costs are predicted not to be able to be offset by predicted future sales from the work of the artist, then it can be said that the economic risk is too high and it is not a good or advisable investment. 5. Foreign Exchange Risk This is also known as exchange rate risk or currency risk. It is the risk of change of the value of an investment due to fluctuations between exchange rates of the currency of the investor and the currency of the host country for the investment. The possible adverse effect of foreign exchange risk is that the investment may become more expensive as a result of unprecedented changes in currencies which are outside the control of the investor. A music producer who invests in a product for sale in a foreign market will be happy if the value of the foreign currency appreciates against the value of his local currency as that would mean increased profits for him. The foreign exchange market is highly volatile and predicting the direction of foreign exchange movement a guessing game. Many foreign buyers prefer to avoid this risk by trading in their local currency. 6. Location Risk Location risks are risk factors associated with the political neighbours of a country or region. Certain states in North America which border Mexico are affected by illegal immigration and have concerns to do with illegal migrant workers; the political dynamics of such countries as Tunisia affects that of similar or neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Libya as evidenced by the recent revolts (in the first quarter of 2011). RISK RETURN TRADE-OFF The risk-return trade-off principle holds that low risk levels are associated with low potential returns while where high risks exist; the possibility of high returns looms large. This is why even when the country risks are great, firms may decide to take on the challenge of investing nevertheless, often prompted by the need to defend against the prospect of the companys competitors taking the initiative. For example, in the music and entertainment industry, many North American artistes used to shun the Middle East as a suitable showground due to the notion that Middle Eastern ideologies and Islamic values predominant in the culture there were inconsistent with the entertainment requirements of unrestricted freedom of expression. However, in an unprecedented turnaround, Middle Eastern cities such as Dubai are fast becoming a favourite of artistes since big artists like Michael Jackson took the plunge of tapping into the market in the 1990s. OTHER RISKS FACED BY THE INDUSTRY Polycentrism may influence the art form of the music talent. Polycentrism works through the belief of foreign business units of trying to act local. Artists and producers are often strongly influenced by the local culture of the foreign environment of investment by sub-elements of personality including the language, dressing, use of available musical instruments and technology, and the musical art itself. Socialization of this nature may cause irreparable modification to the art they offer and the image they normally portray, a product exported for its original nature. This may later influence the potential of the talent to remain intellectually authentic the musical talent in some instances may be accused of no longer sounding African or of losing authenticity. SUGGESTED STRATEGY OF INCURSION INTO THE FOREIGN MARKET Based on the factors examined it is advisable for investors in the music industry to seek partnerships with foreign counterparts in selling the unique products of African traditional and contemporary musical art in a globalised setting. Just as local food is internationalised by countries such as Italy, Japan and the US in entities such as MacDonalds, single entrepreneurs can expand the musical product in clubs which offer African musical content with renewable, trainable talent acting as the products on offer. The risk from competition, while challenging, helps organizations focus their energies on quality strategies of survival or market expansion. Due to the challenges inherent in integrating into a foreign market, foreign firms must enhance the process of their integration into local markets as a matter of necessity. This can be done by recruiting locals and learning the language and culture (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2009, p.505) among other integration strategies. CONCLUSION The paper has outlined the concepts of risk and uncertainty in the global arena within the context of the incursion of a local business. The sub-Saharan African perspective has been brought to bear on the analysis. The paper highlighted the difference between risk and uncertainty showing their relationship to one another and giving examples on each of the concepts. The paper has also looked at ways in which a firm in the music and entertainment industry may benefit from globalisation. Comparisons were made between the African music industry and other globalised franchises in the world such as MacDonalds in suggesting a useful model which may be simulated.

Bacterial Vector: Delivery of Plasmid Mediated DNA Vaccine

Bacterial Vector: Delivery of Plasmid Mediated DNA Vaccine Abstract / Introduction: The United Nations recently estimated that the worlds population has exceeded seven billion people. It is projected that approximately 16% of this population rely on fish as a principal source of the protein obtained from animals [1]. However, many wild stocks of fish have begun to collapse due to destructive overfishing and damage caused to aquatic ecosystems by climate change. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic species under environmentally managed conditions and is increasingly used throughout the world as a major food production method, providing approximately half of the fish consumed globally [3]. Sustainable aquaculture will play an important role in meeting the food requirements of a growing population while reducing the impact commercial fishing plays on overexploited and endangered species. Of critical importance when raising aquatic organisms under densely populated conditions is disease prevention. In an aquaculture setting with large populations of fish in close quart ers, bacterial and viral pathogens can spread rapidly partially due to the efficacy of transmission in water [4]. Therefore, an important consideration in moving towards sustainable aquaculture is effective and efficient prophylactic methods for preventing infection. Reduction of labour and material costs is of major concern in aquaculture disease management, therefore manual vaccination methods, such as intramuscular injection, are not considered viable in this regard. Salmon are a fish species of major commercial aquaculture relevance and as such, disease prevention in these farming scenarios is of substantial economic and environmental concern [5, 6]. One disease of relevance to farmed salmon species is the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), a.k.a. Chinook salmon disease. It is a rhabdovirus whose genome encodes a glycoprotein, which presents as a viral antigen [7, 8], and is a pathogen that causes deadly disease in many salmonid species of fish. Since its discovery in the 1950s, IHNV has spread throughout North America, as well as to Asian and European countries. It causes necrosis and hemorrhage within infected fish, commonly in the kidney and spleen, and induces high mortality in young fry [9]. It can be particularly devastating in the densely populated aquaculture setting. Given the environmental sustainability and economic importance of commercially farmed salmon globally, it is therefore of importance to develop practical cost- effective methods for vaccinating large populations of fish against diseases such as IHNV. Gene based vaccines have been shown to be able to deliver plasmid-encoded DNA (pDNA) to fish cell cultures in vitro [10]. The protein produced inside the animal cell is treated as a foreign antigen, and can cause a protective immune response against a pathogen such as a bacteria or virus. Objectives / Methodology: The aims of this proposed research program are several fold. The objectives are to develop and test an appropriate bacterial vector for the delivery of a plasmid mediated DNA vaccine in an aquaculture environment. This vector will be assessed using molecular methods for efficacy within a suitable in vitro model system to examine the ability to deliver an immunologically relevant product of interest. This system will then be evaluated for effectiveness against pathogenic challenge within an appropriate in vivo model system. The hypothesis driving this proposal is that an engineered bacterial vector can effectively deliver a plasmid mediated gene vaccine within salmonid, and protect against a lethal challenge of a species and commercially relevant pathogen. Previous studies suggest that this is a worthwhile and meaningful pursuit in the global aquaculture context [11, 12]. Effective DNA vaccines against IHNV have previously been developed, however these types of vaccines have been hist orically delivered by intramuscular injection [11]. Several alternative methods of DNA vaccine delivery have been explored for including liposomes and ultrasound [13]. Though these methods present issues such as training, equipment costs, and sub-optimal vaccine delivery. An ideal scenario in an aquaculture context would involve a relatively inexpensive delivery vector (e.g. bacteria) carrying a vaccine, which can be easily dosed directly into the environment and induce a protective immunity within the population. The concept of using attenuated bacteria as DNA delivery vectors has been explored for some time [14, 15]. In prior studies, Escherichia coli have been shown to be capable of successfully acting as DNA delivery vectors to mammalian cells in vitro [12, 16]. For aquaculture settings, employing pathogens of human concern, even if attenuated, have regulatory and health concerns. For this reason delivery vectors such as E. coli are not ideal. In this study, an attenuated version of the salmonid pathogen Yersinia ruckeri, the cause of enteric redmouth disease (ERD) will be utilized. The rationale for using this attenuated vector is that it is a naturally occurring fish pathogen, in addition, it is not of human health concern. Furthermore, there is potential that the vector itself may induce immunity against ERD acting as a bivalent vaccine. Previous reports using attenuated bacteria as a vector for gene delivery indicate that release of pDNA is enhanced by death of the bacteria inside the host cell [17]. One strategy to achieve intracellular rupture of the vector is through the use of cell wall deficient bacteria. In this proposal, a strain Y. ruckeri lacking the ability to synthesize the cell wall component diaminopimelic acid (DAP) will be exploited. In the absence of an exogenous source of DAP, the bacteria cannot synthesize the peptide cross bridges of the peptidoglycan cell wall and will undergo autolysis during subsequent growth. Two engineered plasmids will be utilized for the proposed studies, one vaccine and one control. The vaccine plasmid will have the full glycoprotein from Y. ruckeri cloned in downstream of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. The control plasmid will have firefly luciferase reporter gene also cloned in downstream of a CMV promoter. To summarize these experimental components; bacterial vector strain ÃŽ ±, vaccine ÃŽ ² and control ÃŽ ³ plasmids:      Ã‚   ÃŽ ± Y. ruckeri 11.29Δdap Isolated from Chinook salmon, dapA mutant [18] ÃŽ ²pIHNV-G Complete IHNV glycoprotein (G) gene inserted into pcDNA3 (Fig.1), downstream of CMV promoter [19] ÃŽ ³pLUC Firefly luciferase reported inserted into pcDNA3 (Fig.1), downstream of CMV promoter [18] The proposed model of plasmid mediated vaccine delivery in this system is multi-step: Vector harboring plasmid pIHNV-G enters a cell via endocytosis or phagocytosis Facilitated by Δdap, pDNA is liberated in the cytoplasm via bacterial lysis pDNA is transported to the nucleus Encoded antigen is expressed and processed, inducing an immune response In vitro studies: Transformation of bacterial vector with vaccine and control plasmids Competent Y. ruckeri strain11.29Δdap will be transformed with either pIHNV-G or pLUC by electroporation or chemical methods. Successful transformants will be screened by growth on appropriate media agar plates supplemented with ampicillin and DAP. Examination of transfection frequency via flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy For tissue culture experiments, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) embryonic cells (CHSE-214), and normal rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gill cells (RTgill-W1) will be employed. These cell lines are relevant to the species and aquaculture context of interest for this research proposal. Both are relatively easy to culture, e.g. not requiring increased [CO2] or temperature. Transformed bacteria (11.29Δdap-pIHNV-G, or 11.29Δdap-pLUC) will be co-incubated with sub-confluent layers of each cell line and transfection frequency / gene delivery with reporter plasmid will be assessed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Quantitative assessment of vector invasiveness by gentamicin protection assay Invasiveness of 11.29Δdap, 11.29Δdap-pIHNV-G, and 11.29Δdap-pLUC will be quantitatively assessed by gentamicin protection assays. Briefly, each cell line will be co-incubated with the vector (11.29Δdap-pIHNV-G, or 11.29Δdap-pLUC) at a multiplicity of infection of ~100 bacteria per tissue culture cell and incubated for 2h. At 24 and 48h post-incubation, cell monolayers will be fixed and analyzed via fluorescence microscopy for luciferase expression. In vivo studies: Routine maintenance of rainbow trout treatment / exposure groups in aquaria Transformed bacterial vector will also used to treat O. mykiss in vivo through dosed aquaculture immersion. Adolescent O. mykiss fry will be maintained at 12 °C in appropriately sized aquaria with filtration and aeration and water quality factors (e.g. pH, NH3, Cl) with daily feeding and 5% water changes. In preparation for treatment, fish will be moved to separate isolated 40L aquaria with filtration with feeling and 25% water changes every two days. The proposed experimental treatment / exposure groups will be as follows: 11.29Δdap 11.29Δdap-pIHNV-G 11.29Δdap-pLUC Intramuscular injection of purified pIHNV-G Intramuscular injection of purified pLUC Intramuscular injection of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  vector, plasmid, or injection (anesthesia only) Exposure of O. mykiss with bacterial vector harboring vaccine or control plasmid For treatment with bacterial vector (with or without pDNA), experimental fish will be transferred from their 40L tank to sterile 4L beakers of water (aerated, 12 °C). Appropriate vector will be dosed into the beaker via serological pipette for a final concentration of approximately 107 cfu ml-1, and fish incubated for 1h [18]. Following treatment, fish will be transferred back to their respective 40L tank and maintained as previously described. Exposure of O. mykiss to purified plasmid or PBS control by intramuscular injection For injection treatments, fish will be transported to beakers of sterile 4L beakers of water (aerated, 12 °C) and an anesthetizing dose of Finquel added. Once visibly anesthetized (attenuated movement and muscle tone, reduced respiration) [20], fish will be treated. A volume of 100ÃŽ ¼L of purified pIHNV-G or pLUC resuspended in PBS, will be intramuscularly injected (1ÃŽ ¼g total plasmid), 100 ÃŽ ¼L PBS, or anesthetized with no injection, Once injected, fresh water will be added and fish were monitored until consciousness is regained, and transferred back to their respective 40L tank and maintained as previously described. Lethal challenge of O. mykiss with pathogenic IHNV and quantifying response to vectors After vector or control treatment (14d), fish remaining from each sample group will be challenged with 5104 pfu ml-1 of pathogenic IHNV [21, 22] for 5h. Mortalities will be recorded daily for 30d after viral challenge. At 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14d post vector treatment, or 3, 5, 7, and 14d post injection, fish will be removed from their respective treatment tanks and euthanized with a lethal dose of Finquel. The spleen and kidneys of each fish will be surgically removed, placed in an RNA stabilization reagent, and stored at -20 °C until processing. Organ samples will be homogenized with zirconia/silica beads in a tissue lysis buffer, RNA purified from the homogenate, and synthesis of cDNA performed. Gene expression of Mx-1, Vig-1, TNF-ÃŽ ±1, TNF-ÃŽ ±2, IFN1 and IFN2 [23] will be measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) relative to housekeeping gene ARP [24], and analyzed by the ΔΔCt method. In previous studies, levels of expression for the genes of interest in thi s proposal have been revealed to be altered in fish exposed to IHNV [19, 23, 25]. Discussion / Impacts: Salmonids, particularly rainbow trout, are globally one of the most scientifically studied and extensively farmed fish [26, 27]. As previously mentioned, aquaculture is utilized worldwide as a major food production method. This necessitates the demand for economically sustainable disease prevention techniques to help preclude economically devastating loss of business due to mortality. This research proposal aims to validate that an attenuated bacterial vector can effectively deliver a plasmid mediated gene based vaccine for IHNV to rainbow trout in vivo, and invoke an immune response that will protect against future exposure to the pathogen. It is postulated that exposure to 11.29Δdap-pIHNV-G will invoke the most significant immune response in treated fish compared to other treatment groups. Furthermore, this treatment will induce the highest level of protection from a subsequent lethal challenge of IHNV. If successful in this regard, an aquaculture based dosing method exploiting plasmid harboring attenuated bacteria would represent a relatively inexpensive and non-labor intensive vaccination method. Further investigating A 16K and 32K cDNA salmonid cDNA microarray have recently been developed and are obtainable through the Genomic Research on Atlantic Salmon Project (GRASP) [28].

Florence Nightingale Theory Case Study

Florence Nightingale Theory Case Study Clinical Application of Florence Nightingale Theory (Paper) Amber Hussain Overview of Theory Everything in this world that has been created by God has some meaning attached to it and has to perform some role in this world. Similarly[M1] Florence Nightingale developed modern nursing based on her life experiences. She was the pioneer who gave the concept of nursing education and was considered as the first nursing theorist. It was a Crimean war where serving as nurse and observing dead patients forced her to develop an environmental theory. Her first theory was termed as â€Å"environmental theory† and was published in 1860. The theory describes the relationship of people with their environment. According to her, disease is a reparative process, which is not always the cause of sufferings but nurses ought to modify the environment for nature to act upon[M2]. Selanders (2010) comments that â€Å"The principle of environmental alteration has served as a framework for research studies† (P.88). Nightingales’ environmental theory reflects a great consideration in providing holistic approach to the patients by inculcating four major metaparadigms which consist of individual, environment, health and Nursing. All four concepts are interlinked with each other. An individual is a human being who is effected by the environment and acted upon by a nurse. Environment is a way which a nurse can manipulate for natural laws to act in order to make the human body healthy or vice versa. Health is viewed as a holistic level of wellness which is maintained by the customized environmental factors and facilitated by the nurses to maintain it. In the same way, for Florence, nursing is a separate entity in the field of medicine and the vital role of a nurse is to keep the patient in an environment where they remain healthy and where the maximum healing takes place. â€Å"The nurse is responsible for maintaining the environment in such a manner as to maintain the health of the patient† (Selanders, 2010, p.87) These environmental alterations are represented as the canons of Florence Nightingale environmental theory which are classified into 13 sub concepts. These canons includes ventilation and warming, health of houses, noise, light, nutrition, bed bedding, personal cleanliness, variety ,taking food, petty management, chattering hopes and observation of the sick. She believed that this is the responsibility of nurse to alter the environment in a manner that it can help the patient to have a better recovery. She emphasized that air a person breaths should be clean, odor free and room temperature should be moderate. Houses should be clean and well-constructed. A good sunlight and calm surroundings should also be considered as they create tangible effects on body. Patient and a nurse should practice hand hygiene as a Personal cleaning. Bed should be dry, wrinkle free and placed at the lowest portion. Individual should be preferred to eat small frequent meals without any distractions. Patien t should be provided hopes and all his concerns should be listened and addressed. Lastly, nurse should keenly observe patient and his environment. All these will help to provide patients with patient centered care. Clinical Scenario This theory can be applicable in different clinical scenarios with different context but I can best relate it to a clinical scenario related to my life experience, which stunned me during my student life. It was one of the government hospitals where I was assigned in a pediatric ward with 4 years old patient suffering from pneumonia. Next to my assigned bead was a 3years old baby boy who came with the complaint of dehydration. Child was on intravenous fluids and antibiotics. While nurse was taking history from the mother, I realized that he belongs to a poor family and has recurrent history of cough since after his birth. Child was recovering well and was advised to discharge. Few hours before his discharge, he developed small red scaly spots on the back which within 3-4 hrs increased in size and spread to the extremities. Mother shared the concern with nurse, to which she said that these are just heat rashes which can probably be due to hot weather. In order to provide comfort to baby, mother started applying heat powder on child’s whole body butbaby became restless due to itching and burning of rashes. After few hours, the rashes appeared on whole body including chest and face due to which child was presented with respiratory distress. Mother started hue and cry due to which the nurse and doctors arrived. Nurse started to perform vital signs and she observed that baby’s respiration and pulse were high. Doctor diagnosed these as anaphylact ic reaction which were a result of urticarian rashes. The child was kept on triple regimen therapy including prednisolone and was suggested for allergy test and Complete Blood Count (CBC). Laboratory diagnosis reveled that WBCs was high and baby was reported as severely allergic to dust. After this incident, I was stressed up as a baby who was about to discharge, suddenly developed allergy which converted to anaphylaxis. I did a root cause analysis and identified the following possible reasons: i) baby was not bathed since 3 days, ii) there was no bedding changed and iii) the room was full of dust heaps, eatables and wet clothes. After realizing its root cause, I changed bedding and gave bath to the child. I also taught mother the importance of giving regular bath, its proper techniques and also emphasized on personal hygiene. Analysis of Clinical Scenario by Applying Florence Nightingale Theory Keeping all the views into considerations, the above case I experienced is now to be related to the theory of Florence Nightingale. In Nightingales four metaparadigm, Individual is a 3 years old baby who required proper environment. Dehydration is a disease due to which patient was admitted. Unchanged bedding, dirty area and lack of patient care are the environmental factors due to which the baby suffered from anaphylaxis and also other patient, staff and relatives were at risk. The nurse is the one who was assigned with baby, and did not pay attention on the environment. If a nurse having skills and knowledge, could have altered the baby’s environment, then baby would have not suffered with sever anaphylactic reaction. According to Florence Nightingale (1996) â€Å"If a patient is cold, if a patient is feverish, if a patient is faint, if he is sick after taking food, if he has a bed-sore, it is generally the fault not of the disease, but of the nursing† (p. 6). By taking environmental theory into account, the major canons which suits in above clinical scenario are ventilation and warming, health of houses, bed bedding, personal cleanliness and observation of the sick. Ventilation and warmth is the most important concept without which other concepts are nothing. The area where baby was present was dirty and full of the foul smell due to the presence of food and damp cloths. The damp cloth which dries in patient room can go into the air where patient is present. The eatables which were present without cover/lid, the moisture of that evaporates in patient area and can spoil the air. The nurse and mother were so insensitive that they were unable to recognize that patient is being treated in an unhygienic environment. â€Å"The more that is known about your child’s environmental exposures and experiences, the more accurately one can predict the risk of immune dysfunction and immune-related disease† (Dietert, Rodney Janice, 2010, p.15). However, Nightingales strongly emphasized on the presence of fresh and clean air as well as avoidance of foul smell and fumigations. It is the air we breathe which purifies the blood. This impure air if provided with untidy room can be a disaster for the patient as he can develop numerous diseases. Nightingale explains the above factor in her concept Health[M3] of houses. The room in which the baby was admitted was full of dust and there was no one, including a nurse who noticed and rectified this factor. Therefore, dust heap was the source of environmental impurity and patient’s allergic factor. This factor was coupled with the allocation of beds in the room. The beds were so congested that there was no such corner where outer atmosphere find its way for providing clean and fresh air. The patient care was further compromised by the bedding that was available for the patient. It is well explained in the cannon bed and bedding. The nurse was aware of the fact that the b edding that is offered to patient hasn’t changed since few days. The child, who was already sick and was depositing his exhaled sick breath and body’s unsafe flora into the bed, had exaggerated his sickness due to the unchanged and old wrinkle full bedding provided to him. According to Nightingale, the large amount of moisture of exhaled air goes into bedding which contains organic matter and is noxious for health. Beita (2013) also emphasized that â€Å"It’s a chore, but washing all bedding weekly in hot water is a sure way to get rid of dust mites† Personal cleaning, be one of the important canon is also nicely related to the baby’s health. Baby has not bathed since 3 days which made him more prone to infection and allergies. Nightingale in her theory intensely advised nurses to pay attention to patients’ personal hygiene. She also gave consideration to sponging methods, usage of soft water and hand washing. Last but not the least, observation of the sick is also a very essential canon to be integrated with the case. In this scenario nurse did not had a sound observation and she neglected patient care. Even, when mother of the baby made her realize that baby is having rashes, she ignored and gave falsify reason of having heat rashes. She did not observe that the environmental factors has became a cause of patient sufferings. While, according to Florence Nightingale, The most important practical lesson that can be given to nurses is to teach them what to observe—how to observe—what symptoms indicate improvement—what the reverse—which are of importance—which are of none—which are the evidence of neglect—and of what kind of neglect. Due to all these environmental factors the baby in this scenario ended up with anaphylactic reaction which could have been prevented if all above measures would have taken care. Let us consider the impact of local context which affect the critical incident of the case. Primarily, the age of baby (3years old), his present complaint (dehydration) and his history of recurrent cough made him susceptible to acquire infection and allergies. â€Å"Children, because of their smaller bodies are more vulnerable to the impacts of bad indoor air† (Beita, 2013). Secondly unidentified allergies were present during his admission which badly effected baby’s health. Then the misperception of the nurse that the red spots are heat rashes due to warm weather, ended baby with anaphylaxis. Also, the nurse’s lack of knowledge regarding environmental influence and her busy schedule, compromised baby’s hygiene care, which leads baby to severe life threatening condition The impact of this scenario is not only on the individual baby, but it can also be on all the patients admitting to the particular ward/ hospital, due to unfavorable environment. It is also evident in the scenario that client belong to the poor family, which contributes to the economic burden to the family and consequently on the community. Hypothesis Derived from Theory to Test Nursing Interventions If Government will invest more in the infrastructure of hospitals, it will decrease the chances †¦ If nursing training is being provided up to the mark in every nursing institution, then patient recovery would be fast If infection control educations have been done continuously in media, then it will decrease chances of infection allergies If hospitals would develop their policies and procedures, then it will reduce nosocomial and other infections If signs of specific allergies/ infections have been posted in hospital as a guide for nurses, they would easily rectify the problem and patient complication would be less. Summarization To summarize, integrating Nightingale’s theory in the clinical scenario, has increased my knowledge regarding this particular theory and it helped me to view nursing as discipline. This assignment has basically given me theoretical concepts for understanding my own experienced observation, in a more meaningful way. I have never thought about this unpleased clinical scenario but through this assignment and integration of theory I did analysis of my observation which pointed out to specific outcomes. Also it helps me to make connections while considering options for interventions. For this theory I now realize that though this theory was developed in early century, however its implication is still consistent with modern era and many health care professionals are consistently following it in some way or the other. I will also apply this theory whenever and wherever it would be pertinent, as it helps to prevent from many diseases and infections. References: Beita,B.(2013). Home breathable home. The Environmental Magazine. 24 (3): 28-9 Dietert, Rodney R., Janice. (2010). Strategies for protecting your childs immune system:  Tools for parents and parents -to-be. Singapore: W.S: Hackensack Nightingale, F. (1992). Notes on Nursing: what it is and what it is not. Philadelphia PA: J.B.  Lippincott Company Selanders, L.C. (2010). The Power of Environmental Adaptation: Florence Nightingales  Original Theory for Nursing Practice. Journal of Holistic Nursing.28 (1), 81-88. The Power of Environmental Adaptation: Florence Nightingales Original Theory for Nursing Practice 2010 Louise C. Selanders, EdD, RN, FAAN  Journal of Holistic Nursing American Holistic Nurses Association Volume 28 Number 1 March 2010 81-88  © 2010 AHNA 10.1177/0898010109360257 http://jhn.sagepub.com Becker, E. (2001, August 27). Prairie farmers reap conservations rewards. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com Strunk, W., Jr., White, E. B. (1979). The guide to everything and then some more stuff. New York, NY: Macmillan. Gregory, G., Parry, T. (2006). Designing brain-compatible learning (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. The interactions between the body and environmental factors generally follow very simple rules. Some exposures are useful and may play a critical role in promoting good health. Others are problematic and can damage the health of our children. Title:Strategies for Protecting Your Childs Immune System : Tools for Parents and Parents -to-be Author:Dietert, Rodney R., Dietert, JaniceDate:2010 Source:E: The Environmental MagazineDate:May 1,2013. Home breathable home by beita belli The general definition of environment is anything that, through manipulation, assists in putting the individual in the best possible condition for nature to act. Therefore, the environment has internal and external components . (P.8) Journal of Holistic Nursing The Power of Environmental Adaptation: Florence Nightingales Original Theory for Nursing Practice 2010 Louise C. Selanders, EdD, RN, FAAN Journal of Holistic Nursing American Holistic Nurses Association Volume 28 Number 1 March 2010 81-88  © 2010 AHNA 10.1177/0898010109360257 http://jhn.sagepub.com [M1]Helen keller [M2]Did not understand [M3]Connectivity is missing